Summary:
“With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normalwould become forever out of reach.”
Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.
England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.
Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.
Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.
Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.
England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.
Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.
Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.
My Thoughts:
I very much enjoyed this book, and I thought it was an excellent read, filled with just enough historical detail and description to make everything quite believable. Having Lora as the only scholarship aka poor student at this all-girls boarding school definitely cast her as an outsider, but I feel that it also gave her the freedom to get away with a number of things the other girls might not have.
Now, I will admit that for about the first third of the book I really wondered how long I would have to wait to find out who/what Lora is, and discovering that she is a drakon (a dragon) definitely increased my interest in the story exponentially, and I feel that the pace really picked up from that point.
The romantic leads in this book were quite interesting. I definitely loved Jesse and the connection he and Lora had. With the way it was written I definitely felt pleased about the two of them being together, and I never really saw Armand, or Mandy as he likes to be called, as an honest romantic interest. I could see him as a friend though. But, considering how the story ends, Armand may actually be stepping up to the plate in the sequel to become a true contender.
Speaking of the ending...it actually surprised me and I did cry. I was not expecting the sacrifice that was made and I honestly wonder how the story will play out now. I am very intrigued and will be diving in to the sequel rather soon.
Oh, I really did also start to like Lady Sophia, one of the other girls at Iverson with Lora. Though yes she was a bit snobby and elitist at first, I feel like she actually gave Lora a chance, even if it was for slightly petty reasons, and she may actually turn into a good friend for Lora, so I'm excited for that.
I'm sure that there's plenty more interesting story to tell and I can't wait to read it. The Sweetest Dark is a 5/5 for me, and is out in stores today. The sequel will hit the shelves this August, so there won't be long to wait, which is really nice.
The Sweetest Dark at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sweetest-dark-shana-abe/1108022933?ean=9780345531704
The Sweetest Dark at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sweetest-Dark-Shana-Abe/dp/0345531701/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364864881&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Sweetest+Dark
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