This an instance where the variety of characters is almost more than the plot. Rune is a blend of kind and good, his intended, Hanne, is a blend of callous and imperious, both well hidden for much of the story, His parents and most of their court advisors are self-important and unwilling/unable to entertain any deviation from going to war with another country when the biggest threat lies in a weakened barrier between them and the place spawning Malice. Factor in a most sympathetic ageless entity known as the Nightrender whose purpose is eradicating pockets of Malice and protecting a humanity that distrusts and maligns her, a desperate kingdom where starvation is imminent, and lastly a demon king who may, or may not exist and the plot flows nicely when stirred by them all. I hope there's more to come. ( )

The first in a trilogy in a very creative fantasy world. There are three "countries" that always seem to be fighting each other. To will be linked together in a political marraige between prince (Rune) and a pricess (Hanne). to ally their countries. The third main character is the Nightrender, a female creature that keeps evil forces a bay that constntly threten the three countries.These threats are vague monsters referd to as things like malice and rancor. This is a dense somewhat sketchy world that most fantasy lovers will like.Any teen that reads this should be pretty advanced. ( )

Nightrender by Jodi Meadows should be a fascinating account of good versus evil. After all, it has demons and a god-like creature, battles, and machinations, and treachery. It doesn’t take much to make me like a book, and usually, any one of those will ring the bell for me. Unfortunately, I found Nightrender to be less than fascinating and more of a slog.

Let me be clear. The problem is not with the plot. I like the plot on the whole. The very idea is a quite brilliant metaphor – that there is a rend between worlds that allows demons and other nastiness to enter the world of humans but the only thing protecting this rend is a shell that thins with every bit of violence and evil humans do to one another. This I like. It feels very current and timely.

I do have issues with the general pacing of the plot, however. So much of it crawls because there is so much thinking between the three narrators and not enough doing. In my opinion, there is entirely too much hand-wringing, justifying, or wishful thinking. While I can appreciate this for the two narrators/characters who are still in their teens, I struggle with all of the angst-filled inner monologuing for the eternal creature who has been around for thousands of years.

After all, in one passage, Ms. Meadows describes her as having her age and experiences show in her eyes. There are numerous references to her age and the passage of time since her creation. Yet, she does more hand-wringing and questioning than the other two main characters. I would think that someone that old and that experienced would be beyond the levels of anxiety that she forces us to witness.

What’s more, much of Nightrender’s anxiety revolves around the fact that humans are essentially evil. That they will not stop finding ways to hurt one another, even if their lives depend upon being good. Since we know that humanity is rarely so clear-cut in its goodness or evilness, Nightrender’s concerns make for some excellent thinking points. What would make her internal debate much better would be her experiences with morally ambiguous characters. Except, there is a dearth of morally ambiguous characters in the novel. While there are a few exceptions, pretty much everyone we meet is a traditional hero or villain. It feels like a lost opportunity here, one I hope Ms. Meadows explores in the next book.

Much like the humans Nightrender must protect, Nightrender is neither a good nor bad story. My frustrations lie in what I want to read instead of what I read. There is so much untapped potential within the story regarding good versus evil and the lack of clear delineations between the two that I cannot help but feel a sense of loss in its absence. In addition, I would like to see less explaining through reverie or monologuing. I want to see Nightrender continue to act her age and think with all of the wisdom such years provide. Ms. Meadows is so close to making this an outstanding story. All the parts are there. It is just a matter of whether she takes the necessary steps out of superficiality and into something deeper and greater for the next novel. ( )

4.5/5

The Nightrender has been sleeping for hundreds of years, waiting for someone to awaken her so she can use her power to save the land of Salvation. When she's finally summoned, she realizes the world around her is not as she remembers, and neither are her memories.

In this wonderful start to a new fantasy series, we follow Princess Hanne, Prince Rune, and the Nightrender herself as they each embark on a journey to understand the evil that is plaguing the three kingdoms. Although the Nightrender is sworn to protect the entire land of Salvation, Hanne and Rune have loyalties only to their respective kingdoms. The young royalty must determine if they are willing to work together to rid their land of evil, or if they would rather protect their own people and let their enemies suffer.

This book reminded me of a young adult version of Game of Thrones, and the political friction between the three kingdoms will actually make you think hard. Can true peace ever be achieved by war? Is it even possible for peace to be achieved cordially, or will humans always be too selfish and power-hungry?

I can't wait to hear what happens to this unconventional trio in the final installment!

I was provided an ARC by the publisher for free, but I am voluntarily leaving this review and all thoughts and words are my own. ( )