A deliciously dark adult debut from Holly Black. The story jumped off the page and pulled me in, much like the shadows within. Charlie Hall is my favorite kind of anti-hero. Her and Vince's backstories were woven beautifully into this tale of magic and mystery that came together in a wholly unexpected way (even though I certainly thought I knew what might come next). Black's commentary on structures of power and trauma really shine in this one, but most of all, I loved the way she wrote the familial relationships, especially between Charlie and her sister, Posey. A marvelous standalone that has left me craving more.

3.5 Stars

The Book of Night is Holly Black’s first adult novel. It’s a dark fantasy book with a magic system that I’ve never seen before.

Charlie Hall is a retired con artist/thief working as a bartender and trying to lie low with her sister Poppy and boyfriend Vince. The world around her is filled with shadow magic– some people have magical shadows that are like a second self an extension of all the hidden aspects of the person. Shadows are dark and manipulative, yielding power to the person but can also be costly.

Charlie Hall. Drawn to a bad idea like a moth to a wool sweater. Every hustle an opportunity to let her worst impulses out to play.

Book of Night by Holly Black
Charlie’s fragile world is thrown into chaos when she’s attacked by a shadow and lured into investigating more about shadows. She uncovers secrets that she realizes may have been better left unknown and is now part of something much larger than herself and any con she had ever been a part of. She can’t turn back now that she has to work to protect those that she cares about.

The Book of Night had the vibe of Ninth House with the action and scheming and urban-type setting of Cresent City. Charlie is such a loveable character and I found her relationship with Vince to be poetic. I think fans of The Folk of Air series may be disappointed if they expect a Jude/Cardan romance. For me, since this book was so hyped up as an adult book, I thought we would get a grittier or spicer version of what Holly Black does but it felt more like aged wine. The book was distinctly Holly Black and beautifully written but it’s also distinctly different from any of her other series.

Book of Night by Holly Black is at its heart, an epic love story told in shadows, and lies. Centering on the misspent life of Charlie Hall, the story is filled with a world of people reaching into the darkness for power. The detailing is superb and the story line well-crafted. The story is told in equal parts present and past, which works very well to keep the action moving forward. Part fantasy, part occult and definitely romantic and suspenseful. I enjoyed this read very much.

I loved the premise of the book, the characters, and the uniqueness of the story. It gave me major Ninth House vibe. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars is the pacing.

It was good but it wasn't what I was expecting to be quite honest and I am a fan of Holly Black. But if you're expecting anything remotely like The Cruel Prince banish those thoughts because you will be left disappointed and you might still be left disappointed after that. I felt like the magic system wasn't as easily described and the world building was poorly done compared to the Black's other books and how easy they were to digest despite the intricacies. The ending did leave me wanting more, but I shouldn't have had to read over 150 page to be truly invested in the story and the characters. I might pick up the next book but I might not, but I will certainly not be in any hurry to read it ASAP.

Another fun read from Holly Black, and probably my favorite among her work aside from The Darkest Part of the Forest.

It’s always a little nerve-wracking when children’s/YA authors venture into the adult novel sphere…will it *really* work as content for adults? In this case yes, it absolutely does, and readers of Black’s YA fiction won’t be disappointed either.

The magical system here is sort of convoluted and confusing, and it’s strongly reminiscent of a couple of different VE Schwab novels, but that almost feels beside the point because the real meat of this book is the con.

Charlie, master con and thief and perpetual screwup, has tried to go straight after living on the crooked side of the law since childhood. From her training as an apprentice con after being spotted staging a seance to the unholy (both literally and figuratively) mess she finds herself mixed up in as an adult, Charlie’s tale is a terrific spin on the traditional con narrative, replete with magic, mayhem, and just enough humor to keep the tone on the lighter side.

Though it’s rooted in urban fantasy, it reads more like a crime novel with a side of magic, and that is a very good thing.

What is it that is so appealing about a con? Our main characters is a mostly reformed con woman and thief who is trying to stay on the right side of the the law and fairness in a version of our world where magic is real and shadows can come alive. I really enjoyed this book. I saw some things coming from a long way off, but I didn't mind because I enjoyed the voice of the main character so much. I was kind of hoping for a stand-alone--I get sucked into so MANY series--but with this ending, I guess I am now looking forward to the sequel.

As a big fan of Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series, I was super excited for her first foray into adult fantasy. And I really enjoyed the concept - a murder mystery in a world of shadow magic! The MC is a con artist! But unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me.

The main reason for this was the writing itself. It just felt…kinda muted? I don’t really know how to articulate this, other than saying that the world and characters of Folk of the Air felt SO alive and vibrant; I read those books in one sitting. This book is only 300 pages but it took me a few days and I struggled to pay attention. Maybe it’s the somewhat confusing shadow magic system, but everything felt dulled here and nothing really came to life for me.

This is especially true for the characters. Charlie is the kind of prickly, acerbic main character I usually love, but I really struggled to connect with her. I liked the peek into how Charlie became how she was, but in the present day I didn’t get that same spark. Vince was held at arm’s length as well, but that at least made more sense, plot-wise. (Totally called that twist, by the way.)

This is all very subjective though, and I do have to say that the ending was pretty incredible. I CACKLED. Legitimately can’t wait for the sequel now, and I hope now that the world building and characters are already developed, Black can just go ham.

Wow, I am a little surprised I loved this. It has a sort of dark academia vibe. Definitely look up trigger warnings because it is not for the faint of heart. There is blood, gore, etc.

I did catch on a little to the twist, but I enjoyed this book so much. It is, obviously, a different vibe from her YA books, but I need more adult books from Holly Black!!

We did buy a couple of copies for our library!

Book of Night is Holly Black's adult debut novel. In other words, it's the first novel of hers that isn't labeled young adult, and I am here for it. If you love darker fantasy stories, this will be a perfect read.

Charlie Hall has been a liar and a thief for most of her life. Despite this history, she's been trying to go clean. She really has. She has a new boyfriend, a job (a legal one too!), and is even paying the rent. This could be her big second chance.

Only...life doesn't work that way. Charlie can't keep her nose out of it; there are just too many compelling things happening around her. It doesn't help that her boyfriend keeps secrets or that old not-really-friends demand her help. Yet even Charlie isn't prepared for the level of shit she's about to stick her nose in.

I'll be honest; I wasn't sure what to expect from Book of Night. You never know how a super hyped book will turn out, you know? But let me tell you – I was not disappointed! This is Holly Black's first adult novel, and it is intense and brilliant.

As an adult novel, it's probably good to note that there are more trigger warnings than Holly Black's YA counterparts. I didn't think it was too much – but if you go into it expecting something lighter, you might be in for a bad time. Trigger warnings include (but are not limited to, since there are several milder ones) violence, gore, con artists, stalking, abuse, toxic living situations, cancer, self-harm (with the intent to get blood), and drugging.

I love the world that Black has built here. Where shadows can create magic, but only those that can waken (quicken) their shadows. It's a magical system I wouldn't mind seeing more of, so I hope that she returns to this world sometimes.

On that note, I was under the impression that this was a standalone novel, but I could easily see it becoming a series. It's one of those books with an ambiguous ending where it works either way, which I like in this case.

Overall I would have to say that I enjoyed Book of Night. I like this darker take on Black's writing style and worldbuilding and hope that it is something we'll see more of in the future.

ARC provided by #NetGalley

Holly Black is my queen. Truly! This book is so unique, disturbing, deliciously dark. I want to quicken my shadow and care for it now. Wait. Where is my shadow?

3.5 stars. This is not bad at all for the author dipping her feet into the Adult waters. The story was interesting and unique(to me at least) but there were some holes and it just kind of felt like younger characters playing at being adults. The ending also hurt my feelings 🤣

I have tried to read this book on several occasions and haven't found the purpose of the story. I'm a big fan of Holly Black's stories but I couldn't get a handle on this one.

Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review:

✨ 3.5/5 Stars ✨

Charlie Hall has never made good choices and for most of her life, she has been running cons. However, Charlie is trying to turn her life around, giving up stealing for bar tending. She's trying to put her sister, Posey, through college and her boyfriend Vince is the most decent person she's ever dated. Too bad the world discovered shadow magic (these magic users are known as gloamists) is real 20 years ago. Charlie lived on the fringes of that world - stealing for and from gloamists, Posey desperately wants to "quicken" her shadow and Vince's shadow was stolen from him. When an acquaintance asks for Charlie's help, she soon find herself back in the world of gloamists and making the same bad choices she always seems to make.

I enjoyed Black's Cruel Prince series, and found this particular story hard to get into. Around the 50% mark was when the plot seemed to kick into high gear. I agree with other reviews in that there is perhaps too much of an information/character dump and keeping characters and the world building straight can be difficult at times. I found Charlie to be an interesting protagonist, if bit of an enigma. And enjoyed her relationship with her sister and Vince. If you enjoyed other recent urban fantasy books like Ninth House or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I believe you will enjoy this book too.

I would recommend this book to an audience of 16+, mostly due to the protagonist being older (mid-late 20s). There are mentions of off-screen sex and some gruesome deaths.

This was a really good book and I really enjoyed it, I'm looking forward to more of her adult fantasy books!

The longer I think about this book, the madder I get. I wanted to enjoy this book and the premise sounded intriguing. However, this book feels like the literary equivalent of being depressed: everything is in the right place for something to be good but it's all flat and meaningless. I think part of the problem is that the main character is somehow deeply unlikable, which shouldn't be such a surprise as she spends the entire book telling you how she is deeply unlikable. Moreover, the magic system is not explained well; there's a parade of characters who seem to be introduced in great detail and never show up again; and I was quite angry with the stealthy "to be continued" ending which robbed the reader of any sense of accomplishment of getting to the end. This could have been so good.

Book of Night follows Charlie Hall, a cynical bartender and retired a con-artist trying to make ends meet and protect the people she loves. She lives in a world where people's shadows can be controlled, whether for cosmetic purposes or as a means to wield power and influence. The tone of this book was very dark and twisty, which was fun to explore. ***Check content warnings for this book, because there were some pretty gorey descriptions.

While the magic system in this book is intriguing and has a lot of potential, it wasn't explained very well, which made it hard to follow the plot. There were also a lot of side characters who were introduced and I felt like their connections to the main character and/or the plot weren't made clear enough.

I did enjoy the slow build and big twist that came at ending of the book, which pulled some loose strings together and had me flipping the page eagerly. While I didn't LOVE this book, I enjoyed it enough and am intrigued by the potential of the world-building that I'll keep my eye out for the sequel.

Thank you MacMillan-Tor/Forge and #NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

The nitty-gritty:  Lovely writing and eerie ambiance couldn't quite make up for a confusing plot and magic system.

Book of Night was not at all what I expected (something I’ve heard from other reviewers as well) and that may have impacted my reading experience. When I think of Holly Black, my mind conjures up fairies and magic and intricate worldbuilding, and despite the mysterious, ethereal cover design, the book reads more like an urban fantasy heist story than anything else. With a slow and sometimes confusing plot, an overabundance of characters to keep track of, and a magic system that’s more head-scratching than magical, Book of Night didn’t blow me away like I was hoping it would. Still, I loved Holly Black’s writing as well as the dark and dangerous ambiance of her story, so ultimately this was a mixed bag for me.

In the world of magical shadows, Charlie Hall used to be a thief. Raised from a young age to be a pickpocket and a safe-breaker, Charlie finds herself embroiled in the dangerous world of shadow magic, even though she has no magic of her own. Hired by gloamists—those whose shadows have “awakened”—to steal old and valuable books and texts with detailed shadow magic techniques, Charlie was good at her job and sought after for her skills. But now she’s retired from the business, after one too many brushes with serious injury. She works as a bartender, lives in a small but cozy apartment with her sister Posey, and has a considerate and sweet boyfriend named Vince, who even contributes to her rent..

But when Charlie inadvertently witnesses a murder, she finds herself thrust back into the “game,” forced to locate a mysterious book called the Liber Noctem, a book that a gloamist named Lionel Salt is dying to get his hands on. Why does Salt want the book? And what is Vince’s connection to Salt? If Charlies wants answers, she’s going to have to get her hands dirty and try to stay alive long enough to solve the mystery.

The story focuses on the present and Charlie’s attempts to locate the Liber Noctem, interspersed with flashbacks to her tragic and unconventional childhood. We also get a glimpse into Vince’s backstory, which is very important later on. I found these “past” chapters almost more interesting than the chapters that take place in the present, for some reason.

As for characters, I really liked Charlie, despite the author’s determination to portray her as a horrible human being:  “Crooked from the day she was born. Never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on. Had fingers made for picking pockets, a tongue for lying, and a shriveled cherry pit for a heart.” For me, Charlie was simply misunderstood and is often thrust into bad situations simply by virtue of the world she lives in. She has a hard-scrabble life, barley able to make ends meet, and she works her ass off in order to keep a roof over her sister’s head and even saves money so Posey can go to college. She has an air of innocence to her as well, even though she’s been around the block a time or two and has seen all kinds of awful things in her years working as a thief for dangerous gloamists. Charlie gets caught up in yet another scheme, even though she’s trying to stay out of that business, but she’s doing it for the money and not because he “wants to get into trouble.” The bottom line was, I just couldn’t picture Charlie as a “bad girl.” Her heart, at least in my opinion, is nothing like a shriveled cherry pit, lol.

I also enjoyed Vince’s character, and in fact I thought Vince was the most interesting character in the story. I can’t really tell you why, because I don’t want to spoil things for you, but I loved the mysteries surrounding him.. Vince is unique because he doesn’t have a shadow, which in this world means someone has stolen it. The truth is, Charlie doesn’t know a whole lot about Vince, but she’s OK with that, at least until some truths about his past emerge, and then, of course, she becomes curious. In one of the flashbacks, we learn how Charlie and Vince met and how they were instantly attracted to each other. It was a sweet moment that made me root for them as a couple, even though you know bad stuff is coming.

I also really liked the idea of shadow magic. In this world, some people have magic shadows but others don’t. The theory is that you can force your shadow to “quicken” by experiencing pain. The most common way to do this is to split your tongue, and I’ll just leave it at that because the tongue splitting descriptions were pretty awful. Gloamists can manipulate their shadows and use them as weapons, but on the less violent side of things, you can also have your shadow altered to have wings or a tail, sort of like getting a tattoo in order to express yourself. And because some people aren’t able to awaken their shadows but are desperate to have magic of their own, stealing and selling shadows has become prevalent. But ultimately, Black’s shadow magic fell flat for me. There’s a lot of telling and very little showing in Book of Night, and I never figured out why having a magical shadow was so important, other than as a status symbol.

The real negative of the book for me, though, is the lack of forward momentum. Book of Night took me forever to finish, and it’s barely three hundred pages long. The plot is confusing and the characters seem to be running around in circles a lot of the time. Also, there are quite a few side characters, and I sometimes found myself saying things like “Wait, who is Viceriene??” Luckily the last few chapters really picked up, and the ending was both shocking and thrilling, but I wish that tension and action had started earlier in the story.

And speaking of the ending, Black adds a few really big twists that I did not see coming, and although this book isn’t listed as a series, it’s pretty clear that there will be at least one more book coming. Despite the negatives, the cliffhanger ending makes me anxious to see what happens next.

With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Unapologetic thief Charlie Hall lives in a world where shadows can be separated from bodies and be manipulated to perform acts. This well written this story will keep you wrapped up in the mystery until the pulse pounding conclusion. Great characters, great mystery and great action.

My only complaint is that the ending was not satisfying and left me wanting more!! If there is going to be another book that continues the story and answers some of my questions than this is a solid 4 star read. If this is it than I am going to have to give it 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #BookofNight #HollyBlack

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warning: Body horror, child endangerment, physical abuse, body possession

This is a dark book about a lot of bad people doing bad things (to themselves and others). With this also being and adult fiction novel, readers should not expect this to be a similar tone to The Folk of the Air series.

Our protagonist Charlie Hall is not exactly a good person, though as a child that was groomed into being a con artist, you can't blame her. I enjoy a good morally grey character, and Charlie is definitely that. I thoroughly enjoyed that this contemporary fantasy set in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts - a place that I've spent some time in myself thanks to college and grad school. And really, if there was anywhere in MA where it would be possible to find people that could manipulate shadows, it would be in Northampton.

BOOK OF NIGHT starts of slowly and the magical rules are kind of complex - in the sense that I didn't fully understand all the different groups and what they did. Once the action starts though the pace kicks into high gear. There where a few times that I fell victim to the "just one more chapter" because I had to find out what happened next and couldn't put the book down. I loved how all the plot pieces fit together and the last 15% of the book had me on the edge of my seat.

The ending is satisfying as a standalone, but is clearly also left open ended in order to potentially make this into a series. Which, while I wouldn't mind another book, is also annoying that EVERYTHING (especially in fantasy) is turned into a multi-book storyline. Standalone novels are needed in this genre, going into this, I thought this was one.