Book of Night (Hardcover)
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Staff Reviews
If you, like me, are waiting not-so-patiently for Leigh Bardugo to write the sequel to her adult novel, The Ninth House, here’s something to keep you busy in the meantime. Holly Black’s first foray into writing for grown-ups is an urban fantasy with a stunning mix of magic, horror, heists, and the perfect amount of impossible romance. There is nothing I love better than an author who creates a believable twist on magic, and Black’s world building is outstanding. Every page feels overcast and dark, and no wonder; human shadows are infused with power to be sold or traded and even killed for. Additionally, her characters are nuanced and sharply portrayed. Main character Charlie tries to keep a low-profile as a bartender, hiding from her past as a thief, but as in all the best novels, that past just won’t leave her alone. Her sister and seemingly perfectly nice boyfriend struck me as not to be trusted from the beginning. Were my instincts right? Find out for yourself on May 3rd! But here’s a warning for you, clear your schedule before you turn to page one, because you won’t put Book of Night down until you reach the gasp-out-loud last page.
— Jenny ChouMay 2022 Indie Next List
“Holly Black’s adult fantasy debut is as chilling, dark, and action-packed as you’d expect. The world of shadow magic is fascinating, the story is an absolute page-turner, and Charlie is messy, clever, and completely relatable.”
— Olivia Marchese, Author's Note, Medina, NY
Description
"A delicious, dark, adrenaline rush of a book. I'm already dying to see Charlie Hall's next con." - New York Times bestselling author, Alix E. Harrow
#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of betrayals, secret societies, and a dissolute thief of shadows, in the vein of Neil Gaiman and Erin Morgenstern.
Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn’t pick, a book she couldn’t steal, or a bad decision she wouldn’t make.
She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie Hall.
Now, she’s trying to distance herself from past mistakes, but getting out isn’t easy. Bartending at a dive, she’s still entirely too close to the corrupt underbelly of the Berkshires. Not to mention that her sister Posey is desperate for magic, and that Charlie's shadowless, and possibly soulless, boyfriend has been hiding things from her. When a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie descends into a maelstrom of murder and lies.
Determined to survive, she’s up against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, gloamists, and the people she loves best in the world—all trying to steal a secret that will give them vast and terrible power.
About the Author
Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of speculative and fantasy novels, short stories, and comics. She has sold over 26 million books worldwide, and her work has been translated into over 30 languages and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. Book of Night is her adult fiction debut.
Praise For…
"Dark, strange, thick with mystery and twists—a story so believable in its magic, you'll be keeping one eye on your shadow as you turn the pages." — Leigh Bardugo, New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House
"If Neil Gaiman channeled Stephen King, the result might be this book . . . scintillating prose, whiplash twists, and a voice of character that demands to be heard from again.” — James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Starless Crown
“Heart, soul, and a bit of kink—Book of Night is smart, decadent fun.”— Kelly Link, Pulitzer Prize Finalist
"A dark romp full of danger and shadows with a razor sharp heroine and vivid magic." — Zoraida Córdova, Nationally bestselling author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
"A deliciously clever page-turner." —Paolo Bacigalupi, New York Times Bestselling author of The Water Knife
"Book of Night delivers hot sex, a breathless plot, perfect characters, and some of the most gorgeous writing I've read in years, sharp as a razor blade, clear as a one-way glass." — Ellen Kushner, award-winning author of Swordspoint
"A delicious, dark, adrenaline rush of a book. I'm already dying to see Charlie Hall's next con." - New York Times bestselling author, Alix E. Harrow
"A dark and glittering cocktail of a book, heady with glamour and seediness, deep magic and desperate grifters. Black's spiky, irresistible heroine will lead you like a will o' the wisp into the dark." — Melissa Albert New York Times Bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
"Holly Black is a master of fantasy with the Midas touch--there is no story she cannot turn to gold." — V.E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
"A gripping ride from start to finish. Book of Night invites you to reckon with the shadows of your past." — Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six
“Black is a master at world-building.” — The New York Times
Praise for The Cruel Prince:
“Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book…. This delicious story will seduce you and leave you desperate for just one more page.” —Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and the Shadow and Bone trilogy
“I require book two immediately. Holly is the Faerie Queen.” —Victoria Aveyard, #1 bestselling author of the Red Queen series