E-Arc Review: Night Spinner by Addie Thorley

Title: Night Spinner
Author: Addie Thorley
Genre: YA Fantasy/Retellings
Publication Date: February 11th, 2020
Publisher: PageStreetYA
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I also own two copies of my own!

“A must-read for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, transforming The Hunchback of Notre Dame into a powerful tundra-inspired epic.

Before the massacre at Nariin, Enebish was one of the greatest warriors in the Sky King’s Imperial Army: a rare and dangerous Night Spinner, blessed with the ability to control the threads of darkness. Now, she is known as Enebish the Destroyer―a monster and murderer, banished to a monastery for losing control of her power and annihilating a merchant caravan.

Guilt stricken and scarred, Enebish tries to be grateful for her sanctuary, until her adoptive sister, Imperial Army commander Ghoa, returns from the war front with a tantalizing offer. If Enebish can capture the notorious criminal, Temujin, whose band of rebels has been seizing army supply wagons, not only will her crimes be pardoned, she will be reinstated as a warrior.

Enebish eagerly accepts. But as she hunts Temujin across the tundra, she discovers the tides of war have shifted, and the supplies he’s stealing are the only thing keeping thousands of shepherds from starving. Torn between duty and conscience, Enebish must decide whether to put her trust in the charismatic rebel or her beloved sister. No matter who she chooses, an even greater enemy is advancing, ready to bring the empire to its knees.” (Goodreads)

Edit: I recently finished this as an audiobook and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time!

Enebish is a character who is very hard on herself for her past mistake. She dwells on what happened and can’t live life even just a bit because of it. Even when her long time friend Serik tries to help her move on from what was and gets her to live a little, the past is always haunting her every move. It was easy to feel bad for her and relate because we have all done something we aren’t proud of. We all are hard on ourselves and inflict our own punishments on ourselves because of it. Her character development throughout the book is wonderful and it will have you rooting for her until the end!

Now, let’s talk about Serik. When Enebish can’t see her worth, he can. I wasn’t sure how his character would play out at the beginning but by the end, I was smitten! He broke my heart and fixed it all in one book. That son of gun!

There are a handful of other characters that play major roles in the plot like Ghoa and Temujin. They are the driving force behind Enebish who has a hard time making decisions for herself and chooses to follow rather than being a leader. Temujin was the perfect morally gray character and even mentions how morally gray he is. I found myself being intrigued and pulled in by his charisma just like Enebish. Ghoa on the other hand can also be seen has morally gray throughout most of the book. It was hard to fully make a decision on whether I hated them or loved because they are just so stinking charismatic!

The plot was a bit slow in the beginning but when it picks up, it picks up! The plot twists deserve awards because I never saw them coming and had me shocked beyond belief. This book brought on so many emotions and had me crying by the end. I’m not even sure why but clearly it was just too good for words!

When it comes to the retelling part, there are similarities in the beginning but it definitely takes on a life of its own.

Overall, I loved this one and I can’t wait for others to read it and share in the excitement I have for this wonderful book. I literally read it in one night. It was that good. If it isn’t on your tbr, go add it! I will be over here anxiously waiting for book two.