The Bookworm's Feast

 Release Date: August 2016
 Publisher: Harper Voyager
 Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
 Page Count: 643
 Goodreads Page
 Rating: ★★★★★ 

“The books we love, they love us back. And just as we mark our places in the pages, those pages leave their marks on us. I can see it in you, sure as I see it in me. You’re a daughter of the words. A girl with a story to tell.”

This book is one of my absolute favourites – and one day, I will read it with all the footnotes! (It’s tricky to do on the kindle as they’re all at the end).

To loosely sum up the kind of character Mia, our main protagonist, is, think Arya Stark in the final season of Game of Thrones crossed with Nona Grey from Red Sister by Mark Lawrence. These three (I’m including Mia in this) are some of my favourite characters – all a bit stabby, with oodles of courage and fearlessness. Mia also has a cat companion called Mr Kindly who’s made out of shadows. If that didn’t sell me, I don’t what would! #catperson

Weirdly, Nevernight starts off straight in with no holds barred but is also slow. We instantly get a view that Kristoff will write with all brutality and gore included, but then it tails off for a time as Mia goes to find what is essentially a school for assassins, and begins her training. Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of blood and brutality, but after the opening scenes it just feels a bit tame.

Over the course of the majority of the story, there are some shocking moments and a bit of smut – but I mainly love the way the book is written. It’s got a kind of flow or rhythm to the writing, and this time around (as it’s a reread for me) I listened to it on audiobook – which I thoroughly recommend, and I definitely need to hear more from the narrator. Just make sure if you’re listening to it at work you do have your headphones in eh!

“The wolf does not pity the lamb. The storm begs no forgiveness of the drowned.”

Until about 80% of the way through, I’d probably rate it a 3 or a 4 star read, but that last 20 or so percent the pace and the action really ramp up. I don’t want to spoil, but Jay will rip your heart out. I haven’t moved onto Godsgrave yet, as I couldn’t bear waiting for Darkdawn, but it will be read this month ready for Darkdawn’s release next month.

“Never flinch” A cold whisper in her ear. “Never fear. And never, ever forget.”