Reign of Shadows audiobook

EDIT (12/17/15) -- Confirmed: Two-book series!***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***Reign of Shadows by Sophie JordanBook One of the Reign of Shadows seriesPublisher: HarperTeenPublication Date: February 9, 2016Rating: 4 starsSource: eARC from EdelweissSummary (from Goodreads):Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.What I Liked:If this book were a standalone, it would get three stars - a whole star knocked off because of the ending. BUT, given this handy statement, we know there is at least another book. Thank goodness too, because the ending of this book is brutal!Luna has lived in the tower in the middle of nowhere for her entire life, with her guardians, Sivo and Perla. She isn't allowed to venture from the tower, especially not alone, despite being very capable of defending herself (thanks to Sivo's training). One night, she sneaks out, and saves the lives of three people, including Fowler, a young archer looking for a better life, trying to find a better life elsewhere. Circumstances force Luna to leave the tower - with Fowler. Together, they must brave the forest - and their own secrets - and fight to stay alive.Luna is such a different heroine in YA. She's the lost princess of Relhok, born on the day an eclipse brought eternal darkness over the land. Everyone thinks she died with her parents that day - many don't know she exists. Luna is protected and coddled by Sivo and Perla, yet she is more than capable of defending and handling herself. There is something that makes her so striking, so extraordinary. I am very curious to know how her birth ties with the eclipse, and why she is inherently recognized as special and unique (when people meet her, they can almost tell something is different). I like Luna; she's brave and stubborn and a bit proud - she tries to be her best and strongest self, and it's pretty cool to see how she grows for the duration of this book. She isn't quite the same person, by the end of the book. She'd never been away from her tower for so long and so far, and the experiences Outside have changed her. And yet, she still has all of her internal light and goodness.Fowler is our other protagonist. This book is written in first-person dual POV, switching between Luna and Fowler. I liked both of their POV's. Fowler is gruff and stern and serious, and he has secrets of his own. He doesn't let anyone past his walls, and he doesn't show much emotion. He doesn't want to be Luna's friend (yet she wiggles her way past his armor). Fowler is the way he is because of life in the eclipse; he's hardened and determined to find a better life in Allu, free of dwellers (creepy creatures that started to appear after the eclipse). I like Fowler a lot - he's a strong male protagonist, protective and intelligent, more selfless than he thinks. I liked seeing Luna and Fowler warm up to each other - it took Fowler a long time, because he refused to want to like her. He blames himself for a lot of things in his past, and he doesn't want to drag anyone with him. Noble idiot.The world of this book is pretty fascinating, but not outrageously special. Luna and her tower reminded me of Rapunzel (is this a retelling ish?). I'd like to see more of the setting in Relhok, but I think that's to come. Overall, well-written world-building novel of an epic fantasy novel.I LOVE the romance. You guessed it - Luna and Fowler slowly fall for each other. And by "slow" I MEAN SLOW. It's nice, the slow-burn romance. I like the types of romances that go from hate to love, and do it in such a slow and simmery way. This romance had it all. Well, no love triangle, that's for sure. There aren't "steamy scenes" - given how the romance progressed, there was some tension, but more trust and emotions, and then some chemistry. I'm curious to see where the romance will head in the next book!I'm especially curious to see the direction the book will head in general. Luna and Fowler discover something pretty radical that the king is doing, as well as Fowler learns some serious things about Luna, and Luna learns some serious things about Fowler. Luna will have to make a choice, given how the book ended. The story really opens up at the end; I was wondering when the author would start to incorporate some of the ideas she was hinting at and foreshadowing (Luna's birth and the eclipse, her inherent goodness, etc.). Hopefully all will be revealed in the next book!Oh cruel ending! The ending of this book was really mean, honestly. It's a perfect hook for the sequel, and I'm 99% sure this will be a duology only... but the ending killed me a little! Like I said before, if this book were a standalone, it would be getting maximum three stars. That. Ending!What I Did Not Like:I think, overall, I enjoyed this book. I didn't LOVE it like it's my new favorite, but I liked the story. I zipped through it fairly quickly. One thing that I would have liked more explanation on was the eclipse, as well as Luna's birth and the eclipse, but I'm sure we'll get more of that in book two. Also I'm slightly confused about the science of the book - are we assuming the plants and trees and vegetation of the forest don't need the sun to survive? Chemotrophs here? And humans too... we NEED sunlight to survive (there are health problems from lack of sunlight). I'm not going to think too much on the science (which is weird, coming from this environmental engineer), but I think there were some inconsistencies!Would I Recommend It:I wouldn't NOT recommend it! It's an interesting book, and a very fast read. I will say that the ending is pretty cruel, so maybe binge-read the series, or read this one at your own risk. You are warned! If you liked what I said about the romance, then this book is a solid choice!Rating: 3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I'm pretty happy with this book! I'm not questioning/looking further into a few things - using my imagination and letting things go. I enjoyed the book! So glad there's no love triangle or other weird Sophie Jordan YA novel aspects - let me not speak too quickly though!

Originally posted on Super Space Chick:Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan is the first book in a series (it’s unconfirmed whether it’s a duology / trilogy or other but it feels like a duology) that is heavily inspired by Rapunzel. I hadn’t originally planned on reading this one until I read positive pre-publication reviews and then the closer I looked at the cover the more I fell in love with it. And of course, once I found out the Rapunzel aspect I couldn’t wait another minute for it! The story follows a girl named Luna who’s spent her life living in a secluded tower due to her complicated royal family history and a boy name Fowler who has a past of his own to contend with. The pair are living in a world where an eclipse occurred 17 years ago and there hasn’t been light since. Humans live in fear of dangerous creatures called Dwellers and bats have grown to four feet in size.Throughout Reign of Shadows there were plot twists at every turn. I do not want to spoil anything because it was really exciting to discover new things as the story unfolded and I would hate to take that away from anyone. As the story progressed, I developed very strong feelings for these characters. They’re polar opposites and the relationship they form leads to a deep connection. Luna is a unique heroine for several reasons, all of which will not be revealed here. She is not your typical gorgeous lost rightful heir to the throne. Luna is a kind spirit and she makes decisions with her heart even when they might not be the best ones whereas Fowler has lost someone in his past and refuses to allow himself to care for anyone because of how bleak their society is. He’s purely logical in his decision making and despite his rough exterior, he lives by a code of conduct. My heart was racing during the last 50 pages or so of the book and I needed a hug once I finished reading.I loved seeing all of the parallels to Rapunzel in Regin of Shadows and I’m curious if they’ll continue in the second installment or if it will branch off into even more of its own story, similar to how The Lunar Chronicles handles itself. Sophie Jordan did an incredible job with the worldbuilding and convincing me that this is a society I would never want to experience. I couldn’t imagine the constant feeling of living in fear with little hope that anything will change in the future. The imagery of the forest and the scenes with the Dwellers painted such a clear picture in my mind which doesn’t always happen for me while reading. My only complaint is that while I was initially excited that the book is so short (without acknowledgements it’s under 300 pages), I really wanted more, especially upon reaching the end. The story ends very abruptly with a gut wrenching cliffhanger and I need the second one as soon as possible.Final Thoughts: Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan is the first book in a fantasy series set in a world which is heavily inspired by Rapunzel. Jordan crafted an enchanting story in a terrifying and bleak society and I couldn’t get enough of it. I have so many feelings for Luna and Fowler and I need them to be together because I am shipping them so hard. Opposites attract and while they could not be more different, each has found their way into my heart.

Diese Rezension gibt es auch auf meinem Blog: neylakunta.wordpress.com Fakten über das Buch: Verlag: Harper Collins GermanySeitenzahl: 384ISBN: 9783959670708 Preis: 18,00€Lesezeitraum: 26/01/17 - 04/02/17 Kurzbeschreibung Tiefe Finsternis, die seit siebzehn Jahren über dem Reich Relhok liegt, und die dicken Mauern ihres Turms – etwas anderes kennt Luna nicht. Sie muss sich verstecken, damit die Welt sie für tot hält, nachdem ein Verräter ihre Eltern ermordete, um sich der Krone zu bemächtigen. Als sie fliehen muss, weil ihr Leben in Gefahr ist, hilft ihr der Waldläufer Fowler. Er erfüllt ihre dunkle Welt mit Licht, doch nicht einmal ihm darf sie sagen, dass sie die wahre Königin Relhoks ist. Denn der neue König sucht nach ihr, um sicherzustellen, dass sie niemals ihren Thron besteigen wird. (Quelle) Cover Das Cover ist ja mal wunderschön . - Auch wenn ich es gar nicht verstehe. Kann mir bitte jemnd erklären, was genau das darstellen soll? Naja egal, ich finde es cool, dass der Hintergrund so grau ist und die Bläterranken schwarz. Das Altrosa passt in die Kombination auch sehr schön mit rein, so dass ich eigentlich hier gar nichts daran auszusetzen habe. Handlung Dieses Buch habe ich wieder zusammen mit der lieben Jessi gelesen bei der ihr auch eine Rezension zu dem Buch auf ihrem Blog findet :)Seit 17 Jahren liegt über dem Königreich Rehlhok Dunkelheit und mit ihr kommen die Finsterirdischen, die die Bevölkerung in das Verderben stürzen. Nur eine Stunde am Tag klärt die Finterniss etwas auf und die Sonne kämpft sich durch. Doch mit nur einer Stunde Sonnenlicht lässt sich keine Ernte hervorbringen. Besonders dann nicht, wenn die Monster aus dem Boden schießen. Nur in befestigten Städten ist es noch sicher.Ah diese Idee finde ich so cool! Natürlich ist es tragisch und traurig und alles aber es ist auch cool, denn das bietet an sich schon ganz schön viel Handlungsspielraum. Das wurde auch sehr gut umgesetzt ;)Luna kennt nichts anderes als die Finsterniss und das Innere ihres Turms. Hier ist sie vor den Finsterirdischen sicher und gemeinsam mit ihrer Haushälterin und ihrem praktischen Ziehvater lebt Luna seit 17 Jahren mit der Hoffnung auf ein Leben im Sonnenlicht.Es gibt einen Grund, warum Luna im Exil leben muss: Sie ist die wahre Königin Rehlhoks doch das weiß niemand. Ihre Eltern wurden kaltblütig von einem Mann getöt der nun der neue König ihres Landes ist. Luna hasst ihn, doch was soll sie schon tun?Das finde ich eine richtig schöne Idee, doch sie ist nicht einzigartig - aber wann gibt es denn schon mal eine Idee, die noch nie jemand vor einem hatte? Aber hier muss ich sagen, wurde es nicht so "kitschig" umgesetzt. Es spielt ein Rolle im Buch, defintiv, doch auch andere Dinge sind durchaus wichtig.Doch es kommt wie es kommen musste. Der König erfährt, dass Luna noch lebt und so muss sie aus dem Turm fliehen wobei ihr Fowler hilft, ein junger Mann dem Luna das Leben retette als sie außerhalb des Turmes war.Dieses Treffen mit Fowler fand ich richtig überraschend und ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass sie sich so kennenlernen. (Auch wenn ich nicht weiß, wie sie es sonst hätten tun sollen.) Dabei birgt das ja auch selbst viele Gefahren für Luna in der Dunkelheit hinaus zu gehen. Aber diese Aktion und viele weitere zeigen ja wie gut ihr Herz eigentlich ist.Gemeinsam nehmen sie die Gefahr auf sich, die diese außergewöhnliche Reise mit sich bringt. Nur um auf eine Insel zu kommen, auf der angeblich noch immer die Sonne scheint, und die Menschen in Frieden leben können.Leider machen nicht nur die Finsterirdischen Probleme. Nie hätte Luna es für möglich gehalten, dass auch andere Menschen so böse sein können.Und Fowler nimmt auch einen größeren Wert in ihrer Gedankenwelt ein als sie eigentlich wollte... Schreibstil Ich gestehe: Ich liebe den Schreibstil von Sophie Jordan. Die Sicht wechselt immer zwischen Luna und Fowler hinterher und das hat sie super umgesetzt. Sie beschreibt alles immer so toll aber auch nicht übertrieben, dass ich mich schon vom ersten Kapitel an in das Buch verliebt habe. Das schaff erstmal einer! Charaktere Luna mochte ich von Anfang an. Sie taff und stark, ist aber auch nicht herzlos was sie immer wieder beweißt. Sie wandelt auf einem Grad dazwischen, auch wenn sie nicht für die Welt gemacht ist, in der sie gezwungen ist zu leben. Doch sie meistert es, mal mehr mal weniger gut. Da sie bisher nur Kontakt zu zwei Menschen hatte nahm ich ihr einige Dinge auch gar nicht übel. Ich mein, woher soll sie denn das alles wissen? Sie war eingesperrt und kennt doch gar nichts von der Welt. Doch sie lernt und stellt sich nicht dumm an. Ich mochte sie sehr.Fowler war mir am Anfang total unsympathisch obwohl ich mir schon dachte, was da kommen wird. Doch auch er hat seine Gründe sich so zu verhalten, das muss man mal so sagen. Als ich das gelesen habe, war ich ziemlich baff und es hat mich von Fowlers Charakterstärke überzeugt und mir ebenfalls gezeigt, dass mehr in ihm steckt, als ich am Anfang für möglich gehalten habe.Natürlich entwickelt sich eine Beziehung zwischen den beiden. Das weiß man ja sofort. Aber es war gar nicht kitischig und ahh so schön. An einigen Stellen bin ich fast gestorben aber das ist ok. (Auf eine gute Weiße gestorben meine ich.) Fazit Dieses Buch hat mich einfach überzeugt und das Ende hat mich zerstört. Komplett. Natürlich gab es Schwächen, manchmal hätte ich Luna und Fowler am liebsten geschlagen aber deshalb fand ich es nicht schlecht. Es ist nun aber auch nicht ein neues Lieblingsbuch von mir da auch einige Fragen offen geblieben sind. Dennoch: Die Wahre Königin erhält von mir 4 Schlüssel. Anmerkungen Leute ich habe so viele schlechte, englische, Rezensionen gesehen und gelesen. Mein Herz! Ich meine, ich sags jetzt einfach mal so: Ich fand die Handlung toll und sie war mir auch nie langweilig und es gab immer einen Grund für mich weiter zu lesen. Und bei diesen "Rant"-Reviews wurde einfach alles zerstört, jeder kleinste Satz etc. Meine Meinung ist ja, das solche Rezensionen die ehrlichsten sind, aber wie kann man sich über jeden kleinen Satz lustig machen oder ihn als "abnormal" hinstellen? Ich weiß, ich weiß, ich habe auch Bücher die ich schlecht fande, aber ich frage mich, ob man da nicht wenigsten seine Meinung begründen und Argumente bringen kann? Leider war das bei keiner dieser Rezensionen der Fall. - Aber jeder muss ja immer selbst entscheiden, was er liest und wie er es bewertet.Dies ist ein Rezensionsexemplar, welches ich über Netgalley vom Harper Collins Germany Verlag erhalten habe. Als Gegenleistung lese ich das erhaltene Buch und veröffentliche eine Rezension darüber. (Read-to-Review Basis.)

Me gusto mucho este libro, me gusto la trama, la relación de los personajes, sus personalidades. Fowler *-*Reseña completa en Gracias a los Libros.

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.One of my goals this year was to step out of my reading comfort zone. While I know I enjoy YA, I am still getting my feet wet with the fantasy genre. I think this was a step in the right direction; Reign of Shadows was a pleasant surprise for me.As a rule, I’m not a fan of first person dual POV. The switch is sometimes confusing and even in this one, there were times when I had to scroll back to the first page of the chapter to see who was narrating. Surprisingly, this didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. I love the premise of this book – the presumed-dead heir to the throne hiding out in a tower in the middle of the woods relatively safe while outside of the walls surrounding her, chaos reigns. Luna was an interesting heroine. She was very sheltered and, in some ways, naïve, but she was a good judge of character. For being so in tune to what was going on around her, I’m surprised she was as adventurous as she was. That’s one of the things I really enjoyed about her character – she didn’t allow fear to rule her. Fowler was even more fearless than Luna was. He’d made a solid effort to shut out the world and not make attachments, but his compassion rises up at the most inopportune times. His resourcefulness and determination have kept him alive, but with Luna now by his side, the stakes are higher than ever.Reign of Shadows flew by for me. It was one adventure after another, and while I could always tell where Fowler was coming from (he was the more logical of the two,) I sometimes questioned Luna’s decisions. They felt a bit hasty, but as I mentioned before, she was sheltered and still young, and I think she was a bit of an idealist. The world building in this one was very interesting. One hour of sunlight a day keeps the monsters at bay, but for the other twenty-three hours, it’s every human for themselves. And I loved the backstory of how Luna’s kingdom fell apart; I’m hoping for more of that in the next installment.I really enjoyed Reign of Shadows. Luna’s heart was always in the right place, and she finally gets to a point where, ruling or not, she’s going to do what’s right for her kingdom no matter the cost. There were a few surprises along the way, and as for the end…oy. I am not a fan of cliffhangers, but I will say this one at least left us in a place that felt natural. It’s clear we’re being led into a different chapter of Luna and Fowler’s story, and it served its purpose. I’ll be back to find out what happens!This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.

All images courtesy of Pinterest. TOUGH BLIND PRINCESSGRUFF SEXY ARCHERSLOW-BURN ANTAGONISTIC ROMANCEA WHOLE LOT OF SHIPPINGAND THEN DYING BECAUSE HOLY CLIFFHANGER!I've had ups and downs with Sophie Jordan's books in the past. After her Uninvited duology ended in a way that I wasn't happy about, I was a little hesitant to pick up anything else by her. But when the cover and summary for Reign of Shadows released, I had a hard time being able to not resist the story. I mean it is a story about a blind princess hiding in a tower after all!  How could I even resist that?Our lost princess, Luna, was a fierce, strong and tenacious character who refused to let her blindness get in the way of what she wanted. I respected and admired that about her very much. She was as capable of doing things as anyone with normal sight was and I loved that she had worked hard to actually get there. I also loved that Luna was a character who grew throughout the story. Sure she started off as an already strong character, but throughout Reign of Shadows she matured into an even more intelligent, caring and selfless young woman. Her character growth was undeniably amazing. Reign of Shadows was also told in the dual POV of Fowler, an archer who wound up having to aid Luna as her tower was attacked. I wasn't sure what to make of Fowler at the beginning. He was rough around the edges, reserved and came across as cold at times. But throughout the book, he slowly peeled the layers to his brusque exterior and allowed readers to see the truly golden heart he possessed. By the end, there was no doubt that I was madly in love with Fowler and his protectiveness and kindness.My favorite part about Reign of Shadows was the romance. I know from having read previous books by the author that she is incredibly talented at writing stunning romances that make you feel with every fiber of your being. I personally think the romance between Luna and Fowler in Reign of Shadows was Sophie Jordan's best yet. I shipped Luna and Fowler so much, I just needed them to have their HEA. Theirs was a romance that slowly built up over the course of the book - there was nothing instant about it. They were initially wary of each other, but in the process of overcoming all sorts of obstacles, the two of them, grew to trust each other and ultimately fell for each other. They had a lot of chemistry which was so palpable all throughout, especially during the swoony kissing scenes.In terms of the world building, there was just enough for me to be satisfied but I'm hoping that readers get a clearer picture of Relhok, its past and how the eclipse cloaked it in darkness in the next book. There's a ton of potential for the sequel and I'm excited for all the possibilities. I'll admit that Reign of Shadows wasn't extremely plot-driven. In fact, the whole book felt like it was a set-up for the sequel, where the plot will hopefully come more into focus, but I wasn't bothered by it because the book still managed to be entertaining from start to finish because of the characters and Sophie Jordan's addictive writing.Reign of Shadows was a success in my boat and I'm truly excited to see where the story heads to next, especially with that evil (EVIL) cliffhanger. I'd recommend this one if you're looking for a romance-driven YA fantasy book with a super swoony romance and loveable characters.

LOVED. THIS. BOOK.Like wth, why is no one talking about this? Guys, i even loved the freaking romance! This is also a bit darker then any another YA fantasy. Which i loved. If the second and final book is also this good, then that means that this series can end up on my favorite’s :pA full review to come!

WHAAAAAAAT!?!?! Knew I would enjoy this one, can't go wrong with Sophie Jordan. Need the next one already!

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review MY THOUGHTS Going into this book, I didn't know what to expect. I've disliked books and enjoyed books by this author. The Firelight trilogy was meh to me, but I enjoyed Uninvited (the sequel is another story). I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I really liked it and I was close to giving it a full 5 stars!Ever since darkness fell across her kingdom, Luna has been in her tower. She's only ever really known two people and she's hardly ever left her tower, as the outside is too dangerous. Until one day, she does, and she comes across a group of three surviving in the wilds. After saving them, she leads them back to the tower. But when her tower gets attacked, she must leave, with one of the strangers she just found. In a world of darkness there are many dangers, especially when you're the lost princess.I loved this book! It was completely unique! This has some fairy-tale aspects, but all-in-all this is a very dark fantasy, and it was epic. The world-building was great! I felt like I was sucked into this dark world! And, best of all, there were plot twists! I adore plot twists! Some I saw coming, but still, I loved them!I liked the characters in this book. This book is from the point of view of both Luna and Fowler. Luna doesn't seem like a strong person at first, due to how sheltered she is and the decision she makes of going outside, even though she's been told how dangerous it is. But Luna actually is very strong, especially when you realize more about her situation (I don't want to give too much away). She's also very kind. Fowler is from a completely different situation than Luna. He has learned how to survive in the darkness. The two have an interesting dynamic, both distrusting one another but thrown together due to circumstance. Although, you know right off that they will eventually grow to like each other, this is a YA book.Fair warning: There is a bit of a cliffhanger. IN CONCLUSION I really enjoyed reading this book! Despite my earlier misgivings, I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! This was a such an interesting and unique fantasy book! The world-building was strong and dark and the cast of characters was interesting! I do recommend this book, but expect plot twists and a cliffhanger!

https://martinabookaholic.wordpress.c...Meine Gedanken zum Buch:Eigentlich bin ich ohne jegliche Erwartung in das Buch gestartet. Das einzige, das ich davon wusste, war, dass es ein High Fantasybuch ist und es um ein dunkles Königreich handelt. Außerdem sagte mir der Autorenname schon etwas, obwohl ich ihre anderen Bücher noch nicht gelesen, jedoch viel Gutes gehört habe. Daher wusste ich, sie kann schreiben und neue, fantastische Welten erschaffen – und das hat sie auch hier gemeistert.Obwohl, so fantastisch ist diese Welt leider nicht, denn die Welt ist in Dunkelheit gehüllt, nur eine Stunde lang zu Mittlicht erscheint kurz die Sonne. Und immer, wenn Dunkelheit herrscht kriechen die Finsterirdischen durch den Erdboden an die Oberfläche, um Menschen aufzusaugen – bizarre Wesen, die schwer zu töten sind und neben der Not der Finsternis, weiteren Schrecken in die Welt bringen. Irgendwie hatte die Idee Ähnlichkeit zur „Das Lied der Dunkelheit-Reihe von Brett, wo ja auch bei Nacht Dämonen aus dem Boden krabbeln.Diese Welt lernen wir aus den zwei Sichtweisen von einerseits Luna kennen, und andererseits von dem Waldläufer Fowler. Luna lebt seit sie denken kann in einem Turm, mit ihrer Amme und einem Ex-Soldaten, die sich um sie kümmern und ihr alles über die Welt da draußen beibringen, obwohl sie im Turm keiner unmittelbaren Gefahr ausgesetzt sind. Denn Luna hat nicht nur eine besondere Abstammung, sondern auch ein Handicap. Hier muss ich sagen, dass ich es zwar toll fand, wie das am Anfang gemacht wurde, weil ich ‚das‘ überhaupt nicht gemerkt habe. Aber dennoch fand ich es etwas zu unrealistisch beschrieben. Ohne zu viel zu verraten, glaube ich kaum, dass sich Luna mit diesem Handicap derart gut durchschlagen kann, sogar besser noch als andere, außer sie hätte eine magische Fähigkeit, die sie dahin unterstütz. Davon war aber nie die Rede, daher hier auch meine Kritik. Aber ansonsten mochte ich Luna eigentlich ganz gerne und sie hat sich trotz ihrer Abgeschiedenheit nicht komplett naiv verhalten. Dass sie sich gleich relativ schnell in Fowler verguckt und nur noch an ihn denken kann, war ja absehbar, daher ja, einfach zu akzeptieren. :DAber ich muss auch sagen, ich mochte Fowler, obwohl ich die ganze Zeit kein rechtes Bild von ihm im Kopf hatte… was vermutlich auch wieder daran liegt, dass seine Haarfarbe nie erwähnt wurde (oder habe ich das verpasst?). Ich weiß nur, dass er grüne Augen hat. Ansonsten ist er anfänglich aufgrund seiner Geschichte ein ziemlich ruppiger, abweisender Typ, taut aber im Verlauf der Geschichte immer weiter auf. Ich mochte es, dass er trotz seiner Gefühle die meiste Zeit seinen Kopf behalten hat und weiterhin auf die Gefahren Achtgab, was bei Luna nicht immer so war. Außerdem ergaben sie ein schönes Paar und ich hätte gerne mehr und länger etwas davon gehabt, nicht nur auf so kurzen Passagen.Was mich aber gegen Ende wirklich gestört hat, muss ich jetzt kurz loswerden, daher ab hier SPOILER:Warum, warum wird Fowler von diesen Finsterirdischen plötzlich unter die Erde in ihr Reich verschleppt und wie kann Luna ihnen dahin folgen??? Ich meine, bis hierhin wurden die Menschen von diesen Dingern einfach immer verspeist und aufgefressen und jetzt auf einmal ziehen sie ihn mit unter die Erde, obwohl er hätte tot sein sollen, nur damit wir eben im zweiten Teil auch noch einen Fowler haben?!? Warum das überhaupt schreiben, geht es nicht eher darum, zurück in die Hauptstadt zu kommen, um den falschen Königin aufzuhalten. Nein, machen wir doch lieber noch einen Abstecher in die sprichwörtliche Hölle, um einen vielleicht noch lebendigen Fowler zu retten. Immerhin wird gerade er als einziger nicht gleich verspeist. Das fand ich total unnötig bzw. einfach schlecht und unlogisch gemacht. Dazu hätte ich vielleicht vorher schon einmal erwähnen können, dass die Finsterirdische hin und wieder (ganz selten oder so) Menschen auch verschleppen. Aber das kam bis dahin nie zur Sprache. Fand ich sehr komisch und diesen Cliffhanger am Ende hat mir einiges an dem Buch zerstört. Sehr schade. :/(Mehr dazu auf meinem Blog)

The darkness cannot last. Light will come again.Wow. This book was amazing! I absolutely loved the world. It was brilliant and creepy! And INTENSE. I was hooked right from the start. The premise is so awesome - the world is in perpetual dark because of a never-ending eclipse, and it's not safe to be Outside anymore because these creepy things called Dwellers roam the land and attack people. Also, bats are like 4 feet tall. It was SO awesome! I've never read anything like this book. The only thing I have to compare it to is the movie Pitch Black, except the creatures don't fly. (I freaking loved that movie, btw.)There were so many heart-pounding, edge-of-your seat action scenes in this book! There were also some pretty epic twists thrown in there, which I did NOT see coming. It takes a lot to surprise me these days, and that's something I really value in a story. (view spoiler)[Um, Luna is BLIND?! Like, what!! It was a very early reveal, but even in the few chapters beforehand, I had NO idea. It's so cleverly written, you never think twice about it. When Luna walked in on Fowler naked and he realized she was blind because she didn't react at all (hilarious scene!), I actually flipped back through the pages to re-analyze her actions because I seriously had no idea she was blind. But there was never mention of seeing anything, or colors, or anything like that. There was a lot of focus on the other senses particularly sound, but I didn't make the connection. Totally broadsided me! BRILLIANT writing. Also, FOWLER IS THE KING'S SON?! Like wtf?!?! Didn't see that one coming, either! There were no hints toward it (or at least I don't think there were), so when he dropped the "he's my father" bomb I was speechless. (hide spoiler)]I am super impressed by how vastly Jordan's prose has improved since Firelight. I read that book a few years back, and while the concept was great, the book itself didn't leave much of an impression on me. That was not the case here! Jordan's writing is very engaging. There was never a single dull moment, and I eagerly soaked up every single sentence. Her imagery was very vivid - this book was cinematic!I loved the romance between Luna and Fowler - there was a nice slow burn between them. The attraction was there (for Luna at least) right from the start, but it wasn't instalove. Given the circumstances, I think Luna's reaction to Fowler made sense for her situation. She's never been outside the tower walls, and never seen a boy before. Of course she would be intrigued by him. But things didn't move too fast, thankfully!I really enjoyed the character development too. In the beginning, Luna is very naive and has hope. She still sees beauty and wonder in the world. In a kill-or-be-killed world, she's the kind of girl who sacrifices precious water supply for a man who's already dying. Fowler, on the other hand, is bitter and pessimistic. He knows that the world is a dark place, and expects the worst at every turn. It's every man for himself. It really drove home the point that it's a dark, unforgiving world. Bad things happened. People died. He refused to show emotion because he believed it to be a weakness. I love that over time, Luna softened his hard edges!THAT ENDING THOUGH. Man, it totally sucks that I read this book so early, because I'm sure there's a loooooong wait for the next book. I can't wait to find out what happens and I'm super excited to see more of this dark and haunting world Sophie Jordan has created! Favorite quotes "Hope is all there is. All we have. And love. Or what's the point of any of it?""Life is full of regrets. They'll cripple you if you let them."This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>