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A review by imcourtneymarie
The Lightstruck by Sunya Mara
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m so sad to only give this one 3/5 when the first book blew me away. I was so excited for this duology but The Lightstruck disappointed.
It’s not BAD and I was entertained through much of it, but all the heart and soul that went into the Darkening did not translate to the follow-up. I found the characters quite flat and shadows of who they were — not in a 3 year “i’m older and wiser” kind of way either. The story dragged on in many parts, too.
I’m not particularly a romance/romantasy reader, but the way Dalca/Vesper is handled in this book feels incomplete and almost forced. It didn’t flow and Dazzle only made it less compelling.
I wish the Spectral lore had been developed more. Yeah, Spectral!Dalca gives us a bit about them, but there’s still a big “WHY???” hanging over their existence. There was just so much wasted potential I guess
I’m glad for the happy ending but the soft conclusion leaves the door open for more antics in this world. Not sure if I would love a Ravka-esque (Leigh Bardugo) universe in the city but there’s certainly opportunity if the stories need to be told!
I think I’ll stick to re-reading The Darkening as a solo book.
It’s not BAD and I was entertained through much of it, but all the heart and soul that went into the Darkening did not translate to the follow-up. I found the characters quite flat and shadows of who they were — not in a 3 year “i’m older and wiser” kind of way either. The story dragged on in many parts, too.
I’m not particularly a romance/romantasy reader, but the way Dalca/Vesper is handled in this book feels incomplete and almost forced. It didn’t flow and Dazzle only made it less compelling.
I’m glad for the happy ending but the soft conclusion leaves the door open for more antics in this world. Not sure if I would love a Ravka-esque (Leigh Bardugo) universe in the city but there’s certainly opportunity if the stories need to be told!
I think I’ll stick to re-reading The Darkening as a solo book.