Give the Dark My Love(Give the Dark My Love #1)
by Beth Revis
September 25, 2018
456 pages
Goodreads Summary:
When seventeen-year-old Nedra Brysstain leaves her home in the rural, northern territories of Lunar Island to attend the prestigious Yugen Academy, she has only one goal in mind: learn the trade of medicinal alchemy. A scholarship student matriculating with the children of Lunar Island's wealthiest and most powerful families, Nedra doesn't quite fit in with the other kids at Yugen, who all look down on her.
All, except for Greggori "Grey" Astor. Grey is immediately taken by the brilliant and stubborn Nedra, who he notices is especially invested in her studies. And that's for a good reason: a deadly plague has been sweeping through the North, and it's making its way toward the cities. With her family's life--and the lives of all of Lunar Island's citizens--on the line, Nedra is determined to find a cure for the plague.
Grey and Nedra continue to grow closer, but as the sickness spreads and the body count rises, Nedra becomes desperate to find a cure. Soon, she finds herself diving into alchemy's most dangerous corners--and when she turns to the most forbidden practice of all, necromancy, even Grey might not be able to pull her from the darkness.
When seventeen-year-old Nedra Brysstain leaves her home in the rural, northern territories of Lunar Island to attend the prestigious Yugen Academy, she has only one goal in mind: learn the trade of medicinal alchemy. A scholarship student matriculating with the children of Lunar Island's wealthiest and most powerful families, Nedra doesn't quite fit in with the other kids at Yugen, who all look down on her.
All, except for Greggori "Grey" Astor. Grey is immediately taken by the brilliant and stubborn Nedra, who he notices is especially invested in her studies. And that's for a good reason: a deadly plague has been sweeping through the North, and it's making its way toward the cities. With her family's life--and the lives of all of Lunar Island's citizens--on the line, Nedra is determined to find a cure for the plague.
Grey and Nedra continue to grow closer, but as the sickness spreads and the body count rises, Nedra becomes desperate to find a cure. Soon, she finds herself diving into alchemy's most dangerous corners--and when she turns to the most forbidden practice of all, necromancy, even Grey might not be able to pull her from the darkness.
Review
I have had a streak of surprising reads with Give the Dark My Love being the most recent. It helped I had minimal expectations going into the book. I simply wanted something dark and gritty which I'm happy to say, the story delivered.
The majority of the book focused on Nedra's schooling which can seem somewhat boring but I didn't mind. The slower pacing highlighted the importance of the histories, the politics and the characters. Each layer is flawlessly merged to the next as we edged towards the final reality. I particularly enjoyed the misdirection. You never really know what or who's real (or alive) until they were in your face. "A good book will give you answers to questions you didn't know you had." "A great book will give you questions to answers you thought you knew." (ARC, p. 243).
Give the Dark My Love brings to life a really unique alchemy system. It was complex but easy to understand once seen in practice. I love the principles behind the crucibles. The details were solid and cohesive. They sound cumbersome to carry around but I like the practicality- an instrument used to channel and bridge the magic.
Nedra was a resilient character. At such a young age she shouldn't have had to carry the burden of the plague but the anger, the heartaches and the desperations she experiences shaped her. "What she felt, she felt with all her heart; what she did, she did with all her focus." (ARC, p. 70). The turmoil she undergoes in Give the Dark My Love gave way to some extreme but remarkable character growth.
Grey was never a very interesting character but his presence acted as a buffer against Nedra's obsession with finding a cure for the plague. Their romance sort of just happens. I liked it in the sense that he was a comfort she absolutely needed. Even if she tried to deny it. "Love could not exist when it came with conditions." (ARC, p. 348). I am more than curious to see how/if their relationship will turn out.
Give the Dark My Love was dark and morally ambiguous. My heart was in my throat for most of the book and I am pumped to see where Beth Revis will take the story next.
Nedra was a resilient character. At such a young age she shouldn't have had to carry the burden of the plague but the anger, the heartaches and the desperations she experiences shaped her. "What she felt, she felt with all her heart; what she did, she did with all her focus." (ARC, p. 70). The turmoil she undergoes in Give the Dark My Love gave way to some extreme but remarkable character growth.
Grey was never a very interesting character but his presence acted as a buffer against Nedra's obsession with finding a cure for the plague. Their romance sort of just happens. I liked it in the sense that he was a comfort she absolutely needed. Even if she tried to deny it. "Love could not exist when it came with conditions." (ARC, p. 348). I am more than curious to see how/if their relationship will turn out.
Give the Dark My Love was dark and morally ambiguous. My heart was in my throat for most of the book and I am pumped to see where Beth Revis will take the story next.
*I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. All quotes were taken from the ARC I received.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and reading my posts!