The darkening by Sunya Mara

Vesper only wanted to help, and yet by going out to save others from the Storm, which curses everything it touches, she caused her father to have to come to rescue all of them, and now the queen's soldiers have caught wind of where he is. After years of hiding, her revolutionist father is found and imprisoned. Desperate to save him, Vesper does the only thing she can think of - disguising herself with ikonomancy and finding work in the palace. Attempting to find the hidden prison, all the while hiding her father's book of ikonomancy as he is a gifted ikonomancer. Problem is, he never taught her, and only those deemed worthy to take on an apprenticeship by the Palace are meant to undertake the study. Finding herself working for the Prince's right hand man, Vesper must watch herself carefully, as her continued attempts to learn ikonomancy in secret are dangerous, as are her attempts to find her father. All while the Storm continues to close in on the city, and threaten all their lives.

The beginning of the novel is slower than expected, especially as is starts with an action scene - the story itself seems somewhat disjointed, with characters lacking proper development. By the end of the book, readers might feel like they know some of the characters, but still feel unsure about the majority. The main character, Vesper, has lots of self-doubt and guilt, which can be relatable, though also drags the story down continuously. With as many fantasy books as there are on the market, and the high caliber of writing, this has not quite met the mark. Still an interesting concept and a well built world, with some twists, though readers will have to be patient reading to discover them.

Themes: Fantasy, Supernatural, Romance, Relationships, Betrayal, Revolutions, Power.

Melanie Pages