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Salvation Cycle #1
Nightrender
Kingdoms will fall, gods will die, and hearts will be broken in this sprawling new fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jodi Meadows.
In the middle of nothingness is the continent of Salvation.
Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years.
But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world's weakest seams. Seams that--once split--will lead to the total unraveling of night and day, light and dark, life and death.
Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Highcrown, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria--the serpent bride, a girl of famous cunning--which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has noticed the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind's only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl.
There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice... or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?
In the middle of nothingness is the continent of Salvation.
Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years.
But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world's weakest seams. Seams that--once split--will lead to the total unraveling of night and day, light and dark, life and death.
Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Highcrown, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria--the serpent bride, a girl of famous cunning--which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has noticed the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind's only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl.
There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice... or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 11, 2022
106 people are currently reading
9223 people want to read
About the author
Jodi Meadows
38 books4,716 followersI write books. I snuggle cats. I drink coffee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
February 4, 2022
02/04 There's a giveaway for this book going on right now if you haven't read it yet!
- - -
Thank you to my friend for the early access to one of my most anticipated!
I loved this book. Can we first just talk about the gorgeous cover? Drool worthy.
You follow 3 points of views (POV) in this book : Hanne, Nightrender & my dear, cinnamon roll Rune. Rune and Hanne are both royalty of two of the three kingdoms and are getting married to form an alliance. The former seems to have broken a rule understood between all three countries, so the two are planning to go to war, naturally. Though Hanne has other plans.
The most frustrating thing in this book is that you have these three kingdoms fighting each other and being sneaky about everything when there is a literal threat to everyone's lives at their doorstep. These things called "malice" (basically death and horror and bad things) are popping up everywhere. I kind of imagined it like a snow globe, these bubbles that are filled with these creatures that want to destroy.. everything. There are so many of them, and creatures are getting out and the layer of these things seem to be getting thinner and thinner but... oh yes, let's just worry about power instead of staying alive. It's kind of like Game of Thrones where they fight for the throne and ignore the wights and white walkers who are coming to kill you.
IT IS FINE.
There are a lot of twists and turns in this book that I did not expect. It kept me on my toes. Hanne is a protagonist that you will love to hate and also just love. She is very independent, besides her need for her cousin, and is vocal about all her feelings. I admire her for it, honestly. I just love Rune and do not want anyone to hurt him (looking at you, Hanne).
The Nightrender.. there is a lot yet to unpack for this character. She is the one thing that can demolish the malice, but she doesn't remember a lot of her past which is hindering her purpose. I really loved the magic surrounding this character (the soulshard, sleeping until awakened, etc). There is so much more to learn about this character and I am excited to read more!
Highly recommend this book, and not just because you can find me in the acknowledgements and a character named after me (squeeeeeal)!
- - -
Review tomorrow! The ending 🙌🏻
- - -
I’m so excited to read this book! Most anticipated for sure 🤩🥳
- - -
Thank you to my friend for the early access to one of my most anticipated!
I loved this book. Can we first just talk about the gorgeous cover? Drool worthy.
You follow 3 points of views (POV) in this book : Hanne, Nightrender & my dear, cinnamon roll Rune. Rune and Hanne are both royalty of two of the three kingdoms and are getting married to form an alliance. The former seems to have broken a rule understood between all three countries, so the two are planning to go to war, naturally. Though Hanne has other plans.
The most frustrating thing in this book is that you have these three kingdoms fighting each other and being sneaky about everything when there is a literal threat to everyone's lives at their doorstep. These things called "malice" (basically death and horror and bad things) are popping up everywhere. I kind of imagined it like a snow globe, these bubbles that are filled with these creatures that want to destroy.. everything. There are so many of them, and creatures are getting out and the layer of these things seem to be getting thinner and thinner but... oh yes, let's just worry about power instead of staying alive. It's kind of like Game of Thrones where they fight for the throne and ignore the wights and white walkers who are coming to kill you.
IT IS FINE.
There are a lot of twists and turns in this book that I did not expect. It kept me on my toes. Hanne is a protagonist that you will love to hate and also just love. She is very independent, besides her need for her cousin, and is vocal about all her feelings. I admire her for it, honestly. I just love Rune and do not want anyone to hurt him (looking at you, Hanne).
The Nightrender.. there is a lot yet to unpack for this character. She is the one thing that can demolish the malice, but she doesn't remember a lot of her past which is hindering her purpose. I really loved the magic surrounding this character (the soulshard, sleeping until awakened, etc). There is so much more to learn about this character and I am excited to read more!
Highly recommend this book, and not just because you can find me in the acknowledgements and a character named after me (squeeeeeal)!
- - -
Review tomorrow! The ending 🙌🏻
- - -
I’m so excited to read this book! Most anticipated for sure 🤩🥳
December 15, 2021
Oh. MY. God
I am obsessed with this book!!! Okay first things first Turn The Page tour provided me with this arc and I am just losing my mind over here.
Just me rocking back and forth, biting my nails because that ending was intense and I have absolutely no idea how I will lead a normal life after that cliffhanger. How Ill wait for a WHOLE YEAR before I get the sequel.
I cant form coherent, organised thoughts rn because YOU GUYS this book is perfection and when you have perfection in your hands at 5 am, its hard to be organised.
Ill start with the PROLOGUE, you turn the page, read the prologue, lift up your head and whisper Crap! Shouldn't have started this at 2 am. Because when the book starts so brilliantly you just know you're in for an amazing ride.
Truthfully the book doesn't drag, not even once, it starts with action and ends on nail biting action. There's no info dumping, yes initially you cant make sense of the world but with time you get a hang of it.
The characters are flawless, well not really lol they are 3 dimensional so its better to say they are perfectly imperfect. I loved that the female characters in this book were strong and honestly took centre stage, the male character although was important to the story but you could see that he wasn't getting as much attention as well MALES GET 😅. THIS NOVEL introduces you to some frickin fierce female characters like The Nightrender who I loved. Hanne who I had a love hate relationship with. And there are several other female characters that are all shown to be headstrong and have been given major roles instead of casted off as side characters or romantic interests.
NOW LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO MY SOUL SHARD, PRINCE RUNE. Breaking stereotypes, the author shows Prince Rune as a very sensitive man who wants someone to love him, we are shown many glimpses of him being quite evidently afraid, confused or vulnerable.
I love when authors break stereotypes that surround men and women, every character in this book was doing just that. Books by breaking from archaic standards set by society pave the way for difference in the real world because books have alot of power to influence and shape society!
There's so much political drama, so much scheming going on that you just cant stop reading the book. It comprises of a unique world which is different from the usual we've been devouring these day, that is faes and witches, so if you're looking for something fresh definitely pick this up.
Because this book doesnt just have an excellent intriguing plot with alot of evil and characters that have some villainous tendencies but it also possesses a very heart warming romance. But the romance is such a minor aspect of the book but with the trope WILL THEY WONT THEY that no matter how almost non existent the romance is, lovers of romance in fantasy (LIKE ME) will definitely enjoy it and will be on the edge of their seat waiting for a moment alone between, well lets just say TWO PARTICULAR CHARACTERS, and people who dont like romance in their books can also enjoy this because like I said its a very minor aspect, almost nonexistent. So its a win win situation.
I cant wait for book 2, I just hope its as good as this one. I just hope the characters I am shipping dont sink!
Highly highly recommend!!
I am obsessed with this book!!! Okay first things first Turn The Page tour provided me with this arc and I am just losing my mind over here.
Just me rocking back and forth, biting my nails because that ending was intense and I have absolutely no idea how I will lead a normal life after that cliffhanger. How Ill wait for a WHOLE YEAR before I get the sequel.
I cant form coherent, organised thoughts rn because YOU GUYS this book is perfection and when you have perfection in your hands at 5 am, its hard to be organised.
Ill start with the PROLOGUE, you turn the page, read the prologue, lift up your head and whisper Crap! Shouldn't have started this at 2 am. Because when the book starts so brilliantly you just know you're in for an amazing ride.
Truthfully the book doesn't drag, not even once, it starts with action and ends on nail biting action. There's no info dumping, yes initially you cant make sense of the world but with time you get a hang of it.
The characters are flawless, well not really lol they are 3 dimensional so its better to say they are perfectly imperfect. I loved that the female characters in this book were strong and honestly took centre stage, the male character although was important to the story but you could see that he wasn't getting as much attention as well MALES GET 😅. THIS NOVEL introduces you to some frickin fierce female characters like The Nightrender who I loved. Hanne who I had a love hate relationship with. And there are several other female characters that are all shown to be headstrong and have been given major roles instead of casted off as side characters or romantic interests.
NOW LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO MY SOUL SHARD, PRINCE RUNE. Breaking stereotypes, the author shows Prince Rune as a very sensitive man who wants someone to love him, we are shown many glimpses of him being quite evidently afraid, confused or vulnerable.
I love when authors break stereotypes that surround men and women, every character in this book was doing just that. Books by breaking from archaic standards set by society pave the way for difference in the real world because books have alot of power to influence and shape society!
There's so much political drama, so much scheming going on that you just cant stop reading the book. It comprises of a unique world which is different from the usual we've been devouring these day, that is faes and witches, so if you're looking for something fresh definitely pick this up.
Because this book doesnt just have an excellent intriguing plot with alot of evil and characters that have some villainous tendencies but it also possesses a very heart warming romance. But the romance is such a minor aspect of the book but with the trope WILL THEY WONT THEY that no matter how almost non existent the romance is, lovers of romance in fantasy (LIKE ME) will definitely enjoy it and will be on the edge of their seat waiting for a moment alone between, well lets just say TWO PARTICULAR CHARACTERS, and people who dont like romance in their books can also enjoy this because like I said its a very minor aspect, almost nonexistent. So its a win win situation.
I cant wait for book 2, I just hope its as good as this one. I just hope the characters I am shipping dont sink!
Highly highly recommend!!
November 8, 2021
One princess, two kingdoms, a dome full of fright
One angel, a weapon, her wings darkly bright
One princeling, poor choices, a marriage to go through
One world left, no time left, what are they to do?
Three viewpoints fill this novel, and not once did I have that dull feeling of wanting to switch away from this character or that character. You'll love some characters, and love to hate the others. The one I hated was fascinating to watch, and I understood their choices, like Cersei in Game of Thrones.
NIGHTRENDER had me off balance the entire time, certain I had figured out who the villains were, until another chapter shifted the context (and again, and again, and again), and I was never certain WHO was in the right and WHO was wrong, as we pulled further and further out into the world and the story, and I was so willing and eager to change my mind so many times.
Sold as Young Adult, NIGHTRENDER definitely straddles into New Adult territory (but marketing decisions must be made, so here we are). The characters' ages aren't formally given (and I asked the author and the answer is that it is open for interpretation), but they definitely read with the maturity and responsibilities of 20-24. No simpering teens here, just glitteringly sharp minds (which might cut you, don't turn your back) and the weight of parental expectations and kingdom responsibilities.
The pitch: three kingdoms balanced in a continuous war, and the ever present threat of the barrier around the Rupture breaking and spilling Malice in to blot out the world. The Nightrender MUST be woken from her sleep to save them, but the status quo does not wish to acknowledge the mortal danger the world is in. When two of the kingdoms agree to marry their heirs and unite against the third, Malice might take advantage of the chaos and make a move. And so, it turns out, might the scheming heirs. Keep your obsidian close, and your enemies closer.
There was one dragon, but only for one fight.
One angel, a weapon, her wings darkly bright
One princeling, poor choices, a marriage to go through
One world left, no time left, what are they to do?
Three viewpoints fill this novel, and not once did I have that dull feeling of wanting to switch away from this character or that character. You'll love some characters, and love to hate the others. The one I hated was fascinating to watch, and I understood their choices, like Cersei in Game of Thrones.
NIGHTRENDER had me off balance the entire time, certain I had figured out who the villains were, until another chapter shifted the context (and again, and again, and again), and I was never certain WHO was in the right and WHO was wrong, as we pulled further and further out into the world and the story, and I was so willing and eager to change my mind so many times.
Sold as Young Adult, NIGHTRENDER definitely straddles into New Adult territory (but marketing decisions must be made, so here we are). The characters' ages aren't formally given (and I asked the author and the answer is that it is open for interpretation), but they definitely read with the maturity and responsibilities of 20-24. No simpering teens here, just glitteringly sharp minds (which might cut you, don't turn your back) and the weight of parental expectations and kingdom responsibilities.
The pitch: three kingdoms balanced in a continuous war, and the ever present threat of the barrier around the Rupture breaking and spilling Malice in to blot out the world. The Nightrender MUST be woken from her sleep to save them, but the status quo does not wish to acknowledge the mortal danger the world is in. When two of the kingdoms agree to marry their heirs and unite against the third, Malice might take advantage of the chaos and make a move. And so, it turns out, might the scheming heirs. Keep your obsidian close, and your enemies closer.
There was one dragon, but only for one fight.
December 10, 2021
4.5/5
The Nightrender has been sleeping for hundreds of years, waiting for someone to awaken her so she can use her power to save the land of Salvation. When she's finally summoned, she realizes the world around her is not as she remembers, and neither are her memories.
In this wonderful start to a new fantasy series, we follow Princess Hanne, Prince Rune, and the Nightrender herself as they each embark on a journey to understand the evil that is plaguing the three kingdoms. Although the Nightrender is sworn to protect the entire land of Salvation, Hanne and Rune have loyalties only to their respective kingdoms. The young royalty must determine if they are willing to work together to rid their land of evil, or if they would rather protect their own people and let their enemies suffer.
This book reminded me of a young adult version of Game of Thrones, and the political friction between the three kingdoms will actually make you think hard. Can true peace ever be achieved by war? Is it even possible for peace to be achieved cordially, or will humans always be too selfish and power-hungry?
I can't wait to hear what happens to this unconventional trio in the final installment!
I was provided an ARC by the publisher for free, but I am voluntarily leaving this review and all thoughts and words are my own.
The Nightrender has been sleeping for hundreds of years, waiting for someone to awaken her so she can use her power to save the land of Salvation. When she's finally summoned, she realizes the world around her is not as she remembers, and neither are her memories.
In this wonderful start to a new fantasy series, we follow Princess Hanne, Prince Rune, and the Nightrender herself as they each embark on a journey to understand the evil that is plaguing the three kingdoms. Although the Nightrender is sworn to protect the entire land of Salvation, Hanne and Rune have loyalties only to their respective kingdoms. The young royalty must determine if they are willing to work together to rid their land of evil, or if they would rather protect their own people and let their enemies suffer.
This book reminded me of a young adult version of Game of Thrones, and the political friction between the three kingdoms will actually make you think hard. Can true peace ever be achieved by war? Is it even possible for peace to be achieved cordially, or will humans always be too selfish and power-hungry?
I can't wait to hear what happens to this unconventional trio in the final installment!
I was provided an ARC by the publisher for free, but I am voluntarily leaving this review and all thoughts and words are my own.
December 19, 2023
This was so good! I read this in like 4 days and it was amazing! I loved how my favorite characters didn't kiss until the middle of the book lol!(:
January 26, 2022
"I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle" said Nightrender.
☆ я познакомилась с Jodi Meadows в составе триумвирата авторов моей любимейшей My Lady Jane, и с тех пор я очень хотела посмотреть на соло Джоди, но боялась.
И зря. Три пова с абсолютно разными характерами, высокие ставки, политические маневры и продуманный мир - все на месте.
Отличие только в полном отсутствии юмора и огромном присутствии дарка с концом света и бодихоррором в стиле Зоны Стругацких.
☆ героев по традиции три:
♡ принцесса Джоанна косплеит Алессандру из "Тени между нами". Хочет женить на себе принца Руна, потом убить и захватить власть, потом женить следующего - и так до тех пор, пока на земле не воцарится мир и процветание, потому что не будет же она воевать сама с собой. Гениальный план, ящетаю, что может пойти не так.
◇ Nightrender, баба с крылями и мечом, местный антивирус, в душе котик, по профессии ведьмак-терминатор. Глючит провалами в памяти, потому что явно хакнута силами зла. Хотя возможно, это просто психоз после четырех тысяч лет стажа на три ставки.
♧ принц Rune, булочка и первая жертва принцессы Джоанны, назло мамке решивший отморозить уши и набиться в оруженосцы к ведьмаку. Идиот и подкаблучник (одобряю).
☆ само собой, есть подобие любовного треугольника, где невинная ромашечка Рун зажат между двумя властными женщинами. Впрочем, женщины хотят его больше в политическом смысле.
С Nightrender у него соулмейтство и юст, с принцессой Джоанной - вынужденный, но приятный брак, потому что Джоанна умеет быть приятной перед тем, как отгрызть жертве голову.
Сама Джоанна по девочкам и больше всего на свете любит свою кузину, но этой линии в сюжете практически нет, пока в финале автор не вбрасывает намек на продолжение.
☆ начало сказочное, но со второй половины текста каждые десять страниц или хтонь, или кишки, или дворцовый альянс (одобряю). К сожалению, последняя глава написана наспех и вообще такое чувство, будто стэндэлоун поделили на дилогию для издания. Печально, потому что если верить продажам первой части, второй не будет.
Все равно ни о чем не жалею.
Пять звезд.
☆ я познакомилась с Jodi Meadows в составе триумвирата авторов моей любимейшей My Lady Jane, и с тех пор я очень хотела посмотреть на соло Джоди, но боялась.
И зря. Три пова с абсолютно разными характерами, высокие ставки, политические маневры и продуманный мир - все на месте.
Отличие только в полном отсутствии юмора и огромном присутствии дарка с концом света и бодихоррором в стиле Зоны Стругацких.
☆ героев по традиции три:
♡ принцесса Джоанна косплеит Алессандру из "Тени между нами". Хочет женить на себе принца Руна, потом убить и захватить власть, потом женить следующего - и так до тех пор, пока на земле не воцарится мир и процветание, потому что не будет же она воевать сама с собой. Гениальный план, ящетаю, что может пойти не так.
◇ Nightrender, баба с крылями и мечом, местный антивирус, в душе котик, по профессии ведьмак-терминатор. Глючит провалами в памяти, потому что явно хакнута силами зла. Хотя возможно, это просто психоз после четырех тысяч лет стажа на три ставки.
♧ принц Rune, булочка и первая жертва принцессы Джоанны, назло мамке решивший отморозить уши и набиться в оруженосцы к ведьмаку. Идиот и подкаблучник (одобряю).
☆ само собой, есть подобие любовного треугольника, где невинная ромашечка Рун зажат между двумя властными женщинами. Впрочем, женщины хотят его больше в политическом смысле.
С Nightrender у него соулмейтство и юст, с принцессой Джоанной - вынужденный, но приятный брак, потому что Джоанна умеет быть приятной перед тем, как отгрызть жертве голову.
Сама Джоанна по девочкам и больше всего на свете любит свою кузину, но этой линии в сюжете практически нет, пока в финале автор не вбрасывает намек на продолжение.
☆ начало сказочное, но со второй половины текста каждые десять страниц или хтонь, или кишки, или дворцовый альянс (одобряю). К сожалению, последняя глава написана наспех и вообще такое чувство, будто стэндэлоун поделили на дилогию для издания. Печально, потому что если верить продажам первой части, второй не будет.
Все равно ни о чем не жалею.
Пять звезд.
December 18, 2021
I just finished Nightrender, the first book in Jodi Meadows new duology and I AM NOT OKAY. I loved the world, politics, and the challenges the characters faced throughout this story, and I cannot wait to see where @unicornwarlord takes us next. There is a lot of set up in the beginning and the ending made it totally worth it. Complex, interesting characters and relevant, on-point messaging made this a compelling read for me. Nightrender and Rune are easy to cheer for and far and away my favorite characters.
A big thank you to Holiday House and Turn the Page Tours for the arc of this book. Nightrender is out in January and I highly recommend for YA fantasy fans.
Synopsis: "In the middle of nothingness is the continent of Salvation.
Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years.
But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world's weakest seams. Seams that--once split--will lead to the total unraveling of night and day, light and dark, life and death.
Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Highcrown, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria--the serpent bride, a girl of famous cunning--which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has noticed the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind's only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl.
There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice... or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?"
A big thank you to Holiday House and Turn the Page Tours for the arc of this book. Nightrender is out in January and I highly recommend for YA fantasy fans.
Synopsis: "In the middle of nothingness is the continent of Salvation.
Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years.
But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world's weakest seams. Seams that--once split--will lead to the total unraveling of night and day, light and dark, life and death.
Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Highcrown, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria--the serpent bride, a girl of famous cunning--which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has noticed the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind's only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl.
There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice... or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?"
January 24, 2022
Yay for a fantasy that broke me out of the fantasy drought. And slow burn romance that even I could get behind although I definitely liked the girls better than the swooning Goddess.
Han is one of the most ruthless characters I loved to cheer on since Emanuella from Beyond the Ruby Veil
The magic was dark and creepy... the politics snappy. I just couldn't find the chemistry between Rune and the Night Render. But give me Han and her lady in waiting. Phewwww.
Han walks in covered in blood and she asks why... Han.. I just killed someone.
And not even a flinch. LOVE IT.
Han is one of the most ruthless characters I loved to cheer on since Emanuella from Beyond the Ruby Veil
The magic was dark and creepy... the politics snappy. I just couldn't find the chemistry between Rune and the Night Render. But give me Han and her lady in waiting. Phewwww.
Han walks in covered in blood and she asks why... Han.. I just killed someone.
And not even a flinch. LOVE IT.
May 29, 2022
DNF at 50%
Not my vibe, but I read enough of it so I'm counting it! If you like more classical YA fantasy but don't like the way they all focus of romance way too much: pick it up, you're gonna like it
Not my vibe, but I read enough of it so I'm counting it! If you like more classical YA fantasy but don't like the way they all focus of romance way too much: pick it up, you're gonna like it
December 2, 2023
DNF at 43%
This didn’t capture my attention like I expect a high fantasy book to do. There was no emotional depth to the story and the characters personalities needed to be more developed earlier on in order for me to form an attachment.
This didn’t capture my attention like I expect a high fantasy book to do. There was no emotional depth to the story and the characters personalities needed to be more developed earlier on in order for me to form an attachment.
December 16, 2021
I really liked this one! By the time I actually picked it up, I had completely forgotten what it was about, so I was going in blind. This didn't end up being a problem though, this book hooked me so quickly.
My favorite thing about it was definitely Nightrender. Every aspect of her conflict called to me, and she was a super relatable character. She had her struggles, and she wasn't always the "good" guy, but I loved her even more because of that. I almost wish this entire book had been from her perspectives, because even though the others contributed a lot to the story, hers was my favorite by far.
I also loved the world this was set in. The writing made every part of it so clear, it was super immersive. And almost horrifying to picture. It had me hooked immediately, and I wasn't ready to leave it upon finishing.
I will admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the romance between Rune and Nightrender. They had chemistry, but I preferred them as platonic matches. They may grow on me in the next book, but for now, they're not a match I support.
After finishing, I'm left here wishing this was a standalone. Not because there isn't enough plot, no, because of my desperation for the next book. This one left off on such a high note, waiting a year for the next one is going to hurt.
Thanks to Turn the Page Tours for providing a free copy!
My favorite thing about it was definitely Nightrender. Every aspect of her conflict called to me, and she was a super relatable character. She had her struggles, and she wasn't always the "good" guy, but I loved her even more because of that. I almost wish this entire book had been from her perspectives, because even though the others contributed a lot to the story, hers was my favorite by far.
I also loved the world this was set in. The writing made every part of it so clear, it was super immersive. And almost horrifying to picture. It had me hooked immediately, and I wasn't ready to leave it upon finishing.
I will admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the romance between Rune and Nightrender. They had chemistry, but I preferred them as platonic matches. They may grow on me in the next book, but for now, they're not a match I support.
After finishing, I'm left here wishing this was a standalone. Not because there isn't enough plot, no, because of my desperation for the next book. This one left off on such a high note, waiting a year for the next one is going to hurt.
Thanks to Turn the Page Tours for providing a free copy!
December 2, 2021
There is nothing else that I can say about this book other than the fact that it was absolutely phenomenal. A epic fantasy adventure where duty is tested against the heart, morality is questioned, and heroes must arise as nations turn on nations. The world-building is unparalleled in its perfection. NIGHTRENDER is dark fantasy at it best. From the first line of this book, I knew it was something special. I was hooked by characters that were neither fully good nor fully evil, morally grey and ambitious in the best way (here's looking at my girl Hanne). Mix that with a dangerous magic and terrifying monsters trying to destroy the world and you have stakes that are so high it makes your heart race. The plot is fantastically paced and Meadows's unique narrative style plain old sealed the deal. I loved the character of Nightrender too as she must save a world that may not deserve saving and the slow burn with her and Rune was awesome. NIGHTRENDER is a 2022 release that needs a heck of a lot more hype and is not one readers want to miss!
December 12, 2021
NIGHTRENDER is an intriguing dark YA fantasy that transports the reader to a world on the brink of war from all sides. The Winterfast accords divided the world of the humans from that of the Malstop, fed by the dark human compulsions and overrun with demon-like creatures called Rancor that use the weakening borders to break into the human world with their dark magic called malice. Malsites dot the landscape, trapping and torturing humans that stumble upon them. The Veil is weakening, and one of the three kingdoms, Ivasland, is poised to break the Winterfast Accords. To prevent this, Embria and Caberwill, the other two kingdoms, have forged a treaty to be signed in marriage of their heirs, Hanne and Rune, respectively.
As Hanne and Rune travel together to Caberwill, we learn that Hanne's intentions are anything but pure as she leads to her wedding. In pursuit of her own goals, she steps away from the caravan and is found by a Rancor, who chases her into a Malsite. Knowing that the fragile peace their kingdoms have forged is on the line and that the only thing that might save them is rescuing Hanne, Rune does something the royals have sworn not to do - summon the Nightrender, the almost mythical and immortal near-human being whose sole purpose and skill is destroying Malice and keeping the Malstop in check.
However, it has been 400 years since her previous wakening, and Malice has been spreading too fast and far - her waking may have come too late. After the occurrences of the last events, Nightrender lost humanity's respect and gained their fear. As she navigates this new and changed world, Nightrender must also find herself and the memories of before as she tries to save this world on the brink of its destruction.
What I loved: This was such an intricate plot with lush world-building. The book is told from 3 perspectives (Hanne, Rune, and Nightrender) with interludes of a diary from Hanne's confidant, lady-in-waiting, and cousin, Nadine. Through these perspectives, we come to understand the historical context, current politics, and the culture of these different kingdoms, barely surviving at the brink of the Malice. Although each country seems to want peace most of all, they seem to see no ways to obtain it beyond war and destruction. This elusive ideal is a particularly intriguing theme, especially as their wars and fighting feed the very thing they all wish to stop most and it is played out through all 3 kingdoms, with their own beliefs and reasons around their driving force towards peace, whatever that means to them.
Other themes around overpowering negative emotions, unexpected connections, humanity/human nature, life-or-death morality, politics, and government make this a really intriguing read that would be worth discussing. The villains here are not at all clear, and I appreciated the murkiness of this as well as differing perspectives - are wrong things done for the seemingly right reasons OK? I found these characters and their trials to be really compelling. Nightrender herself is a unique and imposing character with her own struggles as she seeks to fit into this human world and complete her tasks, while being above them at the same time. The idea of her Soul Shard to help maintain some of her humanity is also really interesting (part of her soul manifests as a human in every generation that she will do anything to protect).
As a heads up for those who want to know, the ending does leave the reader with some big cliffhangers, so the finale to this duology cannot come fast enough!
Final verdict: A lush and dark YA fantasy, NIGHTRENDER is a thought-provoking story that transports the reader to a world of danger, magic, and insidious politics. Highly recommend for fans of THE BONE WITCH, THE YOUNG ELITES, and THE WINTER DUKE.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
As Hanne and Rune travel together to Caberwill, we learn that Hanne's intentions are anything but pure as she leads to her wedding. In pursuit of her own goals, she steps away from the caravan and is found by a Rancor, who chases her into a Malsite. Knowing that the fragile peace their kingdoms have forged is on the line and that the only thing that might save them is rescuing Hanne, Rune does something the royals have sworn not to do - summon the Nightrender, the almost mythical and immortal near-human being whose sole purpose and skill is destroying Malice and keeping the Malstop in check.
However, it has been 400 years since her previous wakening, and Malice has been spreading too fast and far - her waking may have come too late. After the occurrences of the last events, Nightrender lost humanity's respect and gained their fear. As she navigates this new and changed world, Nightrender must also find herself and the memories of before as she tries to save this world on the brink of its destruction.
What I loved: This was such an intricate plot with lush world-building. The book is told from 3 perspectives (Hanne, Rune, and Nightrender) with interludes of a diary from Hanne's confidant, lady-in-waiting, and cousin, Nadine. Through these perspectives, we come to understand the historical context, current politics, and the culture of these different kingdoms, barely surviving at the brink of the Malice. Although each country seems to want peace most of all, they seem to see no ways to obtain it beyond war and destruction. This elusive ideal is a particularly intriguing theme, especially as their wars and fighting feed the very thing they all wish to stop most and it is played out through all 3 kingdoms, with their own beliefs and reasons around their driving force towards peace, whatever that means to them.
Other themes around overpowering negative emotions, unexpected connections, humanity/human nature, life-or-death morality, politics, and government make this a really intriguing read that would be worth discussing. The villains here are not at all clear, and I appreciated the murkiness of this as well as differing perspectives - are wrong things done for the seemingly right reasons OK? I found these characters and their trials to be really compelling. Nightrender herself is a unique and imposing character with her own struggles as she seeks to fit into this human world and complete her tasks, while being above them at the same time. The idea of her Soul Shard to help maintain some of her humanity is also really interesting (part of her soul manifests as a human in every generation that she will do anything to protect).
As a heads up for those who want to know, the ending does leave the reader with some big cliffhangers, so the finale to this duology cannot come fast enough!
Final verdict: A lush and dark YA fantasy, NIGHTRENDER is a thought-provoking story that transports the reader to a world of danger, magic, and insidious politics. Highly recommend for fans of THE BONE WITCH, THE YOUNG ELITES, and THE WINTER DUKE.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
February 9, 2022
Nightrender should've been right up my alley. I love dark fantasy and militaristic/political fantasy and lonely princes and ruthless princesses and reality going all wonky—all the things Nightrender seems to promise.
But Nightrender doesn't actually have any of that. At least not in any way that interests me.
Nightrender is really slow. That in itself isn't an issue; I'm all for slow, drawn-out books (slow burn romances and twisty political plots are two of my favorite kinds of books)—but only if I'm invested in the characters. And I really wasn't in Nightrender.
All of the characters felt, to varying degrees, like they were just actors playing out the predetermined plot of Nightrender (which is, itself, pretty thin/nebulous). They didn't have any of the nuanced interior life or deeper characterization that would elevate them beyond one-dimensional chess pieces. (Rune probably came closest, cause he at least had some degree of internal conflict—even if it tied more directly into the main plot than I would've liked.)
The plot itself was fairly—it was a lot of characters sitting around talking and scheming and planning for things. Even when things did happen——they didn't really ripple or mess with anyone's plans, which made even the biggest things feel...really inconsequential/low stakes.
(That's probably also why Nightrender felt so. F***ing. Long.)
More than anything, I was just bored by Nightrender. The initial intrigue of the premise and some of the questions that got raised right off the bat kept me interested—albeit increasingly frustrated at the lack of action—for a while, but even that faded long before I got to the end of the book. There are undoubtedly some cool ideas at play in Nightrender—the ways malice f**ks with the world is neat and the rancor are an interesting twist on your typical evil creatures (or at least had the potential to be)—but the execution just wasn't there for me.
2.25 stars
But Nightrender doesn't actually have any of that. At least not in any way that interests me.
Nightrender is really slow. That in itself isn't an issue; I'm all for slow, drawn-out books (slow burn romances and twisty political plots are two of my favorite kinds of books)—but only if I'm invested in the characters. And I really wasn't in Nightrender.
All of the characters felt, to varying degrees, like they were just actors playing out the predetermined plot of Nightrender (which is, itself, pretty thin/nebulous). They didn't have any of the nuanced interior life or deeper characterization that would elevate them beyond one-dimensional chess pieces. (Rune probably came closest, cause he at least had some degree of internal conflict—even if it tied more directly into the main plot than I would've liked.)
The plot itself was fairly—it was a lot of characters sitting around talking and scheming and planning for things. Even when things did happen——they didn't really ripple or mess with anyone's plans, which made even the biggest things feel...really inconsequential/low stakes.
(That's probably also why Nightrender felt so. F***ing. Long.)
More than anything, I was just bored by Nightrender. The initial intrigue of the premise and some of the questions that got raised right off the bat kept me interested—albeit increasingly frustrated at the lack of action—for a while, but even that faded long before I got to the end of the book. There are undoubtedly some cool ideas at play in Nightrender—the ways malice f**ks with the world is neat and the rancor are an interesting twist on your typical evil creatures (or at least had the potential to be)—but the execution just wasn't there for me.
2.25 stars
February 4, 2022
Nightrender is an astonishingly good book, one that showcases the best of what high fantasy can do: hold up a lens to our own societal conflicts without the baggage of the real world.
It opens with some really dense world-building – there’s three kingdoms at war with each other, there an intimidating amount of Proper Nouns, and it basically announces itself as a book you’ll need to pay attention to. In fact, I would argue that the prologue does a slight disservice to the book. Once the action gets started, I quickly caught up to what was going on, and settled in for the ride.
Meadows does great work in breaking through a lot of YA fantasy tropes. For starters, this is a fantasy world of royals and marriage alliances, but it’s not about women clawing through a male-dominated society. Women are respected, wield power, and can inherit thrones. (It’s never explicitly spelled out, but the monarchies all seem to follow absolute primogeniture.) There is even a kiss between two girls that is given no more fanfare than any other kiss. The men are still the ones who go off to war, but that’s about the only difference. Considering that “medieval society sucked for women, ergo fantasy does too” is really well-trod ground at this point, it’s a breath of fresh air to enter a fantasy world without all that.
We are introduced to Princess Hanne reflecting on the arranged marriage she’s about to partake in. Just as one thinks it’s going to be about a princess chafing against society, Hanne reveals herself to be a ruthless conspirator. She then is revealed to be an absolutely riveting antihero – convinced of the necessity of her actions, and willing to destroy anyone and do anything in service of her goals.
In another book – or in less capable hands – Hanne would be an outright villain. But through the judiciously included moments of tenderness, and given her own POV in the book, she becomes a character that’s very hard not to root for even though it’s obvious she must be rooted against.
In vivid contrast to Hanne’s scheming is Prince Rune, who’s one of the most fundamentally decent characters I’ve encountered in some time. In a less capable writer��s hands, he very well could have been boring. But Meadows pulls off the trick that the Marvel movies accomplished with Captain America: put your boy scout in tough situations without clear-cut right answers, and watch them struggle.
In this world, malice is the enemy of mankind that is threatening to plunge the world into darkness, and the really terrific part of the book is how Meadows addresses the struggle in priorities. Do you pour all of your resources into solving the long-term apocalyptic problem? Or do you have to address the short-term issues that are of paramount importance now?
Hanne is in favor of working on the short-term problems. If malice hasn’t destroyed the world now, and won’t tomorrow, settle the current wars and power struggles before dealing with it. Nightrender has absolutely no patience for the short-term, emphasizing that all of these human conflicts won’t matter if the world ends. And Rune is the one caught in between. He believes the long-term issues need to be addressed, and campaigns faithfully to do something about them. But as the short-term crises escalate and hit closer to home, Rune finds himself torn between the two courses of action.
It is, perhaps, the most apt metaphor for climate change I have ever read - and considering that Meadows’s The Orphan Queen duology is the runner up in the category, I think it must be celebrated how effectively Meadows writes about an issue that never seems to get its due. There are no simple solutions, it’s not just a question of good guys and bad guys, and it’s never as black-and-white as an asteroid hurtling at the planet. Yes, climate change must be addressed, and urgently… but there’s always the tug-of-war between solving that and solving healthcare/inequality/voting rights/etc.
There is a leader who forbids his people from even talking about it, making denial the official government position. There are people who do stupid and selfish things because they believe it won’t affect them. And, of course, it’s the poor and common people who are suffering from the effects of malice. I can’t believe Meadows accomplished such a comprehensive parallel to climate change in a relatively brief fantasy novel.
There’s another wrinkle: one of the warring kingdoms has decided to weaponized malice, in contravention of all the accords and societal rules of the world. The malice is an incredibly destructive weapon, and one that absolutely wrecks its local environment. Not to mix metaphors, but this is also perhaps the best literary metaphor I’ve seen for the atomic bomb.
When characters hear about the mal-device, as it’s called, they are outraged and shocked. How dare rulers weaponized the malice? What would possess them to do so? But then Hanne infiltrates the kingdom, and the team working on the mal-device, and that’s when it gets interesting. These aren’t people twirling mustaches with no regard for human life. Rather, they view the mal-device as the best and most effective way to end costly wars with other kingdoms, a way to ensure a better world for their citizens. And yes, the people working on it are still conflicted despite all those justifications. The debates presented on the page here could have been the conversations had on the Manhattan Project, and barely any words need be changed.
If all of this metaphor makes it seem like the book would be a drag – it’s not. The book is never preachy. It doesn’t feel like homework, where you are being hit over the head with Very Important Messages. Rather, Meadows thrusts us into a world with compelling characters and a story worth telling, and let’s the obvious parallels speak for themselves. Quite honestly, this book should find its way into high school classrooms. But until it does, I’ll be telling anyone and everyone to read it. It’s been a few weeks and I am still turning the book over in my mind, wondering what the characters should do and what I would do in their place. It’s early in the year to say this is the best book of 2022… but it’ll be hard to beat.
It opens with some really dense world-building – there’s three kingdoms at war with each other, there an intimidating amount of Proper Nouns, and it basically announces itself as a book you’ll need to pay attention to. In fact, I would argue that the prologue does a slight disservice to the book. Once the action gets started, I quickly caught up to what was going on, and settled in for the ride.
Meadows does great work in breaking through a lot of YA fantasy tropes. For starters, this is a fantasy world of royals and marriage alliances, but it’s not about women clawing through a male-dominated society. Women are respected, wield power, and can inherit thrones. (It’s never explicitly spelled out, but the monarchies all seem to follow absolute primogeniture.) There is even a kiss between two girls that is given no more fanfare than any other kiss. The men are still the ones who go off to war, but that’s about the only difference. Considering that “medieval society sucked for women, ergo fantasy does too” is really well-trod ground at this point, it’s a breath of fresh air to enter a fantasy world without all that.
We are introduced to Princess Hanne reflecting on the arranged marriage she’s about to partake in. Just as one thinks it’s going to be about a princess chafing against society, Hanne reveals herself to be a ruthless conspirator. She then is revealed to be an absolutely riveting antihero – convinced of the necessity of her actions, and willing to destroy anyone and do anything in service of her goals.
In another book – or in less capable hands – Hanne would be an outright villain. But through the judiciously included moments of tenderness, and given her own POV in the book, she becomes a character that’s very hard not to root for even though it’s obvious she must be rooted against.
In vivid contrast to Hanne’s scheming is Prince Rune, who’s one of the most fundamentally decent characters I’ve encountered in some time. In a less capable writer��s hands, he very well could have been boring. But Meadows pulls off the trick that the Marvel movies accomplished with Captain America: put your boy scout in tough situations without clear-cut right answers, and watch them struggle.
In this world, malice is the enemy of mankind that is threatening to plunge the world into darkness, and the really terrific part of the book is how Meadows addresses the struggle in priorities. Do you pour all of your resources into solving the long-term apocalyptic problem? Or do you have to address the short-term issues that are of paramount importance now?
Hanne is in favor of working on the short-term problems. If malice hasn’t destroyed the world now, and won’t tomorrow, settle the current wars and power struggles before dealing with it. Nightrender has absolutely no patience for the short-term, emphasizing that all of these human conflicts won’t matter if the world ends. And Rune is the one caught in between. He believes the long-term issues need to be addressed, and campaigns faithfully to do something about them. But as the short-term crises escalate and hit closer to home, Rune finds himself torn between the two courses of action.
It is, perhaps, the most apt metaphor for climate change I have ever read - and considering that Meadows’s The Orphan Queen duology is the runner up in the category, I think it must be celebrated how effectively Meadows writes about an issue that never seems to get its due. There are no simple solutions, it’s not just a question of good guys and bad guys, and it’s never as black-and-white as an asteroid hurtling at the planet. Yes, climate change must be addressed, and urgently… but there’s always the tug-of-war between solving that and solving healthcare/inequality/voting rights/etc.
There is a leader who forbids his people from even talking about it, making denial the official government position. There are people who do stupid and selfish things because they believe it won’t affect them. And, of course, it’s the poor and common people who are suffering from the effects of malice. I can’t believe Meadows accomplished such a comprehensive parallel to climate change in a relatively brief fantasy novel.
There’s another wrinkle: one of the warring kingdoms has decided to weaponized malice, in contravention of all the accords and societal rules of the world. The malice is an incredibly destructive weapon, and one that absolutely wrecks its local environment. Not to mix metaphors, but this is also perhaps the best literary metaphor I’ve seen for the atomic bomb.
When characters hear about the mal-device, as it’s called, they are outraged and shocked. How dare rulers weaponized the malice? What would possess them to do so? But then Hanne infiltrates the kingdom, and the team working on the mal-device, and that’s when it gets interesting. These aren’t people twirling mustaches with no regard for human life. Rather, they view the mal-device as the best and most effective way to end costly wars with other kingdoms, a way to ensure a better world for their citizens. And yes, the people working on it are still conflicted despite all those justifications. The debates presented on the page here could have been the conversations had on the Manhattan Project, and barely any words need be changed.
If all of this metaphor makes it seem like the book would be a drag – it’s not. The book is never preachy. It doesn’t feel like homework, where you are being hit over the head with Very Important Messages. Rather, Meadows thrusts us into a world with compelling characters and a story worth telling, and let’s the obvious parallels speak for themselves. Quite honestly, this book should find its way into high school classrooms. But until it does, I’ll be telling anyone and everyone to read it. It’s been a few weeks and I am still turning the book over in my mind, wondering what the characters should do and what I would do in their place. It’s early in the year to say this is the best book of 2022… but it’ll be hard to beat.
November 9, 2021
Do you love ambitious characters and slow-burn romances and saviors who might be monsters? THEN YOU WANT THIS BOOK. I couldn't put it down and I love all the characters so much that by the end, I wasn't sure who was my favorite. I cannot wait for the next book!!!!
January 31, 2022
I wasn't sure what to expect with Jodi Meadows' latest adventure, but it was not this and I was not disappointed! The story was darker and more dramatic than I expected. While the characters are interesting, there isn't much by way of humor. Instead, this is a story about betrayal, deception, secrets, and challenging choices.
The characters are all very well developed and layered. Nightrender is a powerful warrior devoted to her cause, yet displays certain vulnerabilities when it comes to her own heart. Rune is sweet as can be yet also strong enough to put his kingdom first. Hanne is absolutely ruthless and while I wouldn't want to hang out with her, I definitely find her compelling.
The world and its magic system are imaginative and unique. There were a lot of terms, but I didn't find anything to be confusing. I really enjoyed the way Meadows allowed her imagination to take hold. I also really liked the action scenes, of which there were plenty. The ending also had a cliffhanger that made me eager to see what would come next.
I'd been looking forward to this book and am glad it met my expectations. I have so many questions and want to see more of these characters interacting (especially Nightrender and Hanne, which would be legendary). There are great foundations here and I can't wait to see them come to fruition. Recommended for readers who like dark YA fantasy with action, gods, and treachery!
The characters are all very well developed and layered. Nightrender is a powerful warrior devoted to her cause, yet displays certain vulnerabilities when it comes to her own heart. Rune is sweet as can be yet also strong enough to put his kingdom first. Hanne is absolutely ruthless and while I wouldn't want to hang out with her, I definitely find her compelling.
The world and its magic system are imaginative and unique. There were a lot of terms, but I didn't find anything to be confusing. I really enjoyed the way Meadows allowed her imagination to take hold. I also really liked the action scenes, of which there were plenty. The ending also had a cliffhanger that made me eager to see what would come next.
I'd been looking forward to this book and am glad it met my expectations. I have so many questions and want to see more of these characters interacting (especially Nightrender and Hanne, which would be legendary). There are great foundations here and I can't wait to see them come to fruition. Recommended for readers who like dark YA fantasy with action, gods, and treachery!
March 7, 2022
This novel holds a lot of potential, but there's still some factors I really can't get behind.
Let's begin. There are three P.O.V's, one with a captured princess who escapes by making a deal with the devil (not literally, it's figure of speech y'all), one who is an immortal being who is discovering her dark PTSD ridden forgotten memories, and the Prince who seemingly holds no character but feels the need to become the next Kody Brown (sorry, not sorry).
Look, the book was good, but it's not perfect. I loved the emotion and how the varying P.O.V.'s actually helped you to comprehend the characters and their actions more. However, I did not enjoy how dry Nightrender's memories were, nor the fact cheating is a point within the plotline. I can't wait to see their lives all go down the gutter in the sequel when the princess' actions take a toll. Also the cliff hanger just being an abrupt ending to everyone's storylines, which really left you feeling quite frankly nothing at all. However, until the next book. . . I'll be waiting.
Let's begin. There are three P.O.V's, one with a captured princess who escapes by making a deal with the devil (not literally, it's figure of speech y'all), one who is an immortal being who is discovering her dark PTSD ridden forgotten memories, and the Prince who seemingly holds no character but feels the need to become the next Kody Brown (sorry, not sorry).
Look, the book was good, but it's not perfect. I loved the emotion and how the varying P.O.V.'s actually helped you to comprehend the characters and their actions more. However, I did not enjoy how dry Nightrender's memories were, nor the fact cheating is a point within the plotline. I can't wait to see their lives all go down the gutter in the sequel when the princess' actions take a toll. Also the cliff hanger just being an abrupt ending to everyone's storylines, which really left you feeling quite frankly nothing at all. However, until the next book. . . I'll be waiting.
December 5, 2021
Wow. I really enjoyed this epic fantasy book. I'll update this review (with a link) after my blog post is up.
I got an ARC from the publisher and Turn The Page Tours.
I got an ARC from the publisher and Turn The Page Tours.
December 17, 2021
"She knew this darkness so intimately, nothing else was worthy of her fear.”
I've been a fan of Jodi Meadows since I read and fell in love with The Orphan Queen duology. So it was no surprise that when I had the chance to read Nightrender in advance, I took it.
Nightrender is a fast-paced dark YA fantasy. It was unputdownable from page one. There was this overall feeling of not knowing what was really going on. The moment I think I’ve figured it all out, the author would throw a wrench my way and take me completely by surprise. I didn’t know who to trust. There was no clear divide between who’s evil and who’s not. Everyone had their own agendas. And each of them will do anything they deem necessary to achieve their own goals.
I’m not usually a fan of multiple POVs; Nightrender has three. But I think it worked really well for this one. Hanne, Prince Rune and Nightrender were intriguing characters in their own right. I love how the author made them distinct from each other. I can always tell whose POV I was reading from.
Jodi Meadows crafted a riveting and complex world in Nightrender. I love the atmospheric writing and the unique magic system. The political conflict among the three kingdoms made for a compelling read. All three wanted peace but the only way they know how to achieve it is through war, destruction and countless deaths. Ironically, the only way to stop the other threat to their lives- the Malice- is to cease the war among them.
With danger, magic, political drama, scheming, morally gray characters and fast-paced, high-stakes plot, Nightrender is an exciting new series starter! (A word of caution, this ends in a cliffhanger.)
I received an ARC via Edelweiss+ to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.
Review originally posted on Chasing Chapters.
I've been a fan of Jodi Meadows since I read and fell in love with The Orphan Queen duology. So it was no surprise that when I had the chance to read Nightrender in advance, I took it.
Nightrender is a fast-paced dark YA fantasy. It was unputdownable from page one. There was this overall feeling of not knowing what was really going on. The moment I think I’ve figured it all out, the author would throw a wrench my way and take me completely by surprise. I didn’t know who to trust. There was no clear divide between who’s evil and who’s not. Everyone had their own agendas. And each of them will do anything they deem necessary to achieve their own goals.
I’m not usually a fan of multiple POVs; Nightrender has three. But I think it worked really well for this one. Hanne, Prince Rune and Nightrender were intriguing characters in their own right. I love how the author made them distinct from each other. I can always tell whose POV I was reading from.
Jodi Meadows crafted a riveting and complex world in Nightrender. I love the atmospheric writing and the unique magic system. The political conflict among the three kingdoms made for a compelling read. All three wanted peace but the only way they know how to achieve it is through war, destruction and countless deaths. Ironically, the only way to stop the other threat to their lives- the Malice- is to cease the war among them.
With danger, magic, political drama, scheming, morally gray characters and fast-paced, high-stakes plot, Nightrender is an exciting new series starter! (A word of caution, this ends in a cliffhanger.)
I received an ARC via Edelweiss+ to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.
Review originally posted on Chasing Chapters.
May 26, 2022
DNF @ 166.
Here’s the thing about this book: it’s actually really, really good.
But I’m not the right audience for this one.
Nightrender is a high fantasy novel a la Tolkien and my smol, smooth brain cannot handle it.
Here’s the thing about this book: it’s actually really, really good.
But I’m not the right audience for this one.
Nightrender is a high fantasy novel a la Tolkien and my smol, smooth brain cannot handle it.
February 19, 2022
I need to shout this to the world: I LOVE THIS BOOK! Honestly, I have read some absolute sh-t fantasy books lately. This book restored my faith in the genre and humanity itself. The author’s writing is beautiful. From the very start, I was 100% invested in the intrigue of Salvation, a continent of three kingdoms at war, overshadowed by the threat of the demonic plane of Malice.
The story is split between three characters: Johanne “Hanne” Fortuin, princess of Embria; Rune Highcrown, prince of Caberwill; and Nightrender, an immortal being who protects Salvation. It starts with fierce and cunning Hanne traveling to the kingdom of Caberwill for her upcoming arranged marriage to emotional yet daring Rune. The first glimpse of something brewing is when Hanne, playing with an onyx cat game piece, sees it suddenly come to life and swipe at her finger, drawing blood. She and her cousin/lady-in-waiting Nadine at first dismiss the incident. However, magic is in the air and the brewing trouble soon comes to light.
The Malstop, a great wall, has held back the evil of Malice; however, it’s been growing weaker since the last appearance of the Nightrender. Humans have been reluctant to summon Nightrender because of the Red Dawn, when she supposedly killed all of Salvation’s royalty 400 years ago. Rune summons her in a fit of desperation after Hanne is attacked by a Malice-aligned creature called a Rancor and trapped in a Malsite, an area of inescapable evil energy. Rune becomes Nightrender’s Dawn Breaker (knight and right-hand man) and may be Nightrender’s Soul Shard (a sort of soulmate) as they attempt to defeat Malice and discover why Nightrender cannot remember the last time she was summoned. Meanwhile, Hanne is forced into making a deal with the Rancor that she will help the kingdom of Ivasland in weaponizing malice, the evil energy from Malice.
This book is dark! It doesn’t shy away from scenes of war, death, and destruction. I actually felt the sense of danger this world held. Despite this, it does feel very solidly in the YA realm. The story feels most suited for readers ages 14 to 18, though adult readers may also find this story enjoyable, as I did.
I guess one major problem that other reviewers have likewise pointed out is the manipulative and cold nature of Hanne. She comes off more as a sociopath than an independent, capable woman trying to survive in an uncertain world, though it’s clear the author was striving for the latter characterization. It's made a bit worse because of the hints of bisexuality regarding Hanne; I'm sick of the depraved, evil bisexual trope. Another problem was how heavy-handed and forced the buildup to the pseudo-romance between Nightrender and Rune was -- it was cringey.
Verdict
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It does fall down a bit just because I felt like I was not the target age-group. But I’m still looking forward to reading the next book!
So, who would enjoy this book?
Young readers who really like fantasy books will enjoy this. I’d recommend it for those ages 14 to 18 who already appreciate books in fantasy worlds. Because this book evolves the world gradually, I think those who prefer other genres would find the slow build too frustrating.
The story is split between three characters: Johanne “Hanne” Fortuin, princess of Embria; Rune Highcrown, prince of Caberwill; and Nightrender, an immortal being who protects Salvation. It starts with fierce and cunning Hanne traveling to the kingdom of Caberwill for her upcoming arranged marriage to emotional yet daring Rune. The first glimpse of something brewing is when Hanne, playing with an onyx cat game piece, sees it suddenly come to life and swipe at her finger, drawing blood. She and her cousin/lady-in-waiting Nadine at first dismiss the incident. However, magic is in the air and the brewing trouble soon comes to light.
The Malstop, a great wall, has held back the evil of Malice; however, it’s been growing weaker since the last appearance of the Nightrender. Humans have been reluctant to summon Nightrender because of the Red Dawn, when she supposedly killed all of Salvation’s royalty 400 years ago. Rune summons her in a fit of desperation after Hanne is attacked by a Malice-aligned creature called a Rancor and trapped in a Malsite, an area of inescapable evil energy. Rune becomes Nightrender’s Dawn Breaker (knight and right-hand man) and may be Nightrender’s Soul Shard (a sort of soulmate) as they attempt to defeat Malice and discover why Nightrender cannot remember the last time she was summoned. Meanwhile, Hanne is forced into making a deal with the Rancor that she will help the kingdom of Ivasland in weaponizing malice, the evil energy from Malice.
This book is dark! It doesn’t shy away from scenes of war, death, and destruction. I actually felt the sense of danger this world held. Despite this, it does feel very solidly in the YA realm. The story feels most suited for readers ages 14 to 18, though adult readers may also find this story enjoyable, as I did.
I guess one major problem that other reviewers have likewise pointed out is the manipulative and cold nature of Hanne. She comes off more as a sociopath than an independent, capable woman trying to survive in an uncertain world, though it’s clear the author was striving for the latter characterization. It's made a bit worse because of the hints of bisexuality regarding Hanne; I'm sick of the depraved, evil bisexual trope. Another problem was how heavy-handed and forced the buildup to the pseudo-romance between Nightrender and Rune was -- it was cringey.
Verdict
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It does fall down a bit just because I felt like I was not the target age-group. But I’m still looking forward to reading the next book!
So, who would enjoy this book?
Young readers who really like fantasy books will enjoy this. I’d recommend it for those ages 14 to 18 who already appreciate books in fantasy worlds. Because this book evolves the world gradually, I think those who prefer other genres would find the slow build too frustrating.
February 27, 2024
3'5/5✨
Una sombra que se expande, tres reinos en guerra, una alianza política, una semidiosa con el deber de salvar a todos los humanos. "Noctámbula" tiene una premisa de lo más atractiva para los amantes de la fantasía oscura.
Cuando empecé a leer esta historia no pude evitar acordarme de "Sombra y hueso" por la ambientación, sin embargo, quitando la oscuridad que amenaza con acabar con el continente y las criaturas que derivan de ella, no tienen nada que ver. Admito que me hubiera gustado ver un poco más de profundidad en el mundo (la cultura de cada reino, tradiciones religiosas...), siento que no se han aprovechado del todo algunos aspectos del mismo. Una cosa que me ha gustado mucho es ver cómo la autora es capaz de elegir algunos clichés y reinventarlos, es decir, hacer que tengan un desarrollo diferente al habitual. También es de agradecer que el relato se narre desde 3 puntos de vista y que cada uno de los protagonistas sea diferente al otro. Sí tuviera que elegir un favorito sin duda sería Rune. Cabe añadir que hay un poco de romance aunque esté no sé encuentra muy presente.
En definitiva, "Noctámbula" es una lectura ideal para aquellos que quieran empezar a leer fantasía o para los que necesiten algo diferente dentro del género.
Una sombra que se expande, tres reinos en guerra, una alianza política, una semidiosa con el deber de salvar a todos los humanos. "Noctámbula" tiene una premisa de lo más atractiva para los amantes de la fantasía oscura.
Cuando empecé a leer esta historia no pude evitar acordarme de "Sombra y hueso" por la ambientación, sin embargo, quitando la oscuridad que amenaza con acabar con el continente y las criaturas que derivan de ella, no tienen nada que ver. Admito que me hubiera gustado ver un poco más de profundidad en el mundo (la cultura de cada reino, tradiciones religiosas...), siento que no se han aprovechado del todo algunos aspectos del mismo. Una cosa que me ha gustado mucho es ver cómo la autora es capaz de elegir algunos clichés y reinventarlos, es decir, hacer que tengan un desarrollo diferente al habitual. También es de agradecer que el relato se narre desde 3 puntos de vista y que cada uno de los protagonistas sea diferente al otro. Sí tuviera que elegir un favorito sin duda sería Rune. Cabe añadir que hay un poco de romance aunque esté no sé encuentra muy presente.
En definitiva, "Noctámbula" es una lectura ideal para aquellos que quieran empezar a leer fantasía o para los que necesiten algo diferente dentro del género.
April 9, 2022
Objectively this is a fantastic book. The plot is well written, it's fast paced, and the characters are so dynamic. For some reason, though, I never once got emotionally connected to the story or the characters. I realized about halfway through that I could have set this book aside at any time and could have been completely fine never knowing how it ends. Like I said, objectively this book is amazing. I can't fault the book for anything really because it was so well written. I just didn't get emotionally attached to anything, which is not a good thing. Hence such a middle of the road rating. The ending was very interesting and I might pick up the sequel. I won't be eagerly awaiting it, unfortunately, but I am a little curious about what will happen.
March 20, 2022
Most of the world is in darkness - save Salvation. The Malstop is thinning; malsites are spreading. And Prince Rune defiantly summons Nightrender to defend the last bastions of humanity. But something is seriously wrong because Nightrender is losing her memories. Add to that a conniving princess who will stop at nothing to become queen of all three kingdoms and you have a great read. I really liked two of the characters and despised the third. I seriously hope Hanne gets her comeuppance in the next book. The author will have worked wonders if she finds redemption.
dnf
July 1, 2023dnf p. 75
Could have gotten interesting, but just wasn't drawing me in with any of the characters, and the plot was pretty slow to get going. Hanne was promising but also stuck in a void since very early on, and the Nightrender also got my hopes up a bit but - as I think is the case for a lot of the book - it just didn't feel like there were quite enough high fantasy chops behind this to make it truly great. So far there was just a lot of people talking about things, or us being told things about people, which just didn't capture my attention.
Could have gotten interesting, but just wasn't drawing me in with any of the characters, and the plot was pretty slow to get going. Hanne was promising but also stuck in a void since very early on, and the Nightrender also got my hopes up a bit but - as I think is the case for a lot of the book - it just didn't feel like there were quite enough high fantasy chops behind this to make it truly great. So far there was just a lot of people talking about things, or us being told things about people, which just didn't capture my attention.
February 11, 2022
Fast paced, incredible world building, and I need book 2 now kthnxbai
August 2, 2022
This got really good reviews so maybe it is just me or the audiobook... but I was bored and confused and didn't really like any of the characters
January 2, 2022
Wow, this was a fantastic book! Loved this world, loved most of the characters (really didn't like Hanne) and I need book 2 now!
2022-ya
December 28, 2021NEW HIGH FANTASY FROM JODI MEADOWS! My excitement cannot be contained.
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