Description
Xelle is sure in her passion for magic, but struggles to find her place within the constructs that enable its study. Night Ivy offers the first verse of a wandering bard’s tale of fancy and fantasy, amidst the spires and shadows of the seven towers of Alyssia.
Longlist – 2022 British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Awards for Novel
Reviews:
“Like the plant which informs its title, Night Ivy works slowly, quietly, and inexorably, tracing the complex lines of its fascinating main character. And as Xeleanor Du’Tam patiently unravels the mystery she’s been tasked to reveal, both she and we learn more about her power and personality than we could have ever expected. E.D.E. Bell always creates empathetic characters deeply in tune with their environments, but in Night Ivy, she has gone further; this is an environment deeply in tune with its characters, resonant with Xelle’s internal song. Night Ivy is quiet, but far from silent, and you’ll remember it for a long time after the story ends.” – Gregory A. Wilson, award-winning author of Icarus and Grayshade
“I have to start by congratulating the author on fantastic world-building. The writing was very descriptive without feeling convoluted. It was easy to get lost in the world following Xelle’s adventures. One of my favourite parts of this world was diversity. I liked that there were various gender identities represented. I love when authors remove the very real and current types of bigotry (real-world racism, homophobia, etc.) from their fantasy world sometimes! Xelle was a unique main character. She came across as very relatable and easy to get attached to. Her characterization felt very refreshing! As someone who struggles with my own anxiety, seeing myself represented in a story made me feel seen and validated in a weird way. I also adored the way Xelle … felt grounded in the reality of how attraction works for many people on an individual level. … I cannot wait to read more from E.D.E. Bell.” – Curiosity, reviewer
“The perfect book for everyone who enjoys exploring the worldbuilding in a videogame at least as much as fulfilling the quests. It was remarkable how relatable Xelle was to me. We don’t often get neurodiverse main characters in fantasy, but with Xelle it really felt like I could be the hero of a fantasy story myself. I’ll definitely look forward to the next part of the series. The book was well rounded, but leaves just enough open questions to leave you longing for more.” – Minerva Cerridwen, author of The Dragon of Ynys
“Reading eBooks is hard for me, my head hurts when I do it too long, and looking at my phone in the car makes me car sick, but I literally had SO MUCH trouble putting this book down. Descriptive prose made it so easy to picture every location, every feeling, every person that Xelle interacted with. And, speaking of Xelle, it is not very often you read a protagonist with anxiety, and how refreshing (can I say that?) it is to relate to a narrator and protagonist so deeply as I did to Xelle. If you’re looking for a lovely tale, told with a bardic kind of vibe, with vibrant storytelling and world building, look no further than Night Ivy!” – Auream Aquila, reviewer
“A focus on character relationships and a quiet, but sometimes intense, approach to storytelling and description … lots of lush, loving description of places I totally want to visit, and a deft eye for “ma” (negative space) as well as for action and character development. If you’re looking for fantasy about neurodiverse characters–or just great fantasy in a unique setting, period–you’ll definitely want to check out Night Ivy.” – Stewart C Baker, writer and poet
