Nightspell

December 5, 2011 Heidi Uncategorized 0

Nightspell

Author: Leah Cypess
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: May 12, 2011
Pages: 336
Series: Companion to Mistwood
Source: Purchased

About the Book: 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.

My Thoughts: Leah Cypess creates such interesting worlds! I loved the idea of a country where ghosts stay around after death bordering one where there are no ghosts. It really had me thinking about how different they would be and how awkward it could make international relations! The fact that the ghost have the ability to be solid adds to the intrigue. You could be talking to a ghost and never know it! What a chilling thought!

This story is full of all kids of exciting things aside from the ghosts… plot twists, danger, murder, and vengeance for example. However, the relationships are what stuck out to me the most, specifically Darri and Callie’s relationship. The sisters were once so close but years apart have changed them. It was interesting to see how desperately Darri wanted to “save” Callie. She was there for the Callie she once knew but didn’t take the time to really get to know the new Callie. This dynamic really had me reading to figure out how it would all play out.

Nightspell was such a unique story. It captured my attention and kept me guessing until the end. Well done!