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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Thank you for NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
The Darkening has been on my radar for quite some time now and I was very very happy to be approved for an early arc. As with most of my reviews I'm not going into details about the story, because one can easily look up the synopsis anyways.
First of all this book was nothing what I expected. I think the last third of the book came in very strong and pushed this story into a whole other level from a very generic YA fantasy.
Our main character Vesper is a lot softer than how I envisioned her after reading the blurb. That is not a bad thing because it left room for a lot of character development. The main love interest Dalca, I have to be honest I dislike a lot BUT there is a lot of potential there as well. He is not the typical good guy, swooning for you guy but He is in no way going to be my favourite. I also kind of felt that Vesper made a lot of excuses on his part, sort of like a very toxic relationship. Seeing all the good in a person and kind of being forgiving to all the bad he has done. He felt very selfish and self-centered to me. But he did make me feel things, he wasn't a neutral or boring character which is a plus in my book.
Where this book shines is the side characters. Both Casvian and Izamal were my personal favourites and I felt they had more depth and layers to them than the main characters themselves. I really liked their personality and I did feel that both evolved, one way or another, tremendously. I honestly would continue reading this duology just because of them because their storyline intrigues me a lot. Also we did have a bit of a cliffhanger there too.
The world building is OK, nothing outstanding but perfectly fit for a YA fantasy. I loved the concept and the way the world was envisioned but it also left a LOT of questions in my mind unanswered which bothered me. To be plain a lot of things about how this world and their rulers support themselves, operate etc. were never really explained. Like I want to know that in such a tiny spot left, how life is still sustainable.
The writing style was great and was very easy to follow. I was able to get immersed in the story rightaway. However there is a very very VERY prominent tone change around 60% of the book. It almost feels like a different writer and a different book from that point on. If you liked the first half of the book you might find it hard to get into the second half as a result. The poetic and surreal writing left a lot to the imagination and later on in the last 20% of the book resulted in some very sudden shifts in the book. This means that the dynamics of the story are very much all over the place. So if you like smooth transitions, this might not be your cup of tea. I actually had to stop reading it for a couple of days and restart it as if after a reboot. I actually enjoyed this 1/3 of the book the most because of it's uniqueness and originality.
All in all I think it was a strong debut novel by Sunya Mara, but I do believe that Dalca's personality and the extreme shifts and tone change of the story will be divisive for readers.
3.5/5 stars
The Darkening has been on my radar for quite some time now and I was very very happy to be approved for an early arc. As with most of my reviews I'm not going into details about the story, because one can easily look up the synopsis anyways.
First of all this book was nothing what I expected. I think the last third of the book came in very strong and pushed this story into a whole other level from a very generic YA fantasy.
Our main character Vesper is a lot softer than how I envisioned her after reading the blurb. That is not a bad thing because it left room for a lot of character development. The main love interest Dalca, I have to be honest I dislike a lot BUT there is a lot of potential there as well. He is not the typical good guy, swooning for you guy but He is in no way going to be my favourite. I also kind of felt that Vesper made a lot of excuses on his part, sort of like a very toxic relationship. Seeing all the good in a person and kind of being forgiving to all the bad he has done. He felt very selfish and self-centered to me. But he did make me feel things, he wasn't a neutral or boring character which is a plus in my book.
Where this book shines is the side characters. Both Casvian and Izamal were my personal favourites and I felt they had more depth and layers to them than the main characters themselves. I really liked their personality and I did feel that both evolved, one way or another, tremendously. I honestly would continue reading this duology just because of them because their storyline intrigues me a lot. Also we did have a bit of a cliffhanger there too.
The world building is OK, nothing outstanding but perfectly fit for a YA fantasy. I loved the concept and the way the world was envisioned but it also left a LOT of questions in my mind unanswered which bothered me. To be plain a lot of things about how this world and their rulers support themselves, operate etc. were never really explained. Like I want to know that in such a tiny spot left, how life is still sustainable.
The writing style was great and was very easy to follow. I was able to get immersed in the story rightaway. However there is a very very VERY prominent tone change around 60% of the book. It almost feels like a different writer and a different book from that point on. If you liked the first half of the book you might find it hard to get into the second half as a result. The poetic and surreal writing left a lot to the imagination and later on in the last 20% of the book resulted in some very sudden shifts in the book. This means that the dynamics of the story are very much all over the place. So if you like smooth transitions, this might not be your cup of tea. I actually had to stop reading it for a couple of days and restart it as if after a reboot. I actually enjoyed this 1/3 of the book the most because of it's uniqueness and originality.
All in all I think it was a strong debut novel by Sunya Mara, but I do believe that Dalca's personality and the extreme shifts and tone change of the story will be divisive for readers.
3.5/5 stars
so soooo good i just wish the romance was a bit more developed but very unique concept
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought I was going to hate this book. Dystopian? Hate. Middle easter inspired? Not usually my thing... But it gripped me!
The only thing I truly disliked about the book was the dream-like, made to be vague and confusing parts. My mind kind prosess those parts at all.
That being said, I look forward to the next book. Love a slow burn and cant wait to see how it ends!
The only thing I truly disliked about the book was the dream-like, made to be vague and confusing parts. My mind kind prosess those parts at all.
That being said, I look forward to the next book. Love a slow burn and cant wait to see how it ends!
Really enjoyed this one! It took me a little while to get the hang of the magic system and the world building - but its got a great cast of characters.
I kind of wish it wasn't so fast paced. There were moments where I really wanted to know more about the characters but everything was happening so fast that there was no time to get attached to anyone.
Other than that, I loved the final act and will definitely pick up the next one!
I kind of wish it wasn't so fast paced. There were moments where I really wanted to know more about the characters but everything was happening so fast that there was no time to get attached to anyone.
Other than that, I loved the final act and will definitely pick up the next one!
This was a pretty good book. I thought the world-building was done well, and I liked the characters. This book did feel somewhat rushed, however, with important character development moments taking up less time than it felt like they should. It's possible that the characters will explore more personal development in the second book, but I would have liked for it all to be contained in one book, with a sequel continuing the overall story and adding even more character development, rather than having to finish the development from the first book.
Overall, I liked this book and probably will recommend it to others, though it's definitely not going to become one of my go-to book recommendations.
Overall, I liked this book and probably will recommend it to others, though it's definitely not going to become one of my go-to book recommendations.
I liked this book a lot, but it didn't capture my attention very much. It had a great story, one that I would usually give 5 stars, but for some reason my heart just wasn't in it. I don't know if it was the way it was written or something else, but it just didn't have me hooked. It probably deserves 4 stars, but based on other book ratings of mine I have to put a 3. If it was possible, I'd have it be a 3.5.