Stab Stab Stab // Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (The Nevernight Chronicles #1)

Title: Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicles #1)
Author: Jay Kristoff
Publication Date: August 11th 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/3 of the Nevernight Chronicles
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || The Book Despository || Wordery || Barnes and Noble || Infibeam || Google Play Books || Flipkart || Snapdeal
Blurb Description: 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.

I should probably begin by saying how thoroughly GUTTED this book has left me. After I reached the last page, I still kept flipping in the hopes that there would be JUST ONE MORE to help me fill the void in me.

Like I said, GUTTED.

Before going into Nevernight, I knew that:


a)      The Beginning was a little slow
b)      There were constant footnotes as add-on information to the story itself

Since I ALREADY knew these things, I went in thoroughly prepared, and I just thought you should too, because well, the slow beginning shouldn’t put you off from reading the rest of the book that will ALTER what you look for in fantasy novels FOREVER. 

Things I need more of NOW (and cannot wait a year for):

1.       THIS WORLD: There was such GORGEOUS world building in Nevernight, with the story of the overthrowing of the previous Liisain Monarchy and the establishment of the Iteryan Republic, the EXPLANATION of Nevernights and True Darks and everything in between (there are THREE suns in the world. How COOL IS THAT) All in all, it is a BEAUTIFULLY constructed world that gives you all the right information for you to vividly imagine EVERYTHING.



2.       Mister Kindly: THIS NOT-CAT WAS EVERYTHING. He was loyal, omnipresent, filled with dark humour and sexual innuendo and is ALSO A SHADOW THAT DRINKS (absorbs) MIA’S FEAR. I loved the conversations between Mia and the Not-Cat, the fact that he was always there to protect her and well, I CAN’T WAIT FOR MORE.

3.       The DARK humour: I haven’t read any of Jay Kristoff’s books before this one, but HOLY GOD, the humour (especially the DARK HUMOUR) and the terminology and the SASS in this book had me laughing, even in the most serious of times.


4.       The Red Church: THIS IS THE HOGWARTS FOR ASSASSINS. I loved the fact that this place had seen no light, so the shadows were strongest, that it was almost a sentient being with its corridors and staircases changing at any given time. I mostly LOVED the Library with the dead books, new wings mysteriously showing up and the BOOKWORMS that would devour you if any book was taken out of place.

5.       The Shaahids: Shaahids are masters of a particular discipline and are also the teachers in the Red Church. There was Mouser, the Shaahid of Pockets (stealing), Spiderkiller the Shaahid of Truth (Poison) and others who were brutal in their testing, teaching and judgement, and they were SO COOL. I loved reading their classes, loved the sheer ingenuity that went into creating assassins that could survive any situation. WONDERFUL.

While the ending of this book left me CRAVING for more, and totally GUTTED that this was over (it isn’t a cliff-hanger, don’t worry) there were a few times when Mia (the GREATEST assassin in the world) was SOFT. She was kind, she was empathetic, she felt BAD about killing people and that didn’t go with the Stab Stab Stab nature of the whole book?

There are so many characters in this book that I loved and lost and will continue to mourn for many Nevernights to come, but FOR GOD’S (Aah/ Niah) SAKE, READ IT.

A Dark, Brutal, Stabby book that will redefine what fantasy means to you.
What was the last epic fantasy you read? What is the COOLEST book on assassins that you've read? 
Have you read any other Jay Kristoff books? Which one should I read next?

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