Launching the Nevernight fantasy series, Kristoff (the Lotus War trilogy) creates a splendid world of corruption and violence. Kristoff portrays a world as rife with villains and treachery as the ancient Italian civilizations it echoes. Absorbing in its complexity and bold in its bloodiness, this beginning promises (and delivers) equal shares of beauty and decay. With a delicate balance of the ancient and the magical, this tense and brutal tale is unflinching, thrilling, and satisfying. - Publishers Weekly, starred review on Nevernight
A sensuous, shades-of-moral-gray world; a compelling, passionate heroine; a high-stakes quest for revenge--this is a fantasy fans won't be able to put down.--Kirkus on Nevernight
The world-building is delightfully detailed, its baroque flourishes supplied by sarcastic footnotes, but we are drawn through the narrative by Mia's triple quest: to rescue her family members, to avenge her father's death and to survive her education at the church, where the ultimate test is to avoid being killed by the training. -The Daily Mail on Nevernight
Assassins, magic, strange creatures are all pluses for me. But my favorite thing about this book is the voice...I adore well-done omniscient narrators with snark and a slight bit of disdain for either the reader or the main character.--Book Riot on Nevernight
Kristoff's bold writing style...joins lyrical high fantasy with f-bombs aplenty, Pratchett-like humor and unflinching descriptions of violence.--SciFiNow
"Harry Potter meets The Lies of Locke Lamora"--USA Today
The innovative setting, fast-moving plot, vivid descriptions, and thrilling action scenes make this a refreshing addition to the steampunk canon. - Publishers Weekly, starred review on Stormdancer
Soars higher than the arashitora Kristoff writes about; superb. - Kirkus, starred review on Stormdancer
Stormdancer is an intoxicating joyride into steampunklandia with a magical dose of mythology, the supernatural, violence, dystopian themes, and a top-notch brassy heroine who rivals Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games. Yes, I did say that! --Huffington Post
Murder, magic, sex, and humor--the first installment in Kristoff's new fantasy series is off to a rollicking start... Kristoff has created a rich, vibrant world for readers, borrowing heavily from historical Italian political structures, which provide a base of stability and familiarity to the new creations. Footnotes accompany the story, ...embellishing and further developing the world, and providing a welcome and often biting wit. Dense and measured, this will appeal to fans of traditional and political fantasies.--Booklist