I’m excited to be joining in the blogoversary celebrations for Lauren’s twelve years of blogging at Shooting Stars Mag. We’ve teamed up to share a double review of Jay Kristoff’s Nevernight, a book that we’ve both been meaning to read and which we’ve both enjoyed so much that Godsgrave is now on both of our TBR lists.
Nevernight by Jay KristoffSeries: The Nevernight Chronicle #1
Published by Harper Voyager on August 9, 2016
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 448
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.
Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.
But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.
The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.
The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.
“The books we love, they love us back. And just as we mark our places in the pages, those pages leave their marks on us.”
This quote from Nevernight perfectly encompasses what the book itself was for us.
Lauren:
Having read Illuminae and Gemina by Amie Kaufmann and Jay Kristoff, I knew I wanted to eventually read something by just Kristoff, so I’m glad to finally have had the opportunity to read Nevernight.
Crystal:
I’ve heard great things about The Illuminae Files and have it on my TBR list! Nevernight was on my read list because I love fantasy, and I’ve heard great things about Jay Kristoff. (Note: I actually read Stormdancer back in the day, but it’s been so long that I couldn’t remember his writing style.)
L:
First off, Nevernight is an adult book, so be prepared for language, sex, and violence…oh so much violence. Kristoff does not care about killing off characters, and I didn’t really have a problem with this! It’s kind of nice when an author isn’t scared to kill off more major characters when the book is supposed to be violent and bloody.
C:
Nevernight features a dark, bloody, cruel world. Worshippers of the Goddess of Night offer her their kills, and acolytes have strong motivation to kill off their competition for one of the few coveted positions as a full-fledged Blade (read: assassin). She’s not a goddess that I’d want to believe in. If you cannot part with the light-hearted humor of Kristoff’s YA books, you might want to back off now or skip to the giveaway at the end of this post.
L:
Nevernight follows teenager Mia Corvere, who wants to become a member of the Red Church in order to avenge her family. The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me, as Mia is traveling to find the Red Church.
C:
The beginning also alternates frequently between the present, which follows Mia’s search for the Red Church, and the past, which explains how a kind girl with a loving family becomes an avenger and killer.
L:
There are also a lot of footnotes in the beginning of the book. Yes, footnotes. Some of these are amusing little tidbits, while others are backstory about the world. And yes, I read them all. You don’t necessarily have to but I think it’s good to get in the habit of reading them as you get the full story that way.
C:
I confess that I stopped reading the footnotes after the first few chapters. I love how the footnotes teach us more about the world or provide witty commentary on what’s happening, but they were distracting me from Mia’s story. From my experience, I can say that you don’t need to read the footnotes to understand what’s going on, but they seem like they would be a fun addition for a reread of the book. The world, its religions and cultures, and its various magics are all so fascinating!
L:
As the book progresses, there aren’t as many footnotes, and the book itself picked up pace for me, which was nice.
C:
The pace of the book picked up for me once Mia finds the Red Church. For me, this was because the story stopped alternating between past and present. (I’m not a fan of alternating timelines, though Kristoff does give us important information through Mia’s backstory, and I don’t think there’s a better way he could have done this.) We do get a few more insights into the past later on, but not to the extent of Part 1 of the book.
L:
I definitely become invested in Mia and her fellow acolytes. These are a group of killers, who hope to continue to kill by becoming one of four Blades initiated in the Red Church. Mia though is an assassin with a heart. She kills, yes, but she also feels pity and love. She genuinely cares about other people. She wants revenge on the people who hurt her family and ruined her life, but she doesn’t want to kill people that don’t deserve it. Like I said, she has a heart.
C:
While Nevernight is dark and bloody and horrific, it is a very personal story. We not only see Mia’s bloody path to notoriety but also the girl behind the non-legend and her heart. I learned to wish for her happiness and to regret what she’ll become because we, and her fellow acolytes, know that she has the potential to be better. The moments of goodness and humanness illuminate the darkness of the Church’s world and the darkness lurking within each member of the Church—even the ones we love the most. I learned quickly never to fully trust any character, not even Mia.
L:
Nevernight is the first in a trilogy, with the second book already out and the third being released soon. I definitely hope to continue this series soon. I’m not the biggest fantasy reader, but I really loved Nevernight. Kristoff has created an intricate, fascinating world, and placed an equally fascinating heroine at the center. 4/5 stars from me!
C:
Nevernight raises questions about the never-ending cycle of revenge and the effects of a loved one’s death (at the hands of another) on the family left behind. I too am interested in continuing this series and look forward to reading Godsgrave, book 2 in the trilogy. I also rated Nevernight four stars.
Slavemarks. Tattoos. Scars. What you look like doesn’t change who you are inside. They can give you a new face, but they can’t give you a new heart. No matter what they take from you, they can’t take that away unless you let them. That’s real strength . . . that’s real power.
Content
- Language: cussing, vulgarities, nominers
- Killing and murder (some innocents) result in many deaths
- Torture (various methods, scourging used as a punishment)
- Many betrayals and backstabbing; the teachers also put the students in life-threatening situations multiple times
- Sex (explicit), masturbation, incest (suggested, not proven)
- Lesbian (strongly suggested), girls kiss two times
- Worship Goddess of Night
- Thievery encouraged
- It portrays a positive relationship between a mother and her child, who was the result of rape. Rape is a horrifying experience, and I don’t want to take away from that. What I appreciate from this portrayal is that it acknowledges, without making a socio-political commentary out of it (it’s a fact about a character), that there are women out there who have been raped, who chose to keep their child, and have a loving relationship with their child.
You May Also Enjoy
- The Amulet of Sarmarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy #1) by Jonathan Stroud: the narrator is also witty and leaves footnote comments. This is a young adult novel and may be read by some more advanced middle-grade readers.
- Assassin’s Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy #1) by Robin Hobb: the protagonist is also an assassin and a figure of legends who doesn’t seek acclaim); it has far less explicit content.
Mistborn (Mistborn Trilogy #1) by Brandon Sanderson: another female protagonist with epic fight scenes, especially in book 2 once she comes into her own. There is a lot of death, but it doesn’t have explicit content and may be read by a teen audience. - The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) by R.F. Kuang: another dark and graphic read with a female protagonist out to kill.
Let’s Chat
Lauren: How do you feel about footnotes in a novel? Do you believe someone can be a killer with a heart?
Crystal: Have you read a book by Jay Kristoff? What’re your thoughts? What books would you recommend to someone who enjoys Jay Kristoff’s writing?
Stacy Renee says
I read an eARC of Nevernight and ended up loving it but still haven’t had a chance to get my hands on Godsgrave!
Crystal says
Nevernight is fantastic. I hope you enjoy Godsgrave, Stacy!
Lily M. says
Hi!! new to your blog 🙂 great review, can’t wait to check this book out, thank you so much for this opportunity 🙂 🙂
Crystal says
Thanks for visiting, Lily! I hope you enjoy Nevernight if you get the chance to read it! 🙂
Zaira F says
Happy blogversary!!! Sadly, I haven’t read any book by him yet!
Crystal says
Thanks for visiting, Zaira! I hope you enjoy Kristoff’s work if you get the chance to read one of his books!
John Smith says
Happy blogoversary to Lauren! All that hard work pays off!
I have not read Kristoff’s work, but I am finishing the “Inkheart” trilogy by Cornelia Funke, and I know people would enjoy that!
Crystal says
Inkheart is fantastic! I haven’t read the sequels yet, but they’re on my TBR!
Cali W. says
Thanks for the giveaway and Happy Blogoversary! I have not read a Jay Kristoff book yet, but I love the covers and I need to read this one! 🙂
Crystal says
The covers are fantastic, both the U.S. and international ones. I hope you enjoy Nevernight, Cali! Best of wishes with the giveaway.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction says
I’ll confess that I had a hard time getting into Nevernight too. And some of the sex was a little much for me. I love Kristoff, though, and I definitely want to continue this series.
Crystal says
I concur on the sex scenes. I skimmed those. I do want to continue the series too though. It’s really interesting!
Dara says
I’m not sure if I’d like the book or not! I’ve not found any fantasy books that I really enjoy other than Harry Potter!
Crystal says
I hope you enjoy Nevernight if you get the chance to read it, Dara! It has more mature content that Harry Potter, but it does feature school life in a fantasy world!
NANCY says
I like the double review. This author is new to me. Never read the books.
Crystal says
Thanks, Nancy! I hope you enjoy Nevernight if you get the chance to read it!
Dani @ Perspective of a Writer says
This was fun to read Crystal! I loved the subtle way you shared what the book is about. ❤️
I personally hated the footnotes. I found them really distracting and when I did stop to occasionally read them they didn’t really add anything for me. I really loved Mia as a child. I loved all those moments in the past. While I didn’t love present Mia as much the past Mia really made me care more than I otherwise would. I find Kristoff quite a heavy writer but he is quite compelling. I’ve only read this first book so hopefully I’ll feel like reading the second sometime soon.
Crystal says
Thanks so much, Dani. It’s something I’ve been working on, so it’s great to get your feedback on this! ❤️
Seeing past Mia really made me feel for all she’s suffered and how she grew into the person that she is at the end of the book. I agree that there is something compelling about Kristoff’s writing. Before I knew it, he’d drawn me into Mia’s world. I’d be curious to see your thoughts on Godsgrave!
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight says
12 years, that is some accomplishment, congrats Lauren! I also really enjoyed your review, ladies! So I must confess to starting Nevernight and then.. pausing. I DO want to finish it, but I just wasn’t in the right mood. I actually started reading it for Bookish Games but I was way too busy to get into it at the time. I will say, I did actually like the idea of the footnotes? Broke things up a bit for me, which I appreciated. And one of these days, I will try to make it past chapter 6 😂
Crystal says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the double review, Shannon! I can relate to stopping in the middle of the book because I wasn’t in the right mood even though it was something I wanted to read. I hope you get the chance to finish Nevernight and that you enjoy it as much as we did (if not more)!
Chelsea @ BooksTune says
Great review! I love that you add what to expect from the content, its so helpful. New follower!
bookstune.blogspot.com
Crystal says
Thanks so much, Chelsea. I’m glad the content label helps! Welcome to the blog. I look forward to chatting books with you! 🙂
@readinginthemorning says
Happy Blogoversary!!! Honestly, I haven’t read this series yet, but I have read the Illuminae series and those were so amazing, I couldn’t really put it down
Crystal says
I’m so glad to hear that you love The ILluminae Files. I can’t wait to read it!
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra says
I loved this book too, and like you, I pretty much quit on the footnotes after the first couple of chapters. Once I did that, I flew through the rest of the book. I just picked up a copy of Godsgrave a few weeks ago and can’t wait to dive in.
Crystal says
I’m glad to hear that you love this book too, Suzanne! I hope you enjoy Godsgrave just as much, if not more!
Sophia Rose says
First of all! Yay for Lauren’s 12th year in blogging. That is fabulous.
But so glad to see your thoughts on this one. I love the Illuminae Files and recently read Dev1at3 which is just by Jay. I loved it and thought at the time that I needed to go back and read this series, too. Whew, it has it all, doesn’t it?
Crystal says
I’m so glad to hear that you love The Illuminae Files. I’m looking forward to starting on it! I hope that you enjoy Nevernight, Sophia!
Reese says
First, wishing Lauren a very Happy Blogaversary!
Regarding Nevernight/Kristoff… I’ve read the Illuminae trilogy (loved the first book, but my interest waned in book 2 and I didn’t like Obsidio), and I listened to the Nevernight audiobook, which I think was a mistake because I didn’t quite focus on it so it wasn’t the best experience. Once I’m out of my reading slump I want to give it another chance (though *spoiler alert* I’m still super-mad about what happens to the cat at the beginning).
Crystal says
I totally understand your experience with the audiobook! While audiobooks have their perks, sometimes I get distracted while listening. I hope you have a better experience with a hardcopy of Nevernight, Reese! (I also feel you on the cat from the beginning of Nevernight.)
Megan S. says
HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY LAUREN! <3
I love Jay Krisstoff's books – I've read the Nevernight books and the Illuminae files and loved them both. I can't wait to read Darkdawn 🙂
Crystal says
That’s wonderful to hear, Megan! I’m looking forward to reading Godsgrave, and The Illuminae Files is on my TBR!
Danielle Hammelef says
Happy Blogoversary, Lauren! Even though I loved Illuminae, Gemina, and Aurora Rising, all co-authored by this author, this series is not for me.
Crystal says
The Illuminae Files is on my TBR. I’m glad to hear you loved Illuminae and Gemina, Danielle!
Mai says
I haven’t heard of Jay Kristoff but the plot sounds really interesting. I’ll add it to my to-read list. Thanks for sharing you two :)!
Mai
✰ maidoesthings.com
Crystal says
I’m glad to hear that, Mai! I hope you enjoy Nevernight 🙂
ShootingStarsMag says
Thanks so much for doing this buddy read with me; I’m glad we both enjoyed it! I’ll be spreading the word about this giveaway too – thanks for celebrating my blogoversary. 🙂
-Lauren
Crystal says
My pleasure! I had so much fun with this buddy read, and I’m delighted to celebrate your blogoversary with you, Lauren 🙂