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ptothelo's review
2.0
The sibling relationships were strong. I was curious about what was going to happen but I never really cared about them
reddyrat's review
5.0
The young adult genre is full of fast, easy reads. And that is fine with me. I like being entertained without having to think too much. Sometimes though, having to do a little work to read a book is worthwhile. Leah Cypess' novels are not easy. You aren't flipping through the pages in great suspense; instead, you carefully read each page, because the little things are important. You don't spend half the novel sighing over the handsome hero; instead you savor complex, not always likable characters. Add to that a completely foreign world, where the only features familiar to us are political intrigue and human frailties and you have a lot to learn in one novel.
Leah Cypess is one of the new great high fantasy authors. She writes novels geared to teens, but mature enough to be enjoyed by adults. While high fantasy is still a relatively new genre for me, she is one of the best I've read at world-building. Nightspell is set in Ghostland, a kingdom where ghosts and the living reside together. Most of the novel takes place in a single castle and its surrounding grounds. With a limited setting, the reader becomes intimately familiar with the castle rather than be confused by an entire town's worth of houses, shops, etc. The castle feels medieval - I picture richly colored clothing and tapestries but a pervasive sense of darkness. It keeps the characters - and the reader - constantly on guard.
The idea of the ghosts is also fully explored. We learn what the ghosts are, how they came to be, and the difficulties of living/dead interactions. The ghosts are delightfully spine-chilling. At various times in the book, I hated, feared, cared for, and pitied the ghostly characters.
Ultimately, Nightspell is a character driven novel. It's slow and meandering. The plot flows smoothly, but takes its time to make sure the reader understands the good and bad of all the main characters. In addition to focusing on the individuals, Nightspell is a tale of family - of the bonds between siblings and how they can be broken and strengthened. The story alternates between the points of view of three siblings: Darri, Callie, and Varis. It takes a few chapters to get used to the switch, but I soon recognized each character's inner voice as soon as the viewpoint changed.
Darri is a fierce, hardened fighter. She is determined to save her little sister from a life in Ghostland, even if it means sacrificing Darri's future. Varis is the oldest brother, groomed to rule their land. He knows the ins and outs of the local politics of his kingdom and appears to place that ahead of his sisters. Callie is no longer the scared little girl who came to Ghostland four years before. She appears as refined and haughty as the Ghostland natives. To Darri's surprise, she doesn't welcome her siblings with open arms and isn't looking to go home. Callie was my favorite character. I loved understanding the mixture of anger, love, and resentment she had for her siblings. I enjoyed seeing how she adapted to Ghostland life, knowing the intricacies of the culture but always being an outsider. Overall, I loved how the relationship between the siblings broke down and healed over the course of the book.
While the characters are the most interesting part of Nightspell, there is a plot. Or more appropriately, plots, for there are multiple. Darri is trying to rescue Callie. Prince Kestin of Ghostland is trying to secure his place in the kingdom, which is not the sure thing it once was. The ghosts and the living are grasping over power. The stories are mysterious. It's not particularly suspenseful, but is consistently interesting. There was one specific point about halfway through where I gasped at the end of a chapter when the story took a turn that I never expected.
My only disappointment with Nightspell was Clarisse. I loved her enigmatic personality in Mistwood, her intelligence, her mixed motives. I was thrilled to see her in Nightspell, but I didn't think she lived up to Mistwood. She isn't a one-dimensional character, but she doesn't have the depth that she did in Mistwood. Perhaps it's because she's not as central a character.
Nightspell is a wonderfully intelligent story. It's not the easiest book, but if you put a little into it, it will give ten times back. If you like character-driven novels, family relationships, fabulous world-building, and nearly romance-less book, you'll love Nightspell.
Rating: 4 / 5
Leah Cypess is one of the new great high fantasy authors. She writes novels geared to teens, but mature enough to be enjoyed by adults. While high fantasy is still a relatively new genre for me, she is one of the best I've read at world-building. Nightspell is set in Ghostland, a kingdom where ghosts and the living reside together. Most of the novel takes place in a single castle and its surrounding grounds. With a limited setting, the reader becomes intimately familiar with the castle rather than be confused by an entire town's worth of houses, shops, etc. The castle feels medieval - I picture richly colored clothing and tapestries but a pervasive sense of darkness. It keeps the characters - and the reader - constantly on guard.
The idea of the ghosts is also fully explored. We learn what the ghosts are, how they came to be, and the difficulties of living/dead interactions. The ghosts are delightfully spine-chilling. At various times in the book, I hated, feared, cared for, and pitied the ghostly characters.
Ultimately, Nightspell is a character driven novel. It's slow and meandering. The plot flows smoothly, but takes its time to make sure the reader understands the good and bad of all the main characters. In addition to focusing on the individuals, Nightspell is a tale of family - of the bonds between siblings and how they can be broken and strengthened. The story alternates between the points of view of three siblings: Darri, Callie, and Varis. It takes a few chapters to get used to the switch, but I soon recognized each character's inner voice as soon as the viewpoint changed.
Darri is a fierce, hardened fighter. She is determined to save her little sister from a life in Ghostland, even if it means sacrificing Darri's future. Varis is the oldest brother, groomed to rule their land. He knows the ins and outs of the local politics of his kingdom and appears to place that ahead of his sisters. Callie is no longer the scared little girl who came to Ghostland four years before. She appears as refined and haughty as the Ghostland natives. To Darri's surprise, she doesn't welcome her siblings with open arms and isn't looking to go home. Callie was my favorite character. I loved understanding the mixture of anger, love, and resentment she had for her siblings. I enjoyed seeing how she adapted to Ghostland life, knowing the intricacies of the culture but always being an outsider. Overall, I loved how the relationship between the siblings broke down and healed over the course of the book.
While the characters are the most interesting part of Nightspell, there is a plot. Or more appropriately, plots, for there are multiple. Darri is trying to rescue Callie. Prince Kestin of Ghostland is trying to secure his place in the kingdom, which is not the sure thing it once was. The ghosts and the living are grasping over power. The stories are mysterious. It's not particularly suspenseful, but is consistently interesting. There was one specific point about halfway through where I gasped at the end of a chapter when the story took a turn that I never expected.
My only disappointment with Nightspell was Clarisse. I loved her enigmatic personality in Mistwood, her intelligence, her mixed motives. I was thrilled to see her in Nightspell, but I didn't think she lived up to Mistwood. She isn't a one-dimensional character, but she doesn't have the depth that she did in Mistwood. Perhaps it's because she's not as central a character.
Nightspell is a wonderfully intelligent story. It's not the easiest book, but if you put a little into it, it will give ten times back. If you like character-driven novels, family relationships, fabulous world-building, and nearly romance-less book, you'll love Nightspell.
Rating: 4 / 5
brandypainter's review
3.0
3.5 stars I did like it better than [b:Mistwood|6768411|Mistwood (Mistwood, #1)|Leah Cypess|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1257817794s/6768411.jpg|6967609]
Originally posted here.
Nightspell by Leah Cypess is a companion novel to her debut, Mistwood. It can be read as a stand alone novel, the two only share one character and you don't need to know her story from the first novel to enjoy or understand this one.
Despite what the synopsis may lead you to believe, Darri is really not the main character. Or at least not all by herself. She shares that position with both her siblings, Callie and Varis, and also with Clarisse. Of the lot of them Darri was actually the one I found the least interesting. She is one of those hard headed stubborn types who has firm opinions, but doesn't seemed to have done much analyzing to arrive at those opinions. Varis and Clarisse were by far my favorite characters. They were certainly not always likable, not even a little bit, but man oh man are they are interesting. They too have firm ideas about what needs to be done, but at least there is evidence that they think things through carefully, and even when you think the choices they make are reprehensible you can see why they are making them. The interactions between the two of them were my favorite parts of the book.
Cypess has a real talent for drawing a reader into a story. There is plenty of intrigue, mystery, and complicated maneuvering going on amongst the members of the court to keep a reader engrossed until the end. However, once I reached the end I was so frustrated. (This happened when I read Mistwood too.) The troubling thing about it is I can't explain why I'm frustrated because that would involve giving away spoilers. I'll just say that I felt there were several holes left in the plot at that the end.
I do like the way the ghosts were portrayed as clinging to an artificiality and that they were not enjoying eternal life, but rather eternal death. I also enjoyed that this was a sibling story as much as it was a ghost or fantasy intrigue story. The relationship between Varis, Darri, and Callie is portrayed very realistically and I loved that element.
This is a good book to recommend to anyone who enjoys slightly creepy stories and complex relationships.
Originally posted here.
Nightspell by Leah Cypess is a companion novel to her debut, Mistwood. It can be read as a stand alone novel, the two only share one character and you don't need to know her story from the first novel to enjoy or understand this one.
Despite what the synopsis may lead you to believe, Darri is really not the main character. Or at least not all by herself. She shares that position with both her siblings, Callie and Varis, and also with Clarisse. Of the lot of them Darri was actually the one I found the least interesting. She is one of those hard headed stubborn types who has firm opinions, but doesn't seemed to have done much analyzing to arrive at those opinions. Varis and Clarisse were by far my favorite characters. They were certainly not always likable, not even a little bit, but man oh man are they are interesting. They too have firm ideas about what needs to be done, but at least there is evidence that they think things through carefully, and even when you think the choices they make are reprehensible you can see why they are making them. The interactions between the two of them were my favorite parts of the book.
Cypess has a real talent for drawing a reader into a story. There is plenty of intrigue, mystery, and complicated maneuvering going on amongst the members of the court to keep a reader engrossed until the end. However, once I reached the end I was so frustrated. (This happened when I read Mistwood too.) The troubling thing about it is I can't explain why I'm frustrated because that would involve giving away spoilers. I'll just say that I felt there were several holes left in the plot at that the end.
I do like the way the ghosts were portrayed as clinging to an artificiality and that they were not enjoying eternal life, but rather eternal death. I also enjoyed that this was a sibling story as much as it was a ghost or fantasy intrigue story. The relationship between Varis, Darri, and Callie is portrayed very realistically and I loved that element.
This is a good book to recommend to anyone who enjoys slightly creepy stories and complex relationships.
michellesantiago's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up Nightspell because Leah Cypess was on my list of authors-to-read, I love fantasy books and I enjoy stories with siblings. In the end, I am glad I read Nightspell--the writing was fantastic and the plot intricate--but it is not a re-read type of book for me.
Callie, a very young Raellian princess, was sent to Ghostland to eventually marry Prince Kestin. Four years later, her older siblings Darri and Varis arrive at Ghostland. Darri will marry Kestin instead as they cannot afford to wait for Callie to come of age and form a crucial alliance. Darri, who had lived with the guilt of not stopping her father from sending Callie away, sees this as an opportunity to rescue Callie from the land where ghosts (abominations in the eyes of Raellians) roam freely. However, Callie might not want to be rescued and Varis may have a different agenda himself.
Nightspell is told through three (3rd person) point-of-views (Darri, Callie and Varis) so the narration switches off a lot. I did not really mind it for the most part because then I got the whole picture. However, I did not feel for or connect with any of them (or any of the secondary characters). There was nothing wrong with Darri, Callie and Varis but nothing really stood out either. I didn't truly empathize or care enough to root for their success.
Like I mentioned, the plot was complex. It's one of those where you have to read until the end to get the whole picture or to understand what is really going on. Sort of like Melina Marchetta's Jellicoe Road but set in a unique, fascinating fantasy world. I thought the author did a wonderful job with the world building. But the itself plot was slow-moving; it takes a while for something to happen to push the plot along. It was slow reading for me because of this.
And some of you all know how much I like a good romance in my reads. It doesn't have to be the main focus of the story but I like having even a hint of one somewhere. There is none in Nightspell and I can't help being a little disappointed about that.
Nightspell was interesting enough that I finished it but it wasn't one I was especially eager to pick up again after I put it down due to it's slow-moving plot, the fact that I didn't really care for the characters and lack of romance. Fantasy readers who do not mind that it lacks a romantic element may enjoy it as it has great world building, a plot unique and the overall the writing was lovely.
Reviewed by Michelle for Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks.
Callie, a very young Raellian princess, was sent to Ghostland to eventually marry Prince Kestin. Four years later, her older siblings Darri and Varis arrive at Ghostland. Darri will marry Kestin instead as they cannot afford to wait for Callie to come of age and form a crucial alliance. Darri, who had lived with the guilt of not stopping her father from sending Callie away, sees this as an opportunity to rescue Callie from the land where ghosts (abominations in the eyes of Raellians) roam freely. However, Callie might not want to be rescued and Varis may have a different agenda himself.
Nightspell is told through three (3rd person) point-of-views (Darri, Callie and Varis) so the narration switches off a lot. I did not really mind it for the most part because then I got the whole picture. However, I did not feel for or connect with any of them (or any of the secondary characters). There was nothing wrong with Darri, Callie and Varis but nothing really stood out either. I didn't truly empathize or care enough to root for their success.
Like I mentioned, the plot was complex. It's one of those where you have to read until the end to get the whole picture or to understand what is really going on. Sort of like Melina Marchetta's Jellicoe Road but set in a unique, fascinating fantasy world. I thought the author did a wonderful job with the world building. But the itself plot was slow-moving; it takes a while for something to happen to push the plot along. It was slow reading for me because of this.
And some of you all know how much I like a good romance in my reads. It doesn't have to be the main focus of the story but I like having even a hint of one somewhere. There is none in Nightspell and I can't help being a little disappointed about that.
Nightspell was interesting enough that I finished it but it wasn't one I was especially eager to pick up again after I put it down due to it's slow-moving plot, the fact that I didn't really care for the characters and lack of romance. Fantasy readers who do not mind that it lacks a romantic element may enjoy it as it has great world building, a plot unique and the overall the writing was lovely.
Reviewed by Michelle for Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks.
cyberhuman's review
5.0
Many reviews here already summarize what the story is about. Being a writer myself, I could go at length on Nightspell's excellent worldbuilding and plot structure. Instead, I'm going to offer two reader reactions.
My daughter picked up Nightspell after having thoroughly enjoyed Mistwood by the same author. Her initial reaction was less enthusiastic, apparently because it had been easier for her to identify with the main character in Mistwood right from the beginning. So the first quarter of the book went along slowly. But then, she got hooked and finished the last three quarters in a single all-night reading session. She slept through the next day, waking up toward the evening (she's on vacation), in a pattern that made me ask her if she was going to emigrate to Ghostland.
More recently, I had a dream of visiting my daughter's college dormitory as a ghost. For some reason, her roommate was totally freaked out. I regret not having enough presence of mind (hey, I was dreaming!) to tell her that it was perfectly normal and that she should go read Nightspell.
My daughter picked up Nightspell after having thoroughly enjoyed Mistwood by the same author. Her initial reaction was less enthusiastic, apparently because it had been easier for her to identify with the main character in Mistwood right from the beginning. So the first quarter of the book went along slowly. But then, she got hooked and finished the last three quarters in a single all-night reading session. She slept through the next day, waking up toward the evening (she's on vacation), in a pattern that made me ask her if she was going to emigrate to Ghostland.
More recently, I had a dream of visiting my daughter's college dormitory as a ghost. For some reason, her roommate was totally freaked out. I regret not having enough presence of mind (hey, I was dreaming!) to tell her that it was perfectly normal and that she should go read Nightspell.
mishmashedme's review against another edition
Too similar to Mistwood but not as interesting a premise. Also quite confusing right from the start.
misssusan's review
4.0
In the aptly named Ghostland murder victims return as ghosts to seek vengeance on their killers. Or theoretically they do. Many ghosts chose to defer vengeance awhile and hang around the royal court, imitating the living. Four years ago Darri's little sister was betrothed to the crown prince of Ghostland to seal an alliance between their father's kingdoms. Now Darri rides to Ghostland with her brother, determined to bring her sister home at any cost.
I really enjoyed this book. I meant to read the first chapter at breakfast and ended up glued to the same spot for three hours until I was finished. The worldbuilding is great and while I've seen some accusations of slow plot in reviews I thought it moved at an acceptable pace. My favourite aspect of it was the characters and their relationships. I appreciated the choice to emphasize the bonds between Darri, Callie, and Varis over any romantic possibilities. YA could use more of that I think. Nightspell is billed as a companion book to Mistwood but you don't need to have read the prior book to understand it. You probably should though, I think this is the stronger work and it's always nice to experience an upward keel with an author. 4 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I meant to read the first chapter at breakfast and ended up glued to the same spot for three hours until I was finished. The worldbuilding is great and while I've seen some accusations of slow plot in reviews I thought it moved at an acceptable pace. My favourite aspect of it was the characters and their relationships. I appreciated the choice to emphasize the bonds between Darri, Callie, and Varis over any romantic possibilities. YA could use more of that I think. Nightspell is billed as a companion book to Mistwood but you don't need to have read the prior book to understand it. You probably should though, I think this is the stronger work and it's always nice to experience an upward keel with an author. 4 stars
pointeshoebookworm's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I don't know how to feel about this book. I never read Mistwood, but feel you don't need to in order to read Nightspell. It truly is a companion piece. There never was a point while reading that made me think I was missing something. However there were some things that did "confuse" me.
The biggest thing was how in the last 100 pages of the book, the author repeatedly describes Darri's skin as brown, but the model on the cover is either white or white passing . . . I'm not fully sure if she meant tan skin since her people are often in the sun and out on the plains. Along with that, I'm not fully sure how I feel about the author describing Darri's people and political system as tr*bes. However, I am very white and have no right to have an opinion on either, only to follow those who have more knowledge and lived experience in these areas than I do. (Yes I know this book came out more than ten years ago, but still.)
The other part of this book that did annoy me was the many twists and turns it took, but ones that came out of left field. For example, Clarisse's brother and niece. That was only brought up by Varis within the last fifty pages and we're supposed to believe that she suddenly cares for other people. Let alone, who are these people?? There were many instances where it felt the author was just pulling things out of thin air instead of laying the groundwork to back these twists and turns . . . To give it a foundation and have it make sense.
The biggest thing was how in the last 100 pages of the book, the author repeatedly describes Darri's skin as brown, but the model on the cover is either white or white passing . . . I'm not fully sure if she meant tan skin since her people are often in the sun and out on the plains. Along with that, I'm not fully sure how I feel about the author describing Darri's people and political system as tr*bes. However, I am very white and have no right to have an opinion on either, only to follow those who have more knowledge and lived experience in these areas than I do. (Yes I know this book came out more than ten years ago, but still.)
The other part of this book that did annoy me was the many twists and turns it took, but ones that came out of left field. For example, Clarisse's brother and niece. That was only brought up by Varis within the last fifty pages and we're supposed to believe that she suddenly cares for other people. Let alone, who are these people?? There were many instances where it felt the author was just pulling things out of thin air instead of laying the groundwork to back these twists and turns . . . To give it a foundation and have it make sense.