Nevernight is a very ordinary book, one I’ve read many times before. Nonetheless, every chapter I read managed to surprise me with its uniqueness. At this point, I had come to expect this experience from the author, Jay Kristoff.
I have been a longtime fan of The Illuminae Files series and The Aurora Cycle series by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, and recently reread The Illuminae Files this summer. So when another book by Kristoff was recommended to me, it didn’t take too long for me to decide I had read it. And Nevernight, the first in yet another trilogy, elicited the same feelings in me those first two series did when I read them: it was a very enjoyable read that explored themes and ideas I had never seen before, even as a long time reader. Nevernight is not without its flaws, but I would still recommend it to anyone looking for their next fantasy read.
Throughout the book, we follow our main character Mia Corvere, a girl learning to become an assassin so she can take revenge on those who murdered her family. Following alongside her is a cat made of shadows called Mister Kindly, who eats all of Mia’s fear. This makes Mia a darkin, someone who can control shadows, and an enemy of the Republic. She’s coarse in her manner and speech, but still finds it in herself to be kind to others, in her own way. As the story progressed, I became more and more interested in who she was and who she would become.
Somehow, Nevernight is a classic school-setting fantasy novel, but still a standout in the worldbuilding. Kristoff drops you into the world without explaining more than the basics: there are three suns that almost never set all at once, said to be the three eyes of a sun god. From there, you aren’t given more details until they become relevant in the story. This is a method of storytelling I always enjoy. I was particularly excited to discover that the government was loosely based off of Ancient Rome, a setting I don’t believe I’ve ever seen before in a fantasy novel.
Another excellent worldbuilding concept: every chapter has footnotes that explore little anecdotes of the world, telling you why something is named so or snide stories about long dead kings. Footnotes are always a great way to add to the story without interrupting it. It does, however, lead into one of the book’s flaws—the first couple of chapters are very confusing. With the first half of the chapter containing a flashback, footnotes, and having to explore the world as I read, I wasn’t quite sure what was happening. This does clear up later on. While I wouldn’t call the first chapters bad, it’s something that may turn off a reader in the initial pages. It took me some time to get into it as well, but I read the second half of the book in one sitting.
Kristoff and Kaufman have previously awed me through their subtle dissection of themes of war and the death that follows it. One question from Illuminae I still think about today: is it worth it to kill two thousand people in order to ensure the safety of the rest of your refugees? In Nevernight, what stuck out to me were the discussions of murder, and what power would take from you. Mia is a murderer: she kills a man within the first chapter, but so often while reading we forget what killing a person actually means. We follow our heroes who often kill, and think nothing of it. Mia is not scared to kill, but she is extremely aware of what it takes to become a killer. In the process of becoming a Blade, an assassin, she has to grapple with what she loses as she becomes powerful. Kristoff touched on these themes in a way I found interesting and unique, as he tends to do in many of his books.
Unlike the works I had read from Kristoff before, however, I would not call Nevernight a Young Adult book. Mia is a teenager, like many of the other series’ protagonists, and I wouldn’t call her world darker. Many of Kristoff and Kaufman’s characters are undergoing horrific life events, and many of their other books explore deep themes. Mia curses a lot more, uncensored. There are sex scenes, and violence and gore are described in more detail than you would expect in a book for young teens. It gives a different feel to the book that, even with a teenage protagonist, I thought was a nice change from your typical YA teenage characters.
If you’re looking for a blend between a classic school fantasy and a more traditional fantasy, Nevernight hits the spot. It’s set in a unique world with compelling characters, and told in a witty style. The more I read, the more I knew there was to discover. While not my favorite book of the year, I had a good time reading Nevernight, and I think many others would too. Personally, I’m very excited for my hold on book two to come in, and still willing to read more from Kristoff.
