“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 8/15/23

*Thank you @NetGalley and @TorBooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
👣 Dark fantasy
🌗 Books about a book
👣 Paranormal romance
🌗 Gritty FMC

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
I really enjoyed this one once I was able to trudge past the poor world building. The premise of shadows being their own entity was fascinatiing. The FMC was good, and likable.The only gripe I have was that the rules and world building was a bit loose and not well defined. I was a bit hard to follow at first and I didnt feel like I was able to understand until 70% in, I had to keep flipping back to the pages that explained things/creatures. The ending was a cliffhanger, of course 😬... and Im DYING to read the next book! Worth the read, just stick with it.


#bookofnight

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, for allowing me to read this book. The opinion in this review is my own.

Charlie has a past of pick-pocketing and other forms of criminal activity. She’s trying to get away from that lifestyle, but a few turns of events put her right back in the thick of things. She’s trying to stay out of trouble, but it’s inevitable for Charlie.

I’ve read a few books by Holly Jackson and this has a lot of the same charm as her other books. Her writing style is unique, I think I could read this book and know it was her immediately. This is her debut adult novel, but I didn’t notice much difference from her YA books, except it had a few more “spicy” scenes, but even those weren’t very descriptive.

Charlie and all the characters are morally gray and have lots of secrets. When you think you know a character, something comes up and changes your outlook on them. The action is great and the world-building is given to you in increments to keep you on the hook. The magic system isn’t specifically spelled out, but this is more of a magical realism and I thought the explanations were sufficient for this style of book. I can’t wait to read the second book in this series. If you’ve enjoyed any of her other books, then you’ll enjoy this one as well. I highly recommend this book even if you haven’t read her other books. This is a great way to get used to her writing while the series is new.

This is my second time reading this book and I loved it both times so much.

I love out protagonist and her grit. She is plus sized, she is smart, and she is tough as nails. I love following her through this unique world and watching her learn about herself and about the world around her. That love can be had even in the most unbelievable of circumstances.

This book would be great for readers who loved Ninth House and readers of Sarah J Maas. I found myself so invested in this story, even the second time round when I remembered most of what was going to happen. (ADHD forgetfulness does leave some things as a surprise the second go round LOL)

The cliffhanger at the end makes me feral and I can not wait to read the next installment. Miss Black you're the absolute worst. I love you.

Give me any book written by Holly Black and I’ll be so happy to read it.

The cruel prince series is always my recommendation as an excellent intro to the fantasy genre and romantacy and I find the quirky feel good vibes spread across to the authors other works of fiction as well.

Book of night was actually the authors adult Debut novel and is a dark fantasy set in modern day.

If you enjoy secret societies, shadow magic, con artists, doppelgängers (vampire diaries anyone), secrets, lies and murder then I’d recommend giving this a try.

Thank you for the gifted copy!

What an epically fun book of dark magic and mystery.

This is my first Holly Black book and was excited to read this and was at first a little hesitant, worried it would be more romantasy or YA but was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me a lot more of dark academia books, dark magic, and thriller based then anything else. If you’re a fun of Middlegame by Seanan McGuire or Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, this will be right up your alley!

I'm beyond obsessed with this book! It's so freaking good and I cannot wait to read more in this series. Truly wouldn't change a thing.

Book of Night has all the makings of a dark, immersive fantasy. The world of shadow manipulation is creative and intriguing, and Holly Black clearly knows how to build atmosphere. There are strong ideas here—enough to hold interest—but they never quite gel into something fully satisfying.

Charlie Hall is a messy, morally gray protagonist, and while her backstory is compelling, the emotional weight doesn't always land. Her relationships feel underdeveloped, and the romance lacks depth. The pacing drags in places, and the writing occasionally distances the reader from the stakes.

It’s a solid concept with flashes of promise, but it struggles to fully deliver. Worth a read for fans of urban fantasy and Black’s existing work.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

As someone whose first introduction to Holly Black was her curse workers trilogy. I was thrilled that she wrote something in a similar if not darker vein. My favourite characters of hers tend to be the cons with sticky fingers. Charlie is an easy character to like, even if she wouldn’t agree. She’s trying her best, working with less than ideal circumstances and a skillset that’s she’s trying to shed. Her main focus is her sister. Which keeps all the fantastical parts of the story more grounded. That and Vince, his loyalty to Charlie and their relationship that’s built mainly on what they don’t know about each other. Kept me turning the pages.
Can’t wait for the sequel!

(Thanks to Tor and NetGalley)

I just couldn't get into this book. It was too slow. Which is a shame because I've enjoyed previous books by this author.

I do love a good Holly Black story. Charlie reminded me at times of Tori in Annette Marie's Guild Codex. Reluctant hero, a little dark but could have gone darker, not necessarily YA but not adult/adult. Magic system is well organized and hopefully something that'll get expanded on in book 2.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-ARC of this book! I forgot I had a copy already on the shelf so I read that instead...

This book was not what I expected—in a good way. It’s Holly Black’s first adult fantasy, and it’s definitely darker and more complicated than her YA stuff. The vibe is kinda magic urban fantasy w/ a main character who is constantly one step away from disaster.

The FMC is a little unpolished and fully aware of the bad choices she makes. She's trying her best in a world that really doesn’t cut people like her a break- which makes her super relatable.

The shadow magic in this world is intriguing and a bit creepy. People can mess with their shadows—like, actually change them or use them for power. It’s a magic that stands out from other books.

It took a bit for the story to really kick off, but once the pieces started clicking together, it was difficult to put down. It’s definitely more about the characters and mood than fast action, so if you’re into vibes, minuscule/non-existant spice and messy people with secrets, this is your kind of story.

Charlie has thieving magic and is chased by people wanting her to rob for them... Love the refreshing magical world. Vince, her mysterious boyfriend, is interesting and well-matched with her. The romance is subtle but more realistic and moving. An interesting book with a great storyline. I feel that there are more stories to be told in this world and looking forward to Charlie's next adventure...

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Elfhame any more...and some readers of Holly Black's YA novels might find themselves looking for something familiar, but this novel is a world apart. It took me some time adjusting to this world and the introduction to the main character feels slightly slow but once the story picks up somewhere between a third and halfway through the book, it becomes interesting. The magic system is curious enough that the need for the slow buildup makes some sense and though I didn't immediately appreciate Charlie, she eventually grew on me. Hew boyfriend, however, piqued my curiosity from his first appearance. As the plot became more involved, and action picked up, i found myself enjoying this story and now I am eagerly anticipating reading the next book of the series (duology?).
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Tor Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I was stoked to have the opportunity to review this book on NetGalley because I think it's criminally underrated. Fans of Holly Black's "The Folk of the Air" may be surprised by the tonal shift and setting, but "Book of Night" most reminds me of Black's previous "Curse Workers" series. A pivot from royal intrigue back to a world of conmen, mysteries, and heists, "Book of Night" is best enjoyed reading alongside a friend who can theorize about what's happening, text you when things get twisty, and revel in the protagonist's wins with you.

You can tell his book is in the Adult genre rather than YA because the love interest does things like clean out gutters and take out the trash. The book is peppered with wry observations about the characters ("It's not my fault if you're a truffle pig for trouble."--heh!) Learning more about the clever protagonist through flashbacks feels like unfolding an intricately crumpled piece of paper. I liked that Charlie is brittle, self-deprecating, and a smidge misanthropic. The tone of the book is a little bleak at times, but this is a book about shadows, after all.

One feedback I do want to give is that the cover design for the book does not do justice to the story within it! I'm disappointed by the choice to go with a generic, commercialized image (I mean, Shutterstock, really?) I wish the publisher had given the story a bigger chance to stand out aesthetically. I worry that people give it a pass because the cover tells you nothing about what is inside, and I hope it will be reissued with a different, more enticing cover.

I do strongly recommend this book for fans of Holly Black with the caveat that this book is very different in tone from the series she is most famous for. I have been impatiently waiting for the sequel.

I had read this when it came out and I have to say it wasn’t quite what I wanted however I think my opinion will be solidified when I see the second book.

Four days of pure TORTURE, and not even in a good way! This book was a mess. There was no world building and the magic was explained only in bits and pieces. At times I had no idea what I was reading. In short, people in Book of Night can modify their shadows—give them wings, memories they don’t want anymore, magical powers… I still don’t totally know and I don’t care! For this reader, it almost felt like there was a book missing before this one. Also, Holly Black calls herself a New Englander but doesn’t even know that Dunkin’ Donuts does not sell bear claws? The fuck?? This book had the dullest, crappiest characters ever, man, and it even included a paragraph about a third nipple that I have no idea how it got past the editor. Save your time and don’t read this. Truly one of the worst books I’ve ever read.

A good debut. I like holly blacks writing. However this wasn’t fully my favorite. The pacing was weird to me and I wasn’t fully invested. But it was still a good story. I just wanted a little more

This concept and story have so much potential, but something was just missing. Maybe it was the world-building or character growth, but it just needed a little more of something.

Charlie is a unique lead and there’s a lot of room for her to grow and have a satisfying arc, but it was not present in this book. Other than her though, the rest of the characters are extremely unremarkable and not memorable. Also, the romance in this book felt really rushed and shallow.

Overall, this book just fell flat for me and I wanted more out of the characters, their dynamics and the world.

I liked it! I think that a lot of people got frustrated that it is much slower to get started than Black's other books and that it's more "paranormal" than her faerie-based fantasy, but I think it actually works as her first book aimed at an adult audience. The genre conventions and pacing of a book aimed at adults are typically just a bit different than those aimed at a YA audience (I say this as an adult who also likes to read YA!) and it does feel like Black is being punished a bit by readers here for not churning out more of the same. (And, for the record, [book:Tithe|46777] is one of my favorite books.) I did particularly like the reveal at the end; it feels like it FITS the story particularly well. It's not a cliffhanger but does leave plenty of room for the second book.

I usually have a love/hate relationship with urban fantasy. But I really enjoyed this one. I am not quite sure about that ending so we will see how it the second book goes!