Dark Breaks the Dawn
Sara B. Larson
☆☆☆☆★
In this Swan Lake retelling, Sara B. Larson weaves a story of two kingdoms locked in a decade-long war and the princess who is the only hope for peace.
Dawn breaks on her eighteenth birthday, and Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan, the Light Kingdom, comes into her full royal power. Now with deeply heightened senses and full access to her people’s Light, Evelayn concentrates on mastering her new powers, including her long-anticipated ability to shape-shift into a swan. As she prepares to help win the battle against the Dark Kingdom, she keeps running into a new, handsome lord at the palace. But is he interested in her only for her crown, or could there be something more?
Evelayn doesn’t have long to master any of these skills or questions before she finds herself at the center of a new scheme from her powerful enemy, King Bain of Dorjhalon, the Dark Kingdom.
Though the two kingdoms are divided by Light and Dark, not everyone is what they seem, and restoring balance between Light and Dark may come at a steep price.
“With its intricate, dazzling system of magic and a vibrant cast of characters, this is not to be missed! You’ll be spellbound from the very first lines.” – Sarah J. Maas, #1 bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series
Dark Breaks the Dawn is the first book in a new, YA duology by Sara B. Larson, author of the the Defy trilogy. The story is fast-paced and enjoyable, with a whole cast of characters who can become your bookish friends. Evelayn is certainly the protagonist, but we get to see the story from at least four other perspectives without it being confusing.
The magic system is appropriate for its YA fantasy setting – dazzling but not complex. It is in some ways reminiscent to me of The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, in that some of the system deals with royals born with a gemstone embedded in them that is a conduit for more abilities than the common person has access to.
The story reads like a fairy tale full of quests, deals, and consequences, and the plot comes to a satisfying conclusion that pushes you to the edge of the cliff, begging for the second book to come out now!
Lovers of The Swan Princess and of YA fantasy in general, this book is for you.
Stephanie H. Warner 