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Shattering of the Nocturnai #1
Nightforged
Seventeen-year-old Lilik is gutterborn and sick of it. Done groveling to the tyrannical trader class and watching her family suffer, she is ready to be a hero. And the opportunity has finally arrived. Lilik's nation is under siege by brutal sea tribes. But there is hope: on a distant volcanic island, a months-long night has fallen. An expedition plans to set sail, including young women-all trader-class-who will harness powerful magic gathering in the island's dark. Blind to the consequences, Lilik bluffs her way aboard and plunges into the dark. Shortly after landfall, disaster strikes the expedition. Marooned in the oppressive dark, Lilik's shipmates succumb to primal fears, turning on each other. To survive, Lilik must evade the savages, unravel the island's ancient secrets, and master her own, innate magic before it drives her mad. Anything else will lead to her execution... and a cataclysm unseen since the last millennium.
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2017
370 people are currently reading
570 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 6, 2017
3.5ish. I didn't hate it but I did have problems with it. In the end, I'll probably still give book 2 a chance. ps- I LOVED this book cover. It's amazing and what initially drew me to the book
June 24, 2017
When you read a book with unique lore, interesting plot, and great childhood best friends arc potential, but then heteronormativity strikes and the only way for a gal and a guy to remain best friends is if they each have a respective love interest. I was so utterly crushed by this. The love tringle-y feel? The cringe-y romance bits that only served for some extra emotion drama? So unnecessary. Not to mention the inconsistency in Lilik's feelings. We could have had it aalllll!
September 24, 2020
This is one of those hidden gems if you like: adventure, travel, distance cultures and a young woman learning her own worth. Some have likened it to lord of the flies for an older generation, and while I can understand the comparison, there is so much more to the tale. The class warfare and self doubt mixed with the typical human element of wanting to find a love interest is some times hard to read. All of this is what some people describe as angst.... not a fun emotion for me. I like the survival stuff and the battle scenes. There are more books in the series but I will take a break due to the serious nature of some of the above mentioned topics.
February 9, 2018
3.5 rating. The cover for this is AWFUL. It makes no sense and I almost skipped over this book just based on that. HOWEVER! I have read some of Summers' other books and found them well written, so I gave this one a chance.
I didn't love but I also didn't hate it. The world building was rather interesting, altho the premise of the plot was not different from others I have read. I found the characters interesting, but still lacking a lot of development. There were also a lot of things in the plot that I saw coming already, I am hoping the next book will have a lot more interesting plot twists.
This was such a quick read, I literally read it in one day.
I didn't love but I also didn't hate it. The world building was rather interesting, altho the premise of the plot was not different from others I have read. I found the characters interesting, but still lacking a lot of development. There were also a lot of things in the plot that I saw coming already, I am hoping the next book will have a lot more interesting plot twists.
This was such a quick read, I literally read it in one day.
August 16, 2018
I liked the survival and "become a leader" parts of the story, but they were short. Most of the story is inner monologue - self pity, guilt and angst. Not my favorite topics, so maybe that is why I forgot that I had finished this book and most of what happened. (I did finish, didn't I? Yes, now I remember the facepalming and grumbling I did during those last pages.)
I might have had a bit too high hopes for this one after reading Temple of Sorrow by the same author. They are not the same genre at all, despite how similar in style their titles may seem. Some good and some bad makes me feel like it was an OK book. Probably great if you enjoy angst!
I might have had a bit too high hopes for this one after reading Temple of Sorrow by the same author. They are not the same genre at all, despite how similar in style their titles may seem. Some good and some bad makes me feel like it was an OK book. Probably great if you enjoy angst!
April 26, 2017
Young teen level. Gets weak around 70%
Very young/naive ideals of life, death, love. Could do with less morale dilemma and more practicality. The adults in group were not believable characters.
Very young/naive ideals of life, death, love. Could do with less morale dilemma and more practicality. The adults in group were not believable characters.
October 20, 2017
What a great book!. What a wonderful read this is. I looooved it.
I received this book as a gift from the author. And, as a thank you and because I loved the book, I have written this review for her.
This is a very captivating story. When I first started to read it, I was half expecting the average fantasy story, with magic, and possibly a bit of mystery included. You know what I mean, there are so many books like that out there right now.
But as I began to read this book I found I was quickly becoming rather involved in the story; I realised that it was very difficult to put it down. Honestly. Yeah, everyone says that right? But this story captured me and I was seriously engrossed after the first chapter.
I think the difference this book has from other stories of the same ilk, is in the way in which Carrie Summers has captured the sense of excitement and thrilling nature of the story. Additionally, I loved the site of most of the action in this book. It was unusual and grabbed my attention immediately. I loved the evil vibe I got from the main 'baddy' in this story. And the transformations of the characters behaviour etc throughout the story were really well done. The main change was the way I thought of the 'strands'. They were simply marvellous! What a brilliant idea to change their nature during the story! I will say no more about them, in case I give too much away. But, amazing!
The characters that made up the main group are fun and really three dimensual individually. They worked together well. Some of them had funny quirks to their personalities which made me really love them, even the less pleasant ones. There were others I learned to hate and yet they still drew me in emotionally. Great writing Carrie!
The main characters were from a variety of walks of life and they found themselves thrown together in unusual circumstances and sent to a fascinating environment that were badly equipped for as people. The island they were sent to was awe inspiring and frightening. Whilst there, the group they were tested to the max by the surroundings and they all had to learn to accept each others differences and even utilise them pretty darn quickly in order to have a fighting chance to live.
I have actually said practically nothing that will give away any part of this story. I did this deliberately as I feel you will enjoy it far more if your views are not coloured by mine.
This is a great book. It has awesome action and tension that grips you from the first pages.
I think that if you give it a chance, you won't be disappointed. It left me wanting more, I imagine it will leave you feeling the same way.
I received this book as a gift from the author. And, as a thank you and because I loved the book, I have written this review for her.
This is a very captivating story. When I first started to read it, I was half expecting the average fantasy story, with magic, and possibly a bit of mystery included. You know what I mean, there are so many books like that out there right now.
But as I began to read this book I found I was quickly becoming rather involved in the story; I realised that it was very difficult to put it down. Honestly. Yeah, everyone says that right? But this story captured me and I was seriously engrossed after the first chapter.
I think the difference this book has from other stories of the same ilk, is in the way in which Carrie Summers has captured the sense of excitement and thrilling nature of the story. Additionally, I loved the site of most of the action in this book. It was unusual and grabbed my attention immediately. I loved the evil vibe I got from the main 'baddy' in this story. And the transformations of the characters behaviour etc throughout the story were really well done. The main change was the way I thought of the 'strands'. They were simply marvellous! What a brilliant idea to change their nature during the story! I will say no more about them, in case I give too much away. But, amazing!
The characters that made up the main group are fun and really three dimensual individually. They worked together well. Some of them had funny quirks to their personalities which made me really love them, even the less pleasant ones. There were others I learned to hate and yet they still drew me in emotionally. Great writing Carrie!
The main characters were from a variety of walks of life and they found themselves thrown together in unusual circumstances and sent to a fascinating environment that were badly equipped for as people. The island they were sent to was awe inspiring and frightening. Whilst there, the group they were tested to the max by the surroundings and they all had to learn to accept each others differences and even utilise them pretty darn quickly in order to have a fighting chance to live.
I have actually said practically nothing that will give away any part of this story. I did this deliberately as I feel you will enjoy it far more if your views are not coloured by mine.
This is a great book. It has awesome action and tension that grips you from the first pages.
I think that if you give it a chance, you won't be disappointed. It left me wanting more, I imagine it will leave you feeling the same way.
November 25, 2017
I was lucky to get my hands on an advanced readers copy. And this book is so good that I’ve been asking around if anyone would know a publisher in my local country to translate and publish this because I think it’s that good! Not that I received anything for promoting or simply reviewing this book but I believe this would be loved by many more readers so I’m glad to do it. I do believe Carrie Summers has earned it with this book and I want a community where I can talk about it surounded by other fans.
Such a great story that I would almost forget about the confusing start. Since it all becomes clear further along it’s certainly forgiven. But non the less; here are the facts.
Starting this book was a pleasure because that cover is so inviting.
The title of both the book and the series is intriguing and also inviting. It leaves you wondering who or what the Nocturnai are and what ‘nightforged’ stands for.
The discovery of who (or as it would turn out: what) the Nocturnai are, was rather difficult. It would’ve been better if that became clear sooner. Therefor I’ll explain so you can enjoy this book from the beginning.
The Nocturnai are the long journeys travelling to an island, Ioene, for something called nightstrands. Nightstrand are used to strengthen their weapons to fend off an enemy that comes raiding their islands since normal weapons are inefficient. The process of embedding these nightstrands into those weapons is called nightforging.
First there are these tests at home for girls to try out and see if they have that certain (rare) talent to see the nightstrands. The strands can only be seen and captured by these certain girls and are only found on Ioene, hence the need for those voyages.
And so, the travelers are chosen, the ship sets sail and once they arrive on Ioene not all goes as expected. The group must overcome several problems, survive and find a way back without loosing themselves. And for some, that’s a bigger challenge that it seems...
“The lamp hissed when its flame licked a drop of condensation from the glass hood.” ~p.145
Carrie weaves in just enough details to make everything more lively and realistic. Without overfeeding the reader and loosing pace.
“Flight was my only choice, get away and return with help. ... With terror digging talons into my back, I vaulted” ~p.149
And the right words to give maximum suspence,
“Regret is a privilege earned by survivors”. ~p.151
And some jewels
“Goodbye, Lilik. You did a good job, despite yourself.” ~p.240
And let’s not forget: some humor to tie it all together.
So definitely worth the read and I, for one, can’t wait to continue reading about the adventures of Lilik and her fellow travelers.
Such a great story that I would almost forget about the confusing start. Since it all becomes clear further along it’s certainly forgiven. But non the less; here are the facts.
Starting this book was a pleasure because that cover is so inviting.
The title of both the book and the series is intriguing and also inviting. It leaves you wondering who or what the Nocturnai are and what ‘nightforged’ stands for.
The discovery of who (or as it would turn out: what) the Nocturnai are, was rather difficult. It would’ve been better if that became clear sooner. Therefor I’ll explain so you can enjoy this book from the beginning.
The Nocturnai are the long journeys travelling to an island, Ioene, for something called nightstrands. Nightstrand are used to strengthen their weapons to fend off an enemy that comes raiding their islands since normal weapons are inefficient. The process of embedding these nightstrands into those weapons is called nightforging.
First there are these tests at home for girls to try out and see if they have that certain (rare) talent to see the nightstrands. The strands can only be seen and captured by these certain girls and are only found on Ioene, hence the need for those voyages.
And so, the travelers are chosen, the ship sets sail and once they arrive on Ioene not all goes as expected. The group must overcome several problems, survive and find a way back without loosing themselves. And for some, that’s a bigger challenge that it seems...
“The lamp hissed when its flame licked a drop of condensation from the glass hood.” ~p.145
Carrie weaves in just enough details to make everything more lively and realistic. Without overfeeding the reader and loosing pace.
“Flight was my only choice, get away and return with help. ... With terror digging talons into my back, I vaulted” ~p.149
And the right words to give maximum suspence,
“Regret is a privilege earned by survivors”. ~p.151
And some jewels
“Goodbye, Lilik. You did a good job, despite yourself.” ~p.240
And let’s not forget: some humor to tie it all together.
So definitely worth the read and I, for one, can’t wait to continue reading about the adventures of Lilik and her fellow travelers.
November 5, 2019
Coming into this book, I wasn't really expecting very much of it, and after reading the first 10 or so chapters, that's exactly what I felt like I got, nothing very much out of it.
I ended up shelving it for almost an entire year unfinished due to how boring it felt, and how I disliked the overall relationship like quarreling between the two protagonists of the story.
After having finished all the books I had to read a week ago, I decided to finally give this book a second chance, not hoping for anything better than the first time around, but I still felt a second chance was warranted due to having the complete set.
First of all, I'd like to start off by saying that this book is pretty much all about World Lore, Character, and Relationship Building.
The first 10 to 15 chapters are going to be boring and uninteresting, and you are going to feel very compelled to drop the book for another one, but trust me. Keep shouldering on!
After you've shouldered through the boring part of the book, it starts getting better and better for every chapter, as you'll have gotten more invested in each character, their relationships with each other, their status and how it plays a role in their relationships with each other, and not to mention the struggles that Lilik has to face and go through with her lack of skill and something new.
I can genuinely say, after having finished the book, that I'm now looking forward to reading the continuation of the story in the next book - of which I've already started on, - and find out how things will play out.
The only reason the book doesn't get a full 5 stars, is my slight dislike for so-called "origin" stories, and I felt like this book was too similar to such books for my liking.
I ended up shelving it for almost an entire year unfinished due to how boring it felt, and how I disliked the overall relationship like quarreling between the two protagonists of the story.
After having finished all the books I had to read a week ago, I decided to finally give this book a second chance, not hoping for anything better than the first time around, but I still felt a second chance was warranted due to having the complete set.
First of all, I'd like to start off by saying that this book is pretty much all about World Lore, Character, and Relationship Building.
The first 10 to 15 chapters are going to be boring and uninteresting, and you are going to feel very compelled to drop the book for another one, but trust me. Keep shouldering on!
After you've shouldered through the boring part of the book, it starts getting better and better for every chapter, as you'll have gotten more invested in each character, their relationships with each other, their status and how it plays a role in their relationships with each other, and not to mention the struggles that Lilik has to face and go through with her lack of skill and something new.
I can genuinely say, after having finished the book, that I'm now looking forward to reading the continuation of the story in the next book - of which I've already started on, - and find out how things will play out.
The only reason the book doesn't get a full 5 stars, is my slight dislike for so-called "origin" stories, and I felt like this book was too similar to such books for my liking.
April 8, 2019
Lilik is gutterborn but she always dreamt of becoming a Nocturnai! the only problem was that the trader class were the only girls who applied for the trials to be chosen if they had the gift to call the nightstrands. She applied and got chosen but only because she got a tip off, so she went on the voyage to the far off volcanic island when in reality she was faking her abilities, and the rest of the crew turned against her, and blamed her when things started to go wrong upon arrival. However even though she had to battle for her life many times over, Lilik was no coward and during her escapade she discovered she was more than she seemed and as it turned out she might be the saviour of both the living and the dead. The world building in this story is beautifully descriptive and the main characters are very charismatic, Lilik, Raav, and Paono are all heroic in their own way! Carrie summers turns a simple sentence into something else as in 'leaf litter drifted in corners like huddled beggars.' and 'The doorways looked like open mouths, gasping in despair at the ruin that surrounded them.' So very poetic in her description of the old ruined city of Ashkalan. This is a wonderful first book in the series the Shattering of the Nocturnai, where a simple gutterborn girl takes it upon herself to challenge all that was taken for granted for hundreds of years, and I am dying to see how this story unfolds and progresses!I just love stories about heroines like Lilik.
June 3, 2021
Can't say I loved it, but I didn't hate it either.
I found it a bit of a struggle in the beginning, I thought I had missed a book cause I didn't know what was going on with anything.
I am also not a fan of the possible romance between Lillik and Poano. Especially as Paono suddenly has a clear attachment to another girl and Lillik has a budding romance with another guy (who I prefer out of the two)
Also Paono and his nan in the beginning came of, to me, as really rude. Lillik was allowed to take a guardian or protector or something forgot what they were called (I honestly have know idea what role they played to three callers as they just seemed to float about aimlessly) and Poano automatically assumed it would be him and packed a sad when it wasn't.
Lillik, in essence tells Paono and his nan no a few times yet he practically invites himself along on her journey with the nan practically pressuring lillik to take him by giving Paono a extremely precious heirloom to sell or trade away to make his way on her journey.
Also though I did like that Lillik was very knowledgeable and great at surviving her self centeredness and sulking got on my nerves. And really how many times did we need to read about her mother abandoning her? Yes it's sad but because it's mentioned SO much I found myself more annoyed than sympathetic.
However I really enjoyed the originality and the concept of the book and world and may look at reading book 2 at later date.
I found it a bit of a struggle in the beginning, I thought I had missed a book cause I didn't know what was going on with anything.
I am also not a fan of the possible romance between Lillik and Poano. Especially as Paono suddenly has a clear attachment to another girl and Lillik has a budding romance with another guy (who I prefer out of the two)
Also Paono and his nan in the beginning came of, to me, as really rude. Lillik was allowed to take a guardian or protector or something forgot what they were called (I honestly have know idea what role they played to three callers as they just seemed to float about aimlessly) and Poano automatically assumed it would be him and packed a sad when it wasn't.
Lillik, in essence tells Paono and his nan no a few times yet he practically invites himself along on her journey with the nan practically pressuring lillik to take him by giving Paono a extremely precious heirloom to sell or trade away to make his way on her journey.
Also though I did like that Lillik was very knowledgeable and great at surviving her self centeredness and sulking got on my nerves. And really how many times did we need to read about her mother abandoning her? Yes it's sad but because it's mentioned SO much I found myself more annoyed than sympathetic.
However I really enjoyed the originality and the concept of the book and world and may look at reading book 2 at later date.
April 15, 2019
Reminded me of a Co-Ed Lord of the Flies, at times
It took me awhile to warm to Lillik, the protagonist of Nightforged. To be honest, I found her rather irritating at first. Her choices felt dubious, and some of her actions seemed rather, well, stupid, actually.
One of the marks of a good story, however, is that the protagonist is changed over the course of the story, and Lilik is definitely changed—in ways big and small.
That’s not to say I never rolled my eyes at her choices—sometimes she still does things that felt pretty stupid to me—but she grew dramatically from our first introduction to her, and watching that transformation was a good deal of the pleasure of reading the book.
The story is also an interesting premise, which I won’t give away here, but suffice it to say that the plot gets more and more complex as you get deeper into the book. Class distinctions, culture, history, and magic all play important roles in the story, along with good, old sexual attraction and teenage hormones.
Rather like a co-ed Lord of the Flies, in parts.
I appreciated that this book is a complete story in and of itself—not a cliffhanger!—though it ends with a definite opening to the next book in the series. Nicely done! You can stop here and feel a sense of closure, but there’s enough of an open loop to leave you hungry to keep going.
I look forward to book two!
It took me awhile to warm to Lillik, the protagonist of Nightforged. To be honest, I found her rather irritating at first. Her choices felt dubious, and some of her actions seemed rather, well, stupid, actually.
One of the marks of a good story, however, is that the protagonist is changed over the course of the story, and Lilik is definitely changed—in ways big and small.
That’s not to say I never rolled my eyes at her choices—sometimes she still does things that felt pretty stupid to me—but she grew dramatically from our first introduction to her, and watching that transformation was a good deal of the pleasure of reading the book.
The story is also an interesting premise, which I won’t give away here, but suffice it to say that the plot gets more and more complex as you get deeper into the book. Class distinctions, culture, history, and magic all play important roles in the story, along with good, old sexual attraction and teenage hormones.
Rather like a co-ed Lord of the Flies, in parts.
I appreciated that this book is a complete story in and of itself—not a cliffhanger!—though it ends with a definite opening to the next book in the series. Nicely done! You can stop here and feel a sense of closure, but there’s enough of an open loop to leave you hungry to keep going.
I look forward to book two!
September 14, 2025
I waffled back and forth between three and four stars on this. I admit that about 2 1/2 hours into the book, I almost stopped listening. I was so tired of the angst and the repetitiveness of her inner turmoil. However, I looked at a couple of reviews and decided to continue. Once I realized what was going on, I really started to enjoy the book.
I definitely recommend reading The Silent Queen first. However, there were some things in this book that didn't really make sense based on that one. I think that's why I decided to go with 3 stars instead of 4. That and I'm not sure how I felt about the ending.
I will continue with the series at least until the next book. I am going to take this one book at a time and not get the whole series until I'm ready for each one. I'm not that convinced that I'm going to love all the books.
I definitely recommend reading The Silent Queen first. However, there were some things in this book that didn't really make sense based on that one. I think that's why I decided to go with 3 stars instead of 4. That and I'm not sure how I felt about the ending.
I will continue with the series at least until the next book. I am going to take this one book at a time and not get the whole series until I'm ready for each one. I'm not that convinced that I'm going to love all the books.
July 19, 2017
An exciting start to a promising new series
Despite its slow start, this was a wonderful read depicting an ancient, mystical land with unique attributes in a story of survival, sacrifice, and hope, and a battle against a dark and destructive power threatening to destroy the land and, quite possibly, the world.
Despite its slow start, this was a wonderful read depicting an ancient, mystical land with unique attributes in a story of survival, sacrifice, and hope, and a battle against a dark and destructive power threatening to destroy the land and, quite possibly, the world.
August 22, 2019
I liked this book but it wasn't all that impressive compared to previous books I have read. With the same concepts and terms of a young lady being the Heroine it is a lovely book and I do appreciate what it stands for. The romantic aspect of this book is non-existent as the character is confused to who she needs to love
March 9, 2017
I highly recommend the Nightforged to young and old alike...I could not put it down... I just had to find out what happened next...I read the entire book in one day...and started the second book that same evening...as I write this I am about to start book 3...
March 22, 2017
Original, well-written, utterly engaging
This was a fabulous book. The author built a world and a story that were fascinating, and I can't wait to read the whole series. (I'm bad about letting the "sophomore slump" second book knock me out of a series but I don't see how that could be a problem here...am in for the long haul, because the first book was just that good.)
This was a fabulous book. The author built a world and a story that were fascinating, and I can't wait to read the whole series. (I'm bad about letting the "sophomore slump" second book knock me out of a series but I don't see how that could be a problem here...am in for the long haul, because the first book was just that good.)
January 14, 2018
I could not put it down. I read it through my work day yesterday. It brought up alot of hard emotions concerning my childhood best friend, but it made me connect way more to the story. Will be purchasing the next one ASAP.
May 13, 2018
Reminiscent of classic fantasy.
I can appreciate a book that takes time to establish a complex world. The narrative is gritty and anchored in the protagonists perspective and is only softened by a hint of romance. If recommend this book to fans of coming-of-age classic fantasy.
I can appreciate a book that takes time to establish a complex world. The narrative is gritty and anchored in the protagonists perspective and is only softened by a hint of romance. If recommend this book to fans of coming-of-age classic fantasy.
February 4, 2023
3 stars
While this was a pretty good book, it did lack pizzazz for me. Likeable characters, good premise, spotty worldbuilding. Author is extremely articulate with some beautiful prose, but for all that...worldbuilding.
While this was a pretty good book, it did lack pizzazz for me. Likeable characters, good premise, spotty worldbuilding. Author is extremely articulate with some beautiful prose, but for all that...worldbuilding.
June 6, 2017
Oooo
Yes! So so good! I put off reading this book for months and now I'm mad at myself lol. This was amazing and I'm directly going to book 2!
Yes! So so good! I put off reading this book for months and now I'm mad at myself lol. This was amazing and I'm directly going to book 2!
November 5, 2017
Imaginative but not fully thought out. To much dependence on miraculous saving events (somewhat reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs in that aspect).
January 21, 2018
YA fantasy page turner with strong female protagonist.
May 12, 2018
Decent premise but I didn't find the characters terribly compelling and the island survival section couldn't keep my interest as I hoped.
May 29, 2018
Fair
I think this is a fair to good start to a series. The story was done fine, it just wasn't a book that I HAD to keep reading. The chatacters were fine they just didn't hook me.
I think this is a fair to good start to a series. The story was done fine, it just wasn't a book that I HAD to keep reading. The chatacters were fine they just didn't hook me.
October 30, 2018
Fast paced and addictive, I'm glad I grabbed this in omnibus form, because I devoured books one and two in one fell swoop (and I'm now in the middle of book 3!)
January 2, 2019
It's not a bad book. I just really didn't like it.
Pointless villain, trivialized tragic circumstances, horrible horrible world
Pointless villain, trivialized tragic circumstances, horrible horrible world
January 19, 2020
This book started out kind of slow for me personally. A few chapters in it really picks up and stays engaging. Love the characters!
Side note: found a couple of typos.
Side note: found a couple of typos.
October 12, 2020
This book was so dry, I struggled to read it. But I finished it, however slow it was. (And three days is slow for me when it's the length of this book)
February 8, 2021
this book was shocking good.. There were some parts that was alittle annoying but it was still worth the read.. I cant wait to read the next one ..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews