Night Spinner

This book blew my mind. Night Spinner is an absolutely magical read and I loved every page. It's incredibly well written, descriptive and the world building is fantastic. I like Enebish, the main character, a lot. I especially enjoyed how deeply religious she is, as someone who is very steadfast in their faith I could relate to her, it also isn't something you see very often in fantasy. Above all things I found myself being sucked into the world of Night Spinner. It took a hold of me and didn't let go. And I'm a big fan of plot twists and revelations of which this book has plenty (I did not see any of them coming)

Five stars for a fabulous read. Put this on your tbr. I cannot wait for the second book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Page Street Kids for approving my request and granting me access to an advanced copy of Night Spinner.

An excellent fantasy to add to your shelves. Addie Thorley has developed captivating magic, vivid settings, a killer twist, and perfectly broken characters. I especially loved seeing Enebish evolve from a character who thought she was beyond redemption and happiness to a strong and determined warrior, who's about to go after everything she wants in book 2 (vague to avoid spoilers!)

Last year, I completely fell in love with Addie Thorley's An Affair of Poisons, so when I found out that she was coming out with a high fantasy series, I was really excited. It was everything I'd dreamed it to be—and more.

Quick Thoughts
-This is a retelling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, but in a high fantasy setting. I haven't read the book—my only experience with the story is the Disney movie, which I loved—so I can't say exactly how the books are connected.
-Addie's writing is incredibly gorgeous. I felt completely immersed in the world of Ashkar, in Enebish's thoughts. The same is true in An Affair of Poisons, but I had briefly forgotten—it was a very pleasant surprise.
-The minor characters in this story are so three-dimensional. There were times when I loved them, times I hated them, etc.

Lasting Impressions

Enebish is absolutely one of my favorite characters now. In the beginning, she is scared and restless. It's been two years since she accidentally unleashed her power on innocent people—but she can't remember anything about it. She wants her freedom, but she's scared of hurting people. She wants to see the world, but her injuries hold her back. Her timidity is understandable in the beginning, but her growth by the end of the book is a journey worth every moment.

Her relationships with the other characters are fascinating. She adores her adoptive sister Ghoa, who is commander of the king's army, and would do anything for her. Her best friend, Serik, keeps Enebish on her toes, keeps pushing her. The faith Enebish has for her gods is unique, as religion is often completely avoided in YA fantasy these days. The way these relationships evolve is engaging and interesting—they had me turning the pages faster and faster.

The world building in this book is marvelous. The details Addie uses made me feel as if I was in Ashkar, experiencing both the beauty and the horrors there. And the magic system is so unique! The powers are based on the sky—the sun, rain, hail, and of course, the night. I've never read anything quite like that before, and it fits so well in the world built around it.

There are SO many twists in this book! I'm not going to go into specifics, but I didn't see so many things coming. It was so much fun to read. The plot goes at a good pace, not too fast or slow, and I never felt like the book dragged. It was a real pleasure staying up way too late so many nights to finish this book.

Overall Feelings

I was so, so relieved when I realized that this was the first book in a series. There are so many loose ends that I want to know more about! I will definitely be picking up the next book and recommending this book like crazy.

I absolutely adored this book. I normally don't love retellings but this story didn't feel like a cookie cutter retelling; instead, I was able to pick up on threads of the original story that were woven into the plot structure in interesting ways. I loved the magic system and world building within the story. I loved Enebish's story arc and growth towards self acceptance. I enjoyed the plot twists (some were predictable and some caught me by surprise). This was a thrilling read from start to finish.