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A review by halcyone
Dark Life by Kat Falls
4.0
This review was originally posted on The Cozy Armchair.
I don't even remember why I wanted to read this book or how I found out about it, just that I immediately requested it from my local library - in August 2010. It was labeled "on-order" for nearly a year, finally coming in a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, I was absolutely ecstatic when I was notified that this elusive title was finally making its way to my library. ABOUT TIME!
I'm happy to be able to say that this book was worth the wait. The setting sold this story to me. I love the ocean, so the concept of living underwater is fascinating to me, and I really enjoyed the look we got at this kind of post-apocalyptic world. You've got the Benthic Territory, where a number of families have set out to cultivate a living from the sea floor. Like any good sci-fi undersea western, you've got to have someone making things difficult for these hardworking people. Dark Life has the Seablite Gang, led by the mysterious and slightly terrifying Shade. Still, life under the sea is better than anything they got up there -
Haha, sorry, I couldn't help the reference. Seriously now, life under the sea was described in breathtaking visual imagery. It really is better than life on land, which is portrayed as being overcrowded and, well, dreary. I also want to give Falls major brownie points for badass technology. I mean, c'mon, subsea architecture, liquigen, manta boards? Everything sounds incredible.
Even better was the fast-paced, adventured-packed story. The unraveling of the mystery was very cool albeit a tad predictable at times but not so much that it detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I loved the characters, especially Ty, who provided a refreshing change from the string of female voices I'd encountered in my YA lit reading spree. The summary sorta gives away the "secret" about the Dark Gift(s), but it's still an interesting aspect to the story, one that I would like to see further explored in future books (yes, apparently this is book 1!).
The book ends nicely, no cliffhanger in sight. Yes, there are still some unanswered questions; yes, you will want to know more about this world. But, it's nice to finish a book with a sense of closure and the knowledge that the characters can still go on to have more adventures. Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable read. I got through it super fast because, unfortunately, it is a short book, but don't let that turn you away from it. Within its pages is a view into a world that is beautiful and exciting (sometimes dangerously so). Definitely put this on your to-read list.
I don't even remember why I wanted to read this book or how I found out about it, just that I immediately requested it from my local library - in August 2010. It was labeled "on-order" for nearly a year, finally coming in a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, I was absolutely ecstatic when I was notified that this elusive title was finally making its way to my library. ABOUT TIME!
I'm happy to be able to say that this book was worth the wait. The setting sold this story to me. I love the ocean, so the concept of living underwater is fascinating to me, and I really enjoyed the look we got at this kind of post-apocalyptic world. You've got the Benthic Territory, where a number of families have set out to cultivate a living from the sea floor. Like any good sci-fi undersea western, you've got to have someone making things difficult for these hardworking people. Dark Life has the Seablite Gang, led by the mysterious and slightly terrifying Shade. Still, life under the sea is better than anything they got up there -
Haha, sorry, I couldn't help the reference. Seriously now, life under the sea was described in breathtaking visual imagery. It really is better than life on land, which is portrayed as being overcrowded and, well, dreary. I also want to give Falls major brownie points for badass technology. I mean, c'mon, subsea architecture, liquigen, manta boards? Everything sounds incredible.
Even better was the fast-paced, adventured-packed story. The unraveling of the mystery was very cool albeit a tad predictable at times but not so much that it detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I loved the characters, especially Ty, who provided a refreshing change from the string of female voices I'd encountered in my YA lit reading spree. The summary sorta gives away the "secret" about the Dark Gift(s), but it's still an interesting aspect to the story, one that I would like to see further explored in future books (yes, apparently this is book 1!).
The book ends nicely, no cliffhanger in sight. Yes, there are still some unanswered questions; yes, you will want to know more about this world. But, it's nice to finish a book with a sense of closure and the knowledge that the characters can still go on to have more adventures. Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable read. I got through it super fast because, unfortunately, it is a short book, but don't let that turn you away from it. Within its pages is a view into a world that is beautiful and exciting (sometimes dangerously so). Definitely put this on your to-read list.