Darkdawn – Jay Kristoff

The greatest games in Godsgrave’s history have ended with the most audacious murders in the history of the Itreyan Republic.

Mia Corvere, gladiatii, escaped slave and infamous assassin, is on the run. Pursued by Blades of the Red Church and soldiers of the Luminatii legion, she may never escape the City of Bridges and Bones alive. Her mentor Mercurio is now in the clutches of her enemies. Her own family wishes her dead. And her nemesis, Consul Julius Scaeva, stands but a breath from total dominance over the Republic.

But beneath the city, a dark secret awaits. Together with her lover Ashlinn, brother Jonnen and a mysterious benefactor returned from beyond the veil of death, she must undertake a perilous journey across the Republic, seeking the final answer to the riddle of her life. Truedark approaches. Night is falling on the Republic for perhaps the final time.

Can Mia survive in a world where even daylight must die?

Holy^[1] fuck^[2]. Darkdawn^[3]: magnificent^[4]!

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^[1] It’s a story about gods. The gods of day and night, and what happens when they fall out. And boy, do they fall out.

^[2] There is a *lot* of smut. No, I’m not complaining either.

^[3] Book 3 of the Nevernight Chronicles. It has come to my attention recently that some of you (mentioning no names) haven’t read Nevernight yet. I have been talking about this book FOR EVER. I will pimp it to you at the drop of a hat. I will pimp it to a hat, given half a chance that it might actually read it. I recommended it to a friend at work last week when he spotted Darkdawn on my desk, and not only did he read it, he went out and bought Godsgrave *and* he’s nearly finished Darkdawn.

^[4] Can you write a review in a footnote?^[5]

^[5] I mean, what sort of pretentious arse would do that, gentlefriends?^[6]

^[6] Let’s give it a go, shall we?

Darkdawn. Hooyah. It’s the final chapter in our murderous little Mia’s story. And no, that’s not a spoiler. Jay Kristoff did warn us, all the way back in Nevernight, page one.

This is very much the end. But what a glorious end it is. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry, it’ll make you put the book down and glare it at. It is a just and right finale to my favourite trilogy, and my favourite assassin/gladiati/pirate.

Oh yes. There are pirates this time round. Cloud Corleone, with his four bastard smile, is just a glorious, glorious character. And there’s a pirate king too.

Look, gentlefriend. You’re one of two sorts of people.

One – you’ve read Nevernight and Godsgrave, in which case you’ve almost certainly bought a copy of Darkdawn and read it already. Nothing I say, and no amount of footnotes will make the slightest difference to you.

Or two – you’ve not read Nevernight (or Godsgrave), in which case you need to rectify that IMMEDIATELY, at which point you’ll be the first sort of person, in which case this review will mean nothing to you, etc etc.

Go, read the books. Laugh, cry, blush at the smutty bits, and when you’re done, we can talk.

Talk about the stabby bits, the funny bits, the pirates and gladiators and assassins and cats made of shadows, of the mountain of murderers, the gods, everything.

Then we’ll go back to the books and read all about a girl called Mia. For we love her so very very much.

Thank you, Jay Kristoff.

PS – if anyone has a spare ARC of Darkdawn to complete my collection, I will love you forever. I might even send you a cake.