Nightingale

by Melissa Mickelsen

In a land of vast forests and clustered cities, humans and anthelai live in uneasy proximity. Forced deep into the wilds, the anthelai are feared and hated. They are perceived as monsters, servants of the dark god Enas, master of the hell-like Plains of Centura. Halfbloods, the children of two species, are extremely rare. The blood does not mix easy, but when it does, the result belongs to neither side. They are outcasts. Anathema. Pariah. The lone survivor of an attack that destroys her home and family, one halfblood girl is captured by a man bent on transforming her into a deadly assassin. Guildmaster Lorcen Caspon hopes that her demon-like presence at his side will aid him in conquering a kingdom. Bound by magic to work her master's dark plan, the woman, known only as the Nightingale, silently vows her revenge. She has lost her home, family, freedom, and even her name. But the Nightingale is stronger than anyone realizes, and she will not break.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure

310 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2012

About the author

Melissa loves hiking in the mountains, eating strawberries, reading, reading, more reading, and really good barbecue. Nightingale is her debut novel.

She began writing in high school and has published a few short stories in online magazines. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 2007 with a degree in Art History, Melissa worked in various jobs, such as a mental health technician at a large hospital and as a serials assistant in a medical library, before pursuing a master’s degree in technical communication and information design.

Reviews

[K.R. Gastreich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nightingale is the alias of a young half blood girl, daughter of an 'anthelai' (elf-like) father and a human mother, who survives a brutal attack on her home only to be captured by a man bent on transforming her into a deadly assassin.

This is a wonderfully engaging novel from start to finish; a story of innocence destroyed and rage honed into murderous intent. Though Nightingale becomes a cold-hearted killer, we sympathize with her plight every step of the way. The characters who populate her world are equally compelling. The ruthless and ambitious Caspon is easy to hate, and General Talros is nicely reminiscent of Victor Hugo's Inspector Javert in his relentless hunt for the assassin.

The only stumbling point for me in the novel was the manner in which Caspon gained control over his half-blood assassin. In an attempt to avoid spoilers, I will simply say that I would have liked to have seen a deeper psychological game played here, which I think would have worked just as effectively and even more insidiously than the tool employed by the novel.

Other than that, this was a near-perfect novel, and one I highly recommend to any reader of fantasy. I hope we do not have to wait long for Mickelsen's next book, as I very much look forward to reading more of her work.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story so much.

This book was a brilliant introduction to the dichotomous world of Antheleai and Cardeai. Bird's story from girlhood to adulthood is fraught with trauma and terror and resilience in the face of those worlds colliding both within and around her, as her half-blood heritage leads to her nearly ruinous tale.

I ate this book up. The writing was lyrical and beautifully paced, with natural integrations of created languages and lesser known vocabulary. I couldn't stop reading and I am so glad I got the chance to be introduced to Mickelsen's work. The next book cannot come fast enough!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lydia Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read this before it was a published book, but I assume the content is basically the same. It was great!! I'm so proud of Melissa for getting it published! It was a very well crafted story, good character development, engaging ,and well written. I look forward to her publishing more books :)

[Alison Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed Nightingale by Melissa Mickelsen and highly recommend it. It was a bit slow out of the gate at the beginning but at Chapter Three the story kicks into high gear and doesn't let up. The tragedy of the main protagonist Tylidae Teriel and how she becomes the feared assassin known only as the Nightingale makes for a riveting read. Mickelsen's world building is deep and draws you into the world of 'Antheleai' (elves) and 'Cardeai' (humans.) The dominant races are in deep opposition to each other and while they generally avoid interacting, rare violent clashes occur. It is such a raid that sets Tylidae on a dark path after she is taken by Lord Caspon to be used as an instrument of his ambition. Hot on her trail is the cardea General Talros, who exudes a Javert-vibe in his obsession to catch and kill the elusive and deadly assassin. As the first in a new fantasy series 'Nightingale' is an immersive and addictive story that will draw you along for the following books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[David Ketelsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book about Sa'tiul, a young female assassin. Definitely a 5-star read. A warning though, it's very dark at times. The villain of the story, guildmaster Lorcen Caspon, recruits Sa'tiul in an unforgivably bloody way and trains her mercilessly. This just adds to the drama and intensity of the story but might trigger tenderhearted folk. The result of this background is a very intense and riveting young woman. The book ends in a fashion that Sa'tiul, now known as the Nightingale, is temporarily safe but poised for future exploits. I've bought the next book and can't wait to see in what direction Mickelsen moves the series.

[Kalee McFall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, the story was able to keep my interest throughout. It had me feeling all sorts of emotions, this story was heartbreaking, thrilling, and unique. I can’t wait to read the next book.

My only criticism is that there were some sentences where the wording did make sense, I’m not sure if it was just the ebook copy offered on here or if it’s in the print book as well.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gayle Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW:

NIGHTINGALE is a half blood daughter of an 'anthelai' (elf-like) father and human mother. NIGHTINGALE is captured after an attack on her home. The man who captured her intends upon making her into a deadly assassin. The author takes you on a journey to a far away land and time.

Ms. Mickelsen's descriptions are wonderfully vivid. She describes the Anthela and Cardea people and their ways of life. The book is fast paced and hard to put down. The author keeps your attention from the moment you read the first page. NIGHTINGALE does become a heartless killer. So sad that innocence and naivety are destroyed and replaced with rage. You feel so sorry for NIGHTINGALE even though she has been honed into a killer. The other characters in the book are also interesting. The author gave us a wonderful story with a web of magic, fantasy and mystery all in a mix. This is a great read for the young and young at heart. I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers. I hope there are more books in the making.

I would give this book 4 STARS.

I liked the cover, 3.5 STARS

I received a complimentary copy of this book NIGHTINGALE from the author, Melissa Mickelsen for this unbiased review.

[Anabela Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book that transported me to a distant land and time.

[Dan Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tale with a touch of magic, mystery and fantasy wonderfully interwoven. Definitely recommend reading it and am hoping there is a follow on novel.