Night Shine by Tessa Gratton Review

 Title: Night Shine 

Author: Tessa Gratton 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Fantasy 

Series: Standalone 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it. 

Tessa Gratton is one of my very favorite authors, so when I saw that she had a brand-new book coming out, I ordered it from my local library. I decided to read it as soon as I was finished reading The Burning. This book might be my favorite in Gratton’s entire body of work: A dark, gorgeous fairy tale with every trope flipped inside out, this book reminded me of all of the classic Greek epics and myths that I grew up reading. It also surprised me, because it was a fairy tale in which the heroine chose not a love interest, but herself and her own freedom! This book is a beautiful, dark gem, full of magic, betrayal, desire, and self-discovery! This book is definitely one of my favorites of 2020, and I’m tempted to buy it for my personal collection! 

Nothing’s purpose is simple: to serve as a companion to The Heir of the Moon, Kirin Dark-Smile. She is unacknowledged by everyone but him and the Great Demon who lives in the palace. When Kirin is kidnapped, only Nothing and the prince’s bodyguard suspect that he was taken by The Sorceress Who Eats Girls, a powerful witch who has plagued the land for decades. The witch has never bothered with boys before, but Nothing soon discovers a bevy of secrets, several of them about her prince. Nothing realizes that saving her prince will take her on a journey through spirit haunted woods, all the way to the gates of the Fifth Mountain, where the witch holds her power, and that all magic is a bargain, and to discover who she truly is may cost her heart... 

This book was so achingly lovely. The prose was gorgeous, and I was immediately spellbound by Nothing’s story. I couldn’t figure this book out; I only just finished it last week and honestly, I’m still stunned! I loved every beautiful, surprising moment of this novel. I loved the old-school, fairy tale feel of this book; I felt as though I was tagging along with Nothing and The Day the Sky Opened, in a bid to free the royal they both care about. I also loved the way the characters’ sexuality was different all the way across the board. The pacing of this book was breakneck, and I was soon turning pages madly, desperate to see how Nothing’s story turned out. I loved every single moment of this beautifully written, tender fairy tale; this book might be one of my very favorites of all of 2020. The bottom line: As rich and satisfying as chocolate, I loved Night Shine! One of my favorite books of the entire year! Next on deck: Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters!