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A review by kaylsallbooked
Night by Alexandria Warwick
5.0
ARC provided by the author. All opinions are my own.
"'It's quite clever, actually. Yuki does have a flair for the dramatic, in case you hadn't noticed.'
Oh, she'd noticed."
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of the first book in this series, Below, last year and LOVED it, so when I was offered the chance to get the sequel, I jumped on it the first chance I got! Not only is the cover stunning, but THIS BOOK WAS EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST! I'm a bit sad that I finished the entire thing in two sittings the day after I received it, cuz now I gotta wait for the next book :'(
One of the most appealing parts of Below were the characters, and that was no less true in Night. I would say that this book is more character-driven than the first installment, which resulted in less action when compared to the events in the Labyrinth, but I'm a complete sucker for character development and domestic moments so I was LIVING FOR THIS. The worldbuilding was expanded so much and it was all really interesting. I loved learning more about the different Unua tribes and the history of the North! We learned so much about myths that played super important roles, and I really enjoyed reading about the First Man, the Raven and the Sea Mother!
"Apaay wondered what he saw and if it was the same thing she did: someone who wasn't ready to give up yet, but who didn't know how to step away from the edge."
Back to the amazing characters! I loved Apaay's bravery and resilience in the first book and she's an awesome narrator. In this sequel, she's definitely struggling following her time spent in Yuki's labyrinth and she constantly battles depression throughout the book, though it's never named as such. I thought it was depicted really well, and I'm happy to see more depression representation, especially after just reading The Crow Rider, in which depression also affects the main character! It's inspiring to see Apaay work against her demons (hah, pun intended) and by the end of the book, she's stronger than ever. I just love her a lot.
SPEAKING OF DEMONS, the Face Stealer was on a whole 'nother level in this book. He almost seemed like a different person altogether, and it was amaaaaazing. We got to see a completely different side of him and learn so much about his life and his motivations. His relationship with Apaay is SO GREAT and I'm obsessed with them. It's so frickin' entertaining to see them interact and be vulnerable and ugh it's so good. They reached a really great place by the end of the book and I can't waaaaait to see where it goes from here.
Side characters became even more abundant, and they were awesome! Ila was back with her own POV chapters, too! I loved her in the first book, and though her friendship with Apaay was different, it was nice to see her grow into herself and become a stronger person. I'm really excited about the revelations we've learned about her! Kaan and Ro were fantastic additions as well, and I'm interested in Talimaq's role going forward.
Overall, I'm super happy with this book. I really enjoy the plot, the great worldbuilding and all the twist and turns of the characters. This has definitely become one of my favorite ongoing series, and I am seriously looking forward to the next book, though I'll be waiting awhile. I think it's an supremely-underrated series, but I'll be for sure recommending it to all my book friends! Make sure to snag your copy when it releases on October 8th!
"'It's quite clever, actually. Yuki does have a flair for the dramatic, in case you hadn't noticed.'
Oh, she'd noticed."
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of the first book in this series, Below, last year and LOVED it, so when I was offered the chance to get the sequel, I jumped on it the first chance I got! Not only is the cover stunning, but THIS BOOK WAS EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST! I'm a bit sad that I finished the entire thing in two sittings the day after I received it, cuz now I gotta wait for the next book :'(
One of the most appealing parts of Below were the characters, and that was no less true in Night. I would say that this book is more character-driven than the first installment, which resulted in less action when compared to the events in the Labyrinth, but I'm a complete sucker for character development and domestic moments so I was LIVING FOR THIS. The worldbuilding was expanded so much and it was all really interesting. I loved learning more about the different Unua tribes and the history of the North! We learned so much about myths that played super important roles, and I really enjoyed reading about the First Man, the Raven and the Sea Mother!
"Apaay wondered what he saw and if it was the same thing she did: someone who wasn't ready to give up yet, but who didn't know how to step away from the edge."
Back to the amazing characters! I loved Apaay's bravery and resilience in the first book and she's an awesome narrator. In this sequel, she's definitely struggling following her time spent in Yuki's labyrinth and she constantly battles depression throughout the book, though it's never named as such. I thought it was depicted really well, and I'm happy to see more depression representation, especially after just reading The Crow Rider, in which depression also affects the main character! It's inspiring to see Apaay work against her demons (hah, pun intended) and by the end of the book, she's stronger than ever. I just love her a lot.
SPEAKING OF DEMONS, the Face Stealer was on a whole 'nother level in this book. He almost seemed like a different person altogether, and it was amaaaaazing. We got to see a completely different side of him and learn so much about his life and his motivations. His relationship with Apaay is SO GREAT and I'm obsessed with them. It's so frickin' entertaining to see them interact and be vulnerable and ugh it's so good. They reached a really great place by the end of the book and I can't waaaaait to see where it goes from here.
Side characters became even more abundant, and they were awesome! Ila was back with her own POV chapters, too! I loved her in the first book, and though her friendship with Apaay was different, it was nice to see her grow into herself and become a stronger person. I'm really excited about the revelations we've learned about her! Kaan and Ro were fantastic additions as well, and I'm interested in Talimaq's role going forward.
Overall, I'm super happy with this book. I really enjoy the plot, the great worldbuilding and all the twist and turns of the characters. This has definitely become one of my favorite ongoing series, and I am seriously looking forward to the next book, though I'll be waiting awhile. I think it's an supremely-underrated series, but I'll be for sure recommending it to all my book friends! Make sure to snag your copy when it releases on October 8th!