This became one of my favorite series

Thanks to NetGalley / Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I was very excited for this book when I requested it but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I still may give it another try in the future.

I apologize. I will not be giving a review of this book at this time. I did not read before it was archived. I appreciate the opportunity that was given. I hope this will not dissuade from offering me ARCs in the future.

I was really interested in this one to start but then it got slightly slower in the middle. I lost interest and then it picked back up at the end. While I enjoyed it, I felt like there was something missing and I don’t think I’ll read the next book. Thanks to netgalley for my free review copy.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. Unfortunately, it is not for me. Since I didn't finish it, I will not post a review on Goodreads. Thanks again and best of luck!

Beware, you my not want to read this at night with the lights down low. Got a bit creeped out sometimes but loved every minute of it. It kept me wanting to turn the page to find what happens nexts. Creepy but good, with several twists and turns in the wrong direction, you think until you get there. I highly recommend this book.

I found the premise one worth exploring but the execution is confusing and lacks clarity. A bit too much telling and the characters don’t show enough emotional depth to make me believe their actions.

Great story and loved the romance. Loved the cast of characters and how the story came to be. Great story and I would read this author again.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Beware the Night by Jessika Fleck takes place in a world limited to a large island, where the citizens worship the Sun and fear the Night as gods who control their fates. They sacrifice to these gods, they worship them day in, day out. They're also smart enough to know that the sun is a star just like all the other stars, and that was the start of my major disconnect with this story. By the time the world had science enough to understand that the sun was a star, we stopped sacrificing people to our gods. If the Sun is one star, why would the Night, which is filled with MANY stars, be dangerous? Even more, there's a prophecy stating that a 16 year old girl will lead one side to win against the other. Unfortunately, I just couldn't take these intellectual plot holes.

Actual note I wrote myself: They're smart enough to know the sun is a star and not unique...without the technology that made that happen (telescope, math), but don't accept that the sun and moon move on a rotation and never change.

I liked that the main character was conscientious. She thinks before she speaks and acts, which is rare in these types of YA books. She has so much potential. Additionally, Fleck has written a world where race isn't necessarily relevant, but she's managed to clearly depict the failure of sociological class and race divides on a society. Within pages, you're shaking the book going, this sucks, they need equality and as a reader totally ready for the revolution.

What's hard about this one for me is the untapped potential. There's so much of it here. and instead, the story gets dragged into things that are honestly kind of exhausting to read and think about. I would recommend this book for someone who isn't worried about plot holes, and just wants a good solid fun read. This meets that criteria perfectly.

I was given a copy of this book by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

So this one just wasn't for me at all. I thought that the idea of Night pitted against the Day was an interesting idea but sadly this one just didn't keep the momentum going throughout the story. I found that parts of it were just filler and far to slow and we really didn't need the love triangle at all. It would have been great to see Veda stand on her own two feet without help. A lot of this just wasn't believable at all. So in the end this one just wasn't for me.




Go Into This One Knowing: Love Triangle, Slow Story

This was a fun read! I loved Flecks writing style. It flowed nicely, and her ability to write complicated scenario/relationships really kept me on the edge of my seat throughout this book. The concept of this story is unique, as it is set on an island where people worship the sun in exchange for protection against the night. It is a quick, fun, enjoyable read. I normally wouldn't have picked it up, but I am now a huge fan!

Another YA novel that plays on old tropes in a typical way. I enjoyed the imagery but I still felt like I'd been here before and not in a good way. I wanted to like this so much but this was truly not the story for me.

Veda Adeline thinks she understands her world quite well. As a Basso her role is keeping her head down to avoid unwanted Dogio attention, carefully follow societal rules, and above all else never be out before sunrise or after sundown. Her best friend, Nico, may be a Dogio, but as they’ve grown up it’s become clear that they live in different worlds. A chance mistake throws Veda’s whole world into chaos though, and she quickly learns that the night may not be her biggest fear; the harsh rays of the sun can kill as well as nurture.
Jessika Fleck’s YA novel Beware the Night tells a dystopian story about a sun-worshipping society with harsh divides between the haves and the have nots. Those who accept their places may be able to survive, but the nebulous threat of “the Night” is used to keep the populace in line. Chance allows Veda to learn the truth behind the Night and also her real parentage. However, both sides need and fear her, and her heart is torn between the life she’s always known and something more.
I have mixed feelings about Beware the Night, so let’s start with what I really appreciated and enjoyed:
• Oh my goodness the world building is incredible. Jessika Fleck’s fantasy world fleshes out a fictional culture focused on sun worship and includes many elements that help the world feel complete
• Veda is a compelling heroine. Yes, she’s a seventeen year old, so I sometimes wanted to shake her, but Veda is a complex enough character that I understood the rationale behind her choices even when I didn’t agree.
• Because this is YA Veda is set up as the “chosen one”, but Fleck subverts the trope and allows Veda to be a lot greyer than a lot of YA protagonists. If I say any more it’s a major spoiler, so please just take me at my word!
It’s pretty clear I liked the majority of the premise, and the lead worked, so why do I have mixed feelings? I am a fan of a good romance, but I want it to be necessary and earned (or be the central point i.e. a romance novel). I couldn’t get on board with yet another YA love triangle. Veda faces enough regarding her history and the hidden secrets of her world that I found the romance angle distracting. It almost felt shoehorned into the plot to make it more palatable to a YA audience. Many readers may love the “which one will she pick?” aspect in Beware the Night. I just would have preferred more focus on Veda and her emotional journey into adulthood as she learns some difficult truths.
Beware the Night is the first half of a duology, and I’m not entirely certain I’m on board for the rest of the story (I think the romance may become more important, and since I’m not enthralled with it I’m torn), but I want to see Veda’s choices after the events in the closing chapters. I highly recommend it to YA lovers who enjoy world building, strong characters, and darker fantasy, and if you have a higher tolerance for love triangles than me I think you’ll love it. It’s a great story; I just needed a little less starry eyed teenagers and more fierce warrior girl.

4 Unique Ancient Weapons out of 5

I do love a good forbidden romance with all the class clash going around and so selecting this book was a no brainer. Set in Bellona, an island country where people worship the sun and is asked to be afraid of the night, the first book in this duology creates all the necessary angst and thrill for an adventure about to begin.
Let me start with the good bits. The staunch rivalry between the followers of Sun and Night (Moon) is quite appealing, owing to the brilliant narrative style which is a combination of legend and real life. The division prevalent between the imperial Doggio and oppressed Basso is vividly portrayed through the lives of our star crossed lovers, each belonging to separate strata of the Bellonian society. Mysteries unfold in regular intervals and there is no dull moment in this story. . . well, except for the lengthy part where Veda takes her time to think everything through.
Now to the parts didn't really work for me; actually, there is only one in the hate list -- the love triangle. And drove me mad is the fact that while the two boys after Veda is completely faithful to her, Veda, on the other hand, encourages both of them quite shamelessly (not just in words, but through kissing). Sure, she is confused with all the sudden changes in her life, but this is cutting it too far. In the end, I resorted to ignoring her to enjoy the story better. I just really hope the next book won't continue this romantic drama.

Veda is one of the Basso, a second class citizen on the island of Bellona. On the island, society worships the Light, and often makes human sacrifices to appease the Light. The High Regent blames the Night for any societal ill, including the recent disappearance of Basso citizens.

Although I enjoyed the pacing and characters of this book, I thought the world building left a lot to be desired. There were too many plot holes throughout. For example, they have landmines and explosives, but then fight with bows and spears. The High Regent starts a campaign against the Night after the first war, when Veda's parents were killed. That was probably 15 or 16 years ago. It didn't make a lot of sense that the fear and terror against the night would have built so quickly. At a minimum, the older residents would have known better. I hope the author can fix some of these plot holes in future books. Her writing style and characters were very compelling and I would like to read more from her.

I can be admittedly picky about what fantasy books I enjoy, but this one truly didn't speak to me. Something about the story and the characters felt very traveled already - which meant I tuned out very quickly.

Brought up on an island divided by worshipers of the Sun who live above ground, and worshipers of the Moon, living underground, orphan teen Veda's world is completely changed when she truly sees a boy she's known her whole life. Dorian shows Veda the realities of this division and how everything in her life is seemingly a lie. I really enjoyed Beware of the Night. It's slightly predictable, and very familiar (strong female character, love triangle, loss) but a fun read and I look forward to reading more by Jessika Fleck.

This was such a unique story. I loved the political deceptions interwoven through the two groups. The prophecy that I can not wait to see the outcome of in the final book. Definitely had a love triangle and I am not sure how I feel about it but I am curious to see how it unfolds.

I would recommend this story for my students. It is well developed unique world.

Terrific cover, but I'm afraid that was the highlight of this emotionally stunted, repetitive, overly simplistic book with a heroine who has basically zero understanding of the world around her.