I DNF'ed this one at 37%. I couldn't connect to the characters and the world-building just felt very meh to me. I constantly felt like I wasn't actually learning anything substantial about the world in which Vesper lived. This might have gotten better after I bailed but I just wasn't connecting to it all.

The cover of this remains absolutely stunning.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book!

This was such an entertaining read that I had so much fun going through! I definitely have to say that I completely forgot I was even reading and imagined myself there with the characters. I was fully engrossed with every detail and the world that Sunya Mara had created!
The writing was very detailed which is something I loved, and the pace of the book was quite good. I didn't get bored as there was always magic in the air and the book that kept me going.
Sometimes I also need to read some fantasy to get away from too much romance so I was happy to see that there wasn't much romance in the book and it just added more the plot in some other way if you understand me.

Firstly I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 😍😍

I am officially OBSESSED with The Darkening!! ❤️❤️ This book is amazing. It ticks off so many things I love about a book - morally grey characters, curses, all the magic and of course, my biggest favourite, enemies to lovers!! 😍😍

The Darkening is the story of Vesper Vale, a girl from The Fifth Ring, the HUGE storm that plagues & is destroying her kingdom, her not so innocent parents and what they did when she was younger. It’s also the story of Valca, a stunning but confusing prince, who is looking for Vespers father and his Ikons (they’re basically really cool runes). When Valca gets what he wants and takes Vespers father prisoner, she goes undercover to get back what is hers and, of course, they ‘take’ to each other (oh how I love enemies to lovers 😍😍). To save her pa and Valca, Vesper agrees to share his ikons and go into the storm and well…you’ll have to read it to find out what happens!! 😍❤️

I love Vesper and Valca so much!! They both have that I love you but loathe you thing which makes them perfect 😂😍 I’m also kinda obsessed with Cas who’s a Wardana with Valca (they’re like soldiers but super high up ones 😂😏). He’s super rude, cold and standoffish. Basically, I’m in love with him ❤️❤️

This book is fantastic, like I can’t even begin to explain how much I enjoyed it!! ❤️❤️ Sunya Mara, you’re a genius and please can I have number 2 right now?! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for sure!!

Characters – 6/10
Our main protag is Vesper, and I feel like I don’t know her at all. Her main motivation is to save her father, but for some reason, that’s also her only personality trait. I mean she didn’t show any interest in learning ikons beyond saving her father. The other characters fell pretty flat for me too.

They all have only a single personality trait and we don’t spend enough time with them in my opinion. I just wanted to see more from them. I didn’t really feel the romance between Vesper and Dalca. Vesper had more chemistry with Cas and more in common with Izamal.

Atmosphere – 9/10
I LOVE IT. The concept of a constant storm that’s raging, with monsters lurking inside. It’s amazing. I wish we got more of the ikonomancy. We never spend any time actually learning anything about it (and neither does our MC). There’s really cool lore, but I want to go deeper. We get some more lore and ikonomancy towards the end, but it’s not enough for me.

Writing – 6/10
For a debut book, the writing isn’t bad. However, the writing is a bit clunky in some places. Sometimes the scene changes without me knowing or picking up that it’s changed. Characters and objects would also just disappear, almost as if the author forgot they were there. It happens a few times and confused me a bit. The writing is also very surface level, we could have gone a bit deeper. Overall though, it’s not bad.

Plot – 6/10
I picked this book up for the concept, and the plot (mostly) didn’t disappoint. It picks up around the 30% mark, when she starts training. Though most of the plot and the pacing in the first 80% is good, it wavers a bit in the last part. So much was crammed into the last 20% of this book. Enough to fill a whole other book. That’s my main gripe with this book.

“To do the one good thing I must do, I find myself caught in a thousand small evils.”

Intrigue – 6/10
The main conflict is between Vesper and the Storm, and Vesper and Dalca. The conflict with the storm is much more fleshed out. I loved the lore surrounding the storm and Vesper’s personal attachment to it. It wrapped up so well. I would have liked to see more conflict and interaction between Dalca and Vesper. They had zero chemistry in my opinion and it didn’t help the conflict at all.

Logic – /10
I’m still fuzzy on the details of ikonomancy. The only real explanation we get is towards the end of the book. I don’t need to have my hand held, but some exposition would have been great. It seems these days that authors swing wildly between too much exposition and too little. There’s a fine balance and I hope this author gets to it one day.

Enjoyment – 7/10
I cannot wait for the sequel to The Darkening. The world is so unique and I need to know what happens next!

The darkening by Sunya Mara

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley, hodder & stoughton and Sunya Mara for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a tough one to review because the end left me wondering what on earth the last 30% was and I must read the sequel. In a way that's good because I need to read on but I would like to feel like I actually understood what happened. I do think that maybe if I read it again it would make more sense as the mythology and magic system is quite complex.

That being said the magic system was one of the best parts of the book. At first it was giving me shadowhunters vibes but it goes way beyond that. The way its described as each mark must be correct or it will go wrong really added to the high stakes of the book. Some of the curses people got from the storm were devasting too.

You have to give it to the author they were not afraid to tear your heart out and stomp on it repeatedly. This book definitely makes you feel things.

I've given both the ebook and audio 3.5 to 4 stars as I liked the premise and the book really sucked me in at the start but I felt a bit lost towards the end. That being said I do think that if there is a sequel (finger crossed) the author will have the perfect chance to go further into what happened towards the end and I'd be excited to read it. I have already recommended it to my friends

Loved it! Sunya Mara is one author to keep an eye on!! This is a brilliant story! Ember in the ashes meets the Rithmatist!

I can't wait for the sequel!!!

I'd like to thank the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The epic and gripping start of a new YA fantasy series. It's a book that will be loved by people of all ages, well plotted and compelling.
Great world building, well developed characters, and very good storytelling.
Can't wait to read the next one.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 /4.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

The Darkening is a story about Vesper, whose parents were failed revolutionaries. Hiding with her father in the fifth ring, he gets caught when he saves her from the Stormbound. Vesper, believing it was her fault, tries to find a way to free him.

“If nightmares had music, they’d sound like the Storm.”

I was super intrigued with the synopsis of this story and the way this book opens really grabbed my attention! The first thing I really noticed was the writing, which was lovely done. I loved the lyrical way this book was written. Very lush and full of clear descriptions. It made it really easy to follow along with the events that happened. The world-building was done really well. I loved the concept of ikons and Ikonomancy, which is the magic system. It was very unique and intriguing. I did have a hard time picturing the ikons, I would’ve liked some sort of drawing maybe to help visualise them better.

The plot was also really interesting, albeit a bit predictable. Even though it was a bit predictable in which direction the story would go, I still had a lot of fun reading it! Fighting against two foes, who are very different, made it really interesting. I also really liked the concept of the Storm and it eating away at the city.

The characters were amazing. From the get go they were very well developed and rich, which I really liked. They also grew as the story went along and I loved the hidden layers they had. I also liked how the characters were morally grey (at least in my eyes haha). It also really showed in their thoughts; “To do the one good thing that I must do, I find myself caught in a thousand small evils.” I really liked this line. It also showed a lot of the characters determination, to keep on fighting for what they believe and not stop until they’ve succeeded. I also liked how the characters were very similar, albeit the different circumstances. Vesper and Dalca, both having fears and wanting the same thing. It was interesting to see that.

The dynamics and romance in this book were written really well. I loved the dynamics between Iz and Cas, the dynamics between Vesper and Iz and I really liked the romance that bloomed. It wasn’t a lot, so I kinda hope for more of that in the sequel.

The pacing seemed a bit off at times, but especially towards the end. The actions of some of the characters also seemed a bit off, out-of-character almost. A sudden 180 switch in what they think. It was a bit confusing and weird that they suddenly changed like that.

Overall, it was an amazing debut book with a wonderfully created world and a group of determined characters who’ll fight for what they believe in.

*Actual rating is 4.5 stars*

The Reckoning is a dark YA fantasy that’s action packed book with a story filled with morally grey characters, political intrigues and lush world building. I was drawn to be book by the gorgeous cover, but then the story kept me. The storytelling is atmospheric and it didn’t take long for me to get absorbed into the world. The plot was highly captivating and there was never a dull moment, mostly thanks to the many twists and turns of it. Even when I had to stop reading to do other things, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The ending was so action packed, and every plan got thrown out the window, which kept me intrigued about what would happen next!

From the very start I really liked the main character Vesper. She’s a very realistic character, mainly thanks to her nuance, which makes you root for her. I love the moments when she truly shines, as well as her dry humor. One moment that had me smiling from her antics was one time when she had to clean up some tar without magic. It was a very entertaining journey. Even when things backfires, she keeps going with a determination and resilience that's really inspiring. I also loved her theme of discovering who you are, especially outside of the mold of a family legacy.

The supporting characters were a nice addition. I’ve become especially fond of Iz, and both Dalca and Casvian grew on me throughout the story. But one thing I didn’t like was the romance between Vesper and Dalca. It just felt a bit out of place, and the enemies to lovers to enemies things just aren't for me. There’s some books where the romance is a nice addition to the story, but here it just feels like it’s there because it has to be. I rather prefer to just read about Vespers friendships and adventure. If she had to be with anyone, why couldn’t it have been Iz?

I really enjoyed this book and I was debating what ranking to give it. I’ve ended up on a 4.5,
with the romance keeps it from being a 5 star for me. But it’s close.

I ended up DNF the book unfortunately. I loved the world building and thought the magic system was interesting but just lost interest with the slow pace. I might come back to it at a future date!!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one at 20%. I was really confused by the world building and was struggling to connect with any of the characters.
A real shame as I was drawn in by the premise of this villainous storm and the beautiful cover.
May revisit at a later date.
2 stars for what I did read.

4.5 stars
The Darkening is a deliciously gripping, dark YA fantasy I couldn’t get enough of!
It’s an action packed feast for the senses with a richly woven world full of magic curses ,political intrigue and morally grey characters which I found rather endearing.

It’s set in a sweepingly atmospheric world where a cursed, storm wracked city’s only hope lies with the daughter of failed revolutionaries and a Prince who fears the very throne he’ll inherit.

Prince Dalca was born for one Purpose: to protect his home from the deadly storm that surrounds his city and curses everyone it touches. Vesper Vale is the daughter of failed revolutionaries. Since the Queen sentenced her mother to death by the storm, she and her father have been on the run.

So when the queen’s soldiers—led by Prince Dalca—catch up to them, Vesper will do whatever it takes to protect her father from sharing her mother’s fate. Even if it means arming herself with her father’s book of experimental magic, infiltrate the prince’s elite squad of soldier-sorcerers or cheat her way into his cold heart.

But Vesper’s learnt there’s more to her mother’s death than she’s realises. With her home and all she love in peril she only has two choices: trust the devious prince with her family’s secrets, or follow her mother’s footsteps into the storm…

I really enjoyed this and found myself completely immersed in Sunya Mara’s lush prose and atmospheric story telling.

I absolutely loved our fearless and persistent protagonist Vesper and her being the daughter of two failed revolutionaries, on the run was such an intriguing premise that we don’t encounter often and I really enjoyed exploring the aftermath and consequences of their failed plot. Vesper’s entire life is shaped by her parents actions and it’s interesting to see just how much life on the run/ being the daughter of a wanted man has affected her.

Her attempts—to save her father and the city do kwepnbackfiring on her, but I found her determination and resiliency in those instances super relatable. Trust me, Vesper’s a very easy character to root for.

I loved the supporting cast as well, especially Iz who definitely has a rogueish charm. surprisingly I also really liked Casvian to I initially disliked but he grew on me in the second half of the book. I did also like Prince Dalca and the slow burn, enemies to lovers romance that blossoms between him and Vesper was really well done. Though, I have to admit, I was sorta rooting for Vesper and Iz.

The ending was unbelievably action packed, I’m talking plans out of the window/ everything goes wrong and I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of it!

The fact that this is a debut is amazing given how well each plot and subplot is seamlessly woven together—I cannot wait to see where Mara takes us with the sequel because that (cliffhanger) ending was soo good!

Also, thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the e-arc.

I was quite hesitant to go into this one despite being extremely excited for it due to the reviews from a couple friends I've seen that haven't enjoyed it as much but I was glad to say that I did!

I really liked the characters within the book our main character Vesper is trying to save her Pa from certain death as he won't give up his secrets from when he betrayed the Regia years ago but Vesper realizes what she must do to save her Pa and people from the Storm that curses people.

I flew through this pretty quickly, if I could've I would have binged it, it's an easy read and the ending I was not prepared for, I desperately need book two to find out what is going to happen next!

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Darkening
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Sunya Mara
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy Young Adult
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Darkening is a turbulent read that has completely blown me away. The ending? I need answers.

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• An action-packed read. The premise hooked me and sounded so promising!!
• The writing is engaging and flowed well. One could easily devour this book in one sitting (one being me haha).
• I liked Vesper as a character. She's determined, stubborn, and flawed. But it makes her so real, so palpable. She's desperate to save those who she loves and is relentless in her pursuits. Whilst she makes some of the most terrible and questionable decisions at times, you can't help but root for her.

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• I can't wait for the next instalment?? The ending? I need more!
• The tonal shift towards the middle-ending may be divisive for some readers (especially towards the ending), however, I found it reflective of Vesper and her character. Plus, I found it was gripping.


𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
✔ Enemies to lovers
✔ Court intrigue and revolutionaries
✔ Experimental magic


𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of YA fantasy, reminiscent of Shadow and Bone (dangerous Storm)

𝐂𝐖: death of a loved one


Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞

I received this arc in exchange for posting an honest review.

I gave this book 4.5 stars.

This book has everything a YA fantasy should have - interesting characters, a unique world, a problem you’re rooting to be solved, and an original plot.

I loved the concept of this - a world darkened by a poisonous storm. A class system that means the poorest are those who are worst effected. Magic and curses, political intrigue, and royal scheming.

I loved the development of the main character and her love interest and I felt her pain and despair throughout. Particularly in the last 25% of the book.

I really really enjoyed this, the only thing that stopped me giving it 5* was that I sometimes felt there was an inconsistency in the pacing.

I enjoyed this book! It wasn’t my favourite but it was good. Vesper was a great protagonist, but it was a bit slow in the beginning. The ending made me excited for what’s to come. Overall 4 stars it was quite very good and I’d definitely recommend it!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I really liked the concept of the story although I must admit that the execution fell a little flat for me.

BOOK REVIEW: The Darkening by Sunya Mara

2.5 Stars

I was really excited for this book but sadly for me it was a big let down. The cover is absolutely gorgeous but unfortunately the content didn't live up to it.

The Darkening is about a city that is surrounded by a darkness called The Storm which is ever encroaching on the city. There are an elite guard of warriors that use a type of magic using drawings to beat back the storm. The general setting reminded me of Shadow and Bone but it definitely didn't have the worldbuilding to back it up. The first half was pretty interesting but not much happened. Then the second half had lots happening but it didn't really make sense. A lot of the story wasn't explained properly and I didn't think it was very cohesive. I did get a bit confused and because of that felt a real disconnect from the story and characters which is a shame as it all does have potential.

The characters were decent but I don't feel enough time was spent on their personalities to feel a real connection. Vesper the lead female was interesting and I liked her bravery and strength. However she made some choices that really irritated me. The Prince Dalca was a bit of a confusing character as some of his decisions just didn't make sense. I really like the 2 side characters called Casvian and Izamal, they were interesting and Izamal definitely brought a little much needed humour. Overall they were decent characters but I didn't feel especially connected to them and especially in the final 10% of the book the decisions made just made zero sense. I also wasn't a fan of the romance which is unusual for me.

The writing was decent and the story flowed but the lack of detail and worldbuilding meant that I was too confused for such a simple storyline.

Overall this was a big let down for me and sadly I won't be continuing this series.

Please note that I was #gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful cover. I fell in love straight away. But the blurb just sounded so intriguing that I had to read the book straight away. Sunya Mara has a great writing style. I couldn’t put the book down and I finished the book in a day. The plot was well thought out and it was easy to follow. However, there were also a few points that bothered me while reading or that I found a bit illogical. The ending was also a bit abrupt, but because of the Cliffhnager I definitely want to know how it will continue.

The idea of ​​the magic, the storm and the layout of the city worked really well here and I was able to picture a lot of things. Unfortunately, the characters remained a bit pale the whole time. They weren’t tangible for me and I didn’t understand some of the interactions at all. Between Dalca and Vesper I missed the complete attraction. Sometimes I had the feeling that there was more between Vesper and Cas than between Dalca and Vesper. I’m definitely excited to see what’s to come in Book two. In general, I would have liked a bit more information for the secondary characters. The story of the great king was explained very well and made me really curious as the story progressed.

All in all, the Darkening was an interesting and good book. I’m also quite curious about the second part and how the whole plot will end after this Cliffhanger. The potential is definitely there and I’m curious what the author will make of it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read Fantasy books.

𝘈 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺. 𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺…

This book you guys! With such an interesting and thrilling story carried out in a brilliant way it was pretty much impossible not to be completely captivated. There’s so much going on yet with several subplots, morally grey characters and secret agendas. The entire world that Sunya Mara has created is so interesting and imaginative. I love to discover new magical systems, how they interacts and/or changes the laws of nature.

The concept of Ikonomancy is unlike most of the magical systems I’ve come across. The idea of how one with the right knowledge of how to combine certain ikons can access power which makes the impossible possible. We are already familiar that words and symbols can carry immense powers. But Ikonomancy takes the power of words into a completely new level.

Then there’s The Storm, which is just as interesting as Ikonomancy, if not even more so. The Storm a dark phenomenon with creatures straight out of nightmares. The way it’s described makes it seem like The Storm is more than just a bit of bad weather hiding beasts. The Storm itself almost appear sentient, like it’s observing the city it surrounds, waiting for something… or someone.

The Darkening isn’t your usual ya fantasy feel-good novel with a perfectly happy ending. It’s an adventure of epic proportions where the characters are pushed to their very limits, hopefully figuring out how much they are willing to sacrifice before it’s too late… Sunya Mara sure knows how to keep the readier on their toes until the very last page.

I cannot express how much I’m looking forward to see this incredible book out in the real world. I’m definitely looking forward to all the discussions and everyones thoughts. And finally getting to nerd out about it with fellow booknerds <3

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘳 & 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘈𝘳𝘤 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!