When she was sixteen, one terrible night sent Angharad down a dark road. Now twenty-two, she's the leader of an infamous gang of assassins and desperate to forget what happened all those years ago. But when the Night's Blade are arrested and forced into the service of the corrupt Queen Elonia, Angharad may have to confront her past head-on.
Almost two hundred years earlier, Kestrel, a young witch, struggles to find her place in the world and among the Farlookers, an order of magically-talented individuals who can see into the future. As she fights to make her own path, fate seems determined to drag her down another, bringing her into conflict with the ruthless, power-hungry Hallin family — the ancestors of Queen Elonia.
Kestrel and Angharad are lifetimes apart. Yet they are inextricably bound by secrets, magic, and a mysterious figure known only as Kelstra, who will stop at nothing to get what she wants...
The Night's Blade is a 2018 high fantasy novel.
The Night's Blade contain examples of:
- Accomplice by Inaction: Linden's view of Angharad after the Aoife incident.
- All Monks Know Kung-Fu: All Farlookers and Glancebacks are highly proficient in telekinetic warfare, anyway. The Assembly threw Initiates with no fighting experience into battle, and the Initiates apparently held their own well enough.
- Ambiguous Disorder: Several characters. Kestrel, Angharad and Josie are all very different notable examples.
- Break the Haughty: Aleanor.
- Bring My Red Jacket: Angharad wears red when killing people to hide the blood.
- Burn the Witch!: People are very keen to blame Kestrel for what happened to Liliette Hallin. Played with, as she really is a witch and witches get a bad rap in her society.
- Create Your Own Villain: This is essentially what the Assembly did with Kestrel.
- Creepy Twins: Emalley and Edwyn. To what extent this is an act is unclear. They seem relatively normal when they're apart.
- Did Not Think This Through: Lendara realises this once she's finished with Aleanor.
- The Dog Bites Back: Kestrel
- The Dragon: Annamaria, originally to the Hallins, then to Kelstra.
- The Fellowship Has Ended: The gang part ways at the end. Aoife remains with Tilith in Diressen to train as a healer. Angharad and Josie head to Miskra via Silene's house. Elsa and presumably Linden are going to look for Elsa's children after visiting Linden's family in the Isles. Even Fox and Jath are clearing off together.
- Good Is Not Soft: Several characters. Angharad, Josie, Elsa, Linden and Aoife are in the business of killing people... to help others. Mara and Miruna are undoubtedly good people, but that doesn’t stop Mara finally getting rid of Elonia by shooting her when she’s not expecting it, or prevent Miruna from casually threatening Fox. Haiden clearly has morals, but he can be just plain mean to those he doesn’t like or trust. The twins could possibly be considered examples of this trope, but they’re perhaps not good so much as on the same side as a lot of good characters.
- Gory Discretion Shot: The lead-up to Kiranne's death.
- Heroic Blue Screen of Death: Angharad. Once to the extent that Linden pulls a Get A Hold Of Yourself on her.
- I Have No Idea What I'm Doing: Angharad as she tries to lead the group.
- I Know Your True Name: Angharad to Kelstra.
- La Résistance: Mara, Emalley, Miruna, Edwyn, Haiden and ostensibly Joshua. Later joined by the Night's Blade, Fox, Tilith and Jath.
- Muggle Born of Mages: Angharad, Tanwen, presumably at least one of their parents, and possibly Bethanne. Rhosmari’s magic was supposedly inherited, which means one of the Rhesen ancestors must have been a witch.
- Not So Stoic: If you're normally calm and composed, you won't be when Annamaria is through with you.
- One-Woman Army: Aleanor
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Mara. She's only identified Maranthina three times aloud, and twice in Angharad's internal monologue.
- Psychic Powers: All witches and most witchborns have them.
- Put on a Bus / What Happened to the Mouse?: Mari
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Angharad (sort of), Mara, Haiden and (arguably) Joshua. Jayne Northcrest was also this, as was Lucy Fayenquel.
- Sword and Sorcerer: Angharad and Josie, respectively.
- Unchosen One: With her set of magical abilities, Kestrel could have been a brilliant Farlooker, but her treatment at the hands of her peers and the Assembly (who have no idea how to handle her) has left her at the bottom of the heap.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Aleanor. Arguably.
- We Used to Be Friends: Kelstra and Lissia. Also, Kelstra and Fionnula. Briefly. Very briefly.
- Wham Line: Lissia: 'I was... I was called Alxiha Faelha.'
- What You Are in the Dark: When Kestrel is left alone in the dungeon with her thoughts.
- You Can't Go Home Again: The fate of Ulalya, Alxiha, Mari, Kiranne, Lirrie, Raika and others.
