Nevernight / Godsgrave / Darkdawn

The Nevernight Chronicle #1-3

by Jay Kristoff

The Nevernight Chronicle Series 3 Books Collection Set by Jay KristoffNevernightMia Corvere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death. Destined to destroy empires, the child raised in shadows made a promise on the day she lost to avenge herself on those that shattered her world. But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, and Mia must become a weapon without equal. Before she seeks vengeance, she must seek training among the infamous assassins of the Red Church of Itreya.GodsgraveConquer your fear, conquer the world. Mia Corvere, destroyer of empires, has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church ministry do not believe she has earned it. Her position is precarious, and she's still no closer to exacting revenge for the brutal death of her family. But after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia begins to suspect the motives of the Red Church itself. When it is announced that Consul Scaeva and Cardinal Duomo will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave.Darkdawn (Hardcover)Mia Corvere, gladiatii, escaped slave and infamous assassin, is on the run. After the greatest games in Godsgrave’s history ended with the most audacious murders in the history of the Itreyan Republic, Mia finds herself pursued by Blades of the Red Church and soldiers of the Luminatii legion. She may never escape the City of Bridges and Bones alive. Her mentor Mercurio is now in the clutches of her enemies. Her own family wishes her dead. And her nemesis, Consul Julius Scaeva, stands but a breath from total dominance over the Republic. But beneath the city, a dark secret awaits.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, Gay, LGBT

Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Jay Kristoff is a #1 international, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. He is the winner of eight Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, has over two million books in print and is published in over thirty five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6’7 and has approximately 12,000 days to live.

He does not believe in happy endings.

Reviews

[Loralai · Rating 4 out of 5]

'byss and blood, that was a good read!
I did like the first book a little more than the other two. But all in all the whole story is very good written and I enjoyed it very much. The characters in this book are very interesting and also get portraied very well. Our main character Mia is neither good or bad, she has her own agenda throughout the story - it is her story after all. With her we meet a lot of different people, some friends, some foes, some friends that turn foes and vice versa. It is not really a story about good versus bad but rather a story about balance.

The first two books are much more about Mias revenge and we do get to see her temper an awful lot during the series. She tries to harden her heart but fails remarkably at that - which is for the better, I'd say. I wouldn't enjoy a main character, who isn't thinking nor feeling and therefore not evolving. Mia learns, gets new perspectives and still manages to keep the stubborness of a teenager. The story starts with her being 16 or 17 years old, after all.
The third book gets more into the bigger picture and, being the last book, it offers a lot of conclusions. Throughout the series we also get to know a lot about the world where the storytakes place. Different countries and their cities. The different customs and of course the law and religion, which both play a big role in all three books.

The reader gets a lot of excitement, thrilling fight scenes, intelligent and cunning characters, a lot of gore, twisted minds, a bit of sex and a big range of emotions. In terms of sex I can say that there isn't too much and in regards to romance I am pretty pleased how Jay Kristoff pitched it in. It doesn't feel forced into the story, it fits in very well and it comes naturally, which is the best way to let it happen. The books are far from romance novels, and Jay Kristoff doesn't make them into ones along the way.

I didn't like the buckload of footnotes though. Almost every second page has one and some take even 80% of the whole page, which feels just plain wrong to me. Also I have to admit, that some of the wordings used to describe the female body during sex wasn't to my taste. To me it was pretty obvious, that a man had written them, but that is a minor critique actually.

[Asia Gregani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho già recensito il primo libro della trilogia, è giunto il momento di fare il punto della situazione.
Ribadisco, Jay Kristoff semplicemente FANTASTICO. Non si è mai smentito, dalla prima pagina del primo libro fino all’ultima del terzo. Mi ha tenuta incollata a quelle pagine anche quando la trama rallentava leggermente per dare spazio alla costruzione dei personaggi. Rimane invariata la sua schiettezza e la presenza di scene “crude”, specialmente nel secondo libro.. quindi se siete particolarmente sensibili e non amate questo aspetto, vi consiglio di non intraprendere questa lettura, anche se a mio parere ne vale assolutamente la pena. Non mancano i colpi di scena, che, per fortuna, non cadono mai nella banalità!

[Mira Gencheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Здравейте, обитатели на книжната вселена! 🤗
Най-накрая успях да прочета трилогията на Джей Кристоф "Нивганощните хроники" и нямам търпение да ви я представя, въпреки че каквото и да кажа за нея, едва ли ще успея напълно да предам колко много обикнах и книгите, и героите, и света ѝ.

Едва десетгодишна Мия Корвере става свидетел на екзекуцията на баща си, докато майка ѝ нашепва в ухото ѝ: "Никога не трепвай. Никога не се страхувай. И никога, никога не забравяй!". След като няколко часа по-късно майка ѝ, заедно с няколкомесечното братче на момичето, е отведена от управниците на републиката за живот в затвора, Мия остава без никого. Водена от трите изречения, превърнали се в нейна мантра, тя успява да се измъкне от ръцете на хората, които искат да я убият и тогава разбира, че е здрачин - човек, контролиращ сенките и много често съпътстван от сенчест демон във формата на животно (в нейния случай - котка).
Няколко години по-късно, Мия е обучена на изкуството да убива с една-единствена цел - да си отмъсти на хората, съсипали семейството ѝ. И заедно със своя демон, както и доста интересни съюзници, тя е готова да тръгне на тази мисия.
~~~
Наистина не знам как да формулирам изреченията си и да подбера правилните думи, за да усетите всички чувства и мисли, които тази трилогия породи в мен.
Историята е толкова интересна и става все по-заплетена и поглъщаща с всяка страница и книга. Светът е изграден перфектно - може би най-добрия, на който някога съм попадала във фентъзи жанра, а ако единствения, то със сигурност се нарежда сред най-добрите.
През цялото време искрено се забавлявах с бележките под линия (и не само с тях), които макар и дългички, правеха света и историята му още по-пълни, достоверни и истински. Дори и от началото да ми беше трудно да запомня всичко и да осъзная какво се случва, заради множеството детайли, които са включени за изграждането му, то със сигурност колкото повече четях, толкова повече ми се разясняваха нещата.
Във всеки един герой е толкова дълбоко вникнато, че ги почувствах като истински хора, които познавам, след като ги опознах, разбира се.
В обобщение за трите книги мога да кажа, че това е история, която е трудно да се опише с думи колко е страхотна - поглъща те, всмуква те в света, който е изграден между страниците и честно - не исках да излизам от него, а единствено да попивам като гъба всяка късче информация. Пристрастяващо добри са!

"Нивганощ":
Още от самото начало ми грабна интереса, въпреки че ми беше малко трудно да свикна със стила на писане на автора, защото е описателен и на моменти метафорите, които използва са малко странни😄.
Само след първата глава си пролича колко badass героиня е Мия и това ме накара да се привържа толкова към нея и да я харесам изключително много. Страшно добро впечатление ми направиха двете времеви линии и как Кристоф борави с тях. Настоящето и миналото се преплитат на правилните места и показват на читателя откъде и как е тръгнала Мия и в какво се е превърнала.
В книгата има постоянна динамика и развитие на действието, без сюжета да се пренатрупва с тях, което е страхотно.
Доста герои от участващите в тази част ми направиха впечатление, но след Мия, най-много ми грабна вниманието Касий - още с появяването му си казах "Това е моят мъжки персонаж!", тъй като Трик така и не успя да ме спечели напълно. И преминаването в по-нататъшен етап от историята видях защо първият мъж не е толкова споменаван.
Обратът на сюжета няколко глави преди края беше нещо наистина неочаквано, въпреки че Кристоф през цялото време е оставял следи, водещи към него, така че читателя евентуално да се досети какво ще се случи. Аз обаче бях напълно заслепена, точно като Мия, и разбрах чак, когато всичко се изясни, но по никакъв случай това не ме разстрои, а даже ми хареса.

"Божигроб":
Отново имаме две времеви линии, които ме караха да се чудя как Мия се е забъркала в подобна каша.
Тук вече си личи по-големият ѝ опит, който е натрупала през месеците, но има имаше някои неща от характера ѝ в началото на тази част, които ми изглеждаха като от съвсем друг човек. Разбира се, с отмятането на страниците видях накъде е искал да ни отведе автора и смятам, че по-правилна посока нямаше накъде.
Отново страхотна динамика и развитие на сюжета. Блестящо вкарани и изградени нови герои без да спира да надгражда и останалите, които вече са ни познати. А тук със сигурност влизат много нови, чието приятелство с Мия е истински затрогващо и стоплящо сърцето. Смятам, че с тях, тя най-накрая намери своите хора.
Любовният интерес на Мия в тази книга е различен от този в "Нивганощ" и честно - разбирам защо с този от първата книга не ѝ се получи. Но DAAAAAMN! с човека от втората са 🔥.
Отново има неочакван обрат в края на книгата, който не бих видяла, колкото и трошички да беше оставил Кристоф и който ме остави с отворена уста и втрещен ум.

"Мраколуние":
Идеята за книга в книгата е страхотна. Всичко е толкова добре замислено и заплетено, че просто е брилянтно🤯.
Кристоф е абсолютно безпощаден в това кой герой убива и заради това читателя няма представа какво да очаква и какво може да се случи. Тази книга ми разкъса сърцето, а след това го заши, но не съм сигурна дали въпреки това то е наистина цяло. В същото време е и най-забавната книга от трилогията и тази, в която самоиронията на автора е на съвсем ново ниво.
Кулминацията е велика!!! Абсолютно подобаваща на цялото напрежение, което се трупаше през предишните книги и което ни водеше към най-високия връх на действия в тази.
Краят е наистина красив и съвършен. Не бих могла да се сетя за по-добър специално на тази трилогия и се радвам, че Кристоф не го е съсипал по някакъв начин.
Трудно ми е да се разделя с тази трилогия и да спра да мисля за нея дори сега, когато чета нещо съвсем различно. Със сигурност "Нивганощните хроники" ще ми липсват!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful trilogy. I really enjoyed the world created by Jay Kristoff and all the characters. The only thing keeping me from giving five stars is the end of a character that i thought deserved better. I don't know why but this detail bothers me particularly.

[Riya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall rating is 6/10, I'm a generous rater, but it's also hard to get me to finish one book, let alone three of them. This review gets kind of personal, lol.

The writing was so-so - not bad enough for me to put down the book, but bad enough that I was rolling my eyes now and then. Same goes for the pretentiousness? This guy basically built a universe where he can be raunchy and pretentious at the same time - so it wasn't too much of either, but also made your eyes roll.

I did not enjoy the smut, because I felt like it got in the way of what you could call the plot - but this is personal. If I read smut, I INTENTIONALLY read smut. I don't want to get turned on randomly 15 minutes before ai go to sleep because some horny teenagers are fucking.

Some characters were far more fleshed out than others. I liked Mercurio, Tric and Ash (it was interesting to see their arcs?); less so the ministry. Mia and Scaeva were all over the place, in my opinion.

I think Jay lost the plot here and there. He slowed down in weird places and sped up in weird places. I don't think he quite held on to this horse he created. That said, I like the world he built! It's rich and interesting. The minutiae of the world added to the main plot - and he probably knew it, hence the footnotes.

I don't think he's terrible at writing women? But he also has the advantage of building a world that works in his favour when it comes to this - where everyone is sort of belligerent and raunchy. That said, could do with fewer mentions of Mia's curves, etc. I'd give it like a 4/10 for this because lmao it just feels a little greasy sometimes.

[Christiaan Westgeest · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a real mixed bag for me. On the one hand I chewed through it pretty quickly. It's a fun and easy read, and for the most part it's pretty good.
But it's also quite trope-y, with characters feeling like something I'd think up for a one-shot D&D session.
And by gods, the writing... while again pretty good for the most part, someone should have told the writer that A) he is not Terry Pratchett and B) would-be Terry Pratchett doesn't fit the tone of the books. The attempts at jokes, snark and footnotes (and even worse, the attempts at self-deprecation about the footnotes) are a painful level of cringe that is completely unnecessary.

[the_frat_nanny_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Kristoff's series' make me very sad, as they start out very strong and then plummet by book 2 or 3. I really loved Nevernight, it was one of the most beautifully written books and then Godsgrave came in with a boom, but Darkdawn, my long-awaited Darkdawn was just not good. I couldn't get myself to finish it. It was juvenile and I understand this is a YA fantasy, although the gore and sexual content might not be what every parent wants their kid to read. What a heartbreak. I didn't even care to finish or find out how it ended.

[LaLettriceGamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mie cari amanti dei fantasy questa trilogia racchiude il meglio del meglio (mancano solo i draghi). Ha un linguaggio interessante, non banale. La trama ha continui colpi di scena che vi terranno incollati alla lettura fino all'ultima pagina. Non vorrete dire addio a Mia Corvere perché ormai farà parte di voi. Affronterete con lei un viaggio di crescita interiore profondo e prosciugante e concluderete questa lettura con una lacrima. Promosso.

[Nengshi Haokip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series packed with action and romance and thrills. Love the series. Nevernight was a good start to the series, a bit boring at the start , but really picks up un the second half.
Godsgrave was really cool. Gladiator type settings and the adventures and actions were amazing.
Darkdawn was a very good finish to the series. Though I would’ve wished Mia and Tric ended up together.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never quite good enough. The footnotes and certain scenes really zing. But other sections are laboured and I felt sorry for the many nameless fellow assassin apprentices who never got characterised properly.

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over all there was a lot more sex in this series than anticipated, and its biggest problem is those scenes are poorly written smut at best. Though it does lend a small amount to the tale I really struggled finishing this series and was extremely disappointed in the end.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are my new favorite books. I feel like 2&3 had a bit better pacing, but the characters, world building, and prose are all beautiful. Maybe a controversial opinion, but the footnotes were my favorite part!

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably my favorite fantasy series I've read in a while. I didn't review any of the individual novels and I was reading this series during a difficult time so it took me ages. Despite that, I kept coming back to it whenever I had the time and energy, and by the time January rolled around, I blew through the remaining 400 pages in a matter of days, because I just had to know the conclusion to Mia's story.
There are so many great characters in this. Almost none of them are good people but they are complex "shades of grey" characters that you can't help but cheer for. Mister Kindly was a particular favorite; he was just so damn snarky and funny and had me chuckling a few times. Mia is the exact opposite of the generic MarySue heroine that you've read a thousand times; it's quite refreshing.
Don't let the writing style of the first few chapters put you off. Yeah, it's overly stylistic but you only in parts and it definitely didn't limit my enjoyment of the series.
Lastly, the best part of this series imho are the twists. It's not often that I am SHOCKED by fantasy book and I don't think I've read a series with more cliffhanger endings since Feed. The third book in particular had me questioning which was was up; it is meta af in parts and just so good.
Overall, 5 stars. A little bit of a dense / high effort read but all the more worth it for it.

[Toni K · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars – A Dark, Dazzling, and Deeply Clever Read

Jay Kristoff's Nevernight Chronicles is a masterclass in dark fantasy storytelling, with a writing style that is as bold as it is brilliant. The prose is razor-sharp, laced with wit, footnotes, and poetic turns that make the narrative feel like a character in itself. It's not a style that everyone will immediately love, but once it hooks you, it doesn’t let go.

The characters are another standout—complex, flawed, and unforgettable. Mia is a fierce and compelling protagonist, and watching her grow across the trilogy is both rewarding and heartbreaking. The supporting cast, too, is richly developed, with each one carrying their own scars, secrets, and arcs that feel earned and meaningful.

The plot is layered and full of twists, weaving political intrigue, brutal violence, and moments of genuine emotion into a story that keeps you turning the pages long into the night. It’s not afraid to challenge the reader, and that makes the payoff all the more satisfying.

If I had one personal gripe, it’s the romantic subplot. While well-written, I would have preferred to see Tric play a more central role throughout the story. His character offered a gentler, more grounded counterbalance to Mia’s intensity, and I found that dynamic especially compelling.

Still, Nevernight is an ambitious, daring, and incredibly well-crafted trilogy that deserves its acclaim. Highly recommended for fans of grimdark, assassins, and stories that don’t flinch from the shadows.

[Nekkina93/72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In realtà, sono qui per recensirvi "Three", extra di Darkdawn.
Non riesco a trovarlo qua su Goodreads, mi viene rifiutato l'inserimento dicendo che è già presente, ma non lo trovo.
.
Recensione extra di Darkdawn, cioè: Three.
“Questa non è una novella.
Non un prequel.
Non un sequel.
Non è nulla. Semplicemente è una scena che Jay ha provato a scrivere, dopo aver letto alcune cose che i fan desideravano da Tric-Mia-Ashlinn, ma poi l’autore stesso ha capito che era impossibile inserirlo.
Non solo perché andava contro la sua idea di come doveva proseguire Alba Oscura, ma perché sarebbe stata abbastanza incoerente come scena.
Tric e Ashlinn si odiano.
E con ragione da parte di Tric, Ashlinn l’ha ucciso pugnalandolo e buttandolo giù dal parapetto.
Secondo voi poteva mai aver voglia di andare a letto con lei?
Di fare una cosa a tre?
Non capisco come sia venuto in mente ad alcuni lettori.
Sostanzialmente questo extra è questo.
Un capitolo che i fan hanno sognato, ma che ovviamente era impossibile inserire all’interno della storia.
Non sarebbe stato per niente credibile con i personaggi e la storia.
.
La scrittura è come sempre scorrevole, schietta, diretta e senza filtri.
Sono felice che l’autore abbia seguito il suo cuore, la sua testa e la sua idea.
Che non si sia fatto influenzare, a differenza di altri autori o autrici che invece l’hanno fatto e poi i risultati si sono visti.
Voto: 4/5.
Finito il 16 aprile 2020.

[William Vernon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun world-building, great premise. It says something that even though there were some really bothersome things I read through it quickly and finished it.
The writing was clunky and the humor was repetitive and very cringe.
The smut was not "top shelf" and really didn't fit in the story. It just seemed like the author wanted to stick in a scene at the beginning of each book... just because?
Is the protagonist just invincible? Because she's a girl? Her growth and competence seemed to be unrealistic, and there seemed to be no consequences to her doing whatever she wanted to do whenever she wanted to. By the end of the series I couldn't stand the main characters.
And yet, I still read all of it.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questa trilogia mi ha riportato alla mente i ricordi di quando, da ragazza, leggevo un racconto fantasy: ambientazione fantastica, con creature magiche e individui dotati di poteri incredibili, a tratti dark e gotica, che cattura il lettore con misteri e intrighi, battaglie e sfide. I personaggi sono delineati molto bene, adoro la presenza di figure misteriose che si rivelano fondamentali per la narrazione 📚
Molto consigliato per chi, come me, non aveva il tempo di leggere ma lo ha trovato per portare a termine le vicende della fantastica protagonista. Finora non ho trovato un degno sostituto, il che mi rattrista parecchio ... prevedo una rilettura nel prossimo futuro 🤩

[Kayla Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal! Second fav series of all time! I like dark, mystical and heart wrenching books- this ticks all of those boxes. It feels Tim Burton-esque. The FMC Mia Corvere has shadow powers and is accompanied by a shadow cat. Ripped apart from grief after witnessing the murder of her parents as a young girl she is determined to avenge her family even if that means ripping herself apart in the process. If Aelin from TOG and her were to band up they would make a formidable force. Mia is a sassy smartalic badass, either worshipped or feared. I enjoy how the love interest takes an unexpected turn.

[Keira Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insanely good. Such a strong female lead, and really good side characters. Absolutely loved Mecurio Mia’s old and grouchy mentor, the chronicler who tended to the books that had never been written/been lost, Sid the gladiator who played the role of her unofficial older brother and cloud the cocksure pirate, to name a few. ADORED the twist that the books you’re reading are wound into the story. Also really really liked the footnotes. Fuming about Tric’s story being so tragic though.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite trilogies to date.

As someone who doesn't enjoy excess swearing and smut in books, I could've done without that and found that it didn't add much to the overall plot. However, I loved the dark, gritty, and grim world Kristoff built.

It's been some years since I've finished and my memory is hazy, but certain I'll read it again and I'm quick to recommend this series to folks who like the darker side of fantasy/fiction.

[Sara C. Moonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una delle migliori letture degli ultimi anni. Un Fantasy con la F maiuscola. Prosa magistrale. Jay Kristoff è impareggiabile. La sua scrittura è unica, riconoscibile. Come la voce per un cantante lo identifica e lo caratterizza. Niente fronzoli ne banalità ma un sapiente uso del verbo. Le parole sono cariche di significato e ti trasmettono tutto e su più piani. World building originale, che nasconde una sottile critica sociale se si ha la sensibilità di scoprirla. Assolutamente da leggere!!!

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked the story and characters. It’s a bit tawdry in places, like a not-so-subtle way to lighten the mood. I mostly wish I could cut those pieces out but the story it about the depth of love and hate and so perhaps it would suffer for it.

If you like badass assassins who are as sharp with their mine as they are with a blade, and can look past a few pages of impropriety, then it’s for you.

[Cosmo and Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicated. Unexpected. World was very unique! You almost spoke the way they did in your mind by the end of the series. Byss and blood there was lots of blood and gore. You'll spend time binge reading the book even in the Nevernight.

Not sensitive or light drama. Complicated and interesting for sure.
Very much like a darker version of The Assasin's Blade by SJ Maas.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho adorato la trama vincente; ho adorato mia con la sua determinazione e bontà, anche se nascosta; ho adorato i suoi compagni d’avventura (soprattutto messer Cortese e Mercurio). Purtroppo penso che il punto debole di questa trilogia sia il ruolo dei sentimenti amorosi, non sono ben sviluppati e mi hanno lasciato un po’ di amarezza

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It made me cry so much towards the end istg it had me literally HOOKED on the last book of the series. So many plot twists so many deaths… I cry. I am so so happy abt the ending I really love it so much. Mia Covere is my hero. 😞😞😞

[Daniel Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is in place of the deleted chapter, THREE that was a preorder gift for Darkdawn. I really enjoyed this scene but I do see why it was cut from the final book.

[Selena Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing series, I highly recommend. Fantastic heroine, really great story and very funny too.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I read this for free in a pdf file ?

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passabile ma molto caotico.

[Britney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great trilogy! One of my favorites