Nightfall by Shannon Messenger
Fantasy. 576 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Sophie Foster is struggling. Grieving. Scrambling. But she knows one thing: she will not be defeated.
The Neverseen have had their victories—but the battle is far from over. It’s time to change tactics. Make sacrifices. Reexamine everything. Maybe even time for Sophie to trust her enemies.
All paths lead to Nightfall—an ominous door to an even more ominous place—and Sophie and her friends strike a dangerous bargain to get there. But nothing can prepare them for what they discover. The problems they’re facing stretch deep into their history. And with time running out, and mistakes catching up with them, Sophie and her allies must join forces in ways they never have before.
My Review:
Mmm. I need a moment.
…
Okay. Thank you for your patience. Please hold your ears.
SHANNON MESSENGER! What the heck?! That climax was intense, y’all! And then after it there was a lil bit of sumin’ sumin’ where I’m pretty sure I soaked my t-shirt in tears. And I was not okay with decisions that were made and events that went down!! Pretty sure I lost my contact through all those tears. Good grief! Way to toy with my emotions! Yikes!
Wow. Okay, so clearly I loved this book. I think it may be my favorite in the series so far. And, honestly, I’m not really super sure I can peg why other than that ending (and some incredible developments throughout that middle!). I just loved how everything built and built and finally burst. I’m a fan of the series at this point–way too deep to turn back now–but this one just packed a tighter punch!
I enjoy seeing the different strands of plot stretch out and then watching Messenger weave them all together. I think this one definitely had more tension than the rest. Messenger amping up her game! Even though there appeared to be a lot of down time for the characters, the stakes were high and the characters were on edge, which set me on edge! I’m so invested in getting to the bottom of all this mess, and I adore these characters. I’ve grown to love so many of them. I’ll always adore Fitz and Biana and Alden. Biana really shone in this one and I loved that. I think its neat how their talents keep getting deeper and even more promising, developing even further in each book. Keefe’s did that, too. Man, I just love Keefe. I always have. He’s a cool character and I’m excited to see where he ends up.
Oh! Ro! Y’all! Y’all! Ro was fantabulous and I absolutely loved her. She cracked me up. But more than that, she gave me hope. Seeing her work with the group was so cool and I really can’t wait to see how this develops in the grand scheme of things. She had some really fun moments in the story, but she also opened a crack in the deeply flawed elven world that I am determined to see through. Truthfully, not only was I heartbroken by the end with specific decisions which shall not be named regarding people which shall not be spoken of, but it also just felt so…wrong, especially after everything else that had happened. Like, come on, elves! Lighten up a little and see how this change could benefit you! Everyone really! Ugh, I just wanted them to make an exception so badly! I wanted things to be okay! And now they aren’t okay again! Aaargle margle!
Regardless of Messenger’s mastery with emotion-shredding (*squints* Are you an Empath?? Not cool, Messenger. Not cool.), I just love her world and how she continues to drop us into deeper holes than before. I mean there’s a turning point in this book where history turns on its head and I am sooo stoked to see how that little revelation turns out! I know this is building to something even bigger than anything prior and I’m totally along for the ride!
Content: Umm…it’s middle grade fiction. The middle of a series. No swear words. Very subtle romance–school crushes and a quick kiss (Yeah, that happened! I was not prepared for that scene!). Some mild violence and a little blood, but nothing graphic or disturbing. The book references torture and the MC does spend quite a bit of time worrying about the capture of people close to her. Some themes of mental wellness and prejudice, a bit of revolution and rebellion in a fantasy world. Just go read it. It’s fine. You’ll love it. I promise.
More:
Book 1 in the Keeper of the Lost Cities is Keeper of the Lost Cities (5 Stars)
Book 2 is Exile (5 Stars)
Book 3 is Everblaze (5 Stars)
Book 4 is Neverseen (5 Stars)
Book 5 is Lodestar (5 Stars)
Book 7 is Flashback
Book 8 is Legacy
Book 8.5 is Unlocked
Click the links above for more information on the books. I’m reading through the series now as I get them in from my library, so you can scroll down and see my reviews for the ones I’ve rated.
This series must be read in order.
On GraceBought
If you missed it, check out my thoughts on the previous books below! And, I actually haven’t read the next book, so I’ll post the review for it when I do 🙂
Keeper of the Lost Cities, Exile, Everblaze, Neverseen, and Lodestar