Nightspell 
Leah Cypess
Publisher: Greenwillow
Release Date: May 31, 2011
Pages: 336

Rating: 4.5 stars

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.
In this haunted kingdom, ghosts 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 sleeps 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?

I really enjoyed Leah Cypess‘s first novel, Mistwood, but Nightspell blows that one out of the water with the brilliance this book contains! Everything about this book was just marvelous and I loved it.

Leah Cypess‘s writing grew so much between Mistwood and Nightspell. The world she crafts in Nightspell is just enchanting. I felt like I was right there alongside Darri and the others. It is definitely a world I would love to visit again in a future book, perhaps back in the Plains with Darri’s people or whoever.

The premise of Nightspell was so unique – I never have read a book even the slightest bit like it, and I absolutely loved it. I could never really guess what was going to come next. There also was essentially a void of romance, which is something always very refreshing in books. The plot had so many layers, and I loved following all the different characters. It is told from several different point of views, which is something I always love!

The characters were quite lovely. I found all the characters to be flawed, which made is so much easier to connect with the characters. I loved the strength Darri had. She was a super strong character. Callie was a character that very much grew on me as the book went on – I definitely was not a fan of her in the beginning of the book, but by the end she was a pleasant character. The prince was another interesting character and I found myself wishing he had had an even bigger role than he already had.

Can I just say gorgeous cover? Nightspell‘s cover is just so beautiful. I love the castle! I would definitely recommend this one. With its unique plot and epic world, Nightspell by Leah Cypess will be an instant favorite. I cannot wait for another book from the wonderful Leah Cypess.

—————————————————

Now I have one SIGNED Hardcover of Nightspell for one lucky winner. It will be open to US/Canada only and open until December 15th :)

And don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour (and remember each stop you comment on gets you entered to win a super cool annotated edition of Mistwood!):

November 28: Guest post at Fiction State of Mind
November 30:  Interview at Library Mosaic
December 1: Guest post at YA Bibliophile
December 2: Review at Scattered Pages
December 4: Guest post at Haunted Orchid
December 6: Interview at A Thousand Little Pages
December 7: Review at Ashley Suzanne
December 8: Review at Hobbitsies
December 9: Review at A Backwards Story
December 10: Nightspell Excerpt at Arianne Cruz
December 11: Review at Penguin Girl
December 12: Interview at WhatchYAReading
December 14: Review at Ticket to Anywhere
December 15: Review at Word Lust
December 16: Nightspell Excerpt at A Tale of Many Reviews
December 18: Guest Post at Bodacious Bookaholic
December 19: Deleted Scene from Mistwood at A Good Addiction