Rating: ★★★★★
Links: Amazon • TBD • Goodreads
Publication Date: August 9, 2016
Source: Purchased
In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.
Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.
Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.
Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?
I have a lot of thoughts about this book, so my review is probably going to be a mess. Apologies in advance. But first things first, this was my first ever buddy read! Thanks to Leslie for doing it with me and for putting up with my excessive use of exclamation points and crying emojis via Goodreads messages. ❤
Here’s her review!
Anyway, wow, this book starts off with a bang. I don’t think it’s a spoiler and I also want to prepare you in case you decide to read it: this starts off with death and sex and it’s really cool, okay? I love the parallels between the two scenes and I think it was the best way to start a book. I was committed to this book and these characters and this world from the very first page.
This book is so different from what I usually read. SO DIFFERENT. I can see why some people have struggled with the writing style, but I absolutely adored it and I just thought it was so fitting for the world that Kristoff created. While we’re talking about the writing style, fair warning: there are a lot of footnotes. They were funny at the beginning, got mildly annoying about halfway in, and I barely paid attention to them by the end. That’s my one and only criticism of this book.
So. The characters. I loved them. I LOVED ALL OF THEM. I am dying, dead, RIP me. Mia is possibly my favorite fantasy protagonist ever because she’s just a teenage girl, but she’s been through so much and she’s channeling all of her rage and sadness into this crazy quest to become an assassin. And she has a talking cat?? A really sassy talking cat! Named Mister Kindly. It doesn’t get better than this.
I also loved (or loved to hate) every other character in this book. Tric! Ashlinn! Carlotta! Hush! Naev! All the crazy teachers and the librarian and oh my god, everybody.
Some quotes:
- “If you’d like to go fuck yourself, I’ll be waiting here patiently for your return.”
- “The books we love, they love us back. And just as we mark our places in the pages, those pages leave their marks on us. I can see it in you, sure as I see it in me. You’re a daughter of the words. A girl with a story to tell.”
- “Too many books. Too few centuries.”
- “O, bitch,” Mia nodded. “How creative. What’s next? Slut? No, whore, am I right?”
Diamo blinked. Mia could practically see him striking off the words in his mental insult list and coming up empty.
Me before reading Nevernight: 😊
Me after reading Nevernight: 😭
Please read this book.
Have you read Nevernight? Is it on your TBR?
Let’s talk in the comments!
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Great review! I keep meaning to read this book.
– Caidyn
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It’s so good! I hope you get a chance to read it soon!
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Jay Kristoff is very good at destroying your feelings. I very much enjoyed Nevernight and am a little afraid to read Godsgrave!
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I just finished Godsgrave and I’m not sure how I’m expected to wait until next year to find out what happens next!!
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Another reason I’m putting it off, I hate waiting!
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Lovely review 💜
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Thank you! 💕
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That’s it. I’m buying his books.
Also, I love your review 😉
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Thank you! And yes, you need to buy his books!
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Welcome! 😉 His is already on my shortlist of to-be-bought list. I can’t believe I have multiple buy lists now.
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You’re not the only one! I also have a bunch of different lists going. 🙂
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😂😂😂
I have found my people. Books and lists.
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Okay, so apparently I need this book in my life. Wow, great review!!
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Thank you! And yes, you really do! I would love to hear your thoughts on it!!
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Brilliant review Sara… I can’t wait to read this book 😊😊😊
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Thank you! I hope you like it as much as I did! ❤
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I’ve had this book for about a year and never got around to reading it but after reading your review it just got bumped to the top of my TBR. Can’t wait to read and review it. I’m sure it’s gonna kill me 🙈 Lovely review 💖
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Definitely read it! You’ll be dead on the floor, but read it! I can’t wait to see your thoughts! 🙂
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Someone needs to read this book and that someone is me :O
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YES! You need to read it!
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Yes!! I loved your review. I think I’m going to need like way longer before I can gather my thoughts to review, Godsgrave! OMG! haha.
I’m so glad that we buddy read this!!! Thanks for linking me too 🙂
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I’m so glad we buddy read it too! I wrote my review for Godsgrave yesterday and it’ll be up later this week, but honestly, it’s a mess because I had no idea what to say! And it was so hard to keep it spoiler-free but I did it. I’m looking forward to your review whenever it’s up!
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Great job! You are way ahead of me. haha. Yeah, it’s really hard to not give spoiler free reviews for his books. I think it’s because there’s so much that goes on! I will get on it though… I need to write that review! I hope to get it by the end of this week! 🙂
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This is in my TBR.
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You have to read it!
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Aw man! The last review made me add this series to my TBR. Now I feel like I have to read them NOW! ❤
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It’s so good! I hope you can read it soon!
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I’ve never read a Jay Kristoff book. Your review makes me want to get this one and read it.
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This was my first book by him and now I want to read everything he’s ever written! I hope you get a chance to read it soon!
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I’ve been intending to read this book for ages, but your review has made me more determined than ever to get my hands on a copy!!
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I hope you can get your hands on a copy soon! It’s so good!
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Awesome review! I have this on my TBR, but I didn’t realize the characters would so unique and enjoyable. You’ve officially convinced me to move it up my TBR. 🙂
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Thank you! The characters were so great. I hope you love it as much as I did. 🙂
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This is already on my TBR and I’m looking forward to it even more now!
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It’s so good! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts whenever you get to it! 🙂
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I haven’t read Nevernight but I bought the ebook a month or two ago so hopefully I’ll get to it soon. I’m definitely more eager to read it after hearing how much you enjoyed it haha 🙂 Great review!
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Thank you! I hope you end up liking it as much as I did!
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Thanks for this review! I have gone back and forth trying to decide if I want to read this one because I feel like there’s tons of hype, and I haven’t had great experiences with hyped books. But it sounds like it may be worth it, so I’ll put it on my list!
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You’re welcome! I’m glad it helped! I have a problem with hyped books too but I really enjoyed this one.
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Awesome review! This is something I want to read but am low-key terrified to because it is so beloved by the bookish blogging community, so I worry that I will have expectations that won’t be met. It just sounds SO GOOD!?!?!
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Thank you! It really is so good, but I know what you mean! I have a problem with hyped books but I didn’t have any problem with this one.
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I’m so excited to read this! Mia sounds great!
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She’s great! I hope you love it!
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