The Night King's Court / Elisa A. Bonnin / Book Review
THE NIGHT KING'S COURT
When the position of Luminaire opens at the Night King's court, Ida knows this is her chance. The court is a place of magic, of all-night revelry, which is appealing to a small town girl like her. Even more appealing? The fact that her father disappeared seven years ago from the very same court, never to be seen or heard from again.
Her mother gave up on her father years ago, but Ida knows he wouldn't have abandoned them like that. Something else is behind his disappearance. But one doesn't just waltz into the Night King's court. One needs an invitation, and Ida knows her own dazzling brand of candle magic will be just right to win herself an appointment to the court as Luminaire. She's been preparing for an opportunity such as this. She won't let it pass her by.
But entering the Night King's court is just the start. Finding out what happened to her father is a much harder task. With all the magic illuminating each nightly revel, she can hardly stay on task... especially when that magic doesn't want a newcomer asking questions.
Her mother gave up on her father years ago, but Ida knows he wouldn't have abandoned them like that. Something else is behind his disappearance. But one doesn't just waltz into the Night King's court. One needs an invitation, and Ida knows her own dazzling brand of candle magic will be just right to win herself an appointment to the court as Luminaire. She's been preparing for an opportunity such as this. She won't let it pass her by.
But entering the Night King's court is just the start. Finding out what happened to her father is a much harder task. With all the magic illuminating each nightly revel, she can hardly stay on task... especially when that magic doesn't want a newcomer asking questions.
THOUGHTS
This book was as magical and ethereal as I would have hoped! But I was missing something key: evocative characters. Don't get me wrong. I liked this cast of characters; I just needed more to really make this one a 10/10 read.
This book was as magical and ethereal as I would have hoped! But I was missing something key: evocative characters. Don't get me wrong. I liked this cast of characters; I just needed more to really make this one a 10/10 read.
PROS
| Dazzling | Stepping into this court alongside Ida is like stepping into a dazzling dream. Clouds of magic, voluminous ballgowns, and all-night revelry of the best (and most bizarre) kinds. Flying horse races, enchanted dream chambers, ancient libraries of magical tomes, and illusions that flicker on candle flames: it really is as magical as it claims to be. |
| Artisanal | Ida is an artist. That's what she's come to the court to be, and this book doesn't forget that (even if Ida has her ulterior motives). She's constantly being commissioned; her art is in high demand. She's testing, experimenting, and showing off her artistry, and I loved every minute of it. |
| Found Family | Though these characters didn't leave indelible ink on my brain, I did love the bunch of outcasts Ida falls into. She's adopted by an illegitimate witchling princess and a spaced out ice spirit, who are both skittish and strange and right on the edge of court politics, where they can be in the know without having to conform to courtly etiquette. As an artisan, this is where Ida falls, too, and so this band surpasses class and talent to form their little makeshift family. And I liked that so very much. |
CONS
| What I didn't like so much? Just how... bland the cast feels. I like the concept of these characters more than the way they come across on the page. There was nothing overtly wrong with them, but I didn't really get anything to love either. They were a concept more than realized characters, and that was a major loss for my reading experience. And looking beyond this core cast? Well, outside of their little found family, there exist very few characters at all. Which is, you know, worse. We're definitely prioritizing plot over characters here, but this is a book that really could have benefited from the strong backbone great characters would provide. | Cardboard Cutouts |
| I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't really get into this much. But there was a certain point where we upped the interpersonal stakes to such a high degree, and it just didn't make sense. It didn't make sense for a character as grounded as Ida. It didn't make sense for someone with her goals, with her desires. Throwing a fit like a child? Not at all built into Ida's character up until this point, so it really pulled me out of the story. Such an out of character moment! Truly mind-boggling, immersion-breaking. | Cut-Off |
| The stakes in this book? Well, they're there, I guess. I mean, we have them spelled out on paper at least once. It's not like a reader doesn't know what's at stake, but could I feel those stakes in the writing? Not really. This book is too ethereal, too wrapped up in its own magic to really feel like the high stakes that are looming will make much of an impact. I didn't get a sense of peril, and I think this book could have greatly benefited from a sense of peril. | Can't Invest |
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10
Those who liked the nighttime magic of Stephanie Garber's Caraval will like this magical night court. Those who loved Elissa Sussman's Stray will like the strange, unsettling magic of this new world.
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Details
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Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own. |
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