Nightspell

What do I say about Nightspell? First of all, reading this further affirms that Leah Cypess reigns among the masters of fantasy world-building. When I first read Mistwood I was enthralled by the dark beauty that was the Ghostland. The thin line that separated the living from the dead was fascinating. So when I dove into Nightspell I was excited, as I should have been. Cypess takes the reader back to her fantastic world, but this time there are new characters to meet and fall in love with. For those you who have read the first story, you'll find that there are some characters present who you will recognize. However if you haven't had a chance to dive into the Mistwood, you don't need to be worried. Nightspell is a very solid stand alone show more novel.

I was really impressed by Darri, the main character, and how much I really fell in love with her. I'm always smitten when I meet a strong, fiery and independent character, and Darri fits the bill perfectly. Her willingness to break rules, her fierce love for her siblings, it all adds up into a character that I can really get behind. I'll admit that I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to know Callie better as well. She kind of hid out in the spotlight of Darri. In fact a lot of the characters were slightly shadowed by her. It wasn't enough to take me away from my love of this book, but I'm hoping perhaps we'll see more of them so I can get to know their personalities as well!

I loved the action sequences in this book. It is fast paced enough to be completely engrossing, without loosing you along the way. The undertones of romance are enough to sate the needs of the reader, without overtaking the entire story, which I also really appreciated. On top of all of this, there is a beautiful web of deceit woven throughout the story. I was never quite sure who was on what side, or who would jump teams next. The thin line I mentioned between the living and the dead pops in Nightspell, as Cypess shows us why these two factions are so tense.

Overall, I think was a fantastic story! The twists and turns, the characters, the beautiful world building, all of it created a gorgeous book that I devoured in one sitting. Lovers of fantasy will find a lot to love here, and if you're diving into this realm for the first time hold on tight! You're in for a ride, Leah Cypess style. show less

NIGHTSPELL boasts one of the more intriguing and unique plots and worlds that I’ve come across this year. However, I am very much a character-driven reader, and I felt there was something lacking in that particular area.

Darri and her brother Varis have traveled to Ghostland to make treaty between their two lands – and Darri will become betrothed to Prince Kestin in order to save her younger sister who has been in Ghostland for years as the original sister meant to marry the prince. And that’s the simple part. After Darri and Varis arrive they are immediately swept up in court intrigue and politics, become entangled in a plot that involves a centuries-old spell, and realize that nothing is as it seems – not even their reasons for show more being there.

Ok. Let’s try to break this down. I loved the descriptions, world-building and most of the plot of NIGHTSPELL. Leah Cypess is amazing at bringing her worlds to life, and she infuses them with such rich description it’s crazy. Fantasy fans shouldn’t find anything lacking in that area. As for the plot, I really enjoyed the concept of Ghostland, the spell and the mystery surrounding Darri’s and Varis’ sister Callie. What I found a little off-putting was that there was so much going on, I was often a bit confused. I don’t think the switch between narrators helped any, and two characters played very similar parts with very similar names. It is easy enough to understand the overall plot of the book, but some of the details (exactly what Varis was sent to Ghostland to do, what the ghost Clarisse really hopes to accomplish, why the prince’s cousin was important to the plot, etc.) just run into each other a bit.

Another of the reasons I found the details a bit hard to keep straight is probably because I wasn’t very invested in the main characters. Darri means well, but she’s a bit of all over the place in regards to her plan to save her sister, and doesn’t seem to clue in very quickly to some things. But, Darri is bold as anything and she doesn’t mind stirring things up to right what she sees as wrong. Varis just confused me, really. I’m still not quite sure if he was ultimately in Ghostland for the right reasons, or just played along with how things started developing and ended up in the right situation. I’m very iffy on if I liked him or not. Callie is brave and tough, but a little whiny. She’s very up and down in her feelings towards her siblings (with good reason, I suppose), and I highly respect her decisions in the end of the book. I highly enjoyed Clarisse as one of the villains of the story. She’s cruel, cunning and not a little bit crazy, I think.

The beginning and the ending were my favourite parts of NIGHTSPELL. The last chapter was beautiful, and really made me feel for Callie and her siblings. There are a few spots throughout the book that had me surprised or catching my breath, and in the end everything works out into a nice fantasy novel that I think a lot of people will definitely like or love. I certainly liked it well enough, I just wish there had been a bit more to the characters, their interactions with each other and some less convoluted intrigue/plots. Oh! And the idea behind the ghosts, why they stay, and what their unlives are like? Dark, gritty and heartbreaking. I couldn’t help but feel creeped out and sad. Even with my few reservations, NIGHTSPELL is worth the read – especially if you liked MISTWOOD, Leah’s first novel. show less

Welcome to my stop on the Nightspell paperback release blog tour!

From Goodreads: 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 show more 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?
First of all, HUGE THANKS to Leah Cypess for sending me a copy of Nightspell as part of the blog tour celebrating the paperback release. I'm excited to spread the word about this awesome book.
Because it really IS awesome. It's a ghost story like you've NEVER read before. There are things about the ghosts that will throw you. I knew it was a ghost story going in and I DIDN'T SUSPECT A THING.
I LOVED this twist on ghosts. That's really all I can say about them without ruining some of the fun, so just take my word for it that you'll want to read this one.
As far as characters, Darri was awesome. She's one of those really strong girls who can kick bottom and take names and then go to a dance afterwards. She has a lot to deal with: her sister being in Ghostland, her brother being a major douchebag, and a betrothal to an undead prince. She definitely holds her own.
I also really liked Callie. Poor girl. Sent off at age 11 to marry the prince of Ghostland. She is definitely affected by her time there and it affects her relationships with her siblings. I was very interested to see how she'd come to terms with Darri and Varis. It hurt my heart at times to see how she suffered, but I really like how things were resolved.
This story kept me engaged the entire time. I didn't want to put it down. It was a fantastic companion to Mistwood (though not a sequel...WOO! A stand-alone!) and one that I'll read again for sure. Go ahead and pick it up! It's a 'Pick Me' worthy book. show less

Varis and Darri, prince and princess of the Plains people, are sent to the Ghostworld, an eerie kingdom where the ghosts of murdered people coexist with the living, able to make themselves solid and interact as if they were still alive, to the point that it is hard to tell the difference between the dead and the living. Callie, Varis and Darri's younger sister, was sent to the Ghostworld some years ago, and their father intends that she will marry the prince of that land. However, when Varis and Darri arrive, they discover that the prince is now a ghost. Darri, whose personal mission is to rescue her sister from the land she herself fears and despises, rejoices that there is a chance that she, Varis, and Callie will all be able to leave show more together -- but before they can do so, they are drawn into the politics and schemes of courtiers both living and dead.

Nightspell is a companion novel to Cypress's earlier book, Mistwood. Both books stand on their own, related only through being set in the same world. The writing in Nightspell is slightly more polished, though there are still some spots where the action is muddled and confusing. The premise of a land where you can't tell the difference between living people and ghosts is an intriguing one. Darri is not a particularly sympathetic character, but she is certainly an interesting one, and the plot moves along at a good pace. Fans of Kristin Cashore and Tamora Pierce may want to keep an eye out for this book. show less

I loved Nightspell by Leah Cypess. I enjoyed Mistwood, but I admit to being rather confused by it – definitely drops you right into the story.

But I loved the story and the setting and everything about Nightspell. There’s mystery and murder and ghosts and knives and even though I never knew who the hell to trust, I sure had a lot of fun trying to figure it out with Darri, the protagonist.

There was a lot of point of view changing, which bothered me at first, but I enjoyed it more once I got used to it because I was able to see and understand story elements I wouldn’t have otherwise.

The setting was awesome. I loved the idea of there being a place where ghosts and humans inhabited the same space, where they knew of each other and show more accepted each other outwardly, but not so much on the inside.

Overall, I loved Nightspell even more than I liked Mistwood. The story and the setting was much more vibrant to me (despite it being set in Ghostland), and if you’re a fan of fantasy, I definitely recommend it.

Nightspell is a companion to Mistwood, so you don’t need to read Mistwood to understand, but I recommend you do so, just because of the character that appears in both novels :) show less

Summary: Years ago, Callie was sent to Ghostland to marry a prince and form a political alliance. Darri never forgave herself for letting her little sister be forced to live in a community where half its residents are actually dead. Now she has the opportunity to go take her sister’s place. Unfortunately, Darri finds herself in the middle of a war between the dead and the living—and she only makes things worse.

My thoughts: Mistwood was one of my favorite books of 2010, so I was thrilled upon hearing that its companion novel, Nightspell, would be released in May. While I don’t feel that Nightspell was as excellent as Mistwood, it still was a fun fantasy read.

The most memorable aspect of Nightspell is the setting. Leah Cypess has show more a knack for creating worlds that sweep you away, and Ghostland is no exception. The mysteries and moral dilemmas that lie in its sprawling castle are thought-provoking, and it’s near impossible to guess what awaits Darri as she begins to unravel them.

In terms of characters, Nightspell fell a bit flat for me. Darri was a strong, loyal protagonist, however for some reason I couldn’t connect with her at all. Though we are exposed to some of Darri’s thoughts, she is rarely vulnerable enough for us to find an aspect of her personality we can relate to (other than her devotion to her sister, which is relatable if you, y’know, have siblings).

Fans of Mistwood will recall Clarisse, Prince Rokan’s sister. She plays a very interesting role in Nightspell, and I’d say that she was the most interesting character in the story. She’s as duplicitous as ever in Nightspell, and trying to figure out her allegiances was fun.

Nightspell, like Mistwood, is a book that’s easy to get into and quick to finish. I’d recommend it to fans of fantasy YA—it’s certainly a solid contribution to the genre. Though Nightspell contains next to no romance, the secrets of Ghostland will enchant readers who delight in reading of a new world. show less

I was so excited to read Leah Cypess' sophomore novel, but I have to admit that I didn't like it nearly as much as I liked Mistwood. The concept was spectacular--a kingdom in which ghosts wandered among the living and it is impossible to tell who is ghost and who is living until they disappear in front of you? How cool! Unfortunately, the shifting of narration between the three siblings was what caused me to never fully connect with any of the characters. I'm sure they are all fine and wonderful people--but I simply couldn't connect with them as the narration switched between their voices.