Dark of the West (Glass Alliance, #1)

by Joanna Hathaway

A pilot raised in revolution. A princess raised in a palace. A world on the brink of war.

Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania―Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.

Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it―a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.

• ISBN10: 0765396416
• ISBN13: 9780765396419
• Publish Date: 1 March 2019 (first published 5 February 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 31 October 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tor Teen
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 480
• Language: English

Reviews

[tweetybugshouse]

This novel is a political charge novel that keeps you on the edge of your toes. The chemistry between the two main characters is electrifying and if you get to close to the action you will get burned. This tale is far from your average royalty falling in love with lower class novel. (In fact every time the princess says he just a farm boy i get vibes from princess bride). The tale could be set in our world during world war 2 and is pulled off very well. I not read a novel that incorporates pilots, wars and espionage in just quite this way.

This story is told in dual perspective one side is from Athan a solider (farm boy) who farther is the general. The other is from Aurelia the daughter of the one of the queens of the northern kingdom. The ending is the a turmoil rush of emotion and really has been gasping for the next book. A great debut but i would but this more in political fiction then fantasy.

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Dark of the West through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Dark of the West is Joanna Hathaway’s debut novel and the first novel in the Glass Alliance series. I have to say, even after only reading this one novel by her; Hathaway is going to be an author worth keeping an eye on.
Dark of the West is exquisitely written, there are so many details that bring the world to life. The characters feel real, as do the events surrounding them. It’s described as a YA fantasy, but I feel like that doesn’t do the new series justice. It has so much depth to it. There’s politics, war, espionage, familial battles, and even a pair of star crossed lovers. It’s got a little something for everyone, and that’s what truly makes it perfect.



I went into Dark of the West with high expectations. Those expectations were possibly higher than was fair, but I am pleased to say that all of them were met. Dark of the West is as beautifully written as the cover may indicate. Inside there’s a whole world built on the intricacy of human interactions and politics. It’s wonderfully done.
The prologue was what drew me in immediately. I’m not always a fan of having the prologue be an excerpt from a later point in a series, but in this instance, it’s applied well. We started off right into the thick of things, which is smart because it grabs our attention. But it also offered a warning for what was to come, and personally, I couldn’t be more thankful for that.
I’ll confess that it did take me a while to really get to like the two main characters from the series. I was intrigued by the story, thanks to the prologue. But I wasn’t feeling connected to the characters right away. In all it probably took me about five chapters, give or take, to really feel like Aurelia and Athan were coming to life.
I actually really loved the slow build involved there. There was no rush – but over time these characters became more and more real. Their hopes and fears were made clear, as were the ways they were being pulled into the core plot.
There was more than one moment during this novel that I found myself anxiously turning the pages to see what happened next. While I didn’t read it all in one sitting, it was a near thing. And I certainly stayed up past my bedtime thanks to this one.
I love a book that makes me think, and Dark of the West certainly did that. There were so many different plots and schemes going on. I couldn’t help but theorize about the truth of some of them while questioning the veracity of some of the very events seen by the main characters’ own eyes.
I know it’s too soon to even begin hoping for information on the sequel, but I am very much looking forward to any news. So far there’s an untitled book listed on Joanna Hathaway’s Goodreads account. I’m hoping that it’s going to turn into the second Glass Alliance novel.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Dark of the West started with a bang, and kept me engaged throughout. No seriously, we'll talk about the beginning, promise! But wow, it hooked me from literally page one, so that has to tell you something, right? Right. Anyway, as I like to do, I am going to tell you about the stuff I liked, the stuff I didn't, and the stuff I still am on the fence about!

The Stuff I Liked:

• •There is not any such magical sorcery or what have you. This may not necessarily be a pro for everyone, but what a huge win it was for me.  Idk where this was happening, but the feel was awesome. So it wasn't our world, but it also wasn't unlike our world. 



• •Speaking of the world, I found the world-building very interesting! It's almost like a mash-up of every single war the US fought in? At least, that is the vibe I felt. Which is quite fabulous. It has the royalty of the colonial era, the weaponry and tech of the World Wars, and a desperate feel à la the Civil War.



• •I adored the characters! Both main characters have a place in my heart for sure. They're so relatable, you can genuinely see where each of them is coming from. The romance is fabulous, the side characters are fabulous, and the friendships are epic. And there are absolutely characters you'll love to hate, too!



• •The story itself is incredibly high stakes. You can tell that this world is on the verge of total freaking anarchy, and everyone has a different plan for how to fix things (and in some cases, how to finagle them to their own advantage). And since I cared about the characters so much, I was quite invested in the outcome.

The Stuff I Have Mixed Feelings About:

• •The prologue. Okay so I told you how incredible the start was, and it really was! The writing is phenomenal and the author introduces the high stakes from the start. But... maybe then I knew too much during the book? And that was kind of a bummer? But honestly the prologue was done so well that I don't know if I can be mad at it? See, all the mixed feelings! Read it and decide for yourself and let me know!

The Stuff I Didn't Like:

• •I would have liked more background on the world. Like, why is everyone fighting, anyway? What/where/when are we? But perhaps we'll get more of that in subsequent books?



• •It did feel a little long at times. Now, this isn't a deal-breaker, I promise, it's just that compared to the start, certain parts felt a bit slower in comparison.

Bottom Line: This book will throw you headfirst into a world filled with war, love, and loss. Characters face grave consequences for every decision, making the stakes so, so high. Can't wait for book 2!