Review of ‘Night Shine’
Night Shine is a novel bursting with diversity and color. Unfortunately, the pacing is not very engaging for the reader, slowing down t the worst parts.
An orphan girl must face untold danger and an ancient evil to save her kingdom's prince in this lush, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Girls of Paper and Fire and Tess of the Road.
How can you live without your heart?
In the vast palace of the empress lives an orphan girl called Nothing. She slips within the shadows of the Court, unseen except by the Great Demon of the palace and her true friend, Prince Kirin, heir to the throne. When Kirin is kidnapped, only Nothing and the prince's bodyguard suspect that Kirin may have been taken by the Sorceress Who Eats Girls, a powerful woman who has plagued the land for decades. The sorceress has never bothered with boys before, but Nothing has uncovered many secrets in her sixteen years in the palace, including a few about the prince.
As the empress's army searches fruitlessly, Nothing and the bodyguard set out on a rescue mission, through demon-filled rain forests and past crossroads guarded by spirits. Their journey takes them to the gates of the Fifth Mountain, where the sorceress wields her power. There, Nothing will discover that all magic is a bargain, and she may be more powerful than she ever imagined. But the price the Sorceress demands for Kirin may very well cost Nothing her heart.
Review
Night Shine is one of those novels I had a tough time getting through. It was not, by any means, a bad novel; it was good, rich, colorful, and ultimately enjoyable. However, it was a struggle.
Staggering Storytelling
Night Shine started well. The opening chapter was intriguing, giving the reader a glimpse at the world and how magic fits into this world. It was paced very and engaging.
However, despite this opening, the story takes a slow and distracting turn. It is clear that everything ties back to the opening, so the writing is clear, but it is not concise. Night Shine drags, which is unfortunate because it has a lot of exciting elements to it. One of the more compelling elements of the story is the character names. The naming of the characters was unique and intriguing. It highlights how the world works, how the magic works, and what defines the characters.
However, it just failed to keep me engaged. I was torn ultimately, and there were times I was bored. I hate being bored by a story, especially when I end up liking part of the story.
However, the pacing was like a roller coaster. These intense moments drive the story forward, and then it just slows down – drastically, and the author spends too much telling the story. There needed to be more showing and less telling, which would have helped to keep the reader more engaged throughout the story. Once again, there is lots of fantasy to the story. It is a high fantasy novel, but it just lacks energy at times. It was terrific to see a lot of LGBTQ representation. There is much non-binary representation in the story. It is very respectful to the non-binary community questioning “gender norms,” challenges them to remind the reader that they have a voice and that living their truth is more important than conforming.
Final Thoughts
It is good that the author addresses these things, and it makes the reader think about their LGBTQ community. Night Shine makes people the reader think about their representation, and it helps the LGBTQ community see themselves represented in literature in a very thoughtful and compelling way.
Night Shine is not a bad story. It is a thoughtful, compelling, and ultimately fun and exciting story. The problem is the pacing. It just needed to be a little more concise in parts because the slow moments feel like they drag on forever, and then there are these fun action-packed and high tension moments that suck the reader in before dropping them back to earth. However, that ending was beautiful and wonderful and more than makes up for it.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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About the Author
Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.
About the Creator
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