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A review by pointeshoebookworm
Nightspell by Leah Cypess
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.
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.