What do you think?
Rate this book
The Charlatan Duology #2
Thief of Night
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2025)The highly-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black's stunning adult debut, Book of Night.
Night is made of shadows and shadows have teeth.
Charlie Hall, glue trap for disaster, crooked from the day she was born, who’d never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on, may have finally met her match.
After defeating Salt and stealing her lover—the powerful shadow, Vince—back from under the noses of the powerful Cabal leaders, she thought she’d won. Agreeing to become the Hierophant and risking her life hunting down dangerous rogue shadows seemed a small price to pay if she got to do it while being tethered to Vince.
But Vince is no longer the man she loved. The tethering process wiped away his memories of the last year, leaving only Red—the ruthless shadow who spent years as a killer for a cruel, mercurial billionaire. Red doesn’t remember Charlie and doesn’t like her.
So when Charlie is ordered to track down the Blight responsible for a massacre at a local church, she’s worse than just alone, heartbroken, and outmatched. She’s vulnerable. In a world where shadows have wills of their own, the question isn’t just how to survive. It’s how to protect yourself from the on thing you can never escape—your own shadow.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Night is made of shadows and shadows have teeth.
Charlie Hall, glue trap for disaster, crooked from the day she was born, who’d never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on, may have finally met her match.
After defeating Salt and stealing her lover—the powerful shadow, Vince—back from under the noses of the powerful Cabal leaders, she thought she’d won. Agreeing to become the Hierophant and risking her life hunting down dangerous rogue shadows seemed a small price to pay if she got to do it while being tethered to Vince.
But Vince is no longer the man she loved. The tethering process wiped away his memories of the last year, leaving only Red—the ruthless shadow who spent years as a killer for a cruel, mercurial billionaire. Red doesn’t remember Charlie and doesn’t like her.
So when Charlie is ordered to track down the Blight responsible for a massacre at a local church, she’s worse than just alone, heartbroken, and outmatched. She’s vulnerable. In a world where shadows have wills of their own, the question isn’t just how to survive. It’s how to protect yourself from the on thing you can never escape—your own shadow.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 23, 2025
664 people are currently reading
58336 people want to read
About the author
Holly Black
221 books126k followersHolly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,061 reviews
July 4, 2022
haven't read it bc it's not out yet but who is giving a holly black book one star before it's even released?? fight me.
November 13, 2025
4.25 stars
There is a tiny part of me that thinks this book was a bit lackluster for a finale, but honestly, the love I have for Charlie as a character is so big and vast that I don't even care. There doesn't need to be any fanfare, there doesn't need to be some big shocking and dramatic ending, and besides, the book does end
I just know more casual readers who expect every book to be Fourth Wing are going to have some shit to say and that makes me preemptively defense *shrug*
This book, this series, these characters rather, are very under-the-radar.
If you like subtly and nuance, then give this duology a read.
Personally, this series is kind of everything I could ever want.
We've got some interesting magic elements where shadows come to life and can be evil, we've got a FMC who has spent most of her life feeling unloved, we're got an unusual romance between said FMC and and we've got a fun and thrilling mystery happening.
It's great, it's made for me. Most people probably won't like it.
----------------------------
pre-ordered kindle version on 7/28/25 for $14.99
----------------------------
(edit) This cover is so beautiful it made me actually cry.
The way I am SALIVATING for this book
There is a tiny part of me that thinks this book was a bit lackluster for a finale, but honestly, the love I have for Charlie as a character is so big and vast that I don't even care. There doesn't need to be any fanfare, there doesn't need to be some big shocking and dramatic ending, and besides, the book does end
I just know more casual readers who expect every book to be Fourth Wing are going to have some shit to say and that makes me preemptively defense *shrug*
This book, this series, these characters rather, are very under-the-radar.
If you like subtly and nuance, then give this duology a read.
Personally, this series is kind of everything I could ever want.
We've got some interesting magic elements where shadows come to life and can be evil, we've got a FMC who has spent most of her life feeling unloved, we're got an unusual romance between said FMC and and we've got a fun and thrilling mystery happening.
It's great, it's made for me. Most people probably won't like it.
----------------------------
pre-ordered kindle version on 7/28/25 for $14.99
----------------------------
(edit) This cover is so beautiful it made me actually cry.
The way I am SALIVATING for this book
October 2, 2025
I don't have a ton of stuff to say about this one, as the pacing and writing are very much like its predecessor. That is to say, it has a very slow start, but once it gets going, it is quite the page-turner. As usual, my girl Holly Black completely knocks her characters and story out of the park. Her imagination is just incredible. I also thoroughly enjoyed how Charlie's and Red's relationship developed. They had fantastic chemistry. 4 stars.
______________________________
Pre-review
UPDATE: WE HAVE A COVER!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
______________________________
Pre-review
UPDATE: WE HAVE A COVER!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 21, 2025
Thief of Night is everything that I wanted it to be. It was a strong sequel to Book of Night, bringing the same dark, grungy urban fantasy aesthetic while diving deeper into the characters and the politics of shadow magic in this city. I would highly recommend rereading book one if it has been a while since you read it. I finished my reread before immediately jumping into my ARC of the sequel, and the refresher really helped.
After re-experiencing the heart-wrenching cliff hanger at the end of Book of Night, the tension and angst in Thief of Night immediately grabbed my attention. Charlie Hall is down on her luck (more so than usual), and the one good thing in her life has seemingly abandoned her. I found Charlie’s character more compelling in this second installment. It definitely helped that I was already familiar with her, but, in general, I found the character work stronger and more emotionally engaging. I loved seeing her grow and learn from her mistakes earlier in the series. Even Posey felt more substantial in this book.
I went into this book highly anticipating the romantic angst, and Thief of Night absolutely delivered. I loved watching the two characters navigate this very difficult situation and grow closer as a result. I really love the attention to Red’s character arc. The short interview transcriptions and moments from his POV really added a lot of insight to his character.
The mystery was engaging with just the right amount of tense action scenes. Though it could be a little predictable at times, I love how everything tied together. I appreciate that this sequel gives readers more tangible insight into the cabal; however, I do think that the shadow magic in general could have been more fleshed out.
Would I recommend Thief of Night to people who didn’t like the first book? No. I read an ARC of Book of Night years ago and was genuinely surprised to find that I was one of very few people who actually liked it lol. Though my second read definitely drew my attention to a few of the weaker parts of the story, this is a series that I find incredibly entertaining. Thief of Night has some of the same flaws as the first book, with generally vague world-building and a magic system that doesn’t quite explore its full potential. Though these books are already relatively short, I wonder if they would have been stronger as a series of novellas like the urban fantasy series When Among Crows.
Thief of Night is a wild ride filled with scheming, backstabbing, angsty romance, and shadowy threats.
Thank you Tor for the eARC!
Links to my TikTok | Instagram
After re-experiencing the heart-wrenching cliff hanger at the end of Book of Night, the tension and angst in Thief of Night immediately grabbed my attention. Charlie Hall is down on her luck (more so than usual), and the one good thing in her life has seemingly abandoned her. I found Charlie’s character more compelling in this second installment. It definitely helped that I was already familiar with her, but, in general, I found the character work stronger and more emotionally engaging. I loved seeing her grow and learn from her mistakes earlier in the series. Even Posey felt more substantial in this book.
I went into this book highly anticipating the romantic angst, and Thief of Night absolutely delivered. I loved watching the two characters navigate this very difficult situation and grow closer as a result. I really love the attention to Red’s character arc. The short interview transcriptions and moments from his POV really added a lot of insight to his character.
The mystery was engaging with just the right amount of tense action scenes. Though it could be a little predictable at times, I love how everything tied together. I appreciate that this sequel gives readers more tangible insight into the cabal; however, I do think that the shadow magic in general could have been more fleshed out.
Would I recommend Thief of Night to people who didn’t like the first book? No. I read an ARC of Book of Night years ago and was genuinely surprised to find that I was one of very few people who actually liked it lol. Though my second read definitely drew my attention to a few of the weaker parts of the story, this is a series that I find incredibly entertaining. Thief of Night has some of the same flaws as the first book, with generally vague world-building and a magic system that doesn’t quite explore its full potential. Though these books are already relatively short, I wonder if they would have been stronger as a series of novellas like the urban fantasy series When Among Crows.
Thief of Night is a wild ride filled with scheming, backstabbing, angsty romance, and shadowy threats.
Thank you Tor for the eARC!
Links to my TikTok | Instagram
September 12, 2025
I kind of wish I had gone back and reread the first book in this duology as after a few years my memory was hazy. I will say this one drew me in quickly and I am not sure it mattered a whole lot. I did quickly remember Charlie, a wonderful anti-hero if I ever saw one. This book wove wonderful things together and while it was emotional at times it was well done. I would love to have a whole series about these characters, but I do have to admit that this wrapped up the story well enough that I do believe the description saying this is book 2 of 2. I listened to the audiobook and I really liked the narration a lot. I especially liked the interviews that Red did where he sounded beyond creepy which was a little grounding set sprinkled in between Charlie’s perspective of falling in love with him.
September 12, 2025
A great close to the duology of the book of night. What I absolutely recommend is if you read book 1 a while ago (2-3 years) then definitely do a re read before starting book two as it immediately jumps in to where things left off and if book 1 isn’t fresh in your memory you may regret not going back to have the best reading experience possible.
Book two is an equal match to book 1, if not better. Especially after the cliff hanger book 2 definitely satisfied all of my cravings for closure
A modern fantasy more to the darker side with urban vibes, the series definitely offers a different vibe to the usual tropes.
Thank you for the advanced copy!
Publish date September 23rd
Book two is an equal match to book 1, if not better. Especially after the cliff hanger book 2 definitely satisfied all of my cravings for closure
A modern fantasy more to the darker side with urban vibes, the series definitely offers a different vibe to the usual tropes.
Thank you for the advanced copy!
Publish date September 23rd
September 27, 2025
WE HAVE A COVER. THIS IS GETTING REAL
Quite shockingly, I had no idea that this was a duology.
Quite shockingly, I had no idea that this was a duology.
September 23, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the pre-release copy of Thief of Night by Holly Black. Below you'll find my honest review.
I really wish this one had been a trilogy and not a duology, because I absolutely wasn't ready to say goodbye to Charlie Hall and the ragtag cast. I really want more in this world, even if it's not with Charlie and Vince/Red and Posey and all of them. The magic system with shadows and blood is fantastic!
Maybe one day Holly Black will return to this world. Fingers crossed. Until then, highly recommend this duology, but please start with Book of Night. Jumping in on the last half of a two book story is just silly!
I really wish this one had been a trilogy and not a duology, because I absolutely wasn't ready to say goodbye to Charlie Hall and the ragtag cast. I really want more in this world, even if it's not with Charlie and Vince/Red and Posey and all of them. The magic system with shadows and blood is fantastic!
Maybe one day Holly Black will return to this world. Fingers crossed. Until then, highly recommend this duology, but please start with Book of Night. Jumping in on the last half of a two book story is just silly!
Read
March 13, 2024We have a title!!! Thief of Night.
EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK - Can wait for the cover!
EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK - Can wait for the cover!
January 5, 2023
We have a title!!! Holly Black confirmed during a live event in Jan. 2023 that this book will be called Thief of Night.
She's going to write it AFTER the second book in her Stolen Heir duology, which does not yet have a release date. So we may be waiting for a while 😢
She's going to write it AFTER the second book in her Stolen Heir duology, which does not yet have a release date. So we may be waiting for a while 😢
October 26, 2025
5/5
3 lata czekałam na kontynuację i się nie zawiodłam 😩 przypadła mi do gustu o wiele bardziej niż okrutny książę. Ten świat magii, Charlie jako złodziejka i Red/Vince/Remy to tacy przeklęci kochankowie którzy nie mogą być razem. Zagadka kryminalna jak zawsze dobrze poprowadzona ✨
3 lata czekałam na kontynuację i się nie zawiodłam 😩 przypadła mi do gustu o wiele bardziej niż okrutny książę. Ten świat magii, Charlie jako złodziejka i Red/Vince/Remy to tacy przeklęci kochankowie którzy nie mogą być razem. Zagadka kryminalna jak zawsze dobrze poprowadzona ✨
September 8, 2025
Waiting for Charlie
Often when I read a novel, I get the impression that the author wrote it backward. That is, she began by imagining a banging final scene, then sat down to move all the players into position for that final scene to happen.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that the novels that give me that impression were actually written that way. Typically I have no information about the writing process. In only one case I know does the author more or less acknowledge writing the book in this way. I am only suggesting that, if a novel were written so, it would look like this one.
Today, in particular, this one is Holly Black's Thief of Night. Thief of Night has a banging final quarter. The final fight and ending trickery is exciting and satisfying.
The first three-quarters were distinctly less banging. The problem for me was that Charlie's distinct character was barely discernable during this time. Thief of Night is the second book in the Black's Charlatan duology. The first book was Book of Night. I liked it a lot because I really liked Charlie Hall, the heroine. She's a con artist who does everything wrong but manages to pull out wins against the odds.
Charlie is still the main character, even during the first three-quarters. But she felt disappointingly generically action-hero-ish during this time, when it seemed to me that Black was just getting all her ducks in a row.
The Charlie I love did show up for the final act. If you have the patience to wait for the big bang, it's entertaining.
I received an advance reader's copy from NetGalley and Tor, for which I am grateful. Release date: 23-Sep-2025.
Blog review.
Often when I read a novel, I get the impression that the author wrote it backward. That is, she began by imagining a banging final scene, then sat down to move all the players into position for that final scene to happen.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that the novels that give me that impression were actually written that way. Typically I have no information about the writing process. In only one case I know does the author more or less acknowledge writing the book in this way. I am only suggesting that, if a novel were written so, it would look like this one.
Today, in particular, this one is Holly Black's Thief of Night. Thief of Night has a banging final quarter. The final fight and ending trickery is exciting and satisfying.
The first three-quarters were distinctly less banging. The problem for me was that Charlie's distinct character was barely discernable during this time. Thief of Night is the second book in the Black's Charlatan duology. The first book was Book of Night. I liked it a lot because I really liked Charlie Hall, the heroine. She's a con artist who does everything wrong but manages to pull out wins against the odds.
Charlie is still the main character, even during the first three-quarters. But she felt disappointingly generically action-hero-ish during this time, when it seemed to me that Black was just getting all her ducks in a row.
The Charlie I love did show up for the final act. If you have the patience to wait for the big bang, it's entertaining.
I received an advance reader's copy from NetGalley and Tor, for which I am grateful. Release date: 23-Sep-2025.
Blog review.
August 16, 2025
Imagine falling in love with your shadow
Charlie was a liar and a con artist. Red was a Shadow, her ex-boyfriend who wasn’t really, and bound to her. Oh, and he needs her blood to thrive.
I was never addicted or felt drawn to this book, but when I was reading it, it was a good time.
Holly Black knows how to write character development which is apparent even in this short duology. The biggest skill is fleshing out even the side characters so we see them grow too.
No, Charlie wanted to insist. People only love you if you make it worth their while. No one loves you once they see your weaknesses. No one loves your flaws. No one loves your ugly, broken parts. No one loves you and expecte nothing more than your love in return.
This was perfectly wrapped up in terms of character arcs and I felt mostly satisfied by how the story ended.
I can’t say I completely understand how Blights work or the different aspects of ‘magic’, but I do love how Holly incorporated it all into our current reality.
There’s TikTok gurus, conspiracies, people trying to apply theology and philosophy to it.
I do wonder about the New Adult… it feels similar to The Cruel Prince in terms of content and tone except for the steamier scenes.
Physical arc gifted by Del Rey.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Charlie was a liar and a con artist. Red was a Shadow, her ex-boyfriend who wasn’t really, and bound to her. Oh, and he needs her blood to thrive.
I was never addicted or felt drawn to this book, but when I was reading it, it was a good time.
Holly Black knows how to write character development which is apparent even in this short duology. The biggest skill is fleshing out even the side characters so we see them grow too.
No, Charlie wanted to insist. People only love you if you make it worth their while. No one loves you once they see your weaknesses. No one loves your flaws. No one loves your ugly, broken parts. No one loves you and expecte nothing more than your love in return.
This was perfectly wrapped up in terms of character arcs and I felt mostly satisfied by how the story ended.
I can’t say I completely understand how Blights work or the different aspects of ‘magic’, but I do love how Holly incorporated it all into our current reality.
There’s TikTok gurus, conspiracies, people trying to apply theology and philosophy to it.
I do wonder about the New Adult… it feels similar to The Cruel Prince in terms of content and tone except for the steamier scenes.
Physical arc gifted by Del Rey.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Want to read
March 9, 2024[MARCH 9, 2024] Soooo Holly confirmed last night that she’s currently working on this!!! and SO excited!!! I’ll be stalking NetGalley like a little gremlin
September 22, 2025
I think a lot of what I originally critiqued about BOOK OF NIGHT is applicable to its sequel and the biggest bit is this : outside of one element of the story, which in this case was the changed dynamic between Vince and Charlie, I just didn't care about the rest.
The plot with its new mystery? No investment. The "stakes"? Didn't feel any. Caring about any of the other returning faces? Absolutely not. Posey, Charlie's sister, was just as frustrating as she was before. I still couldn't get a read on Balthazar, he seemed to.. do nothing at all? And all these Cabal bigwigs who are supposed to be all powerful and whatnot? They had absolutely no impact at all. And unfortunately for all Adeline is still around. But you'll have to tune in to find out if she gets her comeuppance or not. No spoilers.
I'm sad to be coming to the end of this series on a low note but this was a world that just felt flimsy -- and if you doubt me, just wait until you find out how Charlie saves herself in the big climax. My eyes nearly rolled out of my head. And I'll admit there is a sense of some things being left unresolved or at least not dealt with in a satisfying manner. But I will say this instalment did feel better written than the first, so, there's that.
I think if you enjoyed book one, you will likely enjoy this, too. But if you started on the fence, well. You'll have the roll the dice and see where it lands for you.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
The plot with its new mystery? No investment. The "stakes"? Didn't feel any. Caring about any of the other returning faces? Absolutely not. Posey, Charlie's sister, was just as frustrating as she was before. I still couldn't get a read on Balthazar, he seemed to.. do nothing at all? And all these Cabal bigwigs who are supposed to be all powerful and whatnot? They had absolutely no impact at all. And unfortunately for all Adeline is still around. But you'll have to tune in to find out if she gets her comeuppance or not. No spoilers.
I'm sad to be coming to the end of this series on a low note but this was a world that just felt flimsy -- and if you doubt me, just wait until you find out how Charlie saves herself in the big climax. My eyes nearly rolled out of my head. And I'll admit there is a sense of some things being left unresolved or at least not dealt with in a satisfying manner. But I will say this instalment did feel better written than the first, so, there's that.
I think if you enjoyed book one, you will likely enjoy this, too. But if you started on the fence, well. You'll have the roll the dice and see where it lands for you.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
September 25, 2025
I like Holly Black's writing, but I wasn't a fan of folk of the air, so when she came out with an adult urban fantasy book I picked it up immediately. It was a long while until the conclusion, but I'm happy to say it lived up to the first book.
This duology isn't perfect, and I believe a lot of people, especially fans of her ya series, will not like it, but personally I loved it. I'm always a fan of morally gray main characters, and this book gave me exactly what I like.
Thief of Night was a good conclusion to the duology, and I hope Holly writes more adult fantasy.
This duology isn't perfect, and I believe a lot of people, especially fans of her ya series, will not like it, but personally I loved it. I'm always a fan of morally gray main characters, and this book gave me exactly what I like.
Thief of Night was a good conclusion to the duology, and I hope Holly writes more adult fantasy.
November 20, 2025
this was a fine ending to the duology! but i’m afraid it was SO boring. felt like a slog to read. however, keeping it at 3 stars bc i do generally like how things wrapped up and the character development. but genuinely one of the most boring books ive read all year lol felt like it was 1000 pages long
October 1, 2025
Charlie Hall, glue trap for disaster, crooked from the day she was born, who’d never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on, had finally met her match.
I loved this book so much. It wasn't as complicated as the last one but the vibes were immaculate, plot not so but I enjoyed it nonetheless. And, let me say it CHARLIE AND RED ARE SO JUDE CARDAN CODED and as someone who adores TFOTA series, this is not a light thing to say. The yearning and everything in between was so goooooood.
~~~~~
I didn't know this book was releasing in 2025🤣🤣 though, I am very excited read more about Charlie and her shadow🤭🤭
I loved this book so much. It wasn't as complicated as the last one but the vibes were immaculate, plot not so but I enjoyed it nonetheless. And, let me say it CHARLIE AND RED ARE SO JUDE CARDAN CODED and as someone who adores TFOTA series, this is not a light thing to say. The yearning and everything in between was so goooooood.
~~~~~
I didn't know this book was releasing in 2025🤣🤣 though, I am very excited read more about Charlie and her shadow🤭🤭
Want to read
March 24, 2023I'll swear fealty to Holly Black if she gives me a fabulous new book every year.
October 4, 2025
Damn, can I have a do-over? I should've re-read Book of Night before starting Thief of Night. Three years is too long to wait for a sequel.
This was really good, but I could've loved it if I'd known wtf was going on and remembered all the characters - and there are A LOT of characters. At least my review of Book of Night was helpful. The sequel was much heavier on the romance than the original book, too.
This was really good, but I could've loved it if I'd known wtf was going on and remembered all the characters - and there are A LOT of characters. At least my review of Book of Night was helpful. The sequel was much heavier on the romance than the original book, too.
January 7, 2023
I am FROTHING AT THE MOUTH waiting for this book!!!!
July 9, 2025
did i not write a review of this? i swore i did now i’m confused
September 7, 2025
ARC Review
1.5 stars
This was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it was utterly disappointing. Let's get into it.
The Plot - The mystery plot in this book was so uninteresting and boring throughout the entirety of the book. The mystery from the first book was tied to Charlie's past and also her present, and was basically resolved by the end. The mystery in this book has zero connection to anything so I had no reason to care. The person that brings the case to Charlie's attention is a new character, the main suspect is a new character, and everyone involved is new. So it makes the books feel like a mystery of the week which doesn't work in a duology. The first book should be the first half of a story and the second should then wrap it up, but you get a whole new plot in this with a bunch of new irrelevant character that I simply could not have cared about if I tried
The Romance - The romance was honestly the only thing that kept me invested in the book and was the only thing that really tied the events of the first book to this book. But it also wasn't fleshed out very well by the end. And the last chapter with them and a certain other character was so unsatisfying given this characters past actions.
Charlie - She had zero backbone for a good chunk of this book. We are told she's this badass within this world of thieves and to most people but that is shown sparingly throughout the book. She consistently lets these awful people, including her sister, use her and walk all over her. I just wanted to scream at her to open her mouth and stand up for herself, start questioning things, do something, please!!
Now let's get into the side characters because they also ranged from pointless to infuriating.
Posey - Charlie's sister was annoying in the first book and she ramps it up to 10 in this book. This girl clearly only cares about herself and the author at no point ever redeems her character. She consistently uses her sister for her own selfish gain and at one point in the books goes so far as to try and blackmail her. There's no resolution for that either they just move on as if that wasn't a messed up thing to do to your sister who you claim to love.
Don - He's a new one for this book and genuinely what was the point of his character, to be a dick to Charlie at work?? I will say the endings resolution with him was entertaining.
The Ex - Again why, he's talked about briefly in the last book and that's how it should have stayed.
With all that being said my overall gripe with the book is that it felt pointless. The very last page of Book of Night gives it a cliffhanger. Which if that had been rewritten to not have the buzzer beater cliffhanger it could have easily been a standalone. At this point it should have been because this book brought nothing to the table to keep me engaged.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher (Tor Publishing Group) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
1.5 stars
This was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it was utterly disappointing. Let's get into it.
The Plot - The mystery plot in this book was so uninteresting and boring throughout the entirety of the book. The mystery from the first book was tied to Charlie's past and also her present, and was basically resolved by the end. The mystery in this book has zero connection to anything so I had no reason to care. The person that brings the case to Charlie's attention is a new character, the main suspect is a new character, and everyone involved is new. So it makes the books feel like a mystery of the week which doesn't work in a duology. The first book should be the first half of a story and the second should then wrap it up, but you get a whole new plot in this with a bunch of new irrelevant character that I simply could not have cared about if I tried
The Romance - The romance was honestly the only thing that kept me invested in the book and was the only thing that really tied the events of the first book to this book. But it also wasn't fleshed out very well by the end. And the last chapter with them and a certain other character was so unsatisfying given this characters past actions.
Charlie - She had zero backbone for a good chunk of this book. We are told she's this badass within this world of thieves and to most people but that is shown sparingly throughout the book. She consistently lets these awful people, including her sister, use her and walk all over her. I just wanted to scream at her to open her mouth and stand up for herself, start questioning things, do something, please!!
Now let's get into the side characters because they also ranged from pointless to infuriating.
Posey - Charlie's sister was annoying in the first book and she ramps it up to 10 in this book. This girl clearly only cares about herself and the author at no point ever redeems her character. She consistently uses her sister for her own selfish gain and at one point in the books goes so far as to try and blackmail her. There's no resolution for that either they just move on as if that wasn't a messed up thing to do to your sister who you claim to love.
Don - He's a new one for this book and genuinely what was the point of his character, to be a dick to Charlie at work?? I will say the endings resolution with him was entertaining.
The Ex - Again why, he's talked about briefly in the last book and that's how it should have stayed.
With all that being said my overall gripe with the book is that it felt pointless. The very last page of Book of Night gives it a cliffhanger. Which if that had been rewritten to not have the buzzer beater cliffhanger it could have easily been a standalone. At this point it should have been because this book brought nothing to the table to keep me engaged.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher (Tor Publishing Group) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2025
I'm not mad... But I am certainly underwhelmed.
I 1000% wish this was just a book of Charlie and Red. I finished a week ago and I don't remember the plot, and unfortunately, because there was a plot, I've also forgotten a bunch of details of Charlie and Red as well.
Why didn't you review it a week ago?!
I WAS UNDERWHELMED!!!
At the 3/4 mark, I think we got the best development between them, and then a whole confusing and disappointing climax happens, and I lost that loving feeling.
The thing that kills me is that I know Holly Black can write a story that I absolutely love. When Jude sliced the head off that snake and Cardan emerged??? And then when I remember Jude and Cardan, I can't help but feel she did not reproduce anywhere near that level of angst here. But maybe the plot was so meh that it killed the vibes... Other books of this ilk back up their vibes with amazing plot and I think this duology had a lot of potential that was just not realized.
Characters were very one-dimensional. The magical... factions? were overly complicated in a story that didn't need that complication. I thought it was difficult to keep track of everything in the first book, and I thought "oh no, I better try harder, because it's going to be important, the difference between a gloamist and a puppeteer and an alterationist... and what even are the masks???"
Let me spoil this for you: it definitely doesn't matter. And in the first book, I was too taken by the charm of the story, and I even said in my review that shadows just equal magic and just to enjoy the ride. But by the second book, you expect these things to matter and yet... and yet... And you'd be forgiven if the unnecessary complication makes you pay attention to the wrong things. One might even ask, 'Why am I even being told this unnecessary information? Why isn't there just more Charlie and Red angst?? If it's not going to be important later on...? Why oh why would you introduce so many useless characters only to make the bad guy the angry ex?!?!'
I'm sad about how disappointed I was on this one. I love LOVE the vibes, and the wonderfully charming characters that are Charlie and Red, but the plot was nonsense, a real letdown, and for her first "adult" books? Be serious please! Lotta missed opportunity here.
I 1000% wish this was just a book of Charlie and Red. I finished a week ago and I don't remember the plot, and unfortunately, because there was a plot, I've also forgotten a bunch of details of Charlie and Red as well.
Why didn't you review it a week ago?!
I WAS UNDERWHELMED!!!
At the 3/4 mark, I think we got the best development between them, and then a whole confusing and disappointing climax happens, and I lost that loving feeling.
The thing that kills me is that I know Holly Black can write a story that I absolutely love. When Jude sliced the head off that snake and Cardan emerged??? And then when I remember Jude and Cardan, I can't help but feel she did not reproduce anywhere near that level of angst here. But maybe the plot was so meh that it killed the vibes... Other books of this ilk back up their vibes with amazing plot and I think this duology had a lot of potential that was just not realized.
Characters were very one-dimensional. The magical... factions? were overly complicated in a story that didn't need that complication. I thought it was difficult to keep track of everything in the first book, and I thought "oh no, I better try harder, because it's going to be important, the difference between a gloamist and a puppeteer and an alterationist... and what even are the masks???"
Let me spoil this for you: it definitely doesn't matter. And in the first book, I was too taken by the charm of the story, and I even said in my review that shadows just equal magic and just to enjoy the ride. But by the second book, you expect these things to matter and yet... and yet... And you'd be forgiven if the unnecessary complication makes you pay attention to the wrong things. One might even ask, 'Why am I even being told this unnecessary information? Why isn't there just more Charlie and Red angst?? If it's not going to be important later on...? Why oh why would you introduce so many useless characters only to make the bad guy the angry ex?!?!'
I'm sad about how disappointed I was on this one. I love LOVE the vibes, and the wonderfully charming characters that are Charlie and Red, but the plot was nonsense, a real letdown, and for her first "adult" books? Be serious please! Lotta missed opportunity here.
November 3, 2025
This duology wrapped up perfectly! I had fun with Charlie and crew. Definitely recommend!!
Read
October 22, 2025THIEF OF NIGHT was a satisfying pay-off to what might be the best trad-pubbed urban fantasy I've read. I'm not entirely sure that the mash of genres quite worked for me, though this may be more about taste and expectations than anything else. This duology is an UF with a protagonist who happens to be a thief rather than a heist/con story in an UF setting, which I was hoping for: the protagonist is a convincing con artist, but if you're a fan of heists and cons - LEVERAGE, the OCEAN'S movies, and so on - you might want to know that that is not the story structure being used here.
What DID work for me in this duology was the beautifully written relationship arc. Not only that, but the entire arc takes place in the context of an established relationship between mature adults. In book one the protagonist is in a relationship with someone who is picture perfect and she's trying hard to live up to that perfection. Then it all gets exposed as an illusion, and book two is not just about her having to deal with the things he's kept from her but also both of them learning to be transparent and vulnerable with each other. It was beautifully understated and also rather poignant, but not something I'm accustomed to seeing in fiction.
What DID work for me in this duology was the beautifully written relationship arc. Not only that, but the entire arc takes place in the context of an established relationship between mature adults. In book one the protagonist is in a relationship with someone who is picture perfect and she's trying hard to live up to that perfection. Then it all gets exposed as an illusion, and book two is not just about her having to deal with the things he's kept from her but also both of them learning to be transparent and vulnerable with each other. It was beautifully understated and also rather poignant, but not something I'm accustomed to seeing in fiction.
Want to read
September 17, 2022Me patiently waiting for the sequel! 🙃
December 9, 2025
Charlie Hall, glue trap for disaster, crooked from the day she was born, who'd never met a bad decision she wasn't willing to double down on, had finally met her match.
December 3, 2025
I'm so disappointed but the ending was cute .
December 15, 2025
Catching shadows and trying not to die pt. 2. Plus a little murder mystery sprinkled in and a dash of
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,061 reviews