Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway

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.

Reviewed by tweetybugshouse on

5 of 5 stars

Share
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.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 7 December, 2019: Finished reading
  • 7 December, 2019: Reviewed