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naiadqueen 's review for:
Nevernight
by Jay Kristoff
It, quite literally, starts with a bang.*
And then from there, the action grows until it explodes into a cacophony of action. Majority of the book occurs within the Red Church, and because teenagers, it’s all very school drama (think How to Lead a Life of Crime), but more blood. Waaay more.
I did want more adventuring and assassin-ing, but given the conclusion, I’m sure I’ll get what I ordered in Book 2. Once again, the blurb is misleading.
Mia Corvere is out for blood. She’s done and seen some shit, but becoming a servant of Niah will help her on her quest for revenge. Sometimes, thanks to her sidekick’s abilities, she’s a little Mary Sue-like, but her lack of fear is foiled by her recklessness and short-temper, which makes her all the more realistic and loveable. She is in no way perfect; she's vindictive and she makes a lot of mistakes, but she's also learning. Mia is a special snowflake, but not really. Kristoff seems to enjoy making his female protags like that (and while there are several similarities with my bae The Lotus War, there are many more differences and I feel like it's a genre thing), which is a trend I enjoy, as they are always accompanied by a delightful animal(wish) companion. In this case, it’s Mister Kindly, a noncat. He is the best ever and I want ten.
Side characters were great as well, if not bizarrely cliched. We have the mean girl and her goon, spunky bestie, quiet bestie, hunk, jock, and the Onion,** as well as many more characters. While I adore Tric, he’s such a flippin’ boy sometimes that I just need a break. Boys. I loved the Shahiids, and want to know more, along with how to Itreyan government is ruled. The entire empire is intriguing, and Kristoff excels at world building.
While there are a few twists and turns along the way, there is One Big. Knowing Kristoff, I knew who it was a mile off, but maybe newer and more trusting readers will be surprised.
The story is told with footnotes that expand on the world and are very often hilarious. I straight-up cackled at times. Sometimes they can be distracting and I did lose my place, but I jumped back quickly. Nothing can be as bad as the footnotes in House of Leaves.
One thing can be said for Kristoff, and that’s how he never pulls any punches. Truly, no one is safe in his worlds, and everything is described in graphic detail. If you don’t like blood, violence, sex, or anything of the sort, seriously steer clear. This book is not for the fainthearted.
My favourite parts were the conversations with Mister Kindly and when Mia became introspective. I wasn’t really feeling the whole high school drama and am looking forward to the main quest being front and centre in the sequel.
*If you’ve read it, you’ll get this.
** If you watch Steven Universe, you get this.
28/01/2016
COVVEERRRRRRR. DAMN SON KRISTOFF'S COVER GAME IS LIKE: sign me the FUCK up
And then from there, the action grows until it explodes into a cacophony of action. Majority of the book occurs within the Red Church, and because teenagers, it’s all very school drama (think How to Lead a Life of Crime), but more blood. Waaay more.
I did want more adventuring and assassin-ing, but given the conclusion, I’m sure I’ll get what I ordered in Book 2. Once again, the blurb is misleading.
Mia Corvere is out for blood. She’s done and seen some shit, but becoming a servant of Niah will help her on her quest for revenge. Sometimes, thanks to her sidekick’s abilities, she’s a little Mary Sue-like, but her lack of fear is foiled by her recklessness and short-temper, which makes her all the more realistic and loveable. She is in no way perfect; she's vindictive and she makes a lot of mistakes, but she's also learning. Mia is a special snowflake, but not really. Kristoff seems to enjoy making his female protags like that (and while there are several similarities with my bae The Lotus War, there are many more differences and I feel like it's a genre thing), which is a trend I enjoy, as they are always accompanied by a delightful animal(wish) companion. In this case, it’s Mister Kindly, a noncat. He is the best ever and I want ten.
Side characters were great as well, if not bizarrely cliched. We have the mean girl and her goon, spunky bestie, quiet bestie, hunk, jock, and the Onion,** as well as many more characters. While I adore Tric, he’s such a flippin’ boy sometimes that I just need a break. Boys. I loved the Shahiids, and want to know more, along with how to Itreyan government is ruled. The entire empire is intriguing, and Kristoff excels at world building.
While there are a few twists and turns along the way, there is One Big. Knowing Kristoff, I knew who it was a mile off, but maybe newer and more trusting readers will be surprised.
The story is told with footnotes that expand on the world and are very often hilarious. I straight-up cackled at times. Sometimes they can be distracting and I did lose my place, but I jumped back quickly. Nothing can be as bad as the footnotes in House of Leaves.
One thing can be said for Kristoff, and that’s how he never pulls any punches. Truly, no one is safe in his worlds, and everything is described in graphic detail. If you don’t like blood, violence, sex, or anything of the sort, seriously steer clear. This book is not for the fainthearted.
My favourite parts were the conversations with Mister Kindly and when Mia became introspective. I wasn’t really feeling the whole high school drama and am looking forward to the main quest being front and centre in the sequel.
*If you’ve read it, you’ll get this.
** If you watch Steven Universe, you get this.
28/01/2016
COVVEERRRRRRR. DAMN SON KRISTOFF'S COVER GAME IS LIKE: sign me the FUCK up