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musingsofmadjy 's review for:
Thief of Night
by Holly Black
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
(No spoilers for this book, but I assume anyone reading this has read Book of Night first.)
Such a fantastic finish to Charlie's story!! I loved the expansion of shadow magic and shadow theory, and the crazy ups and downs.
As many do, I really enjoy watching (fictional) con artists who are skilled in their craft work. Charlie's skilled in ways, but also finds herself in so many situations that even the best con would struggle to deal with. Her resilience and "Oh, f me, not again... Fine, okay!" really was incredibly endearing. She's so very relatable -- a fairly regular person, stumbling and smooth talking, rolling with the (sometimes literal) punches, and just getting sh!t done.
Red is also a great morally gray character, and a really interesting character, fleshing out more of who he is and isn't, no longer having to pretend to be human. Is he a monster? How human is a shadow, or how human CAN they be? Especially as a blight (a sentient shadow disconnected from their original human). We figure it out alongside him and Charlie, as they both navigate a new, but vaguely familiar, chapter. There are a few glances into his POV, which really rounded him out even more as a character.
The dynamic shifting once again between Vince (now Red) and Charlie, really kept the story engaging. The heartbreak of the end of Book of Night shifting into a kind of acceptance at the beginning of this book felt natural (especially for poor Charlie), and the two having to reconcile the fact that there is history but Red doesn't remember any of it (and how much of "Vince" was actually real?).
The motley crew of supporting characters is as lively as ever. Balthazar, Odette, Posey, Malhar, Adeline, Fiona... Distinct characters who really work to flesh out the world. Nobody is entirely "good" here. The world is modern, but has a very film noir vibe, mixing poor and insanely wealthy together, with greed now having an extra layer when it comes to shadow magic. I just love the grit and darkness.
🙏🏼 <I>Thank you so much to Tor Books and Holly Black for the advanced copy. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is my own. </I>
Such a fantastic finish to Charlie's story!! I loved the expansion of shadow magic and shadow theory, and the crazy ups and downs.
As many do, I really enjoy watching (fictional) con artists who are skilled in their craft work. Charlie's skilled in ways, but also finds herself in so many situations that even the best con would struggle to deal with. Her resilience and "Oh, f me, not again... Fine, okay!" really was incredibly endearing. She's so very relatable -- a fairly regular person, stumbling and smooth talking, rolling with the (sometimes literal) punches, and just getting sh!t done.
Red is also a great morally gray character, and a really interesting character, fleshing out more of who he is and isn't, no longer having to pretend to be human. Is he a monster? How human is a shadow, or how human CAN they be? Especially as a blight (a sentient shadow disconnected from their original human). We figure it out alongside him and Charlie, as they both navigate a new, but vaguely familiar, chapter. There are a few glances into his POV, which really rounded him out even more as a character.
The dynamic shifting once again between Vince (now Red) and Charlie, really kept the story engaging. The heartbreak of the end of Book of Night shifting into a kind of acceptance at the beginning of this book felt natural (especially for poor Charlie), and the two having to reconcile the fact that there is history but Red doesn't remember any of it (and how much of "Vince" was actually real?).
The motley crew of supporting characters is as lively as ever. Balthazar, Odette, Posey, Malhar, Adeline, Fiona... Distinct characters who really work to flesh out the world. Nobody is entirely "good" here. The world is modern, but has a very film noir vibe, mixing poor and insanely wealthy together, with greed now having an extra layer when it comes to shadow magic. I just love the grit and darkness.
🙏🏼 <I>Thank you so much to Tor Books and Holly Black for the advanced copy. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is my own. </I>