A review by bzliz
The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

There were times when I was intensely sucked into this book and then other times it felt like the author was challenging me to DNF it. She did a great job of making the world dark and gritty, unfortunately it took an unexpected turn that reminded me I should pay more attention to the content warnings before I start a book. (See my warnings below)

There were so many moving parts that it felt utterly chaotic and I don’t think there’s any possible way I could explain this plot to someone. I didn’t mind Alice as a character and I don’t mind that she constantly does things she’s told not to do. Everyone in the world seems determined to deceive and betray her so she’s right to be paranoid about it. I felt misled by the prologue in a way that left me confused about why it exists at all and the huge twist at the end was a complete shock to me because I didn’t feel like it was foreshadowed at all. 

I’m interested in picking up the second book to see how any of this can be resolved and I want to see how Alice can grow given time to settle into her new life. But I don’t know if I’d recommend this to anyone really because of some of the triggers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, and Medical content

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Animal cruelty/death (on page):

there is a graphic scene of dogfighting including descriptions of injuries sustained and death of the animals, with the added horror of a necromancer reanimating the animal corpses to keep fighting. They are later set on Alice and Crowley and continue attacking even as Crowley’s fire powers melt their bodies.

Torture (on page):

there is a graphic scene of Alice’s allies being waterboarded to get her to cooperate with one group of bad guys

Sexual violence (not rape, on page):

One of the bad guys implies unwanted sexual behaviors early on. Near the end of the book , he forcibly bites Alice’s neck, kisses it & licks off her blood. It is clearly meant to distress her and imply he can do as he pleases.

Slavery/suicide (on/off page):

Marianne, the leader of the death cult, has the power to control people through their blood which she uses to essentially enslave people and lots of them are sent to their deaths for her to (in her mind) appease Death.