The Night King's Court

by Elisa A. Bonnin

Caraval meets Flowerheart in this rich and immersive cozy fantasy, where dazzling magic, lush descriptions, and a sweet sapphic romance cast an irresistible spell.

Ida’s father went missing without a trace seven years ago, last seen at the court of the enigmatic Night King, which comes to life only after dark with magic and revelry.

So when a position opens up for a new court Luminaire, Ida doesn’t hesitate. She inherited her gift for enchantments from her father—and with this position, she’ll use it to find him again.

Ida is swept into the king’s collection of magical beings, those who bring light and entertainment to the Court’s midnight gatherings—and swept away by the Court, where faerie gardens edge into underwater masquerades, dreaming revels offer blissful escapes, and life is a mesmerizing euphoria.

Yet a sinister thread interrupts Ida’s nights of decadence. Memories go missing, the castle’s magic takes on a malevolence, and Ida can’t seem to leave the boundaries of the court itself.

Enlisting the help of the king’s breathtakingly beautiful daughter Lenore, Ida must unravel the castle’s secrets… before this enchanted world destroys her.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Lesbian, Cozy Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Queer

Unknown Binding

Expected publication April 28, 2026

About the author

Elisa A. Bonnin was born and raised in the Philippines, then moved to the United States to study chemistry and later oceanography. After completing her doctorate, she moved to Germany, where she now works as a scientific writer. A lifelong learner, Elisa is always convinced that she should “maybe take a class in something” and as a result, has amassed an eclectic collection of hobbies. But writing will always be her true love. Publishing a book had been her dream since she was eight years old, and she is thrilled to finally be sharing her epic fantasy stories. She is the author of Dauntless, Stolen City, Lovely Dark and Deep, and her forthcoming novel, The Night King’s Court.

Reviews

[shreya‎ ‎ ‎ ⋆‎ ‎ ‎ semi ia‎‎ ‎ ‎ ⑅‎ ‎ ‎ ֺ]

⌗ ρrє-rєα∂ ⭑.ᐟ
⤷ ᯓ the premise seems really interesting so i decided to send a request for the arc, i was curious, bored, and i really needed a good fantasy read atm 😌

𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 ⋆ im very excited especially because there is no other review yet so i feel very.. motivated to be the first to rate it!

⠀
⤿ thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the eARC!

[Samantha Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval series. A magical court, a missing father, and a girl with candle magic. Ida is determined to find out the truth about her father that strangely no one remembers. She makes friends with Lenore (her romantic interest) and Vegard. An intriguing story with excellent world building, a mystery, unique magic, and closed door sapphic romance.

[Aila Krisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

«The Night King’s Court» is a wonderfully atmospheric story of grief and healing. Ida is a mage who can create illusions and imbue them into candles. She returns to the court where her father mysteriously disappeared some years ago, and assumes the position of court Luminaire once held by her father. She is intent on finding out what happened to him and bring him home, and to accomplish this she plans on gaining the night king’s trust, for she believes he will have the answers she seeks.

This was certainly a very lovely YA fantasy adventure and quite an enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the three main characters and their dynamic throughout the book. The ambiance of the story, especially during the court’s many festivities was absolutely impeccable. The descriptions of the ballroom were entrancing and created an image of ostentatious glamour that stayed with me through the whole story.

The thing I appreciated the most about this book is its portrayal of grief. Ida’s quest to find her father is, at the same time, heart-warming and heart-breaking to witness. Her journey through grief is absolutely the main throughline of the story, to the point where it sort of suffocates the other plot threads to an extent.

The book tries to also explore Ida’s identity as a visibly bi-cultural person in a seemingly quite culturally homogenous society. It’s definitely an interesting concept, but it feels very half-hearted, because it will be brought up for one paragraph, only to then go unmentioned for the next 4 chapters. The same happens to the sapphic romance subplot, which is very sweet and lovely, but again only seems to pop up a bit sporadically.

I also struggled a bit with the world-building and magic-system, as both are very ‘loose’ and not too well explained. We obviously learn the most about Ida’s powers, seeing as she is the POV character, but the rest is a bit wishy-washy. Obviously, not every fantasy novel needs an intricately fleshed-out magic system, but in this case it did sometimes mess with the immersion.

Overall, I did still enjoy this story, even with its flaws, in large part because of the dynamic between Ida, Lenore and Vegard, with their found family vibes.
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Many thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Night King’s Court by Elisa Bonnin is an enchanting sapphic fantasy.
While the premise is straightforward, the world building and magic system was lacking and confusing at times. I was hooked in the beginning, but the pacing slowed around the middle mark. Overall, it’s a light, quick read, and I enjoyed the interaction between the 3 main characters.
Thank you HarperCollins, NetGalley, and Elisa Bonnin for the eARC. Expected publication date is April 28, 2026.

[Starr ❇✌❇]

"a sapphic YA fantasy by Elisa Bonnin, about a girl with the power to weave illusions through candle-magic who infiltrates a magical midnight court to find her missing father, only to discover she's now trapped in the same enchanted Collection that may have claimed him, pitched as a queer The Night Circus meets Spirited Away"

[Teenage Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts:
Elisa Bonnin writes a creative, heartfelt visionary novel about a girl simply trying to learn what happened to her father. Despite its title, this story is free of any spice; Bonnin focuses instead on our main character Ida building a tender relationship with her love interest, who happens to be the King’s daughter, Lenora. Their friendship-to-romance arc is sweet and refreshing, proof that authors can write a simple love story without diving into theatrics.
But while love is present, the story is driven by Ida’s grief over her father’s disappearance. Her need to know, to heal, to understand how the man from her memories is suddenly gone keeps the plot emotionally anchored. Bonnin slowly releases backstory details, and although the pacing slows in places, she keeps readers in suspense as Ida risks everything to stay under the King’s radar as his apprentice. The magic system is well explained, unique, and beautifully handled—making this a standout one-off fantasy novel.

Plot and Writing:
In Bonnin’s world, certain people are blessed with the ability to craft magical candles. When lit, these candles produce images, sounds, and scents that transport the audience into another realm as long as the flame burns. The Night King, who is only awake during the nighttime hours, appoints a Luminaire to craft these special candles for his court.
Ida’s father served as the court Luminaire until seven years ago, when he disappeared—and strangely, no one but Ida seems to remember he existed. Driven to uncover the truth, Ida goes undercover and secures a probationary position as the new Luminaire. As she befriends other magical members of the Night King’s court, Bonnin slows the pace to let readers settle into court life, revealing just how dangerous Ida’s search for her father truly is.
While Ida continues her unofficial investigation, she also must learn the duties of the Luminaire, and the novel spends meaningful time showing her craft in action. The writing is easy to follow, and Bonnin brings the magic to life vividly, showcasing Ida’s skill while also giving her space to explain why learning the truth matters so deeply to her.

Characters:
I really enjoyed experiencing this story through Ida’s perspective, though I would have loved to see Lenora’s point of view—just to know whether her feelings matched Ida’s sooner. Bonnin reveals that answer eventually (it is a romance, after all), but I personally wanted that reveal earlier.
Ida carries a lot of grief, and while Bonnin explores it thoughtfully, it never overwhelms the story. Ida’s kindness and quiet determination shine as she navigates court life and forms genuine friendships with Lenora and Vegard, learning to rely on others for the first time. Her yearning for answers drives her arc, and when she finally learns the truth near the end, her growth is clear—she must rebuild herself from that moment.
I appreciate that Bonnin avoids turning Ida into the typical fierce warrior heroine. This story values Ida’s creativity over her bravery; she’s not a coward, but she’s also not a fighter or a prodigy. She’s simply talented and determined, which gives the novel a refreshing softness.
Some side characters deserved more depth—Vegard had great potential but fell a bit flat because he wasn’t Ida’s love interest. And the Night King, with his ominous presence, could have been used more as an active threat rather than just a looming one.

Conclusion:
This one-off fantasy novel does an excellent job building a world and developing characters all within a single book. As Ida follows her father’s path and hunts for clues about his disappearance, the story moves at a gentle pace but remains engaging and emotional. With a lovable trio of friends, a unique magic system, and meaningful themes of grief and healing, this novel is a perfect read for fantasy lovers—or for anyone looking for an approachable entry point into the genre.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ida is a mage who casts her magic through the use of her candles, which she learned from her father who disappeared while working as a court mage himself. To discover the truth behind his disappearance and hopefully find him, Ida becomes the court enchantress at the same court where he once worked, although nobody seems to remember him and only two other magical beings are willing to help her search.

This fantasy novel is beautifully written, with vivid descriptions that make the reader feel like they’re really in the enchanted castle. It has the best descriptions of books I’ve read recently, and that’s very helpful when it comes to fleshing out the unusual magic in this book. Ida casts her spells through the use of candles that create illusions, which makes her valuable at King Aurel’s court that is only awake during the night.

There are elements of this book that I think cozy fantasy readers will enjoy, although the stakes are somewhat higher than in some other cozy fantasy books. I would put this book in a similar category as Witches of Honeysuckle House by Liz Parker, which is described as “healing fiction”. A key part of Ida’s journey throughout The Night King’s Court is healing from the disappearance of her father, and how she’s always felt out of place as a mixed-race girl going between various places where she never felt truly at home. Ida’s fictional ethnicity is from a fictional island chain that was colonized, and I imagine the author’s Filipina heritage inspired that. It’s a fictional ethnicity, but it will probably still be relatable to mixed-race or multicultural readers.

There is a sapphic romance in this book, although I’d say it’s more of a fantasy with a side of romance than a romantasy. There are also found family elements in this book, and that’s also an important part of Ida’s emotional arc. The romance is sweet and young adult-appropriate, and it doesn’t get much further than kissing, which will please people who don’t like the amount of sexiness that can be in some young adult books.

The medium pacing of the book allows the reader to linger on the beautiful descriptions without sacrificing too much of the plot, which really gives the book its magic. It’s 400 pages long, which doesn’t feel like too much or too little, and I liked pretty much all of the characters (except for King Aurel, naturally.)

The Night King’s Court releases April 28 from HarperCollins Childrens’s Books. Thank you to Elisa A. Bonnin, HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Michelle Eisele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Ida, who is a talented girl who can enchant candles to have different properties. She loves her father dearly and has inherited his magic and now she wants to use her talents to find her missing dad. He was last known to be in the Night King's Court so when a position opens up there, she seeks to fill it and do a little sleuthing on the side.

This book hit a middle spot for me. I actually like how Ida is talented without being this amazing warrior or brilliant genius, but instead lets her determination and creativity take the spotlight. I feel like too many books highlight how physically strong a character is, or how they are this rare brilliance. Ida is a talented magician, but she is also super creative. Ida is a problem solver, which is but it comes out in a different way, which is so underrated in today's FMCs. She also finds good friends along the way who help her solve the mystery of her father's disappearance. That being said, while I haven't read Flowerheart, I have read Caraval and it's one of my favorite books. I can see some minor parallels, but this book fell flat for me in terms of the comparison. Maybe that's unfair? IDK.

I will also add, as a school librarian that lives in a state where books are heavily regulated and censorship seems to be the main goal rather than education, there are no curse words in this book, no drinking, zero sex (it alllllmost seems like two characters might kiss but they don't), and very mild representations of violence (very, very mild). Basically, one of the cleanest YA reads I've read in a long time.

[Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️ Magical fast paced YA sapphic novel perfect for that itch for an encapsulating fantasy feeling. This book was quite an enjoyable read. I found myself captured in the story and the magic and it never left me bored. I found the characters to be easy to connect and relate to and the overall storyline was interesting. I can’t say it was quite a twist of the plot but I found it enjoyable nonetheless. The romance was sweet but quite slow so don’t go into this for that, moreso its just an addition to the story not a main part. This being said, I loved the interactions between Ida and Lenore, they were both so sweet together and I wish there was more interaction between them and that their romance was just a little more developed, although I under the choice to not. Overall, I definitely recommend this book for that mystical magic fall vibe or if you’re looking for your next read. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for letting me read this early in exchange for an honest review.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful read that's full of magic and wonder at every turn. The Night King's Court is a great read that knows how to set a scene and make you wish you had a magical candle. Ida who has traveled to join the Night King's Court in search of her missing father, is a lovable person to follow and is shown to be a genius in her craft and quickly finds herself swept up in a scheme involving members of the Collection and strange magic within the castle. The best parts of this book are the descriptions and the relationship between Ida and her friends; the worst part of this book was the lack of time gave for the characters to exist and just interact with the world. This whole adventure takes place over roughly 6 months according to the end of the book, but the pacing made it feel much faster, which is both a pro and a con. If you want something with beautiful descriptions of magic, slow friends-to-lovers, and a fast-paced plot this is your book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

[Abbie Riddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book unfolds rather quickly and takes place in a span of less than a year. The premise is engaging, the characters are likable. I found the author did a good job of writing deep and complex emotions in a way that makes them believable and easily folds into the story. Unfortunately I found myself struggling to keep an interest in the book, and found myself over the course of the week of reading this book picking up other stories before reminding myself I needed to read this one to the end. I don't think it was anything in particular about the book that was distracting or caused me not to have interest, it just did. Like I said, the story is really unique and interesting. The two main characters are great and the atmosphere and magic system is great. Overall this is (or should be) a fairly quick read with great pacing and good characters.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this! I was drawn to this book due to the cover and title. After reading the description, I was eager to start reading and I was not disappointed at all! I’m not very well versed in fantasy but I was able to grasp the story pretty well and seemingly build the world the author created in my mind. I will admit there were some things that I didn’t really understand but I still really liked this book! I will say due to this story being YA, it mostly focuses on the fantasy side rather than the romance but I would say there is still romance.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you to Harper Collins for giving me an ARC of this book via NetGalley. These thoughts are my own.**

I DNF'd this book about 25% of the way through. I did not enjoy the writing style. The tone was very monotonous, and the world lacked depth. Similarly, I found the characters to be rather flat.

There wasn't much of a plot besides the main character trying to find her father, which I think made me bored and uninterested in reading further. There were some interesting hints of magic here and there, but not enough to make me want to keep reading.

[Michaela Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

This one felt a bit more strictly YA and atmospherically more mechanical and stiff and it didn't really work for me. For some reason this one just didn't really flow, the overlapping timelines were clunky.
I liked Ida's growth, but her relationships with Lenore and Vegard felt a bit forced, it wasn't until the very ending that it felt less frosty and rigid between them all.

I did enjoy the magic in revels and Ida's descriptions of how she creates her magic with the candles. And the fury and obsession of completing an artistic venture. But it did feel a little more like perhaps a prequel.

[zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

ngl i feel like i was robbed because i truly expected to LOVE this book. it has everything i wanted (sapphic romance, cozy fantasy with a mysterious court and uncovering a mystery, a unique magic), yet while there's nothing glaringly wrong, i just find it a little bit lackluster, like it's not quite there. It's still a decent read and i would recommend others to check this out, but it didn't blew my mind

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Night King’s Court is such a beautiful mix of magic and emotion. The heartfelt way the author portrays grief and heavy emotions is so well done, and it really added to my enjoyment and appreciation of this book. The atmosphere is fantastically written and beautifully crafted. I found myself fully immersed which is what I look for in a fantasy novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! High fantasy with some unique magic. The romance was sweet, the characters are well thought out and the world building felt quite lush. Had a wonderful time with it!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC in exchange for honest review.

Fast paced read with a good portrayal of grief. Felt like the story rushed at times, but had a sweet romance that made me feel invest in the couple. Had good world building and fresh magic system. I want a magic candle!

[Deanna Crago · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright not my favorite but it was enjoyable the story was fun and had potential but I lost interest quickly.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Lucia]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooo good! I haven't read a fantasy in months and this one did not disappoint. I loved how magic was used in this book very unique. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to edelweiss for the opportunity to read this early.