First of all, I have to commend the writing! It's rare I come across a voice as vivid as Athan's in particular (and Aurelia's was fantastic too)! I loved being utterly swept away in their narrative. By the time I finished, I felt like they were beside me - living and breathing - so much so that I felt their pain as my own.

The story is far from your average royalty-based YA book (which don't get me wrong, I can NEVER have enough of those). The time frame actually sets this one apart quite a bit. It feels like a World War Two 1940-esque world, though it's set in a universe entirely separate from ours. We're talking battle planes, guns, cars, you name it.

The story is told in duel POV, one perspective being Athan, a soldier (and the son of the General who is a Big Deal) - and Aurelia, the daughter of a queen in one of the Northern Kingdoms. I'll admit, it took me a little while to catch onto what country was where because the world is incredibly lush and complex - but I finally caught on (and the map will help)! Also, the story is very heavy on court politics/etc (which I'm a sucker for).

Anyway, I intend to write more soon! But! Be prepared for pain! I'm not over the ending. Because ouch.

Nothing's gained without sacrifice.
Dark of the West is a historical fantasy reminiscent of WW1 & WW2, set in a world where royal blood rules.
This is a dual perspective story told to us by Athan Dakar, the son of a military general and Aurelia Isendare, the daughter of the ruling Queen of Etania.
Athan is a fighter pilot in his fathers army, who is doing his absolute best to lay low, get through flight school
without notice and hopefully become a transport pilot far away from the front lines. Until a horrible murder threatens his family and he is thrust into the world of war sent to spy on his families biggest threat. Aurelias mother.
As he begins to get to know these people and fall for Aurelia he is suddenly unsure of who to trust, who the enemy is and how to avoid a looming world war.

This book was a very interesting read. For fans of historical fiction set in the early 20th century, I think it will be a huge hit. Its pegged as fantasy because its set in a "fantastical world" but it doesn't truly read like fantasy. For hardcore fantasy lovers, you will probably be left wanting more. I found myself immediately gripped in the pages of this novel, the first 30% of the novel sets up this lush landscape, and builds up the mounting tension in this world. We get character and location back stories and its done very well. This is a long book and I found myself getting lost from time to time, which I think the final copy complete with a map will definitely help.
It was quite slow moving at times and I felt like it could have been a bit shorter, but I appreciate it none the less.
This is apparently the beginning to a series and it really sets up the second book well, no matter what your thoughts are on the first novel the following books are sure to be heartbreaking and beautiful.
My final note is going to be on the writing, Joanna Hathaway has an incredible talent with words, the writing in this book was beautiful and poetic. She is also obviously very knowledgeable about the subjects she writes about specifically war and aeroplanes.
This book was full of political intrigue, war tactics, beautiful friendships, heartbreaking family dynamics and at the heart of it a tragic love story between two teenagers on opposite sides of war.
My rating is somewhere between 3.5 - 4 stars.

saw this book be announced like 2 year prior it released date, a new cover design (for the best) and I was delighted to have the opportunity to read it before it release because I was eager to read it.

It's a fantasy book that happens in a world close to ours at the time of the First or Second World War. There are planes, steamers and that's good, bacausethere's a war going on. The northern empire, ruled by several royalties, faces a rebellion in the south that denies his governance. In the middle of all this, there is a race for resources like oil or coal. So we are really in a world close to ours at the beginning of the century and that's something I really liked. Because we find the political games peculiar to high-fantasy books with rivalries between old families and at the same time, there are some things new with the modernity of the universe.

This book will revolve around two characters Aurelia and Athan. They belong to two different kingdoms and are rather enemies. However, one is perfectly aware of this fact the other not really and their relationship will turn to a romance over time. I honestly think it's one of the best romances I've read this last couple of years. Their story is complex and touching and I loved it. Especially that everyone has to face the expectations of their parents and at 17, it is not easy. They are therefore interesting an build with layers and there is more to them than just the romance.

For the plot, this first volume is very introductory and revolves around the characters and their romance. The political game is installed, but we can feel that it will really start with the second volume. I personally had a good time, but a little more action would have been welcome on my side. I also think that if you are not sensitive to the characters, you will not appreciate the novel at its true value. Overall, I recommend this novel, but I think it will not please everyone because of the lack of some action.

Dark of the West is the story of revolution, war, and of course, of forbidden love. It’s told through alternating perspectives from Athan, who grew up in constant war and is the third son of a ruthless and powerful general who is leading a revolution. Aurelia grew up somewhat sheltered as a princess of smaller kingdom that has not experienced war firsthand at home.

I really enjoyed both perspectives. Athan is a pilot who is getting ready to go through testing to determine his placement after his training ends. He is the clear favorite of his mother who hates the constant war and wants Athan to find a way out of it, a way to stay safe and not waste his life. This makes her the opposite of his father who lives and breathes war and strategy and expects the same of his sons. If Athan had his way, he would follow his mother’s preferred path for him. He is extremely intelligent and a very skilled pilot, his father’s ideal combination, so Athan’s strategy is to hide as much of that from his father as possible. But his father is determined to use Athan however he can, and will use whatever tactics necessary to get Athan to cooperate.

When Athan is tasked with spying on Aurelia and her brother, the crown prince who is expected to take the throne within the next year, he was reluctant and just didn’t expect to be able to please his father. What he did not expect was the instant connection he felt with the princess. The two become quite giddy for each other (there may be a bit of insta-love here). But its sweet and for Athan, he really needs something other than war and pressure (from his father) in his life. Aurelia (Ali) provides that, and the two have quite a bit in common. For Ali, she needs someone to really see her and listen to her and believe in her, not just see her as a vacant princess whose sole value is being married off to whoever has the best strategic value. Athan instantly truly sees her and can help her be the person she can be instead of being a shadow of person who can’t actively contribute.

Before you get to this next section, which may be bordering on a rant, I want to emphasize that overall, I really did enjoy this and I do want to read the next one, so don’t read the next two paragraphs and leave with only the negatives.

What hasn’t sit all that well with me is the decision to have the prologue set so far ahead of the entire book. I found myself thinking about details I learned from it through out the book and was looking forward to “catching up” to it just so I would stop thinking about the things I knew were coming versus enjoying the story as it comes. I have gone back and forth if the prologue was a good decision or not because it certainly heightened my curiosity, however I also felt like it was akin to reading spoilers in an online forum, which I absolutely hate. Then I remember the reason I hate spoilers is because I want to experience the story as the author wants to tell it, so I should go with this, because the author chose to reveal these details. But I still found myself wishing I didn’t know and a bit perplexed at what the goal of revealing it early was.

Honestly, I am leaning towards it being a cheap device to try and hook readers by giving them a climatic scene, then thrusting them back to the very beginning. It’s like a TV show where they show you the ending first, then bounce you back 48 hours (or whatever) to fill in the gaps, but with reading I find it sticks with me easier than a TV show where I might forget until it gets close the scene I saw earlier. If I had caught up to the “prologue” scene by the end of this book, I think I’d be more forgiving, but the fact that the end of this book clearly is before that prologue scene just grates on my nerves a bit. I don’t want to go into yet another book like that and the more I dwell on it, the less I see a reason for the story to be structured this way. And to be clear, after the prologue, everything is told sequentially. Ultimately those pages in the beginning are causing me to give the entire book a lower rating and I feel its rare I can point to a specific section of the book that can have that much impact on an overall rating, but there it is. Evidently I hate spoilers that much even if they are given by the author, and therefor shouldn’t be considered spoilers.

/rant

OK, now with that out of my system, I can go back and say again, I really enjoyed these two characters! I really did enjoy the story quite a bit! Honestly, if I didn’t enjoy it so much, I am guessing that prologue would not have irked me so much because I simply wouldn’t care enough to dwell on it. I never advocate skipping sections of a book, I do feel its important to read the story as the author wants to tell it, but if I were ever forced to pick one section of one book from all the books I’ve ever read to skip, it would probably be this prologue. I just really still don’t understand why its there.

I reluctantly finished this book after almost giving up several times. Let’s just say that this didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Dark of the West is a novel about war and tactics, with tiny tendrils of love. It was painfully slow and it wasn’t until 70% of the book was through that it began to pick up and even fell flat and was quite boring.

It’s not that this was a particularly bad book; I just found that I couldn’t really connect with the story or any of the characters. I think one of the main reasons why was because the characters weren’t really fleshed out and felt slightly under developed. Although I didn’t really find myself connecting to the two protagonists, Aurelia and Athan, I did enjoy their relationship and its slow-burn nature.

An underwhelming story with a cute romance, but the slow paced style of writing and monotonous characters meant this was a miss for me.

<b><i>Rating : 3.5 Stars</i></b>

<b><i><blockquote>Someday, my children, you will see that to serve the ones you love, you must be bold in action.</blockquote></i></b>

Well. That was fun. This was a wild ride, full of flaws and defects. But, at the conclusion, all the endless pages, some even unnecessary, paid off. The conclusion is all parts thrilling, fun and wild. The author really works her way and sets a really really good sequel. There are so many directions in which these characters can go. The characters really drive the plot (hence it takes build up), and the politics. Which brings me to the best part of this book. THE POLITICS. This book really defines "political intrigue". It does not give you half-assed nonsense on name of it. I have read enough castle politics to recognize when I see it. And this book does it so well.

Waiting for the sequel.

<i>ARC provided by Netgalley</i>

Dark of the West was a complicated book to read, much less review, but I’ll give it my best go anyway. Joanna Hathaway’s debut novel is a historical fantasy infused with political drama and tension of all kinds (think Game of Thrones meets WWII). While this worked well in some places, I also felt like the plot got a little lost under all the complicated machinations in others, and I don’t think I really “got” the larger narrative until the very end. All this confusion had the unfortunate effect of making the book seem dull in places, and it was easy for me to put down and forget about. However, the author also did an amazing job of creating diverse, very realistic characters that made the story worth continuing. I loved how we saw all the history build up behind these characters, and how the choices made for them in the past led to the choices that they ending up making during the story. They were well-rounded, gritty, and emotionally deep characters that I look forward to seeing in future books.

In the end, I’m giving Dark of the West 3 stars. (It might’ve been closer to 4 stars for me if there hadn’t been so much profanity littering each page). Fans of Ryan Graudin’s Wolf by Wolf duology will enjoy this one. Ages 15 and up.

Content advisory for:
Strong, frequent profanity
Sexual references and innuendo, some semi-detailed
Strong images of graphic violence

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

FANTASTIC story! This has war, love and more! This isn't a stand alone and I'm glad the story continues! So entertaining and kept you wanting more. I truly can't wait to read more from this author!

Romance? Check. Fantasy? Check. Bad ass lady? Check. A weird context? Check. Politics? Check. I love a good YA and this one hit the spot - It had all the things I look for and was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. The writing is gentle but the plot is strong, and you won't be dissapointed!

If this is what 2019 book releases are going to be like, I will need to go through a resting process first and recover.

Send help because this book was GOOD. Let's pretend I'm not at all unhinged while I prattle about why I'm shoving Dark of the West in your faces.

This is a new fantasy series releasing in February that mixes with historical fiction. Specifically World War II. I KNOW RIGHT?! This added such a unique element to the plot. I'm practically flailing my arms over here. Joanna Hathaway takes on a journey like no other following a forbidden romance between Athan and Aurelia. Athan is the youngest son of the ruthless general of Savient Princess Aurelia hails from a small Northern kingdom. I am greatly delighted to say that the worldbuilding here was off the charts. It's bursting at the seams with its commitment to geography, language and social structure. This world is HUGE but torn apart by war.

This book features a great story, encompassing a lot of political intrigue and epic battles. The story itself is definitely a winner in my book.

From the cover alone, I thought this was going to be a much more 'epic fantasy-esque' setting, all swords and fireplaces and such. I was not expecting there to be planes (I didn't read the blurb before I started it, I'm not too much of a plonker I promise). I think that pleasant surprise had a part to play in my enjoyment of this story, I haven't read many (in fact, off the top of my head I can't think of any) fantasy books that feature an air force - at least one that is planes and not dragons. That's part of why this book felt so new and fresh to me, where otherwise it might have been a fairly plain story, that juxtaposition of fantasy tropes with modern ideas and more modern technologies makes for interesting reading. 

I thought, for this review, I'd tackle these two characters separately, and then talk about them together at the end since the book does feel quite divided in two by the two perspectives. 

Aurelia. I wasn't quite sure where I landed with Aurelia. In some aspects she was a great character, I liked her awareness of what was happening with her, by which I mean her role as a pawn in wider political games. At times she felt like a character who was aware of her own situation and who knew she had no choice but to be taken advantage of in the political machinations of her family. But there are times where she felt contrastingly very immature. Her romance with Athan comes on very quickly, not exactly insta-love but somewhere adjacent to that, at least where her own feelings come in. I couldn't quite mesh the mature awareness with the sudden flush of young love. Neither of them unbelievable characteristics, being young and in love does make you quite swoony and irritating (I can say that, I was young and swoony and irritating not too long ago) but I couldn't make the two sides of her character make sense together. I'm making it sound like I disliked her a lot more than I actually did, I thought that her half of the story was well done and I did find her interesting to read. I think she's a character who will probably grow on me more in the next book in the series, now that some of the lies and treachery of book one have been exposed and I'm not there shouting the literary equivalent of 'he's behind you!" every few pages. 

Athan I did like, which wouldn't have been something I might have anticipated. I thought his struggles with his family and the way he deals with family loyalty versus his own moral compass was a very human story, and it certainly resonated with me. It helps that he gets to fly (in a plane) and I am a sucker for descriptions of flight and the love of flight. Athan is, in this book at least, a little more aware of what's going on in the wider world than Aurelia and, as I say, that made me like his narrative a little more, but I'll be interested to see what happens with and to this young pilot prince in the next book in the series. 

This is a sweet romance. It isn't a fantasy in terms of magic, more in terms of being a totally made-up setting, not based on any kind of real-world setting (as far as I am aware). So don't go in expecting magic wands and potion making because you'll be a little disappointed. Do expect a very sweet romance that is fast-paced but still believable, buckets upon buckets of political intrigue and some murder along the way. I had a great time reading this book, I like Joanna Hathaway's writing style and I'm definitely interested in reading more about these characters. 

My rating: 4/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Probably closer to 3.5.
There was a lot of stuff I liked in here. Very dense, slow paced, interesting world building.
What I struggled with was the differing perspectives and because of that, the romance. I enjoyed Athan’s perspective and while neither character really changed that much (in my opinion), his viewpoint was always the more interesting. Also, he just sounded smarter. Aurelia spent a lot of the story being manipulated by others, and I found it to be so frustrating. The whole time her opinions seemed to come from others, and none were her own. Because of that, while I enjoyed the slow buildup of their romance, it always seemed unbalanced, not quite equals. The side characters were hit and miss, with some being memorable and some I was like ???? Why are you even friends with this person? This book might also be tooo long. Despite all this I found it really compelling and will probably read the next one, hopefully to see the characters grow and change a bit more.

I sat down to write this review and honestly, I'm a bit lost for words. But in the best way!

Dark of the West is a story about a pilot born to war and military royalty and a princess born to actual royalty on opposite sides of a violent and convoluted conflict. Athan, our pilot, finds himself in between our princess (Ali) and his obligation to his General father, who trusts in Athan to sow the secrets of war.

The love that blooms between Athan and Ali is not insta-love, as we often see in stories such as these. There was no catching eyes across the room swooning. It was gradual and it was sweet and it was so heartbreaking in it's honesty and terrifying in it's dishonesty.

The descriptions of war and of Athan piloting his fighter are beautifully done and heart pounding at times. This book is WWII inspired and it definitely shows. The world building and detail that has gone into the different kingdoms and political struggles is definitely something to clap for. I appreciate a book with great detail!

My very favorite thing about this book, the main reason that I would recommend it, would be for the relationships. Not just the romance, but the relationships between Athan and his best friend Cyar and even Ali and her brother Reni. Both are strong and pure and it's so refreshing to see them shown with their trials, but always loyal at the end of the day. Especially the relationship between Athan and Cyar. It's hard to find a book with a m/m friendship where they are not afraid to show that they love one another and would in fact die for one another if need be. Athan with his family and Ali with her mother and best friend - all are so well crafted and attention to detail in each and every relationship in this book makes it hard to put down.

Overall, this book grabbed me from the beginning and I can't wait for the rest of the series. I'm dreading what's to come in the absolute best way possible!

* I will post public reviews for this book 2 weeks before release date, per Tor's preference. I will update this review on that day. *

"This can't be all there is to life - surrendering to terror, allowing a few desperate meant to dictate who lives and dies, dictate when there should be war and peace. What if they all sat down for only a moment? What if they stopped long enough to hear one another out?"

Dark of the West is a World War 2 inspired fantasy; sprawling in the sense that we begin the novel 3,000 feet in the air, aboard Athan Dakar's trainee fighter pilot plane. Athan is the son of a power hungry General; a "self-made" man, hell-bent on a war that would see him claim the power that he has always craved. But, this is not the usual story of a crazed, power-mad absentee parent who forces their child to join a rebellion. No, there are delicate war games at play here. A slow inch of a chess piece in one country, misdirection in another and tested loyalties at every corner.
Athan's loyalties are put to the test after he meets Princess Aurelia Isendare, the daughter of one of the General's northern allies. And, whilst they are allies; there are many reasons why Athan and Aurelia should not become more than passing acquaintances.

Dark of the West is told in Athan and Aurelia's alternating POV. It is the story of a world recovering from war and on the brink of the next great war. There are characters who want nothing more than a new war and characters who are desperately trying to maintain the illusion of peace. The most intriguing aspect of the way that the story unfolds is how deftly Hathaway weaves in the incidental moments and events that eventually culminate in the inevitability of war. Very much like how World War 2 played out.
Athan and Aurelia were the perfect narrators for a story of this magnitude. They represent the wide-eyed youths, who understand the realities of war because they've lived through it but don't fully grasp how and why humans could be that vile to each other. They are idealistic, they have grand hopes and dreams for their futures and they recognise that in each other; it's part of the reason there is a magnetic pull between them. During the course of the story, as they are forced again and again to confront their own roles within the plots to incite conflict, we can see their characters move further away from the rose-tinted view of the world into survival mode. They try desperately to keep this flickering ember between them alive, despite being surrounded by flames of hostility and betrayal that have been burning for a lot longer than they have known each other.
The world building was superb. It is rare that you happen upon a fantasy novel that incorporates everything you love about fantasy worlds with the added bonus of modern technology, the romance of the mid-1900s and struggles of WW2 era Europe. It was almost like an alternate history novel or a Steampunk novel, without the clockwork or automatons. Hathaway clearly loves and knows her planes. Some of the sections with Athan facing battle in the skies were both heartbreakingly beautiful and incredibly tense. Other than the story unfolding between Athan and Aurelia (because WOW those love letters were gorgeous!) the scenes in the air were my favourite thing to read.
And, I flew through this novel! it was fast paced and I could not wait to find out how it all played out. At the 50% mark I pre-ordered a physical copy of the hardback, because this is a book that I want on my shelves.

Dark Of The West by Joanna Hathaway
5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an advance E-Arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

From the very beginning, this story gave me perfect fantasy feels. From mythical horses, airplane battles, politics and the perfect forbidden love story is absolutely fantastic. The setting and plot were well written and plotted perfectly. Athan Dakar; a pilot kept in line by his father who is also the general, Aurelia; a beautiful princess of the north who thrives for a better future. The in sight into both of there extremely different lives is so interesting and compelling that you NEED to know what happens next.

As the story progresses, Athan and Aurelia have to fight for what’s right for themselves but what could also be right for the entire kingdoms. There are LOVE LETTERS!! A beautiful addition to a well written fantasy. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves fantasy, or honestly just loves a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Once you get yourself through this story I promise you, you will need the sequel quicker then it’ll be released. Ugh, my heart! ❤️ Joanna Hathaway did an amazing job and I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read that blended the past and the present. I love the dress style and customs of medieval culture that blends well with modern day warfare. It has a really sweet love story and it keeps you hooked right until the end, and the end definitely leaves you wanting more. <3
This was my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
5 star rating!

I was considering giving this 4 stars instead of 5, because it could use more worldbuilding (most notably, the only real folklore we get is a dragon and a unicorn from a story being friends, and we hear almost nothing about them). However, I enjoyed this book too much not to give it 5 stars.
The world is a unique one that I loved spending time in, and the relationship between the 2 main characters is one that I was fully expecting not to believe (they are so different from each other, and I was fully expecting that I wouldn't buy that they loved each other), but I ended up loving the relationship between them, and being sad every time it seemed like they could't be together.

Dark of the West is a fantasy full of unexpected elements. It has airplane battles, mythical horses, and fierce politics all in one book. You can tell from the beginning that this series is going to be expansive, as the sheer scope of the politics and world building alone foreshadows a rich history, as well as future. Not to mention that Hathaway's words and writing is imaginative and descriptive. The prologue alone is stunning and just wrapped me up in a cocoon of longing.
Characters

Dark of the West surprised me. At the beginning, while I loved both Athan and and Aurelia, I was drawn to Athan. While both of our precious main characters are torn between their parents, Athan's struggle is pronounced more at the beginning. He is torn between his ambitious father, a prominent general, and his mother who never wanted her children to be drawn into war. I could feel Athan's essence being pushed and pulled. And his struggles with this siblings made me empathize even more with him. The ways he just desperately wants recognition from his father and the different ways his siblings cope with their parents.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a totally fresh read with the blending of the past and the present... the dress style and customs of medieval culture blended with modern day warfare. It had a really great love story and a plot that keeps you hooked right until the end... and the end definitely leaves you wanting more.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who likes historical, fantasy fiction with a great romance thrown in.

<b>3.25/5 stars</b>

This was a tough book to rate. There's always a 50/50 in every aspect... characters, story etc. One thing I know for sure though, the final 3rd of this novel is just <i><b>mwah</b></i>. I couldn't get enough of it, and was sad to actually see it end.
Athan is like the anchor of this book. If Athan wasn't as developed and complex of a character, this book would probably tank. He was a fantastic MC, and I do wish there was more going on through his POV. Ali though... I didn't really like her at all. She felt bland, even though she does develop over the course of events. She just wasn't relatable to me, and I found myself slowing down considerably whenever it was her POV.
The love letters Athan writes are so swoony, and the only reason I can tolerate Ali being an MC. The love letters are everything, and the writing style in them is perfect. Everything else in the book was hit or miss. Some characters I liked, others intolerable, and others were simply meh. Same goes for the first 2 thirds of the book. Too many highs and lows for me. Just not very entertaining. It sucks though, because the final 3rd is amazing, but many people who get tired in the beginning would probably not reach it.

<i>ARC received by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</i>