REVIEW Night Market (Crossroad Chronicles Book 2) by BR Kingsolver

Night Market (Crossroad Chronicles Book 2) by BR Kingsolver
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Release Date: August 28, 2022
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Night Market by BR Kingsolver, the second book in the Crossroad Chronicles series and the sequel to Family Ties, is another entertaining and engaging urban fantasy title. If you like the author’s other series The Rift Chronicles or Rosie O’Grady’s Paranormal Bar and Grill, then I think you’ll enjoy these books. At the time of writing this review, it’s available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited (so make sure you check it out if you’re a member). 

In my review for Family Ties, I asked the universe for a book that focused more on Karina (Diana’s sister), and my wish was granted. In this book, Karina asks her sister for help as she is hunting a rare and powerful tome that was stolen from the Great Library. Together, they work towards finding it, bringing them to the shady and secretive Night Market at the Great Marketplace of the Crossroads of the Worlds. 

The character development in this book is fun. Despite being nearly identical, Karina and Diana couldn’t be more different. Diana is a warrior who wears her hair short, loves working with her hands, and is more interested in common sense and comfort than vanity. Karina, on the other hand, is a scholar who loves her books, has a bit of a highborn attitude at times, and can be prone to superficial tendencies (Diana had to make her sister tone down one of her glamors before they went out disguised as common folk). This makes me even more excited to learn about their parents - I’m really hoping we get to see more of them soon. I want to learn more about their abilities, and how that played into the various abilities their children inherited. 

The world building was interesting in this book. Instead of learning about different worlds, BR Kingsolver introduces readers more to each of the world’s inhabitants. Diana and Karina come across many people in their hunt for the book - I appreciated the variety of species that were covered. It was also interesting to learn about the different cultures of the worlds they Walked through. There are multiple mini-lessons interspersed throughout the book that covers the level of technology each world has, as well as their system of government and the types of magic users they may encounter. With the sheer scope of worldbuilding in Night Market, it is understandably a bit hard to go in-depth into everything so that was a disappointment as a reader. I have loads of questions about things like the Kaminesky scale that I want to be answered! 

In my opinion, Night Market is an enjoyable installment to the Crossroad Chronicles series, and to BR Kingsolver’s larger catalog of works. There were some minor issues, but nothing that seriously impacted my enjoyment of the read or that would convince me to not read future installments (I’m hoping that all three siblings will work together in future books and that maybe their parents will make a larger appearance). I would recommend this book to adult urban fantasy readers, especially if you enjoy books by Patricia Briggs, Lisa Shearin, or Ilona Andrews.

About the Book

I was blissfully ignorant of a book, usually translated into Human languages as The Gospels of Satan, until it was stolen from the Great Library.

My twin sister, a Senior Scholar, showed up at my door and asked me to help her retrieve the cursed book. It’s magical, priceless, and in the wrong hands might be dangerous.

It could be anywhere in thousands of Worlds, but the logical place for the thieves to sell it is the Great Marketplace at the Crossroads of the Worlds. Not out in the open, but in the shadows known as the Night Market, where the buyers and sellers don’t mind disposing of a body or two.

About the Author

I made silver and turquoise jewelry for almost a decade, ended up in nursing school, then took a master’s in business. Along the way I worked in construction, as a newspaper editor, a teacher, and somehow found a career working with computers.

As to my other interests, I love the outdoors, especially the Rocky Mountains. I’ve skied since high school, with one broken leg and one torn ACL to show for it. I’ve hiked and camped all my life. I love to travel, though I haven’t done enough of it. I’ve seen a lot of Russia and Mexico, not enough of England. Amsterdam is amazing, and the Romanian Alps are breathtaking. Lake Tahoe is a favorite, and someday I’d like to see Banff.

Interested in other books by BR Kingsolver? Check out my reviews here!