Heartrendingly beautiful, horrifically bloody. Nevernight is a Grimdark series that will devour your heart.
In a dramatically different tone of voice, a tale unfolds to gentlefriends, done by an omnipresent narrator, interspersed between the narrative. A narrative which switches from past to present as well. Jay Kristoff has completed a brilliant trilogy in a voice strikingly bold and at once both as dark as the abyss and bright as three suns in the sky. With a smidgen of self deprecating humor scattered throughout, the author presents the epic tale of returning balance to a world torn asunder by the rage of gods.
Mia Corvere is a fascinating protagonist. Ripped from her idyllic childhood at age 10, and left to the streets, she is discovered by an unusual man who begins to train her as a fighter and a thief. From there, she is honed into a deadly weapon powered by anger and consumed by revenge. She is a special type of sorcerer, a power she keeps to herself, even as she feels it growing. I felt her changes, her growth, her power, and her heartbreaks. She and the supporting cast will haunt you long after you finish the last page.
Godsgrave, a city built into the bones of a dead god. The jewel of the republic houses the
senate and consuls governing the people. These men are ruthlessly taking control of Godsgrave, the surrounding land, and enslaving their peoples. A festering rot of corruption has settled in the ruling class and the church of Aa, as the republic grows in might. Over millennia, built on the backs of slaves, and the blood of all those below the Marrowborn, the elite class of the Itreyan Republic. They governing consuls feed the adoring masses with spectacles of bloodshed. They are a bloodthirsty howling mob at heart, no safety found in its denizens in their ever questing search for power and gold, and not even the most wealthy and affluent familias can protect themselves from the political rot within the church of Aa. The senate and consuls pull the strings of the machinations of the military might of their vast armies of legionnaires, hand in hand with the power of the church. A force that has left the common people in poverty and desperation.
Amidst this looming power is the Red Church. An underground power of spies and assassins. They seek to bring their goddess to power. A nearly forgotten legend of the goddess of truedark, Niah. The council of shaiids, within the Quiet Mountain are the powerful leaders and home to her faithful. It is now entrenched with treachery. This Quiet Mountain, secret home to the Red Church, trains acolytes in every form of murder most foul, creating the church’s blades. Assassins of the highest caliber. The red church has isolated itself in its stronghold. There, where the veil is thin between the power of the god Aa and his imprisoned bride, the goddess Niah, rules the sky, but the Red Church has stopped truly worshiping their Goddess, and the Ministry of Shahiids there now worship only gold.
As Mia seeks her revenge, the deepest secrets of Godsgrave, the church, and the senate unfold in a masterfully done tale. To say its complicated is an epic understatement. It is beautifully complex and that is a piece of the appeal. The finale is a series of revelations that will stretch your levels of disbelief, but it’s certainly worth the trouble. This series will appeal to grimdark fantasy lovers that can appreciate the violence present when the heart of the story is truly about love. Unforgettable, this series will be an all time favorite of mine forever
Special appreciation should be given to Macmillan and the Tor/Forge imprint for the amazing art on the US covers done by Jason Chan. His beautiful work here is stunning in the accuracy of the theme and the main character. I truly would love to see these on my walls.
4.75/5.0 Stars Goodreads – 5 Stars
About Jay Kristoff
- Print Length:448 pages
- Publisher:Thomas Dunne Books; Signed edition (August 9, 2016)
- Publication Date:August 9, 2016
- Sold by:Macmillan
- Language:English
- ISBN-10:1466885033
- ISBN-13:978-1466885035
- ASIN:B017RC8CEE
- Print Length:437 pages
- Publisher: Martin’s Press (September 5, 2017)
- Publication Date:September 5, 2017
- Sold by:Macmillan
- Language:English
- ASIN:B06X3VBJ21
- Print Length: 488 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin’s Press; Signed edition (September 3, 2019)
- Publication Date: September 3, 2019
- Sold by: Macmillan
- Language: English
- ASIN: B079DWH5XV
Grimmedian 