Review of Book of Night—Crime and Shadow Magic

It’s a bad idea to mess with those who have magic abilities you could only dream of. But Charlie Hall is full of bad ideas in Holly Black’s debut adult fantasy novel Book of Night, which came out last year. I’ve been a fan of Holly Black’s YA faerie books for many years, most recently enjoying The Cruel Prince and its sequels. But with Book of Night, Black takes a fresh approach to the fantasy genre and proves that she can write just as powerfully for adults as for kids and teens. 

Charlie Hall wants nothing to do with the world of shadow magic—at least not anymore. She’s left behind her life as the Charlatan, a conwoman infamous for her ability to steal magical texts and artifacts right out from under the noses of arrogant gloamists. She learned the hard way how dangerous it can be to piss off people way more powerful than herself. Now Charlie tries to keep her head down working as a bartender, hoping that if she can put her younger sister through school, Posey will be distracted from her dream of awakening her own shadow and becoming a gloamist—one who can accomplish amazing feats through the manipulation of their own shadow or others’. At least Charlie’s boyfriend Vince seems to have no interest in shadow magic—likely due to whatever unfortunate incident caused him to lose his own shadow. But old habits die hard, and when Charlie stumbles across pieces of a mysterious puzzle, she can’t help but investigate further. A man is brutally murdered after claiming to have a page from the coveted Liber Noctem—said to contain esoteric knowledge about blights, the entities created when a powerful shadow becomes separated from its owner. The book had been stolen from the man Charlie hates more than anyone in the world: Lionel Salt. When she learns of someone else trying to stealthily move a magical object on the black market, Charlie thinks this might finally be her chance for revenge. But she quickly finds herself tangled in a complicated web of lies, secrets, magic, and murder.

I already knew that Holly Black does fantasy well, and her worldbuilding is impeccable. But Book of Night blends in elements of other genres, as well. Charlie’s involvement in the underground criminal world makes this book something of a crime thriller. There’s a black market of stolen goods, a shadowy cabal watching over magic-users that might be corrupt, and a criminal kingpin who has bought his way into power and repeatedly gotten away with murder. Stealth, charm, and blackmail are the tools Charlie knows best, and she can apply them equally in magical and non-magical situations. The book ends with a pretty impressive heist scene, in which Charlie shows off her skills at decoding both encrypted locks and her enemies’ plans. 

Book of Night also tackles one of my favorite questions in a dark fantasy novel: who are the real monsters? In Charlie Hall’s world, the creatures most feared by gloamists and society at large are the blights. Little is known about blights and their full capabilities, but they are largely regarded as soulless, purely malevolent entities that need to either be destroyed or kept on a tight leash by a gloamist’s power. But as Charlie learns more about blights, she begins to question this view. There are some blights that can walk, talk, and pass for human. Might they not also have human thoughts and feelings? On the flip side of the coin, what about those who are all too human, yet cause the immense pain and misery that leads to the creation of a blight? Charlie will have to readjust her worldview if she is to figure out who her true enemies are.

I am eagerly awaiting news of a sequel, which this book is clearly setting up. But in the meantime, you can find Book of Night on shelves now at your favorite local retailer, or buy it online and support The Gothic Library in the process using this Bookshop.org affiliate link. If you’ve already read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments!