What do you think?
Rate this book
Between Worlds #1
Dark Promise
Librarian's Note: Alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.
Rylie has it all - great friends, dream boy, loving family. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, her perfect little world shatters. A stranger claiming to be her real mother appears with a secret: Rylie is a faery whose powers will be unleashed on her birthday. Captured and forced into a new life, Rylie struggles to keep everything she loves and discovers a terrifying truth: some promises cannot be broken.
Rylie has it all - great friends, dream boy, loving family. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, her perfect little world shatters. A stranger claiming to be her real mother appears with a secret: Rylie is a faery whose powers will be unleashed on her birthday. Captured and forced into a new life, Rylie struggles to keep everything she loves and discovers a terrifying truth: some promises cannot be broken.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2012
366 people are currently reading
3116 people want to read
About the author
Julia Crane
78 books967 followersJulia crane is the author of the Keegan’s Chronicles, IFICS. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination.
http://juliacrane.com
http://juliacrane.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
August 6, 2013
It's really a 3.5 stars. Also I had a fabulous time Buddy Reading this with the lovely, fantastic Nellysa!
So Song Choice: "Multiply the Heartaches" by Cake, and "Bang On" by the Breeders - which its not everyone, its just two certain characters i am talking about...
So first thoughts: Both Nellysa and I agreed on this...its a hard book to rate. While the writing and story flowed amazingly well, and a book just 10 pages shy of 300 we couldn't put it down. We ended up adding more chapters to our daily reads, and obviously we read the first half yesterday and finished it this morning. With that said, we did have serious issues as well that we agreed on. Now I know this is a Young Adult, I knew that going in, but its been awhile since I have read a YA where the main character made me want to punch her and her angst which seriously could have been a separate person itself.
(couldn't resist!)
Thoughts on Plot: Now if you haven't read the Iron Fey series good, in my opinion that will most likely get me killed i enjoyed this more than i did those books.....*got murdered* i am sorry but there was just something about the iron fey series i didn't love. But anyways getting away from that. The first half of this book is us learning a lot about Rylie and her family, and the paranormal is rare but its by no means boring or dragging, honestly it moved quite quickly and i enjoyed it. The second half is the more paranormal-y part which also again moved really well, fast paced without too much going on that you are like WHOA CALM THE RIGHT DOWN! I thought that it was a very well paced, fun, light read.
While I am doing plot i am going to do romance as well: There is a love triangle, there i said it. it has been said!
Thoughts on Characters:
Rylie/Oleander: UGH. She was one of the main reasons for me that the rating went down. She is the one with the most angst. While in the first half the book she was pretty much alright until she finds out about her true heritage. While I get and respect how she reacted because it is literally life-changing at the same time i don't think she is realizing the gravity of the situation which bothers me. She is mostly worried that her glamour will fall and people will think she is a freak. Okay I appreciate that Rylie is a teenager, and teenagers act like this at times it was just a little too much for me especially in the second half because again she isn't getting the gravity of the situation, and more times than i care to count she says how she wants to be with Adam, now i would have literally jumped into this book if she never mentioned her parents but she did. Thank God. She did have some saving grace moments but at the same time she was very selfish, not grateful at all, and once again not realizing how much danger she was in. And i guess i was waiting for her to realize how lucky she was. and how grateful she should be for the situation that she was in.
okay there is something i have to have to say and its a bit of a spoiler so don't look if you don't want to know
Adam: kind of fell flat because he wasn't in the book that much. But this what i know he was written to be the perfect jock, and perfect boyfriend. There relationship felt more like kissing than anything else. that deep seeded friendship seemed almost nonexistent to an extent, i mean if she was as close to him as she claims to be wouldn't she want to tell him everything...okay getting side-tracked. All in all he was "perfect boyfriend" but we didn't really experience anything with them and that i will come to play in my next section
Kallan: I actually liked him a lot more than Adam but the problem here was we experienced things with him, we went on "dates" if you will with him. We were on this journey with him. So yeah i liked him more. There was more to him than meets the eye and i could tell that he cared even when Rylie couldn't see it. i don't know how you couldn't...
The villain: Not as evil as he could have been but than again I think that is probably a wrong thing for me to say because i just finished reading a book where the villain was LIKE SUPPPPPERR evil and it wasn't much of a YA so there are differences when it comes to age groups and stuff like that.
So my last thoughts are: i really did enjoy this, i did. stop being so shocked it okay. But there were parts that i could have lived without because it made it hard to love the MC and want the best for her, while i didn't entirely hate her, because i didn't i did wish she wasn't so angst-y. AGAIN i do acknowledge and respect she is a teenager character and that is how they react to things.
sooooooooooooooo if you liked this review and you are looking for other books to read you can check out a whole lot of reviews of mine in one place! crazy i know! but totally awesome as well! hehe so come check out my blog. Also i forgot to mention this one more time! Nellysa i had an amazing time buddy reading with you and we should do it again! okay blog link: http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp...
So Song Choice: "Multiply the Heartaches" by Cake, and "Bang On" by the Breeders - which its not everyone, its just two certain characters i am talking about...
So first thoughts: Both Nellysa and I agreed on this...its a hard book to rate. While the writing and story flowed amazingly well, and a book just 10 pages shy of 300 we couldn't put it down. We ended up adding more chapters to our daily reads, and obviously we read the first half yesterday and finished it this morning. With that said, we did have serious issues as well that we agreed on. Now I know this is a Young Adult, I knew that going in, but its been awhile since I have read a YA where the main character made me want to punch her and her angst which seriously could have been a separate person itself.
(couldn't resist!)
Thoughts on Plot: Now if you haven't read the Iron Fey series good, in my opinion that will most likely get me killed i enjoyed this more than i did those books.....*got murdered* i am sorry but there was just something about the iron fey series i didn't love. But anyways getting away from that. The first half of this book is us learning a lot about Rylie and her family, and the paranormal is rare but its by no means boring or dragging, honestly it moved quite quickly and i enjoyed it. The second half is the more paranormal-y part which also again moved really well, fast paced without too much going on that you are like WHOA CALM THE RIGHT DOWN! I thought that it was a very well paced, fun, light read.
While I am doing plot i am going to do romance as well: There is a love triangle, there i said it. it has been said!
Thoughts on Characters:
Rylie/Oleander: UGH. She was one of the main reasons for me that the rating went down. She is the one with the most angst. While in the first half the book she was pretty much alright until she finds out about her true heritage. While I get and respect how she reacted because it is literally life-changing at the same time i don't think she is realizing the gravity of the situation which bothers me. She is mostly worried that her glamour will fall and people will think she is a freak. Okay I appreciate that Rylie is a teenager, and teenagers act like this at times it was just a little too much for me especially in the second half because again she isn't getting the gravity of the situation, and more times than i care to count she says how she wants to be with Adam, now i would have literally jumped into this book if she never mentioned her parents but she did. Thank God. She did have some saving grace moments but at the same time she was very selfish, not grateful at all, and once again not realizing how much danger she was in. And i guess i was waiting for her to realize how lucky she was. and how grateful she should be for the situation that she was in.
okay there is something i have to have to say and its a bit of a spoiler so don't look if you don't want to know
Adam: kind of fell flat because he wasn't in the book that much. But this what i know he was written to be the perfect jock, and perfect boyfriend. There relationship felt more like kissing than anything else. that deep seeded friendship seemed almost nonexistent to an extent, i mean if she was as close to him as she claims to be wouldn't she want to tell him everything...okay getting side-tracked. All in all he was "perfect boyfriend" but we didn't really experience anything with them and that i will come to play in my next section
Kallan: I actually liked him a lot more than Adam but the problem here was we experienced things with him, we went on "dates" if you will with him. We were on this journey with him. So yeah i liked him more. There was more to him than meets the eye and i could tell that he cared even when Rylie couldn't see it. i don't know how you couldn't...
The villain: Not as evil as he could have been but than again I think that is probably a wrong thing for me to say because i just finished reading a book where the villain was LIKE SUPPPPPERR evil and it wasn't much of a YA so there are differences when it comes to age groups and stuff like that.
So my last thoughts are: i really did enjoy this, i did. stop being so shocked it okay. But there were parts that i could have lived without because it made it hard to love the MC and want the best for her, while i didn't entirely hate her, because i didn't i did wish she wasn't so angst-y. AGAIN i do acknowledge and respect she is a teenager character and that is how they react to things.
sooooooooooooooo if you liked this review and you are looking for other books to read you can check out a whole lot of reviews of mine in one place! crazy i know! but totally awesome as well! hehe so come check out my blog. Also i forgot to mention this one more time! Nellysa i had an amazing time buddy reading with you and we should do it again! okay blog link: http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp...
January 4, 2015
I think this is first book I've read that focuses solely on fairies. I love fairies and found this book to be enjoyable. It was a quick read as I read it in pretty much one sitting. (the first 10% I read the night before) The author gave us great detail and I had zero trouble imagining the beautiful world she created.
Rylie has it all, a wonderful caring family, a best friend, and a boyfriend that she can't get enough of. Days leading up to her sixteenth birthday she begins to have headaches and sever back pain. Fearing that she is getting sick before her big party she trys to ignore it and hope it will go away. She pushes on and enjoys her life with friends and boyfriend, Adam. Everything comes crashing down when the night before her birthday a knock comes on the door comes and on the other side is....her birth mother.
What?!?! Yeah, I know I would be freaking out if I were Rylie. Everything she has ever known all changes with the words from Azura. As if delivering devastating news only one day before her big party Rylie learns not only was she switched at birth but she is going to transform into her natural faery form over night. Azura wants to stick around and help her daughter but Rylie needs space. Azura delivers more news when she tells them of the dark faeries and the promise her birth dad made to trade her for dark magic access. This part was brushed aside as Rylie's dad is a detective and feels he can keep her safe.
She wakes up the next morning and all the changes have taken place. She can see clearer, her skin is perfect and blemish free, and she now has wings. She makes it through her party, just barely keeping it together so her glamour doesn't disappear.
No surprise when she is alone next she is kidnapped and taken to the dark faerie leader Varwik. His goal is to mate his son, Kallan and Rylie together to stop her from becoming an enemy. She is a special faery and her power will be great. The one thing he didn't figure into his plan, neither Kallan or Rylie has an interest to marry the other.....or do they?
Although kept prisoner Rylie is allowed trips outside to view the beauty of the world. In the process Kallan and her get to know each other and slowly fall for each other. Kallan loves her and will not force her hand. For Rylie the answer is simple, as wonderful as Kallan is starting to be she must get home to Adam.
Striking her own dark promise with Varwik, Rylie finds a way to go home. For how long and at what cost?
Such a wonderful story! I was sucked in this book from the beginning. Rylie was a strong character and even when things looked their bleakest she didn't give up. I admired her determination to get back to her world and her family. I loved Kallan, yes her relationship with Adam was easy and right, but with Kallan there is passion and fire. I didn't expect the ending and I look forward to reading the second book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I reccommend you go pick up your copy!
Rylie has it all, a wonderful caring family, a best friend, and a boyfriend that she can't get enough of. Days leading up to her sixteenth birthday she begins to have headaches and sever back pain. Fearing that she is getting sick before her big party she trys to ignore it and hope it will go away. She pushes on and enjoys her life with friends and boyfriend, Adam. Everything comes crashing down when the night before her birthday a knock comes on the door comes and on the other side is....her birth mother.
What?!?! Yeah, I know I would be freaking out if I were Rylie. Everything she has ever known all changes with the words from Azura. As if delivering devastating news only one day before her big party Rylie learns not only was she switched at birth but she is going to transform into her natural faery form over night. Azura wants to stick around and help her daughter but Rylie needs space. Azura delivers more news when she tells them of the dark faeries and the promise her birth dad made to trade her for dark magic access. This part was brushed aside as Rylie's dad is a detective and feels he can keep her safe.
She wakes up the next morning and all the changes have taken place. She can see clearer, her skin is perfect and blemish free, and she now has wings. She makes it through her party, just barely keeping it together so her glamour doesn't disappear.
No surprise when she is alone next she is kidnapped and taken to the dark faerie leader Varwik. His goal is to mate his son, Kallan and Rylie together to stop her from becoming an enemy. She is a special faery and her power will be great. The one thing he didn't figure into his plan, neither Kallan or Rylie has an interest to marry the other.....or do they?
Although kept prisoner Rylie is allowed trips outside to view the beauty of the world. In the process Kallan and her get to know each other and slowly fall for each other. Kallan loves her and will not force her hand. For Rylie the answer is simple, as wonderful as Kallan is starting to be she must get home to Adam.
Striking her own dark promise with Varwik, Rylie finds a way to go home. For how long and at what cost?
Such a wonderful story! I was sucked in this book from the beginning. Rylie was a strong character and even when things looked their bleakest she didn't give up. I admired her determination to get back to her world and her family. I loved Kallan, yes her relationship with Adam was easy and right, but with Kallan there is passion and fire. I didn't expect the ending and I look forward to reading the second book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I reccommend you go pick up your copy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2013
Some lines in the book were just pure OO-LA-LA's, "My heart raced, and I pressed my body to his as I slid my hands up his chest." See oo-la-la. Adam he is such a sweetheart (might be a little to sweet for me as ya'll know how I like my men) but he's just the sweetest, "You know I don't mind your mom's burnt cooking if it means I can spend more time with you." Adam and Rylie have a great relationship (to me it seems a little to picture perfect but as you get into my review you'll understand why I'm saying that) The chemistry does seem to come natural for them:
"That I love your truck."
"Uh-huh, sure you do. I thought you said it was a gas hog and too hard to get into."
"I like this part." I traced my fingers up his thigh and gave him a wicked grin.
"Is that so? You better watch it or you're gonna cause an accident," he said wryly."
That sort of changes when Kallan enters the picture (he kind of had to grow on me.) He's something else, "Trust me, if I knew a way to get you out of my life and back to Adam, I would gladly arrange it. You are putting a serious damper on my plans." Personally I'm team Kallan I mean I know the boy can be an a** but he also brings out the feelings Rylie has never really had, like anger, "Hey!" I narrowed my eyes. "If anyone is pathetic, it's you. You can't even make your own decisions. Your father dictates your life." Then there is the fact Kallan brings out desire in Rylie, "Faster than I could imagine, he had me pushed up against a tree. His long lean body was pressed against mine, his hands trailing down my arms." Hot, Hot Hot! "I will win her love." Is probably the line that I loved most in the book that Kallan says it shows he's determined and that there's gonna be a book TWO!
"That I love your truck."
"Uh-huh, sure you do. I thought you said it was a gas hog and too hard to get into."
"I like this part." I traced my fingers up his thigh and gave him a wicked grin.
"Is that so? You better watch it or you're gonna cause an accident," he said wryly."
That sort of changes when Kallan enters the picture (he kind of had to grow on me.) He's something else, "Trust me, if I knew a way to get you out of my life and back to Adam, I would gladly arrange it. You are putting a serious damper on my plans." Personally I'm team Kallan I mean I know the boy can be an a** but he also brings out the feelings Rylie has never really had, like anger, "Hey!" I narrowed my eyes. "If anyone is pathetic, it's you. You can't even make your own decisions. Your father dictates your life." Then there is the fact Kallan brings out desire in Rylie, "Faster than I could imagine, he had me pushed up against a tree. His long lean body was pressed against mine, his hands trailing down my arms." Hot, Hot Hot! "I will win her love." Is probably the line that I loved most in the book that Kallan says it shows he's determined and that there's gonna be a book TWO!
November 19, 2013
This is not a book I would recommend. It starts witht this whole expositional prologue from the main characters birth mother so from the instant we read this know the main character is like superspecial.I have read this kind of prologue Before and its hardly original and destroys the mystery and any potential buildup to finding out the truth about her past the character migth have once she discovers she is different.. Then we switch to the present with her putting on makeup and telling the reader about her "insanely pale skin". Yes it must be such a burden to have that.
And then she is going off to school and as she is doing this she casually mentions her brand shoes and brand backpack.More attention is given in the description to supporting characters appearance than having it be revealed bit by bit to the reader.She also has a boyfriend who is sooo perfect and they have known each other forever. It was meant to be. Now some might say "well of course you dont like this kind of book..its for teens.you arent a teen are you?" No I am not anymore but even then I would have found this book cloying and too sugary.
I predict a dark and smoldering second love interest will appear also.
Shallow.So shallow.
If you want to read a decent book with a similar plot but that has the heroines go through real struggles readTithe orThe Iron King
And then she is going off to school and as she is doing this she casually mentions her brand shoes and brand backpack.More attention is given in the description to supporting characters appearance than having it be revealed bit by bit to the reader.She also has a boyfriend who is sooo perfect and they have known each other forever. It was meant to be. Now some might say "well of course you dont like this kind of book..its for teens.you arent a teen are you?" No I am not anymore but even then I would have found this book cloying and too sugary.
I predict a dark and smoldering second love interest will appear also.
Shallow.So shallow.
If you want to read a decent book with a similar plot but that has the heroines go through real struggles readTithe orThe Iron King
April 11, 2015
So much potential. The characters sucked. No one was strong enough for the story. And the story jumped from one way to another without any smooth flow. Disappointed :( 2 stars
February 11, 2013
Dark Promise first caught my interest because of the beautiful cover. I don't remember that I read any ya or adult paranormal/fantasy novel where main character was a fairy, so of course I was intrigued. This is book for all Tinkerbell fans out there and all who dreamed to have fairy wings when they were a child.
Rylie is perfectly ordinary teenage girl: bored at school and obsessed with her appearance. The only thing that I found interesting about her is that she suffers from OCD so she has all her things organized by size, type, color, purpose. At her sixteenth birthday Rylie transforms into a fairy. Yes, that means wings, pointy ears and everything.
Fairies by Anna Stokes [image source]
The plot of Dark Promise does not have many surprises, you will find all the usual ya tropes here and you have probably read something similar before. First thing that comes to my mind is Iron Fey series - just with less scary teeth and more sparkly wings.
Dark Promise does not describe different creatures and inhabitants of fae-world, we only get to know fairies and their society. In fact, the main focus of the book is how Rylie deals with all transformations that happened to her body and her trouble choosing between two hot guys. What, I did not mention this before? Common, you truly did not expect that there will not be a love triangle in this book? Yes, there is one. And the romance is sizzling-hot. Who will she choose? Her good ex-best-childhood-friend boyfriend boyfriend or gorgeous bad-boy fairy Well, you are probably going to have to wait until the series end to find out. My money is on the fairy hottie because he got more character development, so he's obviously author's favorite.
I recommend this book to fans of: ya paranormal novels about fairies, Iron fey series, intense romance stories and love triangle tension/drama.
Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the blog tour host in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
Rylie is perfectly ordinary teenage girl: bored at school and obsessed with her appearance. The only thing that I found interesting about her is that she suffers from OCD so she has all her things organized by size, type, color, purpose. At her sixteenth birthday Rylie transforms into a fairy. Yes, that means wings, pointy ears and everything.
Fairies by Anna Stokes [image source]
The plot of Dark Promise does not have many surprises, you will find all the usual ya tropes here and you have probably read something similar before. First thing that comes to my mind is Iron Fey series - just with less scary teeth and more sparkly wings.
Dark Promise does not describe different creatures and inhabitants of fae-world, we only get to know fairies and their society. In fact, the main focus of the book is how Rylie deals with all transformations that happened to her body and her trouble choosing between two hot guys. What, I did not mention this before? Common, you truly did not expect that there will not be a love triangle in this book? Yes, there is one. And the romance is sizzling-hot. Who will she choose? Her good ex-best-childhood-friend boyfriend boyfriend or gorgeous bad-boy fairy Well, you are probably going to have to wait until the series end to find out. My money is on the fairy hottie because he got more character development, so he's obviously author's favorite.
I recommend this book to fans of: ya paranormal novels about fairies, Iron fey series, intense romance stories and love triangle tension/drama.
Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the blog tour host in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
September 11, 2016
This was a nice and quick read. For once the main character and her friends were all actually likable. Sadly in YA books you don't get that a lot. Rylie's 16th birthday comes along and she finds out that she really isn't human but is a faery (this is how they spelled it). She is then taken to the faery world where she is told that she will marry the kings son. The good news is that his son was nothing like him and he helps her escape back to human world. I will definitely be reading the next book.
July 18, 2019
Rylie is special. Her mother gave her up when she was a baby to keep her safe, but now her birthday is approaching and there is nowhere to hide.
I was quickly intrigued…faeries…I haven’t read a lot of them. Once she met Kallan I became hooked. Even though there is a triangle, it doesn’t bother me, the guys are two separate beings and that just adds to my curiosity…which will she choose…and why.
My only problem, I was just getting hot and heavy into the book and it ended. I need more.
See more at fundinmental
I was quickly intrigued…faeries…I haven’t read a lot of them. Once she met Kallan I became hooked. Even though there is a triangle, it doesn’t bother me, the guys are two separate beings and that just adds to my curiosity…which will she choose…and why.
My only problem, I was just getting hot and heavy into the book and it ended. I need more.
See more at fundinmental
June 23, 2017
2.5/5 stars
Well, that was a quick and uneventful read. I had braced myself for possibilities of surprises and action, but there was none.
OVERVIEW
Dark Promise is a paranormal romance. Rylie McCallister is a soon-to-be sixteen year old. Her parents are loving and supportive, so is her best friend. Her boyfriend Adam is the most caring and handsome guy. Basically her life is just perfect, until it's not.
The day before her sixteenth birthday, a strange woman named Azura visits her family and reveals to her that she is actually her daughter. Not a human, but a 'light faery'. Her transformation would be complete on her sixteenth birthday, when she'll sprout wings, her ears will become pointed, and her skin flawless. Her name is actually Oleander. The star-shaped birthmark on her forehead wasn't a normal birthmark, but the sign of an Aurorian faery with special powers. Her real faery father had promised her to Varwik, the leader of the dark faery world hoping to gain access to the powers of the dark faeries. Not wanting her daughter to be given to the dark world, Azura had traded her daughter to the newborn dead daughter of the McCallisters to make Varwik believe that she died in birth. She has been watching Rylie grow ever since.
Azura warns Rylie that once she becomes a faery, other faeries could detect her and the dark faery would come after her. Soon enough, the day after her sixteenth birthday, Rylie is kidnapped by dark faeries and bought to Varwik's castle. Varwik offers her an impossible choice - either die and let her powers die with her, or marry his seventeen year old son Kallan.
Rylie is stuck between the two worlds. She badly wants to return home, and she misses Adam. But Kallan doesn't seem like a bad guy. What would she do? What were her powers that Varwik was so afraid of? How could she survive?
THOUGHTS
The starting was slow. The prologue practically tells the whole story, so there are no surprises.
All the first few chapters, Rylie talks about her perfect life, and it was damn boring. And next when she transforms into a faery, for about ten pages we're in front of the mirror.
The romance was cheesy. There was absolutely no chemistry between Adam and Rylie. They couldn't stand each other for five seconds without kissing. Everyone else was like,
So, it was after 70% of the book, that the story actually moved on. The story had so much potential, but the author focused solely on the sloppy romance. I wish the author hadn't brought on a love triangle and instead gave us some more insight to the faery world. The dark faery world didn't seem all that dark, and Oleander was actually roaming the gardens when she was suposed to a prisoner. (Don't worry these aren't even spoilers).
The characters lacked depth, except maybe Kallan. Rylie was the least lovable one. And her parents, the McCallisters, the way they took the news of their daughter being a faery surprisingly and unbelievably well, was unrealistic.
VERDICT
All said, the story lacked purpose halfway through the book and became yet another love triangle. But because I'm human and I am curious, I just might pick up the sequel.
Well, that was a quick and uneventful read. I had braced myself for possibilities of surprises and action, but there was none.
OVERVIEW
Dark Promise is a paranormal romance. Rylie McCallister is a soon-to-be sixteen year old. Her parents are loving and supportive, so is her best friend. Her boyfriend Adam is the most caring and handsome guy. Basically her life is just perfect, until it's not.
The day before her sixteenth birthday, a strange woman named Azura visits her family and reveals to her that she is actually her daughter. Not a human, but a 'light faery'. Her transformation would be complete on her sixteenth birthday, when she'll sprout wings, her ears will become pointed, and her skin flawless. Her name is actually Oleander. The star-shaped birthmark on her forehead wasn't a normal birthmark, but the sign of an Aurorian faery with special powers. Her real faery father had promised her to Varwik, the leader of the dark faery world hoping to gain access to the powers of the dark faeries. Not wanting her daughter to be given to the dark world, Azura had traded her daughter to the newborn dead daughter of the McCallisters to make Varwik believe that she died in birth. She has been watching Rylie grow ever since.
Azura warns Rylie that once she becomes a faery, other faeries could detect her and the dark faery would come after her. Soon enough, the day after her sixteenth birthday, Rylie is kidnapped by dark faeries and bought to Varwik's castle. Varwik offers her an impossible choice - either die and let her powers die with her, or marry his seventeen year old son Kallan.
Rylie is stuck between the two worlds. She badly wants to return home, and she misses Adam. But Kallan doesn't seem like a bad guy. What would she do? What were her powers that Varwik was so afraid of? How could she survive?
THOUGHTS
The starting was slow. The prologue practically tells the whole story, so there are no surprises.
All the first few chapters, Rylie talks about her perfect life, and it was damn boring. And next when she transforms into a faery, for about ten pages we're in front of the mirror.
The romance was cheesy. There was absolutely no chemistry between Adam and Rylie. They couldn't stand each other for five seconds without kissing. Everyone else was like,
So, it was after 70% of the book, that the story actually moved on. The story had so much potential, but the author focused solely on the sloppy romance. I wish the author hadn't brought on a love triangle and instead gave us some more insight to the faery world. The dark faery world didn't seem all that dark, and Oleander was actually roaming the gardens when she was suposed to a prisoner. (Don't worry these aren't even spoilers).
The characters lacked depth, except maybe Kallan. Rylie was the least lovable one. And her parents, the McCallisters, the way they took the news of their daughter being a faery surprisingly and unbelievably well, was unrealistic.
VERDICT
All said, the story lacked purpose halfway through the book and became yet another love triangle. But because I'm human and I am curious, I just might pick up the sequel.
August 24, 2013
The one thing I learned about reading many, many books is that the author can make the book as short and as long as they want to. In this case, the author made it as short as possible! After finishing the book it felt like I had only finished one chapter. I kept turning the kindle pages to no avail. I was a little bit pissed that the author would make two books.
This book is about Rylie, who on her sixteenth birthday turns into a faery. Her real mother comes for her to teach her the ways of the Fae but she doesn’t want to listen. Stupid human. Apparently she isn’t just a normal faery. She is an all-powerful one yet she doesn’t even know how to use her powers. She gets kidnapped by the Dark Faerie king and is made to become mates with his son. Neither of them wants that. The entire book is Rylie and Kallan (dark faery prince) going on walks. I got bored easily.
Other than that, the book was pretty good. I probably won’t read the next book unless it’s free. There are only two books in the series. I am pretty sure I can figure out how it ends already,
This book is about Rylie, who on her sixteenth birthday turns into a faery. Her real mother comes for her to teach her the ways of the Fae but she doesn’t want to listen. Stupid human. Apparently she isn’t just a normal faery. She is an all-powerful one yet she doesn’t even know how to use her powers. She gets kidnapped by the Dark Faerie king and is made to become mates with his son. Neither of them wants that. The entire book is Rylie and Kallan (dark faery prince) going on walks. I got bored easily.
Other than that, the book was pretty good. I probably won’t read the next book unless it’s free. There are only two books in the series. I am pretty sure I can figure out how it ends already,
June 22, 2017
Imagine, the day before your sixteenth birthday you find out your parents are not your birth parents...and you're actually a faery.
The opening was a bit slower than I'd like, and I honestly didn't feel particularly engaged by our main character. However, once she is kidnapped by the dark fairy king - who is determined that the oath made by her father will be fulfilled - things pick up a little.
This sets up the basic concept of the world and the characters within it, but everything felt rather superficial.
The opening was a bit slower than I'd like, and I honestly didn't feel particularly engaged by our main character. However, once she is kidnapped by the dark fairy king - who is determined that the oath made by her father will be fulfilled - things pick up a little.
This sets up the basic concept of the world and the characters within it, but everything felt rather superficial.
November 17, 2022
Nostalgia November Read #3
It was really great to revisit this one. It was one of the first (and only) books I got on Kindle, so I loved reading through and seeing what I had chosen to highlight at about age 11 (nothing worth quoting here). It wasn't quite as good as I remembered but it was still a quick, easy and fun read.
It was really great to revisit this one. It was one of the first (and only) books I got on Kindle, so I loved reading through and seeing what I had chosen to highlight at about age 11 (nothing worth quoting here). It wasn't quite as good as I remembered but it was still a quick, easy and fun read.
March 1, 2017
Just before Rylie turns 16 she is told that she's not human but faery and then she is taken to live in the faery world. The story was a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed it and would probably read the sequel if I could get it for a decent price.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
Want to read
May 31, 2018sounds like a cheesy, cliche book which i'm currently in the mood for
November 29, 2025
I remember really loving this book when I read it in 2017 but the beginning just does not hold up. It is a super slow start, and Rylie doesn't even meet the other faerys until about 60% of the way through! But once it gets going, this turns into a political romantic drama filled with angst and princes who hate their dad. Rylie isn't much of a compelling narrator, but the fae world is really what carries this, especially the faerys using their glamour all the time but can still be recognized by other faerys.
June 5, 2020
Dark promise first caught my interest because of this beautiful cover..This story is mainly reeling around the normal(human)& paranormal(fairy) life of a teen girl,Rylie...
.
.
Rylie,a simple beautiful girl,had a perfect normal life who was satisfied with her dream boy Adam,best friend Sierra & supportive,loving family...On the eve of her sixteenth birthday,she &her family were totally shocked when a stranger,Azura,claiming to be her real mother appeared with a secret that Rylie didn’t belong to this human world...She was the member of Fairy world...Actually she was a rare Aurorian Fairy..But her special power would make her life miserable & for this reason her birth mom replaced her with a dying human child..This Hillarious truth makes Rylie's life upside down..She feels more restless when she comes to know that her power will be unleashed on her birthday...& the black fairies can recognize her for bearing a aurorian birthmark..this'll turn into a danger for her so her fairy mom,Azura, wants to take her away from here...But Rylie is stubborn & can't agree with this matter..Her decision makes her trouble & she is captured & forced into a new life in black fairy's realm..She meets a mate Kallan who is selected for her life partner..Her being friends with Kallan from each other enemies, finding out her ability,falling in love again,making a promise with Black fairy to escape from their realm all the things kept me hooked..🙋
.
.
The most complicated scene was that when Rylie met again with Adam in normal life & thought, "My heart was breaking in two..I felt stuck between two loves..I knew without a shadow of doubt that i was falling in love with Kallan but i also loved adam..i knew who i would choose..I didn’t belong in this fairy world.. I belonged home -with Adam"
Bt Kallan was waiting for her..& it wasnt possible to break Rylie's promise to black fairy returning their realm after 2years..
.
.
Actually,This was my flawless reading... Author presented all the things so beautifully that anyone can't get up without finishing...now,It's ur turn...
.
.
Rylie,a simple beautiful girl,had a perfect normal life who was satisfied with her dream boy Adam,best friend Sierra & supportive,loving family...On the eve of her sixteenth birthday,she &her family were totally shocked when a stranger,Azura,claiming to be her real mother appeared with a secret that Rylie didn’t belong to this human world...She was the member of Fairy world...Actually she was a rare Aurorian Fairy..But her special power would make her life miserable & for this reason her birth mom replaced her with a dying human child..This Hillarious truth makes Rylie's life upside down..She feels more restless when she comes to know that her power will be unleashed on her birthday...& the black fairies can recognize her for bearing a aurorian birthmark..this'll turn into a danger for her so her fairy mom,Azura, wants to take her away from here...But Rylie is stubborn & can't agree with this matter..Her decision makes her trouble & she is captured & forced into a new life in black fairy's realm..She meets a mate Kallan who is selected for her life partner..Her being friends with Kallan from each other enemies, finding out her ability,falling in love again,making a promise with Black fairy to escape from their realm all the things kept me hooked..🙋
.
.
The most complicated scene was that when Rylie met again with Adam in normal life & thought, "My heart was breaking in two..I felt stuck between two loves..I knew without a shadow of doubt that i was falling in love with Kallan but i also loved adam..i knew who i would choose..I didn’t belong in this fairy world.. I belonged home -with Adam"
Bt Kallan was waiting for her..& it wasnt possible to break Rylie's promise to black fairy returning their realm after 2years..
.
.
Actually,This was my flawless reading... Author presented all the things so beautifully that anyone can't get up without finishing...now,It's ur turn...
October 23, 2017
Ughhhhhhh!! *bangs head on desk* <-- Yep, that right there perfectly sums up all feelings that came from reading this book. I like fantasy (I'm always searching for a really good one) and with this one I was hoping to sit back and enjoy a nice easy read, filled with action, real characters (I can never stress that enough), a decent plot, actual growth & development with some really good romance on the side. (I swear, is that really so much to ask for?) This was not that book.
The story begins with Azura, a faery who gives birth to a baby girl and a very powerful one at that. The child is a rare Aurorian faery (with a star shaped birthmark), the first in two hundred years. To protect her child from the dark faeries that want to use her, Azura smuggles the child into the human realm where she’ll be protected and switches her with a dying human baby. Fast forward 16 years later the baby girl is grown up now and known as Rylie. Due to her upcoming 16th birthday she’s on her way to transforming into a faery and coming into her powers. The glamour that kept her safe all these years is fading and she is now once again in danger.
Where did it all go wrong? Honestly, there were a lot of things that irritated me and it only got worse as the story went on.
The Characters
Adam (the boyfriend) good guy, plays baseball, likes trucks, grew up with Rylie and……. um??? Rylie loves him. How do we know this? I don’t know maybe it’s all the making out they do in the first half of the book or the fact Rylie goes on and on how about how much she loves him and how perfect they are for each other. Yawn.
Kallan (love interest 2/villain’s son) Misunderstood, dark and mysterious. A little tortured with hidden artistic abilities, a dark faery prince blah blah. Why do we like him again? Duh, because he’s bad, misunderstood, and edgy. Deep down you know he has a really good heart. *stares blankly* How trite, yawn again.
Varwik (the villain dark faery king) “Marry my son or I’ll kill you bwahhhhha!” Do I really need to go on? This is it.
Rylie (the main character) she’s the worst of them all. She’s a whiny, passive, fickle, annoying character. I didn’t have a problem with her reaction to finding out she was a faery but everything after that was downhill. She gets kidnaps by Varwik and proceeds to pout during the whole kidnapping situation. There are no plots or plans to escape. She doesn’t even attempt to manipulate people to her advantage or try learn how to use her powers on own her own to escape even though she’ s suppose to be really powerful (no she uses her powers by accident). She spend most of her time thinking about Adam, (and not her parents) mostly how much she loves and needs to back before she betrays him again because physical cheating is bad but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with emotionally cheating. She loves Adam even though she longs for Kallan’s arms and kisses. Who knew Stockholm syndrome was so romantic. Or does it not count because he’s just the kidnapper’s son? Gotta love technicalities. Anyway, I hated Rylie she was useless.
There are more characters but they’re all flat and underdeveloped there’s absolutely nothing truly unique about any of them.
The plot
Nothing all that interesting really happens. Rylie finds out she’s a faery thanks to her birthmother. She gets kidnapped. Marry or be killed. Brooding in her room followed by more marry my son dinner conversations. Picnics with Kallan. Kisses with Kallan. Rylie thinks about Adam. Rylie does nothing and Kallan helps her escape. Altercation with Varwick and Kallan that was suppose to interesting and have you waiting on edge but it really wasn’t. Rylie promises to marry Kallan at eighteen and goes home. That’s basically it. The romance/love triangle sucked. Why are these people in love again? I wasn't feeling any of it.
The story begins with Azura, a faery who gives birth to a baby girl and a very powerful one at that. The child is a rare Aurorian faery (with a star shaped birthmark), the first in two hundred years. To protect her child from the dark faeries that want to use her, Azura smuggles the child into the human realm where she’ll be protected and switches her with a dying human baby. Fast forward 16 years later the baby girl is grown up now and known as Rylie. Due to her upcoming 16th birthday she’s on her way to transforming into a faery and coming into her powers. The glamour that kept her safe all these years is fading and she is now once again in danger.
Where did it all go wrong? Honestly, there were a lot of things that irritated me and it only got worse as the story went on.
The Characters
Adam (the boyfriend) good guy, plays baseball, likes trucks, grew up with Rylie and……. um??? Rylie loves him. How do we know this? I don’t know maybe it’s all the making out they do in the first half of the book or the fact Rylie goes on and on how about how much she loves him and how perfect they are for each other. Yawn.
Kallan (love interest 2/villain’s son) Misunderstood, dark and mysterious. A little tortured with hidden artistic abilities, a dark faery prince blah blah. Why do we like him again? Duh, because he’s bad, misunderstood, and edgy. Deep down you know he has a really good heart. *stares blankly* How trite, yawn again.
Varwik (the villain dark faery king) “Marry my son or I’ll kill you bwahhhhha!” Do I really need to go on? This is it.
Rylie (the main character) she’s the worst of them all. She’s a whiny, passive, fickle, annoying character. I didn’t have a problem with her reaction to finding out she was a faery but everything after that was downhill. She gets kidnaps by Varwik and proceeds to pout during the whole kidnapping situation. There are no plots or plans to escape. She doesn’t even attempt to manipulate people to her advantage or try learn how to use her powers on own her own to escape even though she’ s suppose to be really powerful (no she uses her powers by accident). She spend most of her time thinking about Adam, (and not her parents) mostly how much she loves and needs to back before she betrays him again because physical cheating is bad but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with emotionally cheating. She loves Adam even though she longs for Kallan’s arms and kisses. Who knew Stockholm syndrome was so romantic. Or does it not count because he’s just the kidnapper’s son? Gotta love technicalities. Anyway, I hated Rylie she was useless.
There are more characters but they’re all flat and underdeveloped there’s absolutely nothing truly unique about any of them.
The plot
Nothing all that interesting really happens. Rylie finds out she’s a faery thanks to her birthmother. She gets kidnapped. Marry or be killed. Brooding in her room followed by more marry my son dinner conversations. Picnics with Kallan. Kisses with Kallan. Rylie thinks about Adam. Rylie does nothing and Kallan helps her escape. Altercation with Varwick and Kallan that was suppose to interesting and have you waiting on edge but it really wasn’t. Rylie promises to marry Kallan at eighteen and goes home. That’s basically it. The romance/love triangle sucked. Why are these people in love again? I wasn't feeling any of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2012
I wanted to rip the wings out of my back and cut my ears off. Stupid faery world. My body filled with rage, and I lashed out at the mirror again
Dark Promise was a magnificent read! When it comes to paranormal, hands down fae is my favorite. Sadly though they are lacking in the literary world, I see tons of werewolf, vampire, and mermaid books out there…but fae seems like the paranormal that just isn’t written about as much. So when I heard about Dark Promise I was more than ecstatic, not only was Dark Promise a fae novel, but one of the authors of Dark Promise was Julia Crane! I am a huge fan of Julia Crane, so seeing a fae novel, that was written by her…yeah, I freaked out. The best part about all of this? Dark Promise was AMAZING!!! I expected it to be good…but it was WAY better than good!
This book may be my new favorite Julia Crane novel, the romance was amazing, the characters were very likable, and the scenery was breathtaking. Those were easily my three favorite things about Dark Promise. My only complaint about Dark Promise is how it ended with an amazing cliff hanger…I LOVE me a good cliff hanger…and this one has left me seriously dying for book two!
The romance was perfect; to warn you though ahead of time there is a love triangle, so if you’re someone that dis-likes love triangles then this may be a novel you’ll want to pass up. But in my opinion the love triangle was very tasteful and done very well. While I do really enjoy this love triangle..I am deff on a side(team?), and that would be Kallan’s side! Kallan is insanely swoon worthy, and while Adam seems like a nice guy…Kallan is the mysterious, caring, arrogant, protective one and is just…so much better than Adam! I can easily say that if this series doesn’t end with Rylie and Kallan…I may freak out and throw a fit. Kallan has easily become one of my new book boyfriends and I CANNOT wait to read more of him in book two and hopefully see him and Rylie’s relationship blossom!
Characters are something that is important in every book I read, without good characters the whole book is ruined. Dark Promise I am glad to say had an amazing group of characters, Rylie is stubborn and stands up for herself no matter who is trying to tell her what to do, Rylie’s parents are both very accepting and kind, Kallan *swoon* do I even need to talk about him? Ha He was perfect! Altogether though I really enjoyed every character. There wasn’t one that I really hated, or was annoyed with. Dark Promise consists of a great group of characters!
Scenery isn’t something that I normally care too much about, but every once and awhile I will come across a book that has such amazing scenery that is so vivid I just have to bring it up! Dark Promise had numerous times where the characters would be somewhere that was just completely magical to imagine. The land of the dark fae is somewhere I would love to see, haunting with its darkness, but beautiful none of the less. The way the forest and everything was described was perfect, imagining everything was very easy when it came to Julia and Talia’s writing in Dark Promise.
Overall I just really loved this book, the romance, characters, and beautiful writing make this book nothing less of amazing. If you’re looking for a new fae read, or a good romance, or maybe just an awesome quick read, then I suggest you pick up Dark Promise!
Dark Promise was a magnificent read! When it comes to paranormal, hands down fae is my favorite. Sadly though they are lacking in the literary world, I see tons of werewolf, vampire, and mermaid books out there…but fae seems like the paranormal that just isn’t written about as much. So when I heard about Dark Promise I was more than ecstatic, not only was Dark Promise a fae novel, but one of the authors of Dark Promise was Julia Crane! I am a huge fan of Julia Crane, so seeing a fae novel, that was written by her…yeah, I freaked out. The best part about all of this? Dark Promise was AMAZING!!! I expected it to be good…but it was WAY better than good!
This book may be my new favorite Julia Crane novel, the romance was amazing, the characters were very likable, and the scenery was breathtaking. Those were easily my three favorite things about Dark Promise. My only complaint about Dark Promise is how it ended with an amazing cliff hanger…I LOVE me a good cliff hanger…and this one has left me seriously dying for book two!
The romance was perfect; to warn you though ahead of time there is a love triangle, so if you’re someone that dis-likes love triangles then this may be a novel you’ll want to pass up. But in my opinion the love triangle was very tasteful and done very well. While I do really enjoy this love triangle..I am deff on a side(team?), and that would be Kallan’s side! Kallan is insanely swoon worthy, and while Adam seems like a nice guy…Kallan is the mysterious, caring, arrogant, protective one and is just…so much better than Adam! I can easily say that if this series doesn’t end with Rylie and Kallan…I may freak out and throw a fit. Kallan has easily become one of my new book boyfriends and I CANNOT wait to read more of him in book two and hopefully see him and Rylie’s relationship blossom!
Characters are something that is important in every book I read, without good characters the whole book is ruined. Dark Promise I am glad to say had an amazing group of characters, Rylie is stubborn and stands up for herself no matter who is trying to tell her what to do, Rylie’s parents are both very accepting and kind, Kallan *swoon* do I even need to talk about him? Ha He was perfect! Altogether though I really enjoyed every character. There wasn’t one that I really hated, or was annoyed with. Dark Promise consists of a great group of characters!
Scenery isn’t something that I normally care too much about, but every once and awhile I will come across a book that has such amazing scenery that is so vivid I just have to bring it up! Dark Promise had numerous times where the characters would be somewhere that was just completely magical to imagine. The land of the dark fae is somewhere I would love to see, haunting with its darkness, but beautiful none of the less. The way the forest and everything was described was perfect, imagining everything was very easy when it came to Julia and Talia’s writing in Dark Promise.
Overall I just really loved this book, the romance, characters, and beautiful writing make this book nothing less of amazing. If you’re looking for a new fae read, or a good romance, or maybe just an awesome quick read, then I suggest you pick up Dark Promise!
September 20, 2012
I am going to admit something that may shock you, I don't always like books about fairies. In fact there are few books and series about them that I can say I really truly have enjoyed. I have no idea why really other than I have found, that there is only so much you can do with them.
So much that you can say about them to make them original and not start wandering off into the ridiculous.
So it is always with a little apprehension that I start one.
Why do I even bother you may ask? Why put myself through the torture of wading through all the not so great ones to get to one I really like?
The answer is simple really, when I do find the great ones. The ones that hold my attention and suck me into their world and make me believe that fairies do exist? Those ones? Those ones are the ones that make it all worth it.
And thankfully I found one such story in the Dark Promise.
While the story line and theme aren't all that original, they are good. The characters and setting and situations had me immersed right into the thick of it all and I wanted to keep reading. And that is saying something.
I love it when a book can do that to me, because lets face it, they sadly all don't.
Rylie was a great character. I really liked her. She was kick butt exactly but she wasn't a mary jane either.
Adam and Kallan. Ah yes, the two wonderful boys. So hard to choose a favorite between them really. Sometimes I hate it when that happens. It would be nice to have a love triangle for once where I didn't really like them both. Where there was an obvious choice over whom to choose and who to leave in the dust. Sadly, there isn't and I have a feeling that the next book will be a real heart breaker because of it.
Overall this story had some new interesting concepts about light and dark fairies (or rather faeries) and concepts about fairies abilities that I really enjoyed and hope that the next book will go into a little more detail about.
I would really love to see a little more world and character building going on in the next installment.
Overall though I really think this is going to turn out to be a really fun series that I know I will be continuing on with.
I give this one 3.5 Stars!
So much that you can say about them to make them original and not start wandering off into the ridiculous.
So it is always with a little apprehension that I start one.
Why do I even bother you may ask? Why put myself through the torture of wading through all the not so great ones to get to one I really like?
The answer is simple really, when I do find the great ones. The ones that hold my attention and suck me into their world and make me believe that fairies do exist? Those ones? Those ones are the ones that make it all worth it.
And thankfully I found one such story in the Dark Promise.
While the story line and theme aren't all that original, they are good. The characters and setting and situations had me immersed right into the thick of it all and I wanted to keep reading. And that is saying something.
I love it when a book can do that to me, because lets face it, they sadly all don't.
Rylie was a great character. I really liked her. She was kick butt exactly but she wasn't a mary jane either.
Adam and Kallan. Ah yes, the two wonderful boys. So hard to choose a favorite between them really. Sometimes I hate it when that happens. It would be nice to have a love triangle for once where I didn't really like them both. Where there was an obvious choice over whom to choose and who to leave in the dust. Sadly, there isn't and I have a feeling that the next book will be a real heart breaker because of it.
Overall this story had some new interesting concepts about light and dark fairies (or rather faeries) and concepts about fairies abilities that I really enjoyed and hope that the next book will go into a little more detail about.
I would really love to see a little more world and character building going on in the next installment.
Overall though I really think this is going to turn out to be a really fun series that I know I will be continuing on with.
I give this one 3.5 Stars!
February 11, 2013
Okay so can I say that I absolutely loved this book and I need book two right away. I have a slight confession to make I really do not read books about fairies. I am not sure why I don't like most books but when I try and read them I can't stay focused enough to continue to read them. But this world that Julia and Talia have created drew me in right from the start. I mean the descriptions are so freaking fantastic that I was drawn right from the beginning. Plus there is so much going on for the main character that there is never ever a dull moment.
Rylie has a normal life with the best parents and her best friend Sierra and a wonderful boyfriend Adam. Rylie couldn't ask for more out of life but before she turns sixteen her world is about to turn upside down. She will find out some shocking news that will effect not only her parents but her friends and her boyfriend. Out of no where a strange women named Azura comes to Rylie and tells her she is faery and that she is her biological mother. At first Rylie is in shock because she has lived a normal life for so long and she can't understand why this woman would come out and say these things to her. Why is she being so cruel? But Rylie and her family hear out Azura secret and what they learn has rocked their worlds to the core.
Rylie realizes on her sixteenth birthday that Azura was telling the truth because she has grown wings and has pointy ears. She also feels something building inside her and she is not sure what it is but she is afraid. Then to make matters worse she is kidnapped by the dark faery Varwick and brought back to his home. She is then told she will marry his son Kallan. When Rylie meets Kallan she is not sure what to make of him but she is afraid because she loves Adam and wants to spend the rest of her life with him. She wants no one else but the more she gets to know Kallan she starts to develop feelings for him. Then Kallan and Rylie find out what his father is up to and the two of them will have to figure out what to do.
What will happen to Rylie? Who will she chose to be with? Will it be her true love Adam or will it be Kallan?
Rylie has a normal life with the best parents and her best friend Sierra and a wonderful boyfriend Adam. Rylie couldn't ask for more out of life but before she turns sixteen her world is about to turn upside down. She will find out some shocking news that will effect not only her parents but her friends and her boyfriend. Out of no where a strange women named Azura comes to Rylie and tells her she is faery and that she is her biological mother. At first Rylie is in shock because she has lived a normal life for so long and she can't understand why this woman would come out and say these things to her. Why is she being so cruel? But Rylie and her family hear out Azura secret and what they learn has rocked their worlds to the core.
Rylie realizes on her sixteenth birthday that Azura was telling the truth because she has grown wings and has pointy ears. She also feels something building inside her and she is not sure what it is but she is afraid. Then to make matters worse she is kidnapped by the dark faery Varwick and brought back to his home. She is then told she will marry his son Kallan. When Rylie meets Kallan she is not sure what to make of him but she is afraid because she loves Adam and wants to spend the rest of her life with him. She wants no one else but the more she gets to know Kallan she starts to develop feelings for him. Then Kallan and Rylie find out what his father is up to and the two of them will have to figure out what to do.
What will happen to Rylie? Who will she chose to be with? Will it be her true love Adam or will it be Kallan?
September 14, 2012
Rylie is just about to turn sweet sixteen. She has great friends, an awesome boyfriend, and even likes and gets along with her parents. The night before her birthday a strange woman arrives and tells Rylie that her real name is Oleander and that she is really her baby, and a fairy. She also warns that dark fairies well come after her because of a deal her father tried to make when she was a baby. Rylie's world is rocked by the news and she tries to hold it together as she sprouts rings and pointy ears the morning of her birthday. She manages to glamour herself and play off that she is ok in front of her best friend,Sierra and her boyfriend, Adam. Then the dark fairies to find Rylie and she is whisked away to their world. The dark fairy, Varwick, who claims to own her tells her that she must marry his son or die. Not that his son, Kallan, is an ugly weirdo or anything, but by forming the union, Varwick will be able to control her special fairy abilities and she will never be able to be with Adam, who has been not only her best friend since they were six, but the guy she really wants to spend the rest of her life with. Will Rylie find away to escape Varwick? Will she get back to Adam, or will she fall for Kallan? You'll have to read and find out.
I really enjoyed this book. I have previously read the Keegan Chronicle's written by Julia Crane and this book has a similar writing style. It is a quick read, and I read it in one sitting. Rylie is a likable character and I think it's great that she likes her parents. Most of the time in YA books the protagonist doesn't get a long with or confide in their parents. Adam is an awesome boyfriend. He's very considerate and I like that the characters are in no rush to lose their virginity. I also like Kallan. I think that we see sides of Kallan that he hides from everyone else. I also feel for him, being the child of a a madman who tries to control every detail of his life. I'm still team Adam, though I'm starting to like Kallan more. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
I really enjoyed this book. I have previously read the Keegan Chronicle's written by Julia Crane and this book has a similar writing style. It is a quick read, and I read it in one sitting. Rylie is a likable character and I think it's great that she likes her parents. Most of the time in YA books the protagonist doesn't get a long with or confide in their parents. Adam is an awesome boyfriend. He's very considerate and I like that the characters are in no rush to lose their virginity. I also like Kallan. I think that we see sides of Kallan that he hides from everyone else. I also feel for him, being the child of a a madman who tries to control every detail of his life. I'm still team Adam, though I'm starting to like Kallan more. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
August 7, 2012
Rylie is just a normal teenage girl that’s about to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. She has a great boyfriend, Adam, who is also one of her best friends, and another best girl-friend, Sierra. As her birthday approaches she starts to feel strange and like someone is watching her. She starts to get backaches and headaches.
Before her birthday, she finds out that the person that has been watching her, is her birth mother, Azura, who claims that both of them are fairies. According to Azura, the blue birthmark on Rylie’s face means that she is an Aurorian, a special fairy that will have great powers.
Azura tries to warn Rylie that dark fairies will be after her. Rylie’s birth father made a deal with Varwik, the king of dark fairies, that Rylie would belong to him.
When she turns sixteen, Rylie sprouts wings and notices facial differences. She will able to hide her appearance from humans, but won’t be able to hide from other fairies. Some fairies find out about her, and she is taken to Varwik’s castle, where she is to wed Kallan. Will Sierra find out how to escape her father’s dark promise?
I absolutely loved the Keegan Chronicle’s series, and I thought this cover was absolutely beautiful. I’m so glad the authors picked fairies to write about. I haven’t read many fairy books. The only other series I’ve even started about fairies is the ones by Aprilynne Pike.
I don’t know how Rylie/Oleander could deal with finding out that her parents weren’t really her parents and being a fairy. I did like Adam, but I definitely find Kallan intriguing. I guess I am rooting for Kallan, even though I do think Adam is nice.
Kallan just has a little something extra that I haven’t seen in Adam yet. I loved the descriptions of the fairy world, and all of the little piskies. I can’t wait until the next one! This was definitely a quick read. I was so upset when it was over. Hopefully, it won’t be too long of a wait for the next book.
Before her birthday, she finds out that the person that has been watching her, is her birth mother, Azura, who claims that both of them are fairies. According to Azura, the blue birthmark on Rylie’s face means that she is an Aurorian, a special fairy that will have great powers.
Azura tries to warn Rylie that dark fairies will be after her. Rylie’s birth father made a deal with Varwik, the king of dark fairies, that Rylie would belong to him.
When she turns sixteen, Rylie sprouts wings and notices facial differences. She will able to hide her appearance from humans, but won’t be able to hide from other fairies. Some fairies find out about her, and she is taken to Varwik’s castle, where she is to wed Kallan. Will Sierra find out how to escape her father’s dark promise?
I absolutely loved the Keegan Chronicle’s series, and I thought this cover was absolutely beautiful. I’m so glad the authors picked fairies to write about. I haven’t read many fairy books. The only other series I’ve even started about fairies is the ones by Aprilynne Pike.
I don’t know how Rylie/Oleander could deal with finding out that her parents weren’t really her parents and being a fairy. I did like Adam, but I definitely find Kallan intriguing. I guess I am rooting for Kallan, even though I do think Adam is nice.
Kallan just has a little something extra that I haven’t seen in Adam yet. I loved the descriptions of the fairy world, and all of the little piskies. I can’t wait until the next one! This was definitely a quick read. I was so upset when it was over. Hopefully, it won’t be too long of a wait for the next book.
September 15, 2012
Dark Promise is a beautifully written story about faeries. I love Riley's determination in Dark Promise, no matter what she's not about to back down. The description was very in depth and I felt like I could picture every detail of the story. I really loved Dark Promise and can't wait for a sequel, I highly recommend this book.
Riley's world has just been turned upside down. Her life isn't perfect but pretty close to it, she has the hot boyfriend, Adam and lives with her parents, her mom the school teacher and her dad, the detective. Then one day there's a knock on the door, it's her biological mother, Riley and her parents are shocked, come to find out Riley was switched at birth. And if that's not enough Riley's also a faery and is in the process of undergoing her transformation which will be complete on her sixteenth birthday.
Riley's biological mother, Azura, brings even more bad news with her, the reason for the switch was because the Dark Fairies want Riley. You see Riley is no ordinary fairy, she's a Aurorian faery, which means she will be the most powerful faery, her ability will be like no others. Only Riley didn't want to believe any of this even with the proof staring her in the face, she didn't want to be a faery, she just wanted to be a normal teen with her boyfriend, Adam and her best friend Sierra.
Soon the Dark Faeries catch up to Riley and hold her captive in their castle, where the Dark Faery King, Varwik, wants her on his side, he also wants her to marry his son, Kallan, who is not at all thrilled by this arrangement either.
Kallan and Riley are forced to get to know one another and what they find out scares them both. The more they get to know one another, the more they fall for one another. However, the still doesn't change Riley's mind, she doesn't want to be married at the age of 16. All she wants is to be back home with her friends and family.
Riley's world has just been turned upside down. Her life isn't perfect but pretty close to it, she has the hot boyfriend, Adam and lives with her parents, her mom the school teacher and her dad, the detective. Then one day there's a knock on the door, it's her biological mother, Riley and her parents are shocked, come to find out Riley was switched at birth. And if that's not enough Riley's also a faery and is in the process of undergoing her transformation which will be complete on her sixteenth birthday.
Riley's biological mother, Azura, brings even more bad news with her, the reason for the switch was because the Dark Fairies want Riley. You see Riley is no ordinary fairy, she's a Aurorian faery, which means she will be the most powerful faery, her ability will be like no others. Only Riley didn't want to believe any of this even with the proof staring her in the face, she didn't want to be a faery, she just wanted to be a normal teen with her boyfriend, Adam and her best friend Sierra.
Soon the Dark Faeries catch up to Riley and hold her captive in their castle, where the Dark Faery King, Varwik, wants her on his side, he also wants her to marry his son, Kallan, who is not at all thrilled by this arrangement either.
Kallan and Riley are forced to get to know one another and what they find out scares them both. The more they get to know one another, the more they fall for one another. However, the still doesn't change Riley's mind, she doesn't want to be married at the age of 16. All she wants is to be back home with her friends and family.
July 19, 2013
(Originally posted on my blog and shortened here for brevity; minor spoilers)
Dark Promise is told through the viewpoint of Rylie McCallister and flows in a relaxing way; you're basically reading about the details about Rylie's life, from putting on make-up to failing a pop quiz. It's very character-driven; aside from a few skirmishes, there aren't battle scenes or crazy displays of faery powers. We watch as Rylie goes from a very normal teen to one trying to make the best of the situation in a believable way. The relationships between Rylie and all the other characters are very defined, which really adds depth to the story. Not only do you see Rylie's struggles, you also see the ones of those around her. About halfway through the story, the tale picks up speed before slowing down again as Rylie gets unwillingly thrust into the faery world. Even in the faery world, it's the characters that drive the story and not magical abilities or new mythology.
There is a love triangle; I like that she has to choose between two boys, one from the human world and one from the faery world. However, I'm not a fan of *how* it was done. Her relationship with Adam is sweet and loving, which is why I found it hard that she fell in love with Kellan *so* fast, especially since it only seems to be physical. Conversely, I don't see why Kellan would fall in love so fast after he was so adamantly against marrying. That said, I *do* like Kellan pining after Rylie!
Overall, I enjoyed this story and the book was an easy read. I'm giving it a 4 instead of a 5 just because I felt like I was waiting for something to happen that never did. It's like there was a build up to something and then… done. There *is* a follow-up book, so maybe that's the problem. Despite that misgiving, I'd recommend it to all ages and especially to those who are fans of faeries.
Dark Promise is told through the viewpoint of Rylie McCallister and flows in a relaxing way; you're basically reading about the details about Rylie's life, from putting on make-up to failing a pop quiz. It's very character-driven; aside from a few skirmishes, there aren't battle scenes or crazy displays of faery powers. We watch as Rylie goes from a very normal teen to one trying to make the best of the situation in a believable way. The relationships between Rylie and all the other characters are very defined, which really adds depth to the story. Not only do you see Rylie's struggles, you also see the ones of those around her. About halfway through the story, the tale picks up speed before slowing down again as Rylie gets unwillingly thrust into the faery world. Even in the faery world, it's the characters that drive the story and not magical abilities or new mythology.
There is a love triangle; I like that she has to choose between two boys, one from the human world and one from the faery world. However, I'm not a fan of *how* it was done. Her relationship with Adam is sweet and loving, which is why I found it hard that she fell in love with Kellan *so* fast, especially since it only seems to be physical. Conversely, I don't see why Kellan would fall in love so fast after he was so adamantly against marrying. That said, I *do* like Kellan pining after Rylie!
Overall, I enjoyed this story and the book was an easy read. I'm giving it a 4 instead of a 5 just because I felt like I was waiting for something to happen that never did. It's like there was a build up to something and then… done. There *is* a follow-up book, so maybe that's the problem. Despite that misgiving, I'd recommend it to all ages and especially to those who are fans of faeries.
October 11, 2012
I loved the summary of Dark Promise but the cover was not my favorite, so I didn't really know what to expect from the book. I really like Julia Crane's writing so I wanted to give it a try. I am so glad that I did! Dark Promise is one of my favorite books of 2012, and my favorite fey book ever! I loved it all. I loved the characters, the plot and the world that Julia and Talia masterfully created.
Rylie has such a perfect little life, with her super sweet boyfriend Adam, and great parents. Then she basically gets whisked away against her will into faery. I was so swept up in the story. I felt like I was right there with Rylie. Adam is such a great guy that initially I hated the other guy- Kallan simply on principal. But the more I got to know him, the more I got to liking him and then really liking him and then to 100% rooting for him! Even if you are not a fan of love triangles, you need to check this one out. It is different, I promise.
This is an author duo that I am a huge fan of! I love how deep their writing is. It feels more vibrant somehow. The emotions seemed heightened, and the beautiful colors of faery land seemed brigter. I loved exploring the landscape along with Rylie. I feel like she fell in love with the world even though she tried her best not to. I even caught myself liking the king I teensy tiny bit. His character is so evil but there is some deep sorrow in him as well.
If you are a fan of fey books, you have to read dark promise. Right now, no excuses. I loved this book. And man, oh man that ending was just wow. I completely loved it. I need book 2 RIGHT NOW! I have not been this anxious to read a sequel in a long time. It is now two days after I read the book and I am still thinking about it. That is how much I liked Dark Promise.
Rylie has such a perfect little life, with her super sweet boyfriend Adam, and great parents. Then she basically gets whisked away against her will into faery. I was so swept up in the story. I felt like I was right there with Rylie. Adam is such a great guy that initially I hated the other guy- Kallan simply on principal. But the more I got to know him, the more I got to liking him and then really liking him and then to 100% rooting for him! Even if you are not a fan of love triangles, you need to check this one out. It is different, I promise.
This is an author duo that I am a huge fan of! I love how deep their writing is. It feels more vibrant somehow. The emotions seemed heightened, and the beautiful colors of faery land seemed brigter. I loved exploring the landscape along with Rylie. I feel like she fell in love with the world even though she tried her best not to. I even caught myself liking the king I teensy tiny bit. His character is so evil but there is some deep sorrow in him as well.
If you are a fan of fey books, you have to read dark promise. Right now, no excuses. I loved this book. And man, oh man that ending was just wow. I completely loved it. I need book 2 RIGHT NOW! I have not been this anxious to read a sequel in a long time. It is now two days after I read the book and I am still thinking about it. That is how much I liked Dark Promise.
September 9, 2012
Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Excuse me while I attempt to recover from the epic ending of this novel and pine for the next book in the series. I had no idea that this storyline was going to end up being this exciting! It started off a tad bit slow, and I was unsure how I felt about another faery story. But by the end, I literally kept pressing the "next page" button on my Kindle, desperate for more. Dark Promise is full of excitement, suspense, and romance - everything a YA Fantasy should be.
But rather than bore you with my endless fangirl-ing, I thought I'd just list it out. Here's why you need to check out Dark Promise right now.
1. It had one of the best love triangles I've seen in a long time. Oh man, there was infinite swoon-age in this one. Adam is the perfect boyfriend. He's the kind of guy that makes your heart melt with everything he says. Then there's Kallan. He's just...so attractive. He's passionate, frustrating, and just so smoldering hot. Oh man. How am I supposed to choose a team?
2. Being a faery is pretty darn awesome. Rylie gets this awesome power, never has to do her hair or make up, and has access to this beautiful parallel world. I was a little jealous.
3. It's a great deal. The book is only $2.99 on Amazon and $3.99 on Smashwords. It's hard to get a great story that's under $5.
You've probably noticed that I haven't gotten over my Dark Promise high. This is such a good read. It will leave you dying to read the sequel.
But rather than bore you with my endless fangirl-ing, I thought I'd just list it out. Here's why you need to check out Dark Promise right now.
1. It had one of the best love triangles I've seen in a long time. Oh man, there was infinite swoon-age in this one. Adam is the perfect boyfriend. He's the kind of guy that makes your heart melt with everything he says. Then there's Kallan. He's just...so attractive. He's passionate, frustrating, and just so smoldering hot. Oh man. How am I supposed to choose a team?
2. Being a faery is pretty darn awesome. Rylie gets this awesome power, never has to do her hair or make up, and has access to this beautiful parallel world. I was a little jealous.
3. It's a great deal. The book is only $2.99 on Amazon and $3.99 on Smashwords. It's hard to get a great story that's under $5.
You've probably noticed that I haven't gotten over my Dark Promise high. This is such a good read. It will leave you dying to read the sequel.
February 16, 2013
Rylie is a lucky girl. She has wonderful, loving parents. Great friends and the most wonderful boyfriend that any girl could ask for. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Rylie starts feeling strange, as if she is somehow changing. The night before her birthday, a strange lady comes to visit them and tells an incredible tale of how she is Rylie's birth mother. Rylie is going to turn into a faery on her sixteenth birthday and obtain incredible powers. Azure must keep Rylie safe because some faeries are wanting to capture her and use her powers for evil. Kidnapped and taken away to the dark faerie land, Rylie will fight with everything she has to return to her family or die trying. Things are not all bad, though, in this magical land. How will she return to the only family that she has ever know?
I really enjoyed reading this book. Quiet different than what I am used to reading. I am not a huge fan of faery but this book was so good. A wonderful storyline full of surprises and excitement. Rylie is perfect as the main character. She is level headed, brave and quick thinking. The ending is excellent. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I can't wait to learn more about the characters. This series has so much potential. I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Quiet different than what I am used to reading. I am not a huge fan of faery but this book was so good. A wonderful storyline full of surprises and excitement. Rylie is perfect as the main character. She is level headed, brave and quick thinking. The ending is excellent. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I can't wait to learn more about the characters. This series has so much potential. I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.
July 14, 2013
I will start this review by saying Julie Crane and Talia Jager have hit a gold mine with this magnificent series and I hope they continue it. Rylie is an amazing character who has it all friends,a boyfriend and amazing home life. A girl only turns 16 once, but things go from good to bad in a matter of minutes when she finds out a secret about herself that make her world crumple. All the characters in this book are amazing from her best friend to the new boy Kallan. As Rylie tries to sort out her now complicated life and the new feelings she has for the new world she was meant to born in to the world she knows. Can Rylie accept her fate or will she fight against it? Can she accept the world she was meant to be born in or will it coming crashing down around her? Can the promise that was made be broken? To find this out get your copy today you will not be disappointed and you will be asking for more as I was. The 2nd book Broken Promise is next in the series check this magnificent series out.
August 28, 2012
Dark Promise is the second collaboration between Crane & Jager, and it's my favorite of the two. It is the story of Rylie, a faery raised by humans who has no idea what she is. But on her sixteenth birthday, something big happens -- and she's thrust into a world she never knew existed.
I am firmly in the Team Kallan ballpark, as I believe faeries belong with faeries hehehe. He's dark and brooding, a lot like a younger "Angel" from BtVS, and I find that SO much hotter than Adam's boy-next-door-ness. I really felt for Rylie as she struggled to understand what was happening to her perfectly constructed existence.
I definitely recommend this as a great YA paranormal read, and I look forward to the sequel. She better pick Kallan!!
I am firmly in the Team Kallan ballpark, as I believe faeries belong with faeries hehehe. He's dark and brooding, a lot like a younger "Angel" from BtVS, and I find that SO much hotter than Adam's boy-next-door-ness. I really felt for Rylie as she struggled to understand what was happening to her perfectly constructed existence.
I definitely recommend this as a great YA paranormal read, and I look forward to the sequel. She better pick Kallan!!
August 30, 2014
Waking up with faery wings on your 16th birthday? Pretty cool!
This book has everything you look for in the fae urban fantasy. Girl turning into a faerie, being kidnapped by the dark fae, being forced to marry the dark leader's son.
The world is beautiful with gorgeous descriptions of faeryland and mythical creatures. I loved the writing style because I could really envision the environment and felt transported into the pages.
I also liked all of the characters - the good and bad ones. They were interesting and had many dimensions.
Just all around wonderful!
This book has everything you look for in the fae urban fantasy. Girl turning into a faerie, being kidnapped by the dark fae, being forced to marry the dark leader's son.
The world is beautiful with gorgeous descriptions of faeryland and mythical creatures. I loved the writing style because I could really envision the environment and felt transported into the pages.
I also liked all of the characters - the good and bad ones. They were interesting and had many dimensions.
Just all around wonderful!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews