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!