Nightspell
by Leah Cypess
companion book to Mistwood
Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.
In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger—not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.
Darri's sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister . . . if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom—not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.
In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all? (description taken from Amazon.com)
The concept and world building for this book are phenomenal. A kingdom where half the inhabitants are ghosts... where you cannot be sure someone is a ghost until they disappear before your very eyes? I thought this was very original and startlingly intriguing.
With only one character to tie this book to Mistwood, though she is a great connection, this can absolutely be a stand-alone book. I LOVED Mistwood and it was absolutely one of my favorite books of last year, but in some ways I think that Nightspell is even better.
The main characters are very interesting and rich. Callie, Darri, and Varis have a really complex sibling relationship. They all love each other and are loyal to one another to the end, but Darri and Varis are, shall we say, not very fond of each other...Callie resents that Darri let her be sent off to a foreign kingdom, Varis doesn't trust either sister, and neither sister trusts him. As the story develops, each relationship changes a little and they band together to attempt to get out of Ghostland alive.
With a great, interesting setting, intriguing characters, and a magical storyline again following some twisted royal politics, Nightspell is another great offering from one of my new favorite authors.
Publication date: May 31,2011
Full disclosure: ARC received to review for blog tour hosted by Book It Forward ARC Tours
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