Mia Corvere watched her father hang as a traitor when she was ten years old. Her family was then taken prisoner, and she barely escaped. When she begins befriending the shadows on her run from the Senate, she finds herself learning under a retired killer and preparing for a future of revenge. Six years later, Mia sets out to join the Red Church- a group of fearsome assassins who can train her further and allow her to exact her long awaited vengeance. But once there, Mia must fight for her life, battle her demons, and discover how far she's willing to go for her goal.

Reading a new work from a favorite author, one you know is well-versed in wrecking readers' emotions, is always an interesting experience because you wonder if this new story will affect you the same way as the others, if it will be more emotional or less. After the STORMDANCER series, I didn't think the emotional turmoil could get worse, but Jay Kristoff's latest, NEVERNIGHT, is a perfect explosion of heartbreak, frustration, incredible bursts of victory, and crushing defeats and betrayal. From the opening chapters which beautifully parallel Mia's first kill with her first sexual encounter to the mounting tension that wraps you in both anxious fear and unparalleled curiosity for more, Mia's journey is an unforgettable and brutal ride.

Mia and her friends are nuanced and delightfully morally gray. Even as they battle each other and compete, for most of them, you can't help caring for them. Each endured tragedy to get where they are, and each have desperate desires to find their place at the Red Church. The romance between Mia and Tric is nearly sinful in its dangerous and forbidden edge, and you'll wish for their happiness, even as you still know they can't have it.

While the world building is incredible, the frequent and often lengthy footnotes can be a bit distracting from the story. They are used for detailing history, giving extra information, sometimes for a dose of humor, and perhaps most importantly, giving more personality to the mysterious narrator telling Mia's story. However, don't be surprised if you find yourself saving the footnotes for later when the action kicks up.

Epic, fierce, and unforgiving, NEVERNIGHT is a stunning tale of one young woman who seeks revenge in a den of murderers.