Godsgrave

Jay Kristoff

“Our scars are just gifts from our enemies,” Ashlinn whispered into her mouth. “Reminding us they weren’t good enough to kill us.”

Guys, it got way better.

If you were able to survive Nevernight, you have to read Godsgrave. I have to remind you the Nevernight Chronicle series is NOT a YA series. There are steamy bedroom scenes, tons of swears, and mild gore. I feel silly having to say that, but I see this series near or in the YA section of bookstores.

Comparing Godsgrave to Nevernight is impossible. The story evolves and matures something you cannot put down. Godsgrave adds much-needed depth to the lore. I know Godsgrave is not a perfect book, but in terms of second books in a series go, I was impressed and left wanting more.

So let’s dive in.

Mia returns from her wild shenanigans on a new mission that is not precisely clear or logical. She is sold to fight as a gladiator. She tries to not grow attached to the other gladiators, but over time she earns their trust and respect. Honestly, in the first few chapters, I was bored and only kept reading because I owned book 3, Darkdawn.

Then, Mia goes rouge. She imbraces a new lover and acts on her own accord. As the book progressed, I cared less about her battles in the gladiator pit and more about Mia’s agenda.  While those scenes were entertaining, they were not interesting to me. I wanted to know more about the darkin community, the gods/goddesses, and how all of those things related to Mia.

As Godsgrave comes to a close, the original mission Mia embarked on makes sense, many questions are answers, and many more are brought to light. I gitty to start Darkdawn.

Should you read Godsgrave?

Yes! I did not give Godsgrave a high rating on GoodReads, but it is still an enjoyable read. It took me a few chapters to be “hooked,” so if that is something you experienced with Nevernight, maybe this series isn’t for you.  I had the same problems with Godsgrave as I had with Nevernight. I have come to accept Kristof’s style and can look past the figurative langue to enjoy the lore of the world Kristof has built.

Have you read Godsgrave or any of Jay Kristoff’s other work?