07/10/2023
In this emotionally rich second installment in The Dark series, Ryder picks up right where The Darkest Side of the Moon left off, with the new ruler of the vampires, Vinson "Vince" Weber, reeling from a tragic loss of a loved one and taking over the reigns from his recently defeated father, Vladimir. With the war over, vampires and werewolves have formed a hesitant supernatural alliance. After saving a young girl named Amelia "Melia" Sinclair after being turned by an old enemy and a new unknown threat, Vince tasks himself with training and protecting the newbie vampire. But there is more to Melia's attack and as more and more is revealed about her targeted assault, Vince discovers there are more magical forces involved—and much more to Melia than meets the eye.
Readers will gain a deeper understanding of each character as this sequel, told in a more conventional third-person style than its predecessor, emphasizes character and relationships over action. Ryder digs deep into the traumas and uncertainties of the key cast, telling the story from varied perspectives and plumbing Vince and Meila’s fears that, with all their cravings, they might not be able to resist doing evil themselves—“Was she capable of mass destruction?” Melia wonders. “Did becoming a vampire change who she was?” Drawn to Melia’s light and innocence even as a new vampire, Vince feels great conflict, refraining from letting her in as he is still recovering from a previous heartbreak. Sexual assault is handled with a sensitive frankness.
That tender attention to character, and the novel’s hefty length, diminishes some narrative momentum, but the new mystery and villain are engaging and smartly bound up in the novel’s themes of discovering what one is capable of. Vivid descriptions and engaging emotional detail abound, and fans of high-stakes, character-rich YA that blend fantasy, romance, and horror will find much to feast on in a story that reminds us “Darkness does not drive out darkness. Only light can.”
Takeaway: Young vampires face their dark desires in this character-rich YA adventure.
Comparable Titles: Lauren Kate’s Fallen, L.A. Banks’s Shadow Walker.
Production grades Cover: B Design and typography: A- Illustrations: N/A Editing: A- Marketing copy: A
