Spooky Reads Day 19: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Title: Nevernight
Author: Jay Kristoff
Page Count: 427
Rating: A+
Keywords: Magic, Cats, Assassins, Love
Genre: Fantasy
Younger Readers: Not for young children. Sex, murder, and language all present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The first in a new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author.

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escaped her father's failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father's former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic--the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she'll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church's halls, the bloody secrets of Mia's past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let along her revenge?

My Review:

I will admit that the first time I tried reading through this I just could not get into the style. Fiction with footnotes seems a bit odd and dense for a fun read. However, this ended up being one of my all time favorite reads. The writing was equal parts gorgeous descriptors and snarky humor. Characters were delightfully unpredictable and deep without dragging down the experience. Even when I hated a character, I still loved them. No parts of this book feel useless.

The world building was phenomenal. It felt as if Kristoff gave readers a taste of the world, leaving the edges blurry. One, this is great for imagination. It was easy to fall into the world. Second, this leaves the series open for some massive developments. Which is why I immediately purchased book two in the series, Godsgrave.

If you are interested in fantasy, assassins, betrayal, and general sarcasm I highly recommend running out to pick up this book. If you've tried to read this in the past, maybe give it another go. It took me a year from purchasing this book to finish it. Why did I wait so long?!

Bonus, there are some great shadow/animal companions in this series.