A unique take on urban fantasy!
Overall
3.8
Thief of Night
Book of Night
Contemporary Fantasy, Murder Thriller, Horror Occult & Supernatural
Tor Books
September 23, 2025
Hardback, paperback, audio and e-reader
288
The highly-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black's stunning adult debut, Book of Night. Night is made of shadows and shadows have teeth. Charlie Hall, glue trap for disaster, crooked from the day she was born, who’d never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on, may have finally met her match. After defeating Salt and stealing her lover―the powerful shadow, Vince―back from under the noses of the powerful Cabal leaders, she thought she’d won. Agreeing to become the Hierophant and risking her life hunting down dangerous rogue shadows seemed a small price to pay if she got to do it while being tethered to Vince. But Vince is no longer the man she loved. The tethering process wiped away his memories of the last year, leaving only Red―the ruthless shadow who spent years as a killer for a cruel, mercurial billionaire. Red doesn’t remember Charlie and doesn’t like her. So when Charlie is ordered to track down the Blight responsible for a massacre at a local church, she’s worse than just alone, heartbroken, and outmatched. She’s vulnerable. In a world where shadows have wills of their own, the question isn’t just how to survive. It’s how to protect yourself from the on thing you can never escape―your own shadow.
Thief of Night by Holly Black returns the reader to the unique urban fantasy world of shadow magic, cabals, and cons around every corner.
If you’re like me and read Book of Night as soon as it came out, the first few chapters may leave you scratching your head. However, Black does a good job of reminding the reader what they need to know to move through the sequel. The story picks up with Charlie Hall, con artist extraordinaire, performing her new role as Hierophant, hunting a murderous Blight while second-guessing the life choices that brought her here.
Starting Book Two with a fuzzy memory reintroduced me to the characters. I had forgotten how much Charlie seems to dislike herself. Though she still believes the Hall women are cursed. Now that we know who Red is, we get to see a new side of him. While Red lost memories of his time as Vince at the end of Book of Night, he hasn’t forgotten his time as Red. He clearly believes that people don’t see him as his own “person,” but rather try to use him.
“She told him that she’d tricked her way into being Hierophant because she loved him. Because she wanted to save him.”
“That was ridiculous. People were afraid of Red, not worried about him. He made them uncomfortable.”
The main plot was just as tricky as their dynamic. A new Cabal member comes on the scene and forces Charlie to solve a gruesome murder mystery. Our girl didn’t disappoint and worked her magic and wit to see the clues that weren’t obvious to the rest of us. While she has a TALENT for getting herself into sticky situations, she always seems to find a way out of them.
“Charlie Hall, glue trap for disaster, crooked from the day she was born, who’d never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on, had met her match.”
Ultimately, while it was a slower start for me, I think it was the best ending for the duology. There will never be a Holly Black book I don’t read – she is my Roman Empire. I love the worlds she builds and how her words feel like art. So, go read this, but maybe re-read Book of Night first.
I am a Libra, who advocates for rescue animals, loves to buy people gifts, travels as often as possible, and has an OBSESSION with special edition books. It all started with HP, Holly Black, and Cassandra Clare and has ended with a personality made up entirely of Romantasy and Dark Romance stories. I am married with 2 dogs and a grumpy cat. I love shiny things, glitter, gems, and foiled covers with metallic edges. I’m a proud feminist but also like my husband to put gas in the car. Lastly, and most importantly, I’m always down to get Greek food, attend a book con, go on a trip, or make new book besties.
