A review by minervacerridwen
Night Ivy by E.D.E. Bell

adventurous mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This is the perfect book for everyone who enjoys exploring the worldbuilding in a videogame at least as much as fulfilling the quests. Through the eyes of the main character, Xelle, the reader gets to discover a rich universe, starting out small in a Tower full of Mages and Studies, but soon departing on a journey and discovering many interesting new places and characters. It was remarkable how relatable Xelle was to me. We don’t often get neurodiverse main characters in fantasy, but with Xelle it really felt like I could be the hero of a fantasy story myself, even if my mind, too, can spiral into worrying at inconvenient moments. There were also some interesting trope subversions: apparently, when you put together a character, world, and situation least suitable for espionage, you can create a brilliant mystery. 

I’ll definitely look forward to the next part of the series. The book was well rounded, but leaves just enough open questions to leave you longing for more.