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The Night Itself by Zoe Marriott
The Blurb On The Back:
When fifteen-year-old Mio steals the katana – her grandfather’s priceless sword – she just wants to liven up a fancy-dress costume. But the katana is more than some dusty heirloom, and her actions unleash an ancient evil onto the streets of modern-day London. Mio is soon stalked by the terrors of mythical Japan and it is only the appearance of a mysterious warrior that saves her life. If Mio cannot learn to control the katana’s legendary powers, she will lose not only her own life … but the love of a lifetime.
15-year-old Mio grandfather always told her that that the katana hidden in the attic of her house would be hers on her sixteenth birthday so she figures that it’s okay to use it to finish her fancy-dress costume just a few days before she turns 16. But her grandfather also told her that she’s to be the sword’s protector, something she quickly discovers when a Nekomata (a Japanese cat demon) attacks her and tries to take it.
Mio’s saved by Shinobu, a 500 year-old warrior who springs out of the sword and who Mio feels an immediate connection with. But the Nekomata is a formidable and ruthless enemy who targets those closest to Mio in order to claim the katana for her mistress. To win, Mio must learn to control the katana’s powers even though doing so will change her in ways that she can’t begin to understand …
Zoe Marriott’s YA fantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) draws on Japanese mythology in an original and interesting way that offsets the more cliché obligatory teenage romance. Mio and her best friend Jack are believable teenagers and I loved the fact that Jack is an out and proud lesbian and that this is not a problem for any of their contemporaries. The plot rolls along at a fast pace and I particularly enjoyed the scenes involving the Kitsune and the ambiguous Harbringer but I was left disappointed by the ending, which leaves open a fairly big question relating to Mio’s parents that I would have preferred to have answered here. That said, it’s a solid opener and I will definitely read on.
Mio’s first person voice is fresh and credible and I enjoyed the geeky references that she and Jack make when describing what’s happening to them. It’s always good to read YA with a main character from an ethnic minority and I enjoyed reading the dynamics within Mio’s family and am intrigued to learn more of the hostility between her father and grandfather. The Japanese mythological elements are fresh and fascinating – especially the Kitsune politics and although the Nekomata veered close to two-dimensional, it was at least a credible and creepy enemy. However the romance between Mio and Shinobu is too fast and too convenient and I didn’t buy the instant connection.
All in all I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading the sequel.
The Verdict:
Zoe Marriott’s YA fantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) draws on Japanese mythology in an original and interesting way that offsets the more cliché obligatory teenage romance. Mio and her best friend Jack are believable teenagers and I loved the fact that Jack is an out and proud lesbian and that this is not a problem for any of their contemporaries. The plot rolls along at a fast pace and I particularly enjoyed the scenes involving the Kitsune and the ambiguous Harbringer but I was left disappointed by the ending, which leaves open a fairly big question relating to Mio’s parents that I would have preferred to have answered here. That said, it’s a solid opener and I will definitely read on.
THE NIGHT ITSELF was released in the United Kingdom on 4th July 2013. Thanks to Walker Books for the ARC of this book.
When fifteen-year-old Mio steals the katana – her grandfather’s priceless sword – she just wants to liven up a fancy-dress costume. But the katana is more than some dusty heirloom, and her actions unleash an ancient evil onto the streets of modern-day London. Mio is soon stalked by the terrors of mythical Japan and it is only the appearance of a mysterious warrior that saves her life. If Mio cannot learn to control the katana’s legendary powers, she will lose not only her own life … but the love of a lifetime.
15-year-old Mio grandfather always told her that that the katana hidden in the attic of her house would be hers on her sixteenth birthday so she figures that it’s okay to use it to finish her fancy-dress costume just a few days before she turns 16. But her grandfather also told her that she’s to be the sword’s protector, something she quickly discovers when a Nekomata (a Japanese cat demon) attacks her and tries to take it.
Mio’s saved by Shinobu, a 500 year-old warrior who springs out of the sword and who Mio feels an immediate connection with. But the Nekomata is a formidable and ruthless enemy who targets those closest to Mio in order to claim the katana for her mistress. To win, Mio must learn to control the katana’s powers even though doing so will change her in ways that she can’t begin to understand …
Zoe Marriott’s YA fantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) draws on Japanese mythology in an original and interesting way that offsets the more cliché obligatory teenage romance. Mio and her best friend Jack are believable teenagers and I loved the fact that Jack is an out and proud lesbian and that this is not a problem for any of their contemporaries. The plot rolls along at a fast pace and I particularly enjoyed the scenes involving the Kitsune and the ambiguous Harbringer but I was left disappointed by the ending, which leaves open a fairly big question relating to Mio’s parents that I would have preferred to have answered here. That said, it’s a solid opener and I will definitely read on.
Mio’s first person voice is fresh and credible and I enjoyed the geeky references that she and Jack make when describing what’s happening to them. It’s always good to read YA with a main character from an ethnic minority and I enjoyed reading the dynamics within Mio’s family and am intrigued to learn more of the hostility between her father and grandfather. The Japanese mythological elements are fresh and fascinating – especially the Kitsune politics and although the Nekomata veered close to two-dimensional, it was at least a credible and creepy enemy. However the romance between Mio and Shinobu is too fast and too convenient and I didn’t buy the instant connection.
All in all I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading the sequel.
The Verdict:
Zoe Marriott’s YA fantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) draws on Japanese mythology in an original and interesting way that offsets the more cliché obligatory teenage romance. Mio and her best friend Jack are believable teenagers and I loved the fact that Jack is an out and proud lesbian and that this is not a problem for any of their contemporaries. The plot rolls along at a fast pace and I particularly enjoyed the scenes involving the Kitsune and the ambiguous Harbringer but I was left disappointed by the ending, which leaves open a fairly big question relating to Mio’s parents that I would have preferred to have answered here. That said, it’s a solid opener and I will definitely read on.
THE NIGHT ITSELF was released in the United Kingdom on 4th July 2013. Thanks to Walker Books for the ARC of this book.