The Book of Night by Holly Black takes a new approach to the classic tale of Pan and his shadow. It’s quick, dark, and full of murder, mystery, and intrigue. In short, everything good from a new look at an old fairy tale.
Charlie Hall, reformed thief and talented bartender is happy in her new chaos-free life with her boring boyfriend Vince and her psychic sister. Unfortunately, she lives in a world where shadow magic runs rampant, and gloamists, those that can alter their shadows, have all of the power and influence. When she witnesses the scene of a murder after a harrowing night at the bar, she is forced to dive back into her work as a thief and con artist to protect her sister. As secrets come to light and shadows fill every alley, it appears that her boring boyfriend is absolutely not what he seems and she must work with him to stand off against an old enemy even as her new life is falling to pieces.
I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entirety of this book. The shadow magic systems of this world are fascinating and really add something new to the magic systems of romantasy as a whole. Fans of Cinder, Cruel Prince, and Once Upon A Time will fall in love with this book, as it’s the perfect choice for a cozy winter read.
You can find the book here.
Madeline Mertz is a graduate student at Truman State University in English and Education, having received her BA in Creative Writing. She works as a teacher, managing editor, and literary agent intern. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, reading, writing, and eating anything with copious amounts of sugar in it. Her work has appeared in journals such Three Elements Literary Journal, Tomahawk Review, and The Fairy Tale Magazine.