Nevernight

Let me start by saying this book is exquisite. My jaw was literally on the floor when I got to the last page. It’s been YEARS since I was this excited after finishing a Fantasy book (GRACELING). Thank you, Jay Kristoff. NEVERNIGHT is a serious breath of fresh air in a very crowded genre.

NEVERNIGHT is a tale of of revenge. At the age of 10, Mia Corvere witnesses her father’s execution, sees her mother and baby brother dragged away to prison, and narrowly escapes murder at the hands of her father’s traitorous enemy’s lackeys. She is taken in by a retired assassin and begins her journey to become a member of the deadliest group of Assassins, the Red Church. By becoming one of the deadliest assassins, she hopes to murder those who took her family and her life from her.

Jay Kristoff is a masterful wordsmith and storyteller. His language is beautiful both in style and delivery. I love the way Kristoff weaves back and forth between Mia’s childhood journey and her very adult journey into the Red Church. However, just when you think you’ve caught on to his formula of storytelling, he flips the narrative on its head and goes in an entirely different direction. This author marches to his own beat and I love it. The humor he finds in some of the most intense situations is perfection.

The characters are complex and well fleshed out. Mia is a fascinating protagonist—she’s flawed and seemingly unlikeable, but you cannot help rooting for her. Deep down she’s loyal—someone who cares about others and cares about doing the right thing. Interesting, considering she’s a murderer, right? Tric’s narrative and place in Mia's story is the perfect complement and allows us to see her in a different light.

NEVERNIGHT is and excellent beginning to an exciting new series. I am eagerly anticipating the next story in this adventure!

---

Going to go on a tangent for a moment…

I try not to read reviews of ARCs beforehand to make sure my opinions aren’t being swayed by others. I find it quite helpful to think on the book for at least 24 hours and if I’m still having trouble finding the right words I will read a variety of reviews to organize my own thoughts and see what discussions are going on. Let me just say: I am SO glad I didn’t delve into these reviews until after I’d finished. This book is seriously polarizing (seems people either love it or hate it).

I get the feeling that many of the negative reviews are a result of inappropriate expectations. From what I gathered (correct me if I’m wrong), Jay Kristoff’s previous bestselling series (THE ILLUMINAE FILES) is YA. This book… Not YA. I repeat: This book is NOT YA. There is a significant amount of adult content (violence and sex). Woo! ;) Nothing my teenage self wouldn’t have totally read anyway. BUT the language and writing style is highly elevated and could be viewed as a bit dense. This is not an easy peasy, vacay read. You’re going to have to DIG in. But OH MY WOW, is it worth it!!!

Note: I received a FREE ARC (advanced reader copy) from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We need more heroines like Mia. I loved this savage book.

I went into Nevernight by Jay Kristoff expecting a straight revenge fantasy.

Dead father.
Corrupt senators.
Girl swears vengeance.

Simple. Clean. Blood everywhere.

Instead, I got assassin boarding school, a shadow daemon cat with better timing than most comedians, and footnotes that absolutely refuse to sit quietly at the bottom of the page.

And you know what? I had a great time.

The Story

Mia Corvere watches her father hang for treason when she’s ten years old. That kind of trauma does things to a child. In Mia’s case, it produces a long-term plan that involves blades, poison, and a goddess of murder.

To get her revenge, she trains to join the Red Church, an elite assassin school dedicated to the Lady of Blessed Murder.

Yes, it’s a school.
Yes, there are classes.
Yes, your classmates are also your competition.

And yes, you can absolutely die before graduation.

The first portion is classic revenge setup. Once we hit the Red Church, the book shifts into dark academia with knives. Rivalries, deadly exams, teachers who think attempted murder builds character. It becomes addicting fast.

The Writing

Let’s address the most polarizing part.

The prose is dramatic. The metaphors are everywhere. Similes are doing full sprints across the page. If you hate purple prose, this book will test your patience.

I didn’t hate it.

It’s theatrical. It’s self-aware. It leans into the melodrama instead of pretending it’s not there. The narrator breaks the fourth wall. You get addressed as “gentlefriend.” The footnotes carry world-building, humor, and foreshadowing.

Some people DNF because of the footnotes.

I actually enjoyed them.

They deepen the world and give it history. They add texture. They also occasionally interrupt intense moments like a sarcastic historian tapping you on the shoulder. I found it charming. I can see why others wouldn’t.

The Tone

This book is violent.
It is vulgar.
It is absolutely not YA in spirit, even if Mia is sixteen.

There’s sex. There’s gore. There’s language that would make a saint reconsider.

But it’s also funny.

That balance shouldn’t work. And yet it does. The humor keeps the darkness from collapsing under its own weight.

Mia Corvere

Mia is not soft. She’s not pretending to be a hero. She is angry, clever, petty, and driven. She wants blood and she wants it precisely.

What I appreciated most is that she has boundaries. She is willing to kill, but she draws lines. Watching her wrestle with what kind of monster she’s willing to become is where the book shines.

And Mister Kindly? Elite companion. A shadow creature who feeds on fear and provides snarky commentary. Possibly the healthiest dynamic in the entire novel.

What Worked for Me

• The Red Church setting
• The morally gray characters
• The brutal competitions
• The blend of revenge and dark academia
• The audacity of the writing

What didn’t always land:

• The prose can be exhausting
• Some metaphors go on a little too long
• The tonal shifts won’t work for everyone

Final Thoughts

This feels like one of those love-it-or-hate-it books.

If you want streamlined, minimal prose and clean world-building, this might frustrate you.

If you want dramatic language, layered lore, morally questionable teens, assassin school politics, and a shadow cat who judges everyone, this is your book.

For me? Four stars.

Bloody. Theatrical. Slightly unhinged.

And I will absolutely be continuing the series.