OK, so this was a journey!

A lot of people have been really loving this book lately so even though I decided to read this like four years ago but gave up before the first chapter I decided to give it a go (again).

So I and Nevernight went on a journey through the month that I started this book. I went through phases of picking up the book and just putting it down and I don't think that I was ever fully invested in the story. I listened to a lot of it on audiobook as well so this may be why as I have been reading physically for a lot of the month.

I think the audiobook definitely did help with a lot of things that I would have disliked with this book, namely the footnotes. The narrator doesn't tell you what is the footnotes so you just hear them as part of the story which was helpful. I did have an e-copy through and when I was reading physically I did skip the footnotes. Maybe I am just lazy but he could have put them in the writing. Were they needed?

Again I think the audiobook helped with the writing because when it is being read to you, you don't notice the flowery language and such and I just drink it in. I also didn't really mind the writing but I can see why.

One of the reasons why I didn't like it last time was because it was quite graphic and as an ace person, the sex scenes were a little bit uncomfortable especially because Mia was 16 but they were well-written. Also, it was quite graphic in terms of violence. I have now read A Game Of Thrones so I think I'm good. Again, the fight scenes were quite good which considering they were a biggish part of the story is a good thing.

I also liked the plot, it did take me a while to get into, I like because I've been reading so much fantasy lately, but again once I was there, I was in for the ride. I did times also feel it was a little bit dense and I think this made it drag for me. There were also some plot twists that I did not expect so they made it more interesting.

I think the main thing that I enjoyed was the characters. I thought that Mia was so interesting and had so many layers that Jay Kristoff revealed even in the later parts of the story. I also loved Tric, who again was a really complex and multi-layered character. Jay Kristoff, in general, has been criticised for his POCs in books so please check that out in this series so please seek out own voices reviewers. I definitely saw this when I was reading the book. I also really liked Mr Kindly as a character and offered a vulnerability that you don't often see in fantasy characters.

The Verdict:

Nevernight was a highly engaging read that will satisfy the blood-lust for any fantasy reader.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I have seen this book everywhere and wit Darkdawn coming out later this year I decided it was time to catch up. I have this book on audible too and listened to most of this rather than reading the netgalley version.

I struggled with the beginning of this book. I had to re-read the first chapter or two because I found it quite confusing. The story flicks back and forward between now and the past. It took me a little while to work that out. It also wasn't clear at all on the audio that this was happening. It could have done with some indication that there were two timelines. Once I got my head around this it was awesome!

Jay has a snarky, humorous writing style which I loved. Mia is a badass. She is strong, brave but also underneath quite caring. On the outside, she seems like a cold-hearted assassin but underneath that armour, there's a heart that wants to love and be loved. Once her revenge is complete obviously.

There are so many good characters in this book. Jay has a unique way of making me fall in love with them. I don't think any other author has made me fall for characters in the way I do in this book. My favourites were Ashlinn and Hush. Ash was cool and funny I really liked her. Hush was an interesting character and I didn't always trust him in this book but I think that's one of the reasons I like him. You never knew what he was up to.

I don't want to ruin the story so I won't say much more other than it's totally awesome. There are lots of totally ruthless moments on Jay's part which makes you fear for every character. Jay also doesn't try to make any of it pretty, he tells it straight up.

I totally loved this book and I am stoked to move straight on to Godsgrave.

It took some time but I finally finished this baby here and it was increbile. I can not wait to read the sequel. The book is not for everyone and I understand that, although I believe we should push the reading a little bit. I felt the inside story and I could not put the book down. Anyway, I highly recommend for everyone who is looking for something different but still wants to book full of revelations and twists. I have to say that the footnotes were really distracting and I almost DNF because of that, I'm glad I did not do it though.

A brilliant start to the series. Beautifully written, great characters. An all round excellent read!!

Unfortunately, I am unable to finish this story due to personal reasons. I hope your search for reviewers turned up more successful

A completely riveting read, with shock twists, dark moments and characters, and some lovely lighthearted moments (I'm thinking in particular of Mister Kindly). This book avoids becoming just another YA fantasy - it's mature with some fantastic characterization and it doesn't step away from the more sombre and heavy issues. that should naturally crop up in a story line like this.

Jay Kristoff is one of those authors that everyone seems to have read while I am lingering pathetically behind. But here I am, catching up with the blogosphere at the beginning of Kristoff's new series. With assassins. In an Italian Rennaissance setting. YES! I'm also a part of the blog tour for the release of this novel and got to ask Jay Kristoff some questions about Nevernight earlier this week. Hop over to the Q&A to see what he has to say about footnotes! Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes all a girl wants is a book about a girl who is an assassin and a sass-master. At over 600 pages Nevernight isn't a short book by any means, and as the first book in a new series it has a lot of work to do. Kristoff introduces Mia Corvere in a brilliant first chapter which I simply have to talk about for a second because it's perhaps one of the best contemporary opening chapters I have ever read. Kristoff combines describing Mia at "work" as assassin and Mia as a normal girl. Woven in at the same time is the set-up of Mia's journey. The first chapter is a pretty good indicator for the rest of the book in which Kristoff never forgets its main character. In a strange twist of fate, Young Adult novels are so full of characters who strike you as neither Young nor Adult. There is either not enough fun or there's so much fun there is no story. Mia is one of the best YA characters I have read in a while, even though her situation is definitely not one most readers will be able to recognise. She is also surrounded by a great set of side-characters, who all develop in a really interesting way. There are some typical Fantasy-tropes which Nevernight engages with but in usually in an interesting way. There is violence, gore, sex (not the 'and then we made love but that's all I'm going to say'-type either), some politics and religion, and loads of moments that made me go 'nice!'. The pages do almost fly by.

What I loved most about Nevernight was the world-building. A Fantasy novel simply can't do without and yet so many seem determined to do so anyway. There was/is something of an epidemic of Tolkien-esque fantasy novels which are basically lacking rehashes of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. Too often the landscapes are boringly recognizable and no effort is made to create any kind of culture, history or system of religion. Not so in Nevernight. The footnotes may not be for everyone, but Kristoff clearly has ideas about what it is he wants to see in his world. There is a distinct Italian feel to Mia Corvere's world, from her name to the description of the architecture to the set up of the Republic. There are gods and goddesses, street gangs, familias with country estates, and, of course, a school for assassins. It felt different in a way that was really good. I was completely sucked in by Kristoff's world, by Mia's voice and by the Republic's history. This is how world-building should be done, creating something fun and interesting that readers want to sink into, while always letting the reader know there is more, much more. Especially when starting a new series that is exactly what a good author should be doing.

I really enjoyed Jay Kristoff's writing style, more so than I was perhaps expecting. On the one hand his writing is very descriptive and atmospheric, but on the other hand there is this historic edge to it with footnotes full of background information, random dates, and characters you'll probably never hear about again. It works very well for me but that is because I'm a nerd for world-building. There is a dark moodiness to Nevernight as well which fits perfectly with the book's topic. However, I don't think it will be for everyone. There is a lot of unnecessary information, at times the description is very heavy and the prose a little bit dense. The beginning of the plot, after a great first chapter, takes quite some time to get underway, to get to what most readers want to read about, i.e. the assassin boot camp. However, if you're willing to stick with it then Nevernight definitely rewards your patience and determination.

I really enjoyed Nevernight, it was a great introduction to Kristoff for me but also a great beginning to a new series. He creates a fascinating world in this novel, one which at times almost overshadows the story he is telling, which is grittier than what you're usually served in the YA Fantasy genre. I'd recommend this not just to fans of Jay Kristoff but also to Fantasy and even maybe Historical Fiction fans.

While written in a pleasingly engaging style the underlying racist attitudes in the writing - calling people 'savages' is never challenged within the text - made this too problematic for me to enjoy. It's a shame because I really do like quite a lot of the plot but I was very uncomfortable reading this. I personally won't be recommending it but I do appreciate that with a bit of editing and sensitivity reader feedback it could have been a very exciting read.

I don't often read fantasy but I decided to give this one a go. Overall a great book, it was a bit weird in places but then that's what fantasy is all about right!

Mia decides she wants revenge for wrongdoing to her family and so she travels a great distance to train as an assassin. For me the journey there was a bit on the slow side, but once she arrived at the Red Church it picked up.

4 stars a very enjoyable read and I would happily read more from this author.

I did not read this book due to the very problematic issues pointed out in the following review http://anjuliewritesstuff.weebly.com/blog/racism-author-accountability-and-nevernight

This concerned me greatly, and from the excerpts posted it made it clear this was not a book I would wish to read.