Reviewed by Leigha on
I read the Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong ages ago. During a reading slump around Thanksgiving last year, I decided to re-read the series again. I devoured the trilogy in less than a week! I’ll be writing an overview of the series rather than a review of each book, but I will attempt to be as spoiler free as possible.
I absolutely adore the main character, Chloe Saunders. She is smart, practical, and caring without being boring or unrelatable. Her motivations are always understandable. Her film screenwriting aspiration not only developed her character beyond the immediate story, it created a more atmospheric setting. The secondary characters all contain a certain amount of depth too. I adore the relationships Chloe builds with the others, especially with Tori. Chloe and Tori have a contentious relationship throughout the series. Their relationship seems to be a realistic portrayal of two women with very different personalities stuck in very close quarters.
The action-packed pacing moves forward the characters and plot at a pleasing clip. Two devices that usually drive me crazy in a story – love triangles and short timelines – are seamlessly woven into the narrative. I actually enjoyed both these devices so much more than in other stories! The intriguing world-building invests me not only in this series, but the rest of the world. I adore its focus on necromancy. Not something you read about every day!
My only complaint is the story feels unfinished. While the immediate arc is completed, so many other elements are left unfinished. I intend to read the companion series, The Darkness Rising, in hopes some of these lose ends are officially tied up.
tl;dr An action-packed thriller with a strong female character learning about love and life.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 20 November, 2017: Finished reading
- 20 November, 2017: Reviewed