Okay, so here's the thing: Book of Night didn’t totally work for me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the concept. Shadow magic, a morally gray con artist FMC? yes, please! So I had to see where Thief of Night would take things. While this one didn’t completely blow me away, I liked it a lot more than book one.

Charlie Hall is still the definition of messy: in a “this girl needs therapy and a nap” kind of way, but I love how unapologetically flawed she is. Red? My sweet, weird little shadow man. The way he’s trying to be a real person now, after everything? Give that boy a redemption arc and a cardigan, please.

What I loved:
✨ Holly Black’s writing is stunning. It’s eerie, lyrical, and completely immersive.
✨ The vibes — this book begs to be read on a rainy day.
✨ The side characters are wild in the best way (shoutout to Odette and Balthazar).

What didn’t totally land:
The plot felt kind of... undecided? Like it was juggling romance, murder mystery, and deep worldbuilding but never fully committed to any one path. I kept waiting for something BIG to happen, and while the tension was always simmering, it never quite hit boil for me. I wanted more from the magic, the Cabal, the blights, all of it.

That said, even with the pacing issues and my “is this leading somewhere?” moments, I wasn’t bored. I still think Holly Black is at her best when she lets her stories be a little weird, a little dark, and a lot magical.

Final thoughts: If you liked the vibes of Book of Night but wanted more bite and character depth, Thief of Night is worth picking up, just maybe don’t expect all the answers.

Thief of Night picks up immediately where Book of Night left off, and it doesn’t waste a single page easing you back in. From the very first line, the story comes in hot and never really slows down, making it one of those reads where you have to pay attention—or risk missing something important (and there’s a lot).

The world-building and action are layered and detailed, and there were so many moments where I genuinely didn’t know who to trust, what to believe, or what could possibly happen next. It kept me on edge in the best way. If it’s been a while since you’ve read the first book, I’d highly recommend a quick reread because this sequel throws you right back into the chaos without looking back.

Overall, Thief of Night was such an enjoyable ride—maybe even better than Book of Night. It’s gripping, dark, and just twisty enough to keep you second-guessing everything. I feel so lucky I got to read it early, and I can’t express how much of an exciting read this was!

Holly’s world building truly takes everything to another level. There are so many details that I can tell were thought through in every chapter. Also love love love the cat being named Lucipurr. To anyone that is scared of the world building, I can confidently tell you that there are SO many modern details included in our daily life here in our world. The characters are likable and the plot flows well.

4.5/5 Stars, Rounded up for NetGalley.

I had so much fun with this duology! A satisfying ending to the series. If it’s been a while since you read the first book, I highly recommend you do a reread because this starts off right where we left off in the first book.

The concept for this book series is so cool and this one amped up on the action and world building. Charlie is such a “take-no-sh*t” badass and you just can’t not love her. The type of morally gray main character that you shamelessly root for. I almost put her up there with Aelin, the way she’s able to think ten steps ahead for her crazy plans.

The only issue I had with this book was the pacing/continuity in some places. It seemed to jump around between chapters and I’m not sure if that was intentional, but it made it a little confusing.

That ending absolutely had me wanting more, but it was so epically satisfying, I can’t not be happy with how this duology ended. If you’re a fan of Holly Black, I highly recommend giving her adult fantasy a try!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Books for an eARC.

Thief of Night the final book in the Charlatan Duology is here! We are back with Charlie Hall, Posey, and Vince. We pick up after the events of Book of Night. I do feel that these are pretty short books and for how short they are sometimes the pacing does get a little wonky. Even with that I still liked the story. I liked Red, Who is her new shadow. Holly’s writing still sucked me in and led me on a journey through her world that wouldn’t let go till the last page. If there is one thing that Charlie can find it is trouble.
Thank you to Tor for the complimentary copy all thoughts and opinions are my own..

What a fantastically dark end to this duology! A classic Holly Black book. The gritty atmosphere, the dark magic vibe, the schemes, and the shadowy misadventures of Charlie were all on point. She makes all the bad choices we so often wish we were brave enough to follow through with. Being blackmailed? Air out your own dirty laundry. Co-workers getting on your nerves? Sick your dominatrix boss on them. Vince/Red shows so much growth, and maybe not in the right direction, but boy is it satisfying. The sprinkle of spicy was perfect for their relationship growth. Most things are well wrapped up, or at minimum end in a blaze of fire, Charlie Hall style. Just wish the ending didn’t feel quite so rushed.

Holly Abbott
Angel Wings Bookstore

I received an advance reader copy of Thief of Night by Holly Black from NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4

Thief of Night picks up from the end of Book of Night, where Charlie and Red have to navigate the heartbreaking and painful events of the end of the first book in the Charlatan duology, the highly-anticipated sequel to Holly Black’s new adult series. Charlie and Red work through Red being bound to her, their shared past together, and a murder mystery with mysterious signs.

This book is moody, gothic, and has all of the wonderfully ethereal worldbuilding of Holly Black, with a dash of mystery as we follow how Charlie and Vince navigate adulthood. However, the story is cut short, as the second book doesn’t last long enough to get us attached to the characters and the story, even though it continues to exude Holly Black’s captivating, dark fairytale writing style.

Read our full, spoiler-free review of Thief of Night by Holly Black.

Overall Impressions 😊
This book is kind of like a gothic fairy tale with secrets, twists, and decadent fun, where you can’t wait to see what Charlie Hall’s next con is going to be.

If you like dark, occult magic systems like Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House series, enjoy spooky dark academia vibes with a sharp heroine and razor wit, and love a good heist like Six of Crows, or if you enjoyed Rachel Gillig’s gothic fairytale in One Dark Window, you’ll probably enjoy this book.

It’s moody, gothic, and perfect for the upcoming fall. Read it by a fire or while the rain patters on the windows.

Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
This book is kind of like a gothic fairy tale with secrets, twists, and decadent fun, where you can’t wait to see what Charlie Hall’s next con is going to be.

If you like dark, occult magic systems like Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House series, enjoy spooky dark academia vibes with a sharp heroine and razor wit, and love a good heist like Six of Crows, or if you enjoyed Rachel Gillig’s gothic fairytale in One Dark Window, you’ll probably enjoy this book.

It’s moody, gothic, and perfect for the upcoming fall. Read it by a fire or while the rain patters on the windows.

Characters 👥
Charlie Hall, with her tendency to make one bad decision after another, quick wit, and unapologetic streak of moral greyness, is a great main character.

I like her so much. She’s so different from the usual FMCs who are just badass without any real skills. A bit concerning how good Holly Black is at describing the act of committing questionable things, but it makes you really get into Charlie’s psyche and enjoy it.

And Red… my sweet, weird shadow man. He’s just a tiny bit of monster trying to find himself as a person now that he has agency, and I adore him. I can fix him.

He’s so good in this book and so different from the sweet guy from Book of Night that it hurts — but in a good way.

I enjoyed all the weird side characters Holly Black’s mind blessed us with, from Odette to Balthazar, and can continue to not stand Posey and her weird righteous streak.

Plot 🗺️
Plot was actually my one gripe with this book.

It felt like maybe the story couldn’t decide whether it was going to lean into romance and relationships (like Charlie and Red’s dynamic in Book 2) or the actual story beats, like what’s going on with the Cabal, the murder mystery, and the blights. It’s a shame because vivid magic system is so appealing, I wanted to dive into it so badly.

I’m noticing more and more in fantasy series, I need at least 500 pages for the plot to come together. There just wasn’t enough build-up, and it kind of didn’t do anything to move the needle in this world.

I would’ve loved to dive more into how dangerous blights are, how powerful a shadow can be, or even something about rogue shadows and what they mean. Instead, the plot moved forward almost like a slice of life, which could have worked if the romance had kept pace. But it didn’t.

While trying to balance both directions, it just didn’t come together and felt a bit shallow. I found myself struggling with the pacing: nothing happening, but also constantly feeling like I was on the precipice of something huge. It was a weird edge I just couldn’t stop walking.

Needless to say, it disappointed me because as an experienced author of fantasy books Holly Black usually knows how to deliver that sweet, adrenaline rush of a book with stakes. This one just didn’t hit the same way.

Writing Style and Narration ✍️
Holly Black’s writing continues to be impeccable. It’s ethereal, gothic, whimsical, and full of prose that makes you think, how did she even think of that?

Despite the plot feeling choppy to me, the language she used kept me engaged and matched the moodiness of the story. I felt the bleak weight of this world, weaved with magical worldbuilding, all told in the consistent voice of the characters.

It’s wistful and full of deep magic. There’s darkness, blights, a bit of kink, and just wonderfully weird stuff in trademark Holly Black fashion.

Overall, I enjoyed Thief of Night. I like Holly Black’s writing, the amazing worlds she builds, and the star-crossed lovers she writes so well.

I especially like that she’s dipping her toes into adult fantasy. I think she handles complex topics very well.

I do wish the story was longer and more focused so I could dive deeper into it. To me, it was a bit boring.

Although you might enjoy it yourself if you’re looking for a gothic, albeit shorter, story.

I’m still a lifetime Holly Black reader and cannot wait to dive into whatever she writes next.

Thief of Night by Holly Black is the sequel to Book of Night, taking us back to the land of shadow magic and gloamists. It was such an interesting read, with suspense, thrills and twists. I really enjoyed this as much as the first book. I'm almost sad to see Charlie Hall go but I loved the end of the book.
I got the ARC from Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books via Netgalley. This is my honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

Thief of Night is another moody, magic laced tale from Holly Black that delivers on atmosphere!! 🌙
Charlie Hall is still a messy, lovable disaster, and it’s fun watching her navigate a world of shadows and secrets.

The romance with Vince is sweet but lacking, I hoped for more and the rules around shadow magic still felt a bit too vague or convenient at times. Some side characters faded into the background, taking up space that could’ve added to the plot or main relationships.

Still, Holly’s writing is as haunting and lyrical as ever!!
If you loved Book of Night, this is worth picking up just manage your expectations and enjoy the vibes.

Thank you to Tor Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I was not a big fan of this one. I think the biggest issue I had with it was that it didn’t add anything important to the greater story of the series. While this book had a much more romantic undertone, especially at the beginning, the relationship between Vince and Charlie felt very surface level. The premise of the book implies that they will have a loving relationship but I was not convinced by the end of the book.

The holes that existed in the first book, such as the details of how shadow magic works, were not well explained in the second book and seemed a bit silly at times. And while it is a magical world with magic shadows and you have to suspend belief for that, I was not a fan of Charlie being able to detach a gloamist’s shadow with fire. Just seems a convenient way for her to escape instead of a well thought out understanding of shadow magic in the world. I like to know how the magic and world works in the fantasy novels I read, so I would have liked to know more about shadow magic in general.

Another aspect I did not enjoy as much was that there were a lot of side characters that ultimately did not serve much of a purpose to the story and took up valuable real estate in the novel that could have been used to strengthen the plot or the main relationship. While the first book was carried a lot by the ending, the ending for this one was a lot less satisfying for me. I still really enjoyed Holly Black’s unique writing style but just needed more from this book to really enjoy it. The book is really short so if you are dying to know how things work out for Charlie it might be worth the read for you but this one would be a skip for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the digital ARC.

This one was a looong awaited sequel for me. Book of Night ended in SUCH a heart breaking and painful way, and I even reread it in anticipation of this eARC. Charlie and Vince had a grip on my heart quickly. They were messy, they were adults, they had some serious flaws, and they were mysterious as all heck. The gut punch at the end was ROUGH. I even remember murmuring, heart broken, "Oh, no... no. No no."

Thief of Night started solid. Charlie is still messy, still self destructive, and Red is a spooky shadow with some questionable motivations. Romance and murder mystery-wise, the book was fantastic! There was a constant "if not them, then who?" whodunnit...

(Dear reader, I feel like you can perhaps feel my 'but' on the horizon.)

But.

Around the 55-60% mark, the pacing got choppy, the writing got messy, and I'm not sure if it was because of the quality of the eARC, but sections started feeling broken up or rushed in such a way that I thought parts were deleted. I wasn't terribly feeling the urgency. A lot of what was going on really felt like it could have received its own extended moment in the spotlight, but because there were so many reveals, the impact of said reveals felt less grand and more like saying "and that happened, moving on". Bits and bobs here and there felt like an idea that just had to be included and so it was tossed in for half a page. Those pieces were fun by themselves, but were far too short and felt odd for their placement and pacing.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I finished it quite fast, and the ending tied things up fairly well, even if it felt a little confusing and rushed, especially those last few pages. It did unfortunately veer around the 60% mark into feeling a bit like your typical New Adult romantasy fair, and while that didn't work for me, I know it does for a lot of folks.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Tor books for this eARC in exchange for my review!

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of Thief of Night!

Holly Black’s follow up to her adult novel, Book of Night was quite the adventure. I love the continued world building around shadow magic and the character growth that Charlie has in this book. I found myself wanting more of Posey and Mahlar’s story, so maybe in future books? We get a lot more of Vince/Red’s backstory in this book.

If you loved the Book of Night, you will love this. If you are looking for YA/Romantasy vibes, look elsewhere. This is a true adult fantasy novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Holly Black delivers again with Thief of Night, dark, twisted, and absolutely addictive. The fae world she builds is sharp and dangerous, with secrets around every corner. The main character is complex and fierce, and the plot keeps you guessing till the very end.
If you love morally gray characters, intricate politics, and a bit of dark magic, this one’s a must-read. Black’s signature mix of suspense and dark romance shines here.

There’s always been something wrong with Charlie Hall and thank goodness for that, because her brand of morally gray, shadow-wielding chaos is what makes Holly Black’s adult duology so compelling. In Thief of Night, the stakes are high, the magic is dark, and the consequences feel real. I appreciated how this book tied up the loose ends from Book of Night and brought Charlie’s arc full circle, especially when it came to her complicated heart and even messier choices.

That said, I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first. While it was satisfying to see how everything unraveled (or got stitched back together), the pacing and tension didn’t grip me in quite the same way as Book of Night did. The sparkle was a little dulled here.

Still, if you’ve been dying to know what happens to Charlie and her not-so-trustworthy allies, this sequel delivers on the promise of book one. Shadow magic, betrayal, and a good dash of heartache—classic Holly Black in all the best ways..

Holy Black has a very unique and distinct writing style that I love. This duology put a unique twist on so many commonly used troupes. I also loved how morally complexed Charlie Hall and they other main characters were. The pacing did get a bit slow at times, in my opinion, but the plot twists and reveals made it worth it. This book was the perfect blend of a dark fantasy and ghost thriller. You get the more mystical elements that you can expect of a dark fantasy story as well as the suspenseful, eerie elements of a ghost thriller. I also enjoyed the down to earth vibes that the characters gave. It made them easy to relate to and enjoy reading about. This book is a thriller, murder mystery, and a fantasy story all wrapped up in a wonderfully written package.

Thief of Night by Holly Black is the sequel to Book of Night, which was a book that I really enjoyed. This duology follows Charlie, a thief with some secrets of her own in a world shadowed in mystery.

This has been one of my most anticipated books because of how much I enjoyed Book of Night but this kind of let me down a bit. I loved Charlie and her arc as a character as well as a lot of the side characters but there was something about this book that felt choppy. After the first book, I thought this would dive more into the world but it didn’t really expand on that much more than the first book.

I still had a good time with this overall. The plot is pretty fast paced and since this is a shorter book, it is a quick read. I think the ending was a satisfying conclusion to the story. I just wish this would have been a bit longer and taken the time to fill out the world a bit more. I think people who enjoyed Book of Night will enjoy this one.

5/5 ⭐
I picked up Book of Night on a whim earlier this year and was absolutely blown away. When I saw that Thief of Night was available on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to see what happened next with Charlie, Posey, and Vince. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for letting me devour this book. Picking up soon after the events of Book of Night, Thief of Night follows Charlie as the new Hierophant – a bounty hunter of rogue shadows. With a sharp mind and penchant for getting into trouble, Charlie and her new shadow, Red, quickly become embroiled in a conspiracy that is bigger than her measly paycheck.
Holly Black’s writing was phenomenal. I was sucked right back into the world of Gloamists and Blights and didn’t want to leave. I adored Charlie’s wit and the banter she had with both Red and those she worked for. Holly Black can take a shadow daddy and make me love them all over again.
If you want a story filled with heists and a slowburn romance, this is definitely the book series you’ll want to invest all your time, energy, and shadows into.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the pre-release copy of Thief of Night by Holly Black. Below you'll find my honest review.

I really wish this one had been a trilogy and not a duology, because I absolutely wasn't ready to say goodbye to Charlie Hall and the ragtag cast. I really want more in this world, even if it's not with Charlie and Vince/Red and Posey and all of them. The magic system with shadows and blood is fantastic!

Maybe one day Holly Black will return to this world. Fingers crossed. Until then, highly recommend this duology, but please start with Book of Night. Jumping in on the last half of a two book story is just silly!

I didn’t expect much going into this as I thought Book of Night was okay with a very compelling magic system but not a single character I cared about. Well, Thief of Night changed that.

I feel like we finally get to see a more relatable side of Charlie’s personality. She is a lot more vulnerable and as a result, much more likeable as a character. I think having her start from scratch with Red was an amazing choice by Holly Black. With Red not remembering Charlie at all, they are forced to start their relationship over, sending both characters on a self-discovery journey that I really enjoyed as a reader.

The plot and pacing were absolutely great. Nothing to add here. I really loved the intrigue around the murder investigation and the way so many characters’ stories got intertwined throughout the book.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend the series. Even if I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book, Thief of Night made it 100% worth the time.

4.5⭐️
This was such a great ending to The Charlatan Duology! Thief of Night picks up right where book 1 left off with Charlie being the new hierophant and Vince or “Red” having no memories. That was a wild ending to the first book so I was very excited to jump right in and see what would happen.

Overall I loved this book! We get another great mix of mystery, darker fantasy vibes, amazing characters that we learn so much more about, and more of this dark and gritty world. Charlie goes through so much in this book and we really get to see her constant struggle with fitting into the world of magic and the wealthy. Especially while being tethered to “Red” who is now supposed to become Remy Carver, a wealthy party boy. I really enjoyed seeing Charlie deal with this. It made her seem more relatable and gave her so much more dimension. She’s honestly one of my favorite book characters! Plus her and Red in this book were incredible to read about. Now that we know Vince was really the shadow Red the whole time it’s almost like meeting a brand new character. He’s dark and dangerous but also very protective of Charlie. Although Charlie never restores Red’s complete memories from before I loved how their story ended up.

Again this had great mystery with romance as a supporting feature. I loved the story and how Holly wrapped things up. I’m going to miss these characters and really hope we see more from this world!