Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1)

by Jay Kristoff

From New York Times bestselling author, Jay Kristoff, comes a dangerous new fantasy world and a heroine edged in darkness.

WINNER OF THE THE AUREALIS AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY NOVEL

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.

• ISBN13: 9780008179991
• Publish Date: 11 August 2016 (first published 9 August 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 20 April 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 448
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[Beth C.]

I have been a fan of Kristoff since I read an arc of his first book, "Stormdancer". I have happily read every book of his since then, and when he announced that "Nevernight" was coming, I pre-ordered not one, but TWO different copies (One from the U.K., because seriously – their covers are SO. MUCH. COOLER.). And now that I’ve read the book, I can absolutely attest to the fact that Kristoff is a whiz at world- and character-building.

The book is written by a mysterious narrator who only tells the reader that he/she knew Mia – the REAL Mia, not the one told of in stories. This narrator loved her, and though Mia is dead, the record should be set straight. No spoilers here – this is the first page of the book, and we learn that the narrator will tell it true, even when the truth is nasty and dirty. From there, the story is told in alternating present as Mia attempts to gain entrance into the Red Church school of assassins, and the past, where we learn what happened to her and how she became the girl she is. A definite strength in this book are the characters – layers upon layers of truth and lies within them, as we humans tend to be. When several of those characters are also working to become assassins, the layers multiply exponentially until the truth and the lies begin to blur together.

The world-building is also excellent. This place that seems so much like Venice might have way back when, but with lakes of blood to travel through and monsters that attack from the sand, gods that not only exist but bless their favorites, and sorcerii that can weave a body back together. Shadows that “live” and a city built around the bones of a dead god. It’s incredible how it all weaves together into a seamless whole, where the world is almost a character of its own.

"Nevernight" is graphic and brutal - but it never feels gratuitous. It simply *is*, much like Mia. The only downside that I had were the massive amounts of footnotes. At times, it felt more distracting than like it actually added anything to the story. That, however, is a minor quibble. Overall, "Nevernight" will probably end up in my top 5 list of all books read this year. It's just that good. It's a pleasure to watch Kristoff continue to get better and better, and I look forward to whatever machinations he may have up his sleeve in the future!

[pamela]

DNF at 10%.

Nevernight was a masterclass in melodrama. Everything was overwritten in metaphors and similes to mask the fact that nothing was happening and that the characterisation was poor. For something with such a fun description, it was a long slog through the swamp of boredom and I just couldn't force myself to keep reading.

If you're thinking about picking up this book, do yourself a favour and just read the first two pages. If you don't like the way it's written, it won't get any better and you just won't enjoy it. If you do, then you'll be one of the people who have become fans of this book. Me? Not so much. Less is more - taking a paragraph to say what a sentence would achieve does not make the book any better. It just makes it longer. And denser.

[Rinn]

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.

Tell me that any book is similar to Harry Potter, and I’ll be on it like a shot. The blurb of Nevernight makes reference to Hogwarts – actually saying that the Red Church is nothing like it – and how right it is. However, to all those fans like myself who grew up with Harry and might occasionally enjoy the darker, more graphic fantasy – this is it.

I’ve got to admit, I haven’t known what to make of Jay Kristoff for a while. I basically instantly dismissed [b:Stormdancer|10852343|Stormdancer (The Lotus War, #1)|Jay Kristoff|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1337359560s/10852343.jpg|15767096], his first novel, because he said in an interview that he did all the research for his Japanese-inspired world on Wikipedia, which didn’t exactly reek of professionalism. But then I read [b:Illuminae|23395680|Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1443433956s/23395680.jpg|26653661], Kristoff’s science fiction not-quite-a-novel (told through chat logs, reports etc), co-written with [a:Amie Kaufman|5360335|Amie Kaufman|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1335234620p2/5360335.jpg], and really enjoyed it. So when Nevernight first appeared, promising a darker, more seductive world of fantasy than other recent releases, I was rather draw to it. The hype was hard to ignore, and I have a thing for assassin stories. What is it about these types of people that makes them so compelling to read about? And compelling this was.

Nevernight basically went straight into the ‘action’, as it were (wink wink nudge nudge), opening with our protagonist losing her virginity to a male prostitute. Through a series of flashbacks that contrast with the present day, we learn more about Mia and why she is on this murderous path. From the beginning, the violence was graphic, the sex was detailed and the cursewords coming left, right and centre – and I LOVED IT. This book is so, so brutal (if you’ve been reading about Nevernight on social media, you’ve probably heard all about people going crazy for page 553) and literally everything that happened was the complete opposite of what I expected. Kristoff does not hold back.

Mia as a character was interesting. She was a bit of a broody teen, but that was realistic. Having read several different fantasy series where young adults are trained to be killers, I have to say that this has so far been the only one where the characters really confront what they’re doing, and also seem to accept that, whilst it’s not right, it’s what they need to do. I’m not sure entirely how to express this, but Mia felt constant in terms of her personality. She never really once felt like a teenage girl who just happens to know the best way to kill someone, and spends the rest of her time contradicting that side of herself. She knows she is a murderer, and nothing is sugar-coated. The rest of her classmates are the same – thieving, seducing, bribing and more to get what they need. It is a competition in a school of assassins – nothing is going to be easy.

I enjoyed the world-building, a sort of Italian/Roman inspired world, and I’m interested to see what other cultures might be used in the sequel. Also, friendships and relationships were formed that just felt so natural and easy-going, which of course then made certain events even more painful to witness. My only issue with the book was the footnotes – there were a few too many and some were rather long, distracting from the main story. I know that they’re there for world-building, but they felt a little too much like Kristoff was trying too hard to be Pratchett-esque.

Apart from that, Nevernight was an absolute delight – if that’s what you can call a book filled to the grim with guts, gore, graphic sexual encounters and enough swearing to make Malcolm Tucker blush. If you’re bored of fantasy where the characters are all firmly on the side of Good, and are looking for something with perhaps more immoral than moral, Nevernight might be just the ticket.

[Kelly]

4.5 Stars.



Nevernight is a phenomenal read. A mixture of fantasy, violence and lust through the eyes of sixteen year old Mia, a trained assassin seeking revenge. For the past six years, Mia has carried the pain of her father's death, sentenced as a revolutionary who turned his back on the empire. Her mother and infant brother, cruelly ripped from her life on the day in which Mia was no longer expected to live. But yet, she escaped. Mia's story is harrowing. Once having lived a life of wealth and nobility, at the tender age of only ten years old she is facing life on the streets. Rescued by a man who taught with a firm hand and soothed Mia's longing for the family she mourns.

Mia is fierce but won't allow herself to be underestimated. Drawing comfort from the shadows, she refuses to become a victim and seeks the guidance of the secretive murder cult, The Red Church. I loved her character. Under her layers of bravado, she's also a sixteen year old girl who wants to feel a sense of belonging. She isn't afraid to die but of feeling more than disdain for others, refusing to form alliances and exposing her vulnerability.

The Red Church is a congregation steeped in history, a secret set beneath the mountains where they teach the fine art of butchery through stealth combat, potions and seduction. Thirty Acolytes will train as assassins, but only four will achieve the status of Blade. The rivalry between the Acolytes is viscous, most having been brought from esteemed families who also trained at the covert institute. The name Covere carries a disgrace which makes Mia a target and a threat.

The romance is an attraction and comradery, rather than the typical romantic relationship. Mia seeks out a no strings attached, sexual relationship with her ally and fellow Acolyte Tric. The sex scenes are descriptive but wonderfully written. They allow Mia's character not only a release but allow her power over her own sexual gratification. I love books that are sex positive and allow characters to want with abandon.

The footnotes included throughout the storyline were a brilliant concept, but I found the footnotes didn't work for me personally and neglecting to read them beyond the first few chapters never once impacted my reading experience as I still enjoyed it nevertheless. Although I struggled within the first few chapters, the storyline was intricately woven and truly stunning. The dialogue between the characters reminded me of a rich and luscious historical fiction. I loved the mixture of formal titles with colourful language and only proves how Australian authors continue to breathe realism into their teen characters, even assassins who are bloodthirsty and violent.

I loved it. The ending left me breathless if not slightly bewildered and holy fuck, I loved every moment. Jay Kristoff, you're fucking awesome.

[Ashley]

NOSE GRAZE

Things I Liked

An adult fantasy book

I loved the fact that Nevernight was an adult book. Sure, the main character is a "young adult", but I personally wouldn't class the book as such. It's definitely an adult book with a young main character.

• There are f-bombs, c-bombs, and more.


• There are extremely detailed sex scenes.


• And of course, gruesome murders.

This book is graphic and vulgar. But that's one of the things I liked most about it. It really cut through all the bullshit, restraint, and filters that are often in YA. (I love YA, don't get me wrong, but there's also a lot filtering, fade to black, etc.)

These assassins don't play nice

It's not uncommon to pick up an assassin book and then never have anything interesting happen. No murders. No brutality. Just a few clean fights.

But Jay Kristoff had no problem killing people in Nevernight.

• There are plenty of murders.


• No mercy.


• Plenty of gore. Things got messy.

Nevernight doesn't sugarcoat the life of an assassin. PEOPLE DIE. IN THEIR SHIT AND VOMIT.

Boarding school

Like Hogwarts for assassins? Sure.

I loved the boarding school set up. Dormitories, "professors", no wandering the halls after hours, classes on how to fight, poison, steal, and seduce... It's just an environment that I always enjoy in a book!

Mia + Shadows

Mia has some kind of shadow power/gift. She can kind of control or manipulate the shadows. It's a really cool part of the book. It's still a bit of a mystery in Nevernight, but will clearly be explored further later in the series.

It's so quotable

Every other line in Nevernight is something I was itching to tweet about or quote on Goodreads. The book is so beautifully written. Here are a few of my favourites:

"People often shit themselves when they die, did you know that?"

THAT IS THE FIRST LINE OF THE BOOK! O_O

"The last thing you will ever be in this world, girl, is someone's hero. But you will be a girl heroes fear."

"'Never flinch.' A cold whisper in her ear. 'Never fear. And never, ever forget.'"

"Iron or glass they'd asked? Mia clenched her jaw. Shook her head. She was neither. She was steel."

"Hmm. I appear to have misplaced the fuck I was about to give for what you think."

"your brain and ovaries seem to have switched places."

"The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow."

"The dark around them was not only angry. It was hungry."

Disliked

Throughout the book there are footnotes that provide more detail on people, objects, or events that are mentioned in the normal story. At first I quite liked these. They were interesting and sometimes just kind of funny. But as the book went on, I found myself skipping them most of the time.

• They didn't feel necessary to the story (though I guess that's a given since they're footnotes).


• I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading them.


• I think they just offered more detail than I was interested in.

This book is long and the footnotes just made it feel even longer. Plus some of the footnotes are several paragraphs and go into extreme detail in a way that didn't really add to the story.

The footnotes were an interesting addition, but I lost interest and patience with them after a while.



Although I liked the book, I wasn't addicted.

It took me about twelve days to read Nevernight. The biggest thing that says to me is that while I liked the book, I wouldn't say I ever got hooked or addicted (until maybe the very end). I was happy to keep reading, but I never felt like I NEEDED to keep reading, you know? I didn't really think about the book when I wasn't reading it.

I liked it a lot, but I think for me it was missing a little X factor that would have really kept me hooked and felt inclined to give it a five-star rating. But despite that, I fully expect Nevernight to be a five-star book for pleeeenty of other readers. It truly is a fabulous book!

NOSE GRAZE