A beginner’s guide to Jay Kristoff
I can thank almost all of my involvement in the book community to Australian author Jay Kristoff. The first novel of his I read was Nevernight, and I had never encountered a reading experience quite like it. It immediately became my favourite book, and still is to this day. Since then, I have aimed to read all of his works, having worked my way through everything except his original Lotus War trilogy. If I have learnt one thing, it’s that a good Kristoff novel is never without a healthily large dose of sass, romance and surprises that will break you into a million shocked, weeping pieces.
Jay has also partnered with fellow Aussie writer Amie Kaufman for two sci-fi series, which have both found extraordinary success and acclaim. His body of work has something for people of all ages, and spans across a variety of genres. Be warned, though, as his author’s biography states, ‘he does not believe in happy endings’. I learnt that the hard way.
For those who like their fantasy dark and gritty…
Nevernight and Godsgrave
Okay, I may have lied when I said Nevernight was still my favourite book; really, it’s neck-and-neck with its stellar sequel, Godsgrave. Nevernight follows the story of Mia Corvere, a foul-mouthed assassin who joins a school of killers called The Red Church on her path to get vengeance for her family’s demise.
Jay opens this bloodbath of a trilogy with the bold, confronting line ’people often shit themselves when they die’, and there is no better way to wrap up the feeling of this series. The world that Jay has built here is absolutely incredible and fleshed out to an extent that isn’t even attempted in most books, with the use of witty, informative footnotes at the bottom of pages. Jay has made quite a fuss about this series not being YA, as it has widely been mislabelled as such. It has graphic violence, colourful language and intense smut scenes. I have to admit, I read it when I was only twelve and adored every moment of it, but it’s certainly aimed at older readers.
The final book, Darkdawn, comes out in September.
For those who want romance and post-apocalyptic vehicle chases…
Lifel1ke
If you like Mad Max, sassy sidekicks, robots, romance and a fresh take on the dystopian genre, Lifel1k3 is the Kristoff book for you.
This YA is funny, epic, gritty when it needs to be, and will make your jaw drop when its mysteries are revealed throughout the story. It has an electric cast of characters – just the thought of the banter between them all is enough to put a smile on my face. It is truly one of the most cinematic novels I have ever read, with every new environment and description jumping right off of the page, completely immersing you in the universe. I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from the ending of Lifel1ke; it has upended all my original expectations for the future of the trilogy. Needless to say I am extremely excited (and terrified) for the sequels, and I need them pretty well yesterday.
The second book, Dev1at3 comes out 17 June.
For those who want to laugh and cry at the same time…
The Illuminae Trilogy (with Amie Kaufman)
While there have always been books with special pages formatted to look like emails, or handwritten letters, Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman took this to the next level with Illuminae. Each book of the trilogy is chock-full with unique formats – emails, chat-logs, files, surveillance footage transcriptions, hand-written notes, and the internal dialogue of a slightly murderous A.I. – that all combine to create a stunning story. From beginning to end the trilogy gives you so much to love and then makes you watch as it takes it all away, leaving the reader scrambling to figure out a way in which any of the characters could possibly survive. The trilogy is complete, and the use of the unique visual pages throughout the books will keep you saying ‘just one more page’ deep into the night. It is the perfect series t0 binge-read start to finish. Check out the first book, Illuminae, and its sequels Gemina and Obsidio.
For those who want a band of misfits to brighten their day…
Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle 1) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
Aurora Rising is the latest of Jay’s books, and for this new series he has once again teamed up with writing buddy Amie Kaufman. This book is the tonal successor to Illuminae, but very much different in its content. It has space-elves and geniuses, hot pilots and badasses, what more could you want? If you enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy on the big screen, this is the perfect book for you try. It is the pinnacle of quality in terms of YA sci-fi books, and managed to exceed the extremely high expectations placed on it as a result of both authors’ track records. And just like all of Jay’s other books, yes, this one will indeed break you. The untitled sequel will hopefully arrive early next year.
For the completist…
The Lotus War series
Though I have not read The Lotus War series myself, considering how much I have loved every single one of Jay’s other books, I would expect Stormdancer to be a great debut. Here is a short synopsis:
Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled arashitora for company. Trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and the beast soon discover a bond that neither of them expected.
Meanwhile, the country around them verges on collapse. A toxic fuel is choking the land, the machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure, and when Yukiko learns the horrifying extent of the Shõgun’s crimes, she is determined to make the Shõgun pay.
Something wicked this way comes
Currently on the slate for Jay, other than the sequels to his established books, is his upcoming series Empire of the Vampire, to be released in 2020. It will take place in a world that has not seen daylight for decades, vampires have now risen up and their legions reign supreme, and the surviving humans are few and far between. Gabriel de León is the last of an order whose purpose was to protect the realm from the vampires, but now he has been captured and forced to retell his life story. Jay has promised blood, blood and more blood when it comes to this one. I can’t wait.
