I received an ARC of The Night Hunt from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Night Hunt was shaping up to be an epic adventure of murder and fun based on the synopsis. What I got was indistinguishable characters, little to no world-building, and a rushed story. I ended up putting this book down around the halfway mark. Nothing was keeping me reading, which was unfortunate.

Everything in this book happened so fast. By the time I processed the scene and the consequences of what happened, we were already three scenes away. I felt like I was keeping a nice, steady jogging pace, but the story was doing sprints. I was left in the proverbial dust, trying to understand why it felt the need to leave me behind.

The world-building left things to be desired. I don't understand this world. I don't understand the power structure. I don't understand what the point of the gods and monsters are. I don't understand where we were, how we were getting around, or how close everything was together. It almost felt like because this is a standalone, the author decided to go for plot over substance. However, that made for a very confusing story. The plot wanted us to be somewhere, and so we were there, regardless of how it happened. I don't need, or usually want, pages upon pages of travel, but I did need something. Something to show me the layout of where we are. Give me anything at this point.

The characters were also a product of the rushed story. I didn't feel that any of them had real personalities, and though the point of view changed between Atia and Silas, there was no real difference between them. It got to the point where I had to continually flip to the beginning of the chapter to remind myself of who I was supposed to be with. On top of that, the few side characters I met felt completely unimportant, even the ones that Atia and Silas were traveling with. They were conveniently ignored during key scenes as if they weren't there in the first place, and honestly, it probably wouldn't have made any difference if they were never there. It felt like they were there just to be there and put words on the page. There was no real substance to them or Atia and Silas.

Unfortunately, The Night Hunt was not for me.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a story quite like this one before!

This book is a dark fantasy romance wherein a girl (Atia) who just so happens to be a monster that’s practically been eradicated, feeds on the fear of others. It wouldn’t be a romance without a male lead though….& in this case it’s Silas; a herald (he ferry’s the dead and carries messages)whose meant to hunt and kill monsters, not fall in love with them.

When Silas offers Atia his help in avenging her parents with the caveat that she help him regain his memories that were stolen by the very Gods who took Atia’s parents away there is no choice for her but to accept as only together will they be able to succeed.

This dark romantasy has elements I’ve never seen in other storylines and I’m so thankful for the author & publisher for sending me an e-galley of this book!

DNF @88 pages

There's nothing really bad about this book from what I read, it just felt aggresively mediocre and I was kind of bored. The characters are bland and predictable, the plot seems perfectly fine but again, predictable, and the world isn't as interesting as it wants to be. One of our main characters is supposedly a murderous monster, but she's really just misunderstood and nice, even if she does consume people's fear. Which is such a boring way to go for the last surviving member of a species that has been wiped out by genocide. Where is the rage? The bitterness? The anger at anyone remotely connected with the Gods responsible? But no, she's pretty chill about it and teams up with one of the God's Heralds, almost no questions asked. The monstrousness just feels like window dressing for a very Mary-Sue character. And if the vibe is supposed to be dark romance, I should feel something about the characters by now, but I don't. Based on reviews I don't think this is going to get better for me, so unfortunately I'm deciding not to finish. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.

As always, Christo excels at the hunter vs. hunted romance trope. The magic and creatures are fun to follow, and the style is generally inviting. THE NIGHT HUNT feels thin to me compared to the rich yet efficient world building of TO KILL A KINGDOM and KINGDOM OF SOULS, but I wonder if that's because of the high number of line breaks. The number of line breaks was somewhat distracting and pulled descriptions apart that might've felt more cohesive as a unit, which slowed the pacing. However, I do think many readers who aren't easily distracted by style will find enjoyment in this one.

The Night Hunt is an excellent YA fantasy novel filled with monstrous lore and romance. It was an easy read and the author’s world building was beautiful. I think this novel definitely falls into the younger side of young adult but I still enjoyed it.

I have really enjoyed every book this author has written and this one definitely did not disappoint! She has this way of writing fun books that read really easily and with amazing unique concepts.
This concept is so different from other books I've read and I really liked it. The female MC is a Nefas, she can make you see you worst fears, I mean how cool is that!! I haven't read a book with someone that can do that before.There are also gods which is something I also like and the mix of the mythical and these other creatures is just really interesting to learn about. The found family concept in this book was also so sweet!
I definitely recommend reading it if you're looking for a unique YA fantasy.

I loved To Kill a Kingdom, so I was very excited to read this one.

Monsters and gods and romance, oh my!

This was such a fun read. I loved the world Christo created, but I loved the characters even more. Witty banter and ensemble casts are my favorite.

For starters, the world of The Night Hunt was very fun and unique for YA fantasy nowadays. I like that it felt like something that I would have read years ago rather than today. It was refreshing. The monsters were a mix of classic and ones you don't hear often (or ever) which I thought was great. I would have loved to see more of this world throughout the story, but overall I got a good feel for it.

The characters were the stars of the show for me. I love a good ensemble cast and The Night Hunt delivered. Atia is the perfect monstrous girl with a heart of gold, full of wit, snark, and smarts. Silas is the straight-edge guy who loosens up over time with plenty of secrets he can't remember. And Tristan and Cillian were wonderfully smart sidekicks. I loved the group and following along on their adventure.

There were plenty of twists and turns, nods to Greek mythology, and romance. If you're looking for your next YA Fantasy read, look no further!

I loved this tale of monsters and twisted gods! The dark atmosphere and found family of misfits made for an enticing read. I adored Tristan and Atia’s friendship and how he loved and supported her unconditionally. Silas was an irresistible MMC with his shadows and a past he couldn’t remember. And he definitely fell first 🔥. Overall, The Night Hunt is a mesmerizing dark YA fantasy that questions what defines a god or monster.

I really like this author, she does a great job coming up with really unique stories that include some mythology/folklore but are utterly also creative and new.

We have a Nefas a creature that can weave illusions and feeds off of fear who is the last of her kind. She is just trying to make it by after the brutal murder of her parents when she gets cursed by a Herald who makes a deal with her that will free both of them. I also really like our side characters they’re fun and add just enough to the story.

The Herald isn’t like the others of his kind. So many hints thrown in about his origins and how he’s been here so many times and that he’s special.

Major spoilers follow:
I called the plot twist like so early on.

Silas the Herald is actually the River god of eternity who was punished for helping the Nefas and other monsters rebel (really curious what other kinds rebelled we aren’t told). When his memories are returned he joins forces with his River siblings to help Atiana and her friends defeat the three high gods to restore fairness and balance to the world.

The Nefas absorbs a gods powers and thus becomes one and ushers in a new age of fairness and equality.

It’s a good and pure story that I enjoyed. Thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book.

Requested this because of the beautiful cover and interesting premise and glad it did not disappoint! If you're into Dark Fantasy Romance, this is a must read!

Despite being a dark fantasy, there's a lightness to it because of the dynamics between the characters. Atia is a prickly character who longs for companionship even if she refuses to outwardly admit it. Tristan is a scholar and completely earnest. Cillian still feels like a little boy. He's sweet despite all the bad things he has overcome. Silas is uptight but yearns to learn who he was before he became a Herald. One of my favorite tropes is found family, and it's at its best here as the four of them learn what it means to look out for one another. They're a mismatched bunch, but my heart kept expanding as their adventure brought them closer together. The sarcasm and humor is also an added bonus.

Readers should pick up The Night Hunt because Christo is a storyteller who makes you care for the characters. It can move a little too quickly, like the romance for instance, but it is more than made up for when everything is revealed. As someone who believes endings can often make or break a book, I have yet to be disappointed by Christo. Fans of found family will especially appreciate this novel.

The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo was a great read. I can always count on Christo's books to be engaging and full of action and this one was exactly what I was looking for.

Atia is our main character and she is a monster that feeds on fear. She has been on her own for a while now when her parents were killed and as the last of her kind, she hides in the shadows to avoid the attention of the Gods. Silas is a Herald who carries messages and ferries the dead but he can't remember a thing about his past and he is determined to get his memories back.

When Atia breaks a law put in place by the Gods, Silas is sent to punish her and she ends up losing her powers. But Silas also offers her a deal she can't really refuse. He will help her avenge her family and get her powers back if she helps him break his curse and restore his memories.

The world that Christo has built is an interesting one and it helps set the stage well for Atia and Silas' stories. I also loved seeing how their relationship progresses - I can appreciate a good enemies to lovers story and this one fits the bill perfectly. The secondary characters helped to drive the story forward and seeing Atia (who doesn't befriend anyone) become close to Cillian and Tristan was great.

If you're looking for a new YA book that has great world building and interesting characters, check this one out. It includes the enemies to lovers and found family tropes which I always appreciate with a war against the Gods story.

great book and loved the mystery through out the book. I loved the characters and how they grew through all of their adventures. I enjoyed this book and this author and will check them out again add them to my reading pile.

𝗧𝗘𝗔 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦🍵
I started my journey with the author back when she wrote To Kill a Kingdom [another awesome book BTW] and then down the rabbit hole I went. Learning that she has written a slight variation to her usual works, got me all giddy and I am so happy I got ahold of this book before the release date [cause that means I had more days to scream my excitement and happily sob how wonderful this is]

The mythopeia of this book is truly an amazing ride to be in. Damn the gods to challenge Fate, is the kind of thing that is usually a tell tale sign of an action packed rollercoaster. The plot definitely delivered.

The characters were also full of badassery. A woman feeding of fears is probably one of the cathartic character traits I read by far. As far as romance goes, it was subtle but endearing at the same time.

Overall, a fantastic read and highly recommend 🌟💕

Final rating: 3.5

Atia is the last Nefas, a monster that feeds on the fear of humans. Silas is a Herald, stripped of his memories and tasked with claiming the souls of the dead. They pair up to bring the Gods down along with two friends they make along the way, Cillian and Tristan. I loved the found family aspect, and the four of them had such great interactions with each other! This was fast paced and well written, and the last 30% or so was exciting to read. That said, it's been a week or two between me reading this and writing the review, and I couldn't really recall a lot of details or even names of the side characters as much as I enjoyed this book in the moment. So for that I have to give it a lower rating than my initial 4 star read, only because for me it wasn't really memorable after the fact compared to some of the other books I've read this year. Definitely a solid read, and if it sounds interesting to you then you should ABSOLUTELY read it!

A dark fantasy romance with banshees, vampires, and nefas (nightmare eater)? Count me in. Not going to lie but the cover also won me over and so I was really excited to read this. The author does a brilliant job of creating this world full of gods and monsters inspired by Greek mythology and different folklore that everyone knows and loves and creates this wonderful story that is uniquely its own. The story is fast paced and I was able to finish reading quickly. The romance is surprisingly sweet, the dual POV works well with the storytelling. The characters are interesting and lovable. I highly recommend reading this.

Beware when a monster and God’s servant becomes an ally to complete a quest or to defeat High Gods!

Atia is a Nifas(nightmare eater) and the last of her kind, she is a monster whom Gods want to destroy and they get the chance when she accidentally kills a man to save her only friend.
Silas is a herald( servant or messenger of the Gods), he does not have memories of the past or what was his name, he just picked this name on his first task as a herald. This was his biggest curse that he didn't know about his past life.

Atia and Silas crossed the past when she killed a man which she was supposed to not, because it was against the law, set by the High Gods and Silas had to curse her.
They formed an unforeseen alliance to achieve their own goals and to free themselves from their curses!

I love the Oracle Thia so much, the storyline, the twist and turn in it. The bond between characters, chemistry. The realms or Kingdoms are divided by elements and ruled by the cousins of the Royal family who are blessed by the High Gods. I was smitten by Atis’s character, she was a badass just like Aelin from Throne of Glass!

Suspenseful , romantic, and monstrous. I could not put this book down !

Thanks to Feiwel and Friends for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

Our story centers around a Nefas , a monster that feeds on fear , who hides in the shadows to avoid the wrath of the gods. When she is cursed for saving her human friend by killing his attacker , she must join forces with a Herald ,a half banshee , and her human friend Tristan , in order to break her curse and destroy the gods that killed her kind.

I like the set up of this world with all of the different elemental kingdoms. I also like the coming together of humans and different monsters. Some examples include , oracles , vampires , banshees , half banshees half human mixes ( male in this story) , and Lykai.
This story is a found family story which is always an enjoyable experience. I love the idea that we can always build our own family.
This story has YA based romance , so nothing more than kissing or holding hands.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I love that it it has a good summed up ending. I loved these characters and I wish I could have more.

While this isn’t a direct Greek myth retelling, it is a Greek myth-inspired dark romantasy and I had a lot of fun reading it. I didn’t even know that it was inspired by Greek mythology going in but I was absolutely giddy when I found out because I’ve loved Greek mythology since I was a kid.

The Night Hunt carries an enemies to lovers vibe but it’s the sort of enemies to lovers that speaks of a natural enemies vibe: Atia is a monster and Silas is a Herald. Silas is one of those they would send after monsters like Atia if she breaks the rules. Silas is there the night she does and they forge an unlikely alliance: He’ll help her break her curse if she helps him recover his memories. They hope it’s going to be as easy as hip, hop, hooray, but since when is it ever?

I can’t really put into words why I loved this book so much except that it was a lot of fun and it felt like the best kind of dark romantasy hug. Does that make sense? I think to anyone who is a big fan of dark romantasy it might be. I don’t always rate my books based on a list of checkmarks and wax eloquent about everything from narrative prose to the quality of the sentence formations. I can only tell you I had a really bad day today and this made me feel better when I was reading it. I would read it again in a heartbeat.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Dark Fantasy/Romantasy/Myth Retelling/Standalone/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy/YA Fiction

The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo is a YA dark fantasy that follows Atia, a monster who feeds on fear, and the very last of her kind. Seeking revenge, she reluctantly teams up with an amnesiatic Herald in order to slay the corrupt gods that killed her family.

I was initially drawn in by the stunning cover, but the actual contents of the book left something to be desired.

For starters, the writing is extremely choppy, disjointed, and lacks any sense of using sentence length and punctuation to build up suspense and emotional impact.

Let's take a look at one section here:

The Herald peers over the body, taking a moment to assess.
Then he turns to me.
“Monster of mischief,” he says.
Like I’ve just made his day longer.
"I should leave."

Every single paragraph here is short and one sentence long, reading more like a rough first draft before a scene is later fleshed out. I'd understand if this was for a fast fighting scene or if a writer is trying to indicate various sounds, but no, the sentence lengths serve no purpose here. Instead I feel like gaps and details are missing—like actually describing the dead body the Herald is examining, which would have helped ground the readers into the scene and
paint a mental picture.

On top of that, the worldbuilding feels thoughtless and lazy. Places are haphazardly named generic things like "Earth Kingdom" and "Fire Kingdom" without building in an elemental magic system along the lines of Avatar the Last Air Bender. Since the monsters and mythology of this world are Greek and Celtic inspired, it would have made more cohesive sense for that to have influenced the names of locations as well.

Honestly, this book falls short from what I’d expect from a professionally published book and I feel like it would have benefited greatly from more technical and developmental editing.