Sam and Dan review Nevernight by Jay Kristoff.

SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening.

Join us as we dive into one of modern fantasy’s most divisive titles. While Nevernight shows flashes of brilliance through its rich world-building and vividly realised setting, we found ourselves increasingly frustrated by a series of creative choices that undermine the novel’s potential.

We discuss the book’s extensive use of footnotes as a world-building device, and whether they add depth or simply disrupt the narrative flow (particularly in the audiobook format!). We also unpack the novel’s controversial sexual content, shifting tone, and inconsistent character motivations, exploring how the story swings between dark fantasy, humour, stylised violence, and melodrama in ways that often feel disjointed.

Alongside our criticisms, we highlight the elements that do work well, especially the atmosphere of the world itself and the ambition behind the story Jay Kristoff is trying to tell.

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