Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a very interesting concept, but does feel a little disjointed at points. I loved the characters of Ayanda and Yurei and wanted more from their perspectives. I do look forward to seeing where this story goes as it is very interesting and different.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

tl;dr
A dark, tense tale with a lot of action, interesting cast, and some fun literary references. Writing is sometimes hard to follow.

About
In an alternate Venice, the Dead stalk the streets at night. Mindless. Thirsty for blood. Only Ayanda has the strength to kill them, with a power that even she isn't fully sure how she got. But there are others like her, all with secret pasts of their own. And only together will they be able to overcome an evil even more calculating and sinister than the Dead.

What I Liked
I very much enjoy a literary reference that doesn't spend too much time congratulating itself. This book has several, including a handful of more subtle ones that fans of classic literature will find very satisfying. The lead characters all had unique powers and backstories, and the supporting cast are all very interesting. My runaway favorite character wound up being Andreas, who isn't even one of the POV characters. A lot of big fight scenes with a tense underlying mood that doesn't let up, and a genuinely threatening final villain. Anyone looking for something dark with a lot of action scenes will find them there.

What Wasn't For Me
The writing style didn't click with me. I had trouble differentiating between metaphor and literal in a lot of spaces. I think Yurei has synesthesia, but I'm not sure, because maybe the colors he sees are metaphors. Several points where someone's body turned "to stone" or their legs "turned to water" are probably metaphors, but given the context of powers in this world, I briefly assumed they might also be literal. The story is told from multiple first person POVs, and I sometimes struggled to identify which character's POV I was reading.

I was happy to be able to read Children of the Night, by Zan Safra. It was quite a slow read, but I still quite enjoyed it. Thank you for the opportunity

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Children of the Night” takes place in Venice in 1865, within a world where monsters are real. These monsters are called Unnaturals, alchemical experiments with strange abilities who have escaped from the laboratories in which they were held. Unnaturals must hide in the day, only coming out at night to avoid Naturals, ordinary humans who will hunt the Unnaturals to death.

The book opens with the introduction of one such Unnatural, Ayanda Draculesti, who for the most part can pass as an ordinary human. Ayanda’s abilities are unusual: she can battle the Dead and innately knows everything about them. Five hundred years prior, the Dead rose, ravaging the Continent and destroying London and every person within the city. However, Ayanda is on the hunt for “the fiend,” one of the Dead who has returned to terrorize Venice, viciously killing Naturals who cross its path at night. This isn’t just another mindless lesser Dead creature. This creature is clever, calculating and has a plan to conquer Venice and beyond.

Ayanda knows she's the only one who can stop this Dead creature, but she can't do it alone. Told through varying perspectives that vary by chapter, the reader is introduced to other Unnaturals: Yurei, a boy more phantom than human; Jette, an alchemist with a ferocious alternate personality; and Belle, a girl whose past terrifies even other Unnaturals. These Unnaturals have every reason to despise Naturals given the torture they have suffered at their hands. However, seemingly drawn together by fate, Ayanda, Yurei, Jette, and Belle realize they might be the only ones willing, and possibly able, to destroy the fiend and save the city. Fighting to conquer the demons of their past, this rag-tag group of Unnaturals band together to take on evil. With all of them working together, they may have a chance. Just maybe.

This book sucked me in from the opening chapters and didn’t let go. Interweaving characters based upon some of literature’s greatest monsters, the author creates a story that is completely engrossing. I found myself immediately rooting for the Unnatural “monsters,” and sharing their pain as each of their histories was revealed. Rotating through the characters’ perspectives, the book seamlessly intertwines their stories, weaving together a congruous tale of the supernatural mixed with a bit of horror, science fiction and fantasy. The alternating shift of four perspectives could have easily been confusing or distracting, but the author does an amazing job interlacing the characters’ stories, both past and present. The characters are well-developed, painting a picture of their trials and tribulations, forming a strong foundation for the story to unfold upon.

The story itself was inventive and unlike anything I’ve read. The world in which it takes place is like a supernatural, gothic steampunk version of historical Venice. It takes shape beautifully, easily immersing you the fantasy realm of the Naturals, Unnaturals and the Dead. I loved the nod to literature’s great monsters whose stories, in part, shape the main characters. The author skillfully blends together these past literary tales with original histories, character traits and supernatural abilities. The result is a group of original Unnaturals who draw you in, investing you in them, all the while echoing those familiar legends of monsters past. The book’s narrative unravels at a perfect pace, easily flowing from introduction to its strong climax.

All in all, I loved this book so much I didn’t want it to end. Without feeling unfulfilled with its story, the book left me wanting to know even more about these characters, where they came from, and where they were going. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, and I will be watching out for anything else this author writes. I immediately signed up for the author’s mailing list so I don’t miss a thing, purchased her novella follow-up to this book, and placed the next book on pre-order. That’s a rare occurrence for me, and it really highlights just how good this book is. I would recommend this book for both adult and young adult readers, fans of supernatural, fantasy, sci fi, and horror (especially gothic horror) genres, and readers new to said genres. Pick up this book now! You won’t regret it!

Children of the Night
Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Zan Safra
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was an interesting mix of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. It features well known monsters but with twists and the people trying to stop them.

The start was slow and it took me a few chapters to become curious about the story. I found in some places that the descriptions, the world building and all the POVs were a bit complicated so I kept losing track and struggled with the storyline a little.

That being said, I can see how some readers would love this book.

*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*