I received an advance reader copy of Thief of Night by Holly Black from NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thief of Night picks up from the end of Book of Night, where Charlie and Red have to navigate the heartbreaking and painful events of the end of the first book in the Charlatan duology, the highly-anticipated sequel to Holly Black’s new adult series. Charlie and Red work through Red being bound to her, their shared past together, and a murder mystery with mysterious signs.
This book is moody, gothic, and has all of the wonderfully ethereal worldbuilding of Holly Black, with a dash of mystery as we follow how Charlie and Vince navigate adulthood. However, the story is cut short, as the second book doesn’t last long enough to get us attached to the characters and the story, even though it continues to exude Holly Black’s captivating, dark fairytale writing style.
Read our full, spoiler-free review of Thief of Night by Holly Black.
Thief of Night
Description
The highly-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black’s stunning adult debut, Book of Night.
There’d always been something wrong with Charlie Hall. Crooked from the day she was born. Never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on. She may be good enough to steal a shadow from a tower, but will she be good enough to steal back a heart?
Tropes
- Urban Fantasy
- Shadow Magic
- Forced Proximity
- Morally Grey MMC
- Morally Grey FMC
Review
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Overall Impressions 😊
This book is kind of like a gothic fairy tale with secrets, twists, and decadent fun, where you can’t wait to see what Charlie Hall’s next con is going to be.
If you like dark, occult magic systems like Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House series, enjoy spooky dark academia vibes with a sharp heroine and razor wit, and love a good heist like Six of Crows, or if you enjoyed Rachel Gillig’s gothic fairytale in One Dark Window, you’ll probably enjoy this book.
It’s moody, gothic, and perfect for the upcoming fall. Read it by a fire or while the rain patters on the windows.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
This book is kind of like a gothic fairy tale with secrets, twists, and decadent fun, where you can’t wait to see what Charlie Hall’s next con is going to be.
If you like dark, occult magic systems like Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House series, enjoy spooky dark academia vibes with a sharp heroine and razor wit, and love a good heist like Six of Crows, or if you enjoyed Rachel Gillig’s gothic fairytale in One Dark Window, you’ll probably enjoy this book.
It’s moody, gothic, and perfect for the upcoming fall. Read it by a fire or while the rain patters on the windows.
Characters 👥
Charlie Hall, with her tendency to make one bad decision after another, quick wit, and unapologetic streak of moral greyness, is a great main character.
I like her so much. She’s so different from the usual FMCs who are just badass without any real skills. A bit concerning how good Holly Black is at describing the act of committing questionable things, but it makes you really get into Charlie’s psyche and enjoy it.
And Red… my sweet, weird shadow man. He’s just a tiny bit of monster trying to find himself as a person now that he has agency, and I adore him. I can fix him.
He’s so good in this book and so different from the sweet guy from Book of Night that it hurts — but in a good way.
I enjoyed all the weird side characters Holly Black’s mind blessed us with, from Odette to Balthazar, and can continue to not stand Posey and her weird righteous streak.
Plot 🗺️
Plot was actually my one gripe with this book.
It felt like maybe the story couldn’t decide whether it was going to lean into romance and relationships (like Charlie and Red’s dynamic in Book 2) or the actual story beats, like what’s going on with the Cabal, the murder mystery, and the blights. It’s a shame because vivid magic system is so appealing, I wanted to dive into it so badly.
I’m noticing more and more in fantasy series, I need at least 500 pages for the plot to come together. There just wasn’t enough build-up, and it kind of didn’t do anything to move the needle in this world.
I would’ve loved to dive more into how dangerous blights are, how powerful a shadow can be, or even something about rogue shadows and what they mean. Instead, the plot moved forward almost like a slice of life, which could have worked if the romance had kept pace. But it didn’t.
While trying to balance both directions, it just didn’t come together and felt a bit shallow. I found myself struggling with the pacing: nothing happening, but also constantly feeling like I was on the precipice of something huge. It was a weird edge I just couldn’t stop walking.
Needless to say, it disappointed me because as an experienced author of fantasy books Holly Black usually knows how to deliver that sweet, adrenaline rush of a book with stakes. This one just didn’t hit the same way.
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
Holly Black’s writing continues to be impeccable. It’s ethereal, gothic, whimsical, and full of prose that makes you think, how did she even think of that?
Despite the plot feeling choppy to me, the language she used kept me engaged and matched the moodiness of the story. I felt the bleak weight of this world, weaved with magical worldbuilding, all told in the consistent voice of the characters.
It’s wistful and full of deep magic. There’s darkness, blights, a bit of kink, and just wonderfully weird stuff in trademark Holly Black fashion.
Spicy Chapters
How Spicy is Thief of Night (The Charlatan Duology Book 2): 🌶️🌶️
If “grifting, but make it arcane” sounds like your thing, you need this 🔮🗝️
Overall, I enjoyed Thief of Night. I like Holly Black’s writing, the amazing worlds she builds, and the star-crossed lovers she writes so well.
I especially like that she’s dipping her toes into adult fantasy. I think she handles complex topics very well.
I do wish the story was longer and more focused so I could dive deeper into it. To me, it was a bit boring.
Although you might enjoy it yourself if you’re looking for a gothic, albeit shorter, story.
I’m still a lifetime Holly Black reader and cannot wait to dive into whatever she writes next.
Are you going to pick up Thief of Night? Let me know in the comments!
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