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The Nightjar #1
Die Magie der Seele
Seit ihrer Kindheit wird Alice Wyndham von Albträumen geplagt, deren Bedeutung sie nie entschlüsseln konnte. Bis plötzlich der geheimnisvolle, attraktive Crowley vor ihrer Tür steht und ihr Unglaubliches eröffnet: Alice hat eine uralte, seltene Gabe. Sie sieht Nachtschwalben, wundersame Vögel, die die Seele eines Menschen hüten. Und ein mächtiger Feind ist ihr auf den Fersen, um ihre Kräfte für sich zu nutzen. In letzter Sekunde kann Alice mit Crowleys Hilfe fliehen. Sie folgt ihm in ein verborgenes paralleles London voller Zauber und Gefahren, um mehr über ihre Fähigkeiten zu lernen. Doch ihre Magie ist mit einem dunklen Erbe verbunden …
509 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2019
124 people are currently reading
6161 people want to read
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October 16, 2019
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I adored the concept for this book. Much like the concept of animal manifestations of human souls in Phillip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, the idea of birds as guardians of their humans souls sounded incredible. But unfortunately this book got me turning pages because I was so fed up and frustrated and just wanted the story to end. Why, you ask?
Because the main character is a complete and utter idiot.
Maybe that’s harsh. I’ll put it another way: Alice Wyndham comes across very, very stupid because she makes increasingly illogical decisions every opportunity she gets.
Still harsh? Sorry, not sorry. It really bothered me.
In one scene, Alice is explicitly told not to reveal the kind of magic she can do to a Bad Guy because her magic is very rare (of course), and the Bad Guy will surely use it against her. What does Alice do? She immediately tells the Bad Guy about her magic, even though this Bad Guy has absolutely no reason to do anything Alice says.
Alice’s desire to help her friend Jen, who has fallen into a coma and whose nightjar has fled to the land of the dead, makes her impulsive and unable to think virtually anything through. She plugs her ears to anyone who starts giving her advice about the task – she literally interrupts people as they are trying to tell her important details.
People literally force objects into her hand that she needs to take with her because she hasn’t bothered to check what obstacles will await in the land of the Black Menagerie.
At one point she literally says that it did not occur to her that the cages holding the nightjars would be locked . This main character thought that she could enter the land of the dead, encounter no obstacles, walk up and take her friend’s soul guardian and then leave just as easily. Even though every other character around her has been telling her just the opposite this entire time.
Not to mention the character’s physical ineptitude. I would say it is the “clumsy but cute” trope (which is still painfully eye-rolly), but the main character reassures us and other characters again and again that she’s a man repeller. Alice trips over curbs, bumps into people, injures herself, accidentally stabs someone while trying to sew up a wound, drops valuable weapons in moments of immense need more than once, and fails to use her magic power to incapacitate enemies – all she has to do is reach out and touch the cord tethering their nightjar to their body – because she simply reaches out and misses.
There is the typical and very frustrating denial of attraction to her mentor figure, Crowley. Why am I blushing? Why did he say that vaguely flirty thing? Why do I have butterflies when he’s near?? Which goes on hundreds of pages too long. And I’m not quite sure why she’s into this guy because quite literally all he does is lie to her.
There are some fantastic concepts set up here that are abandoned pages later. Alice is taken to the Rookery when she discovers her powers (why is a magical world where aviarists are incredibly rare named after a collection of birds’ nests??). This city is a magical double to London, where once defunct or destroyed buildings and architecture have been transplanted (awesome). There are four houses of magic, each with their own specialties, tests, schools, and god-like founders (amazing). Alice starts her studies with stolen and probably illegally obtained books, like a guide to understanding nightjars and what they reveal about people (so cool).
All of this goes literally nowhere.
Alice exhibits powers aside from seeing people’s nightjars, suggesting she has further powers from a house’s “legacy.” This is completely brushed aside from anyone who witnesses or hears about it. Some side characters have a couple powers from other house’s legacies and nothing happens with any of them. The water magician is scared of water because of a memory having to with drowning (we never find out the details of this). The metal magician uses his powers twice: once to fix a leaky pipe and once more to defend himself against enemies (to whom he loses). There is a hint at the end of this book that there will be more talk of magic training and legacies in the sequel(s), but I won’t be hanging around for them.
There is more, but I will stop here in the event that you’re still reading (Everyone is a spectacularly bad teacher, but that’s fine because despite being an idiot, Alice manages to get all magic concepts on the second try. There are too many names for people, places, and things, I feel as if I need a diagram to understand this world). But I am mostly just so mad. I am mad that this book set up so many awesome concepts and had such a great premise and then steadily unraveled all of that with a meandering plot that was too complex (the finale gave me whiplash – it revealed too much in too little time), and a main character whose decisions rendered her completely unsympathetic and childish.
I adored the concept for this book. Much like the concept of animal manifestations of human souls in Phillip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, the idea of birds as guardians of their humans souls sounded incredible. But unfortunately this book got me turning pages because I was so fed up and frustrated and just wanted the story to end. Why, you ask?
Because the main character is a complete and utter idiot.
Maybe that’s harsh. I’ll put it another way: Alice Wyndham comes across very, very stupid because she makes increasingly illogical decisions every opportunity she gets.
Still harsh? Sorry, not sorry. It really bothered me.
In one scene, Alice is explicitly told not to reveal the kind of magic she can do to a Bad Guy because her magic is very rare (of course), and the Bad Guy will surely use it against her. What does Alice do? She immediately tells the Bad Guy about her magic, even though this Bad Guy has absolutely no reason to do anything Alice says.
Alice’s desire to help her friend Jen, who has fallen into a coma and whose nightjar has fled to the land of the dead, makes her impulsive and unable to think virtually anything through. She plugs her ears to anyone who starts giving her advice about the task – she literally interrupts people as they are trying to tell her important details.
People literally force objects into her hand that she needs to take with her because she hasn’t bothered to check what obstacles will await in the land of the Black Menagerie.
At one point she literally says that it did not occur to her that the cages holding the nightjars would be locked . This main character thought that she could enter the land of the dead, encounter no obstacles, walk up and take her friend’s soul guardian and then leave just as easily. Even though every other character around her has been telling her just the opposite this entire time.
Not to mention the character’s physical ineptitude. I would say it is the “clumsy but cute” trope (which is still painfully eye-rolly), but the main character reassures us and other characters again and again that she’s a man repeller. Alice trips over curbs, bumps into people, injures herself, accidentally stabs someone while trying to sew up a wound, drops valuable weapons in moments of immense need more than once, and fails to use her magic power to incapacitate enemies – all she has to do is reach out and touch the cord tethering their nightjar to their body – because she simply reaches out and misses.
There is the typical and very frustrating denial of attraction to her mentor figure, Crowley. Why am I blushing? Why did he say that vaguely flirty thing? Why do I have butterflies when he’s near?? Which goes on hundreds of pages too long. And I’m not quite sure why she’s into this guy because quite literally all he does is lie to her.
There are some fantastic concepts set up here that are abandoned pages later. Alice is taken to the Rookery when she discovers her powers (why is a magical world where aviarists are incredibly rare named after a collection of birds’ nests??). This city is a magical double to London, where once defunct or destroyed buildings and architecture have been transplanted (awesome). There are four houses of magic, each with their own specialties, tests, schools, and god-like founders (amazing). Alice starts her studies with stolen and probably illegally obtained books, like a guide to understanding nightjars and what they reveal about people (so cool).
All of this goes literally nowhere.
Alice exhibits powers aside from seeing people’s nightjars, suggesting she has further powers from a house’s “legacy.” This is completely brushed aside from anyone who witnesses or hears about it. Some side characters have a couple powers from other house’s legacies and nothing happens with any of them. The water magician is scared of water because of a memory having to with drowning (we never find out the details of this). The metal magician uses his powers twice: once to fix a leaky pipe and once more to defend himself against enemies (to whom he loses). There is a hint at the end of this book that there will be more talk of magic training and legacies in the sequel(s), but I won’t be hanging around for them.
There is more, but I will stop here in the event that you’re still reading (Everyone is a spectacularly bad teacher, but that’s fine because despite being an idiot, Alice manages to get all magic concepts on the second try. There are too many names for people, places, and things, I feel as if I need a diagram to understand this world). But I am mostly just so mad. I am mad that this book set up so many awesome concepts and had such a great premise and then steadily unraveled all of that with a meandering plot that was too complex (the finale gave me whiplash – it revealed too much in too little time), and a main character whose decisions rendered her completely unsympathetic and childish.
December 23, 2025
I wanted to like it. (Interesting that we say that, right, as if are trying to convince ourselves and the dear reader that we gave a book a chance). It was the lovely cover, the promise of equally lovely language, and a new adult lead discovering her magic. I saved this for an airplane read, a time when I have less expectations and hope only for distraction, but the writing kept throwing me out of the story.
I wanted to like it. (Interesting that we say that, right, as if are trying to convince ourselves and the dear reader that we gave a book a chance). It was the lovely cover, the promise of equally lovely language, and a new adult lead discovering her magic. I saved this for an airplane read, a time when I have less expectations and hope only for distraction, but the writing kept throwing me out of the story.
He smirked and shook his head. ‘No. We, Alice, are not wizards; we are a species.’
I mean, c'mon; what else am I supposed to do with that kind of writing? New writers tend to do two things that grate on my nerves. The first is that they seem to believe that every noun needs an adjective. The second is that they aren’t allowed to use conversational words:
Her thumb crunched the alarm button instead. Typically, given her day so far, the lift wailed like a banshee.
Just... why? Why not say 'pushed?' It's like Dragon MadLibs all over again. And elevators wailing? I know the hold music is bad, but...
She smiled serenely, her gaze drifting from the cord to August’s face. He was puce.
One of the many people the author thanked for editing help really should have worked with her on her writing.
Yet, I persevered. After all, I was on a plane. Things got a little better when I realized I could hate read. I haven’t done that for a very long time, and sometimes there’s a perverse satisfaction in thoroughly deconstructing a book that isn’t working.
The lead was ridiculously young for a university graduate, incompetent and unable to manage basic skill. She’s working at her post graduation job as a researcher for a shoe company and as she is headed to her big presentation, she runs into a prophetic old woman. As another reviewer mentioned, this falls into the clumsy-socially awkward-but-lovable’ trope. Not my cup of tea, but perhaps this will change as she comes into her power/destiny.
He paused, waiting for her to free the words straining at her lips.
Fly! Be free! Alas, the story worsened as the plot moved forward, contradicting itself and relied on ignorance to move the conflict forward. Though we are told the lead is a fantastic “researcher," she is anything but someone who turns to gathering and sorting information in an effort to understand. She would make a decision that 'something' needed to be done based off her limited understanding and then operate as if she could bend the world into making that happen.
Alice slumped back against the headboard. ‘However … I’m going to track down [redacted]’s necromancer,’ she announced. ‘And then I’ll force him to do my bidding. That’s my plan.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a plan,’ said Jude. ‘That’s just an idea.’
She tipped her head back. ‘Damn, I’m bad at this.’
She would decide that she was going to go and embark on a rescue without trying to understand the first thing about where she was going, reconnaissance be damned. Really, anyone over fifteen should know that’s not how it works.
Why on earth hadn’t she considered the fact that the cages might be locked? That she couldn’t just waltz in and open them by hand?
Why not indeed?
Of course there is a hate-to-love interest, and of course, she spends much of the book misinterpreting him. It was just annoying, witnessing the lead character ricochet from frying pan to fire, all because she couldn't ask a few questions.
I did appreciate the issue with the soul--I thought that was impressive and well imagined, and I think it largely got the gravitas it deserved. However, insight doesn't stick for long. As a relentless Big Baddie chases dear Alice, we get a magical heritage reveal and surprise! It's not who you thought it was based on the initial chapter. Yeah, I wasn't really surprised either. But it screws up the communication (again!) and, well, ends the story. It's pretty much one of those endings that you know means there's a book two. I won't be reading it, but good luck on you if you try.
‘I’ve had enough of this,’ she raged. ‘All of it. I’m going home to check on them.’ ‘That’s not a good idea,’ said Sasha. She was standing at the top of the stairs with a grim look on her face. ‘It could be dangerous if you travel in this state. You won’t be able to concentrate properly—’ ‘I don’t care,’ Alice shouted. ‘What choice do I have? What if they’re—What if those bastards have—’ She screwed her eyes shut. Now was not the time for hysterics. She needed to keep it together. ‘Close the door, Crowley,’ she rasped.
Well, I'm definitely going home.
He smirked and shook his head. ‘No. We, Alice, are not wizards; we are a species.’
I mean, c'mon; what else am I supposed to do with that kind of writing? New writers tend to do two things that grate on my nerves. The first is that they seem to believe that every noun needs an adjective. The second is that they aren’t allowed to use conversational words:
Her thumb crunched the alarm button instead. Typically, given her day so far, the lift wailed like a banshee.
Just... why? Why not say 'pushed?' It's like Dragon MadLibs all over again. And elevators wailing? I know the hold music is bad, but...
She smiled serenely, her gaze drifting from the cord to August’s face. He was puce.
One of the many people the author thanked for editing help really should have worked with her on her writing.
Yet, I persevered. After all, I was on a plane. Things got a little better when I realized I could hate read. I haven’t done that for a very long time, and sometimes there’s a perverse satisfaction in thoroughly deconstructing a book that isn’t working.
The lead was ridiculously young for a university graduate, incompetent and unable to manage basic skill. She’s working at her post graduation job as a researcher for a shoe company and as she is headed to her big presentation, she runs into a prophetic old woman. As another reviewer mentioned, this falls into the clumsy-socially awkward-but-lovable’ trope. Not my cup of tea, but perhaps this will change as she comes into her power/destiny.
He paused, waiting for her to free the words straining at her lips.
Fly! Be free! Alas, the story worsened as the plot moved forward, contradicting itself and relied on ignorance to move the conflict forward. Though we are told the lead is a fantastic “researcher," she is anything but someone who turns to gathering and sorting information in an effort to understand. She would make a decision that 'something' needed to be done based off her limited understanding and then operate as if she could bend the world into making that happen.
Alice slumped back against the headboard. ‘However … I’m going to track down [redacted]’s necromancer,’ she announced. ‘And then I’ll force him to do my bidding. That’s my plan.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a plan,’ said Jude. ‘That’s just an idea.’
She tipped her head back. ‘Damn, I’m bad at this.’
She would decide that she was going to go and embark on a rescue without trying to understand the first thing about where she was going, reconnaissance be damned. Really, anyone over fifteen should know that’s not how it works.
Why on earth hadn’t she considered the fact that the cages might be locked? That she couldn’t just waltz in and open them by hand?
Why not indeed?
Of course there is a hate-to-love interest, and of course, she spends much of the book misinterpreting him. It was just annoying, witnessing the lead character ricochet from frying pan to fire, all because she couldn't ask a few questions.
I did appreciate the issue with the soul--I thought that was impressive and well imagined, and I think it largely got the gravitas it deserved. However, insight doesn't stick for long. As a relentless Big Baddie chases dear Alice, we get a magical heritage reveal and surprise! It's not who you thought it was based on the initial chapter. Yeah, I wasn't really surprised either. But it screws up the communication (again!) and, well, ends the story. It's pretty much one of those endings that you know means there's a book two. I won't be reading it, but good luck on you if you try.
‘I’ve had enough of this,’ she raged. ‘All of it. I’m going home to check on them.’ ‘That’s not a good idea,’ said Sasha. She was standing at the top of the stairs with a grim look on her face. ‘It could be dangerous if you travel in this state. You won’t be able to concentrate properly—’ ‘I don’t care,’ Alice shouted. ‘What choice do I have? What if they’re—What if those bastards have—’ She screwed her eyes shut. Now was not the time for hysterics. She needed to keep it together. ‘Close the door, Crowley,’ she rasped.
Well, I'm definitely going home because I do have a choice.
I wanted to like it. (Interesting that we say that, right, as if are trying to convince ourselves and the dear reader that we gave a book a chance). It was the lovely cover, the promise of equally lovely language, and a new adult lead discovering her magic. I saved this for an airplane read, a time when I have less expectations and hope only for distraction, but the writing kept throwing me out of the story.
He smirked and shook his head. ‘No. We, Alice, are not wizards; we are a species.’
I mean, c'mon; what else am I supposed to do with that kind of writing? New writers tend to do two things that grate on my nerves. The first is that they seem to believe that every noun needs an adjective. The second is that they aren’t allowed to use conversational words:
Her thumb crunched the alarm button instead. Typically, given her day so far, the lift wailed like a banshee.
Just... why? Why not say 'pushed?' It's like Dragon MadLibs all over again. And elevators wailing? I know the hold music is bad, but...
She smiled serenely, her gaze drifting from the cord to August’s face. He was puce.
One of the many people the author thanked for editing help really should have worked with her on her writing.
Yet, I persevered. After all, I was on a plane. Things got a little better when I realized I could hate read. I haven’t done that for a very long time, and sometimes there’s a perverse satisfaction in thoroughly deconstructing a book that isn’t working.
The lead was ridiculously young for a university graduate, incompetent and unable to manage basic skill. She’s working at her post graduation job as a researcher for a shoe company and as she is headed to her big presentation, she runs into a prophetic old woman. As another reviewer mentioned, this falls into the clumsy-socially awkward-but-lovable’ trope. Not my cup of tea, but perhaps this will change as she comes into her power/destiny.
He paused, waiting for her to free the words straining at her lips.
Fly! Be free! Alas, the story worsened as the plot moved forward, contradicting itself and relied on ignorance to move the conflict forward. Though we are told the lead is a fantastic “researcher," she is anything but someone who turns to gathering and sorting information in an effort to understand. She would make a decision that 'something' needed to be done based off her limited understanding and then operate as if she could bend the world into making that happen.
Alice slumped back against the headboard. ‘However … I’m going to track down [redacted]’s necromancer,’ she announced. ‘And then I’ll force him to do my bidding. That’s my plan.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a plan,’ said Jude. ‘That’s just an idea.’
She tipped her head back. ‘Damn, I’m bad at this.’
She would decide that she was going to go and embark on a rescue without trying to understand the first thing about where she was going, reconnaissance be damned. Really, anyone over fifteen should know that’s not how it works.
Why on earth hadn’t she considered the fact that the cages might be locked? That she couldn’t just waltz in and open them by hand?
Why not indeed?
Of course there is a hate-to-love interest, and of course, she spends much of the book misinterpreting him. It was just annoying, witnessing the lead character ricochet from frying pan to fire, all because she couldn't ask a few questions.
I did appreciate the issue with the soul--I thought that was impressive and well imagined, and I think it largely got the gravitas it deserved. However, insight doesn't stick for long. As a relentless Big Baddie chases dear Alice, we get a magical heritage reveal and surprise! It's not who you thought it was based on the initial chapter. Yeah, I wasn't really surprised either. But it screws up the communication (again!) and, well, ends the story. It's pretty much one of those endings that you know means there's a book two. I won't be reading it, but good luck on you if you try.
‘I’ve had enough of this,’ she raged. ‘All of it. I’m going home to check on them.’ ‘That’s not a good idea,’ said Sasha. She was standing at the top of the stairs with a grim look on her face. ‘It could be dangerous if you travel in this state. You won’t be able to concentrate properly—’ ‘I don’t care,’ Alice shouted. ‘What choice do I have? What if they’re—What if those bastards have—’ She screwed her eyes shut. Now was not the time for hysterics. She needed to keep it together. ‘Close the door, Crowley,’ she rasped.
Well, I'm definitely going home.
He smirked and shook his head. ‘No. We, Alice, are not wizards; we are a species.’
I mean, c'mon; what else am I supposed to do with that kind of writing? New writers tend to do two things that grate on my nerves. The first is that they seem to believe that every noun needs an adjective. The second is that they aren’t allowed to use conversational words:
Her thumb crunched the alarm button instead. Typically, given her day so far, the lift wailed like a banshee.
Just... why? Why not say 'pushed?' It's like Dragon MadLibs all over again. And elevators wailing? I know the hold music is bad, but...
She smiled serenely, her gaze drifting from the cord to August’s face. He was puce.
One of the many people the author thanked for editing help really should have worked with her on her writing.
Yet, I persevered. After all, I was on a plane. Things got a little better when I realized I could hate read. I haven’t done that for a very long time, and sometimes there’s a perverse satisfaction in thoroughly deconstructing a book that isn’t working.
The lead was ridiculously young for a university graduate, incompetent and unable to manage basic skill. She’s working at her post graduation job as a researcher for a shoe company and as she is headed to her big presentation, she runs into a prophetic old woman. As another reviewer mentioned, this falls into the clumsy-socially awkward-but-lovable’ trope. Not my cup of tea, but perhaps this will change as she comes into her power/destiny.
He paused, waiting for her to free the words straining at her lips.
Fly! Be free! Alas, the story worsened as the plot moved forward, contradicting itself and relied on ignorance to move the conflict forward. Though we are told the lead is a fantastic “researcher," she is anything but someone who turns to gathering and sorting information in an effort to understand. She would make a decision that 'something' needed to be done based off her limited understanding and then operate as if she could bend the world into making that happen.
Alice slumped back against the headboard. ‘However … I’m going to track down [redacted]’s necromancer,’ she announced. ‘And then I’ll force him to do my bidding. That’s my plan.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a plan,’ said Jude. ‘That’s just an idea.’
She tipped her head back. ‘Damn, I’m bad at this.’
She would decide that she was going to go and embark on a rescue without trying to understand the first thing about where she was going, reconnaissance be damned. Really, anyone over fifteen should know that’s not how it works.
Why on earth hadn’t she considered the fact that the cages might be locked? That she couldn’t just waltz in and open them by hand?
Why not indeed?
Of course there is a hate-to-love interest, and of course, she spends much of the book misinterpreting him. It was just annoying, witnessing the lead character ricochet from frying pan to fire, all because she couldn't ask a few questions.
I did appreciate the issue with the soul--I thought that was impressive and well imagined, and I think it largely got the gravitas it deserved. However, insight doesn't stick for long. As a relentless Big Baddie chases dear Alice, we get a magical heritage reveal and surprise! It's not who you thought it was based on the initial chapter. Yeah, I wasn't really surprised either. But it screws up the communication (again!) and, well, ends the story. It's pretty much one of those endings that you know means there's a book two. I won't be reading it, but good luck on you if you try.
‘I’ve had enough of this,’ she raged. ‘All of it. I’m going home to check on them.’ ‘That’s not a good idea,’ said Sasha. She was standing at the top of the stairs with a grim look on her face. ‘It could be dangerous if you travel in this state. You won’t be able to concentrate properly—’ ‘I don’t care,’ Alice shouted. ‘What choice do I have? What if they’re—What if those bastards have—’ She screwed her eyes shut. Now was not the time for hysterics. She needed to keep it together. ‘Close the door, Crowley,’ she rasped.
Well, I'm definitely going home because I do have a choice.
October 24, 2019
I am completely gutted I won't be finishing this book, I was loving it so much. I love birds - I would even go so far as to say I (might) have an obsession with birds, so to find a book where they are guarding our souls - I was in heaven! Unfortunately at page 150 there is an animal abuse scene that I have decided I just can't gloss over as I usually do. This is several pages of dog fighting. Maybe IRL they don't have the issues in the UK that we do in the US? Usually I just flip pages really quickly and try to overlook the useless need to add animal abuse to any book. But in this case I just couldn't. I tried, I skipped it and I kept reading, but I just couldn't keep going. I thought the subject matter was too heinous and I would be a complete hypocrite to rate the book favorably. And I am a bit biased as I own a rescue of one of the breeds that are typically fought. Apologies for my soapbox, but I have to go with my heart.
August 28, 2019
I was pretty much a crackhead addicted to this read at first. It was hard to put down, don't you dare do it type of read with endless sleepless nights spent living with no regrets book until I was half way through the read and the momentum started to plummet downwards. Fast. And the plummet started happening due to my utter dislike for the heroine Alice. Talk about a dumb broad. She was careless with her actions despite being warned time and time again everyone and their mother the pain she could affleck to others yet did she listen? Noooooo! This dumb dumb decided to do the complete opposite. And should we talk about her childish behavior? Nope. Not gonna go there. I just can't fandom how I couldn't find any redeeming qualities about our leading lady. With her as the shitty ass heroine I have to thank the big guy upstairs for blessing me with Crowley's presence. He was the only thing keeping me strong. Bless his heart. And on that note, let's talk about the romance. Like why? I honestly saw no point including the half-ass romance in the story since their 'feelings' only appeared towards the end of the novel, waaaaaaay before the final throughout the span of what… 2-3 pages? Then it went MIA. Like how are you going to ghost us like that yo? And why waste everyone's time building up the possible relationship momentum if nothing is going to actually happen? At all. It was beyond lackluster and that only lowered the rating score. This had so much potential and I had such high hopes for this read yet once hitting that halfway point, it quickly diminish to pile of blah. This would've had turned out better if they cut out the heroine (kill her off would have been better to be honest) and just made this a YA fantasy instead further exploring characters and their stories of being an aviarist.
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July 28, 2023It's taken me a while to do this review. I thought I'd give myself some time between finishing the book and posting this because there was a slim possibility my views would change a little bit. But I'm finding that my initial sentiments about this book are much the same, so here goes:
I wanted to like this book so bad. The concept is fascinating and the world building was thoughtful and interesting but the plot, characters, and writing are sub-par.
Alice is this clumsy little brat who can't do anything right, so people give her things so she can. She goes through no arc (in fact nobody has any character development) and falls into the trope of "stubborn/strong minded woman who won't listen to no man" who ends up nearly getting herself killed or maimed half a dozen times. In fact, her decision making is so overly impulsive and straight-up stupid that I had no sympathy for her. There's one scene at the beginning of the book where this creepy guy Vin hits on her, she freaks out, and then a second later she's trusting him. I'm sorry, but what the sh*t?
Don't get me started on Crowley. He's this broody boy who has all of these dark secrets and alternates between an excessive flirt and a dour teenager. He's the liar of liars and somehow gets a clean pass for all of the BS he puts Alice through. I wanted to drop kick them both into the ocean. Especially for that heavy-handed romance. The whole time I wanted to pull a Monty Python and scream "Get on with it!" but when they actually do, oh my lord... the dialogue is so cheesy, the writing so trite, and the result such a cliche! That goes for the whole book, actually, but that one "love" scene made me want to tear my hair out.
As for the plot, it's a series of Alice's cock-ups that somehow resolve themselves thanks to other people. Deus ex machina, dumb luck, this hidden power she has that's never fully acknowledged... And that big revelation at the end? Or all of them? There are so many things going on, so many unnecessary and unprompted confessions, that it felt like the author made no attempt to properly plot the book out so she had to have a big tell-all to resolve all those loose (but fraying) ends.
Then there's the writing. I almost DNF because of it but I powered through so I could give the book a fair chance. It was immature and should never have gotten past an editor's pen; I was rolling my eyes half the time like I was watching some daytime soap. The humor and dialogue are childish and forced; the author tells you everything and makes little time for describing things; and any actual descriptions don't last long enough or go into enough depth to be worth it.
Also, I don't mind violence in books (I enjoy gangster movies so the gore in here was 'lite') but it felt off. You have this dumb brat for a main character with a teenage outlook on the world while on the other side of the spectrum there are these ultra dark villains who must all be psychopaths because blood! Waterboarding! Psychological torture! It felt forced and oxymoronic to me: if you're going to have a super dark, violent atmosphere in a book, do not use a stupid woman-child for a main character! It does not juxtapose well. It's like tossing Barbie into Game of Thrones. It's as if these moments of violence came about because the author wanted the book to be dark and serious but it was so contrived.
All in all, (and quite obvious, yes?) I was very upset with this book. Lots of potential gone to waste.
I wanted to like this book so bad. The concept is fascinating and the world building was thoughtful and interesting but the plot, characters, and writing are sub-par.
Alice is this clumsy little brat who can't do anything right, so people give her things so she can. She goes through no arc (in fact nobody has any character development) and falls into the trope of "stubborn/strong minded woman who won't listen to no man" who ends up nearly getting herself killed or maimed half a dozen times. In fact, her decision making is so overly impulsive and straight-up stupid that I had no sympathy for her. There's one scene at the beginning of the book where this creepy guy Vin hits on her, she freaks out, and then a second later she's trusting him. I'm sorry, but what the sh*t?
Don't get me started on Crowley. He's this broody boy who has all of these dark secrets and alternates between an excessive flirt and a dour teenager. He's the liar of liars and somehow gets a clean pass for all of the BS he puts Alice through. I wanted to drop kick them both into the ocean. Especially for that heavy-handed romance. The whole time I wanted to pull a Monty Python and scream "Get on with it!" but when they actually do, oh my lord... the dialogue is so cheesy, the writing so trite, and the result such a cliche! That goes for the whole book, actually, but that one "love" scene made me want to tear my hair out.
As for the plot, it's a series of Alice's cock-ups that somehow resolve themselves thanks to other people. Deus ex machina, dumb luck, this hidden power she has that's never fully acknowledged... And that big revelation at the end? Or all of them? There are so many things going on, so many unnecessary and unprompted confessions, that it felt like the author made no attempt to properly plot the book out so she had to have a big tell-all to resolve all those loose (but fraying) ends.
Then there's the writing. I almost DNF because of it but I powered through so I could give the book a fair chance. It was immature and should never have gotten past an editor's pen; I was rolling my eyes half the time like I was watching some daytime soap. The humor and dialogue are childish and forced; the author tells you everything and makes little time for describing things; and any actual descriptions don't last long enough or go into enough depth to be worth it.
Also, I don't mind violence in books (I enjoy gangster movies so the gore in here was 'lite') but it felt off. You have this dumb brat for a main character with a teenage outlook on the world while on the other side of the spectrum there are these ultra dark villains who must all be psychopaths because blood! Waterboarding! Psychological torture! It felt forced and oxymoronic to me: if you're going to have a super dark, violent atmosphere in a book, do not use a stupid woman-child for a main character! It does not juxtapose well. It's like tossing Barbie into Game of Thrones. It's as if these moments of violence came about because the author wanted the book to be dark and serious but it was so contrived.
All in all, (and quite obvious, yes?) I was very upset with this book. Lots of potential gone to waste.
November 26, 2019
soul birds + death cults + alternate London + some undertaker-looking guy called Crowley. The Nightjar has them all, and it makes for a really fascinating and unique read.
I have a lot of thoughts about The Nightjar. At points it was a 3.5 read, and at others it was 4.5. It was was slow in parts and quick in others, sparse and yet overstuffed. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I recommend it? To a certain reader, definitely.
Interestingly, I would have split this book into a duology. The last hundred pages were filled to the brim with the kind of action and revelations that often conclude a series and the world itself was fascinating, more than detailed enough to support a longer series. In the first hundred pages, you were drawn into the world. The middle was the slowest part of the book, but if it was split into two this probably could have been alleviated. Or if it was to be kept as a standalone, some of the middle content could've been removed so the pacing didn't become stagnant in the middle. I did hear of people putting it down because it became less interesting after the initial fascination of the first 100-ish pages, and cutting some content might have avoided that.
Beside the stagnant middle, I was frustrated that the romance between Alice and Crowley never fully seemed to go . . . anywhere. It was a debatable slow burn for a while, but it continually kept dipping in and out and then just when it seemed to go anywhere, it didn't. And I'm not saying romances have to always go somewhere, but I did really like Crowley and wanted the two to end up together.
For the twists at the end - I did not see those coming. Not the revelation about Crowley's true identity, nor Alice's.I will confess that I am confused about how she's the daughter of the previous Lord of Death and how that came about exactly, to be honest. But when Death shows up and turns out to be a strangely chilling, pale-eyed guy with a strange allure, I will take it.
As a debut, it was an enjoyable read and I am interested in Deborah Hewitt as an author now. It'll be intriguing to see what she does next. I would, in all honesty, love to read more set in the world of the Rookery.
TL;DR: A debut featuring invisible soul-birds called nightjars and where magic flourishes in an alternate London, the narrative pools stagnantly in the middle before tumbling into a rapid ending filled with revelations and events piled one after the other.
> 4 stars
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have a lot of thoughts about The Nightjar. At points it was a 3.5 read, and at others it was 4.5. It was was slow in parts and quick in others, sparse and yet overstuffed. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I recommend it? To a certain reader, definitely.
Interestingly, I would have split this book into a duology. The last hundred pages were filled to the brim with the kind of action and revelations that often conclude a series and the world itself was fascinating, more than detailed enough to support a longer series. In the first hundred pages, you were drawn into the world. The middle was the slowest part of the book, but if it was split into two this probably could have been alleviated. Or if it was to be kept as a standalone, some of the middle content could've been removed so the pacing didn't become stagnant in the middle. I did hear of people putting it down because it became less interesting after the initial fascination of the first 100-ish pages, and cutting some content might have avoided that.
Beside the stagnant middle, I was frustrated that the romance between Alice and Crowley never fully seemed to go . . . anywhere. It was a debatable slow burn for a while, but it continually kept dipping in and out and then just when it seemed to go anywhere, it didn't. And I'm not saying romances have to always go somewhere, but I did really like Crowley and wanted the two to end up together.
For the twists at the end - I did not see those coming. Not the revelation about Crowley's true identity, nor Alice's.
As a debut, it was an enjoyable read and I am interested in Deborah Hewitt as an author now. It'll be intriguing to see what she does next. I would, in all honesty, love to read more set in the world of the Rookery.
TL;DR: A debut featuring invisible soul-birds called nightjars and where magic flourishes in an alternate London, the narrative pools stagnantly in the middle before tumbling into a rapid ending filled with revelations and events piled one after the other.
> 4 stars
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 5, 2021
Wanted to love...then, wanted to abandon...then, pushed myself to finish...then, disappointed by the unsatisfying end. It was a journey.
I knew we were in trouble when the opening salvo is a woman heading to work who is creeped on by an old lady who then dramatically dies in her arms after delivering a cryptic message, and the woman...stills goes to work. Who does that?
This book had too much suspension of reality to feel engaging. Too much incredulousness by the characters to feel authentic (lots of: "How is this real? Am I dreaming? What can possibly happen now?"). Too much dialogue to feel well-written. Too much post-event explanation to feel suspenseful. Too much sex to be young adult. Too little sophistication to not be young adult. Defies categories and falls flat in all of them.
What was particularly frustrating is that the author has the seeds of a great fantasy tucked into elements of this book, but the overall feeling was that of a fruitcake - too many flavors to be delicious, too many ingredients to be elegant. To illustrate, this book includes: a magic feather that may or may not be a placebo, a BFF in a coma replaced by someone ELSE in a coma whom need to be saved...but both die anyway (not a spoiler - you could see it coming, or not, and had absolutely no bearing on how the storyline played out), an alternative London that (maybe?) makes sense to someone who lives in London, some Finnish mythology clomped on to the Book of Genesis, a couple of trees with neat properties that don't figure much into the story, bunch of birds and maybe a few vampires, incompetent police, mobsters, monster shaming, adoption trauma, blood transfusions, a paid-for-by-guilt cottage in Ireland, Death (as in, the Character), DOG FIGHTING (just, why?), pyromania, an underground library, missing clothes, evil co-workers and a business presentation gone bad but who get theirs in the end, and I'm pretty sure there was something about leaky plumbing and a disappointing bar scene.
I knew we were in trouble when the opening salvo is a woman heading to work who is creeped on by an old lady who then dramatically dies in her arms after delivering a cryptic message, and the woman...stills goes to work. Who does that?
This book had too much suspension of reality to feel engaging. Too much incredulousness by the characters to feel authentic (lots of: "How is this real? Am I dreaming? What can possibly happen now?"). Too much dialogue to feel well-written. Too much post-event explanation to feel suspenseful. Too much sex to be young adult. Too little sophistication to not be young adult. Defies categories and falls flat in all of them.
What was particularly frustrating is that the author has the seeds of a great fantasy tucked into elements of this book, but the overall feeling was that of a fruitcake - too many flavors to be delicious, too many ingredients to be elegant. To illustrate, this book includes: a magic feather that may or may not be a placebo, a BFF in a coma replaced by someone ELSE in a coma whom need to be saved...but both die anyway (not a spoiler - you could see it coming, or not, and had absolutely no bearing on how the storyline played out), an alternative London that (maybe?) makes sense to someone who lives in London, some Finnish mythology clomped on to the Book of Genesis, a couple of trees with neat properties that don't figure much into the story, bunch of birds and maybe a few vampires, incompetent police, mobsters, monster shaming, adoption trauma, blood transfusions, a paid-for-by-guilt cottage in Ireland, Death (as in, the Character), DOG FIGHTING (just, why?), pyromania, an underground library, missing clothes, evil co-workers and a business presentation gone bad but who get theirs in the end, and I'm pretty sure there was something about leaky plumbing and a disappointing bar scene.
March 23, 2022
abgebrochen bei Seite 170. leider nicht meins
August 13, 2019
The Nightjar is a compelling story about a young woman who discovers she has some unusual gifts, and becomes a target for those who want to take advantage of her abilities. At times horrific and with no lack of violence, this is not for the faint of heart. It is beautiful and ugly and even divine, read this and see how Alice returns from Death’s own kingdom, and the price that must be paid. This tale elicits an incredible range of emotions, from hatred and pain to love and compassion, and everything in between. Live among the doors and discover The Nightjar.
April 23, 2023
Alice, who has been terrified of birds her whole life, discovers that she can see the nightjar on each person's shoulder--the mythical bird that guards the soul. That makes Alice an aviarist, one of the rarest descendants of the fae. When Alice's best friend is hit by a car, a mysterious stranger named Crowley tells her that she is the only one who can save her friend. Crowley whisks her away to a magical realm where Alice must learn to harness her powers, even as an anti-magic organization is hunting her down.
I wanted so badly to like this book.
The concept was amazing--a nightjar guards each soul?! Sign me up! It was a myth I hadn't heard before and I was ready to fall in love... Instead, I ended up frustrated, infuriated, and disappointed. Setting aside the innumerable plot issues, the main character, Alice, is entirely unlikable. She might be the stupidest person I've ever read about. She consistently trusts the wrong people and can't seem to tell when others are lying to her, even though that's part of her "power." She asks no questions about any of the fantastical things that are happening to her, and is incapable of planning even five minutes into the future. Not everyone has to be ridiculously smart, but Alice made such poor choices--over and over--that I couldn't take it. I kept saying, "stick it out; surely it has to get better." It did not. Alice has no growth arc whatsoever. ***SPOILERS FOLLOW***
There were a lot more issues than this, including a convoluted plot and way too many extra characters. I am generally very forgiving, and I could have overlooked most of these issues if the character(s) had been remotely compelling. If I went back in time to decide whether to read this book for the first time, I would not.
I wanted so badly to like this book.
The concept was amazing--a nightjar guards each soul?! Sign me up! It was a myth I hadn't heard before and I was ready to fall in love... Instead, I ended up frustrated, infuriated, and disappointed. Setting aside the innumerable plot issues, the main character, Alice, is entirely unlikable. She might be the stupidest person I've ever read about. She consistently trusts the wrong people and can't seem to tell when others are lying to her, even though that's part of her "power." She asks no questions about any of the fantastical things that are happening to her, and is incapable of planning even five minutes into the future. Not everyone has to be ridiculously smart, but Alice made such poor choices--over and over--that I couldn't take it. I kept saying, "stick it out; surely it has to get better." It did not. Alice has no growth arc whatsoever. ***SPOILERS FOLLOW***
There were a lot more issues than this, including a convoluted plot and way too many extra characters. I am generally very forgiving, and I could have overlooked most of these issues if the character(s) had been remotely compelling. If I went back in time to decide whether to read this book for the first time, I would not.
September 4, 2019
Rating: 3.5
If I hear alternate London and magic in the same sentence, there is 100% chance that I will want to read that book. Throw in a unique magic system and I’m beyond happy. The Nightjar sounded amazing but ultimately tried to do a little bit too much.
I was absolutely engrossed for the entire first half of the book. The magic system absolutely fascinated me, the characters were engaging and multi-dimensional, and the plot was fantastic. I was ready to give this book five stars. And then I got to the second half.
I think The Nightjar would have been better as a duology. The author tried to fit too much into this single book. There was a secret society, it was a coming of age tale, there was a heist, the main character had to learn magic, there was a romance and found family, and the author had to build up an incredibly unique mythology/world. And all of that was fascinating. But there just wasn't enough room to develop any of it to the extent I would have liked.
However, that being said, I absolutely plan on picking up any future books that Deborah Hewitt writes (particularly if the books are set in this same world!). I think she is an incredibly talented writer who will only get better with time.
*Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If I hear alternate London and magic in the same sentence, there is 100% chance that I will want to read that book. Throw in a unique magic system and I’m beyond happy. The Nightjar sounded amazing but ultimately tried to do a little bit too much.
I was absolutely engrossed for the entire first half of the book. The magic system absolutely fascinated me, the characters were engaging and multi-dimensional, and the plot was fantastic. I was ready to give this book five stars. And then I got to the second half.
I think The Nightjar would have been better as a duology. The author tried to fit too much into this single book. There was a secret society, it was a coming of age tale, there was a heist, the main character had to learn magic, there was a romance and found family, and the author had to build up an incredibly unique mythology/world. And all of that was fascinating. But there just wasn't enough room to develop any of it to the extent I would have liked.
However, that being said, I absolutely plan on picking up any future books that Deborah Hewitt writes (particularly if the books are set in this same world!). I think she is an incredibly talented writer who will only get better with time.
*Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 26, 2022
Dieses Buch wurde mir ebenfalls empfohlen und weil es ein schönes Cover hat, dachte ich mir, dass ich einfach mal reinlesen werde. #coveropfer Ich hatte jedoch in den ersten Seiten so meine Probleme und brauchte einige Zeit um mich in dieser Welt zurechtzufinden. Doch ab einem gewissen Zeitpunkt wurde ich in die Geschichte gesogen und habe die letzten 250 Seiten in Rekordzeit ausgelesen. Aber ob ich den zweiten Teil noch lesen will weiß ich noch nicht, den mit diesem Ende kann ich auch gut leben. Die Thematik fand ich faszinierend und gleichzeitig total interessant. War eine gute neue Idee.
4 Sterne
4 Sterne
March 10, 2021
Edit: Lowered to two stars. Thinking on this book I just did not like it mainly because the two main characters left no impression on me.
Edit 2: I decided to just rant on male love interest just because. We need more men like Josuke Higashikata in our novels.
Announcements
So I wont be reviewing much anymore. I don’t have the time to read bc of personal stuff and blah blah. In short I don’t have time to read these days. The world is ending soon, I want to spend that time doing other shit.
Introduction
I completed this book out of pure completionism and wanting to see where it would go. I will say that unlike a lot of recent fantasy novels to come out this one actually felt like there was plot progression. Something actually happened on the middle. That’s how low my bar is these days.
So let me just say as a debut it’s pretty strong, but my three star rating is for the protagonist, really stupid tropes that I personally hate, and the info-dumping.
Characters
First off Alice. Holy fuck is she bland and foolish. She is a 2007 YA protagonist who somehow wandered her way into an adult contemporary fantasy novel published in 2019. If she’s told to do something there’s a 1000% chance she’ll do the opposite. I don’t know why writers keep writing these protagonists. Stop doing that. Most people don’t like reading about people needlessly bumbling to disaster after disaster and needing someone to bail them out every single time they disaster too hard. Not only that but she’s got a super rare special power and got a H***y P****r background story. Inb4 I’m called a misogynist—because that seems to be the latest word that people just use indiscriminately: Let me be clear, being special isn’t inherently bad, but being irresponsible with said power and ignoring sound advice from more knowledgeable people makes for a very frustrating read.
Crowley is the deurotagonist and love interest. Yet another broody jackass with a secret that makes him distant and cold. Need I say more? No, because it’s pretty much every goddamn 2007 YA boyfriend and every guy from any PNR or Fantasy Romance on the market. He’s so dark and mysterious uwu. I don’t understand why allocisheterosexuals seem to think this is sexy, but they do. I definitely have a problem with women trying to act like these power dynamics are somehow desirable but that’s another essay for another book that I probably will never write. My standards are so low I’m just glad he didn’t hit her, but he did get out of pocket a few times which... ok if we really want to talk about misogyny in writing we need to talk about how much shit guys get to say in novels and still be deemed as just “complex” and “desirable.” Also why is it “complex and mysterious” always has to equal “a complete motherfucking jackass.” Okay? Ok. I don’t have much else to say here because male love interests like this bore me so much.
Oh yeah there’s instalove btw so if you’re looking for a steamy romance this isn’t it, but granted this story is more of an adventure novel so to me it’s fine.
Worldbuilding: A Rant
As for the setting it was unique. The second London is a 1930s esque place—and the book goes into great detail as to why. To paraphrase Dunkey’s Cyberpunk 2077 review: no one gives a rat’s fucking ass about every single piece of history about this place. Dense history does not equate to a well built world. A world that feels lived in is what makes a good world and unfortunately we’re only given glimpses into the world as most time is spent with Alice being dragged around by Crowley and her own stupidity. We’re told the world through infodumping and history lessons. It’s to the point that no one had an actual conversation because it was all history about a world that doesn’t exist. We don’t care. I don’t care. Show don’t tell, dammit.
And you know what??? It all feels like there was no practical use for it. I get that magic is almost obligatory in fantasy but what’s the point of including a Grishaverse like magical system that no one uses except by a few people a few times. I’m sure it’s a set up for the next book but STILL. To be honest I’m not even sure how it works. I was told but there’s so much goddamn worldbuilding between all of the people being part elf and second worlds being built and expulsion in the 30s that’s why they’re all in 30s clothing... you get what I mean? There’s too much shit going on.
Look. When you do those worldbuilding sheets they’re for YOU as a writer so YOU know. It does not have to be crowded into the book. Especially when you have rather simple characters and a simple plot.
Tropes
And like I said tropes. But that’s not too accurate. This author very clearly likes those TERF wizard books and there’s plenty of references to it. I dare say this book is kind of a love letter to HP. There’s also obnoxious references to other British pop culture like Doctor Who and Narnia... if you like British stuff I guess (I don’t very much). We have cardboard cut out of character from every 2007 urban fantasy A and every allocishet male romantic interest from 2007 B. We have a plot that’s actually simple but there’s a lot of random shit clogging it which is a shame because it could’ve been fun with good characters.
Conclusion
Despite my ranting I did think it was a good debut. I had fun. I actually did like the dialogue when it wasn’t infodumping and I did like the very british humor of the novel. I did like the magic, the lore and the setting itself.
2/5
Edit 2: I decided to just rant on male love interest just because. We need more men like Josuke Higashikata in our novels.
Announcements
So I wont be reviewing much anymore. I don’t have the time to read bc of personal stuff and blah blah. In short I don’t have time to read these days. The world is ending soon, I want to spend that time doing other shit.
Introduction
I completed this book out of pure completionism and wanting to see where it would go. I will say that unlike a lot of recent fantasy novels to come out this one actually felt like there was plot progression. Something actually happened on the middle. That’s how low my bar is these days.
So let me just say as a debut it’s pretty strong, but my three star rating is for the protagonist, really stupid tropes that I personally hate, and the info-dumping.
Characters
First off Alice. Holy fuck is she bland and foolish. She is a 2007 YA protagonist who somehow wandered her way into an adult contemporary fantasy novel published in 2019. If she’s told to do something there’s a 1000% chance she’ll do the opposite. I don’t know why writers keep writing these protagonists. Stop doing that. Most people don’t like reading about people needlessly bumbling to disaster after disaster and needing someone to bail them out every single time they disaster too hard. Not only that but she’s got a super rare special power and got a H***y P****r background story. Inb4 I’m called a misogynist—because that seems to be the latest word that people just use indiscriminately: Let me be clear, being special isn’t inherently bad, but being irresponsible with said power and ignoring sound advice from more knowledgeable people makes for a very frustrating read.
Crowley is the deurotagonist and love interest. Yet another broody jackass with a secret that makes him distant and cold. Need I say more? No, because it’s pretty much every goddamn 2007 YA boyfriend and every guy from any PNR or Fantasy Romance on the market. He’s so dark and mysterious uwu. I don’t understand why allocisheterosexuals seem to think this is sexy, but they do. I definitely have a problem with women trying to act like these power dynamics are somehow desirable but that’s another essay for another book that I probably will never write. My standards are so low I’m just glad he didn’t hit her, but he did get out of pocket a few times which... ok if we really want to talk about misogyny in writing we need to talk about how much shit guys get to say in novels and still be deemed as just “complex” and “desirable.” Also why is it “complex and mysterious” always has to equal “a complete motherfucking jackass.” Okay? Ok. I don’t have much else to say here because male love interests like this bore me so much.
Oh yeah there’s instalove btw so if you’re looking for a steamy romance this isn’t it, but granted this story is more of an adventure novel so to me it’s fine.
Worldbuilding: A Rant
As for the setting it was unique. The second London is a 1930s esque place—and the book goes into great detail as to why. To paraphrase Dunkey’s Cyberpunk 2077 review: no one gives a rat’s fucking ass about every single piece of history about this place. Dense history does not equate to a well built world. A world that feels lived in is what makes a good world and unfortunately we’re only given glimpses into the world as most time is spent with Alice being dragged around by Crowley and her own stupidity. We’re told the world through infodumping and history lessons. It’s to the point that no one had an actual conversation because it was all history about a world that doesn’t exist. We don’t care. I don’t care. Show don’t tell, dammit.
And you know what??? It all feels like there was no practical use for it. I get that magic is almost obligatory in fantasy but what’s the point of including a Grishaverse like magical system that no one uses except by a few people a few times. I’m sure it’s a set up for the next book but STILL. To be honest I’m not even sure how it works. I was told but there’s so much goddamn worldbuilding between all of the people being part elf and second worlds being built and expulsion in the 30s that’s why they’re all in 30s clothing... you get what I mean? There’s too much shit going on.
Look. When you do those worldbuilding sheets they’re for YOU as a writer so YOU know. It does not have to be crowded into the book. Especially when you have rather simple characters and a simple plot.
Tropes
And like I said tropes. But that’s not too accurate. This author very clearly likes those TERF wizard books and there’s plenty of references to it. I dare say this book is kind of a love letter to HP. There’s also obnoxious references to other British pop culture like Doctor Who and Narnia... if you like British stuff I guess (I don’t very much). We have cardboard cut out of character from every 2007 urban fantasy A and every allocishet male romantic interest from 2007 B. We have a plot that’s actually simple but there’s a lot of random shit clogging it which is a shame because it could’ve been fun with good characters.
Conclusion
Despite my ranting I did think it was a good debut. I had fun. I actually did like the dialogue when it wasn’t infodumping and I did like the very british humor of the novel. I did like the magic, the lore and the setting itself.
2/5
December 12, 2021
The struggle was real. I was on the verge of quitting reading this book on many occasions during the 3 months it took me to be done with it. The only thing that got me through was skimming those last chapters. What’s there to like? The excess use of idioms was nauseating, the main character was annoying, the dialogues were the definition of cliché, huge chunks of the book could be easily removed and that wouldn’t have any significant impact on the plot, the research efforts made by the author to enrich the story seemed forced to fit, and so much more. What I did like was the idea of nightjars as representatives of souls. I can’t recall enjoying anything else in the book.
September 11, 2019
A magical journey into a hidden world
My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of Deborah Hewitt’s ‘The Nightjar’ in exchange for an honest review.
I quickly fell in love with this novel and as it had just been published I elected to purchase its Kindle/Audible combination for an immersive experience. The audiobook was brought vividly to life by its narrator, Tamaryn Payne.
Alice Wyndham has had a fear of birds her entire life and at times has frightening visions of them. Her best friend, Jen, is the only person who understands her fear. When Alice witnesses the death of an old woman in Trafalgar Square it sets off a series of events that reveals a hidden city that intersects with London. A mysterious man named Crowley helps her understand her special ability to see nightjars, magical birds that guard the human soul.
When Jen is involved in an accident and lies in a coma, Alice has to find a way to travel to Death’s aviary to retrieve Jen’s nightjar.
This is just a taste of what lies within the pages of this wonderful novel. I was stunned by Hewitt’s rich world-building and quickly became invested in Alice’s journey to save her friend as well as to adjust to this strange, new reality.
Since childhood I have loved tales about magical lands that lie just beyond ordinary perception. Hewitt has skilfully woven in elements of Finnish folklore and mythology into her imagined world.
Her writing is beautiful and there is plenty of action and adventure, twists and revelations. It was an assured debut and I was very happy to learn that she is writing a sequel as there was so much potential for further exploration.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of Deborah Hewitt’s ‘The Nightjar’ in exchange for an honest review.
I quickly fell in love with this novel and as it had just been published I elected to purchase its Kindle/Audible combination for an immersive experience. The audiobook was brought vividly to life by its narrator, Tamaryn Payne.
Alice Wyndham has had a fear of birds her entire life and at times has frightening visions of them. Her best friend, Jen, is the only person who understands her fear. When Alice witnesses the death of an old woman in Trafalgar Square it sets off a series of events that reveals a hidden city that intersects with London. A mysterious man named Crowley helps her understand her special ability to see nightjars, magical birds that guard the human soul.
When Jen is involved in an accident and lies in a coma, Alice has to find a way to travel to Death’s aviary to retrieve Jen’s nightjar.
This is just a taste of what lies within the pages of this wonderful novel. I was stunned by Hewitt’s rich world-building and quickly became invested in Alice’s journey to save her friend as well as to adjust to this strange, new reality.
Since childhood I have loved tales about magical lands that lie just beyond ordinary perception. Hewitt has skilfully woven in elements of Finnish folklore and mythology into her imagined world.
Her writing is beautiful and there is plenty of action and adventure, twists and revelations. It was an assured debut and I was very happy to learn that she is writing a sequel as there was so much potential for further exploration.
Highly recommended.
January 1, 2020
4.5 Stars
The Nightjar is a fantasy novel set largely in an alternate London. Alice Windham, aka wrecking ball, is a young woman who crashes out of her everyday life one morning when a package, addressed to her but labeled "do not open" is left upon her doorstep. From the moment the package is delivered, her life careens out of her control. First the woman who apparently sent her the package dies in her arms, making her late to work, her job becomes a disaster, her dearest friend is hit by a car, and then a mysterious man named Crowley yanks her through a closet door in her childhood bedroom, to an alternate London "for her own safety." In this alternate London, Alice is introduced to a different reality and her magical Väki heritage.
Steeped in Finnish folklore elements, Hewitt has created a world in which each individual has a nightjar, not unlike Pullman's daemons of the His Dark Materials, that reflects the person's soul nature. Alice is the rarest of the rare, an aviarist, an individual who can see the nightjars of others, though never her own. Nightjars betray the emotions of their person, and Alice soon finds she can see if someone is lying or telling the truth, happy or sad, flirtatious or wary, all from observing the nightjars of others. But the central story of the book revolves around Alice searching for the captive nightjar of her beloved friend Jen, who is comatose. Along the way she learns of opposing factions, the Rookery, the Väki group to which she "belongs," the Beaks or Judicium who are part of the Ministry of Defence headed by Sir John Boleyn, and the Fellowship of the Pale Feather, whose mad leader Marianne wants to unleash plagues, who are the children of Death, on London, or more precisely, the Rookery. In further allusion to His Dark Materials, Alice does indeed travel into the land of the dead. But there are many twists and turns to this story, including one that might catch the reader off-guard. Many things are not what they seem to be here, and it seems that everyone wants an aviarist.
As portal fantasies go, The Nightjar is unusual in the capacity of some magic users (House Pellervoinen heritage) to open myriad doors within the Alternate London and our world. The portals are not fixed but entirely created. Each house has its own gifts, but the most interesting for me was that of Lintuvhati, the house of Death and its progenitor, Tuoni.
With a somewhat open ending, there is room for a sequel, which I'd be quite interested to read. Hewitt has created a fascinating world in The Nightjar.
I also listened to the audiobook, which is beautifully narrated by Tamaryn Payne.
CW: There is a scene in the middle of the book when Alice is seeking the aid of a necromancer, that is exceptionally grueling. It involves dog-fighting, and really, even if I tell you it's vital to remember necromancy is involved, it's not going to be any easier to read or listen to.
I received a paper Advanced Review Copy from Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.
The Nightjar is a fantasy novel set largely in an alternate London. Alice Windham, aka wrecking ball, is a young woman who crashes out of her everyday life one morning when a package, addressed to her but labeled "do not open" is left upon her doorstep. From the moment the package is delivered, her life careens out of her control. First the woman who apparently sent her the package dies in her arms, making her late to work, her job becomes a disaster, her dearest friend is hit by a car, and then a mysterious man named Crowley yanks her through a closet door in her childhood bedroom, to an alternate London "for her own safety." In this alternate London, Alice is introduced to a different reality and her magical Väki heritage.
Steeped in Finnish folklore elements, Hewitt has created a world in which each individual has a nightjar, not unlike Pullman's daemons of the His Dark Materials, that reflects the person's soul nature. Alice is the rarest of the rare, an aviarist, an individual who can see the nightjars of others, though never her own. Nightjars betray the emotions of their person, and Alice soon finds she can see if someone is lying or telling the truth, happy or sad, flirtatious or wary, all from observing the nightjars of others. But the central story of the book revolves around Alice searching for the captive nightjar of her beloved friend Jen, who is comatose. Along the way she learns of opposing factions, the Rookery, the Väki group to which she "belongs," the Beaks or Judicium who are part of the Ministry of Defence headed by Sir John Boleyn, and the Fellowship of the Pale Feather, whose mad leader Marianne wants to unleash plagues, who are the children of Death, on London, or more precisely, the Rookery. In further allusion to His Dark Materials, Alice does indeed travel into the land of the dead. But there are many twists and turns to this story, including one that might catch the reader off-guard. Many things are not what they seem to be here, and it seems that everyone wants an aviarist.
As portal fantasies go, The Nightjar is unusual in the capacity of some magic users (House Pellervoinen heritage) to open myriad doors within the Alternate London and our world. The portals are not fixed but entirely created. Each house has its own gifts, but the most interesting for me was that of Lintuvhati, the house of Death and its progenitor, Tuoni.
With a somewhat open ending, there is room for a sequel, which I'd be quite interested to read. Hewitt has created a fascinating world in The Nightjar.
I also listened to the audiobook, which is beautifully narrated by Tamaryn Payne.
CW: There is a scene in the middle of the book when Alice is seeking the aid of a necromancer, that is exceptionally grueling. It involves dog-fighting, and really, even if I tell you it's vital to remember necromancy is involved, it's not going to be any easier to read or listen to.
I received a paper Advanced Review Copy from Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2019
I won an arc of this book in a goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
I thought the concept of this book was very interesting! The idea that there are guardians for our souls and only certain people can see them is really cool. Throughout the book, we follow Alice as she navigates the Rookery, escapes the Beaks, and tries to find her way to the land of death to retrieve her best friend's (Jen) nightjar. Something that I really appreciated in this book we how well the Rookery was thought out. You can tell that Hewitt spent time thinking about this world and mapping it out. The research and hours she put into it is evident. The reader gets to experience not only the setting, but also the folklore, the culture, the history, and lets not forget the death cult. I loved the inspiration taken from biblical stories and Finnish folklore, it tied in so well to the story.
I wasn't a fan of the main "romance" in this book, to me it felt very forced, I don't think it needed to be there at all. Having said that, I did like that the romance was not the main focus and it did not take over the entire story.
I wish Hewitt had gone deeper into the magic system of this world, sometimes the "ordinary" abilities took a backseat to the more unique abilities (necromancy, aviarist, hemomancy, etc...) and I would have been excited to have more characters that could demonstrate these different types of magic. The part with the skeleton keys was something I have never seen in fantasy before and thought it was extremely awesome.
I also wish that there was more character development. Alice's arc is solid, but all of the other characters have almost no development. While reading the book, it feels like these characters are only there for Alice's development, otherwise, they could have been taken out of the story all together and the novel would be almost exactly the same. It's a shame since we do get tiny glimpses of these character's personalities and backstories and I would have loved to learn more about these characters and I think it would have added greatly to the story.
I also wish there were just a couple more pages to the epilogue. The story ended very abruptly, and I don't mind an open-ended conclusion, but I just wanted a little bit more on how Alice was coping, and what she decided to do next. We got a little bit of that, but only a couple of sentences.
All in all there were parts that I really enjoyed, and there were parts that I didn't really like as much. I'm excited to see what Deborah Hewitt writes next.
I thought the concept of this book was very interesting! The idea that there are guardians for our souls and only certain people can see them is really cool. Throughout the book, we follow Alice as she navigates the Rookery, escapes the Beaks, and tries to find her way to the land of death to retrieve her best friend's (Jen) nightjar. Something that I really appreciated in this book we how well the Rookery was thought out. You can tell that Hewitt spent time thinking about this world and mapping it out. The research and hours she put into it is evident. The reader gets to experience not only the setting, but also the folklore, the culture, the history, and lets not forget the death cult. I loved the inspiration taken from biblical stories and Finnish folklore, it tied in so well to the story.
I wasn't a fan of the main "romance" in this book, to me it felt very forced, I don't think it needed to be there at all. Having said that, I did like that the romance was not the main focus and it did not take over the entire story.
I wish Hewitt had gone deeper into the magic system of this world, sometimes the "ordinary" abilities took a backseat to the more unique abilities (necromancy, aviarist, hemomancy, etc...) and I would have been excited to have more characters that could demonstrate these different types of magic. The part with the skeleton keys was something I have never seen in fantasy before and thought it was extremely awesome.
I also wish that there was more character development. Alice's arc is solid, but all of the other characters have almost no development. While reading the book, it feels like these characters are only there for Alice's development, otherwise, they could have been taken out of the story all together and the novel would be almost exactly the same. It's a shame since we do get tiny glimpses of these character's personalities and backstories and I would have loved to learn more about these characters and I think it would have added greatly to the story.
I also wish there were just a couple more pages to the epilogue. The story ended very abruptly, and I don't mind an open-ended conclusion, but I just wanted a little bit more on how Alice was coping, and what she decided to do next. We got a little bit of that, but only a couple of sentences.
All in all there were parts that I really enjoyed, and there were parts that I didn't really like as much. I'm excited to see what Deborah Hewitt writes next.
February 2, 2020
Interesting idea but tedious characters - I gave up. Life is too short!
June 22, 2020
I think my rating is affected by the time I am reading in. We are all a little more sensitive to how inclusive stories are right now, and so I cannot help but notice that unlike other stories with alternate Londons, Hewett has essentially created an all-white version of that multicultural city. Her mythological universe is based on Scandinavian (specifically Finnish) mythology and people descended from that heritage who carry essentially fairy DNA. Her Rookery city therefore is entirely white and monocultured, as it does not provide a way of entry for any other culture or heritage. She does touch on the Passover myth later in the book, but this is the closest the story ever gets to acknowledging other cultures, and it still doesn't mean Jewish people get to live in this mythical London. I recently read the first book of Catherine Webb's Midnight Mayor series and the contrast is extreme: that book allows for, includes and speaks of people of color who have immigrated to London's many multicultural communities, including addressing the casual racism that exists even in a city like London. This book does not include any of that rich urban fabric, and the Rookery is far the worse for it. Instead of a vibrant city with all its unique cultures, the Rookery is one-note, a tribute to a limited British heritage from a millenium ago.
Other than the racial and cultural exclusivity of this London, I liked this book less than expected. There were too many baroque details in the worldbuilding, and it was difficult to follow at times. The pacing is also very strange, especially at the end, where there are many plot twists and changes to keep track of. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a much better bet for a fantasy book, and if you just love London and have exhausted Neverwhere, try Kraken (Mieville) or Midnight Mayor (Webb).
Other than the racial and cultural exclusivity of this London, I liked this book less than expected. There were too many baroque details in the worldbuilding, and it was difficult to follow at times. The pacing is also very strange, especially at the end, where there are many plot twists and changes to keep track of. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a much better bet for a fantasy book, and if you just love London and have exhausted Neverwhere, try Kraken (Mieville) or Midnight Mayor (Webb).
September 5, 2019
This is an absolutely stunning and unique read, the world building is phenomenal and the writing just beautiful. I didn’t know what to expect from this, but I was left pleasantly surprised by one of my favourite reads of this year, so original, clever, it’s a captivating read and just so magical. Looking for something new , interesting and original, look no further, pick up this book and step into an amazing world.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
September 12, 2019
This was entertaining read with great yet flawed cast of characters, interesting fantasy elements and complicated slow burn romance subplot. What surprised me was the importance of finnish mythology in the world-building and lore: things like Väki, sielulintu, Tuoni and so on. I'd say it was, for most of part, done well, even if the overall setting was as far from anything finnish as possible.
February 22, 2022
Irgendwas zwischen 3 und 4 Sternen✨
May 29, 2025
just remembered i read this last year bc i randomly picked it up off the library shelves and decided to give it a go. i didn’t really like it :/ the main character was once again a really annoying, hard-headed, stupid girl (why can’t there be any NORMAL ONES) and her love interest was wayyyy too morally gray for me. as in very few redeemable qualities unless you’re one of those “i can fix him 💖💘🧡💓💛💖” type people (cough cough — rhea). also COULD NOT STOP SEEING HIM AS SNAPE IN MY HEAD THE WHOLE TIME I WAS READING IT ?!!?? so that really threw me off — not exactly a charmer.
ummm yeah! i can’t really remember a lot of what happened except dogs and fire at one point and a lot of birdy emotions. oh and broody not-snape got hurt at one point and there was a lot of romantic tension even though They Are Both Jerks. (I DONT LIKE JERKS!) and then a trip to the underworld ✨ and a kidnapping. i think in that order. OH YEAH AND THE BOOK IS SOOOOO UNNECESSARILY LONG AND STILL ENDS ON A “TO BE CONTINUED….” ESQUE SCENE
yeah. you’re not reallllly mssing anything with this one but figured i’d slap it on the good old “read” shelf :)
just fyi, 2 stars is didn’t like it, but not necessarily Bad Writing. i mean it definitely could’ve been bad but idk. it just didn’t really hit for me. YA fantasy strikes again 😔
ummm yeah! i can’t really remember a lot of what happened except dogs and fire at one point and a lot of birdy emotions. oh and broody not-snape got hurt at one point and there was a lot of romantic tension even though They Are Both Jerks. (I DONT LIKE JERKS!) and then a trip to the underworld ✨ and a kidnapping. i think in that order. OH YEAH AND THE BOOK IS SOOOOO UNNECESSARILY LONG AND STILL ENDS ON A “TO BE CONTINUED….” ESQUE SCENE
yeah. you’re not reallllly mssing anything with this one but figured i’d slap it on the good old “read” shelf :)
just fyi, 2 stars is didn’t like it, but not necessarily Bad Writing. i mean it definitely could’ve been bad but idk. it just didn’t really hit for me. YA fantasy strikes again 😔
February 9, 2022
I don’t even know how to feel about this book. I loved the world I loved most of the side characters I loved the magic but everything else just sucked. I had such a hard time getting into the book the first 50 pages were so full of action and information it left me overwhelmed and confused the whole time but once I finally got into it it was just full of issues. The main character was a selfish idiot who never thought things through and the interactions between her and Crowley were so insufferable it ruined most of the book for me. The main plot line was so mundane I didn’t understand how they milked it the whole book I expected some betrayal or plot twist to make it more exciting but didn’t get one until 50 pages from the end. And the end oh my god the end was so rushed and packed with random information and twists I was confused even though technically the set up for it was there. Like I hated it but something about this book enchanted me and I’m going to read the sequel because even though it was awful I couldn’t put it down.
January 17, 2022
i read 54% of the book in one sitting just to finally finish it, damn it.
let's see: the Finnish mythology part? nothing really, just throw in some Finnish fancy-sounding words, that will do it, thanks.
the alternative london part? pfff, no atmosphere at all, it could be anywhere in this fricking world, and i kept thinking how much happier i'd be if i was rereading neil gaiman's neverwhere. so much happier.
the story itself? i'm sure there are at least ten major plotholes, but i'm not sure, because it's such a convoluted hot mess it makes my head hurt.
but then at least the writer's style could be something, right? NO, humorless, bland, an impromptu bedtime story has more flavour in it than this 400 pages had! technically no style to speak of. and when it was memorable at least however, it was because of second-hand embarrassment.
and even the characters are either stupid, or harmful, or harmful AND stupid. i hated them all with my whole heart.
i know Hewitt's a first-time author, and this book is her debut novel but i've been wanting to read this book for a year, and now i'm really disappointed.
let's see: the Finnish mythology part? nothing really, just throw in some Finnish fancy-sounding words, that will do it, thanks.
the alternative london part? pfff, no atmosphere at all, it could be anywhere in this fricking world, and i kept thinking how much happier i'd be if i was rereading neil gaiman's neverwhere. so much happier.
the story itself? i'm sure there are at least ten major plotholes, but i'm not sure, because it's such a convoluted hot mess it makes my head hurt.
but then at least the writer's style could be something, right? NO, humorless, bland, an impromptu bedtime story has more flavour in it than this 400 pages had! technically no style to speak of. and when it was memorable at least however, it was because of second-hand embarrassment.
and even the characters are either stupid, or harmful, or harmful AND stupid. i hated them all with my whole heart.
i know Hewitt's a first-time author, and this book is her debut novel but i've been wanting to read this book for a year, and now i'm really disappointed.
August 15, 2021
I love it when you find a book that ticks all the boxes for you like The Nightjar has for me. It is full of exciting magic, the setting is magnificent introducing you to a hidden alternate London packed with intriguing complex characters and the main plot is unique and imaginative.
The idea of Nightjars that guard peoples souls is one of the most original, clever and beautiful ideas I have ever read about in a fantasy book. I loved how the author has brought in Finnish folklore and mythology into this story too and has woven it into a complete masterpiece of atmospheric storytelling.
Though it is a magical book, it is quite gritty at times with some bloody scenes and shocking events that will leave you gobsmacked. It also has some twist and turns and a fair few red herrings that were superbly done.
You are pulled into an immersive reading journey that will capture your imagination. Themes such as loyalty, betrayal, love, death and friendship feature. Mixed in then with death cults, a magic library, a land of the dead and so much more. You will be totally spoilt rotten reading all of this.
The Nightjar is the first in a duology, and recently the last book, The Rookery was published. I am currently reading that and it is just as amazing! I will review that separately soon.
If you haven’t read this book before, I strongly advise you pick it up as you are in for a treat!
The idea of Nightjars that guard peoples souls is one of the most original, clever and beautiful ideas I have ever read about in a fantasy book. I loved how the author has brought in Finnish folklore and mythology into this story too and has woven it into a complete masterpiece of atmospheric storytelling.
Though it is a magical book, it is quite gritty at times with some bloody scenes and shocking events that will leave you gobsmacked. It also has some twist and turns and a fair few red herrings that were superbly done.
You are pulled into an immersive reading journey that will capture your imagination. Themes such as loyalty, betrayal, love, death and friendship feature. Mixed in then with death cults, a magic library, a land of the dead and so much more. You will be totally spoilt rotten reading all of this.
The Nightjar is the first in a duology, and recently the last book, The Rookery was published. I am currently reading that and it is just as amazing! I will review that separately soon.
If you haven’t read this book before, I strongly advise you pick it up as you are in for a treat!
February 12, 2020
Loved this one! The characters are engaging and the storyline unique. It was a quick read and now I’m left wanting more. I do hope Ms Hewitt has plans for some companion books. It would be a shame to let these characters go.
October 11, 2022
Neither one thing nor the other.
Liked the first half, but towards the end it just got TOO MUCH. It got more and more rediculous, the protagonist was very unlikeable, the plot was mostly predictable and overall I can't give this a good rating. For a fantasy book with such a good premise it really disappointed me.
Liked the first half, but towards the end it just got TOO MUCH. It got more and more rediculous, the protagonist was very unlikeable, the plot was mostly predictable and overall I can't give this a good rating. For a fantasy book with such a good premise it really disappointed me.
March 22, 2022
Nachdem Alice in Band eins fast ums Leben gekommen ist und sie einen herben Verlust einstecken musste, zeichnete sich schon ab das sie wohl nicht mehr so einfach in ihr altes Leben zurückkehren konnte. Und so scheint es auch, denn inzwischen arbeitet Alice in der Rookery, der Paralellwelt Londons an einem Institut um so Forschungen anstellen zu können. Zudem ist sie erkrankt und hofft das sie mit ihrer Arbeit tiefer in das geheime Wissen der Familie Mielilli einzudringen, das ihrer Meinung nach das Perfekte Gegengewicht zu ihrem Haus darstellt. Bitte seht mir nach das ich das nun nicht genauer verrate, denn ihr solltet den ersten Band wirklich selber lesen.
Jedenfalls bemüht sich Alice sehr ihr bisheriges Leben in den Griff zu bekommen was ihr jedoch nicht so leicht gelingen will. immer wieder tauchen Schatten aus der Vergangenheit auf und Alice erscheint mir auf den ersten Blick etwas weniger entschlossen als in Band eins. Sie wirkt in diesem Band zu Beginn eher schwächer. Auch muss ich ehrlich sagen, das mir trotz des echt tollen Schreibstils der Autorin die ersten gut 130 Seiten wirklich sehr langwierig vorkamen. Es war teilweise enttäuschend langweilig, weil ich mir vorkam als würde sich alles aus Band eins etwas wiederholen, aber mit angezogener Handbremse. Auch fand ich die Beziehung mit Crowley die Alice in Band eins schon wichtig war, hier eher als reine Kumpelschaft. Da fehlte es mir irgendwie an Tiefe.
Dafür war aber auch hier wieder die Handlung sehr interessant, denn ab der Hälfte des Buches nahm sie dann deutlich mehr an Fahrt auf und ich hatte wieder viel Spaß in der mysteriösen Welt rund um Rookery. Zwar haderte Alice zu Beginn noch ein wenig mit ihrem Erbe, was sie ihrer Nachtschwalbe merken lies, aber auch das konnte sich am Ende gut lösen.
Versteht mich nicht falsch, es gibt wirklich sehr viel lesenswertes in diesem Band. Die Geschichte an sich ist super interessant und bietet viel Stoff zum nachdenken, auch die vielen unterschiedlichen Charaktere haben mir gefallen.
Auch die Mhytologie hat wieder ihren festen Platz, tritt aber diesesmal meiner Meinung nach nicht so sehr in den Vordergrund. Allerdings kann man in diesem Band wieder ein Stückchen tiefer in die faszinierende Welt mit ihren Bewohnern eintauchen und das allein ist auch schon was Wert. Gefallen hat mir auch sehr wie Alice sich im Buchverlauf immer mehr mit ihrem Erbe angefreundet hat, sich aber auch nicht verbiegen ließ. Sie hat für sich einen Weg gesucht und gefunden das was ihr gegeben wurde so anzunehmen, das es zu ihrer Überzeugung passt.
Schade das die Reise in die tolle Paralellwelt Londons nun vorbei ist. Ich wäre noch gerne ein wenig länger durch die „Rookery“ gewandert. Und auch wenn ich diesesmal ein wenig Kritik im Gepäck hatte, so hat mir das Buch wieder sehr gut gefallen. Die Ideen der Autorin mit der finnischen Mhytologie eine Welt zu erschaffen machte es zu einem ganz besonderen Werk und ich bin noch immer begeistert von dem ganzen Worldbuilding drumherum. Auch die Charaktere konnten mich begeistern, hätte mir an einigen Stellen ein wenig mehr tiefe gewünscht, bei Crowley zum Beispiel, aber okay. Der erste Teil war für mich einen Tick besser als dieser, aber ich mag das Buch trotzdem. Es ist mal was Neues und die Geschichte um Alice hat mich sehr gefesselt.
Jedenfalls bemüht sich Alice sehr ihr bisheriges Leben in den Griff zu bekommen was ihr jedoch nicht so leicht gelingen will. immer wieder tauchen Schatten aus der Vergangenheit auf und Alice erscheint mir auf den ersten Blick etwas weniger entschlossen als in Band eins. Sie wirkt in diesem Band zu Beginn eher schwächer. Auch muss ich ehrlich sagen, das mir trotz des echt tollen Schreibstils der Autorin die ersten gut 130 Seiten wirklich sehr langwierig vorkamen. Es war teilweise enttäuschend langweilig, weil ich mir vorkam als würde sich alles aus Band eins etwas wiederholen, aber mit angezogener Handbremse. Auch fand ich die Beziehung mit Crowley die Alice in Band eins schon wichtig war, hier eher als reine Kumpelschaft. Da fehlte es mir irgendwie an Tiefe.
Dafür war aber auch hier wieder die Handlung sehr interessant, denn ab der Hälfte des Buches nahm sie dann deutlich mehr an Fahrt auf und ich hatte wieder viel Spaß in der mysteriösen Welt rund um Rookery. Zwar haderte Alice zu Beginn noch ein wenig mit ihrem Erbe, was sie ihrer Nachtschwalbe merken lies, aber auch das konnte sich am Ende gut lösen.
Versteht mich nicht falsch, es gibt wirklich sehr viel lesenswertes in diesem Band. Die Geschichte an sich ist super interessant und bietet viel Stoff zum nachdenken, auch die vielen unterschiedlichen Charaktere haben mir gefallen.
Auch die Mhytologie hat wieder ihren festen Platz, tritt aber diesesmal meiner Meinung nach nicht so sehr in den Vordergrund. Allerdings kann man in diesem Band wieder ein Stückchen tiefer in die faszinierende Welt mit ihren Bewohnern eintauchen und das allein ist auch schon was Wert. Gefallen hat mir auch sehr wie Alice sich im Buchverlauf immer mehr mit ihrem Erbe angefreundet hat, sich aber auch nicht verbiegen ließ. Sie hat für sich einen Weg gesucht und gefunden das was ihr gegeben wurde so anzunehmen, das es zu ihrer Überzeugung passt.
Schade das die Reise in die tolle Paralellwelt Londons nun vorbei ist. Ich wäre noch gerne ein wenig länger durch die „Rookery“ gewandert. Und auch wenn ich diesesmal ein wenig Kritik im Gepäck hatte, so hat mir das Buch wieder sehr gut gefallen. Die Ideen der Autorin mit der finnischen Mhytologie eine Welt zu erschaffen machte es zu einem ganz besonderen Werk und ich bin noch immer begeistert von dem ganzen Worldbuilding drumherum. Auch die Charaktere konnten mich begeistern, hätte mir an einigen Stellen ein wenig mehr tiefe gewünscht, bei Crowley zum Beispiel, aber okay. Der erste Teil war für mich einen Tick besser als dieser, aber ich mag das Buch trotzdem. Es ist mal was Neues und die Geschichte um Alice hat mich sehr gefesselt.
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