Name: Brianna's review of Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway
Item: Dark of the West
Rating: 4.5
Author: Brianna

Joanna Hathaway

"A novel of court intrigue and action-packed military adventure,"* Joanna Hathaway's Dark of the West, is a breathtaking YA fantasy debut--first in the Glass Alliance series. A pilot raised in revolution. A princess raised in a palace. A world on the brink of war. Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children. Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe. “Heart-pounding . . . will leave the reader wanting more.”—*#1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz

Dark of the West

Silvia

Brianna

Jessica Coburn

DNF at 23%
Probably a fine read, but not for me.

It’s like this was written for me. I loved it so much I wanted to take my time and not binge read it.

Heavy on the politics, with engaging characters and believable tension for those caught in the middle of two opposing loyalties. The plot can be labeled slow, but I enjoyed every minute.

It’s like this was written for me. I loved it so much I wanted to take my time and not binge read it.

Heavy on the politics, with engaging characters and believable tension for those caught in the middle of two opposing loyalties. The plot can be labeled slow, but I enjoyed every minute.

Aurora Corbett

I was screaming at the end because it was so good.

Princess Twasam 

I really enjoyed this book. The Romance was a forbidden one and  was just enough that it didn’t take away from the actual plot but added to its intensity. I can’t wait to see what Hathaway does with the other two books and how she develops her characters into young adults an not just teen. 

Rina

DNF at 51%. I started this book late January and haven't made a lot of progress. I was really hoping it would get better and I genuinely thought it was something I would enjoy. What got me to pick this book up was the way it was marketed, Code Name Verity meets The Winner's Curse. All it had to do was mention Code Name Verity and I was sold. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations at all. This book was more Winner's Curse in terms of plot and pace (this already disappointed me). There's a war in this book, or there's about to be one. Not a lot of background is laid out about the world here from what I've read, and I want to understand where the conflict stems from. There are rebels, they want freedom, but from what/who? The romance was also too quick, I guess I could say it's insta-love, a trope I have yet to enjoy. The characters didn't stand out to me either, neither did the writing. Based on what I've read about this book, it should have the 1940s WWII atmosphere, with the espionage and fighter pilots and all. I didn't feel this as well. 

There are many generic YA elements used here that I could have overlooked had I been vibing with any of the elements in this book, I genuinely picked this up thinking I would, but sadly, didn't.

celeste

mind? blown. heart? broken. me? dead knowing i'm gonna have to wait until the second book comes out to know how the characters ended up on what was revealed in the prologue of this book. RTC.
____________________________________
* ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark of The West tells the story of Aurelia and Athan, two star-crossed lovers in a World War II inspired fantasy world filled with political intrigue and territories on the brink of war; but you'd be fooled if you think this is anything like your typical ya fantasy novel.

I was amazed by how well thought out everything in this book was. When I started reading this, I wasn't expecting to get into such an intricate and detailed discussion of the geopolitics of this world. While at times, especially in the beginning, I found myself lost in the different names of territories and people fighting against one another, or allying with each other, after I got the hang of it, I could not stop being amazed at how brilliantly done and executed everything was from beginning to end. My mind was blown so many times by the detailed thinking of the characters that by the time I reached the end my jaw had dropped several times. I absolutely loved the level of scheming present in this book, and what that holds for the future of this series, especially after what is revealed in the very prologue of the novel, because let me tell you, the plotting will only increase in the subsequent books. I guess that mild confusion at the beginning of the novel could be easily solved by simply adding a map, which I'm positive will happen in the final copies.

I feel like I need to get this out of the way first because it's essential to settle down some important things as regards this book. Dark of the West is being marketed as somewhat of a new The Winners Trilogy, and while I agree that there are similarities between the two, I don't think that would be an appropiate description for this book. Both books read like a fantasy novel without explicitly featuring any fantastical elements and both are set in fictional kingdoms. But Dark of the West does something that's opposite to what The Winner's Trilogy did, and that is to present an intricate and complex world with several warring parties as the main focus of the story with a side of romance. The romance is not what pushes the story forward but it does play a major role in the development of the events throughout the book because it's the love that develops between the two main characters what will influence the decisions made in a world that lives on the brink of war.

I loved how realisitc the depictions of war and war politics were written and discussed here. The author did not shy away from anything that we know has happened in our own world's history when it comes to war, and I think she introduced those elements into her story pretty accurately, as can be seen by the discussion of war crimes and what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to war, the consequences of said crimes when they are committed by your own side in a war and what to do with that information once you have it. The discussion of interventionism versus occupation was also heavily present throughout the book and one cannot help but make connections to what a lot of countries in our own world have gone through and continue to go through in regards to that topic. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I appreciated how the author incorporated a lot of these controversial topics into a fictional world and developed them in a respectful manner.

Now I want to dedicate a few lines to the characters in this book, because I think Aurelia and Athan are some of the most realistic and well-developed characters I've read in a while in YA books. I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for characters who come from different walks of life, and Dark of The West takes that trope to another level. Aurelia is the daughter of the Queen of a kingdom that's being plagued with civil unrest, and Athan is the son of a general who has build up everything he's gained in his life from scratch. Each character has a completely different point of view on life and everything in it. We have Aurelia whose entire life has been spent inside a castle with every commodity at her disposal, someone who has never had to fight for anything in her entire. And then we have Athan, whose life was been filled with war and loss since he was a little kid, who has had to become a pilot in his father's army to be able to defend their homeland. And it's incredible how all those differences can change once they start to get to know each other and to step in each other's shoes. The discussions they have as regards royalty (the divine rights of kings is even mentioned and explored in this book), governments, and war were so incredibly important and well-written, and the development both characters go through because of the connection they develop for each other was my favorite part of this book. Aurelia as a main female protagonist shows incredible growth throughout the book, and if you've read the prologue, one can only imagine the growth and development she will go through in the entire series. Athan can only be described as a sweet cinnamon roll which has to unfortunately go through the horrors of being part of a war simply because he happens to be the son of the General. Throughout the book he is caught between a rock and a hard place, since his dreams happen to be completely different from what his father expects him to be, and to see Athan's struggle between wanting to impress and fulfill his father's expectations and following his own dreams was heartbreaking. The side characters are even just as intriguing as the main characters and I feel like we barely scratched the surface when it comes to them. Hopefully we'll get more in the subsequent books.

While I see some people being upset or even angered at the fact that we get a very spoilery prologue as regards the future of the main characters, to me personally, I think that's what hooked me and made me incredibly expectant for the next book in the series. Since the ending of the book doesn't catch up to the timeline where the prologue takes place, I feel like I can't wait to learn how the characters got to the place we are shown they are in that prologue, which of course is going to be an angsty filled journey for our two star-crossed lovers.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I got this book in a @beaconbookbox box. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Dark of the West

Author: Joanna Hathaway

Book Series: Glass Alliance Book 1

Rating: 4/4

Publication Date: February 5, 2019

Publisher: TorTeen

Recommended Age: 16+ (gore, violence, some sexual content)

Synopsis: Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.

Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.

Review: This book was beautiful from start to finish! This is definitely a romance lovers book but also a great book for those who like WW2 era books. It was never really confirmed if this is WW2 themed but it has that definite feel about it. The book is absolutely lovely and amazing well plotted.

My only issues were that the book is very slow in my opinion and that the writing makes reading this book a bit confusing. It was just very poetic writing that didn't vibe well with my brain.

Verdict: A wonderfully well done tale.

Alexia Cambaling

I received an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen!

If I hadn’t checked, I might have missed the fact that this book is the author’s debut novel. It’s a confident debut and knows with a strong voice, developed characters and a fascinating world. I haven’t read any of the books it was compared to, and indeed, I don’t think I’ve read a YA novel like this just yet.

Dark of the West is a YA Fantasy (?) by Joanna Hathaway set in a secondary world with serious World War I & II vibes. I also binge-read this book in one day because yes, it was very engrossing. I found it hard to put down and before I knew it, I was blazing through the book. It’s not really as fantasy as I’d thought it would be and in fact, it lacks discernible fantasy elements besides the secondary world. Still, it was very enjoyable despite the lack of magic and dare I say, might even be better for it.

The world-building is pretty okay. It’s like an alternate version of ours in the 1940s with declining monarchies and the rise of industry. There are cars, airplanes, and steel ships. Military power is a key figure here and it shows.

Dark of the West is enemies-to-lovers in the sense that it concerns two teens who find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict. For the most part, the interactions between them have been friendly and their relationship was as open and honest as it can be under the circumstances and I admired it. They grow close as they are manipulated and used as pawns by those they should be able to rely on the most- their parents. In that sense, and especially seeing what happens in the prologue (where we meet older versions of them), this was a satisfying take on the trope.

This book tackles war, imperialism, and the consequences thereof beautifully. To the North are the monarchies, all of whom are descended from a legendary hero. To the South, colonies stand poised to revolt. There is also a rising militaristic country headed by a general itching to show their military might. There is intrigue and politics juxtaposed with the daily lives of rank-and-file soldiers along with the decadent, privileged, and sheltered lives Aurelia and Reni live.

I like how flawed and varied in personalities the characters are. Aurelia may be headstrong, but she’s also naive and too trusting of her mother who I feel is pretty sketchy. I actually support her brother, Reni, more because from what I see, he’s more willing to address his people’s complaints and listen to them. Still, I’m interested to see in what direction Aurelia’s character grows. I was frustrated by her naivete when it came to General Dakar, yes, but she was also operating based on what she knows- which isn’t a lot. However, based on the prologue, we can only assume that she becomes very different later on.

Athan to me was the most interesting of the two. He’s lived a difficult life under the thumb of his father and in the shadow of his brothers. He even tried failing on purpose on something he’s actually very good at just so he wouldn’t turn out to be like his brothers. Unfortunately for him, his father knows so he has to do as expected anyway. Athan is very much an unwilling pawn, he knows it, and he shows it. On several occasions, he would defy his father only to fall back in line anyway.

Love in a time of war can be expected to be bittersweet and in that regard, this book does not disappoint. While we watch these two fall in love, one cannot help but be aware of a sense of foreboding that the worst has yet to come, that this is just the calm before the storm. The prologue only exacerbates that feeling.

The plot moves neither slowly nor quickly. It moves at a pace that is perfect for the story. This is the story of a world headed for war and the teens who had to watch as the pieces fall into place. This is the story of how war happens, forged by steel and ambition, and how the world goes on before being dragged into full-scale war.

The ending intrigued me and made me ask questions about what will happen next. I wonder what would happen to our two heroes once the war comes. I will definitely be (im)patiently waiting for the next book.

This review is also on  The Bookworm Daydreamer

Jessica Nottingham

I've been excited for Dark of the West since I first saw glimmers of it on the internet. It should come as no surprise to any of you here, since sweeping lands and epic battles tend to be my favorite subject matter. I'm also a sucker for star-crossed lovers of any kind, so the story that was set to take place between Athan and Aurelia seemed like something I'd fall madly in love with. I really couldn't wait to dive straight in. No apologies friends, this is going to be a lengthy review.

Now, in all fairness, the prologue threw me off a little bit and I want to let anyone else know that picks this book up that it's a little misleading. Keep reading, because the rest of the book will pull back and let you take in everything that led up to that little moment in time. I finally understood the intent after I'd read through a few chapters. To see our two characters in a moment when their war torn world had turned them against one another, and then to see the story unfold that got them to that point. To avoid spoilers, I can't say more. I will say, I almost wish that prologue hadn't been there. I very much enjoyed just getting to know our two protagonists, and I kind of wish I would have skipped and it read it at the end.

Oh, and trust me, these two protagonists will steal your heart just as easily as they did mine. I loved the fact that this story is told from a dual POV, and loved it even fiercer for the fact that both Athan and Aurelia get an even amount of the story telling space. Being allowed to see things unfold from both of their perspectives is really what made this book soar. To be able to see events, sometimes cataclysmic, and their effects on the world at large was grand. To be able to see how those events affected not only Athan and Aurelia, but their whole small worlds, was even better. I felt like it gave me a lot of time to love them, to see their personalities unfold, and to really see the cleverness that was hidden in each of their minds. Two young people, trapped under the thumbs of their elders, but with enough passion and intelligence to do loads more if only they had the chance. That, was my favorite part.

Which is why this book started to weigh on me after a while, alas. Although Joanna Hathaway does an excellent job of building this sweeping world, and the war threatening to tear it apart, the battles and coupes are the main focus of this book. I grew tired of listening to political intrigue after a while. Some chapters felt like they could have been wrapped up in many less pages, if only Athan or Aurelia would stop thinking so incessantly and actually act. I know this was all for the benefit of the brewing uprising. I know that this was a way to get the reader really entrenched in the treachery of it all. For quite a long while, I was a happy to follow along. It wore me down though, and soon I just wanted more of Athan and Aurelia. More of their brightness, and their intelligence, and less of their terrible parents and their war.

This story is solid. The premise of this book is beautifully handled, and I loved a lot of what I read. The writing does justice to the vast story that it creates, and Hathaway easily shows her prowess as an author. There was honestly a lot here that made me smile. It just stretched on quite beyond what I was expecting. The ending, especially, was like stumbling down a steep hill with nothing to hold onto. I grasped at every little scene that hinted at the promise that things were coming around to the prologue I mentioned above. Instead, it rolled into an ending that leaves things open for the next book, like I assumed it would. This is the first in a series, and the ending has no qualms with letting you know that.

My deepest wish is that the next book has more action. I need more romance, more familial relationships, more plotting and scheming by our protagonists. Preferably, I'd love to see a little less military precision. I think now that all the cards have been laid out on the table, there's some promise of that and I'm excited once again. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Joleen

3 stars

Dark of the West had me hooked from the moment I read the synopsis. It sounded exactly like a book I would enjoy reading. But I found myself struggling with most of the book. I enjoyed many aspects of the book, but this was not the story for me.

Some of the best parts of “Dark of the West” was the romance. I like many people am such a sucker for a good romantic story. Athan and Aurelia are complete opposites but boy did they define perfection. Falling in love under false pretenses is one of my favorite tropes and I feel like the author did it so well.

But the parts I didn’t enjoy was just the world building and the writing style. The story has a WW2 feel but its never really confirmed. And the writing style, while beautiful at times also immensely difficult to follow. There were certain chapters I had to read a few times which is so frustrating to do.

“Dark of the West” is a good story regardless of how I feel about the writing style/worldbuilding. This may not have been the book for me, but I am invested in enough that I want to read the other two books. I must know what happens!!

Ashlee

I LOVED this book and am now obsessed with this world. A fantasy world at war inspired by World War II-era Europe? It is just as beautiful and bittersweet as it sounds.

Some books move so slowly you feel as though your soul is being sucked away. Other books move at a steady progression, building and building, while you know a sudden crescendo will bring it all crashing down. This is the latter and it’s still building.

The MOMENT I finished I went back to read the Prologue straight away and it just hit me SO. DAMN. HARD. Seriously, read the book and then read the prologue again. Good luck keeping those tears at bay. I knew it likely took place later in Aurelia and Athan’s story, but it doesn’t take place at the end of this book and we are still learning about these two, their relationship and what will bring them to that point in the prologue. There is still so much to come.

And let me just say, this book is written and plotted fantastically. Ingeniously. The characters have a well of depth, much of it still to be discovered. Hathaway paints these characters well. They are young. They are impressionable. They want to be heard and want to please. They are teenagers. They are realistic.

As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think of movies like Atonement – and I just have this sickening feeling we are headed down a very similar path, but I also can’t look away. I know this story is gritty and the world Hathaway has written is sweeping and golden in its detail. I know there are dark things to come and things are only just beginning but I have to know. I have to know these two will eventually get their mountain.

This is a story about the desperation of war and love and finding your voice. THIS is the type of story that will stick with you. THIS is the type of story that should be written and I’m so very grateful it was.

View review on my blog, Library in the Country

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Liz Griffin

I’m so glad I already have the second book because WOW! Athan and Ali and Cyar have to be okay or I will riot!

But in all seriousness, this is a gorgeously written book with a unique setting/world-building compared to most popular YA. It explores the tragedy of war that will ring chillingly true to the observant reader.

Lora

Jillian Clare

Sarah Gerton

"A novel of court intrigue and action-packed military adventure,"* Joanna Hathaway's Dark of the West, is a breathtaking YA fantasy debut--first in the Glass Alliance series. A pilot raised in revolution. A princess raised in a palace. A world on the brink of war. Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children. Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe. “Heart-pounding . . . will leave the reader wanting more.”—*#1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway

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