I struggled with The Darkening. I can see a very particular, detail oriented person being into this novel; I am not that type of person. I feel like the premise has great promise and there are some really fascinating passages of imagery, but the exposition weighed down the beginning.

Easily the best book I've read on NetGalley in 2021 - loved the characters, the world-building, the presence that this craftily constructed world claims.

This is one of those books I want to buy in paperback after reading it digitally, just to have and love.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good magical world and this one has fascinating premises. It did get a little confusing/not as thought at closer to the end of the book. Vesper is an interesting protagonist and the world building has subtle South Asian nods. A good read overall!

This was an enticing debut from Sunya Mara! I enjoyed this high-stakes fantasy mixed with political intrigue, alluring magic, and romance. The South Asian influences, although not as prominent as other South Asian fantasies, were also super cool to follow along with. I liked following Vesper on her mission to rescue her father from the clutches of the Wardana by posing as a third-year apprentice. This trope of the MC sneaking into the castle undercover to learn of the courts' secrets is not new in YA Fantasy, but it was still interesting to read about. I also really liked each of Vesper's dynamics with Dalca, Iz, and Cas and how some bonds grew (while others didn't) as the story progressed. The action sequences were also written in a very visceral manner and I found myself holding my breath any time Vesper or her father were in danger.

I think where the story fell short for me is that the lore and magic system in the novel got really convoluted towards the middle to end of the novel. I had a hard time following along with the secrets that were being revealed about the origin of the Wardana and Vesper's mother's relation to it all. The last third of the novel felt really muddled to me and also much more fast paced compared to the first two-thirds of the novel. There were a lot of character choices that surprised me/felt slightly OOC for a character considering how they were acting in the first half of the novel, so I was unsure about that as well.

Overall, if you're looking for a fantasy thriller with a few South Asian influences, I suggest picking up The Darkening! I'd give this 3.75 stars total.

I can’t believe that I have to wait till the next year to read the second book. ‘Cause not to be dramatic but after that ending I’m devastated and torn into pieces. It’s been so long since I have been this invested in the characters and story. I really loved and enjoyed this book. The plot was so intricately written and is extra intriguingly engaging. I can’t wait enough to get my hands on the book two already!! In my humble and honest opinion, this book deserves all the stars and more!!

~ I received an ARC copy of The Darkening from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review ~

I finished the first book and I need the second one in my hands right now. The Darkening sucked me into the Storm (quite literally). I was intrigued by Ms. Mara’s world building and the lore of the Regia, ikonomancers, and the Wardana. Vesper, Dalca, Izamal, and Caspian are all flawed characters which makes their development more nuanced than a traditional characters - and I was invested in the progress of each of their stories and their growth. No one is exempt from the bad choices they make and each has valid and different fears that they must fear in order to grow.

I’m excited to see what Ms. Mara’s next book has to offer, and this is a hell of a start.

Thankyou NetGalley and Clarion Books for an e-ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

"If nightmares had music, they'd sound like the Storm."

Vesper Vale has grown up in hiding with her father, in the shadow of an endless and inescapable storm that holds her seven-ringed city hostage. Every year it gains more ground and the city shrinks some more.

This book is rich and detailed, spinning a fantasy world of epic proportions, from a magical system based on ikons - symbols of great power - to a crumbling dynasty of Regias, vessels inhabited by the spirit of a terrifying god. The Storm and the beasts within it have swallowed up two of the city's lower rings already, and we meet Vesper at a time of great worry and turmoil as the Storm edges ever closer to the fifth ring.

Told from Vesper's POV, we're privy to all her thoughts and feelings, we experience the story through her eyes as it unravels before us. Supported by a cast of characters each with distinct and interesting personalities, The Darkening takes us hurtling down forgotten tunnels into a dead city, holds our hand as we climb the highest tower of a glittering palace, and keeps us company as we face the Storm.

There is a romantic sub-plot of sorts with the enigmatic Prince Dalca, which I'd say follows the enemies-to-lovers trope but manages to not dominate the whole story. Even more compelling, I found, were Vesper's relationships with two other characters - Cas and Iz.

"To do the one good thing that I must do, I find myself caught in a thousand small evils."

Good and evil blend into shades of grey as the story progresses and although the fast pacing is at times so frantic that I found myself confused (hence the loss of half a star on what would otherwise been a solid 4 star read), I really couldn't put it down. I desperately wanted to know what conclusion this journey would reach and how any of these hopeless problems might be solved.

That being said, I can't wait to read the sequel to find out what the fates have in store for all the characters.

It’s rare to find a book your instantly hooked on from the first few pages but this is one rare example. I absolutely adored this book & wished I had more time to binge it because I found it difficult to put down.
The concept of the city encircled by darkness was so thrilling to me and the constant threat of its presence along with the mystery of its origins and the creatures that swelled within kept me turning the pages. I found vesper to be an entertaining and relatable heroine, particularly with her desire to please her father whilst also desperately wanting to know all his secrets. The introduction of the three main Wardanas really elevated the story and I loved each of them in their own ways. I especially enjoyed the redemption arc of Casvian & the sad fate of Izamal because I found these two characters to be amongst the strongest written. I emphasised with each of their struggles and would happily read more about them individually. Out of the three our main live interest Dalca appeared the weakest and his reasonings towards the end of the story flipped around too much for my liking and felt poorly thought out. The mythology surrounding the gods, the storm & the Regia was fascinated but at times I felt it was abit rushed. Especially surrounding the “Queen” and the ending revelations. This book could of benefited with a few more chapters to help space it out and explain itself more but I’m hoping this may be a precursor for a trilogy as I did love what the author created and would eagerly devour more!.

as in a bit of a reading slump (and playing way too much Animal Crossing) when I started this book. I want say it yanked me out of my slump bc I ready it 3x slower than I normally do. However, it definitely helped me climb my way out of the slump I was in.

Vesper lives in a city plagued by a terrible storm with even worse monsters. After almost getting killed by said monster, her father who has been hiding for most of her life is captured. And of course Vesper has to save him.

Along this journey of I’ll fated rescue, Vesper becomes an unwilling apprentice of a group of Wardana. They set out to safe the world. Well...their city. Which is their world.

Overall, this was a good story. The world building was good. The magic system was easy to understand. The characters were like able. I’m interested to see the relationships between the characters continue to develop. I did really feel the chemistry between Vesper and the love interest.

I put this book off for quite a while as the cover just wasn’t encouraging me to read it. Once I did get into it though, it’s good! The book takes place over the span of a couple of weeks, with characters learning and growing as people but also having flaws that are believable and it’s okay that they’re like that.

I felt like there were a few instances where there were some time skips that were unaccounted for, suddenly turning up in a location with no prior suggestion of it happening, or coded texts undefined in the editing stages so it seems like the character just continues speaking instead of them reading something.

Its a book with promise, but needs a little more editing, at least for the ebook version.

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read

"A lifetime is made up of dozens of lives, tied together only by shared memory."

When Vesper Vales Father is arrested for creating new magic symbols, Vesper must do do all she can to rescue her only family. Which includes infiltrating an establishment that would rather she didn't exist.

I absolutely devoured this novel, I read it in a day, couldn't put it down!

Fast paced and very easy to read, the magic system was very easy to learn (which is a huge selling point!). Brilliant plot, if I had access to the next book I'd be reading it already, can't wait for the follow up!

The characters felt like real people, with rational priorities and real reactions to every emergency. They also showed a lot of emotional depth, especially for a YA novel which I appreciate a lot.

Loved it!

Set in a city that is the last sanctuary against the approaching, all-consuming Storm, this story takes its time pulling the reader into Vesper Vale’s world. But the slow pace of the first half of the book sets the stage for the intense action that makes it a gripping fantasy. I could not put this book down. My mind was spinning from the dark illusions and life-altering visions that the characters experience as they search for a way to save what's left of their families, their friends, the endangered city, and themselves. Beware, the ending is a cliffhanger!

I am a sucker for a devious prince always. I absolutely loved this book! The cover completely draws you in but what’s on the inside is even more darkly beautiful. I absolutely loved how strong the protagonist was and I enjoyed the writing style of the author. Overall it was an amazing read and I am excited for book 2

Thank you to Netgalley and Clarion for providing me with this ARC.

This book was amazing. Between the twists & turns, otp ship, evolving friendships, found family, etc. there was just so much to love with this book.

I feel that the books pace did pick up more in the last quarter, as someone who has been reading stand alones more than not the last few years, I did struggle with this. But I feel the ending was perfect to set up the sequel. I can not wait for 2023 to read the following book!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

In a tiered city entirely surrounded by an ominous storm which consumes everything in it’s path, lives Vesper Vale. Vesper is a young woman, born from two historic rebels, working to care for the storm-touched while admiring the Wardana, an elite fighting force who try to keep the storm at bay. Until one day an accident draws attention to her and her father and sets in motion a devastating series of events.
From the first few chapters which deal with world-building in a clear and compelling way, establishing the socio-political unfairness of the city and the looming, immediate threat of the storm; to the full blown psychological and physical battles in the end I was utterly enthralled by this book and desperate for it not to end. Vesper is a heroine with autonomy and a clear, identifiable motive. Dalca is the silver-spoon born prince with burdens too big to carry, fears to great to face and murky reasoning and their story promises a tenuous potential enemies to lovers storyline. So much happens in this book, and enough resolution is provided to the immediate storyline that you don’t feel like screaming with frustration when it ends, although there is enough left hanging for you to be desperate for the sequel.

A really really well done fantasy story, and destined to be an absolute favourite across social media.

I loved how unique this story was. The world building was really great. I also appreciate that romance didn’t have a huge part in the plot.
However, the plot itself did fall a little flat. It wasn’t Interesting until the very end. Then, you are left with a huge cliffhanger.

I received and e-ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review. A country encircled by an every encroaching magical storm that brings destruction as it strangles and destroys the city. Can a solution be found before the storm wipes out this civilisation. I found the story in The Darkening well written, engaging and imaginative. The narrative has the feeling of the writing in hunger games or books by Marie Liu. But Sunya Mara has found her own fresh story and setting drawn from her imagination. The characters are developed real people, with strengths hopes, fears and failings. Characters that you can understand and cheer for as the story develops. Definitely a good read.

✨ARC Review✨

Special thanks to @netgalley and @clarionbooks for this ARC.

Hello Dystopian novel with Brown characters! Overall, this book is decent. Mara does a decent job building the world in which this book takes place and the character development though not super rounded out, was also fine. There was enough development that the characters are easily identifiable and able to stand on their own but not developed enough that they jump off the page which, when I’m reading dystopian novels, I crave the ability to be immersed. It’s the usual story of these unexpected heroes tied to a love story that Romeo & Juliet adjacent.

Though this is a pretty lengthy read, it was a relatively quick one. The pacing is a bit inconsistent so that’s unfortunate since the actual story is a good one. When there was action, it was great but the in between leaves some things to be desired. All in all, I hope this is the beginning of a series because the actual plot is good and representation matters.

Set for publication 7/5/22. Mark your calendars.

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