Review: Nightspell by Leah Cypess

Nightspell by Leah Cypess

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 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?

Review:

Nightspell was an incredibly unique and alluring high fantasy novel. Even though this is considered a companion novel to Mistwood, you don't have to have read it (like me) to comprehend what is going on. I think my favorite aspect of Nightspell was the originality and world building. The idea of Ghostland was so different from anything I've read before and the characters were all complex and well developed. The story opens with Darri and her brother, Varis, riding to Ghostland to rescue their younger sister, Callie. Callie was taken from her homeland and brought to this frightening kingdom where the dead and living roam side by side when she was just a child. Now, Darri finally has the chance to go rescue her, but things turn out a lot differently than she ever imagined.

There is tons of action in Nightspell and the plot twists kept me guessing until the end. I loved how I never knew where the story was going and whether a character was dead or alive. This may sound strange, but, as I mentioned above, the living and dead reside together in Ghostland. Because of a curse put on the land years previous, anyone who is murdered in Ghostland comes back as a ghost. The dead work hard to blend in with the living and you aren’t always sure who is still “breathing”. I loved this aspect of the story and it was an original idea for sure. Nightspell is part mystery, part fantasy, part romance, and so much more.

The characters in Nightspell were strong and independent. Darri was an extremely brave protagonist and she did whatever she could to help her sister. Darri and her brother, Varis, learn a lot about both Ghostland and their long lost sister over the course of the story and there are some surprising things revealed.

I am so glad I took the time to read this, it was a great sophomore novel and I am even more anxious to read Mistwood now to find any connections between the two.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

May 31, 2011/Greenwillow Books/336 Pages/Young Adult/Companion Novel

Source: The Teen Book Scene (ARC Tour)

Other books by this author: Mistwood

Blog Tour: Leah Cypess Interview

1. It seems like just yesterday you were celebrating the release of your debut novel, MISTWOOD. How has your writing process changed between the two books?

My initial writing process – how I get my first draft out – didn’t change much, especially since I finished the first draft of NIGHTSPELL before MISTWOOD was released. The main change is that I realized how much editor-guided revision goes into a book before it’s released, and how much can change. This made me a little less concerned with making each version “perfect” – I tried to save that intense perfectionist side of me until the last version. Not that I didn’t focus on characters and writing as much, but I learned not to stress about things like chapter lengths, until the book is pretty much in its final form.

2. If Darri and Isabel spent a day together what would they do?

Wow, good question! Both characters change a lot over the course of the books, so let’s say it was Isabel at the beginning of Mistwood and Darri at the beginning of Nightspell. I think they would dislike each other intensely. Each would completely despise and be suspicious of the other’s worldview. They might even fight, though it wouldn’t be much of a fight – Darri would be down and out pretty quickly.

3. Your covers are both unique and gorgeous- is one your favorite?

Thank you! I love them both, but I think the Nightspell cover is my favorite – it’s darker and more intense, plus I have a thing for sunsets.

4. If you could shift into any animal form what would you choose and why?

Probably a bird. Flying would be pretty cool. Or possibly a squirrel, because they always look like they’re having so much fun.

5. What's next for you writing wise?

I’m working on my next novel, this one about a sorceress who is sent to tutor a sect of assassins. It’s still in progress, but I’m extremely excited about it!

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Thanks so much Leah! I loved Nightspell (my review will be posted next Monday) and I can't wait to read Mistwood and find out more about her next project!