Suzanne LazearCritiques
Auteur de Innocent Darkness
Critiques
Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles, #1) par Suzanne Lazear
Obviously, since I only like it, I thought it had its problems. There was even a point when I was reminded of Twilight. I rarely compare things to Twilight but V was acting like Edward. He just pissed me off. I also didn’t like the love triangle. Usually they don’t bother me but it did this time. I can’t put my finger on why.
Other than that, the book was very enjoyable, and I’m glad I read it. I will probably read the next book, Charmed Vengeance, at some point.
The unique setting of Innocent Darkness was what caught my attention. The Fae is real, but a little different than the usual fae that we see in young adult novels. Every seven years, these faeries take a young girl with The Spark, wine and dine her, giving her everything she could ever dream and hope for and then sacrifice her to the earth to renew their magic. Kevighn Silver-Tongue, a hunter for the High Queen, is given one more chance to make up for losing the last girl that was suppose to be used for the sacrifice and time is running out as the magic becomes unstable and slowly begin to disappear. With his world - and himself - at risk, Kevighn must undertake the challenge, even though he has lost some heart.
In the human world, it’s the turn of the century, early 1900s and Magnolia is a head-strong, smart girl who is living in a society that will try its best to stop her from making her own decision - after all society knows what’s best for women! Through a series of unfortunate events, she finds herself in a house for girls, where the heads are set on stomping out any individuality and making the young ladies into ladies society will welcome.
The premise of the story, the setting… everything was aligned for a wonderful tale, however, I found Innocent Darkness lacking. It started of with a bang, Magnolia - Noli - and her friend Steven - V - are caught illegally flying a car that Noli fixed and Noli ends up in a reform school in San Francisco. The things that happen at the school are very real and I felt for poor Noli and found myself rooting for her to remain the same and not be broken. Then, Noli is taken into the Otherworld and everything goes downhill from there.
The biggest issue that I had with this story is the love triangle! It’s not just that I’m not a fan of love triangles that I found an issue with it, it’s that this love triangle makes absolutely no sense to me! I’m sure there might be a bit of Stockholm Syndrome going on, but the way that Noli falls for Kevighn when he’s basically going to kill her was quite unbelievable - even the little explanation between Noli and Charlotte felt flat and forced. Also, the way Kevighn became enamored with Noli was also unbelievable and a little creepy, especially when he keeps comparing her to his younger sister.
The other issue I had was Noli’s behaviour towards the end. Yes, I get that she wants to go home to her mother, but she seems a little out of character towards the end, almost acting like a petulant child and this caused me to lose any respect I built up for her in the beginning.
The first half of the book flew by, but I found myself slowing trudging through the last half, as the characters irked me. It’s a shame this happened, the story really was interesting and the setting was gorgeous, I wish I could have cared about what happened to Noli and her friends in the end, she had such great potential. But alas, in the end it wasn’t a tale for me.
[Review of ARC from BEA]
Noli’s character is great! She’s not your typical girl, especially during the Victorian era. She’s rather work on things, and go play around on a hover board, than fuss over sewing or anything societal ladies do. She’s very intelligent, and doesn’t let anyone get her down. She does seem to have some confusion when it comes to boys. She’s never had much experience around them, and freaks out with the feelings she’s beginning to get. I also love Charlotte. She’s had a tough life, but doesn’t let her affect her. Even when things seem to be dire, she stays positive. I think my favorite line from Charlotte is “I choose to be happy.” If only more people thought like her. Now on to our handsome young men. Steven, or V, is a sweetheart. He means well, and truly cares for Noli. I’m not a fan of him keeping secrets, but he did what he thought was best. Then there’s Kevighn… He’s your typical bad boy. He’s got ulterior motives, but he just puts off the sexy. And you know how I tend to fall for the bad ones. :P
The story line progresses pretty quickly. Noli’s time at Findlay House was the absolute hardest to get through. Not because it was slow, but from what she endure while there. Reading about that place gave me nightmares. I just have to say that I’m glad I didn’t live during that time period. There are so many aspects to the Otherworld. You never really know what to expect. Some fairytales we know are true, but somethings aren’t. Noli has to figure out how to get home, and save an entire civilization.
Great for those that like steampunk, or fairytales with a twist.
We are thrown into another adventure as Noli and V try to find the remaining pieces of the staff. V has to overcome a lot of insecurities in this book. He struggles to be okay with the things that come to pass, and it’s understandable but very frustrating. Noli fights to make V realize that she isn’t going to break. She’s capable of taking care of herself. We see more of Kevighn’s character in this book. We learn quite a few things, and begin to see why he is so mad.
There are so many twists and turns in this installment. Some I could predict, but others, I was like “did that just happen???” There is a lot of sleuthing in this novel, and I love that Noli helps put these plans into action. We also get to see Jeff and Vix some, and that is freaking awesome. Jeff is ridiculously protective of Noli, but so is Vix. I want to be like her when I grow up. She’s strong, determined, and loyal to those she cares about.
I can’t wait for the next book. I need to know how everything is going to play out. There’s so much that happens in this book, and I need answers! :D
In Charmed Vengeance we get to go on an adventure. V has a things he has to do, but can’t have anything to do with Noli. Noli is trying to figure out how to live after being a part of the Faerie realm. And Keveign is doing his usual and drinking his life away. We also get to meet Jeff and Vix. I freaking love Vix. She’s bossy, and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Jeff drove me crazy with being so over protective of Noli.
There are twists and turns in all directions. You don’t know who you can trust, and what will happen from one day to the next. There always seems to be an obstacle, and our characters literally just miss each other in the same locations. There is a ton of action. I mean what can you expect when you travel with air pirates.
I don’t want to give much away and spoil anything for you, but this is a great sequel, and had me wanting to the next book right away. Things happen, questions are sort of answered, and some people are just awful.
Pretty good read which strongly reminded me of Melissa Marr's fae series. However, I think the cover misleads you in a lot of ways. I thought this would be steampunk, but it's only slightly steampunk-ish.
Noli is a young mechanic and a daughter of an impoverished lady, who is strongly opposed to her doing any sort of manual work. When she gets into trouble flying a car she just fixed without a permit and a license, the police gives her a choice - to pay for her crimes and in a process hurt her mom's business, or go into a reform school in San Francisco where they will turn her into a lady. She obviously agrees to the latter.
Findley school is a sort of sadistic poisonous environment you would expect from Jane Eyre's novel. Girls are systematically beaten, given weird medical treatment (read, - torture) by a creepy doctor with an unhealthy interest in young females. Noli goes along with everything to get out as soon as possible until her friend, Charlotte, is taken away by her abusive uncle, and then her inner talent and a magical wish on summer solstice transfer her to The Otherworld.
The rest of the book (a big chunk of it) happens in fae lands. Unfortunately The Otherworld is dying and needs a sacrifice of someone with enough Spark (talent, creativity) every 7 years. The Queen and The Huntsman think that Noli can be the one, their only problem is that the girl resists all the temptations and gifts. She just wants to go home and misses her friend, V.
I think the problem with this book for me is that it's sooo tame. Noli does a lot of gardening and thinking but doesn't act at all, she waits for someone else to sort her out. The Otherworld's description is severely lacking. All you've got is some glimpses of Alice in Wonderland. Unlike Melissa Marr's books this doesn't have this dark and twisted urgency, it doesn't come alive.
So, it's a very pretty story with a knight in shining armour coming to the rescue and everything else conveniently falling into place at the last moment, but it's all too superfluous to my liking, all talk and no deed.
The finale has an interesting twist though, and I would like to continue with the series to find out where it will end.
Noli and her true love V fear the worst if the Staff of Eris—a potent Otherworld relic—falls into the wrong hands. Broken into pieces and hidden in the mortal realm long ago, the staff bestows vast powers on whoever possesses it. Ciarán, the dark king, is trying to rebuild the staff, intending to use it to install a new queen.
In a desperate effort to keep the Otherworld from falling into darkness, Noli and V plot the daring theft of a jewel Ciarán needs to complete the staff. But Ciarán is not so easily defeated. Through his devious machinations, he has set a plan in motion for a final showdown that will decide who rules the Otherworld once and for all.
WARNING: If you haven't read the first two books in this series yet, read no further as this review contains spoilers for both books. Plus, the first two books are very entertaining reads.
OK, first off, this is not the final book in the series. Or at least I don't think it's meant to be. . . The ongoing saga of Noli, V, James, and crew picks up essentially were it left off at the end of Charmed Vengeance. This installation may have a bit less on the hardcore action side of things, but it makes up for it with some heavy emotional gambits, as well as some surprises I certainly didn't see coming. Come to think of it, there may be about the same amount of action as in the other books, simply distributed a bit differently.
As usual, Noli gets the bad reputation of being too impulsive, when she's just trying to do the right thing, which usually doesn't turn out as planned. But this time it's a big one, enough that it threatens to split Noli and V apart. They're both going to have to do some pretty fast talking, to each other and many, many others if they both want to see the other side of their current situation.
Luckily they have a voice of reason in James, and he basically tells V to man up, and pull his act together before he loses the best thing that's ever happened to him. James' advice to Noli is more along the lines of, have patience with V and that the two of them need to do some serious work on their communication skills if they plan to marry and build a life together. But the couple struggle with strong emotions that don't really feel like their own. Is High Queen Tiana trying to find a way to break them up without breaking her prior vow? Or is someone, or something, trying to manipulate them into a specific response? And to what end?
Where so many others did a bunch of maturing in Charming Vengeance, Kevigh really didn't have much chance. Or more precisely he wasn't ready to take advantage of the chances he had. Luckily, those waiting for his return were willing to wait a bit longer. However, has he reached the point where he can let go of the past and move forward? Is he ready to clean up his act?
Elise, younger sister to V and James, and the only potential threat to High Queen Tiana's throne, plays a large role in this book. Of course at this age she's not much of a threat to the High Queen, and pretty much everyone wants to ensure that the High Queen continues to feel that way about her. Elise finally gets to the Otherworld, and begins having her own adventures with her new friend. Her new friend who just happens to be from the dark court, long considered one of the earth court's enemies. Her brothers are frantic to find her and when they learn where she is they're even more frantic to get her back. For they don't trust the dark court, and they certainly don't trust the dark court king, Ciarán. Especially as he is also trying to gather all the pieces of the Staff of Eris, which they assume he plans to assemble so that he can wield it himself. Yet Noli doesn't get the same bad vibe from Ciarán that the guys do. It could be because she's not originally from the Otherworld, or maybe she just senses something they don't, or won't. Either way, they're all going to have to work together sooner or later, and from the sound of things it will probably be sooner.
Back in Boston there are any number of big surprises for all. The return of someone from the past shocks and excites many, as do a pair of weddings held at the same time, and possibly even news of a baby on the way. But there is still so much that is yet to be resolved. It feels as if the story is beginning to wrap up, but it could easily be done over two books if Ms. Lazear wanted to draw things out. However with just the information the readers have now, I would anticipate the conclusion to the current storyline in the next book. Of course that's not to say that the Otherworld won't yield more stories to those who believe.
P.S. Don't forget - whenever you're visiting the Otherworld, never eat anything, and always remember your manners by saying things like "I appreciate it," or "How kind of you," but for all that you hold dear, never, ever say "Thank you."
When her true love, Steven, is forced to break their magical bond, Noli Braddock decides to join her brother on the crew of the Vixen's Revenge.
With its gleaming brass, dark wood, and spotless clockwork gears, the Vixen's Revenge is a beautiful airship. But Noli discovers a dangerous secret beneath its polished exterior--the crew has been hired to steal dozens of priceless Otherworld artifacts. Desperate to keep her past Otherworld experiences hidden from the airship crew, Noli fears that if she doesn't risk telling her own secrets, the stolen artifacts will be used to destroy both of the worlds she loves.
Praise: "[Lazear's] imagination soars as high as her airship, and it will have readers hooked."--Kirkus Reviews
WARNING: If you haven't read the first book in this series yet, read no further as this review contains spoilers for book One. Plus, the first book is a very entertaining read. *Personal irritant - the large number of grammatical errors I discovered in the e-book version I read. There were missing words, incorrect words, punctuation mistakes, etc. It's almost as if the e-book version was simply not edited or proofread prior to release.
There's plenty of action in this book, but just as importantly this book shares some very important lessons that each of the main characters learn as they mature. Noli has finally returned to her mother's home in Los Angeles, after her stay at Findlay House, and experiences journeying through the Otherworld. Though her mother is unaware of the fact that Noli wasn't at Findlay House the entire time, she knows something is different about her daughter. She sees the physical changes in Noli, which lead her to believe that her daughter is now a 'lady.' The same changes that came from making a bargain with the Faery Queen, who spitefully turned Noli into a Sprite. While beautiful, Sprites are not known for their intelligence or focus, instead they enjoy parties, nice dresses, tea parties. In short, they are exactly what Noli was struggling against becoming, vacuous Society dolls.
Thanks to the quick thinking by James and V, Noli retains much of her original self, but she constantly struggles with the Sprite for control over her mind and body. Yet this new situation is actually good for Noli in some aspects, for she learns to share with the Sprite. In doing so she discovers there is more substance to the Sprite than she shows, she simply doesn't enjoy thinking, the same way Noli doesn't want to be shallow like the Sprite. She also learns some magical skills, which will be useful later.
Like Noli's lessons learned through her dealings with the Sprite, V also learns some important lessons of his own. He learns to rely upon James more often, which is good training for the when he takes back the earth court in the Otherworld, assuming he'll be successful when the time comes. But a very important lesson that James has learned and shares is good for all the readers as well, and that is to live in the moment, everyday, all the time.
Even Kevighn learns some lessons, the main one being that you can always go home. After letting the Faery Queen down, at least in her insane mind, Kevighn feels he has nothing of value left. He wallows in the mortal world, indulging in his personal vices, at least until something calls him back to the Otherworld. Once he returns, he returns all the way, going back to his roots, where he learns that family will take you in even when no one else will.
The lessons to be learned are demonstrated in fascinating ways, and sometimes it takes numerous attempts before they are taught to the writer's satisfaction. Most of the lessons involve exciting action, with edge of your seat thrills that keep you turning page after page. Each time you think it's safe to relax something new occurs, dragging you right back into the action. Certainly a sequel with legs, which can only lead me to believe that the next book in the series will be at least as good, and more than likely it will be better as Ms. Lazear continues to use her charismatic characters to explore her well developed world.
A hoverboard appeared in her rearview mirror. "This is the Los Angeles Air Patrol," a voice boomed. "I command you to land your vehicle in the name of the law."
Noli Braddock and her best friend V's incident with a flying auto have landed them in a heap of trouble. And when Noli is sent to a spirit-squelching reform school in San Francisco, she's sure that her rebellious adventures are over.
Meanwhile, Kevighn Silver has been ordered by the Faerie Queen to bring a mortal girl back to the Otherworld. The magic requires a blood sacrifice every seven years, and only a mortal girl who shines with the Spark--a girl like Noli--will keep the Otherworld from complete destruction.
When an ill-timed wish sends Noli tumbling into the Otherworld, she's more homesick than ever . . . until V arrives to save her from an untimely demise. But who exactly is V? And if he helps Noli escape, who will save the realm of Faerie from utter annihilation?
An exhilarating romp with an intriguing cast, set in an era crafted from a jumbled collection of various periods of time, combined with a dash fantasy, and all blended together to create an exceptionally unique era, this book is clearly the beginning of an fantastic journey through an uninhibited world of wild imagination. The year is 1901, but it certainly doesn't match the 1901 of our history. Women are still subjugated, with proper ladies working on their cross stitching, serving tea, and never read anything more mentally stimulating than Harpers or Godey's. Much of their time is spent discussing the latest fashions and other inane prattle, especially those in the upper class. Classism still runs rampant, women still wear corsets, and yet they also have technology such as hoverboards and flying cars. Though of course women aren't allowed to pilot them.
In this social mess, where vapid women are prized, young Miss Magnolia Braddock is considered to be something of a hoyden. Magnolia's upperclass family has fallen upon hard times since her father and his entire structural engineering team disappeared following the great quake in San Francisco. Known as Noli to her mother, older brother Jeff, and best friend/next door neighbor V, she is a young lady who refuses to follow societal conventions. Her Spark that makes her so unique is also what helps get her into her current troubles, unbeknownst to her.
Noli is the opposite of what a young woman should be, as she thinks for herself, is as educated as she can get away with, and is more than willing to roll up her sleeves and get dirty doing what she loves best. Her dream is to someday go to university and study botany, but in the meantime she also tinkers with machines. One such project is to restore the Pixy, an old flying automobile her father had planned to fix up, prior to his disappearance. A project that taught her a lot about how mechanical things worked. Had she never restored the Pixy she and V most likely would never have landed in the mess they were currently in.
The two friends she has are also unconventional. V is her next door neighbor and partner in crime, always taking the blame for whatever scrapes they got into, as well as admiring her from afar. For though he may spend as much time as possible with her he never confesses to his true feelings for her. Charlotte is Noli's lifeline, another labeled young woman who is unashamedly a triangle in a society full of square pegs. She refuses to submit and be remade to fit everyone's expectations of a proper young lady.
When Noli ends up in Faery, or the Otherworld as they call it, her guide just happens to be Kevighn Silver. The very Fae whose job it is to locate a mortal young woman not only on the cusp of full-blown womanhood, but more importantly one who possesses the Spark. The Spark, that undefinable something which will appease the land for the next seven years. Something went awry at the last offering and now all of Faery is suffering, and even the mundane humans are suffering, though they've yet to notice the changes yet.
But things in the Otherworld are not always as they seem. Even the people, or Fae, are not always as they seem. Each character has their own troubles to attend to, and there are many, many surprises along the way. Will V and Noli be able to escape, or is she fated to become the next sacrifice? Noli struggles with the idea that she could yield her life to save hundreds, if not thousands of lives, or she could be selfish and want to escape regardless of the cost to all those depending upon the magic for their very lives. Several of those lives that hang in the balance have become her friends, even in the relatively short amount of time she's been there. Can V figure out a way to rescue Noli? Can Kevighn get to Noli in time? So many questions that demand answers, both internal and external. Thankfully this is part of a series, given all the cliffhangers at the end!
Quick & Dirty: Noli struggles with her sprite self and Steven’s break up, while Steven and James go questing for the queen.
Opening Sentence: “Welcome everyone to this special day.”
The Review:
Noli has finally become a lady (according to her mother) but from no help from the “school” Noli was sent to in the previous book. Nope, Noli has the sprite in her head to thank for all of the dainty sewing and mindless curtsies she has perfected in the past two months. But with her previous visit to the Otherworld still looming over her and Steven, home has not been the relief she expected. Especially when her grandfather stops by to visit and discovers her and her mother’s financial needs. Or when Steven is called away to Queen Tiana to finish the “task” he promised her. Or when the sprite takes over and Noli can’t remember what happened five minutes ago. In fact, the highlight of the summer would be her brother Jeff visiting for a day…until that visit turns into an offer as an engineer aboard his pirate ship the Vixen’s Revenge. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Noli takes the offer until she and Steven can be together again…except it may be more complicated than just fixing the engine fans for a couple weeks. Past promises and future love struggle against each other as the characters are pulled into the Otherworld’s brewing rebellion.
Once the story gets going (as in after the first 100 pages) this story has non-stop twists and turns, revelations and hidden agendas, and introducing a new set of characters you will love and hate. The plot became a bit muddled since the book is really three stories in one: Noli on board the pirate ship, Steven and James questing and Kevighn Silver’s life of exile. And really, the plots only became interesting after they became intertwined in each others’ stories. But enough was happening in Noli’s story that I kept reading. Really, just getting through the first 100 pages is worth it.
Noli’s character developed so much throughout this book. It isn’t often someone has another person (let alone fey) in their head. As Noli fights with the sprite in her head for control, it brings her brother to question her mental state: but also what happened in those two months Noli disappeared. As Jeff inches closer to the truth and the sprite controls more of their life, Noli struggles to manage her new life. I really enjoyed this new Noli, one who is more complex and less naive than before. And although the sprite could be ridiculously annoying, I grew to sympathize with her and by the end of the book, I was surprised how much I appreciated her too.
Once the plot gets rolling and the new characters are introduced, I could not put this book down. From the old and new characters to the mortal world and the Otherworld, the book really is a great read. There is no major cliffhanger, but there is a whisper of rebellion off in the distance. Who knows what the next installment will bring?
Notable Scene:
“Winky, why don’t you ensure Noli knows everything she needs to about the ship.” Vix picked up her coffee mug and shoved it in Jeff’s hands. “Jeff will wash up. I’ll take the helm.” She strode onto the bridge with as much poise as Queen Tiana.
“And that is our beloved ship’s captain.” The corners of Thad’s lips twitched as he leaned on the back legs of his chair, the unpatched eye gleaming.
Jeff shook his head, smiling to himself, as he began to wash up.
Noli brought him the stack of plates. “You sure know how to pick them.”
He laughed. “Oh, Noli, you have no idea.”
FTC Advisory: Flux provided me with a copy of Charmed Vengeance. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Noli is having a hard time in this second book. The sprite inside her is taking over for periods of time and she can't remember anything while the sprite is in possession of her body. To make matters worse, V. is forced to break the sigil she wears that gives her the protection of his house, essentially breaking their understanding that they will marry. But Noli isn't the type to faint and die from things like this. Noli is the type to fight and trust that things will get better and she and V. will get back together. And she isn't going to wait for it to happen. I love how Noli fights against the sprite who likes fancy dresses and pretty shiny things, a big hindrance while Noli works on a big shiny engine on Jeff's airship. Sometimes the sprite and Noli can share consciousness, but sometimes, Noli wakes up to the horror that the sprite has done. It's horrible only because the captain of "Jeff's ship" is Vix, a female women's rights activist who isn't prone to pretty things like fancy dresses and shiny things.
Jeff, Noli's brother, shows up at just the right time and is a great addition to the characters in this series. He is ultra protective of Noli as are all of his shipmates. He knows something happened to her and that sometimes she seems to disappear even now. He is very worried about her, and as he is in love with Vix and she him, they share their worries. We also find out that, though some of his actions are illegal, some of his illegal actions involve rescuing kidnapped children. And for that, I can certainly forgive him for being an airpirate!
V. is in this one again and YAY! for that. I love that everything seems to not work out too easily for V. He travels with James and we get to learn a little more about him. It's fun to see the two of them questing together. But what I love most is seeing how much V.'s mission is to get back to Noli.
The world is once again 1901 alternate United States. More or less the same, but steampunk and some of the states are altered. There is a war with Hawaii called the Pineapple Rebellion as they try to retain their independence from the United States. And the state of Deseret which is a fictional state and one of the author's own creation. There is child trafficking which, according to the author did happen (and continues) at the turn of the century. Airships, machines, and the Otherworld all intermingle. The Fae mingle with the human world without most of the human's knowing. However, the Otherworld and the Human world are co-dependent and without balance in one, there is no balance in the other. This was a theme that was explained in Innocent Darkness. It continues in this novel.
The story is very interconnected. Noli runs away from her mother and grandfather who want to take her to Boston for "The Season". She is on Jeff's airship, The Vixen's Revenge (there's a story in that name, I'm sure) but it's not Jeff's ship, he's just the pilot. The captain and owner is Vix, the woman Jeff is in love with and who Noli has to convince that she's not a "lady" but an engineer and feminist enough to be on board the ship. A problem for sure with the sprite inside of her. V. has to make good on the favor he promised his mother the Queen Tiana which becomes a quest. He drags James along who is, understandably, in sad shape. That quest becomes another quest and Queen Tiana, as well as fellow members of the Otherworld hinder them at every turn. And then it seems that the world has Noli and V. just missing each other at every port and turn. It was a cross country race despite the fact that they weren't trying to find each other. A shocking ending concludes this fast paced and breathless novel.
No second book syndrome here. Though it might take a page or two to get going, this novel is fast and action packed, full of adventuresome air pirates and questing faeries, nefarious otherworlders and our lovable Noli and V. and another couple to fall for Jeff and Vix! The ante has been upped in this series! Noli is still the key even if she wasn't sacrificed and I can't wait to read the next book in this series!!
I received a copy for a review from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review. The opinions expressed are my own.
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I would probably have to give it a solid 3.5 stars
There are many things going on in this book, from steampunk to fairies and well the ending was sort of confusing. However it was pretty good, and I would read more in the series.
Thank you NetGalley, Flux Books, and Susan Lazear for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Well, it seems like Lazear is working out some kinks with her sophomore publication. I really enjoyed the first of the Aether Chronicles, but it seems like this book dragged on interminably. I know that Lazear is probably gearing up for some amazing "shebangs" in the next book: Kevin Silvertongue is back in the Otherworld after being banned, and he's working for the evil king; Noli and V had some major difficulties, what with V destroying the magical amulet that holds Noli in the Earth Court and then not finding one another in the real world, which put their romance on hold; we barely got to meet Noli's brother and his fiance Vix (who seems to be a real likable bad-ass, if you ask me); and then there's the whole thing with Noli suddenly having a split-personality-sprite problem. This book seems like the warm-up, you know? Can't wait to see what happens next.
And for those of you who were wondering, the heat-level on this book is 0, especially compared with the previous book!
OK, there were certainly good points. The opening of the book is VERY strong--Noli is brilliant, adventurous, and fluctuates between confidence and teenage awkwardness in a way that really resonated with me. V looks to be a completely different kind of male lead--sort of Noli's sidekick, coming across as maybe a little shy, but practical and brilliant in his own right, as well as one of the few people willing to believe in a stircrazy teenage girl. They take a repaired hovercar for an illegal spin--crash spectacularly--and Noli gets hauled off to the police station.
I was, at this point, hooked. I was expecting Cinder-esque levels of extraordinarily beloved characters. Why, why, whyyyyy did it go downhill from there?
Granted, it is psuedo-historical fiction--the story is told in an alternate reality, but still one at such a time that girls are considered a bit second-class and a lot useless. Fine. I can work with that. But Noli keeps alternating between railing against this system (without actually fighting against it after the one thrilling disaster with the hovercar) and then acting like it's all perfectly normal and waltzing along to the beat of everyone else's drums. I admit that this aspect bothered me a lot. I wanted Noli to either stop whining, put on her big girl panties and DO something about it, or I wanted her to treat the subordination of women as a natural thing to be suffered, instead of constantly drawing attention to it like she plans to do something incredible. Which she didn't. She sat back and let the menfolk save her. And cried a lot.
For the rest of the story, Noli apologizes for being interesting in the beginning because it makes her a 'bad daughter' and a hoyden. I can only assume that Ms. Lazear meant for us to be discomfitted by this and how the world tries to fit Noli in a box... But Noli just LETS them. There's no fight at all. It's very hard to stomach.
V fares little better; by the end of the story he comes across as a sort of sexist prince charming, determined to protect Noli from everything from his world to his parents to herself and not ever stopping to ask how she feels about this. Not that she does anything to indicate she wants to be asked; she's content enough to be led around by the hand by one person after another. The biggest decision she makes in the course of the story is whether or not to guard her chastity. Oh hooray Noli. You're in fairy land, where you could be looking for your father, where you could be trying to learn about technology and aether and sparks, where you could try to culture faery plants to take back to earth--and you manage not to sleep with the beautiful young men literally throwing themselves at you. Inspiring.
If you want a consistently interesting character, that's Keveighn. He's this collection of bad habits and entirely contemptible in the beginning of the story, but you end up liking him by the end, if only because he's the only one in the story who refuses to do as he's expected. Keveighn proved full of all sorts of interesting opinions and inexplicable goodness and inopportune moments. He likes Noli for reasons that feel believable--she treats him like family, and he's been alone for a long time. The time they're together is actually a little heartwarming (until the queen shows up and basically orders Keveighn to rape her--then it gets creepy), but we know nothing will come of it because Noli's fussing about having feelings for Keveighn still makes it abundantly clear that she's only going to end up with V. Which is annoying because between the two love interests, Keveighn is the one who treats Noli like a person, instead of a doll to be guarded (ironic, considering why he brought her to the Otherworld). He's interested in her opinions, appreciates what she can do... In one of my favorite scenes, he notices that V hit Noli and gets really pissed off, demanding that she come with him. And it's not in a particularly Grr Me Must Protect Weak Female way--he lets her choose whether to come with him and backs off when she doesn't want to--he genuinely seems to hate the idea of Noli letting herself get slapped around. Noli's interactions with V tend to leave her crying and clinging to him, making him come across as stifling and her as a toddler. She was Keveighn's prisoner almost the entire time they were together and she still seemed more free than she does when she's with V.
The plot is pretty standard. Not bad, but very predictable. Doubly so in that the protagonist guiding us through all of this makes virtually no decisions of her own.
In conclusion: lots of potential; fell flat. If you're going to read it, read it for the walking contradiction of Keveighn, opening scenes with illegal skymobiles, and reasons to hate boarding schools.
Quick & Dirty: Though the novel starts out as a promising steampunk, it quickly becomes another paranormal love triangle with some confusing contradictions in the story line.
Opening Sentence: ”Still working, Noli?” V’s voice startled her, making her bang her head against the undercarriage of the automobile.
The Review:
At the very beginning of the novel we learn our heroine’s a troublemaker. Fighting the constraints of Victorian California society, she tinkers with her father’s flying car and eventually causes more trouble than the legal system is willing to tolerate. The system takes Noli out of her mother’s care, revealing more about her family than Noli knew. Our heroine gets sent to a reform school in San Fransisco — though she’s too naïve to understand what that really means — where they’re going to mold her into a marriageable young lady. Forcefully.
Lucky for Noli she has what the faeries call a Spark. More than enough Spark to attract the Faerie Queen’s huntsman Kevighn. The last girl he kidnapped ended up killing herself before the Sacrifice — meaning that the Otherworld is dying. With it, so will the mortal world’s creativity. But Noli’s different from the hundreds of other girls Kevighn has kidnapped over the years, and he falls in love with her.
The characters ring a distinct lack of development. Noli is of course so wonderful Kevighn, the jaded opium addict, becomes inspired to love her. V, the boy-next-door that Noli has actual feelings for, starts out sweet (if cliché) and ends up being given the role that gives him a real chance at saving Noli. None of it rang true. I didn’t believe Kevighn would ever fall for Noli, didn’t believe V’s super-big secret. Kevighn’s character is left so open-ended that as a reader the fact he’ll be incredibly important in the sequel is lit up in neon lights. V becomes a little ridiculous, no matter how much I tried to like him.
And then we get to our heroine. She was so incredibly naïve I almost came to doubt her intelligence. The main reason I didn’t is because she did, in fact, build a flying car. While I love the way Lazear demonstrates her strengths in the reform school, tackling huge subjects like sexual abuse, it was still hard for me to get into her head. Maybe part of this was the POV changes that never seemed to flow together, but I think it was mostly how naïve she was. Then, even though the author has made it clear Noli’s real feelings are for V and Kevighn sacrifices girls, she struggles for pages on who she truly belongs with.
This book could easily have existed without the steampunk elements, and it might have turned out better that way. There is just so much going on that Lazear never goes into the technology that’s supposed to define Innocent Darkness as a steampunk. The story was torn between Victorian Gothic and the steampunk genre, so neither one actually prevailed in setting an engaging atmosphere for the novel. In fact, it was far more a Faerie novel than either of those two. I hope the sequel delves more into the world-building that I found lacking here. I’m also hoping the sequel begins to move away from the convenience-issues Innocent Darkness had and actually strives to make the characters complex.
Notable Scene:
Her life flashed before her eyes as she gagged and choked on the water pouring through the cloth. Images of her father, her mother, Jeff, V…
Yes, she was going to die. All because she hid a book. Her mama would never know how much she loved her, how sorry she was. Tears rolled down her face as she waited for death.
The cloth rose again. Air. Sweet air. She gasped for breath. Heart speeding, she waited for Miss Gregory to put back the cloth.
But she didn’t.
“Never be disobedient again, Magnolia,” Miss Gregory warned, every word making Noli tremble in terror. “I guarantee that you won’t like the consequences.”
FTC Advisory: Flux provided me with a copy of Innocent Darkness No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Why would I recommend this novel? It's utterly it's own fantasy world. It takes the otherworld and turns it on it's ear. Suzanne Lazear only kept a very few things that I've read about faeries in her story. It might as well be a totally different world, and it is really. The courts are air, fire, water and earth joined to a central court but there is still a darke court. You still can't trust a faery. EVER! They need BLOOD SACRIFICES! That's the first time I've read that. And let me tell you, even the nice guys, they admit, they need it. She built an incredibly fascinating otherworld. But first, she built an incredibly fascinating alternate Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Noli, short for Magnolia is a very strong character. Most of the story is told from her point of view, but not all. She has amazing resilience. She tinkers with a flying car until she finally gets it running only to crash it minutes later and gets hauled into the police station for driving without a license. In this world, early 1900's Los Angeles, women have no rights. Can't drive, vote, but Noli wants to go to University to be a botanist. Socialite women, like they used to be before Noli's father disappeared in the San Francisco earthquakes, never even held jobs. But now, Noli's mother has a dress shop. Noli tends the house and the gardens and tries to keep up the outside of the house. But the machines call to her. When she's sent to reform school for girls, she bears their punishments which are very cruel and unusual, until a particularly brutal night. When she finds herself in the Otherworld, she's very smart about it. She is not a character you'll throw your hands up in frustration about. She is extremely sensible.
Steven, V., for short is the boy next door, literally. He is a contradiction if there ever was one. He always is cautious with Noli, telling her to behave, remember she can't get in trouble, be careful etc. And unlike Noli's mother who believes Noli is at a nice school for boisterous girls, he knows she's at a terrible school. He worries about her constantly, but he's hiding a huge secret. One that is revealed and when it is....well let's say the steam in this novel doesn't just come from the engines!
I loved that some of the chapters were from some of the POV of some of the men in the book. There was some small amount of predictability, but that may change. I certainly didn't see the ending happening. My only complaint is that I'll have to wait so long for the next book in the series! There was no big cliff hanger ending, so thanks to Suzanne Lazear for that! This one is definitely one that I'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel to and any little novellas if any come out!
Recommended for older YA readers due to mature themes.
Thanks to Flux Publishers and NetGalley for the E-ARC for review. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
As the plot progresses, I thought it was off to a good start. The reform school part really got me into the story and I thought it was going to get better. Then the faeries come in. I’m not much for faeries, they’re my least favorite paranormal beings (so perhaps I’m biased when it comes to this). Then the book suddenly stops becoming steampunk and goes into the romance and fantasy phase. This is where my interest in the book started to drop. Noli’s character started to becoming something that I wasn’t expecting at all. She becomes all girly, needy, clingy, and all around irritating.
The romance aspect of the book was starting to irritate me as well and the plot just seemed to have taken a nosedive from there. V was interesting at first as well, but then when the romance starts to happen I was personally starting to get real sick of all three: Noli, Kevighn, and V. Then when James and Charlotte joined in the picture the story got unbearable and predictable.
This book just wasn’t the one for me. Perhaps others will enjoy this one. It just stops becoming steampunk and then evolves into fantasy and romance. I was really hoping for a good novel featuring engines, gears and goggles. Not much so in this book. Sad to say I was very disappointed in this one.
Yes, there are a lot of strong, independent females leads in YA literature nowadays, but Noli has intelligence. When she's taken to the Otherworld, she doesn't get distracted from her desire to return home, and she asks intelligent questions that force the truth out of those who try to deceive her. She also chooses the right guy. Because of her intelligence, I am surprised by what she and V try to do at the end though, despite knowing not to bargain with the fae. She is desperate to go home though, and she really cares about her mother.
The story is character oriented and develops the plot through the perspectives of Noli, V, and Kevighn. V is the boy next door. He's sweet, kind, and always there for Noli. However, he's hiding a secret from her; as she discovers, some of the stories he's fed her since forever are actually true. I wish his other side was more developed as it comes out rather spontaneously. Towards the end of the story, his personality changes a bit as he quickly settles into his other life. Kevighn is the bad boy, the seducer and woman maker. His personality is also a bit off. First he acts one way and then is something else, and I have no idea when his interest in Noli begins.
While I do like character-oriented books, Innocent Darkness doesn't fully develop the characters and doesn't pay enough attention to developing the plot. It started fairly strong but quickly fell apart after Noli finds herself in the Otherworld. I will not be reading book two.
Misleading Cover:
Based off the cover this book should be about steampunk and airships and girls who fly airships, right? All of that was there in maybe the first 50 pages then the next 350 pages were about the Fae and romance. Mentions of steampunk and airships were thrown in once in a while, but besides that there was nothing about this book that should allow it to be categorized as steampunk.
Mediocre Characters:
I liked Noli in the beginning of the book, but later she got a little annoying. Whenever there was a difficult situation she would run off and cry. Like that would solve anything. I think she's been watching too many Disney princess movies (not that they had them back then). V was an okay love interest. I found Kevighn to be far more interesting though a little underdeveloped as a character. Other characters weren't all that memorable. I liked James and Charlotte and I would love to read more about them.
Scattered Plot:
There was a lot going on in the summary so when I started I didn't really know what to expect. The plot was much the same way. The author pushed a lot of different elements into her book and it just seemed a little overwhelming. Plus the pacing was erratic. Sometimes the plot would be fast and exciting and then the next chapter it would get dull until it eventually picked up again. Also everything seemed too convenient. There was a problem, little bit of research was done, some time passes by, and then the solution appeared. Too easy and a lot of times I would say to myself "Totally saw that coming in the last chapter" or something similar. So it's also predictable.
So 3 stars because the characters weren't too bad and this series could be saved by the second book. The ending was really open so there are a lot of possibilities for the next book. I also enjoyed the Otherworld that this book was set in half the time (the other half was set in San Francisco!).
I know this was an uncorrected proof, but no one's draft should have that many mistakes. There was a misspelling or grammatical error every other page. I hope this book goes through some heavy editing before its release next month.
Oh, and also there was a reference once or twice to Dickens' Great Expectations. That has nothing to do with the review, but I just wanted to point it out and say that I do pay attention in English class.
I was first drawn to this book by the cover. I think it’s gorgeous and really interesting. I love the depiction of Noli and immediately wanted to read the book! Unfortunately, the cover art is a very poor representation of what this book is about. There is very little steampunk and Noli doesn’t even dress like the girl on the cover. She mostly wears fancy dresses and was appalled at the idea of wearing a sleeveless dress.
The beginning of the book started out with promise. Noli is really spunky, strong, independent, and some would say a little too carefree. She doesn’t like to follow rules, she’s just out to have fun. She just illegally flew and crashed a flying car with her neighbour and best friend V (Steven), and she’s in trouble. Her options are to either go before a judge or attend a “reform school.” Her mother, desperate to save her daughter’s reputation, sends her to the school. The school turns out to be incredibly abusive. They literally beat the spunk and independence out of the admitted girls.
I was intrigued. I thought Noli was an interesting character and I was hoping she’d be really rebellious at the reform school. I was looking forward to her taking control and getting the heck out of there. And that’s about where the story went downhill…
While Noli is at the reform school, we start to learn about Kevighn. He’s from the Otherworld and he’s out hunting for a new woman. You see, the magic of the Otherworld relies on creativity—known as “Spark”— to survive, so every few years, a girl with Spark is sacrificed (killed) for the sake of this civilization. Right now the Otherworld is in desperate need of a sacrifice, so the pressure is really on. In between doing opium and sleeping with prostitutes, Kevighn is searching for a girl with a strong Spark. Then, he finds Noli at the reform school..
Kevighn’s usual routine is to seduce women into coming with him to the Otherworld and proceeding from there. So he takes Noli to his home, but as he’s about to “get to work,” he finds himself falling for Noli. He loves her innocence, her kindness, and how she turns his house into a real home.
This is about where the book started to really turn me off. I hated Kevighn’s character. I didn’t like his obsession with opium and “soft women” (as he put it). I found it distracting and a little unnecessary. We’re reminded of his addiction to both in every chapter from his POV. Secondly, he came off as just a creepy guy. He kept seducing Noli with his ‘charm’ and lies and she kept falling into it and I hated that, which leads me to my next issue.
Noli really changed throughout the book, but not in a good way. She went from being spunky, daring, and carefree to being naive crybaby obsessed with her reputation. Funny, I thought the whole reason she got sent off to reform school was because she didn't care about her reputation. As the story went on, I failed to see what was so special about Noli. Why does she have so much Spark? Any independent, carefree, creative, rebellious qualities she had faded very quickly as the story went on. She went from being potentially interesting to really bland. I thought her friend Charlotte — who supposedly had less Spark — was a lot more interesting.
Towards the second half of the book, Noli starts developing a relationship with V and it becomes clear that she’s really prude. It just seemed completely out of character. V would start making some advances and she’d literally say, “We can’t do this — what about my reputation??” What happened to carefree, spunky, do-whatever-I-want Noli? I didn’t expect her to be a slut, but she basically saw kissing as the equivalent of home plate.
Okay let’s talk about V. For most of the book I adored him. He was an awesome character and I was dying to know more about him. He was courageous, determined, and the perfect best friend. He would do anything for Noli and that was awesome. I really felt like I got invested in his character and sympathized with him. Except towards the end he got really annoying. At first he kept saying to Noli, “I won’t lie to you like they do — I’ll tell you the truth,” and at first he did and I loved him for it. But then later he was kind of hiding something from her and it just confused her and pissed me off! Then later, he kept trying to push his Fae culture onto Noli. When they’d kiss and Noli would blabber on about her reputation, he’d basically say, “Things are different in the Otherworld. Give yourself to me now.” A little paraphrasing, but his words weren’t far off. :P Even though I didn’t like Noli’s prudishness, it annoyed me that V suddenly seemed to have litte respect for her desire to remain “marriageable.”
I also encountered many grammatical errors that interrupted my reading. I did read an e-ARC so hopefully these will be fixed in the final copies. Most of them are just blaringly obvious misuses of “he/her/his/she.” For example:
He body went aflame at his touch, but fear still lingered in the pit of her belly.
Finally, the end was way too convenient and too “easy.” I can’t say much without spoilers, but just know that it kind of came out of nowhere and was annoyingly convenient. If you don’t care about spoilers, click the link below to see what I mean.
So everyone is looking at Noli to become the sacrifice to the Otherworld, then her friend Charlotte from the reform school shows up. At the beginning, Charlotte was a great character. She’s like your sparky, bubbly best friend who you can talk to about anything — especially intimate topics like sex. Anyway, she was perfectly fine at the beginning of the book but suddenly now, at the end, we find out she has a tumor! Since her days are numbered anyway, she volunteers to be the sacrifice to the Otherworld. Problem solved! Thank god for tumors?
The beginning of the book was interesting and promising, but the end just really dropped off. I almost didn’t want to finish the book and I had to push myself to complete it. I just didn’t get invested in the story, Noli got annoying, and I didn’t have a strong desire to “find out what was going to happen,” and then when I did get to the end it was way too convenient and unimaginative. I probably won’t be bothering with the rest of the series. :(
Received from NetGalley, this has no outcome on this review.
This cover looks SO COOL and makes up for the summary, which is a bit wanting. Noli Braddock is a girl with a mind of her own, and in an era of proper ladies, corsets, arranged marriages and the occasional steampunky transport, this means she’s viewed as wrong and sent to a reform school. It’s a horrible place, where an attempt is made to beat the individuality out of Noli until she’s a “proper” lady. But on mid-summer’s eve, she unknowingly makes a wish in just the right place at the just the right time, and ends up in the Otherworld, also known as the land of the fae. She’s a girl gifted with something called the Spark, and her sacrifice would keep the fae magic from collapsing in chaos and killing the entire fae civilization.
It all seems like such a cool idea, and I have to give Suzanne Lazear credit for it, but the entire thing simply falls flat in the execution.
For one, there’s barely much of a steampunk side to this novel. Noli is interested in building things, sure, and when we first meet her she illegally rides a hovercar she built out of scrap, but that’s about it when it comes to steampunk. It’s this joyride that’s the last straw on the proverbial camel’s back for the law and for her mother, who sends Noli to a reform school. This is where the novel nearly lost me entirely. I’m fine with a story doing things to move a character down a certain path, but…was all the abuse really necessary? It’s probably a personal thing, but I nearly put the book down because of it.
Second, there’s a love triangle. Yep. Mood killer. There’s Kevighn, who is the fae in charge of finding girls with the Spark for the sacrifice, and there’s Steven, who has been Noli’s best friend since they were children. The way Noli handles things here is smart, I do have to give her credit for that, but there’s so much see-sawing and waffling on what’s improper, etc etc etc.
Third — and I know this is silly but it really annoyed me — I got so sick of seeing the words “hoyden” (meaning delinquent) and “dollymop” (meaning loose woman) while I was reading. It’s like Lazear found the words out of some dictionary for the time period, and liked them so much that she used them over and over and OVER. They also seemed to be the only true period words out of the entire novel. I’m definitely not an expert in language, but nothing about the language screamed historical; everyone seemed to be speaking and thinking in a much more modern way than I’ve read in other steampunk and historical fiction novels. The only things that seemed to be right were dollymop, hoyden, and Noli being scandalized about wearing a sleeveless dress during the daytime or corsets on the outside of a dress. (You lie, book cover. You lie!)
Fourth, the ending was so rushed and seemed as though it was tacked on because the book needed closure in one or two aspects so that the rest of it could stay wide open for the second in the series. It was too neat, too simple, and the cliffhanger wasn’t much of a cliffhanger when the title of the chapter gave everything away.
I didn’t mean for this review to be entirely negative, but not one of the few things I enjoyed about the novel were strong enough to outweigh everything else. There were so many places to go and things to explore, but they all got left by the wayside for a problem that was wrapped up too easily, and for romance that had no true feeling to it.
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