<i>I received this ARC thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.</i>

<b>"Maybe I am selfish -- too in love with the idea that I can do something, be someone."</b>
I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much of this book, the description sounds quite weird and a bit mess, but wait for it. I've genuinely LOVED IT! Definitely one of my top reads this year (praying to all FL deities to have it as July pick, pretty please!), and here's why~ (Book is written in first person POV, present tense)
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<b>"You only want to save your <i>pa</i> ." He makes the word sound childish."I don't have that luxury. I have to save us all."</b>
In a city divided into 7 rings, acting as the last keep against the darkness, a girl called Vesper lives with her father in a sanctuary for people touched by the storm. What makes her special, is that both her <i>Pa</i> and late <i>Ma</i> lead a rebellion against previous Regia, ruler of the city, and well, killed them. Mother paid the price by going into the cursed storm of darkness, father on the other hand made it by being on the run for twelve years. Sadly nothing lasts forever, and he's discovered. Vesper is left with her <i>Ma's</i> locket and <i>Pa's</i> journal of <i>ikon's</i>, which are magical runes to work with magic. Protected from the very beginning, her identity was kept a secret. She could begin a new life as someone else. But she choose, to save the last member of her family from the current Regia. And apparently, her handsome son (seriously, the amount of times Ves simps over his eyes is uncountable, but still cute!).
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<b>"I--I'm sorry. For giving you this world. For bringing you into this mess. I never wanted that for you. I wanted you to be free."
"I'm part of this world, Pa. You can't change that now.</b>
As Vesper already met the prince Dalca once, when he came to her doorstep to investigate her father's whereabouts, she felt confident to find a way to higher ring (as she was living in fifth one, currently the lowest one still standing not covered in darkness) to infiltrate royal guard of flying fighters, as she believed her father had to be kept there somewhere. She finds few colleagues along the way, and surprisingly, Dalca is one of them. Working as apprentice with current what I'd call high mage of the group, she spends more and more time with the prince, and well, they fall for each other, Thou it ain't all sweet and careless.
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<b>"Do your thing," he whispers.
"My thing?"
"Comfort him."</b>
I do remember there was a mention of upcoming romance in the synopsis, but oh boi I totally forgot... Which, during chapter 13, made me reconsider all my life choices, just to get into that rollercoaster of emotions and never leave. Don't worry, there's no heavy scenes, it was a perfect YA kind of relationship! I've mentioned a journal before, right? So it covers all of her fathers secrets, that he and her mom sacrificed everything to keep from royal family, but as the storm grows stronger, father's trial coming closer, Ves has to make a choice. If she'd rather save the city, or her father.

Reading The Darkening made me feel nostalgic, as my first association with the city divided into rings concept was The Jewel by Amy Ewing, and after that I could notice a lot of things that reminded me good old dystopian YA times. Which I've really enjoyed! It's hard for me to believe this is a debut, especially with given ending -- I couldn't stop my tears from taking over and believe me, I'm not that easy to break. I don't want to spoil too much from the actual plot, so you could get all these feelings on your own. All I can say, please don't be fooled by the synopsis, and simply let The Darkening's fog swallow you in! Solid 5 stars, and it goes to my favourite reads of this year right away~~~

PS. Author page states it's a duology, and I really hope that's what we'll actually get ^^.

After being dazzled by the premise—which was the main reason I requested this book—I was expecting so much more. Maybe therein lie the problem. I was promised intrigue, some morally questionable decisions made by the main character in order to do what must be done to save herself and her father. Instead, compared to the synopsis, the actual book was uneventful and not nearly as exciting. There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed and while there were even more bad, the good parts made it worth it. To start off I like the writing style. I don't usually enjoy first person POVs because they tend to be quite repetitive but The Darkening turned out to be an exception. Vesper’s inner monologue is the perfect balance of thoughts, emotions, and actions. The prose was straightforward but still emotive. There was a good balance between the characters thoughts and the descriptions of the world. The world itself was explained just enough not to overwhelm me with formation but didn't bore me either either. The worldbuilding was pretty standard and the structure was very similar to that of The Hunger Games. It was also more vague than I would’ve liked but could always be expanded upon in the next book. Vesper was especially likable when she would disparage the oppressive systems upheld in her current society. My biggest dislike was the romance between Vesper and Dalca. The tremendous potential for Vesper’s growth is continuously undermined by the favouring of their romance almost until the very end. I honestly think Vesper had much more chemistry with both Izamal and Casvian than she did with Dalca. I believe they would’ve been better off as allies-to-enemies, and a much more interesting plot would’ve unfolded. Another pet peeve of mine is the severe lack of female characters and that Vesper is surrounded by bullheaded men that don’t listen to her and do nothing but degrade and admonish her. Contrary to other opinions I've seen, the last few chapters were my favourite part. They were fast-paced and fuelled by action and the emotional tension between Vesper and the rest of the cast. The relationship between Vesper and her father was relatable. A child desperate for affection and approval and a father too damaged to give it. They were quite bittersweet by the end of the book. Vesper especially shined in the last chapter, and the writing was its best at that point as well. The conclusion made sense in terms of the story, and I hope the sequel will build upon everything in this book in a better way.

3.75 stars
The Darkening was quite an interesting read I’d say. For the most part, I really enjoyed reading this. It had a fantastic opening filled with a lot of intrigue, which immediately drew me into the story. While the magic system was confusing for me to understand at first, it became a lot clearer as the story progressed. Vesper is quite the determined character and I really enjoyed reading from her point of view. Dalca was also so interesting to read about and to see how he deals with the pressure of being the prince as well as deal with an important situation. I liked how the story did not focus too much on the romance aspect, and focused more on how Vesper wanted to save her father. While the romance was nice, I felt as though they needed more development, which hopefully happens in the sequel.

Overall, The Darkening was a fun, fantasy read and I cannot wait to read the sequel!

I’ve received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review so here we go 💕

Rating: 4/5⭐️

Prince Dalca was born for one purpose: to protect his home from the Storm, a deadly force that surrounds his city and curses everyone it touches. Vesper Vale is the daughter of failed revolutionaries and since the Queen sentenced her mother to death by the Storm, she and her father have been on the run. At least, until Prince Dalca finds them. Vesper is thrown into a world full of secrets and sorcery and must do anything within her power to find and save her Pa. Even if it means give her heart during the process.

Very well written, this story starts off with a slow pace to give us the opportunity to meet the characters and know a bit of their background story, until it throw us into a very packed action pace all the way until the end! I really enjoyed the pace, it definitely has the right rhythm and give-and-pull. What I also really enjoy is you finding out the true and all those secrets that are kept from Vesper at the same time she does! Everything happens suddenly, she’s lost, she wants revenge, she’s a women with a plan and you get to tag along throughout every single emotion!

I really like Dalca! He knows all about his duty and he’s all about doing everything in his power as the future Regia, to defeat the Storm. He wants to save his kingdom and he wants to help his people. He’s this complex character that goes from being the all powerful crown prince to this normal boy that also has fears, dreams and feelings of his own.

The only reason why this was a 4⭐️ read instead of 5 to me, was because the ending felt a bit rushed and a little bit confusing. Which I’m hoping to be clarified in the next book! And there is so much to expect from the next book and so any question in need of an answer! After The Darkening, I cannot wait to see what the sequel will bring along for us!

Make sure to keep an eye out for my bookstagram (@maria_bookshelf) as I’ll be posting this review there too, on the 2nd half of May!

Vesper Vale is the daughter of revolutionaries. Failed revolutionaries. In a city trapped in the eye of a cursed storm, Vesper is on a mission to save her captured father from the prince and his soldiers.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I have recently been in a phase where I have mainly been reading romance centred books. This book has made me want to go back to reading YA fantasy again.

The world-building in this book was really well done, it was imaginative and vivid but still felt really easy to read. The beginning of the book was so easy to read, the story was fast paced and I actually enjoyed reading through the prose that described the magic system and the setting of the city, I usually skim read these in books in order to get to the point of the story but the system of the Ikons was really interesting. I really liked Vesper as a main character, I liked that she actually had a mind of her own, we saw her thought processes clearly and she didn't just blindly follow her father. It was funny how she just turned and ran out of the city at every awkward encounter with the prince though lol.

I liked Prince Dalcas character too, he was sweet and humble and the romantic plot involving him was well done so that it didn't overpower the main plot of the story. I also really liked that we had deeper insight into the lives of side characters like Iz and Cas, I really liked Cas' character development (he might actually be my favourite). I really liked that the characters toed the line between good and bad, and we saw their struggle with it. One of my favourite quotes was,
"To do the one good thing that I must do, I find myself caught in a thousand small evils."

The main plot involving the storm was also really interesting. I did feel the plot start to weaken a little towards the end of the book and it did drag a little but i think the last couple chapters really brought it back.

Overall, this story was an enjoyable read, the magic system and the world-building is simple yet well done and the characters are well-written. I would recommend this book and I genuinely look forward to what the sequel holds.

*2.75/5
i have conflicting feelings about this book. on the one hand, i really enjoyed reading the first 50%. on the other hand, from the 60% mark to the 75% mark i was very confused. the premise of the book was very interesting, the daughter of failed revolutionaries infiltrates the prince's elite squad of soldiers to save her father, and falls in love with the prince? sign me up! but the execution went in a very different direction than i expected. i flew through the first half of the book because so many things were happening, and at some point i remember thinking: "if all this is happening now, what is going to happen in the second half?". the second part of the book proved very difficult for me to get through, especially the one corcerning the storm, but i was invested in the characters and i wanted to see how it all would end. i personally found the prose to be easy to read, and i especially loved the author's descriptions of feelings and atmospheres, unfortunately during the second part i found myself having to reread some paragraphs because i had no idea what was happening. overall, it was a nice ya fantasy read, but i am unsure whether i will read the following book.

arc provided by hodder and stoughton in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Although familiar tropes are used, it was still fun to read and well-written. It’s fast paced and the plot flows naturally and with ease.

I liked the magic system - ikonomancy - and how there are divisions between rich and poor, between those who have the ability to learn more complex ones than others. But I would have liked it to have more depth and versatility. Perhaps different names for the different complexities of Ikons, or something similar. But that’s just me - I am sure other people would be totally satisfied with the magic system. There was nothing wrong with it, it just felt a little flat for me.

I liked Vespa’s character and the responsibility she feels towards the ones she loves, and the hatred she feels towards injustice - the Wardana. I thought her POV was strong and distinctive. The personification of the storm creatures was effective and worked well within the story.

Overall, I think this is a nice fantasy story that uses tropes and concepts we are familiar with to weave a beautiful plot. Although there is nothing particularly wrong with this novel, I just felt it wasn’t for me. In my opinion, it was average and nothing stood out compared to other fantasy novels - although it had a lot of potential to do so.

However this is just my opinion, and I am sure a lot of people would love this.

Thankyou NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton 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 characters, 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.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! Vesper is such a realistic and likable protagonist. I enjoyed this book with the artful world-building with strong themes of family, survival and strength. In THE DARKENING, the ongoing theme of survival is imminent with a threat of the 'Storm' which is an ancient power that seeks to obliterate and change people in the form of physical 'imperfections'. The 'ikons' similar to drawings or spells featured in this book was a nice touch to the magical system.

The majority of the book focuses on Vesper's journey to save her father from death. The subplots and subtle romance in this novel was nicely blended with the constant threats and character development that Vesper goes through.

As Vesper learns more about the Storm and how the city was divided into different areas or circles which is similar to the hierarchal system, I enjoyed the challenges and differences between each circle, and the love that Vesper feels for her home.

Overall, THE DARKENING is a strong debut with strong world-building, plot and an ending which makes me crave for Book 2!

A five-ringed city, surrounded by a relentless, magical storm, filled with dangerous beasts and which grows closer and closer every day. The storm curses any who touch it, and no one who has ever gone into it has ever come back out. Vesper Vale lost her mother to the storm, and now risks losing her father to past crimes against the queen. Armed with his book of experimental ikons, Vesper must find a way to save her father and her city.

I love the magical system of this book - a complex system of ikons that must be learned and drawn in order to perform magic. I love the way that the ikons were also included on objects, such as dials that could be twisted to form ikons and produce various effects.

The worldbuilding was great, and Mara paints a wonderful picture of the world for the reader. The stakes are high from the beginning, too, each character with something different to lose.

A really good read for those who enjoy YA. There wasn't too much romance focus in this book, although I can see that perhaps changing for the second. There are plenty of things left unresolved at the end of this first book that make me curious to see what happens in the next!

The Darkening is the first book in a epic new fantasy series!!

Sunya Mara takes you into a world of darkness & monsters, a world were mad kings & queens rule & an epic love story between two people who could be more different.

Since page one the book had me in a tight grip & i loved every second of it!

If you love Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone you will love The Darkening even more!

Vesper is the daughter of failed revolutionaries in a city encircled by a magical Storm that is slowly destroying the city and leaving those it touches cursed forever. The Wardana wield magic that helps fight back the Storm, led by Prince Dalca, When the Wardana steal Vesper's Pa - an ex-Wardana himself - Vesper must infiltrate their ranks to help save her father's life.

I really enjoyed The Darkening. Yes, the world-building was cool but shallow. Yes, the characters felt like they didn't have great arcs and a lot of the development of dynamics between the four main characters felt like something we were told rather than fully experienced. But did I have a great time? Yes!

I liked that Vesper was selfish and focused on saving her father over saving the city, and how even when other characters challenged her she remained committed. So often we have characters who are typical self-sacrificing heroes, so it was nice to be given a protagonist who just wanted her dad back. The pace was good and it was a very easy read from start to finish. Sometimes it felt like sequences were rushed over a little, but I guess that's better than the pace dragging.

I was a little disappointed it wasn't a standalone (simply because I rarely remember the first book well enough to properly enjoy sequels and sometimes end up not reading them for that reason) but if the sequel came out tomorrow then I'd definitely want to read it! And really, my disappointment in it being a duology is because I genuinely do want to read the sequel, so here's hoping I remember enough when the next one comes out!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I am happy I got to read this book I do think it was a little bit of a slow start but I really enjoyed vesper as the mc and I am excited to see what happens in the next book! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this title early!

thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving mea copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Vesper is the daughter of failed reboloutionaries and she must infiltrate herself into the depths of the Wardana, people who fight agaisnt the Storm and what lurkes in it, to save her Pa.

When i started reading i was expecting something different. In general, the start of the book was a little bit too slow for me but once it passed the 50% mark it became a new book. The pace picked up so fast and there was something happening at every page. Some new information, new discoveries about x or y.... thats when i started to really enjoy it.
Vesper is one of the best characters i have ever read. She is complex and so morally grey in the beste possible way. I loved her so much. While Dalca was interesting i found Cas being the most interesting one. I needed more of him and his interactions with Iz, i felt there was something between them that needed to be discussed more in depth.


SPOILERS.


At the end i didnt understand what happened to Dacal, the way he changed and then changed back, why did he change back?? i didnt get it, I also felt how unfair it was that THAT happened to Pa and Vesper. It made me sad and frustrated bcs why does it always have to be that way. There are more books that come into mind with the woman being strong and doing what the ither character cant and then suffering from it and the man being like ill remember your sacriffice like ok then why didnt you idk

I get that is a first in a series and i really hope that something happens to change that ending because if not i would be sooo mad lol


END OF SPOILERS




Overall, i really enjoyed the book even though the pace bothered me a little at the beginning. I cant wait to read the second part.

Thanks, Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
I read this one in one breath and the ending just took my breath away. You don't have the typical happily ever after for the protags. Without giving spoilers I'll just say I didn't expect it and even though it broke my heart, I totally loved the approach. Engaging and captivating story and characters from beginning to end. I'm not a fan of first-person narrative, but here I totally didn't notice it. Everything else that the story offered just blew my mind away - really beautiful and well developed characters, intriguing story and setting, interesting and unique magic system, engaging plot and........unexpected ending! Totally recommend the novel!

The darkening by Sunya Mara.
Prince Dalca was born for one purpose: to protect his home from the Storm, a deadly force that surrounds his city and curses everyone it touches. Vesper Vale is the daughter of failed revolutionaries. Since the Queen sentenced her mother to death by the Storm, she and her father have been on the run.
So when the queen's soldiers - led by Prince Dalca - catch up to Vesper's father, she will do whatever it takes to save him from sharing her mother's cruel fate.
Even arm herself with her father's book of dangerous experimental magic.
Even infiltrate the prince's elite squad of soldier-sorcerers.
Even cheat her way into his cold heart.
But when Vesper learns that there's more to the story of her mother's death, and that her home is in dire peril, she has little choice: trust the devious prince with her family's secrets, or follow her mother's footsteps into the Storm . . .
A very good read. Great story and characters. Vespa was my favourite. I'm looking forward to the next book. 4*.

With a largely one-note cast of characters, slow pace and a muddled third act, The Darkening, like many books, suffers from a case of “great idea, poor execution”.

I was really excited to read Sunya Mara’s The Darkening. Both the US and UK covers are really pretty, and the description made it sound like exactly the sort of thing I’d usually enjoy. While I did enjoy the first few chapters at the beginning, the pace soon dipped and never picked up again. The further into the book I got, the more I had to force myself to pick it up, if only to finish it so this review could be written.

I liked Vesper enough as a protagonist to not immediately DNF this book (high praise, I know), but she receives incredibly little character development. She’s the daughter of failed revolutionaries – her mother died when she was younger, and her father has hidden her away and refuses to teach her ikonomancy (this world’s magic). When he is taken by the Wardana (the guard-like figures who protect the city from the Storm), she is quick to action in planning to rescue him. Vesper had drive, but the fact that she wants to learn ikonomancy and saye her father is pretty much the only thing I could tell you about her. Vesper’s father is also incredibly unsympathetic, so this made it way harder to care about what she was doing.

The same can be said for the other characters, Dalca, Casvian and Izamal. Prince Dalca, Vesper’s love interest, receives probably the most character development out of anyone in this book, but it’s really not a lot, and only towards the end of the book due to the events of the plot. Casvian and Izamal, the supporting characters, basically have one personality trait each – being a jerk and the stereotypical ‘sassy best friend’ type, respectively. I didn’t particularly care about any of them.

In the vein of not really caring, Vesper and Dalca didn’t have that much chemistry, if any at all. I could see it on the page, where Mara was writing it in, but I didn’t feel it. Their romance was very fast, as well. They kissed not that long after meeting, so there wasn’t much build up to it either.

This is a spoiler-free review, so I obviously can’t give specifics, but when [a certain thing happened] about 70% in, this book completely lost me. I was already skim-reading this, desperate to get it over and done with, but here, I was turning the Kindle pages as fast as I feasibly could while actually trying to take in what was happening. The book ends on a cliffhanger, but given my experience reading this first instalment and my overall confusion at this last section of it, I don’t think I’ll be picking up the sequel.

The worldbuilding - at least until 70% through - was perhaps this book’s only saving grace. The book is set in a city surrounded by a massive Storm, that curses people when they touch it. Those that enter it – like Vesper’s mother – are never seen again. The city is made up of 6 rings, though the sixth has been taken over by the Storm. The fifth ring, where Vesper is from, is essentially where all the poor people live. They have no sunlight and often struggle to feed their families. As you go up the rings, the richer you get and the more sunlight you have. That being said, as interesting as this worldbuilding was, there wasn’t very much of it. There’s not that much said about ikonomancy (the magic system), and what I’ve just described is all you really get about the world itself.

Overall, I wouldn’t rush to recommend The Darkening. I did enjoy Sunya Mara’s writing style though, so if she ever wrote a different series, I’d probably give that a try. But, as I mentioned earlier, I definitely don’t think I’ll be spending my money and time on the sequel (as pretty as this book’s covers are… it’s such a shame).

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC!

This is a really great immersive storyline, it is really well written, the storyline is really engaging and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book, it was completely captivating and I couldn't put it down. It was well written with a really enaging and immersive storyline and well developed characters that were in a world that was so vividly built I felt like I was there. I really look forward to reading more by this author.