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A review by megsbookishtwins
Nightstrider: A Mesmerizing Epic Dark Fantasy by Sophia Slade
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
disclaimer: I received this free from the publishers via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
content warnings: blood, violence, torture, child death, gore, abuse, rape threat, sexual assault, misogyny
rep: queer characters
You know what? This had so much potential. so much. I adored the potential of the world - a waking world & a dreaming world. One world is inhabited by humans, the other by dreams and nightmares. Weavers also exist & they can move between these worlds and they are tasked with protecting the boundary that separates these worlds. Nightstrider features 4 POVs & if I am honest, I think the novel suffered because of it and Slade was not quite successful in fleshing out each characters or their relationships - they were rushed & lacked the depth that I expect in a fantasy novel. I did like each characters but I just felt like they could have been more, more nuanced, more complex, and more depth to them. The worldbuilding was okay, but it took way too long to really understand how the two worlds worked & merged. The plot was enjoyable, fast paced, but lacked the high stakes & tension that I was hoping for. The romance also lacked any real tension or angst that I enjoy. It isn't a bad fantasy novel in the slightest, just a bit meh. Also, something that I almost always hate in fantasy is the constant rape threat that hangs over our female characters & I feel like it was used to distinguish between the 'good' men and the 'bad' men which just felt... distasteful. maybe i'll continue with the series, maybe I won't.
content warnings: blood, violence, torture, child death, gore, abuse, rape threat, sexual assault, misogyny
rep: queer characters
You know what? This had so much potential. so much. I adored the potential of the world - a waking world & a dreaming world. One world is inhabited by humans, the other by dreams and nightmares. Weavers also exist & they can move between these worlds and they are tasked with protecting the boundary that separates these worlds. Nightstrider features 4 POVs & if I am honest, I think the novel suffered because of it and Slade was not quite successful in fleshing out each characters or their relationships - they were rushed & lacked the depth that I expect in a fantasy novel. I did like each characters but I just felt like they could have been more, more nuanced, more complex, and more depth to them. The worldbuilding was okay, but it took way too long to really understand how the two worlds worked & merged. The plot was enjoyable, fast paced, but lacked the high stakes & tension that I was hoping for. The romance also lacked any real tension or angst that I enjoy. It isn't a bad fantasy novel in the slightest, just a bit meh. Also, something that I almost always hate in fantasy is the constant rape threat that hangs over our female characters & I feel like it was used to distinguish between the 'good' men and the 'bad' men which just felt... distasteful. maybe i'll continue with the series, maybe I won't.