The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo Natalie Berglind Christo, Alexandra The Night Hunt. Feiwel, 2023 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250897442 $20.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781250897459 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 7-10 Seventeen-year-old Atia is a Nefas, a monster who feeds on fear, and she's the last of her kind. When she kills a man to protect her human friend—breaking a centuries old rule set forth by the Gods—Atia encounters Silas, a Herald tasked to mete out the Gods' punishment and strip her of her powers. Silas, however, is no fan of the Gods either and sees an opportunity in Atia to exact revenge and regain the memories they stole from him. With the help of a human scholar and a half-banshee, Atia and Silas set out across the five elemental kingdoms to restore her powers, but she must drink from the River of Eternity and kill a vampire, a [End Page 50] banshee, and a God to do so. This book boils down to a run-of-the-mill fantasy with some cool monsters, often inspired by Greek mythology. The characters never break free from their archetypes, and the worldbuilding is shallow and inconsistent, lacking a needed sense of foreshadowing. Ample action will still satisfy fans of ragtag teams of misfits going up against a huge opponent, though, while the dual perspectives between Atia and Silas build up their romance slowly but organically, likely appealing to readers who like their fantasy with a dash of romance. This is a serviceable next read for fans of Christo's other works (Princess of Souls, BCCB 10/22) or those looking for more epic adventures in the vein of Mahurin's Serpent & Dove (BCCB 10/19). Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois