Book Review: These Violent Nights by Rebecca Crunden

Genre(s): Urban fantasy, science fantasy

Content warning: These Violent Nights includes some scenes of violence/gore.

A few hundred years after a war that changed the world forever, humans are at the mercy of an otherworldly, magical race called the Suriia. Some factions of the Suriia hunt and kill humans, others enslave them, but a small portion is doing their part to see them granted equal status. As a human, Thorn has been on the run and in hiding for years. She seeks to find the Suriia responsible for the death of her family and take revenge—but getting caught could prove deadly for herself and her handful of allies.

Cut to Lucien, a Suriia living in an alternate world suppressed by humans. Surian magic has been suppressed using clips, and Suriia in general are treated poorly. Lucien saves a human’s life, and in so doing puts himself and his whole family at risk.

The dynamics between Thorn’s world and Lucien’s world are opposite, but their stories do intertwine later in the book (no details, because spoilers).

I loved the world-building in this novel. It was unique, the magic system was very interesting, and the characters in the story were (for the most part) relatable. I found Thorn to be incredibly frustrating at times, but I think she was intended to be that way… In the end, she finally figured things out and became a lot better.

There’s a fair amount of action, a bit of romance, and some intrigue throughout the story. In spite of all the struggles both characters endure, they both had a happy ending. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Author website: rebeccacrunden.com

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