Friends With ARCs | There Will Come a Darkness + The Lady Rogue

There Will Come a Darkness (The Age of Darkness #1) by Katy Rose Pool

pub 9/3/19 by Henry Holt Books
Young Adult - Fantasy
Received ARC from pub for review

Lately I've been approaching young adult fantasy with a lot of wariness, only because I feel as though I'm seeing the same stories over and over again. Which is why There Will Come a Darkness was such a pleasant surprise! On top of that, it featured five perspectives which is always such a hit-or-miss with me but in this case, it was absolutely a win. Basically, you are looking at one impressed and happy reader of this debut novel. In this world people lived their lives guided by the future visions of the Seven Prophets. A hundred years ago they disappeared leaving behind one final prophecy that's been heavily guarded because it foretells not only an impending apocalypse but the birth of a new Prophet who could determine how the fate of the world will swing. It sounds like a lot to digest but the way the characters were introduced and how each fit into the prophecy unfolded in a manner that was well-paced, well-developed and above all, super fascinating. I was intrigued by each individual and the morally gray space they abided by. It's always more interesting when there isn't a clear delineation between good versus evil and you can still feel sympathetic towards a person who is probably making a huge mistake (or many of them). The author definitely hooked me and I'm looking forward to seeing where book 2 takes us!

Favorite ensemble cast | This is such a tough one! On TV, I've watched all 15 seasons of Grey's Anatomy and with every cast change (or next crazy catastrophe), I wonder if this'll be the one to make me quit the show and it hasn't happened yet. So I think this is my answer. (My other answer would be Avengers).

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

pub 9/3/19 by Simon Pulse
Young Adult - Fantasy
Received ARC from pub for review

I've read all of Jenn Bennett's contemporary novels and to say I was curious about this venture into fantasy would be an understatement! While it didn't end up being a new favorite, I still found it to be a lot of fun! It's a bit of fantasy, mystery and historical fiction tossed in with some teenage angst and romance. So if you like any or all of these things, I can guarantee you'll be entertained by the adventure the heroine, Theodora, finds herself in. Theodora's father is a famous treasure hunter and while she'd love nothing more than to assist him (she's read every relevant book and is whip-smart), she's often stuck alone in a hotel room "staying safe." But then Huck, her father's protégé and her complicated ex, shows up to say her father is in trouble and he needs her help. Together they follow clues in her father's travel journal and they find out he'd been looking for a magical artifact related to Vlad the Impaler, better known as Dracula. I really enjoyed how the author took the story of Vlad and how she incorporated into the mystery and magical aspect of this book. Plus it's hard not to enjoy a book with Theodora as a protagonist. I liked her take-charge attitude and her banter with Huck. All in all, Bennett managed to surprise me and it was fun to watch all the pieces of the plot come together in the end.

Favorite mystery story | Another toughie! On TV, I'd say Broadchurch was an extremely well-done mystery that captured my attention from episode 1 and I can't recommend it enough. In books, a recent YA fave is The Fixer series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

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Collaborative feature with Alexa. We read ARCs together and post our reviews on the same date.