Title: Dark of the West
Series: Glass Alliance #1
Author: Joanna Hathaway
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Pages: 480
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: ARC
Series: Glass Alliance #1
Author: Joanna Hathaway
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Pages: 480
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: ARC
He was raised in revolution. She was raised in a palace. Can their love stop a war? Code Name Verity meets The Winner's Curse in Joanna Hathaway's Dark of the West, a breathtaking YA fantasy debut.
Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.
Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.
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Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.
Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.
MY REVIEW
I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author.
Warning: This review MAY contain spoilers.
This book really impressed me. I admit that it took me longer to get into the story that I would have liked, but once I dug my feet in I was hooked. Hathaway's writing style is so fluent and beautiful that it is hard to walk away from. I enjoyed her writing voice. If I am being honest, the writing felt like it fell somewhere between young adult and adult. Her storytelling is marvelous!
This book felt very unique to me as far as fantasy books go. This book had a feel of World War Two in a fictional world with various royalty and militaries. It is certainly unlike anything that I've ever read. It really stands out. The world building took me a while to get straight in my head where all the countries and nations are concerned, but it was really phenomenal overall.
The plot is clever and engaging. I loved all the espionage, rebellion, political intrigue, and overall mystery surrounding many of the characters and their loyalties. The way that the plot points are woven into the story is amazing.
The characters in this book are intriguing and they grow on you quickly. Once you get inside their heads you will want to know more and more. I personally felt more connected to Athan's character than Aurelia's. I adored them both in their own ways, but I loved Athan's voice the most. I also enjoyed the romance between Aurelia and Athan. It is a very loose enemies-to-lovers trope.
This book has a little bit of everything to love. There is family, friendship, war, love, royalty, military, politics, fighter pilots, military boys that don't know how to dance and princesses that teach them, and an original world with multiple nations. It is a book that will blow you away page after page.
In the end, getting the nations and countries straight was a little difficult at first and caused a bit of confusion, but not enough to ruin the reading experience. I understood the characters and their motives and desires, but I did not feel overly connected to them. Everything else was pretty much golden.
If you are looking for a different kind of fantasy read, something wholly unique, then this is the book for you. Hop on into the cockpit and give this one a try because it will get your engine roaring!
Joanna was born in Montréal and is an avid storyteller who was inspired to write after reading her great-grandfather’s memoirs of the First World War. A lifelong history buff, she now has shelves filled with biographies and historical accounts, and perhaps one too many books about pilots. She can often be found reading, traveling, or riding horses.
Her debut novel, DARK OF THE WEST (Tor Teen, February 5th, 2019), is the first in a WWII-infused fantasy series of forbidden love and deadly revenge.
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My name is Vanessa a.k.a. Queen Alchemy. I am a 30-something-year-old mother of four nerdy, fantastic children. We live in the Midwest. I have a reading addiction, and I hope that I never recover! I'm the hugest nerd you can find with interests not limited to the following: comics (Batman and Captain America for the win!), science, computers, zombies, unicorns, Harry Potter, cartoons from the 80's & 90's, Frankenstein, history, crafting, cooking & baking, Star Wars, digital scrapbooking, D&D, Minecraft, Hello Kitty, horror, metalcore, royalty, tattoos & piercings, bright colors, and so much more!
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