Dark Breaks the Dawn

by Sara B. Larson Narrated by Amy Shiels

Overview

A warrior princess must defend her throne is this haunting and romantic YA duology packed with action and romance from critically acclaimed author of the Defy trilogy, Sara B. Larson.

On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan, the Light Kingdom, can finally access the full range of her magical powers. The light looks brighter, the air is sharper, and the energy she can draw when fighting feels almost limitless. But while her mother, the queen, remains busy at the war front, in the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalon, the corrupt king is plotting. King Bain wants control of both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn into the throne much sooner than she expected.In order to defeat Bain and his sons, Evelayn will quickly have to come into her ability to shapeshift, and rely on the alluring Lord Tanvir. But not everyone is what they seem, and the balance between the Light and Dark comes at a steep price.In the first book of a remarkable duology, Sara B. Larson sets the stage for her reimagining of Swan Lake -- a lush romance packed with betrayal, intrigue, magic, and adventure.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 03/27/2017
Larson (the Defy trilogy) deftly weaves fantasy with the best parts of the Swan Lake ballet in this gripping first book of a duology. The kingdoms of the Éadrolan and the Dorjhalon have been engaged in a bitter war for 10 years, costing thousands of lives. Queen Ilaria now leads the forces of the Light, much to the dismay of her daughter, Evelayn. After Evelayn ascends to Éadrolan’s throne unexpectedly early, following her mother’s death, Evelayn grapples with learning how to control her newfound powers and how to be an effective wartime ruler. One of the powers inherent to royals is the ability to assume animal form, something Evelayn struggles with throughout, and her attempts to balance her personal and professional lives is mirrored in the give and take between the Éadrolan and Dorjhalon. Larson is especially effective in her portrait of Evelayn’s need to summon maturity before she thought she would have to, a sweetly innocent romance underscores the bite of betrayal, and the cliffhanger ending will easily build anticipation for the second book. Ages 12–up. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary. (May)

From the Publisher

Praise for Dark Breaks the Dawn:"With its intricate, dazzling system of magic and a vibrant cast of characters caught in a devastating conflict between forces of light and darkness, this passionate, war-torn retelling of Swan Lake is not one to be missed! You'll be spellbound from the very first lines." — Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series"A breathtaking origin story of Swan Lake that unfurls with soaring beauty and a villain prince as captivating as the fearless princess." — Kathryn Purdie, author of the Burning Glass series* "Larson is especially effective in her portrait of Evelayn's need to summon maturity before she thought she would have to, a sweetly innocent romance underscores the bite of betrayal, and the cliffhanger ending will easily build anticipation for the second book." — Publishers Weekly, starred review"This reimagination of Swan Lake features a plucky heroine, a sinister, surprise villain in the wings, and plenty of battle action . . . a clever cliff-hanger ending will have readers demanding the sequel." — Booklist"Girl-power fantasy." — Kirkus Reviews"In this reimagining of Swan Lake, the characters deal with issues of morality and justice and the burdens of responsibility; these universal themes flourish in Larson's fantastic setting." — VOYAPraise for Endure:"Readers of the previous books in the trilogy will be lining up to read the conclusion to this epic story. Readers who are looking for fantasy with strong female characters, such as Cinder in The Lunar Chronicles or Celaena Sardothien of the Throne of Glass series, will find a great new trilogy here." — School Library Connection"Fans will be very satisfied with this final journey." — School Library JournalPraise for Ignite:"[A] fast-paced fantasy novel laced with political intrigue." — School Library Journal"Alexa [is]... an interesting, multilayered character, a valiant fighter with heart." — Booklist"Alex is so strong... The intrigue is really thick in this book, and there are secrets within plots and people." — Jessie Plots, blogging for USA TodayPraise for Defy:An Indie Next List Selection"A wonderful tale of adventure, romance, and embracing your true self. Alexa is a heroine readers will love to follow!" — Marie Lu, bestselling author of the Legend series"Grand adventure, romance, and thrilling political intrigue." — Booklist"Powerful and narratively satisfying." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

School Library Journal - Audio

10/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—Evelayn is the princess of the Light Kingdom, Eadrolan, and when the story begins, readers learn that she is awaiting her 18th birthday in order to access her full range of magical powers. More than anything she is wishing for her mother, the Queen of Eadrolan, to come back from the war front to celebrate with her. It is soon apparent that Evelayn is a strong young woman, much like her mother the queen, and is expected to rule the Light Kingdom one day. Details of the Dark Kingdom are revealed through its powerful characters interacting with the citizens and soldiers of Eadrolan, and it is this growing conflict that will intrigue readers as the inevitable confrontation between the two kingdoms hits a crescendo. Adding to the intrigue is a budding romance with the mysterious Lord Tanvir. Whether or not the reader is familiar with the story of Swan Lake really has no impact on the appeal of this book. VERDICT The story will undoubtedly have listeners anticipating the sequel.—Sheila Acosta, San Antonio Public Library

School Library Journal

08/01/2017
Gr 7–10—Much shorter and with less painstaking world-building than most high fantasy, this tale is a bit light on substance but full of the drama and expected tropes craved by many young readers more interested in light romance and adventure. While specific terms like elves or fairies don't appear, the glossed-over history of Princess Evelayn's land is one of royalty channeling the magical power of the kingdoms of light and darkness. Having lost her father to the light kingdom's decade-long war with dastardly King Bain of the dark land, Evelayn must face down the stereotypically malevolent and sadistic ruler when her mother's strength is also fed to the flame of battle. The day she turns 18, the young queen is allowed full access to her powers. Weaponized balls of light and her ability to channel the sun's rays complement the years of mental and physical training she has completed. A handsome young soldier visiting from the front lines soon becomes more to her than a sparring companion. Tarvin comforts the princess and accompanies her on an expedited but dangerous quest to obtain a magical boon that could catch their enemy at a disadvantage and restore the balance of Lachalonia. Plot and character development suffer from too much telling rather than showing. VERDICT Purchase where readers clamor for fantasy-light and enjoy slavering at cliffhangers.—Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA

Kirkus Reviews

2017-03-06
The tragedy of Swan Lake gets a fantasy reimagining in this fast-paced book for teens.Evelayn, a white teenager, is the crown princess of Éadrolan, a kingdom of light that is locked in an ancient battle with King Bain, who commands the dark powers of the rival kingdom Dorjhalon. Citizens of both realms possess supernatural powers, and Evelayn comes into her full strength while the queen is fighting in the war, though the ability to shape-shift into swan form eludes her. Evelayn must foil a plot to deprive her people of their gifts by murdering the queen who is the conduit of all the light's power. When the worst happens, Evelayn undertakes a perilous journey to seek aid from an ancient power in an effort to prevent Bain from extinguishing the power of light permanently. Larson's (Endure, 2016, etc.) latest novel contains many of the tropes found in modern fantasy adaptations: a feisty princess, dastardly villains, epic fights, and a love triangle. The worldbuilding is intriguing and the matrilineal conveyance of power is a neat twist, but the novel's fascinating premise is undermined by its too-fast pacing. Readers are not given enough time to really invest in Evelayn's struggles or the supporting characters' before the main adventure gets underway, resulting in Evelayn's lapse into caricature. An appealing if imperfect girl-power fantasy that ably sets the stage for its sequel. (Fantasy. 13-17)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171291310
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/30/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

Read an Excerpt

When Tanvir lunged forward yet again, this time going for a debilitating torso wound, Evelayn used his momentum to hook his arm, swing herself around his body, and drag her blade across his back."Point to Princess Evelayn!" Kel called out. But not a killing blow.She moved to disentangle her arm, but instead, in that one moment of hesitation when she'd allowed herself a pause of triumph, Tanvir dropped one of his blades to grab her wrist, squeezing so hard it compressed a nerve that forced her hand to convulse and drop her own knife. Simultaneously, he wrenched her forward so he could spin her in front of him, his arm now firmly wrapped around both of hers, and then, so fast she didn't even have a chance to struggle, his blade angled against her throat, ready to slit it.A killing strike. Evelayn exhaled angrily even as her stomach sank."Lord Tanvir takes the match," Kel announced unnecessarily.But Tanvir didn't move yet, his arm still holding her close and his blade still touching her skin, both of them breathing heavily. Her irritation at losing faded as she became aware of the heat of him pressed through her leathers, of a heady musk that suddenly colored his scent, sparking a responding warmth deep within her. A different kind than she'd ever felt before, it called for more, beckoned her to move even closer to the hard length of his body.And then suddenly, he let go, stepping back. Evelayn stumbled forward, shocked at her own thoughts. Shocked that he'd beat her so quickly. Shocked that for a moment, she'd forgotten about her mother leaving, the war, not being able to shift, or anything beyond Lord Tanvir's arm around her and his muscled chest and abdomen against her back.

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