Atia is a Nefas, a monster that feeds on fear and nightmares. Humans definitely don’t want to encounter her when it’s time to feed. But then again, in a world where monsters exist, humans are wise to keep their wits about them at all times. Unfortunately, Atia is the last of her kind. The Gods killed her parents as punishment for committing a heinous crime. And she has been hiding from the Gods ever since. Silas is a messenger of the Gods, tasked with ferrying souls to the After or the Never after they die. But as a Herald, his memories were erased upon his assignment, and he doesn’t know who he was before. When Silas encounters Atia, he realizes she just might be the one who can help break his curse. The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo is a dark fantasy novel that follows a “rag-tag” mix of beings on a quest to restore identities and memories. But they might not be prepared for everything they find.
For the past three years since her parents’ deaths, Atia has been on the run, hiding from those who want her species extinguished. Hence, she doesn’t have opportunities to make friends – nor does she want to. Either way, she reluctantly develops a friendship with a human scholar, Tristian. And when an unsavory man tracks him to collect a debt, Atia comes to his rescue. Unfortunately, she comes a little too hard. She kills the man, an unforgivable crime for monsters who want to coexist in the human realm. As a result, she becomes cursed and loses her powers and immortality. If she doesn’t find a way to reverse the curse, she won’t stand a chance against the monsters coming to collect her head on behalf of the Gods.
In comes Silas, who doesn’t eat, doesn’t sleep – he just does his bidding when called. Yet he yearns to remember who he was before becoming a Herald. What did he do in his past life that deserves this role as punishment? For what is he meant to atone? Finding the answer is a bit complicated, and might involve some killing. He isn’t allowed to kill, but luckily Atia is. So he makes a deal. He’ll help her restore her powers, as long as she helps him defeat the Gods and restore his memories. Thus begins The Night Hunt.
Christo excels at world-building and creativity in The Night Hunt. While some of the story and characters are based on mythology, she takes it to the next level with the “found family” trope with some plot twists and betrayal sprinkled in. The story is well-paced and the characters are enjoyable and endearing. Even though the romance between Atia and Silas was a bit weak, I still ship them. They’re heartbreaking backstories make their connection that much more meaningful, along with the bonds they develop with others.
Alexandra Christo joins us for a Cantina Conversation to talk about how this book compares to her previous works, and plans for more. Listen to an upcoming episode of the Cantina Book Club podcast and order The Night Hunt, available now.
