Nightspell by Leah Cypess

Release Date: 31st May, 2011

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pages: 336pgs

The Story

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.

In the haunted kingdom, ghost 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 sleep 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?

The Review

Being the stand-alone companion novel to Leah Cypess's debut novel, Mistwood, I had a lot of high expectations that needed to be met since I really enjoyed Mistwood. But unlike its predecessor, NIGHTSPELL had no romance whatsoever - which rather disappointed me since I expected some romance to develop - however, the book offered a refreshing and alluring magical journey about the depths you would go to for family, as well as the powerful elements of death, love and sacrifice.

My favourite part of NIGHTSPELL was the originality concept of Ghostland. It was something that I've never read before, but it was really interesting to see how this type of world-building would develop along with its complexed and well developed characters. NIGHTSPELL opens to a story about a girl named Darri and her brother, Varis, who are riding to Ghostland in attempt to rescue their younger sister, Callie, who was taken from her homeland and be brought up in this frightening kingdom where the dead roam by the living. With a plan set, Darri is determined to take her sister back home, but things don't turn out the way she planned.

The thing readers will appreciate most about NIGHTSPELL is all the action. There's tons of it. Same goes for the plot-twisting that weaves through this magical world! There's tons of that too. Despite my want for more romance, the action and the suspense made up for it, and I love a good book that keeps you guessing, especially when you don't know which character is dead or not. Same goes with the characters - both the main and the supporting cast. All of these characters - whether they were annoying or damn right brave - had a purpose in the story and were extremely surprising when you find out their hidden secrets. Readers will definitely not be disappointed, so be sure to grab a copy of NIGHTSPELL when you can! You'll be captivated by the mysteries in this well-crafted book and be left wanting more Cypess magic!

The Rating

4/5 stars