Name: Through the Dark
ISBN: 9798663502467

Charity Nichole Brandsma

Four Kingdoms, One prophecy, and a race to save thousands of lives. Divergent meets Lord of the Rings in this fantasy novel filled with magic. For hundreds of years, the Kingdom of Anaratha has waited for the Heir of the Prophecies, condemning their most promising royals to a Testing Day, where they journey through the sinister Jyre Forest. As Michale'thia prepares for her own test, everything begins to unravel: her maid begins to show signs of having the ancient magic in her veins, a legendary Botani warrior descends the mountain to appear at her Testing Day Ball, and the Northern Brends Kingdom makes a shocking declaration that may catapult the lands into war.Can Michale'thia ascend the throne as Queen and save the land of Elharren from utter destruction, or will she lose the race against time and condemn them all?

Through the Dark

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

I was gifted an ebook copy by the author to review.

Through the Dark pulled me in right from the haunting prologue, which really set the tone for the rest of the story and left me asking myself so many questions throughout my reading sessions.

The fast pace and many reveals from start to finish made it extremely enjoyable to read! I loved how the world-building was rooted in storytelling and myth. In fact, books as a whole played a significant role in the story, and I loved that the protagonist, Michale’thia, was a booknerd!
I really enjoyed Michale’thia, not just because of her love for books, but because of her inner struggles. She is the princess of her kingdom, and she’s constantly torn between what her kingdom needs and what it needs her to be, and her own beliefs, feelings and desires. This created a character that, while I could not relate to 100%, I found to be very realistic, and the kind others could easily relate to.

Friendship was an important topic in the book. I loved the pure, genuine friendship between Michale’thia and her maid, Syra. We need more female friendships and women supporting women, and I really appreciated how wholesome their bond was, despite their differences in social status and the many prejudices that surround the Jyres, Syra’s people.

My one grouch is that I was not fully convinced with some relationships. The romances were lightly mentioned and moved a bit too quickly, and I sometimes found the characters to be too trusting and a bit stereotypical.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read, which often leaned toward the darker side of fantasy. It’s a read I recommend to fans of the Chosen One trope in fantasy and to anyone who loves to match music to their reads! This book comes with its own soundtrack that you can find on Amazon, Itunes and Spotify!

Emily S

I love this world so much! Can’t wait for book 2. My only complaint is that I wish we got more details in this book - I feel like it could easily have doubled in length and still kept my interest!

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

I was given an ebook copy by the author to review.

I immediately understood I would love this book from its prologue, deceptive with its bright start and captivating with its haunting conclusion. It sets the mood for the story, and as a reader you get this dire need to continue to see who the prologue is about, if it’s inevitable, if you’re being deceived by the author…I was very anxious to have answers! 

I loved the protagonist, Michale’thia. She’s a young woman like any other, with dreams, feelings and desires, though she’s also a princess, so she pushes everything down to maintain a semblance of purity on which the kingdom is counting on. The Perfect Heir is supposed to herald an age of peace and prosperity, and Michale is a likely candidate to be that Heir where others have failed. While I cannot relate to her huge responsibility, I did relate to her kindness and frustrations, and I admired her perseverance in the pursuit of knowledge. Another character I enjoyed is her maid, Syra, whose heart remains kind and gentle despite all the hurt she’s suffered. Her friendship with Michale was pure. We need more female friendships like this in books. 

Another aspect I enjoyed was the world-building. It’s centered on the concept of races descendant from the seven brothers who were granted power by the Ancient Magic to create the world. A lot of prejudices stem from the actions of these brothers. For example, the Jyres, Syra’s people, are evil because Jyren is the brother who drank from the Ancient Springs to claim its power for himself. The people of Anarantha strive for perfection because they descend from Aleth, the hero. Obviously, since these are prejudices, there is so much gray area and we get to see it through the characters. 

Since I’m a huge fan of romance in fantasy, I do wish we had seen more of it. I was very excited to see Michale’thia’s relationship with Dagen unfold, since he had all the characteristics of being the kind of male character I adore, but they don’t have much page time together. 

This was a fantasy with a dark twist. I recommend it to fans of the Chosen One trope, and of groups of characters teaming up to face a certain goal. I also highly encourage readers to also listen to the soundtrack the author has created alongside the book. Charity is also a very talented singer, and she created such beautiful songs for her characters! You can find the soundtrack on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify!

Through the Dark

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