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nora_knight's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed this book, just enough suspense and twists that were interesting and not cliche. I liked how real the characters and their world seemed even though it was a fantasy novel. The ending was a bit disappointing but surprising and fit the vibe of the rest of the book well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
kaseybereading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Blood
levesc17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Main character Charlie Hall is a lit match. And everything around her tends to burn. Which was suspenseful and sometimes difficult to read. However about halfway through the book the momentum really picks up and even though I predicted the plot twist, I was on the edge of my seat rooting for Charlie, hoping she’d save the day. There’s a soft set up for a follow up book which I’ll definitely read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture and Death
katvou's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Child death, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content and Gun violence
karapillar's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Kidnapping, Classism, Vomit, Murder, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Stalking, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
tamara_joy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders
co2lreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I have always loved Holly Black's storytelling, and Book of Night is no exception. I really liked all the characters and their relationships, especially the family dynamics between Charlie, Posey, and their mother. The climax on the book was especially well-written. It's always great to read about women who are clever and sneaky to get what they want. I'm hoping there will be at least another book, but even as a stand alone it's a great, mysterious urban fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was very intrigued to pick up this novel, because it is Holly Black's first venture into adult fantasy. I was moderately invested in "The Cruel Prince" trilogy, and I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel being centered around shadows. Needless to say, I was very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed this story!
"Book of Night" follows Charlie, a young woman who was a low stakes con artist, just trying to get by as a bartender. She gets sucked back into the dark world of shadow trading when someone from her past reemerges. I really enjoyed that this fantasy novel was rooted in reality, with minor fantastical elements. I think it is so much easier to become quickly engrossed in stories that are written in this way. I also really loved seeing the flashbacks of a younger Charlie. It was a really interesting way to see how she learned her con artist abilities, and to see why she views the world how she does. She is rough around the edges, and a real underdog that you just cannot help but root for.
The ending had me at the edge of my seat, and I really hope we get to see a sequel soon!
"Book of Night" follows Charlie, a young woman who was a low stakes con artist, just trying to get by as a bartender. She gets sucked back into the dark world of shadow trading when someone from her past reemerges. I really enjoyed that this fantasy novel was rooted in reality, with minor fantastical elements. I think it is so much easier to become quickly engrossed in stories that are written in this way. I also really loved seeing the flashbacks of a younger Charlie. It was a really interesting way to see how she learned her con artist abilities, and to see why she views the world how she does. She is rough around the edges, and a real underdog that you just cannot help but root for.
The ending had me at the edge of my seat, and I really hope we get to see a sequel soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Drug use, and Alcoholism
sauvageloup's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
SO GOOD! Wish i hadn't tried to rush quite so much because of the event and savored it a bit more but still loved it
pros:
- the magic!!! i haven't read a book (that i remember) with shadow magic in it and i loved the whole thing. the alterationists, quickened shadows, the way the magic became known to the general public through the internet, etc. all of it :D
- Charlie. She's such a mess but she never really means badly by it and I loved how there's the reveal at the end how's she's been holding herself back because she's been afraid of what happens when she really tries. Her nickname of the Charlatan, her past with Rand, her really grey morality but still being loyal and good at heart, as well as her proud sexuality and her relationship with Vince - she doesn't realise how much she likes him and they've kept so many secrets, and yet they're both totally dedicated to the other and i loved that :)
- all the other characters!! Vince was amazing and I didn't guess at all that he was Edmund's shadow, which i should've really, but i'm so glad Charlie wasn't that fussed about it and i loved Posey, with her determination to be a gloamist. she was a mess too and making some questionable decisions, but she comes through for Charlie and i liked that she got some healing at the end too.
- the ending was bittersweet but in kind of a perfect way. I liked the possibility of Vince/Red getting his memory back and that Charlie wasn't gonna quit on him.
- Salt was such a good villain too, and Charlie's horror story past of meeting him first was so well done and creepy, because she was so young and relatively defenseless then, but still managed to keep her wits. she's such a survivor :)
- i definitely felt the similarity between BoN and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. There's no dark academia, but the main characters are both 'not on their first mistake, but maybe their last' (as Black put it), a bit older, survivors and smart but jaded and making bad mistakes. there were strong resonances in the magic too, even though it's entirely different, there's the same wild danger of it and not quite knowing how it actually works or how the magic arises/the shadow is quickened. And there was a similar complex, mystery-based plot where both had too many names and was a bit confusing. but i loved both books all the same, and that type of tired-but-fierce female MC who is holding onto life with her teeth is the best :))
cons:
- there's a lot of names. i definitely got lost. Malik and Mahir i muddled up, i forgot who Paul Ecco and Adam and a bunch of the others, as well as small clues like the magnet Charlie found. i did rush through a bit, but it was still pretty complicated
- i did also find that Charlie's chaos kind of spilled into the plot? so i got lost a bit about how much time this was all taking, and the clues/plots/twists and turns felt very haphazard, according to just when the thought showed up in Charlie's mind. it definitely felt organic, but maybe a bit too much so
- also i'm not quite sure what was hinted at with Vince and Adelaine? did she have a relationship with Red? or Vince? or did she hurt Red when Vince wasn't there? idk
But overall, adored it and can't wait for book 2 :D
pros:
- the magic!!! i haven't read a book (that i remember) with shadow magic in it and i loved the whole thing. the alterationists, quickened shadows, the way the magic became known to the general public through the internet, etc. all of it :D
- Charlie. She's such a mess but she never really means badly by it and I loved how there's the reveal at the end how's she's been holding herself back because she's been afraid of what happens when she really tries. Her nickname of the Charlatan, her past with Rand, her really grey morality but still being loyal and good at heart, as well as her proud sexuality and her relationship with Vince - she doesn't realise how much she likes him and they've kept so many secrets, and yet they're both totally dedicated to the other and i loved that :)
- all the other characters!! Vince was amazing
- Salt was such a good villain too, and Charlie's horror story past of meeting him first was so well done and creepy, because she was so young and relatively defenseless then, but still managed to keep her wits. she's such a survivor :)
- i definitely felt the similarity between BoN and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. There's no dark academia, but the main characters are both 'not on their first mistake, but maybe their last' (as Black put it), a bit older, survivors and smart but jaded and making bad mistakes. there were strong resonances in the magic too, even though it's entirely different, there's the same wild danger of it and not quite knowing how it actually works or how the magic arises/the shadow is quickened. And there was a similar complex, mystery-based plot where both had too many names and was a bit confusing. but i loved both books all the same, and that type of tired-but-fierce female MC who is holding onto life with her teeth is the best :))
cons:
- there's a lot of names. i definitely got lost. Malik and Mahir i muddled up, i forgot who Paul Ecco and Adam and a bunch of the others, as well as small clues like the magnet Charlie found. i did rush through a bit, but it was still pretty complicated
- i did also find that Charlie's chaos kind of spilled into the plot? so i got lost a bit about how much time this was all taking, and the clues/plots/twists and turns felt very haphazard, according to just when the thought showed up in Charlie's mind. it definitely felt organic, but maybe a bit too much so
But overall, adored it and can't wait for book 2 :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Self harm, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Body horror, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, and Cursing
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Incest, and Forced institutionalization
the self harm is only explicitly for finger pricks for blood, but there's a lot of bad, self-sabotaging decisionsmidnightrose_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
Book of Night is the first Adult book from fantasy author Holly Black. It’s about Charlie Hall and her life as a con artist. In the world of the book shadows play a huge part, and she’s tasked with stealing a book called the Liber Noctem or ‘Book of Blights’ for an eccentric billionaire named Lionel Salt. She has a past history with Salt as you learn while reading, as well as how her boyfriend Vince DaMamino is connected to him as well.
The first portion of the book is hard to get into (you’re essentially dropped into the world where you scramble to understand its mythology) and it wasn’t until after about 55 pages into it that things started to pick up. Definitely the later half, and particularly towards the end is when things get interesting. It took me way longer to read than it should have (the book is only 304 pages). Not sure if I will be continuing this series even though the last scene specifically was intriguing. If I do I will listen to it on audio or borrow it from the library.
The first portion of the book is hard to get into (you’re essentially dropped into the world where you scramble to understand its mythology) and it wasn’t until after about 55 pages into it that things started to pick up. Definitely the later half, and particularly towards the end is when things get interesting. It took me way longer to read than it should have (the book is only 304 pages). Not sure if I will be continuing this series even though the last scene specifically was intriguing. If I do I will listen to it on audio or borrow it from the library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content