Book of Night is a gritty tale of struggle, revenge, sex and magic. A wild story with a lot of moving parts that are hard to keep track of but keep you invested until the end.

Charlie and her sister have had a hard life and always seem to be on the receiving end of bad fortune. Charlie works at a bar trying to save enough money to send her little sister to college. Her past as a skilled thief causes her to be sought after often but she usually turns the offers down, until a mystery falls into her lap that she can’t ignore.

In this world Shadow magic is common. There are different types but the only thing that stands out is that a person’s shadow can be awakened but no one knows how specifically. People can use their shadows to manipulate others, as fashion symbols, and to commit murder.

We learn a lot about Charlie’s earlier years through flashbacks and the context they provide for her actions helped me to understand her motives. Her struggles are evident in her current situation as she and her sister live in a run-down trailer home and she drives a beat-up car to work at the bar every night. It breaks down a few times in the story leading to some inopportune events. These characteristics make it easy to relate to her as a middle class citizen and feel empathy for her situation.

Charlie accepts a job to steal the “Book of Night” which is rumored to teach someone to control their shadow. Given her sister’s obsession with the concept, she keeps it a secret from her. She went through a lot at a young age and always felt like she has to be responsible, because her mother wasn’t so this further contextualizes this decision. Charlie wants to do this “one last job” to get her sister enough money for college, so she agrees. From this decision a whirlwind of events take place.

There’s a lot of murder and sex throughout this book with some real, human moments mixed in that kept it feeling grounded, despite the supernatural subject matter. There is a good twist within that adds a layer of tension that made me question a specific character’s motives. This twist contributes to the story hugely and most of the book revolved around this point so I am happy to say it was executed properly. I only wish that other characters had more depth, rather than being supporting actors.

I liked this one a lot more than her earlier works. Black’s writing has matured more and I really enjoyed the story. The side characters definitely needed more development but they did enough to add depth to Charlie and her journey. It was an entertaining read that did leave some questions unanswered, so I hope Black can deliver when the sequel drops!