I’ve laughed, cried, raged at the powers that be, all in the space of a few hours. I’m still processing the masterpiece I just finished reading. Everything about Darkdawn was perfect even as things were at their most painful. Let’s get on with the review…
Fair warning, Gentle friends, this is a long one.
A brief summary- at the end of Godsgrave, Mia was finally reunited with her brother, Jonnen, the same brother she thought dead. But the truth was far more horrible, Julius Sceava had taken Jonnen after doing away with Darius and Alinne and was raising him as his own son. And then things get even worse, because not only was Scaeva Jonnen’s biological father, he was Mia’s too. To compound the situation further, Mercurio had been kidnapped by the Red Church and Tric was back from the dead.
I won’t lie, there were parts of Darkdawn that gave me serious bouts of anxiety, bad enough that I had to put down the book for a few minutes. But I’ve never been happier that I stuck with a book than I am with Darkdawn.
I’ve read a lot of series that start off brilliantly, the first and even the second books are great but many falter where the conclusion is concerned. You’ve built these amazing characters over the course of two books and now you must conclude their tale in one, tall task to be sure. Darkdawn is one of the best if not the best conclusion I’ve ever read. Deeply satisfying and heartbreakingly sad all at once.
I firmly believe that Jay Kristoff books should come with a disclaimer “Not one of the characters you’re about to meet are safe” I learned my lesson the hard way while reading The Lotus War series and The Nevernight Chronicles and Darkdawn specifically doesn’t disappoint in that regard, literally no one was safe.
Now, one might wonder, if that’s the case, what’s keeping the reader from staying un-invested in the characters’ fates? But one can’t truly enjoy a book unless one is invested, as a reader you must care about the characters otherwise what’s the point? Kristoff creates such beautiful characters that you can’t help but fall in love. And it applies to both primary and secondary characters. Each character is crafted with such exquisite care that it’s apparent.
Darkdawn was also so damn eventful with something happening every few pages that there was no chance of a respite. If you’re looking to read something relaxing and light, this book is not for you. It will grab you by the scruff of your neck and take you for a ride. And once it gets going, it doesn’t slow down. Darkdawn is an emotional and mental roller-coaster with all the accompanying thrill one expects from such a ride.
Darkdawn sees Mia facing her old mentors from the Red Church and with so many enemies around every bend, Mia had no hope of surviving on her own. Our Little Crow has always had enemies but with every book, she also gained allies, friends. Friends who were loyal to her not out of fear but out of love, because she protected them when she didn’t have to, when she risked her own life to save theirs. And that was the primary difference between her and her enemies. Because for all her darkness, Mia was good and decent at her very core, always wanting to do the right thing and it was apparent to those she saved.
Will I ever love a character more than Mia? Probably not, at least not till Kristoff releases another book. I love everything about her, her goodness, her decency, her selfishness, her rage, all of it. I love that she doesn’t pretend to be something she isn’t, she hates just as fiercely as she loves. With everything that she had been through, it would have been so easy for her to become cold and callous, like the Shahiids at the Red Church. But she didn’t, she kept going, always had a sliver of hope even if she’d never admit to it.
I fell in love with Tric in Nevernight, was heartbroken at his death, then I came to terms with it, only for him to come back and with much flair and drama. He was a shadow of his former self, not quite dead and yet not quite alive either. He fought his way back to Mia from the literal afterlife, that’s how much he loved her and yet never treated it like an obligation, like she owed him something because he came back.
And then there’s Ash. Where do I begin with her? Words fail me. I won’t lie, I fell for her the minute she stepped on the page in Nevernight and only fell deeper in Godsgrave but Darkdawn was something else entirely. I love everything about her, her brash attitude, her fearlessness, that she gave back as good as she got, her fierce love and loyalty to Mia. But for all of her love for Mia, she wasn’t afraid of pushing her or calling out her bullshit. I loved how soft and vulnerable she was with Mia, letting her know how much she meant to her, as if she didn’t have to hide any part of herself. She never judged Mia for her actions either, loved all of her, warts and all.
One of the best aspects of Darkdawn was the love story between Mia and Ash and I was so worried that Tric was back in the mix. I desperately hate love triangles, they’re never truly triangles and I’m doomed to root for the one who doesn’t get picked. But Kristoff handled it beautifully. For people like me who are wary of the looming love triangle, worry not, you’re in good hands.
Our favourite Luminatii are also back and it was wonderful to see them again, the whole odd bunch. We also had a pirate crew this time around and they were all delightful. Jonnen started the book as a spoiled brat but he grows on you, I loved seeing his growing bond with Mia. I loved Mercurio, that grouchy old fussbucket, being an absolute pain in the ass for the Red Church. I would be remiss to omit Mister Kindly and Eclipse. Though they claim to hate each other, I feel like that that was just their way of interacting, hurling insults at each other. I absolutely adore their sass.
And how can I forget Julius Scaeva. He was a spectacular villain, a shrewd politician and a master tactician, he was a worthy opponent to Mia, matching her wit for wit. I hated every cell in his body.
The list of fallen is long and painful because over the course of these books you’re invested not just in the main characters but the supporting ones as well. Every death was unexpected and with every chapter, I could not help but hope that the remaining ones made it alive, that they got a chance at a happy ending, at peace.
Anything I say pales in comparison to just how strongly I feel about this book and it’s characters. The characters feel like flesh and blood, like they’re real. I loved every minute of this book. I will revisit it soon, and perhaps this time I’ll be able to take my time, truly savour it, spending a few more turns with this spectacular group of characters.
Never Flinch, Never Fear. And Never Ever Forget.
Ravings of a Manic Reader 