Review: I cannot even begin to express how much I love Holly Black’s adult debut novel! "Book of Night" is SO good! 

 

The story is told from multiple perspectives, many of the chapters alternating between the past and the present. I really enjoyed watching obscure details only briefly mentioned in the past end up playing a larger role in the mystery that unfolds in the present. Black masks the breadcrumbs she leaves with her wonderful prose and elements of urban fantasy, making the plot twists all the more shocking! 

 

The world Black creates in “Book of Night” is complex and unique. Humans that  are “shadowless” are rumored to be missing a piece of themselves. Humans that are still in possession of their shadow are able to try their hand at accessing shadow magic, the first step in becoming a gloamist. Gloamists are able to pursue different magic disciplines. Carapaces focus on their own shadows to do things like fly or armor themselves. Masks concentrate on unraveling the secrets of the universe. Puppeteers send their shadows to do things in secret. Alterationists manipulate the shape of shadows. Representatives from each discipline are chosen to form the Cabal, a group that regulates shadow magic and hunts and traps blights (shadows are not attached to anything). All in all, I found the idea of shadows being conscious extremely fascinating. I was completely sucked into the story by Black’s detailed descriptions of the magic system and the shadows themselves. 

 

Charlie Hall, the main character, is very intriguing. She can’t seem to ever escape trouble. Instead, she embraces chaos, which I really like. She is smart, quick on her feet, a master thief and great liar. Based upon the cliffhanger at the end of “Book of Night,” I have a feeling that Charlie won’t be stepping away from a life of crime anytime soon. Holly if you are reading this, I need book two asap!!