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cjburright's review
5.0
Any time there’s a sword on a book cover, I’m interested. But when the main character is a woman with two swords made of lightning and dressed like an assassin? Then top it off with J.C.’s martial arts background? Well, I knew I was in for a great story with some awesome action. Going in, I wasn’t sure if it would lean more toward sci-fi or fantasy, but it was a surprisingly unique mix of both, and even though I’m not much into sci-fi, I loved the world setup in Night House. Taya, as I had hoped, was a strong protagonist who is intent on surviving a reaping of Earth by the alternate realm of Arkavia. Arkavia doesn’t have enough resources, so they have their own survival in mind, and they do it by wiping out technology and most of the population with what Taya calls “the Blue Wave of Death” before going in and sacking the planet. And that’s how Taya meets Lord Thane.
Needless to say, Taya holds a lot of hostility toward the Arkavians, but when Lord Thane presents her with an offer that will increase her chances of survival, she’s smart enough to control her hatred and take it. Dead girls can’t take revenge, right? One thing I loved about the story, though, is we don’t long stay trapped in Taya’s hatred. As much as she resents what the Arkavians have done, the timeline fast forwards through some of her adjustment period, just enough to minimize the wallowing and realize that the Arkavians are as human as she is underneath their strength and super-powers. And Thane is a good, honorable guy dealing the best he can with some terrible scars from his childhood and the world he belongs to.
I loved Thane and his band of guys, how they accepted Taya into their group, and the banter between them all. Taya is someone I’d totally hang out with – she’s snarky and tough, smart and funny, and makes her fair share of mistakes as she’s finding her way. Did I mention lightning swords? Lightning swords, people! The Arkavian world was also fun to explore and discover with Taya, and the sparks between Thane and Taya were just right. If you like awesome fight scenes, a heroine who perseveres through whatever is thrown her way, and a slow-burn romance that keeps things steamy, The Night House is a must read.
Needless to say, Taya holds a lot of hostility toward the Arkavians, but when Lord Thane presents her with an offer that will increase her chances of survival, she’s smart enough to control her hatred and take it. Dead girls can’t take revenge, right? One thing I loved about the story, though, is we don’t long stay trapped in Taya’s hatred. As much as she resents what the Arkavians have done, the timeline fast forwards through some of her adjustment period, just enough to minimize the wallowing and realize that the Arkavians are as human as she is underneath their strength and super-powers. And Thane is a good, honorable guy dealing the best he can with some terrible scars from his childhood and the world he belongs to.
I loved Thane and his band of guys, how they accepted Taya into their group, and the banter between them all. Taya is someone I’d totally hang out with – she’s snarky and tough, smart and funny, and makes her fair share of mistakes as she’s finding her way. Did I mention lightning swords? Lightning swords, people! The Arkavian world was also fun to explore and discover with Taya, and the sparks between Thane and Taya were just right. If you like awesome fight scenes, a heroine who perseveres through whatever is thrown her way, and a slow-burn romance that keeps things steamy, The Night House is a must read.
alyram4's review
4.0
Honestly, this is a solid 4/5 stars.
Why is this listed as horror? No idea, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as such.
What I can say is that this does have a kickass female lead who has to learn to weild power magic and some pretty sick weapons.
If you had to choose to become a slave or assassian for an overlord, what would you choose? I sure as hell would choose assassain, and that's exactly what Taya does. This mixes some very interesting genres, like medival, distopian, epic fantasy, and also dark fantasy unsurprisingly. It does it all very well, and it pairs nicely with the fast pacing of the plot. Also, the romance is very heavy in this book, but it doesn't overshadow Taya's growth as a powerful assassain and her mission. I thought it was really well done and a fun read! Kinda wish there was more of a buildup in the beginning when Taya must make a decision, but honestly it doesn't bother me much.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Why is this listed as horror? No idea, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as such.
What I can say is that this does have a kickass female lead who has to learn to weild power magic and some pretty sick weapons.
If you had to choose to become a slave or assassian for an overlord, what would you choose? I sure as hell would choose assassain, and that's exactly what Taya does. This mixes some very interesting genres, like medival, distopian, epic fantasy, and also dark fantasy unsurprisingly. It does it all very well, and it pairs nicely with the fast pacing of the plot. Also, the romance is very heavy in this book, but it doesn't overshadow Taya's growth as a powerful assassain and her mission. I thought it was really well done and a fun read! Kinda wish there was more of a buildup in the beginning when Taya must make a decision, but honestly it doesn't bother me much.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
chllybrd's review
4.0
I gave it 3.5 stars
I fell into THE NIGHT HOUSE the moment it started.
THE NIGHT HOUSE reads in a few different genres. We start with a bit of survival/apocalyptic and then it jumps into fantasy and then they combine at the end. I enjoyed the story as a whole and the characters were easy to like and read about.
I enjoyed learning about the world of Arkavia. I would have liked more from it, but what I did get kept me intrigued. I enjoyed the action scenes and the romance development between Taya and Thane.
There were a few pacing issues in THE NIGHT HOUSE. Time jumped at points that I would have liked to know more. Then there was the ending. It felt super rushed and unfinished. It felt like another book was to come, but it's a standalone so that isn't going to happen.
My final thoughts: I didn't get enough of the story and the world and I would read more if more was to come in the future.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I fell into THE NIGHT HOUSE the moment it started.
THE NIGHT HOUSE reads in a few different genres. We start with a bit of survival/apocalyptic and then it jumps into fantasy and then they combine at the end. I enjoyed the story as a whole and the characters were easy to like and read about.
I enjoyed learning about the world of Arkavia. I would have liked more from it, but what I did get kept me intrigued. I enjoyed the action scenes and the romance development between Taya and Thane.
There were a few pacing issues in THE NIGHT HOUSE. Time jumped at points that I would have liked to know more. Then there was the ending. It felt super rushed and unfinished. It felt like another book was to come, but it's a standalone so that isn't going to happen.
My final thoughts: I didn't get enough of the story and the world and I would read more if more was to come in the future.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
thewoollygeek's review
3.0
I did enjoy this but felt it was too slow to start, it took ages to pick up and then as it gets really good it finishes at what feels like a rush, and felt like I’m left wondering what happened, the end was too rushed for me and feels unfinished, I did want more, which Is good, but felt it needed more too. 3.5 stars
raidingbookshelves's review
3.0
The Night House by J.C McKenzie begins with a terrifying invasion, signaled by a terrifying blue killing wave that decimates the Earth's population. Taya is camping with friends when the death wave hits, and must find her way home amidst an invasion force who are enslaving and murdering the survivors of Earth. When she is captured, it seems Taya's life on Earth is over, until her captor makes her an offer that could allow her to win her freedom.
The story itself is transfixing, detailing Taya's struggle to find herself in her new reality, her relationship with her captors, her vow to avenge her friends and to return to her family. The conflict (both physical and emotional) moves along rationally - it's easy to understand how Taya makes friends under her new circumstances and why she makes a deal with Lord Thane. The romantic relationships are sweet and compelling.
The only problem I have with the novel is the pacing, it jumps through time very quickly and makes it difficult to fear the 'big bad' and understand the motivation behind the threat to the Earth and other realities. There is a shocking scene early in the plot that drives Lord Thane and his offer to Taya, but only a vague explanation of its purpose. We don't see any scenes of the 'big bad' being evil, just assholes, and the world building of the Tarka's - the magical aristocracy of Arkavia - was really missing for me. Magic was a driving motivation behind the plot but its existence, methodology, and use isn't well defined. It is almost used to plug plot points : injured? magic them better; escaping? hold them with magic; fighting? magic to increase your skills!
That said, if the ending hadn't felt so rushed, and slightly lacking, this book would have ranked much higher for me. It feels like the reader's digest version of the first book in a series - it has so much more world building to offer and I have so many questions I still want answered.
The story itself is transfixing, detailing Taya's struggle to find herself in her new reality, her relationship with her captors, her vow to avenge her friends and to return to her family. The conflict (both physical and emotional) moves along rationally - it's easy to understand how Taya makes friends under her new circumstances and why she makes a deal with Lord Thane. The romantic relationships are sweet and compelling.
The only problem I have with the novel is the pacing, it jumps through time very quickly and makes it difficult to fear the 'big bad' and understand the motivation behind the threat to the Earth and other realities. There is a shocking scene early in the plot that drives Lord Thane and his offer to Taya, but only a vague explanation of its purpose. We don't see any scenes of the 'big bad' being evil, just assholes, and the world building of the Tarka's - the magical aristocracy of Arkavia - was really missing for me. Magic was a driving motivation behind the plot but its existence, methodology, and use isn't well defined. It is almost used to plug plot points : injured? magic them better; escaping? hold them with magic; fighting? magic to increase your skills!
That said, if the ending hadn't felt so rushed, and slightly lacking, this book would have ranked much higher for me. It feels like the reader's digest version of the first book in a series - it has so much more world building to offer and I have so many questions I still want answered.
intostarlight's review
4.0
This was my first book by J.C. McKenzie and I really, really liked it. It was nothing like I expected it to be in the best way possible. When I read the blurb I was intrigued and I'm happy to say the book didn't disappoint at all. It was unique and full of twists I didn't see coming and once the plot grabbed me I wasn't able to put it down untill I finished it. The start pointed at a completely different story but once the book found it's footing, oh boy, what a ride it was. The author creates a fantasy world full of magic and lords from an alternative universe, but she doesn't feel the need to spend time laying out that world for you. Instead, you discover it as you're reading the book. It feels much more natural that way. The book was different, entertaining, and kept my attention. And the characters were very interesting and were easy to root for. My only complaint is that the story sometime felt a little choppy, like some scenes that explained why or how something came to be were missing.
But overall, I enjoyed the book very much. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.
***I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
But overall, I enjoyed the book very much. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.
***I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
mirianp's review
4.0
3,5 stars.
This was a fun futuristic dystopian novel. The MC was really fun and enjoyable, any time you give me a kickass female MC I will be the biggest cheerleader. Thane is also a well developed interesting character, the Lord who offers Taya a deal. The plot was intriguing and held my interest. The supporting cast was fun too, playful bantering amongst a group of friends is always fun when done right.
I would have liked a more developed world, it did seem like the other dimensional beings were essentially humans (felt human), also I had a hard time with the whole... well let's just say a big plot of the book was a bit hard to understand and why it was done etc.
I received a free ARC copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
This was a fun futuristic dystopian novel. The MC was really fun and enjoyable, any time you give me a kickass female MC I will be the biggest cheerleader. Thane is also a well developed interesting character, the Lord who offers Taya a deal. The plot was intriguing and held my interest. The supporting cast was fun too, playful bantering amongst a group of friends is always fun when done right.
I would have liked a more developed world, it did seem like the other dimensional beings were essentially humans (felt human), also I had a hard time with the whole... well let's just say a big plot of the book was a bit hard to understand and why it was done etc.
I received a free ARC copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
onceuponanisabel's review
3.0
What's it about?
The Night House chronicles the story of a woman named Taya, and her adventures after the apocalypse hits Earth, killing her friends and separating her from her family. She discovers that invaders from an alternate dimension (Arkavia) have come to harvest Earth's energy. What begins as a survival story quickly changes into a more traditional fantasy narrative when she joins an Arkavian lord (Lord Thane) and his soldiers and journeys to Arkavia, where she hopes to exact revenge for the death they caused on Earth.
So...what did I think?
This book was a little bit of a rollercoaster for me. The first several chapters of the book are more of a survival story than the fantasy novel I was expecting, and it was a tad disappointing. Not badly written at all, and it actually did a good job of introducing us to our main character before the real fun begins. It just...felt a little disconnected from the rest of the book, and it probably took up a little bit too much of the run time.
Taya herself, though, was just the kickass heroine I was hoping for. She was really fun, and I'm personally a sucker (and I know this is weirdly specific) for characters who fight with two swords. As for our other main character, Lord Thane, he was pretty archetypal. The perfect alpha male love interest, he was incredibly strong and dangerous, but with a code of honor and valiant intentions. While I didn't like him as much, the story was told from Taya's perspective, and it didn't actually bother me that Thane wasn't very nuanced.
My biggest beef with this book was the pacing. Several times throughout the book, the narrative made a large (several weeks to several months) time jump, which just felt really jarring. I don't like it when books just time jump between chapters without even giving some kind of smoother transition, although that might just be personal taste. It just really bothered me and pulled me out of the experience, so I had to mention it. Besides the time jumps, the other pacing issue came in the end. The book focused a lot on Taya's journey and her relationship with Thane, which was well done. The problem, though, was that not enough time was dedicated to the actual plot of the book -- finding the culprit of some magical leeching. As a result, the end of the book felt extremely rushed to me, and also featured a couple of info-dumps that I would usually excuse if they came at the beginning of the book, but it bugs me when authors info-dump at the end of a book. I just want a satisfying conclusion, not more exposition!
I really enjoyed the second part of the book that took place in Arkavia (or just with Thane in general, since a good chunk of the time was them traveling there). It was a much more typical fantasy novel, which I'm a fan of. The world building was good, the sword fighting was fun. All the same, though, it was pretty similar to many other specimens in the genre, and didn't really do anything particularly innovative or different. Nonetheless, if you're into the adult fantasy genre like I am (sort of in the vein of Ilona Andrews), then you'll definitely like this book, like I did.
ARC provided via NetGalley
The Night House chronicles the story of a woman named Taya, and her adventures after the apocalypse hits Earth, killing her friends and separating her from her family. She discovers that invaders from an alternate dimension (Arkavia) have come to harvest Earth's energy. What begins as a survival story quickly changes into a more traditional fantasy narrative when she joins an Arkavian lord (Lord Thane) and his soldiers and journeys to Arkavia, where she hopes to exact revenge for the death they caused on Earth.
So...what did I think?
This book was a little bit of a rollercoaster for me. The first several chapters of the book are more of a survival story than the fantasy novel I was expecting, and it was a tad disappointing. Not badly written at all, and it actually did a good job of introducing us to our main character before the real fun begins. It just...felt a little disconnected from the rest of the book, and it probably took up a little bit too much of the run time.
Taya herself, though, was just the kickass heroine I was hoping for. She was really fun, and I'm personally a sucker (and I know this is weirdly specific) for characters who fight with two swords. As for our other main character, Lord Thane, he was pretty archetypal. The perfect alpha male love interest, he was incredibly strong and dangerous, but with a code of honor and valiant intentions. While I didn't like him as much, the story was told from Taya's perspective, and it didn't actually bother me that Thane wasn't very nuanced.
My biggest beef with this book was the pacing. Several times throughout the book, the narrative made a large (several weeks to several months) time jump, which just felt really jarring. I don't like it when books just time jump between chapters without even giving some kind of smoother transition, although that might just be personal taste. It just really bothered me and pulled me out of the experience, so I had to mention it. Besides the time jumps, the other pacing issue came in the end. The book focused a lot on Taya's journey and her relationship with Thane, which was well done. The problem, though, was that not enough time was dedicated to the actual plot of the book -- finding the culprit of some magical leeching. As a result, the end of the book felt extremely rushed to me, and also featured a couple of info-dumps that I would usually excuse if they came at the beginning of the book, but it bugs me when authors info-dump at the end of a book. I just want a satisfying conclusion, not more exposition!
I really enjoyed the second part of the book that took place in Arkavia (or just with Thane in general, since a good chunk of the time was them traveling there). It was a much more typical fantasy novel, which I'm a fan of. The world building was good, the sword fighting was fun. All the same, though, it was pretty similar to many other specimens in the genre, and didn't really do anything particularly innovative or different. Nonetheless, if you're into the adult fantasy genre like I am (sort of in the vein of Ilona Andrews), then you'll definitely like this book, like I did.
ARC provided via NetGalley
tammyn's review
5.0
I started reading this one as individual chapters, and I was instantly hooked. I loved this one. Taya was out on a camping trick with her best friends & they were having a good time. She was standing in the water when a blue death wave came rolling thru instantly turning her friends in to ash. She was the only one that survived. As she's looking for other survivors, she runs across one that tries to take all of her stuff, and she kills him in self-defense. She nears a town & as she's hiding, she sees a marauding group on horseback wearing armor. She realizes that they aren't human, but an invading species called Arkavians.
While she's on a recon to take over a supply wagon with a group of survivors that have banded together, she's captured by Thane, an Arkavian. He gives her the option to be a slave in his house or to bond herself to him for a year & be his personal soldier/bodyguard. She chooses the bond. She has vowed vengeance on all Arkavians as payback for killing her friends and, maybe, her family.
This story is everything I expect from J.C. The characters are perfectly, well-developed and easy to connect with. You have tragedy, love, heartache, and joy. Action & adventure are around every single corner for everyone in the story. It does end with an HEA. This was written as a stand-alone story, but I feel that this could be a series as there are lots of characters that could be written about.
While she's on a recon to take over a supply wagon with a group of survivors that have banded together, she's captured by Thane, an Arkavian. He gives her the option to be a slave in his house or to bond herself to him for a year & be his personal soldier/bodyguard. She chooses the bond. She has vowed vengeance on all Arkavians as payback for killing her friends and, maybe, her family.
This story is everything I expect from J.C. The characters are perfectly, well-developed and easy to connect with. You have tragedy, love, heartache, and joy. Action & adventure are around every single corner for everyone in the story. It does end with an HEA. This was written as a stand-alone story, but I feel that this could be a series as there are lots of characters that could be written about.
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