Keep Porn Out of Fantasy! Or, what's wrong with Jay Kristoff's Nevernight Trilogy
From the ancient Greeks to the present, good literature recognizes the existence of eros as part of human nature, and how a writer handles the erotic can make or break a novel. Done right, the erotic domain allows an author to show humanity, sacrifice for the beloved, and participation in the “circle of life.” Mishandled, the erotic overshadows everything else in the novel, leaving the reader convinced the author has debased his literary sensibilities rather than cultivated his tastes. Such is the problem with Jay Kristoff’s Nevernight Chronicle. Kristoff is an excellent storyteller, but his failure to control the erotic means his story should be categorized as erotica rather than fantasy.
Spoiler alert - it is hopefully clear that I do not endorse this book, so I am not telling you to go read it first. But do know that this review contains extensive spoilers.
The Nevernight Chronicle consists of the following volumes:
Nevernight
Godsgrave
Darkdawn