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A review by write_of_passages
Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A fairy tale-esque re-imagining with complex enough changes that I wasn't constantly thinking of it as a re-imagining! I appreciated the complexity in the two main characters, the world-building, and the themes revolving around what is beauty and what is beastly that played out. Although I wasn't completely fulfilled by the execution of the climactic events and denouement, I enjoyed reading this book immensely. Some characteristics in the MC didn't make complete sense to me, and a few things didn't get answered, in my opinion, but overall I did enjoy reading this one.
Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Yes.
See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book
CHARACTERS: For this loosely-based retelling, Alderson has pulled off some fascinating character complexity that plays on the idea of heroes and monsters, beauty and beasts. The complexity in Jak, our main POV character, resulted in a character that simultaneously I liked and disliked. On some levels his determination and grit are commendable, yet he also has a callousness and harshness to him at odds with those more positive qualities. Additionally, Marius flips between 'beastly' qualities and sympathetic qualities, with the result that he appears in many ways more human than Jak sometimes! Every time he brings up his beastly nature, it's almost like a role that he's been forced to adopt. The ghost of being 'a beast' hovers over Marius and in many ways serves as the trauma he's been forced to endure to a heart that didn't deserve it, which we learn more and more throughout the tale. I found myself rooting more and more for Marius to have his happy ending than for Jak to succeed in his quest!
PLOT: Medium-paced. Jak has been raised (groomed, honestly) with the sole purpose of being the witch to kill the beast in the castle and end the curse that has plagued the witches once and for all. Some major differences in this retelling lead to a fascinating world-building: 'beauty' sets out from the beginning to kill the beast, and the curse placed upon the beast had the unintended side-effect of removing all magic from the coven of witches until Jak, so killing Marius is prophesied to end that curse. Jak and Marius are trapped together in the castle and have until the full moon, when Marius will drain Jak of all his blood. The overall plot revolves around who and what is beauty vs beastly, and whether they can find a way to succeed together in the end.
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.
2:5/low. This tale had more intensity than I was expecting. Think of it like that x-factor you can find in books. The overall atmosphere and immersion in the world does this.
CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?
75%. I wasn't entirely thrilled with the execution of the climactic events and in many ways it felt a little too easy to me. But this is a HEA, so there's that! I think there were some dropped loose ends and answers we never got, which also contributed!
Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Yes.
See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book
CHARACTERS: For this loosely-based retelling, Alderson has pulled off some fascinating character complexity that plays on the idea of heroes and monsters, beauty and beasts. The complexity in Jak, our main POV character, resulted in a character that simultaneously I liked and disliked. On some levels his determination and grit are commendable, yet he also has a callousness and harshness to him at odds with those more positive qualities. Additionally, Marius flips between 'beastly' qualities and sympathetic qualities, with the result that he appears in many ways more human than Jak sometimes! Every time he brings up his beastly nature, it's almost like a role that he's been forced to adopt. The ghost of being 'a beast' hovers over Marius and in many ways serves as the trauma he's been forced to endure to a heart that didn't deserve it, which we learn more and more throughout the tale. I found myself rooting more and more for Marius to have his happy ending than for Jak to succeed in his quest!
PLOT: Medium-paced. Jak has been raised (groomed, honestly) with the sole purpose of being the witch to kill the beast in the castle and end the curse that has plagued the witches once and for all. Some major differences in this retelling lead to a fascinating world-building: 'beauty' sets out from the beginning to kill the beast, and the curse placed upon the beast had the unintended side-effect of removing all magic from the coven of witches until Jak, so killing Marius is prophesied to end that curse. Jak and Marius are trapped together in the castle and have until the full moon, when Marius will drain Jak of all his blood. The overall plot revolves around who and what is beauty vs beastly, and whether they can find a way to succeed together in the end.
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.
2:5/low. This tale had more intensity than I was expecting. Think of it like that x-factor you can find in books. The overall atmosphere and immersion in the world does this.
CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?
75%. I wasn't entirely thrilled with the execution of the climactic events and in many ways it felt a little too easy to me. But this is a HEA, so there's that! I think there were some dropped loose ends and answers we never got, which also contributed!