Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. 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!

[To be published March 5th on The Nerd Daily]

Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway is a fantasy novel inspired by World War II era Europe. It’s bittersweet, and dramatic with a beautiful star-crossed lovers romance.

This is Joanna Hathaway’s debut novel and it is so unique. Though it is pitched as Code Name Verity meets The Winner’s Curse, it is very much its own story, though it may borrow elements from other sources.

While Dark of the West is set in a fantasy world, it feels like a World War II or 1940s type setting with war planes, guns, cars, and other technology items you’d see in that time period. The world was very complex and takes a little time to get used to and learn about.

The story is told in dual POV with one perspective being Athan, who is a soldier, and Aurelia, the daughter of a queen. Athan’s father is the General who is a big deal and views Aurelia’s mother as an enemy which leaves Athan and Aurelia in a sort of Romeo and Juliet-like situation. Aurelia lives a life of privilege however she is much more than what her title suggests. Athan is her opposite as he has grown up surrounded by war and being pressured to become a fighter pilot by his father. Both characters are so interesting and strong and I enjoyed each of their voices.

Aurelia and Athan fall in love despite being on the brink of war which leads them to be in a stressful situation as their lives could fall apart at any moment. People have compared it to Atonement and that’s a love story that’s doomed practically from the start. Both Aurelia and Athan have to hide their affections and create deceptions in order to see each other and confront their world’s problem’s head-on.

Dark of the West was a debut that despite the slow start, it really packed in the action in the second half. The characters are complex and the romance is intriguing. It’s a story that is about the desperation of war and love and a story that should always be written. Also, prepare yourselves for the ending and the next book because in a world on the brink of war, dark things are sure to come.

This book was not exactly what I expected and I found the world building very dense and sometimes, even confusing. It also had a lot of information thrust onto the reader at the beginning and I couldn’t keep track of all of it. I also didn’t feel very connected to the characters.
I would probably recommend this to readers who like more urban or historical fantasy.

I wanted so badly to like this one. A fantasy inspired by WWII? Count me in. But I felt like I got dropped into the middle of a series. Characters and intrigues were introduced so haphazardly and without explanation it was difficult to keep them straight. Plot changes weren’t explained at all and added to the confusion. The characters felt very one dimensional. Reni, Aurelia’s brother, was so obnoxious and condescending (usually to her!), and her adoration of him made no sense. I found myself not caring about any of the characters at all.

Intricately written with a passionate voice, this new series transports you to a new world filled with hope, despair, and sacrifice.

Athan Dakar is the youngest son of a military leader. Although his father loves war and the chaos that comes with it, Athan could really care less. His brothers have each been bred to lead the charges of his father’s plan, one by land and one by sea. Athan’s path is for the air. On the other side of the world, young Aurelia is the princess of a small kingdom. Her brother is preparing to take over the kingdom from their mother, so Aurelia has had little interest in political matters until she learns of her possible marriage to an ambassador that repulses her. Can either Athan or Aurelia be truly happy with life?

All that changes when a lone bullet snuffs out the life of Athan’s mother. His father is convinced that the plot was schemed by Aurelia’s mother and is determined to return the favor. But he is master of the long game and waits for his chance. When Athan and his father travel to Aurelia’s home, he is tasked with spying on her. But he finds himself drawn to her in an ensuing forbidden romance that neither side can comprehend. Both teenagers must find a way to be loyal to each other but also to their families, but can these two survive simultaneously?

The language in this book was very passionate and flowed smoothly throughout the book. I was hooked in the opening teaser and just wanted to dive right in, but first had to go read the events that set everything into motion. The characters fleshed out quickly and came to life in an instant, especially Athan’s family. The book is told somewhat between a revolution era novel and the great war. It just feels like a little bit of both and transports the reader to a world unlike any other that I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. This will definitely be a book unlike any you’ve read before.

The only drawback that I see may be that off the length and overall complexity of the story being of interest to young readers. Part of what made me enjoy the book so much was that it made me be engaged throughout the whole story and constantly think about different parts that I had read as I continued. Several of today’s more popular young adult books are much shorter and the content is more cut and dry. There was some occasional foul language, which is becoming more persistent in YA literature, but it did not detract from the story.
If you want something different the includes espionage, assassinations, romance, military battles, and politics, then you should grab a copy today.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions express within are my own.

Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway..
✏️
Thankyou @netgalley and publishers for the copy.
✏️
Dark of the West is a YA fantasy novels which feels like during the second world war though it happens in an entirely different universe.
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This is the story of a pilot and a princess torn apart by war and politics. Altan Dakar, youngest son of General Dakar,ruler of Savient and several NE territories near Black Sea. He loved to be a pilot but General demanded loyalty to him and thus he had to visit Etania.Aurelia Isendare is an Etanian princess, lived a protective life inside the palace. Having alliances between the two kingdoms , both of them fall in love despite on the verge of war.
✏️
. Why there is deception and betrayal between those two kingdoms..??
.Why did General came to visit Etania..?
The book features forbidden romance and war and politics..The writing to be honest is so impressive.. The characters are very well crafted . The challenges happened to Aurelia and Altan during the fantasy world were really written very well and it keep the grip to read it till the very end. A very good read for all YA fantasy lovers.

I am honestly at a loss for words. This book was so dang good. It's taken me a few days to really digest what I've read and be ready to put them into words. I knew from the synopsis that I would probably like this book. What I didn't know was how easy it was for me to fall in love with every part of this book and that it would be one of my favorite reads this year. Dark of The West has everything you need in a book, forbidden romance, espionage, honor, deceit, betrayal, war, and a lot of aviation. I really enjoyed reading about the aviation parts of the book. It was so interesting! The writing seriously blew me away! I put Joana Hathaway in a category with Laini Taylor and Leigh Bardugo. It was written so beautifully. I was so immersed in this world and felt like I was in it while I was reading.

I really loved the characters as well. We have 2 POV's, Athan and Aurelia. Athan is the youngest son of the, to put it gently, not so nice, General Dakar. Athan is a fighter pilot that would give anything to fly to the mountains and not have to deal with being on the front lines. He is smart, clever, and very smooth. When his mother is killed, the General insists that it is the Queen of Etenia, who also happens to be Aurelia's mother. Although Athan wants no part of the war, for his mother, he goes along with his fathers plan to go undercover and find out information from the Queen's children. Of course, Athan's mission becomes so much harder once he starts falling for Aurelia. He is stuck between keeping Aurelia safe and being loyal to his father.

Aurelia is such a wonderful character. Being the princess she is not as involved with what is going on in the kingdom as she would like. Her mother is the Queen until Reni, Aurelia's brother, comes of age to take the throne. Reni and his mother have different thoughts on how the kingdom should be run and Aurelia ends up being caught in the middle. She has many great ideas, but because she is only the princess, no one tends to listen to her. She is also very taken by Athan even though she tries not to be at first. I enjoyed their relationship so much!

Throughout the whole book, I kept trying to figure out who was the bad guy and who was the good guy. I changed my mind so many times. This world was so fascinating to me. Once I made about halfway through the book I couldn't put it down! I had to know what was going to happen to these amazing characters! I most definitely recommend this book to everyone! I don't see how this book wouldn't make it in your top 5 of this year for sure. I need the next book right now!!!!!

An unusual and intriguing WWII political fantasy thriller. I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it, combining, as it does, aviation, espionage and star crossed lovers. The writing was beautiful and the fantasy setting really worked for me. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series has in store.

Okay first of all. I expected this book to be amazing way before I read it. The cover is simple yet stunning. The short description screams an epic, star-crossed romance and of course I'm ALL for that. And I may not have read Code Name Verity yet but The Winner's Curse is definitely one of my most loved books. Of course, OF COURSE it's gonna be amazing. But what I got? What I got was so, so much more than that.

I love how incredibly complex the story is. Lots of omg and wtf moments. I admit I had no idea what was happening for the first few chapters. I was completely lost. I found myself confused about all the who's who and where's what. But I LOVED it. I think that's what made this unputdownable for me. I HAD to know what the heck was happening.


"War is no good for the young, or for love."


THE PROLOGUE. I.. just had to get it out there. Because holy shit. I've never fallen in love with a book as fast as I did with Dark of the West.

Dark of the West is written in dual POVs which I very much enjoyed. Aurelia is a likable heroine who started out to be a bit naive and sheltered but who grew into someone stronger and bolder with a fierce belief in doing what's right. I did enjoy Athan's chapters more. He's a very interesting character. He's struggling between who he wants to be and the expectation of who he should be that comes with being a Dakar. And when he flies? It feels like I'm right there with him and it is glorious! Flying to him is what reading is to me. And I love that.


"But you go, of course, and then the runway’s stretched out before you like a shadow. Follow the flare path as you throttle back. They flash by and up you go into the unknown, into anyone’s sky."


Cyar and Athan's friendship was one of the highlights of the book for me. I've never seen anything so pure and honest and selfless. I loved Cyar from the start. There's something very genuine and likable about him.


"His face is inspiring in the darkness. Flickering lights play across his soft features, his black hair merging with shadows. Honesty woven like loyalty in his gaze."


The romance. What to say? It was EVERYTHING. Granted, I may have gone into this expecting an enemies to lovers approach but what I got was so much better! It was maddeningly sweet and gentle and innocent. It felt exactly like how I imagine falling in love would feel like. The letters especially. THE LETTERS. I was drowning in Athan's beautiful words and I wouldn't have it any other way. Please don't step on the puddle of lovesick goo I've become.


"Her eyes linger on my face, and I want her to like what she sees. I want her to find what she’s hoping for."

"I see your face in the sky, Ali. Your warm eyes in the golden dawn. You’re the sky I love so much, the place I want to be, and I feel like there’s nothing that can take that away."


I love how much Joanna's passion for history is evident in the story. How much it exudes in her writing. This could not have been written by anyone more perfect. Also? I now have a new appreciation for Unicorn. Unicorn, unicorn, unicorn. (I don't know if this made it into the finished copy, but I hope it did!)

The political intrigue, the action, the romance, the beautiful and thrilling writing, the family dynamics and just the overall complexity of the story. All these things that made Dark of the West such a breathtaking debut. I am in desperate need for book two!


“Some men look to the stars to find their destiny. Some men wait on fate. But Savient leaves stars and fate to lesser men, for we forge our own destiny and shape it to our will."

“But you are the sky, my love. You are limitless.”

"We’re all mosaics no one sees."


P.S. I know my thoughts are all over the place. *apologizes and hides in the corner* But! Please believe me when I say Dark of the West is an absolute must-read! I swear, you wouldn't want to miss this!

I received an e-arc via Netgalley to read and review. Quotes are subject to change in the final print.

With all these amazing books that I have been reading of late, it's evident that this is definitely going to be a great year. 
Set in the revolutionary, but fantasied World War II, Dark of the West is a tale that had me up at night with no regrets. The story follows the premise of intense political intrigue, war tension, romance and a sprinkle of good-ole' family drama. The plot was simple to understand and fall into even with the story being alternated in the point of views of Athan and Aurelia (my babies). As simple as it was it was also a fast read because of how much was taking place. However, I did not lose myself in the conflict and plot because everything was well organized and packed together in a structured way that made the path of the story easy to follow. 
Aurelia shows significant growth throughout the story from a somewhat naive, "I want to make everyone happy," type of girl to a, "I now realize what is happening and I have to take a stance," type of woman.
Athan was a pleasant character to read about. Learning about how his external and internal struggles collide along with everything that is happening was brilliant 
To me, the setting was by far the most intriguing part of the whole story. I am not into war stories much, but even I know how rare World War II stories are. There's mountains and airplanes, my goodness, I love it all. If you haven't added this to your TBR yet. Do it! Do it right now! After you read it and enjoy it, you can thank me later. *Flips Hair*

Mini review:

Trigger warning: Mention of war and death. Till the point I read.

DNF

I received this E-ARC via Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have heard and seen this book everywhere. When I saw it on Netgalley I got curious and requested it. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

The writing style for one of the main characters’ point of view was off. It started to irk me. And it was taking a long time to process what I just read. Which is one I decided to put it down.

I recommend. I really think this is going to be a hit with others.

I think it was the comp to The Winner’s Curse that drew me to Dark of the West (which is funny because I still haven’t read that series) but I dove into this book with not many expectations. The only one I remember having was that Dark of the West was a fantasy but it became abundantly clear very early on that it was not. The main reason I bring this up is because it very much felt like false advertising. There are no fantastical elements to this book. In fact, calling it a historical novel would be way more accurate since it seems to draw inspiration from the World Wars of the early 20th century. A lot of the technology we have exists in this world too: planes, cars, guns, etc.

False advertising aside, Dark of the West is a good book. As someone who has been struggling with fantasy lately, the fact the book wasn’t a fantasy novel actually made it a lot easier for me to get into and enjoy. It is very character driven which made it a slow read but I liked getting to know the characters.

Aurelia and Athan come from vastly different worlds and much of the book is not about their romance. It accentuates the differences in their worlds. From their families, siblings, political systems and even beliefs (at least early on.) To be clear, this isn’t really an opposites attract situation because while they are different, they have their similarities. For example, they are both incredibly loyal and passionate. I love that the book spends so much highlighting their worlds aside from one another because it definitely makes their romance feel all the more real.

The fact that the book plays up on these differences is also especially helpful because it adds to our understanding of the war that is brewing. That being said, because the book focuses so much on those things, we also get no context for what the fuck the war is actually about besides everyone lying their ass off. We hear about the Nahir rebels on several occasions and yet I could not find any one instance in the novel that states what it is they want aside from vague mentions of freedom. Freedom from what????? I did actually do a proper search too and came up with nothing.

Moreover, Dark of the West feels more like one incredibly long prologue with the actually prologue having more tension than most of the book. This is partly why to me, Dark of the West is merely a good book rather than a great one because its entire purpose seems to be laying the foundation for a sequel. There is stuff happening but most of the action we get happens in the last 15% of the novel with the other 85% being spend building characters and the world (sort of since we still don’t know anything about the war.)

If laying the foundation for all the goodness of the sequel was truly the author’s intention than she has been very successful because I am extremely excited to read the sequel. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE that intense prologue seems to be a snippet from a sequel.

Basically, I think this book is not so much exciting on its own as it is within the context of what could happen in the future. So you should read Dark of the West, but you should read it because it’s the only way we’ll all get to read what I can imagine will be a phenomenal sequel.

I didn’t know what to expect when i began this book. In the end, it put me through immense emotional turmoil. I am utterly shaken by this book, and it has left me with such a hole in my heart. Hathaway weaves a novel of vivid imagery and rich characters that leave you feeling their pain as if it were your own.

I will admit that this novel is a dense read. It is heavily drenched in politics, diplomacy, and war - to an extent that i have never read before. As a result, I found myself becoming lost at times and having to reread certain passages. There were many names, and i had trouble keeping track of who everyone was. This is why i took off a star from my rating.

Athen and Aurelia. I can honestly say that in my mind they are the epitome of Star-crossed lovers.
Athen is the son of The General while Aurelia is the daughter of The Queen of Etania.
These characters both start out the story with a mild fire burning within them, they both yearn for a life set in freedom and wish to be free of the reigns their titles tie them to. Over the course of this story, we get to experience them uncovering the dark truths hidden in their country and watch them grow into roles they never expected to fill.

I adored watching the spark within Aurelia brighten and seeing her embrace her curiosity. She was constantly torn between her mother and her brother, wondering how she could possibly save them both.
I was mildly bothered that throughout the novel Aurelia never really lost her naïveté - it still cling to her until the end. However, i do understand why. In the world she lives in, being a princess means being kept in the dark and being expected to sit back and smile pretty. As a result, she has to fight to keep her curiosity alive and must learn how to deceive in order to find out the truth.

Athen, on the other hand, has to learn that you can’t always believe what you are told. Athen never wanted to be a part of the war that his brothers and father so feverishly adored. Yet, he is the youngest son and must obey. In contrast to Aurelia, Athen has to navigate his own sense of morality and fight for the seed of hope that lives within him. Athen is constantly torn by a battle within his heart, and come the end of the novel you learn just how broken that leaves him.

After finishing the story i went back and reread the prologue. This was a bad choice because it left me utterly depressed but also yearning for the next novel in this series. I need to know how things manage to get even worse, but i am also not prepared to be broken further by these characters.

The last point i would like to make it that the writing in this novel is extremely descriptive and i felt as though i could see the cities and castles right in front of me. Hathaway’s writing is breathtaking and rich.

This was an amazing read.

I thought I would like this book, but I really didn’t expect to *love* it as much as I ended up doing. I’m a sucker for fantasy novels, especially this sort of historical/realistic fantasy (if that makes sense), and I was drawn into this one from the get-go. I’m also a sucker for big, meaty books, as this one certainly qualifies, coming in at almost 500 pages. I love getting deep into a story, bonding with characters, and becoming absorbed in the world, and that definitely happened here! I am amazed that this is Joanna’s debut novel, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next in series. (I had honestly forgotten that this was first in a series when I started, and man I am so sad that I have to wait to read more….) I love both Athan and Aurelia, and I’m so glad that Joanna told the story from both of their perspectives (one of my favorite methods of storytelling). I found myself getting more attached with each page, and by the end…phew! I went back and re-read the prologue after I finished the story itself and I have to say, it slayed me the second time around. Slayed!!! I was so emotional and invested by the end of the book, I felt almost drained when it was over–and I mean that in a good way! I actually love that feeling when reading, as for me it means the author has told a spectacular story, and that couldn’t be more true with this book!

I will say that the only reason I’m giving this 4.5 stars instead of 5 is that there were a few things that were confusing to me. Now, I haven’t seen a finished copy, so this may be a problem only with the e-ARC, but I would’ve definitely found a character list at the beginning helpful. A map of the world would’ve also been *extremely* helpful, as I admit to being very confused by how the war seemed to be between North and South but we kept talking about east and west too. Further, at first I thought Safire was the last name of the General (and Athan), until I realized their last name was Dakar; then I thought it was the name of the country they were from, only to find out that the country was Savient–so what exactly does Safire refer to? Again, some of these issues may be handled in the finished copy with a map and/or cast of characters, but there was just enough to keep me a bit confused throughout the story. However, I must reiterate that I LOVE THIS BOOK–the world, the characters, the story–and these bits of confusion were minor compared to my enjoyment!

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys sweeping tales involving a world at war, (forbidden) romance, political intrigue, and complicated family relationships. I will profess my love for Dark of the West far and wide, and I hope it convinces you to give it a try. It’s definitely a must-read for 2019. I hope you love it too!

Rating: 4.5 bright, shining stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of this book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review.

For some reason when I started reading Dark of the West, I was picturing it in my head as a Ghibili style anime.

Dark of the West has quite the expansive political element as well as a Romeo and Juliet style love story. There are twist and turns at every possible juncture and it keeps things moving.

The plot is definitely expansive in not just the world building but the building of the politics for each nation. There were times I struggled to keep a grasp on who was doing what. I also kept mixing up who was Southern and was Northern. It’s one of those you need to consult a map for reference. It’s a story where you don’t really know who your enemy is. All you can do is trust the main POV’s that you know because you are at least seeing inside their heads. I thought this made all the characters really interesting. The most being the General and Sinora. I felt like they were playing their own separate skilled chess game. Moving their pieces long before anyone around them knew what was happening. As far as what’s going to happen next the story really keeps you on your toes.

I loved loved Athan and Aurelia’s love story. They are probably one of my favorite couples now. The interactions and chemistry between them is the best thing ever. Plus everything just happens so naturally. The first part of the book gives a lot of their individual backstory before they actually meet. So you get the sense of where they are coming from when they finally do cross path. It’s largely them being underestimated by their families and trying to stay out of war that they really have no choice to be a part of.

I also really love Athan and Cyar’s friendship. I really want to hang out with them.

I really enjoyed the Dark of the West. Although the political parts could be confusing, I also think that’s what made them interesting. I loved the love story so much and worry for them in future books. Especially with the prologue but it will be interesting to see.

Dark of the West started with a bang, and kept me engaged throughout. No seriously, we'll talk about the beginning, promise! But wow, it hooked me from literally page one, so that has to tell you something, right? Right. Anyway, as I like to do, I am going to tell you about the stuff I liked, the stuff I didn't, and the stuff I still am on the fence about!

The Stuff I Liked:

•There is not any such magical sorcery or what have you. This may not necessarily be a pro for everyone, but what a huge win it was for me. Idk where this was happening, but the feel was awesome. So it wasn't our world, but it also wasn't unlike our world.

•Speaking of the world, I found the world-building very interesting! It's almost like a mash-up of every single war the US fought in? At least, that is the vibe I felt. Which is quite fabulous. It has the royalty of the colonial era, the weaponry and tech of the World Wars, and a desperate feel à la the Civil War.

•I adored the characters! Both main characters have a place in my heart for sure. They're so relatable, you can genuinely see where each of them is coming from. The romance is fabulous, the side characters are fabulous, and the friendships are epic. And there are absolutely characters you'll love to hate, too!

•The story itself is incredibly high stakes. You can tell that this world is on the verge of total freaking anarchy, and everyone has a different plan for how to fix things (and in some cases, how to finagle them to their own advantage). And since I cared about the characters so much, I was quite invested in the outcome.

The Stuff I Have Mixed Feelings About:

•The prologue. Okay so I told you how incredible the start was, and it really was! The writing is phenomenal and the author introduces the high stakes from the start. But... maybe then I knew too much during the book? And that was kind of a bummer? But honestly the prologue was done so well that I don't know if I can be mad at it? See, all the mixed feelings! Read it and decide for yourself and let me know!

The Stuff I Didn't Like:

•I would have liked more background on the world. Like, why is everyone fighting, anyway? What/where/when are we? But perhaps we'll get more of that in subsequent books?

•It did feel a little long at times. Now, this isn't a deal-breaker, I promise, it's just that compared to the start, certain parts felt a bit slower in comparison.

Bottom Line: This book will throw you headfirst into a world filled with war, love, and loss. Characters face grave consequences for every decision, making the stakes so, so high. Can't wait for book 2!

Dark of the West was everything I hoped it would be and more! After a slew of disappointing books, it was much needed and it quite honestly saved me from a reading slump.

Dark of the West features everything I love about a good YA fantasy: layered characters that are easy to root for, interesting politics, and a swoon worthy hate-to-love romance.

The POV switches between Aurelia and Athan. Both characters are from different backgrounds and reading about their lives was really interesting. I was hooked from start to finish, there was never a dull moment in Dark of the West. The writing style was beautiful and Hathaway painted a vivid picture of the world.

Overall, it was an addictive read and I'm look forward to picking up the sequel when it's released!

My thoughts on Dark of the West:

Do you like: fantasy, history, forbidden romance, espionage, military battles, royalty, politics, and/or aviation? Dark of the West has that, and more! It has a little something for just about any type of reader. To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of WW II history, which this book is hugely inspired by. My main reason for wanting to read this book was that I’m a huge fan of the forbidden romance and enemies-to-lovers tropes – which this book majorly delivered on.

Dark of the West is not a book for the faint of heart. First off, it’s quite large, ringing in at 480 pages. Secondly, it’s pretty dense. There’s a large, new world, with a lot of places and people to memorize, and very descriptive writing. Plus, if you’re like me, and not hugely into/familiar with military, or political themes, there’s that additional speed bump.

I actually nearly quit for good at one point, because I was struggling with absorbing the story. After taking a little break, and reading a light contemporary, I felt refreshed and anxious to get back to Dark of the West, whose star-crossed lovers (Athan and Aurelia), I couldn’t get enough of.

What I want everyone to know is that this isn’t a quick and easy read. You have to give yourself ample time to immerse yourself into the story. It’s a bit of extra work, but it’s so worth it. The characters and their lives are so juicy, and once you get the hang of things, the pages fly by.

Dark of the West has an extremely fascinating premise. The best way to describe the book would be YA fantasy meets World War II. The story is full of political intrigue, nonstop action, romance, family drama, and interesting characters. The prologue does an excellent job of pulling the reader into the book and promising a story in which not everything is what it seems.

The worldbuilding was very intricate. I loved the blend of fantasy and history and I think Joanna Hathaway did an excellent job combining two different genres seamlessly and in a way that made sense. Plotwise, there is a whole lot going on. And while I really enjoy books that have plots that are complex and multidimensional, with Dark of the West I was confused about what was going on for a good portion of the book. There are so many different conflicts and it took me a very long time to figure out who was fighting who and why. However, as the book went on it was a bit easier to start to piece things together and I could appreciate how complicated everything was. When it comes to war and politics, not everything is black and white.

Dark of the West is told through the POVs of two main characters, Aurelia and Athan. I still remain unsure about how I feel about Aurelia. On the one hand, I found her to be a little naive and didn’t connect with her at all. But as the book went on, she really started to show some significant growth and I thought her character arc was handled wonderfully. Athan was a character that I absolutely loved! He was so extremely interesting to read about, especially with his family dynamics and his internal conflicts. I really loved the complexity of his character and never wanted to be pulled away from his chapters. The romance was okay. The feelings between Aurelia and Athan developed in such a short time that I didn’t come across as genuine. I love a good enemies(?)-to-lovers trope, but I think it could have been written a little differently to have been more convincing. That being said, not everything was revealed and so I look forward to seeing how the consequences of the secrets being held will affect their relationship!

Overall, Dark of the West is a well-written, engaging story full of political scheming, military tactics, romance, and friendship, with an excellent blend of fantasy and history! If you enjoy books with complex plots and intriguing characters, I would recommend adding this book to your TBR!

dark of the west is a 2019 debut that is marketed as perfect for fans of code name verity and the winner’s trilogy; while i may have not read the former, the latter is my all time favourite book series so it’s needless to say this book had some pretty large shoes to fill in my eyes. having read that and the synopsis, it quickly turned into one of my most anticipated releases of the year and i was so excited and thankful that i got to read it early and participate in the blog tour.

now, it’s very rare that one reads a fantasy novel inspired by more contemporary times (in this case, wwi and wwii) and that was a huge selling point to this book. as a reader of mostly fantasy, it can get quite monotonous to read about the exact same period of time in each and every book that gets published, with little to no differences. i think dark of the west brings something entirely new to the fantasy table, which acts as a very big advantage. the world that joanna hathaway has built is foreign and familiar all at the same time, and it was an entirely new experience to read about aircraft and advanced military technology. it helped bridge the time period gap that is usually there when you first start a fantasy novel because everything is so much closer to our world’s current state. however, i did have trouble keeping up with everything else that is going on, especially the countries and front lines. it took some time for me to get used to the all the names, and while it got fairly easier as the novel progressed, i don’t think i fully comprehend the geography. this world is awfully complex (in a good way!) and it just takes time to get used to. a map would have been very useful in this situation, but i completely understand why there wasn’t one included as this was an arc. i’m looking forward to seeing it in the finished copy.

the political intrigue in this book was really good and engaging, which i’m very happy with because it’s what drew me in in the first place. i love how it was entangled with familial relationships, which made it all the more complex because of the characters’ struggle with loyalty to country and family. aurelia’s mother is a perfect example, especially given her motherland and sovereign country do not align, neither did hers and her children’s political views; she just fascinated me so much. the entire book is laced with this moral ambiguity, which is very much my brand, so obviously i loved it very much.

speaking of aurelia, she started out rather naive and, dare i say it, irritable, but as the novel goes on she starts to evolve from being just a princess into someone who has the potential to change tides. i wish we’d gotten to see more of her development, but i’ll touch upon that later. of course, i have to mention the other lead – athan, the son of an acclaimed general. he possesses such a duality – on the one hand, he has a brilliant military mind, but on the other, he just wants to escape. ultimately his unwavering loyalty is what prevents him from doing so, and i really admire that about him. in terms of their romance, i found it to be a bit rushed, but i enjoyed it nonetheless; not as much as i’d hoped, perhaps because of said rushed pace, and also because i went into this book expecting to get the enemies to lovers trope. however, the prologue promises to deliver on the angst front, so i’m not ruling this pairing out just yet. what can i say? i love pain. anyway, there’s so much potential in both main characters and i can’t wait to see more of them both.

something that i didn’t like about was its pace; in my opinion it really does the book dirty. the plot is just very slow and has very little movement to it, which is understandable to some extend since this is quite the complicated world at war with itself and so many plot lines are happening at once, however, i feel like the book just unnecessarily drags out. there’s a lot of information that we don’t really need and, in my opinion, could have been cut down to make more space for some action. this really hindered the characters’ development as well, since the plot was stagnant, they, too, stayed in place with it. rather unfortunate, because they have all the potential to be amazing leads, but to do that they need to be able to move.

and because i don’t want to end the review on such a sour note, let’s say a few words about the writing style. dark of the west is told in a dual point of view, the narrative split between athan and aurelia’s voices. now dual povs i’m quite skeptical of, having been burned one too many times by this writing technique, however hathaway has managed to completely avoid the disastrous potential of the two narratives bleeding into each other. athan and aurelia’s voices are distinguishable and unique; the author adopts two different writing styles for their individual narratives and it really helps make them sound more separated and realistic. you don’t question whose head you’re currently in because both characters use such distinct language.

a highlight i want to point out for this book is how well-written the flight scenes are; i know the author is a huge fan of aircraft and the art of piloting and has spent quite a long time reading and doing research, which really shows in her writing. accuracy is a big deal for me, and i’m always so happy when authors really take their time and do their research, it really shows their dedication to both the story and the contract that they make with their readers.

overall, dark of the west is a solid debut with immense potential to become a powerful presence in the ya community with its future installments. despite my few issues with the book, i still rather enjoyed the story and cannot say i’m disappointed with what i got. joanna hathaway has a distinct voice which will, no doubt, continue to develop and grow and i’m really looking forward to seeing her development.