I pre-ordered this book, and it’s been on my shelf ever since. I put it off for so long, and I’m so sad I did! This book was fantastic. The writing ensnared me from the start, and didn’t let go. I know many people don’t love books with a lot of travel, but this one has non-stop action. There’s so much going on in this plot that I never got bored. I just finished this last night, and my thoughts are all over the place.

“You’re past is stone, but your future clay. And you decide the shape of the life you’ll make.”

There are several things I really enjoyed about this book, but I want to start with one of my favorite things. The illustrations throughout this book were stunning. Bon Orthwick did a fabulous job creating the illustrations that brought this story to life. I loved how many there are, and it adds to the emotional punches. For those Nevernight lovers out there- there are no footnotes in this one. Personally, I loved them, but I think the illustrations are my favorite.

Kristoff’s take on vampires is interesting, and very dark. I know to expect that from him, so I was not surprised. I can get very critical of books that jump timelines. Gabriel is re-telling his story through an interview, and we jump two different timelines. I am pleased to say, that Kristoff excelled at it here. If you want a chronological retelling of events, that doesn’t happen in this book. It works here because it draws up the tension about some very huge moments in Gabriel’s story. What fascinated me the most was the loss of faith. Gabriel has lost his faith, and I loved seeing the faithful vs. faithless Gabriel timelines. It brings up a lot of the same questions I have sometimes and I get it. The interview parts were some of my favorite parts. The banter between Gabriel and Jean Francois was everything! It was the perfect reprieve from many intense and dark moments throughout.

“It matters not what you hold faith in. But you must hold faith in something.”

The characters all around are amazing! You meet many characters throughout, and you can’t help but root for most of them. One thing is for sure, you never know who will be standing at the end, or who will be on the “right” side. I got a lot of vibes from Nevernight with some of the characters. It’s not a bad thing, but something I found interesting. Wow, Kristoff writes amazing villains! They are ruthless and truly terrifying.

Now, my only little complaint is that the big things did not surprise me. I figured out many things early on, and I don’t know if it’s because I read Nevernight or because I’m typically hard to surprise. I still enjoyed the ride immensely! Kristoff’s writing is captivating, and I felt all the emotions- joy, laughter, sadness, heartbreak, and terror. The moments were so impactful, even if I knew they were coming.

“When there’s little you can do, do what little you can.”

Overall, I enjoyed this so much. The world was fascinating and well thought out, the characters are brilliant, the interview style was immersive, and I can’t wait to read more. Kristoff’s take on vampires was one that I enjoyed! I’m excited, and terrified (for my emotions) to read the next book! 🙂