Godsgrave Review
5:30 AM
Author // Jay Kristoff
Publication Date // September 2017
Publisher // Harper Voyager
Readership //Adult
Genre // Fantasy
Rating // ✭✭✭✭✭
synopsis.
A ruthless young assassin continues her journey for revenge in this new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff.
Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church hierarchy think she’s far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she’s no closer to ending the men who destroyed her familia; in fact, she’s told directly that Consul Scaeva is off limits. But after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia suspicions about the Red Church’s true motives begin to grow.
When it’s announced that Scaeva will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end him. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between love and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world.
Set in the world of Nevernight, which Publishers Weekly called “absorbing in its complexity and bold in its bloodiness,” Godsgrave will continue to thrill and satisfy fantasy fans everywhere.
review.
“Good turn to you, gentle friends. It’s lovely to see you again."
Why, yes. Yes, it is.
Godsgrave is the non-stop, bloody quest of Mia Corvere, picking up right where Nevernight left off, only this time, our fearless heroine is facing a slew of troubling truths that call into question everything she thought she knew.
Jay Kristoff’s Nevernight world is so interesting in all it’s bright, bloody glory - a world where it’s rarely dark and where shadows hold power, and the occasional daemon, and nothing is as it seems. While the format may not suit all readers - there’s a constant set of footnotes from the omnipresent narrator adding extra details that extend upon the need-to-know knowledge of the narrative - it’s certainly a fun read for those who have an interest in details and a decent sense of humour.
Mia continues to be a fascinating heroine - a trained Blade of the Red Church, though many of her peers don’t believe she’s earned her place - out for blood to avenge the death of her father. Mia begins to question the Red Church and she slowly begins to unravel truths that she’d never considered before. Allies become enemies and enemies become allies as her world slowly becomes more and more complicated.
What I love about this series is how unafraid it is to reveal the flaws of any and all of the characters. Despite the fantastical setting and the bloody-nature of many of the players, everyone feels real and three-dimensional. They grow as they learn (or regress as they don’t) and that makes them all the more compelling. Kristoff isn’t afraid to bloody, maim or kill characters and I have a lot of respect for authors who know when and where this is appropriate (and given that we’re talking of a book about assassins, this is kind of important).
While I won’t go into details about the plot, or even character development, too much (because, sequel - go read the first book, then this one, then come back and talk to me!) I have to say that Mia’s character arc is just amazing, as is her struggle to reconcile love and revenge and which she desires most. Mister Kindly's and Eclipse’s conversations are hilarious to read, and often steal the show.
While Godsgrave takes some time to read - it’s dense, but in a fabulous way - I was hooked for the first sentence and couldn’t put it down. I gave Godsgrave 5 out of 5 stars.
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