Book of the Week

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff 
Recommended by Thomas Chittenden

Mia was only ten years old when she was given her first lesson in death. Six years later, she takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made when she lost it all, barely escaping with her own life, her ‘familia’ less fortunate.

All the odds are against her though and vengeance against such powerful enemies seems futile, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia knows she must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies and not only endure and learn from the teachings of murderers - but also survive it. As the book says: 'The Red Church is no ordinary school, but Mia is no ordinary student.' And as Jay Kristoff puts it: 'Iron or glass they’d asked? Mia clenched her jaw. Shook her head. She was neither. She was steel.'

Nevernight is the first fantasy novel in an action-packed trilogy and witnesses the birth/rise of Mia Corvere, 'a girl with a story to tell': the next book will follow her through life and the final book: death.

What’s so amazing about this novel is how it manages to create and maintain a strong connection/attachment between the reader and the ruthless, cold-hearted assassin that is Mia Corvere, despite her obvious flaws as a typical hero/protagonist. Somehow Jay Kristoff manages to justify her actions through a balance that is wrong but understandable: she only gives back what she receives, only causes suffering when she suffers herself, and she has suffered so much.

One of the many reasons I loved and highly recommend this book is because it doesn’t glorify anything or anyone, it just shows how things really are. It doesn’t glorify murder like similar books would or glorify the characters, or try to create a connection to the reader by hiding their flaws in the shadows. This book instead thrives on the fact that the reader sees how the character really thinks and feels without any filters, enabling them to fully connect with the main characters. I promise you that if you read this book, you will develop a deeper connection with Mia Corvere than almost any other character of any other book even when at first glance it appears that you should reject her.

I would rate this book 10/10 for its originality, clever wit, deep emotional attachment, reality and, of course, for its many murder scenes that spare no detail - gruesome as it may be. Nevernight is a fantasy novel but put aside the gods, goddesses, witchcraft and magic, and it is very, almost harshly so, real. I only have one critique for this book and that is the fact it is almost impossible to put down and you may miss your bus.