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The Immortal Orders #1
Dark Night Golden Dawn
In a city where the elite are powerful as gods, the season is about to begin. The Immortal Orders will gather, pair and create a spectacle for all of Nuva Troi to witness.
Harlow Krane is a sorcière who wants nothing more than to recover from her most recent breakup in peace. When the season begins, her Order needs her help to save their ancestral occult district from being taken over by the Illuminated, the most powerful immortals in Nuva Troi. They offer to back off—if Harlow agrees to pair with their most eligible bachelor, Finn McKay. But Harlow has been burned by Finn before.
Finn McKay is one of the Illuminated. Rich, powerful, and he isn’t afraid of anyone—except for his parents. When they push him towards Harlow Krane, he knows their purposes are sinister at best. For the past seven years, Finn has done everything in his power to stay away from Harlow and he won’t break his resolve now, even if it means defying his parents. As the season begins, it’s clear something is dangerously wrong but besides Finn, only Harlow seems to notice.
With magic behaving strangely, the balance of power between the Immortal Orders and humans grows deadlier by the day. Harlow and Finn must work together to keep ancient grudges from resurfacing and take back their lives in the process. If they can get over their past, the whole world may have a brighter future.
Dark Night, Golden Dawn is Book One in The Immortal Orders Trilogy, a blazing hot fantasy romance, set in a contemporary world of magic, deception, and betrayal.
Harlow Krane is a sorcière who wants nothing more than to recover from her most recent breakup in peace. When the season begins, her Order needs her help to save their ancestral occult district from being taken over by the Illuminated, the most powerful immortals in Nuva Troi. They offer to back off—if Harlow agrees to pair with their most eligible bachelor, Finn McKay. But Harlow has been burned by Finn before.
Finn McKay is one of the Illuminated. Rich, powerful, and he isn’t afraid of anyone—except for his parents. When they push him towards Harlow Krane, he knows their purposes are sinister at best. For the past seven years, Finn has done everything in his power to stay away from Harlow and he won’t break his resolve now, even if it means defying his parents. As the season begins, it’s clear something is dangerously wrong but besides Finn, only Harlow seems to notice.
With magic behaving strangely, the balance of power between the Immortal Orders and humans grows deadlier by the day. Harlow and Finn must work together to keep ancient grudges from resurfacing and take back their lives in the process. If they can get over their past, the whole world may have a brighter future.
Dark Night, Golden Dawn is Book One in The Immortal Orders Trilogy, a blazing hot fantasy romance, set in a contemporary world of magic, deception, and betrayal.
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First published March 29, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 779 reviews
July 25, 2022
this got off to a bumpy start. its definitely not enemies-to-lovers (like the synopsis implies) and the MC annoyed me for honestly no particular reason, but once the plot got moving and the world-building expanded, i found myself settling into the story, liking the characters more and suddenly im now invested enough to want to continue the series! lol.
↠ 3.5 stars
↠ 3.5 stars
August 10, 2022
4✨
Please take a seat I have a lot to say.
Dark Night Golden Dawn follows sad girl ™️ Harlow, a young witch who has yet to come into her mature powers. The book begins about 6 months after her breakup with the psychopathic Mark who has CLEARLY left a mark on her because she doesn’t stop whining for like 70% of this book 😊
Anyway, the first book in the Immortal Orders series is full of magic, history, lore, friendship, family, and sweet second chance romance with childhood friends/lovers (just to be clear that is NOT psychopathic Mark above, it’s Finn). The world building is really rich but easy to follow. I loved the introduction of secret societies in history and hidden scrolls with convoluted meanings. The main plot consists of Finn and Harlow fake dating during the social season to get his parents and the media off their backs. The plot then opens up when suspicious things begin that happen and Harlow is thrown into the middle of it.
There are a couple of stand out things I love about this book. Harlow’s family/friends social support is truly amazing, yet in true sad girl ™️ fashion she self isolates and runs away from her problems. This irked me to no end. GIRL HAS A WHOLE ARMY OF PEOPLE WILLING TO HELP HER and she’s like na I’m actually gonna leave with my cat and sit in my dingy penthouse and wallow. Yes, the author makes a point to say (several times) she’s working on herself blah blah blah. This just got repetitive and I wish she read more mature.
This is one of the only fantasies I’ve read with 500+ year immortals who don’t pretend to only be binary and straight?? The author literally was like “yeah so basically we actually have diversity here on this mythical planet and aside from a few idiots we’re all really accepting!” You can’t tell me that immortals aren’t experiencing the whole sexuality and gender spectrums after living for THAT LONG. So yeah I really enjoyed the rep in this one and it didn’t feel forced or performative in my opinion.
The romance didn’t kick in for a little bit in this book (see above about the wallowing that never ended) but when it did!! Finn is a true feminist who YES has made mistakes in the past about taking choice out Harlow’s situations, but he’s grown okay? Watching the second chance romance develop was perfection and the tension and pay off oh my.
It doesn’t end on a super bad cliffhanger, more like a nicely tied bow with a loose end or two. I’m excited to see where this goes in book 2!! (Is it October yet??)
TW:
One last thing that bothered me about this book was the flippant way the author discussed suicidal ideation/accidental OD (off page) in the context of mental health. She also wrote Harlow to kind of throw it in the other character’s faces, which was really uncomfortable to read. The way the author handled the mental health aspects- including the obvious depression Harlow was experiencing, was not handled as gracefully as it could have been in my opinion. I still enjoyed this book a lot, but all jokes aside, she is very much a sad girl for the majority of this book. And it was hard to read at times.
Please take a seat I have a lot to say.
Dark Night Golden Dawn follows sad girl ™️ Harlow, a young witch who has yet to come into her mature powers. The book begins about 6 months after her breakup with the psychopathic Mark who has CLEARLY left a mark on her because she doesn’t stop whining for like 70% of this book 😊
Anyway, the first book in the Immortal Orders series is full of magic, history, lore, friendship, family, and sweet second chance romance with childhood friends/lovers (just to be clear that is NOT psychopathic Mark above, it’s Finn). The world building is really rich but easy to follow. I loved the introduction of secret societies in history and hidden scrolls with convoluted meanings. The main plot consists of Finn and Harlow fake dating during the social season to get his parents and the media off their backs. The plot then opens up when suspicious things begin that happen and Harlow is thrown into the middle of it.
There are a couple of stand out things I love about this book. Harlow’s family/friends social support is truly amazing, yet in true sad girl ™️ fashion she self isolates and runs away from her problems. This irked me to no end. GIRL HAS A WHOLE ARMY OF PEOPLE WILLING TO HELP HER and she’s like na I’m actually gonna leave with my cat and sit in my dingy penthouse and wallow. Yes, the author makes a point to say (several times) she’s working on herself blah blah blah. This just got repetitive and I wish she read more mature.
This is one of the only fantasies I’ve read with 500+ year immortals who don’t pretend to only be binary and straight?? The author literally was like “yeah so basically we actually have diversity here on this mythical planet and aside from a few idiots we’re all really accepting!” You can’t tell me that immortals aren’t experiencing the whole sexuality and gender spectrums after living for THAT LONG. So yeah I really enjoyed the rep in this one and it didn’t feel forced or performative in my opinion.
The romance didn’t kick in for a little bit in this book (see above about the wallowing that never ended) but when it did!! Finn is a true feminist who YES has made mistakes in the past about taking choice out Harlow’s situations, but he’s grown okay? Watching the second chance romance develop was perfection and the tension and pay off oh my.
It doesn’t end on a super bad cliffhanger, more like a nicely tied bow with a loose end or two. I’m excited to see where this goes in book 2!! (Is it October yet??)
TW:
One last thing that bothered me about this book was the flippant way the author discussed suicidal ideation/accidental OD (off page) in the context of mental health. She also wrote Harlow to kind of throw it in the other character’s faces, which was really uncomfortable to read. The way the author handled the mental health aspects- including the obvious depression Harlow was experiencing, was not handled as gracefully as it could have been in my opinion. I still enjoyed this book a lot, but all jokes aside, she is very much a sad girl for the majority of this book. And it was hard to read at times.
September 2, 2023
I like it when a book surprises me by getting better. I genuinely thought this book would not be great by the first few chapters, but as the world kept being built and explored, and the characters became more interesting, I found myself really enjoying it to the end. Might read the second one!
May 21, 2022
(4,5 stars)
"Are you trying to kill me with your dress?"
"You´re immortal. You´d be harder to kill than I´d like."
We have a one POV book, being told by the POV of Harlow
I really liked Harlow has a FMC; she was flawed and imperfect but that made her seem so relatable and human at the same time (even tho she isn´t human). I liked her family relationships. I especially loved her mothers and their relationship with their daughters. This family felt so open minded and heartwarming, I really liked it.
The representation of love in this book was amazingly done. I loved the LGBTQ+ representation and that it also mentioned the struggles people of the community face. I loved the side characters, they all had depth to them and every one of them also told there own story rather than just being there to support Harlows story.
I loved Harlow and Finn as a couple, they had really great chemistry. I am a sucker for the friends to enemies to lovers trope and it was amazingly done here. I loved their backstory and all the groveling Finn had to do. I really liked the tension at the beginning and how they didn´t go from "enemies" to lovers immediatly but had to work through some issues together.
The plot of the book was really nice, I liked the story line and I really loved the world building. It is a modern fantasy world with different "orders" that live alongside humans. I loved the idea of magic in this book. The only complaint I have is that the pacing felt a little bit off towards the ending.
Overall it was an amazing read that I really enjoyed and I can´t wait for the second book to be released and to see how Harlows and Finns story will continue.
trigger warnings: domestic abuse, gaslighting, suicide attempt, animal cruelty, fatphobia, depression, homophobia
"Are you trying to kill me with your dress?"
"You´re immortal. You´d be harder to kill than I´d like."
We have a one POV book, being told by the POV of Harlow
I really liked Harlow has a FMC; she was flawed and imperfect but that made her seem so relatable and human at the same time (even tho she isn´t human). I liked her family relationships. I especially loved her mothers and their relationship with their daughters. This family felt so open minded and heartwarming, I really liked it.
The representation of love in this book was amazingly done. I loved the LGBTQ+ representation and that it also mentioned the struggles people of the community face. I loved the side characters, they all had depth to them and every one of them also told there own story rather than just being there to support Harlows story.
I loved Harlow and Finn as a couple, they had really great chemistry. I am a sucker for the friends to enemies to lovers trope and it was amazingly done here. I loved their backstory and all the groveling Finn had to do. I really liked the tension at the beginning and how they didn´t go from "enemies" to lovers immediatly but had to work through some issues together.
The plot of the book was really nice, I liked the story line and I really loved the world building. It is a modern fantasy world with different "orders" that live alongside humans. I loved the idea of magic in this book. The only complaint I have is that the pacing felt a little bit off towards the ending.
Overall it was an amazing read that I really enjoyed and I can´t wait for the second book to be released and to see how Harlows and Finns story will continue.
trigger warnings: domestic abuse, gaslighting, suicide attempt, animal cruelty, fatphobia, depression, homophobia
August 8, 2022
The drama of the trauma was exhausting and repetitive. We get it, the main character was in a bad relationship but more than half of this book said the same thing over and over and over. I forced myself to finish, but I just skimmed over most of the pages in my race to the finish. I was still able to follow the storyline because of the repetitive writing. It’s not that I don’t have empathy for what the main character experienced, it’s just that the plot didn’t go anywhere because of the constant repetition of her experience and the talk about her low self esteem made it impossible to like the main character. You can’t spend 95% of a story with a character lacking self-esteem and self respect and expect the reader to accept that she suddenly becomes a strong heroine. No, I won’t be reading the rest of this series.
October 23, 2022
This was as good as I hoped it would be although sometimes the pacing felt a little off, but still. Good stuff.
Harlow is a curvy (just adding that because most girls are thin, it’s nice to read about somebody normal, and maybe you would too) and relatable heroine, very insecure at first but with very good reason. It was heartbreaking to watch at times but when she actively started crawling out of the hole her ex threw her in, things started to get better.
With the help of Finn, her childhood friend who ended their friendship very suddenly when they were younger for reasons she never knew, Harlow slowly blooms into herself and the powers that came along the way.
This book also has a very strong emphasis on a normalized and completly integrated LGBTQ+ community and the correct use of pronouns (so people are no longer viewed as a community but just part of society, as it should be) which I adored.
Harlow is a curvy (just adding that because most girls are thin, it’s nice to read about somebody normal, and maybe you would too) and relatable heroine, very insecure at first but with very good reason. It was heartbreaking to watch at times but when she actively started crawling out of the hole her ex threw her in, things started to get better.
With the help of Finn, her childhood friend who ended their friendship very suddenly when they were younger for reasons she never knew, Harlow slowly blooms into herself and the powers that came along the way.
This book also has a very strong emphasis on a normalized and completly integrated LGBTQ+ community and the correct use of pronouns (so people are no longer viewed as a community but just part of society, as it should be) which I adored.
May 31, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️
“She wished she hadn’t frittered the day away reading a new romance novel, but it was what it was.” I can relate, Harlow!
Brief overview of plot:
The MC Harlow, is a sorcieres whom spent two years living amongst humans, with her then boyfriend, Mark. It was an abusive relationship. She had lost most of her friends due to the fact Mark wanted her all to himself. All he really wanted from the relationship was secrets about the Order. After he kicked Harlow to the curb unexpectedly, she had to ease back into the socieres life style.
Harlows parents thought that an alliance with the McKay’s (a powerful illuminated family) and others like them would increase the sorcieres power and standing in the Orders (of course there’s more to it than just that). They believed that the season would be the best place for Harlow and her sisters to form these relationships. Thus, creating an alliance with their family and the Illuminated. It was first intended that one of Harlows sisters would be promised to Fin McKay. She had had a past relationship with him many years ago that ended badly. She saw him as self centered and arrogant. But, there’s so much that happened that Harlow was not yet aware of.
“Somewhere along the way I stopped believing I was worthy of my own love.”
My thoughts:
The friends to lovers to enemies to lovers was great.
I LOVED Finn. He just wanted the best for his family and the people he loved.
A little disappointed in terms of “action”. There was a lot of mystery to this book and in the end we got most of the answers we were wanting. But, I was wanting to see more of Harlow and her powers.
In terms of smut, there was a couple sexy scenes. On a smut scale it’s 2/5 ⭐️’s.
This is one of the first fantasy books I’ve read mind you. I think this was a great introduction to the fantasy world!!
“She wished she hadn’t frittered the day away reading a new romance novel, but it was what it was.” I can relate, Harlow!
Brief overview of plot:
The MC Harlow, is a sorcieres whom spent two years living amongst humans, with her then boyfriend, Mark. It was an abusive relationship. She had lost most of her friends due to the fact Mark wanted her all to himself. All he really wanted from the relationship was secrets about the Order. After he kicked Harlow to the curb unexpectedly, she had to ease back into the socieres life style.
Harlows parents thought that an alliance with the McKay’s (a powerful illuminated family) and others like them would increase the sorcieres power and standing in the Orders (of course there’s more to it than just that). They believed that the season would be the best place for Harlow and her sisters to form these relationships. Thus, creating an alliance with their family and the Illuminated. It was first intended that one of Harlows sisters would be promised to Fin McKay. She had had a past relationship with him many years ago that ended badly. She saw him as self centered and arrogant. But, there’s so much that happened that Harlow was not yet aware of.
“Somewhere along the way I stopped believing I was worthy of my own love.”
My thoughts:
The friends to lovers to enemies to lovers was great.
I LOVED Finn. He just wanted the best for his family and the people he loved.
A little disappointed in terms of “action”. There was a lot of mystery to this book and in the end we got most of the answers we were wanting. But, I was wanting to see more of Harlow and her powers.
In terms of smut, there was a couple sexy scenes. On a smut scale it’s 2/5 ⭐️’s.
This is one of the first fantasy books I’ve read mind you. I think this was a great introduction to the fantasy world!!
Read
May 8, 2023DNF 60%
June 21, 2022
The story? Refreshing, entertaining, heartbreaking!
The characters? Refreshing, entertaining, enchanting!
DNGD is urban fantasy that meets Bridgeton (hello,season!), Pride & Prejudice (you know the Quinn family is basically the Bennet family) with a magical mystery, journies of self healing and a cat. We can’t forget Axel.
We also get:
📕 LGBTQ+ rep
📕 Friends to lovers to enemies to lovers (say that 3 times fast)
📕 Fake dating
📕 Found family
📕 Shower Spice (that is now a trope on its own in my head)
📕 Witches, shifters and vampires, oh my!
On a serious note, Harlow’s journey of self-healing is one that I HIGHLY relate too including how she self isolated. Themes you connect with on such a deep level can, at times, be hard tk swallow. But Allison portrayed this beautifully and I am so very much in love with Harlow.
I am in awe of this book. You should read it.
The characters? Refreshing, entertaining, enchanting!
DNGD is urban fantasy that meets Bridgeton (hello,season!), Pride & Prejudice (you know the Quinn family is basically the Bennet family) with a magical mystery, journies of self healing and a cat. We can’t forget Axel.
We also get:
📕 LGBTQ+ rep
📕 Friends to lovers to enemies to lovers (say that 3 times fast)
📕 Fake dating
📕 Found family
📕 Shower Spice (that is now a trope on its own in my head)
📕 Witches, shifters and vampires, oh my!
On a serious note, Harlow’s journey of self-healing is one that I HIGHLY relate too including how she self isolated. Themes you connect with on such a deep level can, at times, be hard tk swallow. But Allison portrayed this beautifully and I am so very much in love with Harlow.
I am in awe of this book. You should read it.
November 27, 2022
1 Star
The best thing I can say about this book is that I somehow finished it… I was expecting some sort of fluffy NA Fantasy Romance, but this didn’t remotely deliver.
I’m not going to bother giving a fully synopsis, but I would call this a character driven book about healing and forgiveness. Sure, that’s not terrible and I certainly would seek that out in other books, but it was misplaced in this context. The plot drags on and is very slow and almost confusing at times. Mostly due to their world not being well flushed out. As the book progressed (btw most of the plot progression happens at the very end) everything becomes more convoluted, and almost laughable at times.
Outside of the plot and muddy world, I would say 80% of this is Harlow (the FMC) dealing with her own mental and emotional struggles. Which again - I’m not trying being callous here as I would read similar things in a different context - it didn’t make sense or fit into what I expected going into this. I would almost describe the book as heavy and depressing at times (TWs for emotional abuse in a past relationship, and a suicide attempt). It made it very hard to connect to or like Harlow and she was (given the context, understandably) volatile throughout the whole book.
I didn’t even care for her relationship with Finn (the MC). They were together when they were teenagers, so 99% of their relationship development happened off screen/in the past. This made their getting back together seem very insta-love, when I was expecting more tension and angst. Even with the introduction of the “season” (think historical romance regency season where people find spouses) I was a bit excited for some of that getting to know you/reigniting the relationship. Instead the season was completely abandoned and never really explained after like one cocktail party. The same thing happened a few different times - there are so much facets of the story that aren’t fully explained or fleshed out. As if the author was writing this, kept coming up with more and more things to add to the story, but then forgot to go back and tie up all the loose ends. Sure, things will probably be tied up a bit in the next book, but I’m not super hopefully and I don’t care enough to even read the next book to see what happens.
Continuing with Finn - he had 0 personality. His entire purpose was to be an almost inhumanly perfect boyfriend to Harlow. He was extremely kind, understanding, and nice. That’s about it. Which in turn, made me find him incredibly bland. To be honest, the romance bits weren’t romantic and I would say very misplaced given the rest of the story. Harlow actually should be single, learn to love herself, and work through her feelings with a therapist.
I won’t be continuing this series, and probably will stay away from this author.
The best thing I can say about this book is that I somehow finished it… I was expecting some sort of fluffy NA Fantasy Romance, but this didn’t remotely deliver.
I’m not going to bother giving a fully synopsis, but I would call this a character driven book about healing and forgiveness. Sure, that’s not terrible and I certainly would seek that out in other books, but it was misplaced in this context. The plot drags on and is very slow and almost confusing at times. Mostly due to their world not being well flushed out. As the book progressed (btw most of the plot progression happens at the very end) everything becomes more convoluted, and almost laughable at times.
Outside of the plot and muddy world, I would say 80% of this is Harlow (the FMC) dealing with her own mental and emotional struggles. Which again - I’m not trying being callous here as I would read similar things in a different context - it didn’t make sense or fit into what I expected going into this. I would almost describe the book as heavy and depressing at times (TWs for emotional abuse in a past relationship, and a suicide attempt). It made it very hard to connect to or like Harlow and she was (given the context, understandably) volatile throughout the whole book.
I didn’t even care for her relationship with Finn (the MC). They were together when they were teenagers, so 99% of their relationship development happened off screen/in the past. This made their getting back together seem very insta-love, when I was expecting more tension and angst. Even with the introduction of the “season” (think historical romance regency season where people find spouses) I was a bit excited for some of that getting to know you/reigniting the relationship. Instead the season was completely abandoned and never really explained after like one cocktail party. The same thing happened a few different times - there are so much facets of the story that aren’t fully explained or fleshed out. As if the author was writing this, kept coming up with more and more things to add to the story, but then forgot to go back and tie up all the loose ends. Sure, things will probably be tied up a bit in the next book, but I’m not super hopefully and I don’t care enough to even read the next book to see what happens.
Continuing with Finn - he had 0 personality. His entire purpose was to be an almost inhumanly perfect boyfriend to Harlow. He was extremely kind, understanding, and nice. That’s about it. Which in turn, made me find him incredibly bland. To be honest, the romance bits weren’t romantic and I would say very misplaced given the rest of the story. Harlow actually should be single, learn to love herself, and work through her feelings with a therapist.
I won’t be continuing this series, and probably will stay away from this author.
May 8, 2022
How do I even begin to describe my love for this book?? I don’t think I can. I was SHOCKED at how much I absolutely fell in love - it’s been so long since a book captured me like this. I have gotten at least six of my friends to drop everything and read this in the last week - it’s THAT good. Like, start saving for the inevitable Fairyloot/Bookish Box special editions haha.
What you can expect:
✨Harlow (FMC) is a mid/plus sized, bisexual, healing-from-emotional-trauma Witch with powers that haven’t quite manifested yet
✨Mysterious and misunderstood dark haired love interest
✨second chance love that’s really more enemies to lovers
✨ incredible POC and LGBTQIA+ representation in the most natural way - it majorly added to the story instead of feeling random
✨ complex magic and society with witches, werewolves, vampires, immortals, humans, shapeshifters, empaths, the whole nine
✨an INCREDIBLE story of healing and growth hidden in magical hyjinx
✨ a society with Crescent City meets Bridgerton vibes
✨ tons of Pride and Prejudice nods (the Bennets especially)
✨ 410 pages of pure fucking gold
I ABSOLUTELY recommend this book and I simply cannot wait for it to be hyped as it deserves!!!!
What you can expect:
✨Harlow (FMC) is a mid/plus sized, bisexual, healing-from-emotional-trauma Witch with powers that haven’t quite manifested yet
✨Mysterious and misunderstood dark haired love interest
✨second chance love that’s really more enemies to lovers
✨ incredible POC and LGBTQIA+ representation in the most natural way - it majorly added to the story instead of feeling random
✨ complex magic and society with witches, werewolves, vampires, immortals, humans, shapeshifters, empaths, the whole nine
✨an INCREDIBLE story of healing and growth hidden in magical hyjinx
✨ a society with Crescent City meets Bridgerton vibes
✨ tons of Pride and Prejudice nods (the Bennets especially)
✨ 410 pages of pure fucking gold
I ABSOLUTELY recommend this book and I simply cannot wait for it to be hyped as it deserves!!!!
May 31, 2022
For more of my reviews, check out my blog.
Dark Night, Golden Dawn should have been a five star book for me. It had so many of my absolutely favorite tropes (vampires, mating, there’s a social season like in historical romances etc.), but ultimately, it fell more than a little flat. My biggest problem with the book lies with the main character, Harlow. For most of the book, she is a limp, boring noodle. She has little personality other than wondering why anyone likes her at all. (The author writes a reason for this into the story, but it didn’t really solve the issue for me.) Despite having the world’s worst self-confidence, Harlow is good at practically everything, other than standing up for herself and doing something to make herself interesting.
Finn, Harlow’s love interest, is slightly more interesting than her. He is the typical alpha male, a perfect specimen with awesome powers. He is protective, and always willing to take a step back to make sure Harlow is comfortable with how things are going. They have a rocky past together, but Harlow gets over this surprisingly quickly.
The plot and the world built in Dark Night, Golden Dawn is vastly interesting. The author has fantastic ideas, but the actual book just does not equal up to a fantastic story. The writing itself tends to be on the more boring side — too simple and plain to really paint a picture of what’s going on. The sex scenes should have been steamy, but instead felt overly bland. We get so much of Harlow hating and doubting herself when we should have gotten more descriptions of the world, of the plot, of what was going on.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. If I remember about Dark Night, Golden Dawn when it’s sequel comes out, I might grab it. But I have a feeling this book might fade in my memory — it just has no sticking points.
Dark Night, Golden Dawn should have been a five star book for me. It had so many of my absolutely favorite tropes (vampires, mating, there’s a social season like in historical romances etc.), but ultimately, it fell more than a little flat. My biggest problem with the book lies with the main character, Harlow. For most of the book, she is a limp, boring noodle. She has little personality other than wondering why anyone likes her at all. (The author writes a reason for this into the story, but it didn’t really solve the issue for me.) Despite having the world’s worst self-confidence, Harlow is good at practically everything, other than standing up for herself and doing something to make herself interesting.
Finn, Harlow’s love interest, is slightly more interesting than her. He is the typical alpha male, a perfect specimen with awesome powers. He is protective, and always willing to take a step back to make sure Harlow is comfortable with how things are going. They have a rocky past together, but Harlow gets over this surprisingly quickly.
The plot and the world built in Dark Night, Golden Dawn is vastly interesting. The author has fantastic ideas, but the actual book just does not equal up to a fantastic story. The writing itself tends to be on the more boring side — too simple and plain to really paint a picture of what’s going on. The sex scenes should have been steamy, but instead felt overly bland. We get so much of Harlow hating and doubting herself when we should have gotten more descriptions of the world, of the plot, of what was going on.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. If I remember about Dark Night, Golden Dawn when it’s sequel comes out, I might grab it. But I have a feeling this book might fade in my memory — it just has no sticking points.
June 15, 2022
I am so close to DNF this book because it is pissing me off for the following reasons:
It’s written in third person single narrative and it feels so unnatural since the entire book is written from Harlows perspective. It should have been first person.
The relationships move so fast it isn’t believable.
Why do all the sisters call each other pal?
I appreciate the LGBTQIA+ representation as a queer person, but it literally feels like each character exists just to check a box. Similarly with life events and Larkin’s asexuality, does this serve the story? No. Probably was a waste of writing time then.
There are so many instances of things being discussed or talked about that provide no depth or move the story forward, far too many details about what podcast the taxi driver is listening to???
They claim to have been at the events for “hours” when the dialogue isn’t longer than 5 minutes.
The premise was great but the execution is shocking.
It’s written in third person single narrative and it feels so unnatural since the entire book is written from Harlows perspective. It should have been first person.
The relationships move so fast it isn’t believable.
Why do all the sisters call each other pal?
I appreciate the LGBTQIA+ representation as a queer person, but it literally feels like each character exists just to check a box. Similarly with life events and Larkin’s asexuality, does this serve the story? No. Probably was a waste of writing time then.
There are so many instances of things being discussed or talked about that provide no depth or move the story forward, far too many details about what podcast the taxi driver is listening to???
They claim to have been at the events for “hours” when the dialogue isn’t longer than 5 minutes.
The premise was great but the execution is shocking.
April 26, 2022
I really enjoyed this book!! It DEF gave me bridgerton meets fantasy vibes and I loved that. The world was super unique and the class structure was interesting. I loved the dynamics between the humans, sorciere, Immortals, vampires…it made for such a fun and action filled book.
While the plot was interesting, I think my favorite part of the story was the characters. Harlow’s sisters are wonderful and her moms are adorable. I love how tight knit her family is and even though they still have their moments when they disagree or fight, they always come back together and ultimately know that they have each other’s backs.
Harlow’s relationship with Finn was so sweet. I loved the initial tensions of their relationship and loved watching them work through their past together.
Thanks so much to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts are my own.
While the plot was interesting, I think my favorite part of the story was the characters. Harlow’s sisters are wonderful and her moms are adorable. I love how tight knit her family is and even though they still have their moments when they disagree or fight, they always come back together and ultimately know that they have each other’s backs.
Harlow’s relationship with Finn was so sweet. I loved the initial tensions of their relationship and loved watching them work through their past together.
Thanks so much to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts are my own.
October 16, 2024
I don't know why, but for some reason the word "sorcière" started to really grate on my nerves... Ahh yes, because it is used more than 40 times in 408 pages... So, roughly once every 10 pages.... But also because I just wanted it to be sorcerer or sorceress. This was a personal preference.
This also felt a tiny bit like a witchcraft ripoff of the tone of Katee Robert's Dark Olympus Series, specifically the Electric Idol book with all of the social networking, politics, etc.
This book WAS still very different, but it was hard to read without drawing significant similarities in some sections.
I wanted to like Harlowe more, but instead, I liked her little sister and Finn the most.
The book does get going well and it was entertaining, but I wasn't quite as immersed as I should be with a fantasy novel. Perhaps this is because of the aforementioned issues. There is a very good chance that none of these things will bother you, so please try it for yourself.
A good series opener with common series beginning issues, I will continue with this one.
3.75 stars.
This also felt a tiny bit like a witchcraft ripoff of the tone of Katee Robert's Dark Olympus Series, specifically the Electric Idol book with all of the social networking, politics, etc.
This book WAS still very different, but it was hard to read without drawing significant similarities in some sections.
I wanted to like Harlowe more, but instead, I liked her little sister and Finn the most.
The book does get going well and it was entertaining, but I wasn't quite as immersed as I should be with a fantasy novel. Perhaps this is because of the aforementioned issues. There is a very good chance that none of these things will bother you, so please try it for yourself.
A good series opener with common series beginning issues, I will continue with this one.
3.75 stars.
May 1, 2022
Review: 4.5 stars!😍
Ahhh this was such an amazing read! If you are looking for a hot fantasy romance with LGBTQ+ rep you definitely need to pick up this series! The story is filled with magic, an elite society, vampires and witches, strong family ties and a dating season similar to bridgerton!
Allison has created such a lush world! We have the immortal orders which are divided into the separate immortal species (vampires, sorcieres, the illuminated and the shifters) which not only live alongside each other but also the human society. Politics and power play are the driving force of these societies, all fighting to be on top. The illuminated are the most powerful of the immortal orders, and so, the illuminated men are the most coveted bachelor's *enters my newest book boyfriend, Finn*.😍
Harlow is part of the sorcière order, but a late bloomer. She has just been through a devasting and humiliating break up of the season with a powerful and controlling human. Now as she starts weaving the pieces of her life back together and re-connecting with her family of sorcières, she has no choice but to take part into the dating season of the immortal orders, and come face to face with her previous highschool sweetheart, and most coveted illuminated bachelor: Finn.
One of my favorite elements of the story was Harlow's strong family relationship. Now I want a bunch of sisters too! 🤣 The LGBTQ+ rep is on point and super diverse in this series! There is aroace rep, proper use of pronouns, and my favorites: Harlow's sexy and powerful mom's.
An absolutely amazing first book to this series, filled with secrets, lies, power struggles and magic!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review!
Ahhh this was such an amazing read! If you are looking for a hot fantasy romance with LGBTQ+ rep you definitely need to pick up this series! The story is filled with magic, an elite society, vampires and witches, strong family ties and a dating season similar to bridgerton!
Allison has created such a lush world! We have the immortal orders which are divided into the separate immortal species (vampires, sorcieres, the illuminated and the shifters) which not only live alongside each other but also the human society. Politics and power play are the driving force of these societies, all fighting to be on top. The illuminated are the most powerful of the immortal orders, and so, the illuminated men are the most coveted bachelor's *enters my newest book boyfriend, Finn*.😍
Harlow is part of the sorcière order, but a late bloomer. She has just been through a devasting and humiliating break up of the season with a powerful and controlling human. Now as she starts weaving the pieces of her life back together and re-connecting with her family of sorcières, she has no choice but to take part into the dating season of the immortal orders, and come face to face with her previous highschool sweetheart, and most coveted illuminated bachelor: Finn.
One of my favorite elements of the story was Harlow's strong family relationship. Now I want a bunch of sisters too! 🤣 The LGBTQ+ rep is on point and super diverse in this series! There is aroace rep, proper use of pronouns, and my favorites: Harlow's sexy and powerful mom's.
An absolutely amazing first book to this series, filled with secrets, lies, power struggles and magic!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review!
October 15, 2022
dnf at 70% because i reached maximum eye roll capacity. theres only so much annoying mc i can take and i reached my limit w this book
October 5, 2022
WOW THIS DID NOT WORK FOR ME.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I feel like I read a completely different book than everyone else. Nope nooooooooope no.
A nagging issue I had with this, is that it felt like a contemporary romance shoved into a fantasy world? And not as a compliment. Because than the fantasy elements fell flat and I think a lot more world building could have been focused on. It was this weird zone.
It is definitely a romance which awesome. Things moved way too quickly. Was this supposed to be enemies to lovers? Furthest thing from that. Second chance? Yes that trope was efficient. When the couple is already completely back together before the halfway point I have no connection to them. It just turned into a let’s bang everywhere scenario that y’all know I never love.
There’s some sweet family and sister dynamics. Good friendships and connections. I never really liked the FMC either though which played a big part in me skimming way too much of this book.
I won’t be continuing the series.
Overall audience notes:
- NA Fantasy Romance
- Language: strong
- Romance: multiple open door scenes; med-high explicit
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: emotional abusive boyfriend (recounted multiple times), depression, gaslighting, suicide attempt, animal cruelty, fatphobia, homophobia
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I feel like I read a completely different book than everyone else. Nope nooooooooope no.
A nagging issue I had with this, is that it felt like a contemporary romance shoved into a fantasy world? And not as a compliment. Because than the fantasy elements fell flat and I think a lot more world building could have been focused on. It was this weird zone.
It is definitely a romance which awesome. Things moved way too quickly. Was this supposed to be enemies to lovers? Furthest thing from that. Second chance? Yes that trope was efficient. When the couple is already completely back together before the halfway point I have no connection to them. It just turned into a let’s bang everywhere scenario that y’all know I never love.
There’s some sweet family and sister dynamics. Good friendships and connections. I never really liked the FMC either though which played a big part in me skimming way too much of this book.
I won’t be continuing the series.
Overall audience notes:
- NA Fantasy Romance
- Language: strong
- Romance: multiple open door scenes; med-high explicit
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: emotional abusive boyfriend (recounted multiple times), depression, gaslighting, suicide attempt, animal cruelty, fatphobia, homophobia
April 29, 2022
Actual rating - 4.5
This book completely had me hooked! I loved Harlow’s interaction with her family. The world surrounding is beautifully built with all the minor details. The romance does growth a bit quickly but not so much like an instalove, more like “fated mates”.
I loved the incorporation of magic and contemporary at the same time. It definitely gave me witch vibes with a touch of royalty and politics. The plot was pretty solid, loved the flow of the story.
I was super attached to the parents! Harlow’s moms are so lovely. And I loved the way Harlow is always about protecting her own. Super badass female, with midsize rep (not to be confused with plus size ☺️), and great supporting characters! it’s so great to see how much rep is brewing out there thanks to supportive authors like Allison.
I cannot wait to read more by this author. Huge thanks for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
This book completely had me hooked! I loved Harlow’s interaction with her family. The world surrounding is beautifully built with all the minor details. The romance does growth a bit quickly but not so much like an instalove, more like “fated mates”.
I loved the incorporation of magic and contemporary at the same time. It definitely gave me witch vibes with a touch of royalty and politics. The plot was pretty solid, loved the flow of the story.
I was super attached to the parents! Harlow’s moms are so lovely. And I loved the way Harlow is always about protecting her own. Super badass female, with midsize rep (not to be confused with plus size ☺️), and great supporting characters! it’s so great to see how much rep is brewing out there thanks to supportive authors like Allison.
I cannot wait to read more by this author. Huge thanks for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
May 3, 2022
I'm so torn about this book! I liked it, there's so much potential! but... I dunno, some of the story fell flat for me.
What was awesome:
-the world. fantasy/modern-day victorian style that perfectly meshed with the fact that immortals live forever so of course they'd like traditional things. The magical elements were awesome and I can't wait to read more about the different groups!
-the secondary characters. Her sisters and friends all seemed pretty well thought out and had thoughts, opinions, & wants of their own separate from the MC
-the intrigue. This has a bit of murder-mystery type of vibe going. pretty cool how the author weaved little clues throughout the story
-Harlow's magic. what can I say? I'm a sucker for powerful female characters.
-the inclusiveness. The shapeshifters are all gender fluid (cause they're physically-fluid too! I really liked this take), there's queer representation and even ace. All well done, at least I thought so.
What was.. confusing:
-the world. The different caste systems didn't seem well explained. I kept reading thinking *something* would help me understand, but honestly I felt like I was finally keeping all the names, powers, and castes straight only at the very end.
-the baby making scheme. I'm sorry, it's just so ridiculous. Finn is *so scared* of his parents' malicious schemes about a *future baby* that *does not exist yet* that he broke both their hearts and acted cruelly.. but didn't, ya know, TALK to Harlow about it... make it make sense
-The incubi/succubi plot line. Which plot was supposed to be the 'big bad' antagonist? the comically scary (but not really) parents who "just really want" a grandchild, or the incubi that was destroyed in 1 page? smh
-Finn's parents. they were supposed to be this *super evil* pair of old immortals (or near immortals? the book wasn't super clear about what, exactly, the Illuminated were).. but the "evilest" thing they could think of was.... wanting Finn to sire a child with Harlow because of her powers. I'm sorry, I just couldn't take this seriously!! And Finn, as a full grown adult with power of his own right was absolutely *terrified* of them?!
-Finn. He was ridiculous, I'm sorry. He was made to be this powerful, attractive, protective male, but he just annoyed me most of the time. He could just, ya know, not rape Harlow like his parents wanted. Or just not have a child with her.. adoption is a thing! Or TALK to Harlow and maybe decide to hold off on baby making until they figure out what his parents actually want? nah. let's treat Harlow like shit to make her hate me instead. yup. we got a real bright one over here.
Overall. Lots of potential, a quick and enjoyable read. Will I continue the series? Maybe. If there's nothing else to read. If the second book looks interesting.
What was awesome:
-the world. fantasy/modern-day victorian style that perfectly meshed with the fact that immortals live forever so of course they'd like traditional things. The magical elements were awesome and I can't wait to read more about the different groups!
-the secondary characters. Her sisters and friends all seemed pretty well thought out and had thoughts, opinions, & wants of their own separate from the MC
-the intrigue. This has a bit of murder-mystery type of vibe going. pretty cool how the author weaved little clues throughout the story
-Harlow's magic. what can I say? I'm a sucker for powerful female characters.
-the inclusiveness. The shapeshifters are all gender fluid (cause they're physically-fluid too! I really liked this take), there's queer representation and even ace. All well done, at least I thought so.
What was.. confusing:
-the world. The different caste systems didn't seem well explained. I kept reading thinking *something* would help me understand, but honestly I felt like I was finally keeping all the names, powers, and castes straight only at the very end.
-the baby making scheme. I'm sorry, it's just so ridiculous. Finn is *so scared* of his parents' malicious schemes about a *future baby* that *does not exist yet* that he broke both their hearts and acted cruelly.. but didn't, ya know, TALK to Harlow about it... make it make sense
-The incubi/succubi plot line. Which plot was supposed to be the 'big bad' antagonist? the comically scary (but not really) parents who "just really want" a grandchild, or the incubi that was destroyed in 1 page? smh
-Finn's parents. they were supposed to be this *super evil* pair of old immortals (or near immortals? the book wasn't super clear about what, exactly, the Illuminated were).. but the "evilest" thing they could think of was.... wanting Finn to sire a child with Harlow because of her powers. I'm sorry, I just couldn't take this seriously!! And Finn, as a full grown adult with power of his own right was absolutely *terrified* of them?!
-Finn. He was ridiculous, I'm sorry. He was made to be this powerful, attractive, protective male, but he just annoyed me most of the time. He could just, ya know, not rape Harlow like his parents wanted. Or just not have a child with her.. adoption is a thing! Or TALK to Harlow and maybe decide to hold off on baby making until they figure out what his parents actually want? nah. let's treat Harlow like shit to make her hate me instead. yup. we got a real bright one over here.
Overall. Lots of potential, a quick and enjoyable read. Will I continue the series? Maybe. If there's nothing else to read. If the second book looks interesting.
April 3, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up!
This book could've been a 5 star, but for some reason, I didn't realize it was an urban fantasy? The characters were perfection, I loved the queer norm society, and the discussions of trauma and PTSD regarding past relationships is something that I really resonated with.
But every time they talked about cars, or cell phones, it took me right out of the story. It ended up being a weird mix of a political fantasy and a mafia romance if that makes any sense? The "big bad" was a little cliche, but I'm excited to read the rest of the series (yes I did buy the rest of the series and put the audiobooks on hold...)
Also this book was so bingeable. I read this entire book in one day and it's been a long time since I've done that on a book this size.
I can't wait to meet Allison at Apollycon this month!
This book could've been a 5 star, but for some reason, I didn't realize it was an urban fantasy? The characters were perfection, I loved the queer norm society, and the discussions of trauma and PTSD regarding past relationships is something that I really resonated with.
But every time they talked about cars, or cell phones, it took me right out of the story. It ended up being a weird mix of a political fantasy and a mafia romance if that makes any sense? The "big bad" was a little cliche, but I'm excited to read the rest of the series (yes I did buy the rest of the series and put the audiobooks on hold...)
Also this book was so bingeable. I read this entire book in one day and it's been a long time since I've done that on a book this size.
I can't wait to meet Allison at Apollycon this month!
April 15, 2022
Coming to the point-
And I am starting to hate the words MATE and BREED with a rigour. Honestly, 'mates' is a word I usually read in the context of 'soulmate', but here it means sex. And breed? I felt like I was reading animal porn which was disgusting!
Finn's parents are really REALLY bad villains.
I really liked the 'damaged' vibes I was getting from Harlow and Finn, but i am totally disappointed at 50% read. Atleast the writing is not bad, which is not something I can say for most books.
And I am starting to hate the words MATE and BREED with a rigour. Honestly, 'mates' is a word I usually read in the context of 'soulmate', but here it means sex. And breed? I felt like I was reading animal porn which was disgusting!
Finn's parents are really REALLY bad villains.
I really liked the 'damaged' vibes I was getting from Harlow and Finn, but i am totally disappointed at 50% read. Atleast the writing is not bad, which is not something I can say for most books.
May 23, 2022
Recently, my darling friend reviewed this new NA contemporary fantasy and rated it 10/5 stars. A rating like that is hard to come by, so I knew I had to drop all other books to devour this mature urban fantasy. After binging this in a day, I must concur with my dear friend.
Dark Night Golden Dawn (DNGD) is a breath of fresh air. It’s a book that effortlessly blends the modern with the otherworldly. All the best supernatural creatures—including witches, vampires, and more—anchor this fantastical, brilliant tale about a city of wealthy immortals bound by magic and societal standards.
DNGD is told from the perspective of FMC—Harlow Krane—a bisexual, mid-twenties sorcière with a history of love and loss. Just out of an abusive relationship, Harlow is slowly picking up the pieces to find herself while acclimating to a world of money and magic she left behind.
I resonate with Harlow’s wish to be incredibly offline in an interconnected world; I have such a deep, personal understanding of her general state of being. I too often feel like I am “pulling things together, something unraveled her progress…” She’s mastered the art of masking the her feelings; she’s performative in an act of self-defense.
The alluring Finbar “Finn” McKay is the bad boy from a powerful family. He’s the typical dark haired, morally gray male of your dreams. But Finn is always trying too hard to be brooding and mysterious; in fact, he might be more like Harlow than either care to admit. And that might be the only thing that keeps imminent danger at bay…If you aren’t already convinced, read DNGD for:
Mild spice.
Sex and body positivity.
LGBTQ+ representation.
Second chance romance.
Elements of Bridgerton and A Discovery of Witches with a hint of Zodiac Academy.
Dark Night Golden Dawn (DNGD) is a breath of fresh air. It’s a book that effortlessly blends the modern with the otherworldly. All the best supernatural creatures—including witches, vampires, and more—anchor this fantastical, brilliant tale about a city of wealthy immortals bound by magic and societal standards.
DNGD is told from the perspective of FMC—Harlow Krane—a bisexual, mid-twenties sorcière with a history of love and loss. Just out of an abusive relationship, Harlow is slowly picking up the pieces to find herself while acclimating to a world of money and magic she left behind.
I resonate with Harlow’s wish to be incredibly offline in an interconnected world; I have such a deep, personal understanding of her general state of being. I too often feel like I am “pulling things together, something unraveled her progress…” She’s mastered the art of masking the her feelings; she’s performative in an act of self-defense.
The alluring Finbar “Finn” McKay is the bad boy from a powerful family. He’s the typical dark haired, morally gray male of your dreams. But Finn is always trying too hard to be brooding and mysterious; in fact, he might be more like Harlow than either care to admit. And that might be the only thing that keeps imminent danger at bay…If you aren’t already convinced, read DNGD for:
Mild spice.
Sex and body positivity.
LGBTQ+ representation.
Second chance romance.
Elements of Bridgerton and A Discovery of Witches with a hint of Zodiac Academy.
Read
May 4, 2023Not rating this, DNF at 30%
verdict: the protagonist is too whiny, and life is too short.
verdict: the protagonist is too whiny, and life is too short.
June 13, 2023
I couldn’t put this down. The world building in this book was just amazing! I loved Harlow’s character development and I thought her and Finns relationship was just beautiful. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
February 25, 2022
'Love is an infinite well.'
.
DARK NIGHT, GOLDEN DAWN is a gorgeous, witchy fantasy romance featuring a main character recovering from trauma in a fascinating and complex world. It was one of those books that immediately hooked my heart, one of those stories that you can clearly imagine yourself in; the main character’s struggles and heartbreaks become your own, and you cry and cheer alongside them. I empathised so much with Harlow’s journey that I worried *constantly* about her, about her recovery and her relationships with her family and her feelings for Finn. Her healing journey was so impeccably spot on that I was torn between 'LADY, I'VE BEEN THERE' and wanting to make her a cup of tea and give her a (consensual) hug.
Between my concern for Harlow and my frankly gigantic ship for her and Finn, I could not put this book down. Carr Waechter's prose is lovely, and the world she's created is fascinating and nuanced, full of history, magic, and lore. The romance is a ‘second chance’ story, and it’s wonderful. Both characters make mistakes and learn from them; this is not teenage-hormone-overdrive love, but rather something more mature, complex, and delicious. The world of Nuva Troi is made up of different Orders living alongside with humans, offering an intriguing tension alongside Carr Waechter’s careful and thorough worldbuilding.
If you love magical creatures, complex worlds, and flawed heroines able to work through and learn from trauma, along with some seriously romantic steam, this novel is for you. I absolutely adored it, and will be impatiently waiting for the next book in the trilogy.
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DARK NIGHT, GOLDEN DAWN is a gorgeous, witchy fantasy romance featuring a main character recovering from trauma in a fascinating and complex world. It was one of those books that immediately hooked my heart, one of those stories that you can clearly imagine yourself in; the main character’s struggles and heartbreaks become your own, and you cry and cheer alongside them. I empathised so much with Harlow’s journey that I worried *constantly* about her, about her recovery and her relationships with her family and her feelings for Finn. Her healing journey was so impeccably spot on that I was torn between 'LADY, I'VE BEEN THERE' and wanting to make her a cup of tea and give her a (consensual) hug.
Between my concern for Harlow and my frankly gigantic ship for her and Finn, I could not put this book down. Carr Waechter's prose is lovely, and the world she's created is fascinating and nuanced, full of history, magic, and lore. The romance is a ‘second chance’ story, and it’s wonderful. Both characters make mistakes and learn from them; this is not teenage-hormone-overdrive love, but rather something more mature, complex, and delicious. The world of Nuva Troi is made up of different Orders living alongside with humans, offering an intriguing tension alongside Carr Waechter’s careful and thorough worldbuilding.
If you love magical creatures, complex worlds, and flawed heroines able to work through and learn from trauma, along with some seriously romantic steam, this novel is for you. I absolutely adored it, and will be impatiently waiting for the next book in the trilogy.
November 4, 2022
This book was a bit ridiculous.
It started interestingly enough, in another tone than what I am usually used to when it comes to romantic fantasy.
I liked the MC`s family. I found it really wholesome. She had two moms and relatable siblings.
The problem that I had with the book, though, is mainly in relation to the romance part.
In the case of this book, the majority of the romance- action has already happened BEFORE the book started, so it is harder for me to go with their flow if I hadn't been there when the stream began:
“Do you think about it? That night?” she asked so softly only he would hear her. To anyone watching, she knew it would look like they were flirting. Well, not flirting exactly, but definitely courting.
I was not feeling the connection since I did not witness its inception. There was also the problem of weak dialogue - some of the lines fall short and pathetic. For example, here is the MC's love interest discussing about what his parents had requested from him:
“They urged me to breed with you. That was how they put it. Like you were an animal. Breed with you until you produced viable offspring.”
yeah, sure...all right.
Overall, an interesting book, but it was has its flaws.
January 28, 2023
This whole book was a ridiculous cringey mess. Will not be reading the next one.
I’ll leave 2 highlights I made to prove my point.
“Don’t wrinkle your nose at me, little bunny. You should be happy your mother and I still make enough of a ruckus that the neighbors text to ask if we might keep things down. Your mother had an orgasm so powerful…”
Who shares this with their kids?! But ok I’ll just keep reading.
Aurelia took her wife’s hand. “I’m afraid there are some dark rituals that might be associated with the season. The Order of Mysteries has been investigating this for nearly a century, but we cannot detect exactly what is happening. We’ve long believed the Illuminated have some ulterior motive for encouraging the season year after year.” Thea sighed. “Why haven’t you ever said anything?” Aurelia rolled her eyes. “You and your sisters are barely adults. That’s not the kind of thing you tell children.”
Oooooh ok so THIS is the kind of thing you can’t tell your children??
Like I said, a mess.
If the author didn’t spend so much time adding unnecessary characters to fit some agenda, she’d probably have time to concentrate on a good story.
I’ll leave 2 highlights I made to prove my point.
“Don’t wrinkle your nose at me, little bunny. You should be happy your mother and I still make enough of a ruckus that the neighbors text to ask if we might keep things down. Your mother had an orgasm so powerful…”
Who shares this with their kids?! But ok I’ll just keep reading.
Aurelia took her wife’s hand. “I’m afraid there are some dark rituals that might be associated with the season. The Order of Mysteries has been investigating this for nearly a century, but we cannot detect exactly what is happening. We’ve long believed the Illuminated have some ulterior motive for encouraging the season year after year.” Thea sighed. “Why haven’t you ever said anything?” Aurelia rolled her eyes. “You and your sisters are barely adults. That’s not the kind of thing you tell children.”
Oooooh ok so THIS is the kind of thing you can’t tell your children??
Like I said, a mess.
If the author didn’t spend so much time adding unnecessary characters to fit some agenda, she’d probably have time to concentrate on a good story.
June 27, 2022
✨A must-read for fantasy romance lovers!✨
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One of the things I love most about all of Allison’s stories is that they give me when same feeling as curling up on a winter night with a glass of nice wine and my cat. And by that I mean they are so comforting and they pause the world for a moment. From the thoughtful commentary and strong elements of family and friendship to the exceptional writing and highly detailed worlds, I’m always blown away, and Dark Night Golden Dawn was no different.
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And then there’s Harlow. I think most of us can relate to her in some way and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her find her inner strength. I’m so invested in this world, Harlow and Finn, and the supporting characters of this story. I NEED to know what happens next.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
One of the things I love most about all of Allison’s stories is that they give me when same feeling as curling up on a winter night with a glass of nice wine and my cat. And by that I mean they are so comforting and they pause the world for a moment. From the thoughtful commentary and strong elements of family and friendship to the exceptional writing and highly detailed worlds, I’m always blown away, and Dark Night Golden Dawn was no different.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And then there’s Harlow. I think most of us can relate to her in some way and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her find her inner strength. I’m so invested in this world, Harlow and Finn, and the supporting characters of this story. I NEED to know what happens next.
May 22, 2023
It's funny how a 1000-year-old grown woman's plan to have her way was through blackmailing someone to bully a teenager. It reads like a contemporary with magic for the "plot". Also, a bit sad how the MCs had a past relationship and it wasn't really fleshed out in the book and so it kinda felt very insta-love.
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