A review by illyria18
Darkness Fair by Rachel A. Marks
3.0
Rating: 3.5
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
Book two, regardless if it's in a trilogy or long series, always faces the hardest part it seems. It normally just isn't as good as the first book, and depending on what it does this could be a not great but okay thing or something that just ruins the magic of the first book.
For myself when it comes to Darkness Brutal, I landed in the camp of "This is an okay book", which really works to the advantage of a sequel. Your expectations aren't overly high, but at the same time you're interested to see where things go with the story. I've seen some mixed reviews going on and most seem to prefer the first book. For me personally though....
I must say I'm impressed. I really didn't know what to expect going in but I found myself pleasantly surprised by the end of it. There were of course still some flaws but I was glad to see the path the author took with certain things. Mainly the love triangle that happened in the first book. It felt like she really stepped up her game and proved there was a reason for it and made it work really well within her story. In the first book it felt tacked on but in the sequel it flows really well within the story and makes things even more interesting. The side characters are continuing to grow and get interesting and the story itself is getting more intense and enjoyable to read.
My gripes can be easily simplified. Our lead couple.
I care nothing for them. Aidan is still making poor and just downright horrible choices for the most part. I want to side with him but it's just hard to when you see so many people try to talk sense into him and then he goes and does the stupid thing anyway.
Then there's Kara. While having a interesting backstory she still seems pretty bland for some reason. Maybe it's because she didn't have much to do this time around but I didn't find myself liking her any better than I did the first time around.
My opinion they're perfect for each other! But sadly it's not in a good way. At this point I can't really picture myself ever really caring about their romance. I can still hope though that they grow into more likable characters.
The best parts of the book. Hands down, Rebecca and Connor. A close second goes to Hanna and Eric. Seriously love those two. Watching Rebecca grow in Darkness Fair was the real payoff in this book. Going from completely unneeded to the star of the show was a real joy to see. Then the budding relationship of her and Connor just added to the fun of it. Characters that I actually like getting together? More please.
Overall, even with my few gripes, this was a worthy sequel. It stands well on its own and in my opinion even manages to surpass the first. Making me eager for the next book.
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
Book two, regardless if it's in a trilogy or long series, always faces the hardest part it seems. It normally just isn't as good as the first book, and depending on what it does this could be a not great but okay thing or something that just ruins the magic of the first book.
For myself when it comes to Darkness Brutal, I landed in the camp of "This is an okay book", which really works to the advantage of a sequel. Your expectations aren't overly high, but at the same time you're interested to see where things go with the story. I've seen some mixed reviews going on and most seem to prefer the first book. For me personally though....
I must say I'm impressed. I really didn't know what to expect going in but I found myself pleasantly surprised by the end of it. There were of course still some flaws but I was glad to see the path the author took with certain things. Mainly the love triangle that happened in the first book. It felt like she really stepped up her game and proved there was a reason for it and made it work really well within her story. In the first book it felt tacked on but in the sequel it flows really well within the story and makes things even more interesting. The side characters are continuing to grow and get interesting and the story itself is getting more intense and enjoyable to read.
My gripes can be easily simplified. Our lead couple.
I care nothing for them. Aidan is still making poor and just downright horrible choices for the most part. I want to side with him but it's just hard to when you see so many people try to talk sense into him and then he goes and does the stupid thing anyway.
Then there's Kara. While having a interesting backstory she still seems pretty bland for some reason. Maybe it's because she didn't have much to do this time around but I didn't find myself liking her any better than I did the first time around.
My opinion they're perfect for each other! But sadly it's not in a good way. At this point I can't really picture myself ever really caring about their romance. I can still hope though that they grow into more likable characters.
The best parts of the book. Hands down, Rebecca and Connor. A close second goes to Hanna and Eric. Seriously love those two. Watching Rebecca grow in Darkness Fair was the real payoff in this book. Going from completely unneeded to the star of the show was a real joy to see. Then the budding relationship of her and Connor just added to the fun of it. Characters that I actually like getting together? More please.
Overall, even with my few gripes, this was a worthy sequel. It stands well on its own and in my opinion even manages to surpass the first. Making me eager for the next book.