The second thrilling installment of the award-winning Nevernight Chronicle, from New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff. In a land where three suns almost never set, a ruthless assassin continues her quest for vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family. Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church hierarchy think … Church hierarchy think she’s far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she’s no closer to ending the men who destroyed her familia; in fact, she’s told directly that Consul Scaeva is off limits. But after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia’s suspicions about the Red Church’s true motives begin to grow.
When it’s announced that Scaeva will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end him. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between love and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world.
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Love Kristoff’s writing, his unique voice, and the way he crafts this Nevernight world is amazing. Not a series for the faint-hearted, be warned, gentle friends 😉
I said it before and I say it again…. I’m soo, soooo happy that I gave this book a try on audio after I had problems with the print copies. This easily became one of my top favorite books/series.
There is not much I can say about this book without spoiling it so I will make it super short. One thing I should mention though is, there is a lot of swearing and it is very graphic gore and also smut. So if you have issues with any of them I suggest to skip this series and read one of his YA books 😉
I loved Mia and her companions, so much fun but also very heartbreaking and informative at times. I loved the Mia’s growth throughout the series so far but mostly in this book. From the beginning she had a goal, and o matter what was going to follow the path to accomplishing that very goal, no matter the cost. While that was still very much true in this book, Mia also became a little bit more her own person. She also was still on the quest to learn more about what she is.
I can honestly say there are so many things happening in this book that I did not see coming, I thought I did but nope I sure did not. Nothing turned out the way I thought it might. There are so many twist and turns and surprises along the way that will make your head spin.
The ending …. It has been days since I finished it and I’m still in AWE ……. What a shocking cliffhanger we get with this book. I cannot wait for the next and final book, though I’m also scared to know who and how many people we will lose. Because I have a feeling that will be an even bigger bloodbath that we had with this book.
Overall. EPIC book I loved every minute of it, since I had the hardcover and the audio I also can recommend the audio, it was very well narrated.
I rate it full 5
A creative 2nd book that takes readers in a direction that plays out perfectly!
Read my complete review here: https://mistyaquavenatus.com/2019/08/01/why-you-need-to-read-godsgrave
I absolutely love the continuation of the series and Kristoff’s continued development of Mia. The writing is excellently paced, and I really love the use of the footnotes to develop the world. Great second book, and I can’t wait for the conclusion of the series.
GAH! I honestly can’t get enough of Mia or Ash and Jay’s writing.
Talk about a cliffhanger! We all know Jay Kristoff writes absolutely brilliant novels (if you don’t know that, please come out from under your rock and join us), and this was another brilliant example. Too many things were so great, so here’s a short list:
– The pacing! I hate books that bog me down in unnecessary explanations, and with the long timeline in this book, I expected to be frustrated with the pacing, but it was perfect.
– Those character arcs though. For real. I didn’t know who was good or bad because everyone was morally grey, which is one of my favorite techniques in books, even when it drives me nuts.
– The narration of the book. Sometimes it was formed to trick the reader, and it was so subtle and well done!
– Obviously the world building is It always is with Kristoff!
I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!
I really can’t get enough of this series! I want to visit this richly detailed world! And maybe go inside Kristoff’s mind to see just how he comes up with all of the detours through the histories of these people! It’s impressive. My head can’t even fully wrap around it, but I LOVE it.
Like Nevernight before it, I can’t say enough good things about this book. Everything a great fantasy novel should be. Adventure, at turns poignant, driven and true to its own voice. I wouldn’t want to be ANY of the characters in this book! But I do want to keep reading about them. Soon, gentlefriends. Soon.
GODSGRAVE, by Jay Kristoff, is the second book in his “Nevernight Chronicles”. This one takes place after the events in NEVERNIGHT, which I highly recommend reading first.
Diving into this book and being reacquainted with some familiar characters was quite a treat. I especially enjoyed the dark humor and sarcasm that was found throughout, even in the most serious of situations.
“. . . I did warn you he was an idiot . . . ”
Our “favorite assassin”, Mia Corvere, is still set upon avenging the death of her father, and the subsequent break-up/deaths of her family. Although she is now a “Blade” of the Red Church, she technically failed at her initiation.
“You don’t find any irony in earning your place in a cult of assassins by saving half a dozen lives?”
Kristoff’s characterization evolves with our individuals, making them all the more real to the reader. These are not stagnant roles set in stone by the first book, but rather they are changing continuously along with each new development.
“Your vengeance is as the suns . . . It serves only to blind you.”
I must admit that there were many twists and revelations that I did NOT see coming. This serves as a testament to how well I was able to be drawn into the narrative. I wasted no time in “predicting” what would come next, but rather existed in each moment along with the characters. This is perhaps the highest compliment I can give to an author. For the time I was reading this novel, those people and places became my reality.
“. . . when you take a person out of the world, you don’t just take them do you? You take everything they were, too.”
Mia’s character is quite complex, and her emotions are maturing along with the rest of her. Even in the face of some unsettling “truths”, she is able to process them, adjust, and move ahead accordingly.
“. . . The destination hasn’t changed, just the starting point.”
We are joined by some familiar faces, and other new ones. Each of these supporting characters are somehow helping our assassin towards her ultimate destiny–whether it be physically or mentally.
“Hurts, doesn’t it? . . . When you find out the ones who gave you life are just as mortal and frail as the rest of us? . . . ”
The action, deaths, gore, and emotions are all in full swing, as is Kristoff’s trademark sarcasm and gallows’ humor. (Again, one of the things that draws me to his writing style.) There is no good place to “pause” in this book, as something of importance is happening on every page.
“. . . For people like us, there are no promises of forever.”
Overall, my feeling is that this second novel in the “Nevernight Chronicles” was the perfect follow up in every way possible. The plot moves inexorably forward, there is a lot of character growth and development (that felt natural, never out of place or forced), and it ended on a note that leaves the reader “needing” to pick up that final book. This is a world that is easy to lose oneself in, a fictional escape from our own reality.
Isn’t that why we delve into these genres, after all?
“. . . Death is the only promise we all keep . . . ”
Highly recommended–to follow after Book 1, NEVERNIGHT.
Book two picked up where book one left us hanging. I found myself to be more frustrated with Mia during this book than with the first but I trusted the process. Mia is set on her revenge and now has added the very church that has turned her into a killing machine. Full of more gory deaths that I truly did not think was possible to even imagine killing someone, in the many ways that Jay Kristoff thinks of. Of course the ending was a jaw dropper and I look forward to book three.
My books look up to this series so much! <3
Everyone loves a map in a fantasy book, right? Well, Godsgrave has THREE! And they're all gorgeous! I was tempted to share pictures just this once, just to show you how pretty they are, but this review is going to be long enough already. So just take my word for it, maybe?
There are a lot of capitals in my notes for this review, and it's mostly Mister Kindly's and Eclipse's fault. I love them SO MUCH! I love their banter, I love their sarcasm, I love how they care about Mia in their own ways, and I love that they're there at all. More books need familiars. Or shadow familiars. Or shadow familiars with sarcasm. *takes notes* This books has a lot of the latter. It's so good, friends.
The dark humour (and yes, the sarcasm - did I mention it has some of that?) was one of the many things that sold me on Nevernight, and Godsgrave has plenty more. It actually starts with a quick recap of who everyone is before the story itself begins, and I read that even though there was no way I forgot just because it put all the smiles on my face. I feel like the dark humour is the soul of this series.
I know the footnotes in Nevernight aren't everyone's thing, but they're back and I read every. single. one of them. I'm a sucker for lore and this series has so much of it. It was fascinating for me to read everything that's related to the world but not necessarily to the story.
The relationships in this were excellent, and while there were some surprises it was the relationship between Mia and Mercurio especially that broke me. It was so special, friends <3 Really I'm lying, though, they all broke me. But Mia and Mercurio had a moment near the end and it stood out to me.
I accidentally read the last word in the book when I was only around halfway through (no, don't go spoil it, don't let me tempt you) but I'd seen it coming so I wasn't shocked or felt like I'd ruined anything. And then I read the rest of the last page when I actually finished the book and wow, I don't I don't know what to think now! I pre-ordered Book 3.
There's a lot of heavy swearing, gory blood shed, and sex in Godsgrave. I love that it doesn't shy away from any detail, but it might not be your thing if you're not into graphic detail and strong language. Otherwise, I'm recommending this series and insist you read it now if you haven't already! It's taken its place on my Forever Shelf alongside Nevernight, and I can't wait to add the next one.
Great book! One of the best I’ve read lately.
Godsgrave is everything I would have hoped for in a sequel. Such a thrilling and stabby book with so many twists. And the ENDING!!! All I can say is WOW. Well played, Kristoff, well played.