The Deepest Night
Official Stuff –
Author – Shana Abe
Pages – 320
Series – Sweetest Dark Series
Publisher – Bantam
Expected Release Date – August 13th, 2013
Summary –
It’s 1915, and sixteen-year-old Lora Jones is finishing up her first year as a charity student at Iverson, a prestigious, gothic boarding school on England’s southern coast. While she’s always felt different from everyone around her, now she finally knows why: She is a drákon, a rare, enchanted being with astonishing magical abilities.
As war hits Britain’s shores, and Lora reels from an unimaginable loss, she finds that her powers come with grave and dangerous responsibilities. At the request of Armand Louis, the darkly mysterious boy whose father owns Iverson, Lora will spend her summer at his lavish estate. To help the war effort—and to keep Lora by his side—Armand turns his home into a military hospital, where Lora will serve as a nurse. For Armand is inescapably drawn to her—bound to her by heart-deep secrets and a supernatural connection that runs thicker than blood.
Yet while Lora tries to sort out her own feelings toward Armand, fate offers an unexpected surprise. Lora discovers there is another drákon, a prisoner of war being held in Germany. And that only she, with her newly honed Gifts, will be able to rescue him.
With Armand, Lora will cross enemy lines on an incredible mission—one that could bond her to Armand forever, or irrevocably tear them apart.
My Rating – 5 Stars
*I received an advanced digital copy of this novel from Netgalley on behalf of Bantam*
I am falling desperately in love with this series.
I reviewed the first book, The Sweetest Dark (which just came out this month) and I was lucky enough to be granted with a galley of the sequel. So, maybe if you haven’t read the first and don’t want to be spoiled, skip this review?
Jesse is gone, back living among the stars. He gave his mortal life to save Lora and now he watches over her from the sky. He tries to guide her fate. He tries to sing to her but she can’t hear him.
Lora is heartbroken, trying to heal from the battle that took Jesse. She is still an outcast, now even more so because since Armand’s father has been locked up in the asylum, she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to attend Iverson again or if she’ll be sent to another orphanage; and the whole school knows it. She doesn’t even know where she’ll stay for the summer break.
Armand’s father has been locked in an Asylum, his brother is presumed dead; he’s lonely in his estate, longing after Lora, left wondering about his special abilities.
Lora is called to meet Armand’s father at the asylum. During this visit she discovers the stars speak to Reginald too. She’s needed for a mission. Armand’s brother is alive, a prisoner of war. It’s her duty as a drákon to save him. Armand turns his estate into a military hospital to give Lora a reason to stay close and creates covers for them both. Together they leave to save his brother. On their journey they have several close calls with death, search their true meanings for each other and discover their powers.
This book is so beautiful! I love with way it’s written. The story flows and the descriptions of everything are so lyrical and smooth. It’s so unlike other YA novels. The characters are nicely developed; their choices and behaviors are all believable, given the circumstances.
Though told mostly in Lora’s POV, there are little snippets into Armand’s and even Jesse’s, which round of the story nicely. There are times when Lora can’t speak and they continue the story quite well instead of having a gap in time. The love between Lora and Armand is progresses slowly but naturally. Lora changes her fate in a way that makes me wonder if the series is going to end happily, but I’ll worry about that when the time comes.
I honestly can’t think of a single flaw in the story, other than I need the third book, like now! I highly recommend this series.