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A review by mischiefalwayswinsthewar
The Vanishing Spark of Dusk by Sara Baysinger
4.0
I enjoyed this so much! The story began a little slow, but things picked up when Lark is taken to Tavdora and placed as a slave in Kalen's household. There, she uncovers a lot more than she bargained for - and a possible way to find get herself home.
Lark is one of those rare characters I identified with right off the bat: shy, introverted, with few close relationships. Baysinger does an excellent job of setting up what Lark was like on Earth, and how it ended up screwing her over in the end. When she gets to Tavdora, she becomes this amazing little badass that speaks up for herself, but also gets herself into loads of trouble. Honestly, every time she was given an order and she blatantly disobeyed, I cringed. Yet she always ended up okay. I think it was really something special to go with Lark on this journey where she finds her voice.
And don't get me started on Kalen. I LOVED HIM. He's my new book boyfriend and no one can tell me otherwise. I'm not kidding, I think I let out a squeal pretty much any time he was on the page. Kalen is a wonderfully complex character, who struggles with honoring his family and his own sense of morality. I was rooting for him throughout the whole book, even when I knew I probably shouldn't be rooting for him.
Tavdora sounds like a place I'd like to visit sometime, except minus the slavery. The technology on Tavdora sounds crazy advanced and seriously COOL. I want my keys to be a cool marble thingie! And from the purple ocean, and the cliffs where Kalen takes Lark to see the night sky, it sounds pretty damn beautiful as well.
The storyline was wonderful, although I was hoping for a smidge more action. I mean, come on, there are space pirates here! I felt like it was chock-full of secret meetings and sneaky plans, but I was dying for a great fight scene.
I did get my adventure fill with The Renegade, the group Lark joins to get herself home. There are quite a few members who I wish I got to see more of, or learn more about. The Renegade is what drives the story forward and brings Lark to a decision that wrecks her to make. There were so many plot twists regarding who was involved that my mind was blown and I loved every second of it.
The real thing that kept me stuck on this story was Lark and Kalen's relationship. They had such great chemistry and I adored them together. So much sass and affection for two characters who knew it would be trouble to fall for each other and end up doing it anyway. There were so many moments I swooned over, and parts that broke my heart. Like actually hurt me! Which to me is always a sign of a good book.
All in all, I loved this. It was the perfect length for my first read of 2018. Please, do yourself a favor, and go snag a copy. There's adventure, romance, a little bit of sexiness (okay, a whole lot where Kalen is concerned, but also some other sexiness), and a mission for freedom that'll hook you. This was my first novel from Entangled TEEN Publishing, but I can tell you it won't be my last. Same can be said for Sara Baysinger. I've got my fingers AND toes crossed for a sequel!
Lark is one of those rare characters I identified with right off the bat: shy, introverted, with few close relationships. Baysinger does an excellent job of setting up what Lark was like on Earth, and how it ended up screwing her over in the end. When she gets to Tavdora, she becomes this amazing little badass that speaks up for herself, but also gets herself into loads of trouble. Honestly, every time she was given an order and she blatantly disobeyed, I cringed. Yet she always ended up okay. I think it was really something special to go with Lark on this journey where she finds her voice.
And don't get me started on Kalen. I LOVED HIM. He's my new book boyfriend and no one can tell me otherwise. I'm not kidding, I think I let out a squeal pretty much any time he was on the page. Kalen is a wonderfully complex character, who struggles with honoring his family and his own sense of morality. I was rooting for him throughout the whole book, even when I knew I probably shouldn't be rooting for him.
Tavdora sounds like a place I'd like to visit sometime, except minus the slavery. The technology on Tavdora sounds crazy advanced and seriously COOL. I want my keys to be a cool marble thingie! And from the purple ocean, and the cliffs where Kalen takes Lark to see the night sky, it sounds pretty damn beautiful as well.
The storyline was wonderful, although I was hoping for a smidge more action. I mean, come on, there are space pirates here! I felt like it was chock-full of secret meetings and sneaky plans, but I was dying for a great fight scene.
I did get my adventure fill with The Renegade, the group Lark joins to get herself home. There are quite a few members who I wish I got to see more of, or learn more about. The Renegade is what drives the story forward and brings Lark to a decision that wrecks her to make. There were so many plot twists regarding who was involved that my mind was blown and I loved every second of it.
The real thing that kept me stuck on this story was Lark and Kalen's relationship. They had such great chemistry and I adored them together. So much sass and affection for two characters who knew it would be trouble to fall for each other and end up doing it anyway. There were so many moments I swooned over, and parts that broke my heart. Like actually hurt me! Which to me is always a sign of a good book.
All in all, I loved this. It was the perfect length for my first read of 2018. Please, do yourself a favor, and go snag a copy. There's adventure, romance, a little bit of sexiness (okay, a whole lot where Kalen is concerned, but also some other sexiness), and a mission for freedom that'll hook you. This was my first novel from Entangled TEEN Publishing, but I can tell you it won't be my last. Same can be said for Sara Baysinger. I've got my fingers AND toes crossed for a sequel!