I'm not sure where to begin with this one. It was an interesting read and I loved Athan. I read from other reviews how amazing the love letters are in here and they weren't lying. I need an Athan to write me letters like that.

However, I just didn't love Ali. Yes, her character did develop and she became stronger and more assertive, but I don't know, I just wasn't excited watching her story progress. I'm hoping maybe I will like her more in the second book.

I also had moments, where I just didn't feel like picking it up and reading again. Maybe there were just lulls, but I had moments of my attention drifting. However, the last 25% was hard to put down. Again, i'm hoping the next book will be more exciting. I mainly just kept reading for Athan. Overall, it was an interesting read and I most likely will read the next one to see how it turns out. But it was just okay for me.

Hello, I will publish to Instagram, blog, and Goodreads on January 24th, 2019. I will also add the review to Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the publication date. All links will be added here when reviews go live, thank you.

I am so thrilled I was able to read this book before its publication date because it was wonderful! I loved everything about it and I gave it 5 stars. Here is what you need to know about this book and why you should pick it up February 5th, 2019:

Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway is set in a 20th century political feud where war is inevitable and the stakes are high. The book follows two point of views. One is from a young princess named Aurelia who's mother rules a small northern kingdom who's trying to keep it from crumbling and the other is from a young pilot who is the son of a general trying to revolutionize and build a new empire. 

It was refreshing to read a YA fantasy that has a WWII inspired setting with planes and men in extravagant suits. Her character building breathes life into each one as they portray real human emotion that is sometimes hard to capture. Her writing style was detailed and the banter between characters was hilarious and kept me engaged. I love when chapters alternate point of views because it adds to the understanding of multiple characters especially when the two are from different sides that are pinned against one another.

This book is full of scandals, political lies, secrets and star-crossed lovers who are trying to figure out where their loyalty lies. Joanna's debut novel is nothing short of perfection and I can't wait to see where the next book will take us. 

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the digital copy.

Dark of the West

I’m a sucker for political intrigue and military stories. This book didn’t amaze me. I’m struck by how unattached I am to the characters and how I dislike most of them. I have no idea why they’re fighting, and the reasons they give aren’t good enough for me. It just seems miserable.

It’s made clear that the Nahir are seen as an enemy, and yet no reasons were ever given for why people hated them and were fighting them. I couldn’t ever get a visual of what the map for this book looked like which was important as they would travel to different countries and fight.

The book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger but it begins with one. By the end, we still haven’t gotten to the scene and don’t know how the situation gets to that point. For the tone of the book, the prologue seemed very out of place and too dramatic.

Athan is a brilliant pilot but hides it because of a promise to his mother. That may be noble to some, but it appears as if he’s a coward who’s only concerned for his own well-being. Hoping to be a transport pilot far out of danger, he intentionally sabotages his flight school training. He turns his back on his best friend (his wingman) just to play it safe and stay out of the war. His father is the leader of a nation combined of three kingdoms. Ruling with earned power rather than royal blood, they are looked down upon by the other northern kingdoms.

Aurelia is a princess with ties to the Southern kingdom but lives in the Northern Kingdom. She dislikes her uncle and has an unwanted suitor. She quickly learns that things aren’t as they seem and continue to flip sides with who she trusts. She’s besotted with Athan and never sees past his lies.

Both are stuck in situations that they dislike.