Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) by Jay Kristoff

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

--Goodreads.com description--

I loved this book! Assassin fantasy stories are my favourite! YA or adult is all the same to me but I would definitely classify this as adult as there are so many really explicit and sometimes shocking scenes.

While I really enjoyed Nevernight, this book might not be for everyone. The writing style is unique and at times hard to get through. I especially had some trouble with the huge footnotes as fantasy books do not often have them. I found that those footnotes, while at times incredibly funny, pulled me out of the story more often than not. Classics and required university reading already contain too much footnotes if you ask me, and encountering footnotes in a book that I read in my spare time was not such a pleasant surprise. Thankfully, the footnotes are mostly found in the beginning and as you progress in the story you don't mind them as much. The footnotes and this choice of writing style read quite slow, so keep that in mind.

I did fall in love with the story and the characters, especially Mia, Tric and Mr Kindly. Needless to say, the characters are amazing and well-developed. The setting was unique, "the school" where Mia receives her training is not to be confused with Hogwarts. It is so much darker and gruesome! The fantasy elements are refreshing as well. Mia pulls her power form Mr Kindly and is able to use her shadow to disappear and such. 

The story is unpredictable and contains some serious plot twists plus shocking and devastating events. Finally, I would recommend buying the hardcover because it is one of the most beautiful books I own. Beneath the dustjacket you will find a black bird spread over the entire cover. Truly stunning!

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars! I look forward to read more of Jay Kristoff's books soon!

Have you read Nevernight or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!