Godsgrave: Book Two of the Nevernight Chronicle

Recommend: Hell Yes!
Review:
What can I say about this insane, bloody, sexual book? It was amazing! I missed Mia so much and I love how in this book she is just as fierce as usual, just as smart, just as bloodthirsty, and just as stabby as before. Seriously, I love this feral b*tch!
I love The direction this book takes Mia in, I love how we learn new things and take unexpected twists, and that ending left me SHOOK! I am beyond ready for Darkdawn so my heart can officially implode!
I just, this book was everything I was hoping for, left me ready to take over the world, and needy for the conclusion.

So what did I think about GODSGRAVE?

Jay Kristoff is... IDK. I can't judge him personally but his writing is brilliant. Mia is the most kick-a** character to ever bleed on the sand and WTF just happened? I was worried that GODSGRAVE would be a pale imitation of NEVERNIGHT and I could not have been more wrong. Sass and sarcasm. Check. Sex. Check. Blood and guts and gore. #stabstabstab.

There is violence and then there is violence and Mr. Kristoff has elevated hacking off limbs and severing heads to poetry. It's like a brutal ballet and I couldn't stop watching the blood splash across the page. The story is all twisty and turny (yes, that's a word now) and... and... and... I need the next book.

Jay Kristoff is a monster. He's my favorite monster.

Godsgrave was an experience and a half. From the start, the story was engaging and I found myself flying through this book. Even when I was at work, all I wanted to do was check in on Mia and her companions. Mia was as delightful as ever. Well, as delightful as Mia can be. My absolute favorite aspects were the interactions between Mister Kindly and Eclipse. I love them so much. Can we have a supplemental book where it's just them going on an adventure together and being awful to one another? I need this so bad. I enjoyed getting to spend time with familiar characters again. I won't say who and in what context, but I was surprised at how much I looked forward to these moments. As for new characters, I loved reading about Leona. She was fascinating. Sid was also delightful to spend time with though I am still fairly wary of him. I was hooked on the story as soon as I opened the book. I was waiting to see what would happen next and who Mia would lose. I will say that, for the most part, the footnotes didn't bother me, but there was one instance in the first part of the book where it was a little distracting. That was slightly disappointing. Other than that, I still really enjoyed the way this book was written. The ending definitely took a turn that I'm still not sure how I feel about. I'm mostly heartbroken that I have to wait what feels like an eternity for the last book. I highly recommend this series if you are looking for an incredibly dark fantasy.

Jay Kristoff has done it again...he has managed to make me both revere and despise him. For all of you who think I'm exaggerating, close your eyes and picture this:

A girl, sitting on her bed, head bent over a book..she look peaceful but only because she's mastered her reading poker face. Suddenly, she gasps, grabbing the book and pulling it closer to her face, as if that will make the words come faster. Now a strangled gasp escapes from her lips and her jaw drops. Reading the last page, she sucks in a deep breath, closes the book and FREAKS. OUT.
Think screaming into her pillow (her pillow because it is 1 o' clock in the morning and she had to finish this book before bed) and cursing the name of Jay Freaking Kristoff.

O, gentlefriends, this book was amazing.

Picking up shortly after the ending of Nevernight, Mia Corvere is still bent on getting her revenge on those who stole away her familia. And darn if she isn't going to get it.

I have to admit, I was slightly concerned I might have a case Second Book Syndrome on my hands. Would Godsgrave live up to it's predecessor? Would it be as bloody, action-packed and (somehow) sexy as Nevernight? The answer is a resounding YES to all of the above, gentlefriends. Somehow Godsgrave managed to be bloodier, more action packed and (whisper) sexier than the firstborn of this series.
Godsgrave is the favored second born child, always one upping their older sibling. Oh you thought Mia was amazing as an assassin? Wait until you see her as a gladati!

"Soon, the sky itself will know my name."

And, of course, we are led through this world by our ever so mysterious narrator, full of snarky comments and interesting Godsgrave facts in a..unique format to say the least. Godsgrave has opened a whole new door to the world of Nevernight with new people (both friends and enemies) and the ever-evolving Mia Corvere who leaves us hungry for more of her sarcastic, witty and general butt-kicking self.

I am currently struggling to keep this review as spoiler free as possible but let me take a moment to say: darn you, Jay Kristoff. Can this man even write a book without a shaking ending? Is it physically possible for him? All the evidence is pointing to NO. For every answer we get, five more questions take its place. All I can say is BE PREPARED!

The issues that I had with Nevernight felt resolved in this. I had originally found the footnotes annoying, but I was happy to see that these ones were spread out and were HILARIOUS. This also is action packed from the start. I was hooked immediately and Mia only got handed more complex trials as the book went on, so it never felt anticlimactic either (which can often happen in the fantasy novels I read so I was happy to see this didn't fall into that). I also had issues with the past and present switching randomly in Nevernight, but this was consistent, where every other chapter is past/present until 'Book Two" which is told in the present till the end. I honestly couldn't even tell you which story made me more excited to read, the past part or the present, they were all so wonderfully written and full of gore and action and mystery.
Before, I had felt like Mia had been second to some other more interesting characters, but in this she is the star of the show. I saw a lot of development in her, coming to realize what her feelings and emotions mean, what it means to be an assassin with sympathy, and we see her outsmart herself (and others) over and over again. She became so complex and I couldn't help but try to understand the things she was doing, and even when she was doing bad, I knew her reasons would be sound.
I thought the first one was explicit and gory and detailed, but Godsgrave outdid itself. Everything was so vivid in my mind and those fighting arenas? BRILLIANT. I kept rereading over the details so I could picture them perfectly in my mind. Those depictions were fearsome on their own. Every time I thought, "He can't outdo this," by Aa, he did!
Normally I am pretty good at predicting books but there were countless plot twists in this I didn't even come close to imagining. There were parts that had me PHYSICALLY yelling, "No!" or "Oh!" or had be shaking the book as I reread the lines, trying to fully understand what I had read. Plus, Kristoff transitions new characters in so well and drops details about them that next thing you know you're sweating over their fate and you hadn't even realized you loved them until that moment. I think this cast of characters overshadows Nevernight's, they are so complex and brutal and I love them all.
I could gush about this book for hours, especially because I only have two complaints. Why oh why did it have to end that way?! and I don't think Jay knows what a top knot is.....
If you're looking for a series that is creatively crafted and full of gore and conflict, look no further!

**I had received an ARC of this from St. Martin's Press to review so thank you to them for that!**

Godsgrave's opening line "Nothing stinks quite like a corpse" shows us we're in for more of the writing that gave Nevernight it's dark excellence; it is just as graphic and gory as its predecessor.

Jay Kristoff uses the same technique of telling the story in the present with flashes to the past, so we start with Mia in an unexpected situation and it is some time before we discover how she found herself there. Jay's world building is epic. We learn a lot more of the history and the customs and it is so detailed that it feels like a real world as you read. The battle scenes are so well written that my nerves were shot to pieces and I was physically nervous for Mia's safety.

There are some familiar characters, friendships and rivalries and some new ones. We see Mercurio and Mia's almost father-daughter relationship in a lot more details and the relationship between Mister Kindly and Eclipse which is hilarious. One of the characters (who we are familiar with from Nevernight) gives Mia some information that forces her to question everything that she has been living for, but it comes from someone she isn't sure she can trust and this storyline keeps us on our toes for most of the novel.

Mia  herself is at times familiar and at other times makes decisions that seem unfathomable. We get to see more of her compassionate side and her morality as she finds herself living alongside slaves, then she makes decisions that seem heartless, but also not entirely unexpected. Mia remains unpredictable to the end.

Godsgrave has some serious shocks for readers. The one at the end floored me. I cannot wait for the next installment.

godsgrave
Godsgrave (Nevernight Chronicle #2)

By Jay Kristoff

Genre: Fantasy/New Adult

Publication Date: September 5, 2017

Bang Bang Review bang

Overview

Mia Corvere remains on her revenge mission to avenge the murders of her parents and brother but in the meantime she’s taking on small missions. (It’s difficult to say stuff because of spoilers so bear with me, folks). After a particularly bloody yet sexy kill, Mia barely escapes as she is confronted by a strange shadow man who tells her to seek the crown of the moon.

She’s then summoned by the Red Church for a new mission to find a mysterious map where she runs into her nemesis and betrayer of the Red Church, Ashlinn. After learning more important info than some dumb old map, Mia pretends to be looking for the map while she plans to be sold to a fighting house to become a gladiatii. Mia is sold to the wrong house so she has to work twice as hard to be able to compete in the final fight to get close enough to assassinate Scaeva and Duomo. While she slaves at house of Leona, she meets a new set of men and women who challenge her career choice.

Mia makes new friends and finds old ones, she learns more about her parents, she discovers more things about her Darkin abilities, and she may or may not find love.

Although Godsgrave is DENSE AS HELL, it’s not as dense as book one since we know the world and Mia’s back story. Mia grows steadily throughout the novel and her new acquaintances force her to look at the choices she’s made. Godsgrave is intense and dark and this world makes Ketterdam (Six of Crows) look like Disneyland. There’s a lot of dynamic and strong characters especially the women. The last 80 pages will leave you shouting your head off and it’s never info dumped or out of left field. Some people don’t like the footnotes but I actually like them. It’s just more background info on the world and you can skip them because they’re not essential to the plot but I recommend you read some because Kristoff’s humor shines through.

I did however need several questions answered that ultimately didn’t get answered and I was prepared to give Godsgrave a 4.5 but Kristoff is very self aware and the last page made me forgive him so I gave Godsgrave a big old 5 stars.

If you like YA fantasy but want more sex and blood and language, read Nevernight and then quickly follow it with Godsgrave and then wait a year for the final book.

I found book 1 of this series enjoyable, so moved immediately onto book 2.

It was a bit like book 1 on steriods, in a different location. Both the good things and the bad things were amplifed:
Good: *interesting world
*enjoyable narration in the footnotes
Bad: * purposeless sex (accurately described as smut in a forenote) - pointless detail that slows down the actual plot.
*lots of extreme violence - also in graphic and pointless detail
*the depth of character that makes it read more like a young-adult book than one for adults, which to me makes the previous two bad points (gratitutous sex and violence) a lot more indefensible.

I enjoyed the location that the book has largely been moved to. I enjoyed Mia learning more about her powers. I enjoy the world where presumably women and men are closer to equal in bodily strength & women have quite a lot of freedom even in heirachical societies as a result. I enjoyed Mia learning more about her parents, and beginning to process their lives on a level other than that of a child. The final plot "twist" was one that I saw coming from part way through book 1, so I was less than intrigued by it

Overall, after reading this, I'm a lot less interested in reading book3 than I was book 2.

Devious, gripping and fast paced, Godsgrave has almost everything I expected of this much anticipated sequel, some that was entirely unexpected, and has left quite a bit up to the last book to deliver.

"Patience, she’d tell herself, whispering the word like a prayer.
If Vengeance has a mother, her name is Patience."

I have no intentions of discussing the plot in detail, this being the second book, so as to avoid any possible spoilers - Vengeance is ever at the forefront though and consumes Mia’s thoughts, night and day. The plot continues shortly after the events of Nevernight, and it is a whole new world of dangerous that Mia is subjected to. Where most of the action in Nevernight took place in the Red Church, Kristoff has expanded the playing field exponentially with Mia traveling around quite a bit in her never ending quest for justice.

Did it entertain? Hell yes! In SPADES.

The story starts off with two different timelines, four months apart. The present storyline has you wondering what the hell Mia has gotten herself into, finding herself being sold as a slave to a Collegium of gladiatii or gladiators. The past timeline has her assuming her role as a church Blade, longing for her revenge, yet being held in check by the church for reasons, as of yet, unknown. We get to follow both these timelines until their convergence, where the reasons for Mia’s present quandary are made clear. All of this is of course outlined in the blurb for the story, but I tend to skip reading those before starting a book, so everything was likely more of a mystery to me than it would be to many other readers. The tale was action packed and enthralling, the author’s worldbuilding continuing to provide more and more insight into the fascinating place Mia calls home. Pacing presented no issues whatsoever, with those action scenes mentioned being staggered perfectly through the book. I would even say that the writing has gotten better, with Kristoff omitting much of the extra flowery verse that reared it’s head in Nevernight, in favour of leaner, yet still beautiful prose. And the twistyness, o daughters, the twistyness. Mr Kristoff has shown his true, sly colours. He giveth and he taketh, he is ever so tricky.

Let it be said though, that this book, whilst compelling and fast paced throughout, never quite reached the level that Nevernight set the bar at, in my opinion. It hovered just below that level throughout most of the story, likely only reaching it and momentarily surpassing it with a pull out all the stops finale. I am not able to pinpoint a clear reason for this. I just felt while reading, that I was not AS engaged as I was with Nevernight, even though it was more than engaging on it’s own. If I was forced to find something, I would most certainly name the following couple (pun intended), but these are likely just my own peeves with the tale:

Firstly, two of the main characters in this book become an item. Though this may be a subterfuge beyond my comprehension on the one character’s part, I absolutely, unequivocally, HATED IT. In fact, hated sounds too tame. Although being the same thing, LOATHED and ABHORRED make better descriptors, for one of these two characters have gone beyond forgiveness in my esteem, and should never, ever have been given even a whiff of the other character’s time of day again after the events that transpired in Nevernight. Harsh on my part, but as Mr Darcy said: “My good opinion once lost is lost for ever.” In fact, the only way the odium* I have attached to this character could be removed is through his or her violent death. I guess my feelings are clear on this point. ? (*Yay! Been wanting to use that word in a sentence ever since Brandon Sanderson made me look it up in the first place!)

The second thing would be a lack on the author’s part in regularly doling out any kind of information concerning darkins and the bigger picture here. Once again, this is mostly just me wanting more, and likely not Mr Kristoff. The heart wants what it wants. While the story successfully avoided middle book syndrome, there is an overarching story line here that is hinted at throughout both books so far, and we are hardly given any progress on that front. The plot did move forward on the vengeance thread, but that bigger picture felt stagnant and I kept on longing for more there. Sure, there were some small reveals on this front, but apart from tidbits that me and my fellow readers somehow scrounged together into half plausible theories, we have almost no clue what the overarching story line is aiming at with only one single book to come. While this sparse dissemination is likely intentional, we are hungering for knowledge here and I admit myself concerned at the amount of information Jay Kristoff will need to impart in the concluding book of this trilogy.

At the end of the day though, Godsgrave is an excellent sequel to Nevernight, and more than deserving of the spot it occupies in this series. I would have gladly given it five stars, had I not taken issue with that relationship and the balancing of the plots. I trust though, that Mr Kristoff will deliver everything I hope for in a final book of what is sure to be a excellent trilogy once completed and I am super excited for what is to come!

Did I mention that beautiful, dark & dangerous cover?

“The choice between looking plain and pretty isn't really a choice at all. But any fool knows looking dangerous is preferable to both.”

This review was originally posted on Booksprens.com

It's time for another rant ... but first, "Godsgrave" is OK. Jay Kristoff is a good writer, the plot thickens in volume two, and I will read volume three. More on the book later, but first ...

1) Women warriors. I have been coaching girls and women for multiple decades and I have complete and utter respect for their competitiveness, skill and athletic ability. Elite female athletes are the product of talent, dedication and plenty of hard work. I covered the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from day one, and I have consistently defended their skills and abilities to the yahoos who think they could go out on the court and dominate.

But all that said, the difference between an elite male athlete and an elite female athlete is immense. The best WNBA team or the U.S. women's Olympic basketball team would get crushed by every NCAA Division I men's team, and would not be able to compete with Division II and 90% of Division III teams. The difference in size, strength and quickness is off the charts.

In explosive athletic activity, which is what Kristoff has his protagonist, Mia Corvere, involved in when she fights highly trained elite males in gladiatorial settings, there's a simple, objective comparison in track and field. In sprints, jumping and strength events, the clock and measuring tape do not lie -- women are way, way behind, and physiologically cannot catch up.

OK, so "Godsgrave" and the many others are fantasy, and filled with unlikely if not impossible skills. But magic and dragons and elves are set in a world that is our own, with human beings at the center, and the description of a small woman like Mia Corvere being able to compete on equal terms with elite male fighters in an arena is making her literally inhuman. (Granted, she has an advantage she can use, but it's not big enough to allow for these victories. Australian author Joel Shepherd came the closest in A Trial of Blood and Steel by giving his female warrior training in a skill no other swordsman possessed, but he acknowledged that all it took was for the male to get close enough to the female to grab her, and the fight was over due to mass and strength.)

Now, a few fights where the female wins against a superior foe can work, but this leads to ...

2) Hairbreadth escapes. Through the two books of The Nevernight Chronicles, Mia has escaped countless death-dealing situations with minor injuries or none at all. And even worse, Kristoff has built a kind of pyramid of unlikely events that pile higher and higher on my increasingly fragile willingness to suspend disbelief. Sooner or later, luck runs out, and after a while, the details of the battles become almost pointless because it doesn't matter what the odds are (seven to one, say) or what the opponent is (a magical creature that apparently is about a city block long), Mia's going to survive.

Better would be to cut down on the all-but-impossible avoidance-of-disaster scenes and work a little harder as an author to create suspense through other means. This, of course, applies to most fantasy, detective, spy, etc. authors as well, but it doesn't negate the point. Try to do more than just skewer the adversary after avoiding death seven times through incredible, if not impossible, happenings; in short, be inventive, not repetitive.

Done now ... I feel better. Back to "Godsgrave" ...

One interesting aspect of The Nevernight Chronicles is how different Kristoff's approach is when compared to his young adult efforts "Illuminae" and "Gemina," which trod familiar territory of teen love. In "Nevernight" and "Godsgrave," not only is the language X-rated, so are the sex scenes, which are graphic enough to be classified as soft porn.

It's also important to note that Kristoff's narrator is a character in the book, commenting frequently in footnotes that cover exposition that otherwise would slow the pace. (The narrator also insists on calling readers "gentlefriends," for no apparent reason, and can become annoying at times.)

In the end, though, those who enjoyed "Nevernight," the pre-industrial world with three suns and plenty of magic, will be happy with more blood-soaked pages, and will be interested to see how Kristoff continues to develop the personal growth of his main character. But it would be nice if the plot was a little less improbable (imposters don't usually fool their acquaintances) and the thirst for knowledge began to overtake the thirst for blood.

I was fortunate enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book, and let me tell you now, it did not disappoint.

The story picks up about eight months after the end of Nevernight, where we find that Mia has been sold into slavery for a long, convoluted plan that involves much more luck than any kind of skill in order to achieve its end goal. Kristoff excels in plot twists for this, and you can expect to be hanging off the edge of your seat as you get further into this book, with a conclusion that will just blow your mind. Trust me, this review has taken me nearly three weeks to write because I'm still reeling from it. Forget everything I said before about Victoria Aveyard and Leigh Bardugo being masters of plot twists. Kristoff is the new king (Bardugo remains Queen though...).

I love the characters in this series. If Karou (of Daughter of Smoke and Bone) is my spirit animal, then Mia is who I want to be if I end up in a fantasy world - any fantasy world. Mia is the girl you would hire to take out Arya Stark, Katniss Everdeen and Feyre. Hell, she'd probably give Aelin Galathynius a run for her money. Despite excesses of pressure from the Red Church, Mia continues to be true to herself and what she believes in. Call it stubbornness if you will, but I think it adds to her badass-ery. In terms of growth, I think that Mia becomes more patient, more forgiving, and more compassionate. Not necessarily traits that will keep an assassin alive, but they absolutely give her a greater depth.

Ashlinn, Mercurio and several others return in the sequel, plus we add a slew of new characters - all who make their own mark or impression on Mia, sometimes leaving a scar. Of those, Sidonius and Wavewaker were my favourite; however, let's have a little chat about Furian... So, because I'm an idiot and couldn't remember that Jonnen was eight years younger than Mia, I had a vague notion for the first half of this book that Furian and Jonnen might be one and the same. Let me tell you now, I have never (with the exception of Jon and Dany) wanted two people to be related and simultaneously wanted them to sleep together before. Don't get me wrong, I am not into incest (I feel like I need to clarify that), but the way this was written made me absolutely cheer them into a bedroom, while wondering (again, idiot) if they were related.

Also, Mister Kindly and Eclipse are hilarious. I just needed to state the obvious and point this out. In its own paragraph no less.

So I absolutely need to give kudos where they are due. Jay Kristoff can write. I mean, obviously, he's a writer, but considering the number of books I have DNF'ed this month (even with other circumstances), this book is a freaking masterpiece. The writing is captivating, descriptive, exciting and everything else that keeps you hanging on reading well past your bedtime. The only thing that I (love) hated was the ginormous cliffhanger at the end of the book, but only because it felt mean. Godsgrave isn't even out yet and you're asking me to wait until as yet unnamed book is released to find out what happens next? I may just die of anticipation in the interim.

Now, I know that I said the footnotes weren't as good as Pratchett's in my review of Nevernight; however, they definitely have their own voice. While it is possible to read the book without reading them, they add another level of awesomeness in the voice of the narrator, and they are equally descriptive and amusing. Also they add that extra level of world-building if you like that kind of thing. And if you don't like that kind of thing, then why are you reading fantasy???

In summary, this was one of my two most anticipated reads of 2017, and it delivered in spades. Thanks again to Jay Kristoff for hosting a giveaway for the Godsgrave ARCs, and also just for being a badass author who writes awesome books.

O gentlefriends, you are not ready for this...

In May of 2016 I was very lucky to get my hands on an early ARC of Nevernight after several months of harassing my extremely accommodating and patient Harper Collins rep. Something about this book screamed out to me, I needed it. Flash forward twelve months and Nevernight is one of my favourite books of all time. It is everything I have ever wanted in a fantasy novel. The staff at Dymocks Adelaide and members of The YA Circle book club will agree, I have sold the pants off this thing and am constantly annoying people with my passionate Nevernight speeches and general ranting about how badass it is. Sadly, I thought I would be waiting a long time until I was able to step back into Mia's world.

Hello May 2017 and after the most delightful Twitter exchange with Jay Kristoff, I came home one day from work to find a package for me on the door step... Godsgrave in all it's glory and it is GLORIOUS!

I have to confess that I am always a little terrified when I start book two of a series. Will it live up to book one? Am I going to be let down? I took my time reading Godsgrave, as much as I wanted to check out of life for ten hours and binge the entire thing, I made myself savour it. You only get to read a book you love for the first time once.

Godsgrave did not let me down, in fact it delivered to me everything I could ever want and need in the sequel to Nevernight. I am keeping this review completely spoiler free because I would never want to take away the OMG shock factor for a future reader. I want you also to feel like you've just been swallowed whole by a Sand Kraken when you finish it.
Hint hint there's a HOLY SH*T ending.

This time around our delightful young heroine/murderess finds herself deep in the brutal world of gladiatorial games in the Itreyan Republic. There are old faces, new faces and plenty of 'I want to punch them in the face' faces. Jay has expanded the world beautifully and we are treated to even more of an insight into Itreya and it's history. Our mysterious narrator returns and I promise you, you will both laugh and feel personally attacked by those snarky footnotes full of gems of information and snappy one liners.

Mia's character experiences immense growth in Godsgrave, I was enthralled seeing where Jay would take her. And seriously high five to him for what he has created. There is only one Mia Corvere and she deserves a seat in the fantasy character hall of fame. Our narrator tells us that book one is 'Birth', Book two is 'Life' and Book three is 'Death'. But Maw's teeth if that was 'Life' I am freakin terrified for 'Death'. Book three will probably ruin me.

I feel like I really can't do this book justice with words. But it is in fact bloodier, sexier, stabbier and badassier (just go with it) than Nevernight.
Seriously, who knew that was even possible?
Questions are answered, many more are asked and we are slowly fed more information about Mia's past.
Prepare yourselves genltefriends, this book is a rollercoaster ride of emotion. I finished Godsgrave late at night and was propped up in bed like one of those clowns at the show, open mouthed, gasping and absolutely SHOOK. That ending is... 'NO HE DIDN'T' (yes he did).

Godsgrave hits shelves September 1st in Australia, make sure you preorder it from your lovely local bookseller of choice and for Goddess sake if you haven't read Nevernight yet, get on it!

There is no rating system in existence that could sufficiently rate how much I love this book. A huge thank you to Jay for being one badass author, for sending me a copy of Godsgrave and for that awesome surprise when I found my name in the acknowledgements at the end. You rock!

Tori xx

Godsgrave is the second novel in Jay Kristoff's Nevernight Chronicles. Nevernight has quickly become my favorite fantasy novel of all time, a mantle once held by Stephen King's Dark Tower series. If you haven't read Nevernight, go do so, and then come back for the complex, compelling sequel that is Godsgrave.

Is Godsgrave better than Nevernight? I say no, gentlefriends; Godsgrave is much, much better. Most middle novels in a trilogy series happen to fall under the "bridge book" title, where nothing of note happens and the novel simply exists to get from book one to the finale. Kristoff manages to avoid the pitfall by creating, in essence, a standalone story (Mia sells herself into slavery to compete in gladiator-esque games for her own personal gains) that also expands the overall mythology started in Nevernight (what is Mia, and what larger role does she play?).

Godsgrave is so full of twist and turns that it's almost impossible to talk about without spoiling it. So I won't; part of the joy of this story is discovering the surprises Kristoff has in store. I will say that it's a fast-paced tale, one that pretty much starts from page one and doesn't let up until the final revelation at the end. And boy, what an ending. There are two major twists and a cliffhanger that happen in the last 20-40 pages that left this reader eagerly waiting the final book.

If you loved Nevernight, get this book. If you love inventive fantasy and haven't read Nevernight yet, start there, and be prepared to enter a fantastic world of assassins, not-cats, and darkness.

This book has the perfect balance of violence, magic, sex, mystery and tragedy. Kristoff is a breath of fresh air with a writing prose that reads much like poetry and a narrator who you feel like you're old friends with (even if he doesn't always seem to like us haha) . We are back with Mia, Mr. Kindly and a few new characters who you cant help but to love or love to hate. Jay is an incredible world builder and knows just how much to give us and when to give it so we keep coming back for more. I couldn't put this book down. The first book was wonderful, but this second installment of the Nevernight Chronicle blows it out of the water. Its hard to believe that Kristoff will be able to top this, but if I've learned anything by reading this series, its that you shouldn't expect or assume anything with this story. One of the best reads I've had in a long time. Its a shame we have to wait until 2019 for the final book but...patience, gentle friends. I am more than confident it will be worth the wait :)

Godsgrave is a fantastic addition to The Nevernight Chronicles. Kristoff switches between humor and bloody murder with ease, keeping my eyes glued to the page and my fingers swiping through the pages. If the last 50 pages hadn't seemed a bit rushed (well-written, but rushed), this would've been a 5-star read for me.

I can't wait for Mia to murder a few dozen more people in Darkdawn!

*Original review on Goodreads and My Blog*

I loved this book better than the first one. Mia is just bad to the bone. The characters are great as well.

This book is a lot bloodier than the first book and more fighting.

All I have left to say is .... THAT ENDING!!

Mel ❤️

So unpredictable and so good! As good as, if not better than the first book. Hate it that it will probably be a year before the third book comes out but will greatly look forward to it. Excellent world building and great fun with memorable characters. Well done Mr. Kristoff!

Holy crapballs this series is amazing. If you know anything about ancient Rome or the politics thereof you'll recognize a lot of things in this book, but anything you've read set in a similar world will not have prepared you for this epic story. This one will grab you by the throat and pound your face into the hellishness of what it may have been like, but in the best way possible. My heart was in my throat the whole time I was reading, and because of this book I now have trust issues. I can NOT wait for the next one.

Loved this installment. Very much felt like I was reading a book of the TV show Spartacus: Blood & Sand at times, but I loved that show too.

Really looking forward to getting my hands on book 3!

Wow. Jay Kristoff is Quite the storyteller!! I’m one of those readers who want to p/u a book and fall into it. I thought Kristoff’s book 1 (Nevernight) was interesting but fell short at the end. THIS book 2 in his Nevernight series got me hooked and can not wait for book 3!

BRILLIANT. one word. that's all this book needs. It's absolutely brilliant.
What an amazing sequel to an incredible series. I'm always astounded by how magnificent Jay's writing style is. A mix of dark and humorous and heart achingly beautiful to read. The cast of characters and setting are so vibrant, it's almost as if they've jumped off the page and welcomed themselves onto your sofa to eat apple slices and watch you enjoy reading their story ... or else. And oh, what I wouldn't give to have Mia Corvere sit on my sofa .. *sigh*.
This is what art looks like, ladies and gentlemen.

As always, Jay Kristoff's novel is fast paced, beautifully written, and engaging. His writing is daring and does a wonderful job of emphasizing that characters do not have to be perfect and Disney-like just because this is a fantasy novel. Fantasy doesn't always have to be unicorns and rainbows. It can be different and should always surprise you. This story is about assassins, after all . It's dark, it's gritty, and raw. Godsgrave is my new favorite book.

I am definitely obsessed with Jay Kristoff and this series. It is full of action, drama, and sarcasm! The plot twists in this series always through me for a loop. The end of this book had me screaming for the third installment. I need it!

What an amazing follow-up to Nevernight! A non-stop thrill ride that keeps you on your toes until the very end. For all of you spoiler-seekers out there do yourself a favor and AVOID them. Speaking from one spoiler-seeker to another this book provided such an entertaining conclusion. You will not be disappointed.

OH MY F%$#%^# Black Mother , Definatly a cliff hanger and i will gladly hang there with bloody fingers until book three ,i am so beyond impressed with his writing style, mia's story is by far my absolute favorite ever !!!!! My reading life cycles in the 'byss until the next installment .

From Nevernight to Godsgrave, and soon to the next in the series(hopefully soon), Jay weaves a fastastic tale of love and loss(no meme intended), epic battles, vivid details, and overall loveable characters. Highly recommend.

Godsgrave's opening line "Nothing stinks quite like a corpse" shows us we're in for more of the writing that gave Nevernight it's dark excellence; it is just as graphic and gory as its predecessor.

Jay Kristoff uses the same technique of telling the story in the present with flashes to the past, so we start with Mia in an unexpected situation and it is some time before we discover how she found herself there. Jay's world building is epic. We learn a lot more of the history and the customs and it is so detailed that it feels like a real world as you read. The battle scenes are so well written that my nerves were shot to pieces and I was physically nervous for Mia's safety.

There are some familiar characters, friendships and rivalries and some new ones. We see Mercurio and Mia's almost father-daughter relationship in a lot more details and the relationship between Mister Kindly and Eclipse which is hilarious. One of the characters (who we are familiar with from Nevernight) gives Mia some information that forces her to question everything that she has been living for, but it comes from someone she isn't sure she can trust and this storyline keeps us on our toes for most of the novel.

Mia  herself is at times familiar and at other times makes decisions that seem unfathomable. We get to see more of her compassionate side and her morality as she finds herself living alongside slaves, then she makes decisions that seem heartless, but also not entirely unexpected. Mia remains unpredictable to the end.

Godsgrave has some serious shocks for readers. The one at the end floored me. I cannot wait for the next installment.

I was fortunate enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book, and let me tell you now, it did not disappoint.

The story picks up about eight months after the end of Nevernight, where we find that Mia has been sold into slavery for a long, convoluted plan that involves much more luck than any kind of skill in order to achieve its end goal. Kristoff excels in plot twists for this, and you can expect to be hanging off the edge of your seat as you get further into this book, with a conclusion that will just blow your mind. Trust me, this review has taken me nearly three weeks to write because I'm still reeling from it. Forget everything I said before about Victoria Aveyard and Leigh Bardugo being masters of plot twists. Kristoff is the new king (Bardugo remains Queen though...).

I love the characters in this series. If Karou (of Daughter of Smoke and Bone) is my spirit animal, then Mia is who I want to be if I end up in a fantasy world - any fantasy world. Mia is the girl you would hire to take out Arya Stark, Katniss Everdeen and Feyre. Hell, she'd probably give Aelin Galathynius a run for her money. Despite excesses of pressure from the Red Church, Mia continues to be true to herself and what she believes in. Call it stubbornness if you will, but I think it adds to her badass-ery. In terms of growth, I think that Mia becomes more patient, more forgiving, and more compassionate. Not necessarily traits that will keep an assassin alive, but they absolutely give her a greater depth.

Ashlinn, Mercurio and several others return in the sequel, plus we add a slew of new characters - all who make their own mark or impression on Mia, sometimes leaving a scar. Of those, Sidonius and Wavewaker were my favourite; however, let's have a little chat about Furian... So, because I'm an idiot and couldn't remember that Jonnen was eight years younger than Mia, I had a vague notion for the first half of this book that Furian and Jonnen might be one and the same. Let me tell you now, I have never (with the exception of Jon and Dany) wanted two people to be related and simultaneously wanted them to sleep together before. Don't get me wrong, I am not into incest (I feel like I need to clarify that), but the way this was written made me absolutely cheer them into a bedroom, while wondering (again, idiot) if they were related.

Also, Mister Kindly and Eclipse are hilarious. I just needed to state the obvious and point this out. In its own paragraph no less.

So I absolutely need to give kudos where they are due. Jay Kristoff can write. I mean, obviously, he's a writer, but considering the number of books I have DNF'ed this month (even with other circumstances), this book is a freaking masterpiece. The writing is captivating, descriptive, exciting and everything else that keeps you hanging on reading well past your bedtime. The only thing that I (love) hated was the ginormous cliffhanger at the end of the book, but only because it felt mean. Godsgrave isn't even out yet and you're asking me to wait until as yet unnamed book is released to find out what happens next? I may just die of anticipation in the interim.

Now, I know that I said the footnotes weren't as good as Pratchett's in my review of Nevernight; however, they definitely have their own voice. While it is possible to read the book without reading them, they add another level of awesomeness in the voice of the narrator, and they are equally descriptive and amusing. Also they add that extra level of world-building if you like that kind of thing. And if you don't like that kind of thing, then why are you reading fantasy???

In summary, this was one of my two most anticipated reads of 2017, and it delivered in spades. Thanks again to Jay Kristoff for hosting a giveaway for the Godsgrave ARCs, and also just for being a badass author who writes awesome books.

O gentlefriends, you are not ready for this...

In May of 2016 I was very lucky to get my hands on an early ARC of Nevernight after several months of harassing my extremely accommodating and patient Harper Collins rep. Something about this book screamed out to me, I needed it. Flash forward twelve months and Nevernight is one of my favourite books of all time. It is everything I have ever wanted in a fantasy novel. The staff at Dymocks Adelaide and members of The YA Circle book club will agree, I have sold the pants off this thing and am constantly annoying people with my passionate Nevernight speeches and general ranting about how badass it is. Sadly, I thought I would be waiting a long time until I was able to step back into Mia's world.

Hello May 2017 and after the most delightful Twitter exchange with Jay Kristoff, I came home one day from work to find a package for me on the door step... Godsgrave in all it's glory and it is GLORIOUS!

I have to confess that I am always a little terrified when I start book two of a series. Will it live up to book one? Am I going to be let down? I took my time reading Godsgrave, as much as I wanted to check out of life for ten hours and binge the entire thing, I made myself savour it. You only get to read a book you love for the first time once.

Godsgrave did not let me down, in fact it delivered to me everything I could ever want and need in the sequel to Nevernight. I am keeping this review completely spoiler free because I would never want to take away the OMG shock factor for a future reader. I want you also to feel like you've just been swallowed whole by a Sand Kraken when you finish it.
Hint hint there's a HOLY SH*T ending.

This time around our delightful young heroine/murderess finds herself deep in the brutal world of gladiatorial games in the Itreyan Republic. There are old faces, new faces and plenty of 'I want to punch them in the face' faces. Jay has expanded the world beautifully and we are treated to even more of an insight into Itreya and it's history. Our mysterious narrator returns and I promise you, you will both laugh and feel personally attacked by those snarky footnotes full of gems of information and snappy one liners.

Mia's character experiences immense growth in Godsgrave, I was enthralled seeing where Jay would take her. And seriously high five to him for what he has created. There is only one Mia Corvere and she deserves a seat in the fantasy character hall of fame. Our narrator tells us that book one is 'Birth', Book two is 'Life' and Book three is 'Death'. But Maw's teeth if that was 'Life' I am freakin terrified for 'Death'. Book three will probably ruin me.

I feel like I really can't do this book justice with words. But it is in fact bloodier, sexier, stabbier and badassier (just go with it) than Nevernight.
Seriously, who knew that was even possible?
Questions are answered, many more are asked and we are slowly fed more information about Mia's past.
Prepare yourselves genltefriends, this book is a rollercoaster ride of emotion. I finished Godsgrave late at night and was propped up in bed like one of those clowns at the show, open mouthed, gasping and absolutely SHOOK. That ending is... 'NO HE DIDN'T' (yes he did).

Godsgrave hits shelves September 1st in Australia, make sure you preorder it from your lovely local bookseller of choice and for Goddess sake if you haven't read Nevernight yet, get on it!

There is no rating system in existence that could sufficiently rate how much I love this book. A huge thank you to Jay for being one badass author, for sending me a copy of Godsgrave and for that awesome surprise when I found my name in the acknowledgements at the end. You rock!

Tori xx

This book has the perfect balance of violence, magic, sex, mystery and tragedy. Kristoff is a breath of fresh air with a writing prose that reads much like poetry and a narrator who you feel like you're old friends with (even if he doesn't always seem to like us haha) . We are back with Mia, Mr. Kindly and a few new characters who you cant help but to love or love to hate. Jay is an incredible world builder and knows just how much to give us and when to give it so we keep coming back for more. I couldn't put this book down. The first book was wonderful, but this second installment of the Nevernight Chronicle blows it out of the water. Its hard to believe that Kristoff will be able to top this, but if I've learned anything by reading this series, its that you shouldn't expect or assume anything with this story. One of the best reads I've had in a long time. Its a shame we have to wait until 2019 for the final book but...patience, gentle friends. I am more than confident it will be worth the wait :)

So unpredictable and so good! As good as, if not better than the first book. Hate it that it will probably be a year before the third book comes out but will greatly look forward to it. Excellent world building and great fun with memorable characters. Well done Mr. Kristoff!

From Nevernight to Godsgrave, and soon to the next in the series(hopefully soon), Jay weaves a fastastic tale of love and loss(no meme intended), epic battles, vivid details, and overall loveable characters. Highly recommend.