Reviews

Nightspell by Leah Cypess

michellesantiago's review

Go to review page

3.0

I picked up Nightspell because Leah Cypess was on my list of authors-to-read, I love fantasy books and I enjoy stories with siblings. In the end, I am glad I read Nightspell--the writing was fantastic and the plot intricate--but it is not a re-read type of book for me.

Callie, a very young Raellian princess, was sent to Ghostland to eventually marry Prince Kestin. Four years later, her older siblings Darri and Varis arrive at Ghostland. Darri will marry Kestin instead as they cannot afford to wait for Callie to come of age and form a crucial alliance. Darri, who had lived with the guilt of not stopping her father from sending Callie away, sees this as an opportunity to rescue Callie from the land where ghosts (abominations in the eyes of Raellians) roam freely. However, Callie might not want to be rescued and Varis may have a different agenda himself.

Nightspell is told through three (3rd person) point-of-views (Darri, Callie and Varis) so the narration switches off a lot. I did not really mind it for the most part because then I got the whole picture. However, I did not feel for or connect with any of them (or any of the secondary characters). There was nothing wrong with Darri, Callie and Varis but nothing really stood out either. I didn't truly empathize or care enough to root for their success.

Like I mentioned, the plot was complex. It's one of those where you have to read until the end to get the whole picture or to understand what is really going on. Sort of like Melina Marchetta's Jellicoe Road but set in a unique, fascinating fantasy world. I thought the author did a wonderful job with the world building. But the itself plot was slow-moving; it takes a while for something to happen to push the plot along. It was slow reading for me because of this.

And some of you all know how much I like a good romance in my reads. It doesn't have to be the main focus of the story but I like having even a hint of one somewhere. There is none in Nightspell and I can't help being a little disappointed about that.

Nightspell was interesting enough that I finished it but it wasn't one I was especially eager to pick up again after I put it down due to it's slow-moving plot, the fact that I didn't really care for the characters and lack of romance. Fantasy readers who do not mind that it lacks a romantic element may enjoy it as it has great world building, a plot unique and the overall the writing was lovely.

Reviewed by Michelle for Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks.

cyberhuman's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Many reviews here already summarize what the story is about. Being a writer myself, I could go at length on Nightspell's excellent worldbuilding and plot structure. Instead, I'm going to offer two reader reactions.

My daughter picked up Nightspell after having thoroughly enjoyed Mistwood by the same author. Her initial reaction was less enthusiastic, apparently because it had been easier for her to identify with the main character in Mistwood right from the beginning. So the first quarter of the book went along slowly. But then, she got hooked and finished the last three quarters in a single all-night reading session. She slept through the next day, waking up toward the evening (she's on vacation), in a pattern that made me ask her if she was going to emigrate to Ghostland.

More recently, I had a dream of visiting my daughter's college dormitory as a ghost. For some reason, her roommate was totally freaked out. I regret not having enough presence of mind (hey, I was dreaming!) to tell her that it was perfectly normal and that she should go read Nightspell.

sue_b's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous

3.0

mishmashedme's review against another edition

Go to review page

Too similar to Mistwood but not as interesting a premise. Also quite confusing right from the start.  

misssusan's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

In the aptly named Ghostland murder victims return as ghosts to seek vengeance on their killers. Or theoretically they do. Many ghosts chose to defer vengeance awhile and hang around the royal court, imitating the living. Four years ago Darri's little sister was betrothed to the crown prince of Ghostland to seal an alliance between their father's kingdoms. Now Darri rides to Ghostland with her brother, determined to bring her sister home at any cost.

I really enjoyed this book. I meant to read the first chapter at breakfast and ended up glued to the same spot for three hours until I was finished. The worldbuilding is great and while I've seen some accusations of slow plot in reviews I thought it moved at an acceptable pace. My favourite aspect of it was the characters and their relationships. I appreciated the choice to emphasize the bonds between Darri, Callie, and Varis over any romantic possibilities. YA could use more of that I think. Nightspell is billed as a companion book to Mistwood but you don't need to have read the prior book to understand it. You probably should though, I think this is the stronger work and it's always nice to experience an upward keel with an author. 4 stars

pointeshoebookworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I don't know how to feel about this book. I never read Mistwood, but feel you don't need to in order to read Nightspell. It truly is a companion piece. There never was a point while reading that made me think I was missing something. However there were some things that did "confuse" me.

The biggest thing was how in the last 100 pages of the book, the author repeatedly describes Darri's skin as brown, but the model on the cover is either white or white passing . . . I'm not fully sure if she meant tan skin since her people are often in the sun and out on the plains. Along with that, I'm not fully sure how I feel about the author describing Darri's people and political system as tr*bes. However, I am very white and have no right to have an opinion on either, only to follow those who have more knowledge and lived experience in these areas than I do. (Yes I know this book came out more than ten years ago, but still.)

The other part of this book that did annoy me was the many twists and turns it took, but ones that came out of left field. For example, Clarisse's brother and niece. That was only brought up by Varis within the last fifty pages and we're supposed to believe that she suddenly cares for other people. Let alone, who are these people?? There were many instances where it felt the author was just pulling things out of thin air instead of laying the groundwork to back these twists and turns . . . To give it a foundation and have it make sense.

exhaleartist's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I adored Mistwood! Absolutely, completely, fell in love with that book, so I had very high expectations for Nightspell. It took me ages to actually get my hands on a copy, but when I finally did it when to the top of my reading pile. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed it, this never really lived up to Mistwood. I am not even quite sure why, but it just never clicked with me.

The multiple narrators was both a good and bad thing. It allowed for various viewpoints into the story and setting, but it felt like it broke up the natural flow of the story. Whenever it seemed like I was beginning to connect with one of the characters, the point-of-view would change. Darri and Callie’s relationship was probably my favorite element of the story. I loved the exploration of the changing dynamic between the two of them. The only other character with whom I felt any real connection was Kestin. Although I feel like his potential for the story was never fully realized. Clarisse is the only character that makes the jump from Mistwood to Nightspell, and she remains devious and cunning.

The story and plot were chalk full of potential. Just read the summary and you will realize that. Unfortunately it feels like much of that potential is lost. There are some truly brilliant moments in the story. There’s a huge plot twist that I absolutely adored. I did see it coming, so I was not shocked by it, but I loved the way the author handled it. I also liked the parts between Kestin and Clarisse and the scenes between Kestin and Darri.

Overall Nightspell was an interesting, nice little fantasy, but it never succeeded in realizing its full potential. If you are looking for a good fantasy to read, I would definitely recommend Mistwood over Nightspell. This was worth the read, but not something I will probably read again. I will be looking forward to see what the author does next though.

suzannedix's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

I put this book down after half a chapter. It is not a sequel to Mistwood but rather a weird companion.

stephhreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Nightspell is a good, solid book, but ended up being an average read--I wasn't in love with it. Though the characters are interesting with clear strengths and clear flaws, I wasn't very attached to any of them. There was something about Nightspell that fell flat for me, and it's not the lack of a romance. While I do love a good romance, I'm actually very glad that there was no romance introduced in Nightspell, since it would have detracted a bit from the story.

I have to give Leah Cypess an A+ for world-building. The realm of Ghostland that she created and the concept of the ghosts themselves are enthralling and beautifully woven. In fact, I feel like the idea itself could have led to an interesting exploration into what it means to be dead or alive, which is touched upon slightly, but never truly discussed. Of course, this may not have been what the author was aiming for.

oliviasimmonds's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

I think this book could have been much shorter in length, the plot wasn't substantial enough for 300+ pages. I liked the concept of a ghost kingdom and a potential war between the dead and the living. However, when I was reading the book I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters or the plotline. The book ended abruptly and left me wondering could Callie travel over the border? Even though I am wondering this, I still wouldn't read a sequel to find out.