Item: Book of Night
Rating: 5.00
Author: quirkycat

by Holly Black

'Dark, strange, thick with mystery and twists Book of Night is everything delicious and frightening I've come to expect from Holly Black.' Leigh Bardugo, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ninth House

'If Neil Gaiman channelled Stephen King, the result might be this book . . . scintillating prose, whiplash twists, and a voice of character that demands to be heard from again.' James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Starless Crown
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies.

Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn't pick, a book she couldn't steal, or a bad decision she wouldn't make. She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie.

Now, she's trying to distance herself from past mistakes, but going straight isn't easy. Bartending at a dive, she's still entirely too close to the corrupt underbelly of the Berkshires. Not to mention that her sister Posey is desperate for magic, and that her shadowless and possibly soulless boyfriend has been keeping secrets from her. When a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie descends back into a maelstrom of murder and lies. Determined to survive, she's up against a cast of doppelgängers, mercurial billionaires, gloamists, and the people she loves best in the world - all trying to steal a secret that will allow them control of the shadow world and more.

'Holly Black is a master of fantasy with the Midas touch -- there is no story she cannot turn to gold.' V.E. Schwab, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

'Superb, entangling magic and mystery around the gritty horrors of human nature, neglectful parenting and the scourge of severe income inequalities . . . Will have you frantically turning pages and finishing in less time than you thought possible. Everything you could want from a modern fantasy.' SFX

'A gripping ride from start to finish. Book of Night invites you to reckon with the shadows of your past.' Olivie Blake, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

'A delicious, dark, adrenaline rush of a book. I'm already dying to see Charlie Hall's next con.' Alix E. Harrow, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Once and Future Witches

'Heart, soul, and a bit of kink -- Book of Night is smart, decadent fun.' Kelly Link, Pulitzer Prize Finalist

'A dark romp full of danger and shadows with a razor-sharp heroine and vivid magic.' Zoraida Córdova, bestselling author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

'A deliciously clever page-turner.' Paolo Bacigalupi, New York Times Bestselling author of The Water Knife

'Book of Night delivers hot sex, a breathless plot, perfect characters, and some of the most gorgeous writing I've read in years, sharp as a razor blade, clear as a one-way glass.' Ellen Kushner, award-winning author of Swordspoint

'Black is a master at world-building.' The New York Times

Book of Night is Holly Black's adult debut novel. In other words, it's the first novel of hers that isn't labeled young adult, and I am here for it. If you love darker fantasy stories, this will be a perfect read.

Charlie Hall has been a liar and a thief for most of her life. Despite this history, she's been trying to go clean. She really has. She has a new boyfriend, a job (a legal one too!), and is even paying the rent. This could be her big second chance.

Only...life doesn't work that way. Charlie can't keep her nose out of it; there are just too many compelling things happening around her. It doesn't help that her boyfriend keeps secrets or that old not-really-friends demand her help. Yet even Charlie isn't prepared for the level of shit she's about to stick her nose in.

I'll be honest; I wasn't sure what to expect from Book of Night. You never know how a super hyped book will turn out, you know? But let me tell you – I was not disappointed! This is Holly Black's first adult novel, and it is intense and brilliant.

As an adult novel, it's probably good to note that there are more trigger warnings than Holly Black's YA counterparts. I didn't think it was too much – but if you go into it expecting something lighter, you might be in for a bad time. Trigger warnings include (but are not limited to, since there are several milder ones) violence, gore, con artists, stalking, abuse, toxic living situations, cancer, self-harm (with the intent to get blood), and drugging.

I love the world that Black has built here. Where shadows can create magic, but only those that can waken (quicken) their shadows. It's a magical system I wouldn't mind seeing more of, so I hope that she returns to this world sometimes.

On that note, I was under the impression that this was a standalone novel, but I could easily see it becoming a series. It's one of those books with an ambiguous ending where it works either way, which I like in this case.

Overall I would have to say that I enjoyed Book of Night. I like this darker take on Black's writing style and worldbuilding and hope that it is something we'll see more of in the future.

Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Book of Night

by Holly Black

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on May 19, 2022

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