Nevernight

I loved the Nevernight books because the main character is not necessarily always a hero. Mia is an assassin and cares only about killing. This means it can be uncomfortable to support her decisions and actions when they involve so much death and bloodshed.

She kills for reasons that she thinks are justified, but that isn’t always right, and it is great to see her grow and become something more than just a killing machine. She has a great personality and endures many hardships through the series but I loved reading along and seeing how she overcame everything she faced.

If the beautiful map at the beginning of this book doesn’t tell you how good the story will be, I don’t know what will. I was amazed by how much of the world you get to know after only the first few chapters, and it just kept growing after that!

The world-building in this story was unique and inventive, and I was absolutely hooked because of it. I think the best fantasy books are ones with big plotlines and worlds that are so detailed you may as well be there with the characters as you’re reading, and this one was… show more.

Mia Corvere – the protagonist of the Nevernight Chronicles – and her offsider Ashlinn Jarnheim are very close to being my absolute favourite female protagonists of all time. I adore their partnership, and I enjoy how ruthless and practical both of them can be—while also caring very much about those they love.

Mia wants revenge for the execution of her father when she was a small child, she trains under a mysterious mentor throughout her childhood so that she can attend a violent assassin school. There, she intends to learn everything she needs to be good enough to take down… show more.

Again, I listened to this book, but I was blown away by the world building, a city built into the bones of a god and the character, Mia Corvere, youngish and the very difficult position she is in and how she finds her way to assassin’s school. I felt it broke a few barriers for me and the story wasn’t what I’d typically call young adult. What stood out of me is Mia’s personal history, her back story, and also how she pushes through and faces very difficult challenges in a cut throat world. Very well written too, with great… show more.

If you love the assassin trope mixed with companion creatures, Nevernight by Jay Kristoff is a must-read. When I was first asked to describe the book, the closest comparison I could think of was Hogwarts for assassins. With blood, swearing, and sex scenes. Our protagonist is Mia, a sixteen-year-old girl who has sworn vengeance on the man who orchestrated her family’s fall from grace. She’s determined to join the Red Church, the famed assassin school. But Mia is no ordinary student, she is a darkin, able to bend the shadows to her will. And at her side is Mr. Kindly,… show more.

This is one trilogy you may not be ready for. I certainly wasn’t! But I’m so glad I read it. When I first read Nevernight, I was blown off my feet by the sheer madness of this story. Protagonist Mia Corvere doesn’t give an inch in her quest for revenge, and it is an endless riot of blood, sexy times, sucker-punch plot lines, and laughter. 

Get ready to fall for the characters, even the ones you want to slap, but don’t get too attached because no one is safe in Mr. Kristoff’s worlds… damn you Jay! 

What I love… show more.

I’ve seen Kristoff recommended numerous times by other readers on social media, so I finally picked up Nevernight. Kristoff set this epic fantasy in a Romanesque world that also draws from Wild West elements and features very cutting adult humor that made me gasp and then laugh out loud a few times. Mia Corvere witnesses her father’s execution as a girl, and escapes from the soldiers tasked with executing her.

While the revenge-seeking plotline as an overall device was a little predictable, Kristoff brings a sharp wit, great descriptions, and fresh concepts to it. Mia travels to be an… show more.