Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1)

4.5 stars!!!

Nevernight is definitely one EPIC dark fantasy novel. I was a bit wary getting into this novel. The writing style is something one needs to get through in order to enjoy the story. But, I ploughed on and I must admit, I enjoyed the book immensely.

The plot is dark, bloody and gory. There's a heck load of violence, betrayal, murder, political intrigue and deceit. Well, the story does revolve around a school of assassins. The world building was interesting if not a bit confusing at times. The picture I got was a mix of Italian, Roman and a hint of Middle Eastern imagery. There wasn't a whole lot of descriptions to trudge through in the storyline. But this was made up for in the footnotes. I did find this mildly irritating and I thought it bordered on info dumping. So, I started skipping it after a couple of chapters. I don't think it had much affect on my overall view of the story, in the long run, to be honest.

The book also contains religious overtones and it will be interesting to see how it is intertwined in books 2 and 3. I feel it took the book to another level even though it take some weird turns. The characters I felt were exceptional. I really liked Mia Corvere as a MC. I felt her character had depth. You see her as a bad ass chick but she's not only that. The flashbacks give her a human side and as the story goes on, you see the many facades to her personality. The minor characters were equally entralling. Each played their parts well and enhanced the story even further. I liked how you can't really be attached to any character within this novel and you get to see the flaws in each one of them. That I feel makes this story real and gritty.

Although, the story is dark there are elements of hope. I liked the parts with the assassins training and though blood was spilled throughout the book, there was a smidgen of lighter conversations and parts which didn't detract from the overall feel of the book. The story has a lot of twists and turns. The ending was especially nail biting. The revelations were so shocking. My head was spinning.

However, I have only one negative to give. I absolutely disliked the romance in this book. If that's what you would call it even. The sex scenes (I am sure some have enjoyed them) bordered on erotic and I am not a fan of overly descriptive ones. So, I just skipped them. I felt the relationship between Mia and Tric could have been explored more. I would have preferred more angst and forbidden love. But this felt forced. I did like the friendship between them though and I kind of preferred those interactions to their steamy sessions.

Anyway, I still loved the book. I seriously can't wait to grab my hands on the sequel. If you haven't yet read Nevernight, go BUY yourselves a copy. You won't regret it :)

#books #JayKristoff #Darkfastasy #NewAdult