Aurora in the Dark

by Sara Liane Bevis

Aurora Bradley seems to have the perfect life as the daughter of the Warden of Bradshire in the kingdom of Astoria. However, that perfect life begins to crumble the moment her father reveals a troubling secret about her late mother and himself—he is not her father at all. Her father is a lowly Astorian Guard that has been completely absent from her life. When her uncle finds out the truth, he promises to give her the life she deserves—a life of servitude. Aurora flees the only home she has ever known in search for her real father in the Astorian capital. During the long journey, she encounters a handsome and chivalrous son of a former General, Ari Forrester, who is traveling to the capital as well to join the Astorian Guard, preparing for war after the death of the prince. Together, Aurora and Ari navigate the Astorian wilderness trying to avoid the clutches of her evil uncle, and many other obstacles that come their way. The threat of more secrets between them looms as they draw closer to the capital and closer to one another’s hearts.

Genres: Fantasy

382 pages, Paperback

Published February 9, 2023

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great debut novel! The prologue grabs your attention from the very beginning and juicy twists and turns keep you interested as the story progresses. I loved the growth in Rory's character by the end. With little hints here and unanswered questions there, I can't wait to see what is in store in the next book.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. This is a debut from a local author in Southern Illinois. Overall the story was good albeit a little slow for my taste. There were plenty of *gasp* moments!

[Evan Whitlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooo good! Kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. Can’t wait to read the next one!

[Megan Flexter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabs you from the get go and keeps you guessing the whole way through! I didn’t want to put it down. I loved seeing the main character evolve throughout the book… at first, I thought she was pretty unlikable, but she learns the error in her ways the hard way! I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book of this series!

[Johnica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not going to lie; at first I wasn’t entirely sure if I would be able to get into “Aurora in the Dark”, knowing that fantasy isn’t my normal genre. However it wasn’t but a chapter or two into the story that I was HOOKED! I absolutely adored this story, the growth that we get to see in Aurora as she goes about her journey was very easy to enjoy. The story was easy to follow, the characters were well written, and I was able to picture everything wonderfully. I’m left wanting more and definitely can’t wait to see what’s in store !!

[Hel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Sara Liane Bevis at an event on 3/7/26, where the first 3 books of the Seasons of Aurora were bought for me... We talked about our enjoyment of creative writing, Astoria, and vague-ish mentions of my own writing endeavors. I had such a wonderful experience talking with her, and was incredibly excited to have had the opportunity to talk with her directly about her world before I started reading. (I'd had her series thus far saved to Amazon wishlists for some time before our fortuitous meeting.) After certain revelations in the first book, I wish I had the opportunity to ask her a million (I'm exaggerating, though it might feel like I'm not if I ever had the chance) questions about characters in the book, aspects of the world so far, and why certain things happened to the characters... All of this may not seem like part of my book review, though I assure everyone reading this that it very much is. Perception of the author is a very important thing to me for any and every book I read nowadays... And my excitement/eagerness to learn more about the "smaller" details of the story (certain name pronunciations, geographical details, other story aspects that may not necessarily drive the plot though would make the world itself more elaborate to me) shows just how invested in the story I became... Finding books that draw my attention, keep me invested, and actually have the ability to feel things while reading (being infuriated by the choices of the main character/her family/her friends/her enemies, sadness & grief alongside the main character as she experiences it at certain points [for tragically similar reasons], adoration for certain characters with even the smallest roles in the story, some catharsis at certain points, and genuinely being entertained throughout the book) is often incredibly difficult to me. If I don't find myself so fully invested in a story by the 3rd or 4th chapter, the possibility of me finishing it is incredibly slim... Aurora in the Dark though... By the second chapter, I was hooked. I would have read the book far faster if I hadn't been reading it to someone else very near and dear to my heart. A chapter a day, save for a couple of days that I absolutely could NOT stop at a cliffhanger because we HAD TO know what happened next, and weekends of no reading due to their schedule... I've intentionally not said a single thing about the events in the story specifically because I don't want to spoil any of it. The impact of knowing almost nothing going into the story is so much more enjoyable than having things spoiled on purpose or on accident. This book is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster in the best possible way, and I can't wait to read A Day in the Life of Elizabeth Ezra (starting tonight with my dear one) and then continue on with the Seasons of Aurora... My only critique on this book is that there's a few spots where the author & editors missed typos, scrambled words, & little mistakes that temporarily knocked me out of the story. They didn't do so enough to destroy my investment in it though, which does say a lot for me... I've only just finished the first book, but I'm already absolutely eagerly awaiting the release of the 4th. It's been a long time since I last found a book that held my attention so strongly... So, to the author: Sara Liane Bevis, thank you for being so excited to talk about your world with me and every other lucky reader out there. I can't wait to explore more of it.

[Book Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written fantasy filled with heart, danger, and discovery. Aurora’s journey from privilege to survival is compelling, and her search for identity gives the story real emotional weight. The world of Astoria is vivid, the stakes feel personal and political, and the slow-burn connection between Aurora and Ari adds warmth and tension without overshadowing the plot. Secrets, pursuit, and courage drive the story forward, making it an engaging and immersive read. A strong start to what feels like an epic adventure, highly recommended for fans of character-driven fantasy and romantic tension.

[Marilyn Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aurora in the Dark

Aurora is still a teenager in this first book of the Seasons of Aurora series. So much happens at this stage in her young life, forcing her to mature quickly. A young man, Ari, shows up right when she needs him. The resulting relationship develops and Aurora starts being honest with herself while lying to others. After peace in their country for twenty years, the specter of war appears. Plenty of action and revelations kept my interest. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series to see what happens with Aurora and Ari.

[Arianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 probably. Slow start, the main character is not likable but does improve throughout the book. Quite a few nice quotable moments, the setting and time period wasn’t clear to me and so some verbiage felt out of place at times. The main character seems very immature and naive throughout the entire book which gets annoying at times. I’m not sure if this is a young adult book or not. If it is considered young adult I would probably increase my rating to 3 stars. Ari is absolutely that guy though!

[Kristy Menckowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the debut novel! I didn’t really like Aurora at first but then caught myself actually rooting for her as the book progressed. Her character really developed and I was crossing my fingers for her and Ari. I can’t wait to see what happens next as this book left lots of unanswered questions!

[Andrette Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Sara Liane Bevis. Aurora and Ari make the perfect traveling companions and it was so fun to watch their journey unfold - full of danger and surprises along the way. I look forward to book 2, to see what's in store next for Aurora. Well done, Sara! 

[Diane Petty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m ready for the second book

I liked the book. I didn’t want to put it down. I am ready to know what happens to Aurora

[Hailey Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book. Such a good and easy read. Plenty of “OMG, didn’t see that coming” moments. Loved this book, start to finish.

[Jamie Ham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! Every time I thought I knew what direction the story was going there was a twist. I did not want to put it down. Can’t wait to read the next book.

[Jennifer Wilds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read the 2nd book and for book 3 to come out!

[Alysson Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the world that Sara has created! Great story with plenty of twists and turns. Can't wait to find out what's next for Aurora!

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel! It was a fast easy read for me and left me wanting more. I can’t wait to see what happens next for Aurora.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't wait to get the second book to see where this goes.

[Johnica · Rating 4 out of 5]

CAPTIVATING!

I’m not going to lie; at first I wasn’t entirely sure if I would be able to get into “Aurora in the Dark”, knowing that fantasy isn’t my normal genre. However it wasn’t but a chapter or two into the story that I was HOOKED! I absolutely adored this story, the growth that we get to see in Aurora as she goes about her journey was very easy to enjoy. The story was easy to follow, the characters were well written, and I was able to picture everything wonderfully. I’m left wanting more and definitely can’t wait to see what’s in store !!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always kept my attention. Loved it! About to read the second one