[A quick note: I read Nevernight early in January. You can find my review HERE. I put off Godsgrave because I knew it was going to be INTENSE. I wasnโt wrong. If you love assassins and morally gray characters, I strongly suggest you give this series a go. Itโs just fantastic!]
โ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป'๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐, ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐?โ โJay Kristoff
Mia might have found her place within the Red Church, but she is far from destroying the men responsible for killing her familia. When it becomes clear that the Red Church has no intention of entertaining her thoughts of vengeance, she constructs a bold new plan that takes her straight to the heart of the republicโs famed gladiators.
Tons of action. Fast paced. High stakes. Wow. Just wow. I closed this book and my head is STILL spinning. There were so many twists and turns at the end, Iโm still digesting some of the bombs that were dropped. This is one of those books that sticks with you. Not only was it better than the first, I cannot stop thinking about it. Every facet of it was glorious! The plot, the world building, the characters, all of it. Bravo, Mr. Kristoff.
My favorite aspect was the world of the gladiators. It was a complete change compared to the setting and style of the first book. This gave it a fresh, different feel. I loved that. Also, Iโve always considered Romeโs history of its gladiators fascinating, so reading a story that centered entirely around that inspiration was fantastic! The writing and portrayal felt true to the source. I appreciated the harsh glimpse into the gladiator lifestyle and the struggle of slavery. Miaโs eyes were opened to something she hadnโt truly considered before, and that allowed her significant growth.
One of the best things about this series is the plethora of morally gray, flawed characters. Every single character feels real. They have their own demons, imperfections, and arcs. The dialogue between them is soooo good. Mia was killing people left and right. Did I hate her for it? Of course not! I bet Jay (through Miaโs character) could tell me that every innocent human needs to die and Iโd STILL love Miaโs character. I donโt know how he does it, but Jay Kristoff never ceases to impress me.
Lastly, Iโd like to re-emphasize how wonderful the world building in this book is. Itโs clear that significant thought and attention is given to locations, history, and politics in a way that most authors gloss over. Jay utilizes footnotes to add context that isnโt necessary but appreciated! For someone like me who appreciates detail and depth, I go through EVERY footnote while Iโm reading. But these can easily be skipped.
This trilogy is quickly becoming a top favorite. Even though itโs not the sort of light-hearted fantasy I tend to prefer, its compelling and raw and gritty and just SO DAMN GOOD. Iโm falling in love. With Mia. How could I not? ๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐: ๐ฑ/๐ฑโญ๏ธ
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