Ramblings of a Daydreamer: Review: Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Series: Wondrous Strange Trilogy, Book #2

Published: December 2nd, 2009

Publisher: HarperTeen

310 pages (hardcover)

Genre: Young adult paranormal

Acquired this book: From the library

Warning: May contain spoilers

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{Read my review of Wondrous Strange}

Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt.

Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself.

When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power.

Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.

With breathtakingly high stakes, the talented Lesley Livingston delivers soaring romance and vividly magical characters in Darklight, the second novel in the trilogy that began with Wondrous Strange.

Darklight picks up shortly after where Wondrous Strange left off, with Kelley still in New York City, and Sonny in Faerie chasing the remaining members of the Wild Hunt.

Kelley is independent, brave, and sometimes stubborn, with a fiery personality. Her stubbornness and independence sometimes get her into trouble, and even though I admired her for it, I got exasperated with her every time she went into Central Park on her own, knowing the possible dangers. I felt for her as she missed Sonny and tried to carry on with her life without him, plus deal with the life-changing knowledge that she was a faerie princess.

As with Wondrous Strange, I enjoyed that Darklight was told from alternating points of view, between Kelley in the mortal world, and Sonny in the Otherworld. I liked that we got to follow them both through their struggles, each of them waiting anxiously until they could be reunited.

The addition of Fennrys Wolf as a more central character in the story helped to round out the cast. With Sonny gone, Kelley needed someone to watch her back, and it was interesting to see this tough character occasionally show his softer side. Love triangles don’t bother me as much as they do most people, and although I ultimately want Kelley to end up with Sonny, I like that there’s potential for a love triangle, and I have a feeling that will be something Kelley will have to work through in the final book.

I love Livingston’s beauty writing style, and the way she describes things without bogging the story down in details. Her world-building skills are excellent, and whether the characters were in New York or Faerie, I felt like I was right there with them. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and the story was full of tension, and punctuated by exciting scenes full of danger.

The ending was heartbreaking, and even though I wanted to scream at Kelley, I understand why she did what she did, and it made me even more anxious to read the final book in the trilogy.

In my review of Wondrous Strange, I said ‘this is what a faerie book should be’, and the same statement is true of Darklight. This series is exciting, enticing, and romantic, with elements of suspense and danger mixed in to keep things lively. I think fans of all things faerie should be pleased.