The Rundown
Nyx has been sent to Hell as a sacrifice for her people. She is from the land of Fae, and has been branded with the Tithe, which shows the world that she is meant to stay in Hell. Forever. The Fae are a small and mischievous folk who aren’t too fond of being called Pixies, and most definitely don’t get along with witches. So when Nyx runs into a pack of witches shortly after her entry into Hell, and they start calling her names, it’s a recipe for disaster.
After watching a few witches get eaten and otherwise consumed by nearby dangers (after all, it’s Hell) she tells the remaining witches that she knows the way out. Which, of course, she doesn’t. Then she realizes that she might be able to transfer the Tithe and leave one of the witches behind as a sacrifice in her place, thus getting out of Hell scott-free. So, she decides to hang out with the witches until she can figure out a way to pull it off.
Eventually Nyx and the witches do get out of Hell, and they find that the earth has been ruined after a war between men and demons. They are the only witches left, and it’s up to them to save the world from being overrun by the Hell they just escaped. Despite the fact that the Tithe is spreading up her arm and getting rather stiff, Nyx decides it would be more fun to hang out in the mortal realm with the witches than to run back to the pits of Hell. After all, she’s a Fae, and she can’t help but be drawn to chaos.
What follows is a story filled with such imagination, giggling and Fae trickery that it’s easy to get sucked in. Little Nyx, with her fiendish and sometimes deadly tricks, is impossible not to like. The magical realms and possibilities within the book are never-ending. And the end, well, it put a smile on my face for a whole day.
Admittedly, there were some minor typos and formatting errors, and a number of amusing footnotes that were rather painful to read on a Kindle. But these issues did not detract from the overall quality of the book, and I stand firmly by my decision to choose it as a Top Pick.
*Please note: This review was originally written in 2013 on our old website, undergroundbookreviews.com
The Recommendation
Nyx is a delightful ride, and a priceless way to pass the time. It might not be a particularly thought-provoking or philosophical book, but it will bring you to new, imaginative realms that you never thought existed. Not only is it suitable for young adults, it’s the kind of book that my younger self would have read and re-read many times over. And my adult self might just re-read it too. Don’t hesitate to pick it up!
