Book Review: Book of Night

By Holly Black

Published May 2022

308 Pages

I’ve had my eye on this book for months. I tried to get the ARC but, sigh, it wasn’t to be. So I waited impatiently for May 3rd, ready to run to the store and buy it as soon as it came out, not wanting to wait weeks for it to become available to borrow. Then lo and behold, I received an email that it was ready and waiting at my library on its release date. Woohoo! I was there that day to pick it up. So, love your libraries, folks. They deserve it.

Here’s the blurb: Charlie Hall is only good at a few things – running cons, stealing, and making bad life choices. She made a name for herself working for gloamists – magicians who give a whole new meaning to the term shadow work. Despite trying to go straight, she gets pulled back into the game when she stumbles on a body and a gloamist’s shadow attacks her. Not only does she get sucked back into a con, but also back into the orbit of the millionaire that upended her life in the first place. But a botched job this time could mean repayment with her life.

“Book of Night” interpreted by Wombo Dream

This was as good as I was hoping. I haven’t read Holly Black before (something I mean to amend) and the story had a Kelley Armstrong vibe – only grittier. For anyone who’s read my blog for a while knows I’m a huge Kelley Armstrong fan, so that’s definitely a compliment. A lot of the novel was told in flashback, which can sometimes be annoying, but didn’t hit me that way. Instead, it slowly explained Charlie’s personality and family dynamic, leaving me with an impression I won’t soon forget.

Like most books, I had a star rating in my head about halfway through. Until the author slipped in a plot twist I totally didn’t see coming and up went the rating half a star. I nearly brought it back down because I could not believe the ending. I mean, how could she just leave me hanging like that? I was actually upset – until I dug up a review on the Tor website that said there would be a sequel in 2024. Now I’m a little upset that I have to wait so long for it, but thank goodness we’re going to get more. I can spend that time reading Black’s back list.

In the end, I rated this novel 4.5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐+

Until next time, thank you for visiting.

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