*Review contains spoilers from the previous book in the series.
Darkdawn(The Nevernight Chronicle #3)
by Jay Kristoff
September 3, 2019
512 pages
512 pages
Goodreads Summary:
The greatest games in Godsgrave’s history have ended with the most audacious murders in the history of the Itreyan Republic.
Mia Corvere, gladiatii, escaped slave and infamous assassin, is on the run. Pursued by Blades of the Red Church and soldiers of the Luminatii legion, she may never escape the City of Bridges and Bones alive. Her mentor Mercurio is now in the clutches of her enemies. Her own family wishes her dead. And her nemesis, Consul Julius Scaeva, stands but a breath from total dominance over the Republic.
But beneath the city, a dark secret awaits. Together with her lover Ashlinn, brother Jonnen and a mysterious benefactor returned from beyond the veil of death, she must undertake a perilous journey across the Republic, seeking the final answer to the riddle of her life. Truedark approaches. Night is falling on the Republic for perhaps the final time.
Can Mia survive in a world where even daylight must die?
Review
What a journey The Nevernight Chronicle books have been! Darkdawn, the highly anticipated finale, does not disappoint. It's every bit (if not more!) as bloody and sexy as its predecessors.
The story comes full circle with the hints and foreshadows from Nevernight and Godsgrave explained. The unique writing style incorporates the reader into the story where the snark and sarcasm played off well. I am once again not a fan of the footnotes but I understood their purpose. I fully appreciate that if we decide to skip them, we don't lose any part of the plot. Of the ones I read, the humour was present.
For some reason I couldn't quite get into Darkdawn as much as I was able to with the previous two books. The pacing in the beginning was a bit slow. I felt mechanical turning page after page waiting for some shock to jolt me into the story. Sadly that didn't happen till later on. My main gripe with this finale though was the lack of wow I felt while reading it. Sure the Darkin backstory was intense but the payoff felt kind of meh.
Be alert for the huge love triangle in Darkdawn. Having read Godsgrave readers know Tric is back in the game. The romantic angst and tension in this book was no joke. It had the potential to crash and burn but I think Mr. Kristoff does a classy job of sorting Mia, Ashlinn and Tric's messy entanglements. Ultimately a clear line was drawn with no room for arguments or other interpretations. I will leave it at- feelings were not spared but sexy times were still had.
Mia continues to kick ass but not without her fair share of tough decisions and heartbreaks. But she had support and were given some sage advices. Some really resonated with me.
The story comes full circle with the hints and foreshadows from Nevernight and Godsgrave explained. The unique writing style incorporates the reader into the story where the snark and sarcasm played off well. I am once again not a fan of the footnotes but I understood their purpose. I fully appreciate that if we decide to skip them, we don't lose any part of the plot. Of the ones I read, the humour was present.
For some reason I couldn't quite get into Darkdawn as much as I was able to with the previous two books. The pacing in the beginning was a bit slow. I felt mechanical turning page after page waiting for some shock to jolt me into the story. Sadly that didn't happen till later on. My main gripe with this finale though was the lack of wow I felt while reading it. Sure the Darkin backstory was intense but the payoff felt kind of meh.
Be alert for the huge love triangle in Darkdawn. Having read Godsgrave readers know Tric is back in the game. The romantic angst and tension in this book was no joke. It had the potential to crash and burn but I think Mr. Kristoff does a classy job of sorting Mia, Ashlinn and Tric's messy entanglements. Ultimately a clear line was drawn with no room for arguments or other interpretations. I will leave it at- feelings were not spared but sexy times were still had.
Mia continues to kick ass but not without her fair share of tough decisions and heartbreaks. But she had support and were given some sage advices. Some really resonated with me.
"Nothing's claimed by those who don't want it, and nothing's kept by those who won't fight for it." (ARC, p. 150).
"Because the best way to learn to win is by losing." (ARC, p. 201).
"...You can't appreciate being happy 'til someone has made you cry. And there's no point blaming yourself for the kickings life gives you. Just think about how much it hurt, and how much you don't want to feel that way again..." (ARC. p. 201).
An unforgettable story with incredible characters, haunting settings and the bloodiest of actions The Nevernight Chronicle is a series for readers of dark fantasies. I can't say it's been a joy reading these books but it has been one hell of a stabby ride!!
*I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the ARC I received.
These books are so daunting. I read Nevernight and I have Godsgrave but it's going to take a while before I pick the books up at this rate.
ReplyDeleteDaunting is the perfect word to describe this series. I'm actually really surprised with myself that I was able to stick to these books. If I can do it then you can too Joy!
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