Nightspell by Leah Cypess

Nightspell

by Leah Cypess

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all. In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger-not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours. Darri's sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister ...if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom-not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else. In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?

Reviewed by ladygrey on

4 of 5 stars

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[b:Nightspell|6768413|Nightspell (Mistwood, #2)|Leah Cypess|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1289234772s/6768413.jpg|6967610] is a surprisingly well written, interesting tale. I liked that it's unlike so many books of this genre. The heroine and the heroes aren't typical, the story unfolds in a kind of tangled but interesting and unexpected way.

I feel like it can barely be classified as young adult because it doesn't fall into any of the tropes that are so pervasive in the average young adult book. And I really liked that about it. In general I would have liked more. I would have liked to get to know all of the characters better. I would have liked more depth and time in a land with such interesting and unconventional rules. But mostly I liked the writing style and enjoyed reading about this world.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 12 August, 2011: Finished reading
  • 12 August, 2011: Reviewed