Author: Shana Abé
Publisher:
Date: Now available
Source: Publisher via
Netgalley
My grade: A
For
fans of Lauren Kate and Libba Bray, The Sweetest Dark is filled with thrilling romance,
exciting adventure, and ancient magic. Shana Abé brilliantly captures the drama
of post-Victorian England, while unfolding a passionate love story that defies
time.
“With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.”
Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.
England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.
Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.
Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.
Initial reaction
“With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.”
Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.
England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.
Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.
Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.
That was a breathe of fresh air! Something completely different!
Cover story
I really like this cover and I like the title. Hooray!
What’s the Story?
This book was so refreshingly different. I don’t want to give the whole premise away,
but let me just say that this is a type of paranormal that is not found
frequently. In fact, I can only think of
one other series that deals with this sort of supernatural being and I haven’t
read it, so this was my first encounter with this particular sort of
supernatural in a novel.
In many ways, this book’s style reminded me of The Near
Witch by Victoria Schwab. There is an
almost dream-like quality to the narrative.
It was as if the edges of the story were slightly blurred or foggy, if
that makes sense. When I read a book, I
always “see” the story like a film running through my head, and in this book,
that film had a blurred quality, very smudged around the edges, if you will.
I’m usually not a huge fan of historical paranormal (The
Infernal Devices notwithstanding!), but I really enjoyed this one. The backdrop of World War I made this story
interesting. I also think it is what
allowed the story to work so well. These
characters were just perfect for this time setting.
There was a love triangle, but not really, because I don’t
think there was the same pull toward each of the male characters. In a very Celtic manner, it deals with love
as a tragic destiny. There were parts
that broke my heart and yet, I can’t wait to continue reading the story. The same thing happens to me every time I
read Tristan and Isolde or a King Arthur story; I know that it’s not going to
end well, but I love it all the same.
I’m not sure if any of this story is part of Celtic lore, but it feels
as if it could be!
I really, really enjoyed this book and I am anxiously
looking forward to the next book in the series.
The Soundtrack
Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles
All of My Days by Alexi Murdoch
Haste No More by Mumford and Sons
Bleeding Love by Mystery Jets
Shine by Alexi Murdoch
The Final Grade
My final grade for this book is an A. I loved it.
It was different and it was profoundly heartbreaking, but I enjoyed it
immensely in spite of that.
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