Review - Nevernight

Nevernight

Title: Nevernight

Series: Nevernight Chronicle (Goodreads)
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Genre: Fantasy
Author: Jay Kristoff   
Age Group: Adult
Source: Received as a gift

Review 

This is my first time reading a Jay Kristoff book and for a while I put off reading it because I was unsure about other reviewers concerns for trigger issues and whether I would be comfortable reading Nevernight because of this. However, in the end I decided I would in fact read this book and was so glad I did because it was absolutely amazing. Yes, there are difficult themes and issues but I personally felt they were handled safely, respectfully, and considerately by the author. This is in no way a young adult book, though there are a number of mature young adults that have read it, but notably Nevernight is classed as an adult fantasy. If you are considering reading this book then do, you will not be disappointed, but you need to be aware that there are some themes and issues that might trigger some readers more than others. Key trigger warnings are the discussion of child slavery and rape. Other triggers to note are scenes involving sex, crude language and violence. As I already said this is an adult book but there are some young adults, such as 18 year olds, that may choose to read this and I think it only right that they are aware of some difficult issues that may arise without giving in-depth spoilers.

At first, reading Nevernight I was left feeling rather jarred by the way the narrator speaks and felt rather unsure of whether this books narration would work for me. But I did not let it stop me from reading and even though I was initially unsure I actually grew to enjoy the books form of narration. Mr Kristoff is a fantastic writer because even though readers might come into the book unsure of his chosen narrative tone they mostly leave having enjoyed the book and this is because of the strength of his character development and exciting world building. The opening chapter was so clever and in its own way beautiful because of Mr Kristoff’s chosen language and descriptions. Without giving too much away the opening chapter begins with us meeting Mia, the protagonist, as she takes part in two actions one involving sex and the other involving a murder. Though these actions do not take place at the same time they are introduced together because the language used to describe them is almost the same, because some phrases are used to describe both, and I actually really enjoyed how Kristoff cleverly brought these scenes together. Below is an extract from the simultaneous scenes which I believe encompass some of the cleverness and strength of Kristoff’s writing abilities (please be aware that the first is alluding to sexual scenes and the other to an assassins murder):

Was this the way it should feel? Was this the way it should be? [...] And she’d known the first was usually the worst. She’d thought herself ready; soft enough, wet enough, wanting enough. That everything the other street girls had said between the giggles and the knowing glances wouldn’t be true for her. 'Close your eyes,' they’d counselled. 'It’ll be over soon enough.'

Is this the way it should feel? Is this the way it should be? […] And she knew the first was usually the worst. She’d thought she wasn’t ready; not strong enough, not cold enough, that Old Mercurio’s reassurances wouldn’t be true for her. 'Remember to breathe,' he’d counselled. 'It’ll be over soon enough.'

I really loved Nevernight's protagonist Mia Corvere she is most definitely an anti-heroine but one who you cannot help but love and become heavily invested in her journey to seeking revenge for her wronged family. I always love a book that has a strong female protagonist and Mia certainly does not disappoint in this respect. Not only can she wield a blade and kill as assassin’s are known to do but she also wields a filthy mouth, and honestly some of her language will leave you open-mouthed in astonishment. Though most people don’t use such crude and violent language it is not inconceivable that women would be afraid to speak it either, in most cases used in emotional distress or anger, and for that reason I respect Mia because she is not a mollycoddled young lady but one who is openly expressive and unapologetic. Below is an extract of dialogue which I think exhibits some of Mia’s unapologetic speech and attitude (caution! there is some crude language): 

'You know, I’ve never understood that. How being named for a woman’s nethers is somehow more grievous than any other insult. Seems to me calling someone after a man’s privates is worse. I mean, what do you picture when you hear a fellow called a cock?' […] 'You imagine an oaf, don’t you?' […] An exhalation of clove-sweet grey into the air between them. 'Cock is just another word for "fool." But you call someone a c–t, well…' The girl smiled.

The most endearing relationship for me was between Mia and Mr Kindly, if you are to learn one thing it’s that Kristoff loves some irony. Many of Mia and Mr Kindly’s interactions left me entertained most than some of the other characters interactions. What I loved most was their shared sarcasm and dry wit as well as their to-and-fro jibes at one another, that hinted at a subtle underlying love and respect for one another. Their relationship for me was definitely the strongest element of this book. Thus, I leave you with a short and sweet dialogue between Mia and Mr Kindly (though I have saved you the best for when you read the book):

'…bravo…' Mister Kindly had said. '…if only i had hands to applaud…' Mia smacked her backside. 'I’d settle for lips to kiss my sweet behind.' '…i would have to find it first…' 'Arses are like wine, Mister Kindly. Better too little than too much.' '…a beauty and a philosopher. be still, my beating heart…'

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Mia Corvere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Destined to destroy empires, the child raised in shadows made a promise on the day she lost everything: to avenge herself on those that shattered her world.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, and Mia must become a weapon without equal. Before she seeks vengeance, she must seek training among the infamous assassins of the Red Church of Itreya.

Inside the Church's halls, Mia must prove herself against the deadliest of opponents and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and daemons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Church is no ordinary school. But Mia is no ordinary student.

The Red Church is no ordinary school, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her.

And they drink her fear.

Key Quotes

'Truth is, there’s no difference between your nethers and mine. Aside from the obvious, of course. But one doesn’t carry any more weight than the other. Why should what’s between my legs be considered any smarter or stupider, any worse or better? It’s all just meat, Don Tric. In the end, it’s all just food for worms...'

'Your mind will serve you better than any trinket under the suns,' she’d said. 'It is a weapon, Mia. And like any weapon, you need practice to be any good at wielding it.' 'But mother—' 'No, Mia Corvere. Beauty you’re born with, but brains you earn.'

'Why did you attack us?' 'If Naev had attacked her, the sands would be redder. Naev asked why they followed her. And now Naev knows. Naev wonders at the girl’s skill. And now Naev sees.' The veiled woman looked back and forth between them, made a slurping sound. 'Sees a pair of fools.' […] 'Who are you calling fool, shorty?' The woman glanced in his direction. 'The boy whose throat Naev could have cut.' 

“…Sometimes weakness is a weapon. If you’re smart enough to use it.” 

'I think it’s time to recruit the most dangerous man in these halls,' she said. Tric looked back up to the Hall of Songs, the Shahiid they’d just fled from. “I thought we just ran away from the most dangerous man in these halls.” Mia tried to smile. Settled for shaking her head. 'You’ve obviously not spent enough time with librarians, Don Tric.'

Similar reads

Game of Thrones, Throne of Glass, Six of Crows, Red Sister, The Shadowdance Trilogy, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Aurora Rising, Ninth House, Wicked Saints, Vicious.

Afterthoughts

I actually really enjoyed the additional footnotes and felt they helped with the world building for the book. It maybe didn't phase me as much as some readers because I am so used to reading footnotes for classical books I studied in school.

Mia is a very strong protagonist and very complex, for me books that contain complex characters are always more enjoyable because you have to work at understanding the protagonist and other characters.

Other characters that I enjoyed in this book were the supporting Naev and Chronicler Aelius.

Have you read this book, if so what did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

If you haven't yet read this book or series do you think you will consider reading it? I hope I have potentially convinced a few of reading this series if they haven't already, and if you do I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Review - The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

The Language of Thorns

Title: The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

Series: Grishaverse (Goodreads)
Publisher: Orion 
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling's
Author: Leigh Bardugo   
Age Group: YA
Source: Amazon (purchased)

Review

If you are a fan of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy as well as her Six of Crows duology then this collection of short stories is a must read. The Language of Thorns contains six short stories that characters in the Grishaverse themselves would have grown up with. These are dark and twisted tales that leave the reader wanting more. Though there are some happy endings, not a single one is a ‘happily ever after’. Bardugo leaves readers unnerved and satisfied equally, with her version of a twisted ‘happy’ ending. Each of the short stories is also influenced by other classic fairy tales and books, some more familiar than others. Though there are elements of retelling's of these classic fairy tales The Language of Thorns remains exciting and refreshing. You need not have read Bardugo’s other books set in the Grishaverse world as these short stories can be read as a standalone too. What really bring all these stories to life is the artwork included on each page which changes and grows at the same pace as the written stories. The artwork brings the stories to life and makes the collection immersive and beautiful, alongside the talented words of Leigh Bardugo.

Sara Kipin, illustrations

Ayama and the thorn wood

I really enjoyed the first book in this collection. Part of the fun for this story, as well as for all the others too, was figuring out which classic fairy tales and books had influenced each retelling. I wont share all of the influences but the most obvious one was Beauty and the Beast. In Ayama and the thorn wood a young wolfish prince is born and as he grows older is hidden away only to escape and terrorise the kingdom. But a young courageous yet physically unattractive young woman is sent to negotiate with the beast. Will she be devoured or free the kingdom?

‘Coyotes surrounded the palace, howling and clawing at the walls, and tore the insides from a guard who had been sent to chase them away. Their frenzied baying hid the screams of the queen as she looked upon the creature that had slipped squalling from her womb. This little prince was shaped a bit like a boy but more like a wolf, his body covered in slick black fur from crown to clawed foot. His eyes were red as blood, and the nubs of two budding horns protruded from his head.’

There is one character other than Ayama that stood out for me in this story and that was the underestimated grandmother Ma Zil. I love this quote that at first might seem harsh and uncaring actually becomes the wisest and important by the end of the story:

‘Ayama’s brows still creased with worry, so her grandmother said, “Come now, Ayama. You know how the stories go. Interesting things only happen to pretty girls; you will be home by sunset.”

Do only interesting things happen to the prettiest girls, or the ones who get their feet a little muddy?

The too-clever fox

I also enjoyed this story too but did find the ending rather predictable. The obvious influence for this story was Little Red Riding Hood, the animals in The too-clever fox are hunted down and begin to disappear mysteriously one at a time. As with many of the stories in this collection do not underestimate a single woman! The too-clever fox in this story is named Koja and even though he is wily and cunning this is what leads to his downfall.

‘A lesser creature might have let his grief get the better of him. He might have taken to the hills and high places, thinking it wise to outrun death rather than try to outsmart it.’

Does being clever mean outsmarting a hunter, or falling prey to their smarter charms?

The witch of Duva

‘There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls.’

I neither liked nor disliked this story in the collection but for me it just didn’t stand out from some of the stronger ones. The witch of Duva is influenced by Hansel and Gretel and unlike some of the others sticks quite closely to the fairy tale of which it is influenced by. However, don’t be deceived just as all the stories in this collection the character and endings are never what they seem.

‘She lifted her spoon, but still she hesitated. She knew from stories that you must not eat at a witch’s table. But in the end, she could not resist.’

Who can resist the call of sugar in the deep dark woods?

Little Knife

This was one of the weaker stories in the collection for me, it wasn’t terrible, it just didn’t give me the same enjoyment as some of the others did. It was also the trickiest one to figure out the retelling influence for and had me confused for quite some time. I eventually had to look it up on the Grishaverse website because I could not figure it out with a little help.

Like many stories in this collection there is a beautiful girl and in Little Knife there are hundreds of desperate suitors to win her hand in marriage. There are three tasks given to all of the suitors when the girls father deems one man unsuitable for her daughters hand in marriage but who keeps passing the tests.

‘…remember that to use a thing is not to own it. And should you ever take a bride, listen closely to her questions.’

Would you rather a prince or a pauper, or the freedom from any man?

The soldier prince

I wasn’t too sure what to make of this story, I can’t say that I really enjoyed it but I certainly didn’t dislike it. I was definitely conflicted about my feelings after reading this short story. The soldier prince is most obviously influenced by The Nutcracker with the main character of this short story being the actual nutcracker himself. There is plenty of magic in this story and I certainly enjoyed reading from the perspective of the nutcracker and as a standalone short story I think I would have enjoyed it more. However, as a story in this twisted collection it just didn’t stand out and was one of the weaker ones for me.

“...Wanting is why people get up in the morning. It gives them something to dream of at night. The more I wanted, the more I became like them, the more real I became.” “I am perfectly real,” protested the nutcracker. The Rat King looked at him sadly.’

Do you show kindness to your toys by the magical chance they just might be watching and waiting to whisk you away? 

When water sang fire

This is by far the longest story in the whole collection and the one that hides an incredible easter egg for the readers of Shadow and Bone. This story is influenced by The Little Mermaid and for me the most connected to the Grishaverse world. I enjoyed this story and the friendship between Ulla and Signy showing that with the power they possessed they became their own individual and joint threat. The youngest prince of the sildroher, the term used instead of mermaid, thinks to use the power of the girls for his own selfish gain, which leads to the beginning of a dangerous and alluring visit to the human world.

Would the power to sing free you or curse you?

‘In those days, the sildroher did not cower beneath the waves, afraid of sailors who might spy their smooth limbs and silver tails. […] Now their laws are different. They know the land is a place of danger. Yet they still long for the taste of mortal life. That is the problem with making a thing forbidden. It does nothing but build an ache in the heart.’

Sara Kipin, illustrations

Synopsis (From Goodreads)

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

Key Quotes

‘…she came to the banks of a stream, its surface so bright with starlight it was as if someone had peeled the rind from the moon like a piece of fruit and laid it in a gleaming ribbon upon the forest floor.’

‘Ayama did not want to take the knife, but she did. It was light as a dry seedpod. It seemed wrong that death should feel like nothing in her hands.’

“I can bear ugliness…I find the one thing I cannot live with is death.”

“…The trap is loneliness, and none of us escapes it. Not even me.”

‘She knew the idea of fire. She’d been taught about it, sung the word. But seeing it – so close and so alive… It was like having a little sun to keep all for herself.’

Similar reads

Serpent & Dove, A Court of Thorns and Roses, To Kill a Kingdom

Afterthoughts

What was your favourite story in this collection?

What other books would you recommend that are influenced by retelling's?

What do you value most in other people? In this collection the idea of beauty is challenged constantly and asks us as readers to question whether we value this more highly than anything else. More importantly, it suggests that beauty if abused can lead to corruption and the oppression of women.

If you've read the others books in the Grishaverse world, did you enjoy this collection, experiencing the stories that the characters themselves would have grown up with?