A review by the_one_krissy
The Nightland Express by J.M. Lee

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I requested The Nightland Express because the blurb instantly caught my attention. The Pony Express with mythical elements? Yes, please! And true enough, the novel started out promisingly enough by introducing the reader to the two protagonists, Ben and Jesse, whose points of view alternate throughout the story. In the beginning of the book, both of them are about to sign up for a "special" mission of a "special" branch of the Pony Express. The only obstacle is that there are only two places up for grabs, and many boys who want this lucrative job, so a competition will ultimately decide who gets to go.

Obviously, Ben and Jesse get the job, but it's plain from day one that it's not exactly a normal one. Ben's horse, courtesy of the Pony, seems able to go on forever without rest, and Jesse's beloved yet perfectly ordinary Morgan gets similar stamina from a tonic their boss provides. They get paid a fortune in advance - half up front, half when the package is delivered - but when they get to the waypoint where they're supposed to pick up this mysterious package, it's not... what they were expecting, either.

And there's also the weird spirit-like thing that can make it snow and, unfortunately, seems to be following them.

As the story progresses, it becomes clear that both Ben and Jesse have also come to the job with dangerous baggage and secrets that might mean more trouble than they bargained for. The job itself takes a turn to the bizarre, as the protagonists come to realize they've unwittingly ended up in the eye of the storm as their world and the Fae world clash and grind against each other. Instead of just riding to California with a package, they must now figure out what's happening around them and why.

I found the story idea to be interesting, but the execution unfortunately felt a bit lackluster. I think it was mostly because the characters remained somewhat distant with the exception of Ben and Jesse, and I was unable to relate to any of them. With no personal attachment to anyone, I could not really whip up much interest in the plot. The spirits in particular just kind of popped out of nowhere and I had trouble telling them apart at times. The plot moved along steadily with no pacing issues... but felt a bit disjointed. I wasn't always fully convinced.

Also, I must say the inconsistent use of pronouns for a certain character irritated me, because I could see no clear logic behind it. I might have missed it, of course, but it still annoyed me. I also found myself wondering if there's such a thing as too much representation. Now, I'm all for representation - it's only fair, after all - but this novel still felt crammed full of it. However, it did serve a purpose in the story, which had much to do about existing in two different worlds at the same time, so perhaps it was justified... if a little heavy-handed.

All in all, this was an enjoyable, relatively fast-paced story with an interesting twist, even if it was a bit all over the place sometimes and left me feeling lukewarm. The first half of the book was better than the second, I think.