The Night Hunt

The Night Hunt is a compelling read capturing both the beauty and the darkness of a world full of Gods and monsters; an unlikely alliance between a Nefa and a Herald paves the way to a deserved rebellion. As a result of their journey, an unexpected relationship blossoms, each one having a personal motivation for their actions; immortality, humanity and most of all power of all shapes and forms. The conclusion to their battles is one you could never see coming.

The Night Hunt is poetic and unique as it questions all bases of thought when referring to 'monsters' and 'gods'. Its profound plot is full of twists and turns; some beautiful and romantic, others frustrating and gut-wrenching. It explores rebellion against dictatorship and helps the reader to question morality - even if some of their actions are bad, that doesn't mean it wasn't for a good cause. It assesses personal and emotional strength in the face of adversity and practices sympathy for all characters.

A perfect read for those who love to become immersed in an unknown world that reveals complex social situations. It's detailed and imaginative, most likely best suited for 15-year-olds and above - it will bring a new insight to the perceived 'monsters' of this world.

Suggested Reading Age 14+

The Night Hunt is the first book that I have read by this author and now I can't wait to read her others! The Night Hunt is a standalone dark fantasy romance novel. Alexandra Christo has created a fantasy world of gods and monsters where some of the monsters are living among us in the human realm. The main protagonist, Atia, is a Nefas; she is the last of her kind as the gods killed her parents and she somehow managed to flee to safety.

Atia has assumed a human form but is a monster who feeds off the fear of others. When Atia breaks a sacred law, the gods withdraw her immortality and powers and then send monsters to hunt her. She meets Silas who was turned into a Herald by the gods. He is bound to ferry souls to the afterlife as a punishment for something he had done in the past but is tired of being immortal and is keen to return to his old life. They are drawn towards each other and together they team up to try to defeat the vengeful gods so that Atia can regain her immortality and Silas his humanity. All they need to do is kill three powerful creatures: a vampire, a banshee and one of the gods!

I enjoyed the dry humour and banter between the main characters. They really seemed to bounce off of each other. Atia and Silas both have a strong sense of right and wrong. There are interesting side characters, too: Sapphir is a vampire, Cillian is part human/part banshee, and Tristan is a researcher of monsters and magic.

Overall this is a solid read and I can see this book really appealing to fans of Stephanie Meyer, Sara J Maas and Cassandra Clare. It contains banshees, monsters, demons and vampires and would appeal to those that like myths and legends. The Night Hunt is marketed as Young Adult fiction but I think it would be fine for a younger teenager and would be suitable for KS3 and KS4. The romance doesn't go beyond kissing, and although there is a fair amount of violence it is as you would expect from this genre, it would be fine for younger teenagers.

384 pages / Reviewed by Clair Bossons, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 14+