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Midnight Thief #2
Daughter of Dusk
After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.
Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.
As tensions rise within Forge’s Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?
In this spellbinding sequel to Midnight Thief, Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents.
Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.
As tensions rise within Forge’s Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?
In this spellbinding sequel to Midnight Thief, Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2015
84 people are currently reading
5702 people want to read
About the author
Livia Blackburne
24 books1,330 followersNew York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne wrote her first novel while researching the neuroscience of reading at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since then, she’s switched to full-time writing, which also involves getting into people’s heads but without the help of a 3 Tesla MRI scanner.
She is also the author of MIDNIGHT THIEF (an Indies Introduce New Voices selection), DAUGHTER OF DUSK, and ROSEMARKED (an Amazon best book of the month and YALSA Teens Top Ten Nominee).
Visit her online at www.liviablackburne.com
She is also the author of MIDNIGHT THIEF (an Indies Introduce New Voices selection), DAUGHTER OF DUSK, and ROSEMARKED (an Amazon best book of the month and YALSA Teens Top Ten Nominee).
Visit her online at www.liviablackburne.com
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September 10, 2015To me, the overarching theme of DAUGHTER OF DUSK is power. If MIDNIGHT THIEF was about Kyra coming into the different types of power she possessed, this next part of her journey explores the complexities of using it. To paraphrase the assassin James, every time you hold a blade, you must decide how deeply to cut. And the decision may not be as straightforward as Kyra might hope.
February 11, 2016
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/07/25/y...
Full disclosure: I was a beta reader for an earlier draft of Daughter of Dusk last fall. This is my review of the ARC which has changed so much since then; it always amazes and thrills me to no end to see the process of a book coming together, so I would like to thank author Livia Blackburne for the opportunity.
Daughter of Dusk is the sequel to Midnight Thief, the novel that first introduced us to the protagonist Kyra of Forge and her world of assassins, thieves and shapeshifting Demon Riders. Since the events of the last novel, Kyra has learned the truth of her heritage. Only those closest to her know her secret, including her close ally Tristam Brancel the former Palace Knight. But there is another who knows, one who Kyra fears she cannot trust. James, the ex-leader of the Assassins Guild is now in custody and behind bars, but what’s stopping him from selling out Kyra to buy his own freedom?
Meanwhile, Demon Riders continue to raid the surrounding villages of Forge, and suddenly Kyra finds herself in the unique position to do something about it. Angered by the ineffectual methods of the city’s council to protect their own people and the corruption in its ranks, she is driven to do something desperate and extreme. Torn between two worlds, Kyra now must decide how far she is willing to go to save Forge and prepare for the biggest battle of her life.
Daughter of Dusk is the next big step for Kyra. In the first book she was the young and naïve thief who simply looked after herself and her own, without much care for matters outside her own sphere of existence. In this sequel, however, her eyes have been opened. No longer is she ignorant of her own identity and power, and she’s discovered herself and what matters to her. The difference is very noticeable; Kyra takes initiative and makes a lot of her own decisions in this book, a far cry from the girl in Midnight Thief who was manipulated and led around by the older, craftier and more experienced James.
Even though not all her decisions are the best, there’s no doubt Kyra is the one calling a lot of the shots in this book. As a result, I think Daughter of Dusk has a more mature and overall darker vibe, especially when the plot drives Kyra to do some rather unsavory things. I mentioned in my review of Midnight Thief that it felt like that book was skewed towards younger audiences, specifically the upper Middle Grade range. In contrast, I don’t think I can say the same for this second book, which is more suitably Young Adult. There was a huge change in the story here from when I did the beta read, a choice that I think makes a lot more sense given how it better explains the motivation behind some of Kyra’s more drastic, brutal actions. There were also some twists that surprised me just as much as they did the first time around.
In addition, I liked that there was no true romance arc, so if that’s what you’re looking for in your YA, you’ll probably end up disappointed. In this case, I personally felt the understated love story elements actually helped rather than hindered the story. One of the reasons I enjoyed Tristam’s character so much is because of his down-to-earth nature and the fact neither he nor Kyra sidetracked the events of the novel (too much) with needless dramatics, though there was still the requisite arranged marriage plot point to throw a wrench in the works. Nevertheless, the absence of a full-blown love triangle makes me breathe a sigh of relief.
Overall, I found this sequel just as enjoyable as book one. There were some predictable parts, but in general there were more unexpected twists in book two. Compared to the earlier version I saw of this novel, the author has also really polished up the story, even if the ending remained slightly rushed and tied up a little too neatly. Despite these minor flaws though, this second volume did a great job developing its protagonist. Kyra truly came into her own in Daughter of Dusk, and it was a pleasure to experience her story. All told, Daughter of Dusk combined a good balance of action and fantasy to deliver a worthy conclusion.
Full disclosure: I was a beta reader for an earlier draft of Daughter of Dusk last fall. This is my review of the ARC which has changed so much since then; it always amazes and thrills me to no end to see the process of a book coming together, so I would like to thank author Livia Blackburne for the opportunity.
Daughter of Dusk is the sequel to Midnight Thief, the novel that first introduced us to the protagonist Kyra of Forge and her world of assassins, thieves and shapeshifting Demon Riders. Since the events of the last novel, Kyra has learned the truth of her heritage. Only those closest to her know her secret, including her close ally Tristam Brancel the former Palace Knight. But there is another who knows, one who Kyra fears she cannot trust. James, the ex-leader of the Assassins Guild is now in custody and behind bars, but what’s stopping him from selling out Kyra to buy his own freedom?
Meanwhile, Demon Riders continue to raid the surrounding villages of Forge, and suddenly Kyra finds herself in the unique position to do something about it. Angered by the ineffectual methods of the city’s council to protect their own people and the corruption in its ranks, she is driven to do something desperate and extreme. Torn between two worlds, Kyra now must decide how far she is willing to go to save Forge and prepare for the biggest battle of her life.
Daughter of Dusk is the next big step for Kyra. In the first book she was the young and naïve thief who simply looked after herself and her own, without much care for matters outside her own sphere of existence. In this sequel, however, her eyes have been opened. No longer is she ignorant of her own identity and power, and she’s discovered herself and what matters to her. The difference is very noticeable; Kyra takes initiative and makes a lot of her own decisions in this book, a far cry from the girl in Midnight Thief who was manipulated and led around by the older, craftier and more experienced James.
Even though not all her decisions are the best, there’s no doubt Kyra is the one calling a lot of the shots in this book. As a result, I think Daughter of Dusk has a more mature and overall darker vibe, especially when the plot drives Kyra to do some rather unsavory things. I mentioned in my review of Midnight Thief that it felt like that book was skewed towards younger audiences, specifically the upper Middle Grade range. In contrast, I don’t think I can say the same for this second book, which is more suitably Young Adult. There was a huge change in the story here from when I did the beta read, a choice that I think makes a lot more sense given how it better explains the motivation behind some of Kyra’s more drastic, brutal actions. There were also some twists that surprised me just as much as they did the first time around.
In addition, I liked that there was no true romance arc, so if that’s what you’re looking for in your YA, you’ll probably end up disappointed. In this case, I personally felt the understated love story elements actually helped rather than hindered the story. One of the reasons I enjoyed Tristam’s character so much is because of his down-to-earth nature and the fact neither he nor Kyra sidetracked the events of the novel (too much) with needless dramatics, though there was still the requisite arranged marriage plot point to throw a wrench in the works. Nevertheless, the absence of a full-blown love triangle makes me breathe a sigh of relief.
Overall, I found this sequel just as enjoyable as book one. There were some predictable parts, but in general there were more unexpected twists in book two. Compared to the earlier version I saw of this novel, the author has also really polished up the story, even if the ending remained slightly rushed and tied up a little too neatly. Despite these minor flaws though, this second volume did a great job developing its protagonist. Kyra truly came into her own in Daughter of Dusk, and it was a pleasure to experience her story. All told, Daughter of Dusk combined a good balance of action and fantasy to deliver a worthy conclusion.
July 4, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Daughter of Dusk by Livia Blackburne
Book Two of the Midnight Thief series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.
Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.
As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?
In this spellbinding sequel to Midnight Thief, Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents.
What I Liked:
Despite my immense love for Midnight Thief and my overwhelming excitement for this book, I didn't love it. I actually beta-read Daughter of Dusk last year (my most heartfelt thanks to the author), and I did not quite enjoy the book then. I can see some changes made from the draft I read to now, but I'm still not convinced that I enjoyed the book.
In this sequel novel to Midnight Thief, Kyra must learn to be both Makvani and human to save herself and the ones she loves in Forge. Forge's Council is slowly being taken over by Willem, and the Makvani are shying away from helping Kyra or the Council. Kyra is hiding who she is - but how long will that last before Willem and the Forge find out? Kyra will need to make alliances and outsmart Willem before Forge is lost.
There are a fair amount of twists and turns in this book, that definitely keep the story interesting. The overall story of the series is very important and ever-present, as the Council is moving in on the Makvani, and the Council is slowly being taken over by Willem, who has his own agenda. There was also the book's plot and subplots, dealing with Idalee (a young girl Kyra considers her adopted sister), Kyra's struggle with her Makvani side, and her feelings for Tristam.
While I mostly liked the story, there were definitely cliche parts, and boring parts. Read more on that in the next section. For the most part, the story held my attention. There were some changes made to the story from what I beta-read. I think the changes were necessary and an improvement, though I still (obviously) didn't love this book.
The author cleans up the romance in some areas, and complicates it in others. There is no love triangle between Kyra, James, and Tristam. I personally never thought there was one, but there definitely isn't one in this book. But then Tristam has familial duty, and Kyra knows he isn't comfortable with her Makvani blood... so there's that. The romance isn't really in this book, which bothered me. There is no chemistry between these two characters. But still, at least it's a pair, and not a triangle.
The ending is a good one, not perfect, but not sad or terrible either. There are a good amount of deaths, but also a good amount of surviving couples and positive changes. Some things didn't change, and I like that the author kept some things a certain way - it felt very authentic that way. Overall, I think this book was okay, but not great, especially for a series conclusion.
What I Did Not Like:
I'm not even sure how to explain why I didn't like this one. I think it was a case of me being weird... but I can't say that this is all on me. For one, it seems obvious that the author hasn't written more than one or two novels. Her writing style isn't really that great. There are so many anachronistic or slang phrases and words that just don't fit the style of language and speech in this series. The author uses a specific speech most of the times, but inserts modern phrases at other times. This felt very off. Seriously, shouldn't editors screen for these things?
Also, the author's writing style seems very juvenile - almost like this book is Middle Grade. Is it? I thought this was Young Adult. The author doesn't have a lush, flowing writing style. Everything is rather TELL, and not SHOW. Matter-of-fact, conversational, instead of descriptive, or something. Every person's writing style is different, but Blackburne's isn't very... author-y. I'm trying to put this in words and failing majorly. I'm not trying to take shots at the author, but I'm trying to accurately convey how I felt about her writing style - it just isn't that great.
The story seems rather cliche and predictable. While Midnight Thief blew me away, this one seemed to be full of cliches. OF COURSE Flick and ______ would form a relationship, basically on sight. Of course Tristam's familial duty would come up RIGHT NOW. Of course Willem would do this, Malikel would figure out this, Leyus is this. Cliche, cliche, cliche. So many cliches.
I can't say I'm a huge fan of the romance in this book, though I'm glad it wasn't worse. There is NO ROMANCE, and I personally don't find this to be a good thing, given that Kyra and Tristam moon over each other fairly often. There is no chemistry! No rhyme or reason for them to want to be together! They would make good friends or partners or solders-in-arms, but lovers? Naaahhh. They have zero chemistry, physical or otherwise.
There were times when I wondered where the story was going or what the significance of this or that was. Some things just didn't seem to have a point. The story, as a whole, is interesting, and I was in no danger of not finishing, but the construction of the plot wasn't great. And keep in mind, I said this was an improvement from what I beta-read. That statement still stands.
Overall, I'm disappointed in some ways, ESPECIALLY since I beta-read this novel, and had issues with a lot of the things I mentioned above. The author changed some things, but most things stayed the same. When I beta-read this book last year, I told the author what I didn't like (I was very honest), and while I understand why the author wouldn't want to change things, it's too bad, because my sour opinion still stands.
Would I Recommend It:
No. Sorry, but no. If you haven't read Midnight Thief, don't worry about it. There are plenty of high fantasy novels publishing in 2015 and 2016 that are REALLY GOOD. This series is meh, okay at best. This conclusion should have been so much more epic and so much less bleh. But I walked away with a feeling of "oh well" and "meh" and "whatever". Not exactly encouraging.
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. I'm disappointed, because Midnight Thief was one of my favorite novels of 2014. Yes, three stars is still positive. But I was really hoping that, since I beta-read the book (and didn't like it), that when I read it the second time, I would at least like it more? Not so much, unfortunately. Still, it was an okay novel!
Daughter of Dusk by Livia Blackburne
Book Two of the Midnight Thief series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.
Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.
As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?
In this spellbinding sequel to Midnight Thief, Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents.
What I Liked:
Despite my immense love for Midnight Thief and my overwhelming excitement for this book, I didn't love it. I actually beta-read Daughter of Dusk last year (my most heartfelt thanks to the author), and I did not quite enjoy the book then. I can see some changes made from the draft I read to now, but I'm still not convinced that I enjoyed the book.
In this sequel novel to Midnight Thief, Kyra must learn to be both Makvani and human to save herself and the ones she loves in Forge. Forge's Council is slowly being taken over by Willem, and the Makvani are shying away from helping Kyra or the Council. Kyra is hiding who she is - but how long will that last before Willem and the Forge find out? Kyra will need to make alliances and outsmart Willem before Forge is lost.
There are a fair amount of twists and turns in this book, that definitely keep the story interesting. The overall story of the series is very important and ever-present, as the Council is moving in on the Makvani, and the Council is slowly being taken over by Willem, who has his own agenda. There was also the book's plot and subplots, dealing with Idalee (a young girl Kyra considers her adopted sister), Kyra's struggle with her Makvani side, and her feelings for Tristam.
While I mostly liked the story, there were definitely cliche parts, and boring parts. Read more on that in the next section. For the most part, the story held my attention. There were some changes made to the story from what I beta-read. I think the changes were necessary and an improvement, though I still (obviously) didn't love this book.
The author cleans up the romance in some areas, and complicates it in others. There is no love triangle between Kyra, James, and Tristam. I personally never thought there was one, but there definitely isn't one in this book. But then Tristam has familial duty, and Kyra knows he isn't comfortable with her Makvani blood... so there's that. The romance isn't really in this book, which bothered me. There is no chemistry between these two characters. But still, at least it's a pair, and not a triangle.
The ending is a good one, not perfect, but not sad or terrible either. There are a good amount of deaths, but also a good amount of surviving couples and positive changes. Some things didn't change, and I like that the author kept some things a certain way - it felt very authentic that way. Overall, I think this book was okay, but not great, especially for a series conclusion.
What I Did Not Like:
I'm not even sure how to explain why I didn't like this one. I think it was a case of me being weird... but I can't say that this is all on me. For one, it seems obvious that the author hasn't written more than one or two novels. Her writing style isn't really that great. There are so many anachronistic or slang phrases and words that just don't fit the style of language and speech in this series. The author uses a specific speech most of the times, but inserts modern phrases at other times. This felt very off. Seriously, shouldn't editors screen for these things?
Also, the author's writing style seems very juvenile - almost like this book is Middle Grade. Is it? I thought this was Young Adult. The author doesn't have a lush, flowing writing style. Everything is rather TELL, and not SHOW. Matter-of-fact, conversational, instead of descriptive, or something. Every person's writing style is different, but Blackburne's isn't very... author-y. I'm trying to put this in words and failing majorly. I'm not trying to take shots at the author, but I'm trying to accurately convey how I felt about her writing style - it just isn't that great.
The story seems rather cliche and predictable. While Midnight Thief blew me away, this one seemed to be full of cliches. OF COURSE Flick and ______ would form a relationship, basically on sight. Of course Tristam's familial duty would come up RIGHT NOW. Of course Willem would do this, Malikel would figure out this, Leyus is this. Cliche, cliche, cliche. So many cliches.
I can't say I'm a huge fan of the romance in this book, though I'm glad it wasn't worse. There is NO ROMANCE, and I personally don't find this to be a good thing, given that Kyra and Tristam moon over each other fairly often. There is no chemistry! No rhyme or reason for them to want to be together! They would make good friends or partners or solders-in-arms, but lovers? Naaahhh. They have zero chemistry, physical or otherwise.
There were times when I wondered where the story was going or what the significance of this or that was. Some things just didn't seem to have a point. The story, as a whole, is interesting, and I was in no danger of not finishing, but the construction of the plot wasn't great. And keep in mind, I said this was an improvement from what I beta-read. That statement still stands.
Overall, I'm disappointed in some ways, ESPECIALLY since I beta-read this novel, and had issues with a lot of the things I mentioned above. The author changed some things, but most things stayed the same. When I beta-read this book last year, I told the author what I didn't like (I was very honest), and while I understand why the author wouldn't want to change things, it's too bad, because my sour opinion still stands.
Would I Recommend It:
No. Sorry, but no. If you haven't read Midnight Thief, don't worry about it. There are plenty of high fantasy novels publishing in 2015 and 2016 that are REALLY GOOD. This series is meh, okay at best. This conclusion should have been so much more epic and so much less bleh. But I walked away with a feeling of "oh well" and "meh" and "whatever". Not exactly encouraging.
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. I'm disappointed, because Midnight Thief was one of my favorite novels of 2014. Yes, three stars is still positive. But I was really hoping that, since I beta-read the book (and didn't like it), that when I read it the second time, I would at least like it more? Not so much, unfortunately. Still, it was an okay novel!
October 4, 2014
I beta read this beauty and it's wonderul. You'll just have to take my word for it for now. :)
August 26, 2015
Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
When Midnight Thief appeared two years ago I was blown away by it. The whole idea of the story was so good and with addition of Poison Dance (a prequel) this story promised me a really good ride. I did get that, and I'm happy to say that Daughter of Dusk is pushing it in the right way.
Even though it's been two years since I've read Midnight Thief it didn't take me long to get back into this story. Daughter of Dusk continues where the previous one left off. We're back with Kyra and her development. Not to spoil things for people who haven't read the first book, there were some unexpected (if you ask me) twists at the end of it and here we get to discover a new side of this world. A new side of Kyra, but also other characters here. It adds to already complex world building which was what meed me fall in love with the first book. Now with Demon Rider kin who as it turns out plays greater role than expected things are about to go down. For real!
I wasn't surprised that I got back into the story so quick as Kyra is a character you'll easily love. She is all you ever wanted to be: smart, capable and with all that really human, meaning with some flaws that make her even more likeable. And with Tristam who let's face it is a knight in shining armor it wasn't hard to cheer for them. Not to forget James, who for me is one of those amazing villains or so it seemed.
Even though, it seemed like this would be a great series sadly it ended to soon. I don't really know why this turned out to be a duology as in my opinion there is so much to be said about this. I wish there was more to it. But who knows, maybe someday.
When Midnight Thief appeared two years ago I was blown away by it. The whole idea of the story was so good and with addition of Poison Dance (a prequel) this story promised me a really good ride. I did get that, and I'm happy to say that Daughter of Dusk is pushing it in the right way.
Even though it's been two years since I've read Midnight Thief it didn't take me long to get back into this story. Daughter of Dusk continues where the previous one left off. We're back with Kyra and her development. Not to spoil things for people who haven't read the first book, there were some unexpected (if you ask me) twists at the end of it and here we get to discover a new side of this world. A new side of Kyra, but also other characters here. It adds to already complex world building which was what meed me fall in love with the first book. Now with Demon Rider kin who as it turns out plays greater role than expected things are about to go down. For real!
I wasn't surprised that I got back into the story so quick as Kyra is a character you'll easily love. She is all you ever wanted to be: smart, capable and with all that really human, meaning with some flaws that make her even more likeable. And with Tristam who let's face it is a knight in shining armor it wasn't hard to cheer for them. Not to forget James, who for me is one of those amazing villains or so it seemed.
Even though, it seemed like this would be a great series sadly it ended to soon. I don't really know why this turned out to be a duology as in my opinion there is so much to be said about this. I wish there was more to it. But who knows, maybe someday.
July 11, 2015
4.5 stars for this book!
Last year I happened upon a book called Midnight Thief and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, definitely do so. As soon as I saw the galley of book two, Daughter of Dusk, I had to request it. I won’t spend a ton of time on the back story here but if you haven’t had a chance to read book one yet, you might want to hold on reading the rest of this review as Daughter of Dusk picks up shortly after book one ends.
Kyra is in a bit of an odd spot. She knows more about her heritage and the few people she trusts (Tristam and Flick) and one she doesn’t (James) know about her secret, but because of the choices she made, she isn’t accepted by the Makvani.
In addition to that, Kyra is now working for the Defense Minister, Malikel to hunt down the members of the Assassin’s Guild. Because of her ability to hunt and climb, she is an invaluable resource to the group but not everyone thinks she belongs. She is still looked at as a thief and a gutter rat by the group and it makes things tough for her. Trying to keep a balance as well as not give away her secret is taking its toll on Kyra.
The Demon Riders are continuing to raid villages which is also creating a lot of fear amongst the Council and as a result, the head councilman, Willem, is using that to his advantage. In his bid to get rid of Malikel and eventually take over leadership of Forge, he is using the Demon Rider attacks to institute some changes. The first thing is conscription which has direct impact on Kyra because one of the first people pulled into the training is Flick.
Things definitely move quickly in this book and there are a lot of things all tying back to Kyra that create so many conflicts. Not only is there the threat of Willem and the Demon Riders, but there is also the continued conflict between the wallhuggers and the rest of Forge that impacts Kyra when Idalee is beaten. Kyra already has a fear of what she is but when things happen that put her on the edge, she lets go and does something that puts her in danger and reveals her secret.
Along with all of that going on, Kyra also has to figure out what her relationship with Tristam really is. Despite the fact that he was demoted, he still has a family that he has to answer to and when the Demon Rider attacks force Tristam to consider something he never really thought would be an issue, he and Kyra have to face the reality of their situation. He is from a royal family and she is still a gutter rat.
As characters go, Kyra is still one of my favorites. She is tough and smart but she is also fiercely loyal. She will do anything to protect the people she cares about and she stands up for the things she believes in. Kyra’s interactions with James were very interesting and it provided more insight into him as a character, not just Kyra. I loved seeing Kyra recognize as the story moved along, just what he meant and his intent behind his actions.
Of course, Flick, Idalee, and Lettie are great as secondary characters. In addition to them, we learn more about the Makvani and where Kyra comes from. We also find out who really is the “bad guy” in this book and I thought Blackburne did a wonderful job of linking all of these characters together with the different avenues this story took.
I will mention here that while James is still a character in this book, we don’t see much of him. Since he was turned over to the palace by Kyra, he is locked up and the only times we get to see him is when Kyra breaks into his prison cell to talk. These interactions were interesting and revealed a lot, not only about James but also about Kyra and I thought the way things were wrapped up with these two said a lot about them as characters.
Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to this series. It has a great mix of action, magic, deception, and of course there are some swoony bits. If you are looking for something in the fantasy genre and if you haven’t started this series yet, definitely consider it. Hopefully this review doesn’t sound too rambling and if it does, ignore the detail and just know that you should read the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney for the review copy!
Last year I happened upon a book called Midnight Thief and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, definitely do so. As soon as I saw the galley of book two, Daughter of Dusk, I had to request it. I won’t spend a ton of time on the back story here but if you haven’t had a chance to read book one yet, you might want to hold on reading the rest of this review as Daughter of Dusk picks up shortly after book one ends.
Kyra is in a bit of an odd spot. She knows more about her heritage and the few people she trusts (Tristam and Flick) and one she doesn’t (James) know about her secret, but because of the choices she made, she isn’t accepted by the Makvani.
In addition to that, Kyra is now working for the Defense Minister, Malikel to hunt down the members of the Assassin’s Guild. Because of her ability to hunt and climb, she is an invaluable resource to the group but not everyone thinks she belongs. She is still looked at as a thief and a gutter rat by the group and it makes things tough for her. Trying to keep a balance as well as not give away her secret is taking its toll on Kyra.
The Demon Riders are continuing to raid villages which is also creating a lot of fear amongst the Council and as a result, the head councilman, Willem, is using that to his advantage. In his bid to get rid of Malikel and eventually take over leadership of Forge, he is using the Demon Rider attacks to institute some changes. The first thing is conscription which has direct impact on Kyra because one of the first people pulled into the training is Flick.
Things definitely move quickly in this book and there are a lot of things all tying back to Kyra that create so many conflicts. Not only is there the threat of Willem and the Demon Riders, but there is also the continued conflict between the wallhuggers and the rest of Forge that impacts Kyra when Idalee is beaten. Kyra already has a fear of what she is but when things happen that put her on the edge, she lets go and does something that puts her in danger and reveals her secret.
Along with all of that going on, Kyra also has to figure out what her relationship with Tristam really is. Despite the fact that he was demoted, he still has a family that he has to answer to and when the Demon Rider attacks force Tristam to consider something he never really thought would be an issue, he and Kyra have to face the reality of their situation. He is from a royal family and she is still a gutter rat.
As characters go, Kyra is still one of my favorites. She is tough and smart but she is also fiercely loyal. She will do anything to protect the people she cares about and she stands up for the things she believes in. Kyra’s interactions with James were very interesting and it provided more insight into him as a character, not just Kyra. I loved seeing Kyra recognize as the story moved along, just what he meant and his intent behind his actions.
Of course, Flick, Idalee, and Lettie are great as secondary characters. In addition to them, we learn more about the Makvani and where Kyra comes from. We also find out who really is the “bad guy” in this book and I thought Blackburne did a wonderful job of linking all of these characters together with the different avenues this story took.
I will mention here that while James is still a character in this book, we don’t see much of him. Since he was turned over to the palace by Kyra, he is locked up and the only times we get to see him is when Kyra breaks into his prison cell to talk. These interactions were interesting and revealed a lot, not only about James but also about Kyra and I thought the way things were wrapped up with these two said a lot about them as characters.
Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to this series. It has a great mix of action, magic, deception, and of course there are some swoony bits. If you are looking for something in the fantasy genre and if you haven’t started this series yet, definitely consider it. Hopefully this review doesn’t sound too rambling and if it does, ignore the detail and just know that you should read the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney for the review copy!
November 13, 2016
Another series/duology that ended in an empty whoosh.
Granted, I wasn't in love head over hills with Midnight Thief but I had still enjoyed it very much and had bought the hardcover and was looking forward to the 2nd book. But Daughter of Dusk wasn't the fireworks I wanted to see, it was barely a bunch of cinders.
Obviously I won't go into details, being this the last book in the series, but I will say the whole book was a building up towards a resolution that wore down in less than twenty pages. One moment they were getting ready for going to war, the next everything was said and done and here's the epilogue. What even.
Besides, the ploy that solved all their and Forge's problems was completely unbelievable. It happened way too fast and way too easily and hey, if it were that easy, why didn't you do it sooner instead of waiting so long?!
The only reason why I'm giving 3 stars to this book is because I had grown attached to the characters and the blunt honesty with which Tristam and Kyra spoke to each other was refreshing for a YA will they/won't they slash star-crossed lovers kind of book, but Daughter of Dusk wasn't fast-paced as it should have been, lacked a lot of world-building it should have had and there weren't enough characters considering all that went down.
It probably wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound like, but it was a step down from Midnight Thief and the conclusion left me disappointed and with an unpleasant bittersweet taste in my mouth.
*thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book*
August 8, 2015
I expected just a little bit more from this conclusion in the plot department.
But I still really liked the characters and the relationships. Overall, this is a duology I recommend.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Series Review
Why should you check out the Midnight Thief duology?
1. Loveable main character
Midnight Thief and Daughter of Dusk have some very endearing characters. The protagonist, Kyra, especially was a character I loved from the very start. She was feisty, fearless, but also had vulnerable sides to her. Perhaps the best part about her character though how she was not this perfect fantasy heroine who got everything right. She actually made mistakes which was so much realistic to me than having this perfect badass character who is able to face any obstacle without ever falling into traps. She often found herself regretting some of her decisions and I liked that a lot. Besides that, Kyra was also kind-hearted and cared for others, especially street children known as the "gutter kids". She looked out for them and her bond with two young girls, Lettie and Idalee, was sweet and lovely to experience. There's nothing more I enjoy in books other than strong female relationships.
2. James- good or bad?
In Midnight Thief, Kyra was hired by a mysterious leader of the Assassin's guild. Completely enigmatic, James was such an interesting character from start to finish of the series. While we get snippets of why he was the way he was, we never really got a complete grasp of his character, which I think worked really well in this case because he wound up being so memorable for me. He also straddled the line between good and evil and you never really knew what his intentions were when it came to his guild's goals. It was an interesting experience trying to figure out who he really was and I liked that even by the end he was still this huge question mark. I think it made for an intriguing character for sure.
3. Complex and twisty politics and world building
With a fantasy world full of assassins, thieves, knights, corrupt powerhouses and Demon riders, there was no doubt that the world building in both Midnight Thief and Daughter of Dusk was exciting in every way. It was rich, solid and very well-developed, which is all I look for when it comes to fantasy world building. There were also lots of themes of poverty and corrupt politics that I really enjoyed reading about, especially because they could be reiterated into the real world. Livia Blackburne did a fantastic job at crafting her world from the bottom, making sure to explain every nook and crook that existed. I know some people shy away from fantasy books because the world building tends to be complicated, but this isn't one of those books where you can't figure out the world. It's well-written and easy to understand. It was definitely a highlight of the duology for me.
4. Realistic relationships
Kyra forged many relationships in this book and they were all pretty memorable for me. Her relationship with Flick was I one that I particularly appreciated. Theirs was a relationship that never swayed from friendship. I love that the author decided to show this platonic relationship between a boy and a girl, that never once moved into romantic territory. The romance in this duology was between Kyra and Tristam, a Knight. I can't say that the romance was a huge part of this series - it was more of something that developed in the background. I liked the slow pace however, and enjoyed the sweet moments between the two of them as they got closer to one another.
Minor Quibbles
5. Same old fantasy plot
I did wish that the plot in both Midnight Thief and Daughter of Dusk went beyond the "try to take down the corrupt leader" storyline. Livia Blackburne wrote in an entertaining way that still made the book stand out despite the plot being rather cliched, but I also feel like she could have gone a bit beyond that and explored a different area to make this unique.
6. Loose ends in conclusion
While the conclusion to the Midnight Thief series was pretty solid and I was for the most part satisfied with it, there were some things I wish the author had delved more into, such as Kyra's relationship with her new-found father and her past with her mother was something I would have liked to have learned more about. Despite that though, I thought the ending was good.
Overall Thoughts
I enjoyed binge-reading this series back to back. I preferred Midnight Thief a bit more than Daughter of Dusk because I thought the plot was a little tighter in that one, but I enjoyed watching everything come together in the last book. This is certainly a series that I think is worth reading because the characters, world building and the different relationships between the characters were all phenomenal. I look forward to reading more from Livia Blackburne.
But I still really liked the characters and the relationships. Overall, this is a duology I recommend.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Series Review
Why should you check out the Midnight Thief duology?
1. Loveable main character
Midnight Thief and Daughter of Dusk have some very endearing characters. The protagonist, Kyra, especially was a character I loved from the very start. She was feisty, fearless, but also had vulnerable sides to her. Perhaps the best part about her character though how she was not this perfect fantasy heroine who got everything right. She actually made mistakes which was so much realistic to me than having this perfect badass character who is able to face any obstacle without ever falling into traps. She often found herself regretting some of her decisions and I liked that a lot. Besides that, Kyra was also kind-hearted and cared for others, especially street children known as the "gutter kids". She looked out for them and her bond with two young girls, Lettie and Idalee, was sweet and lovely to experience. There's nothing more I enjoy in books other than strong female relationships.
2. James- good or bad?
In Midnight Thief, Kyra was hired by a mysterious leader of the Assassin's guild. Completely enigmatic, James was such an interesting character from start to finish of the series. While we get snippets of why he was the way he was, we never really got a complete grasp of his character, which I think worked really well in this case because he wound up being so memorable for me. He also straddled the line between good and evil and you never really knew what his intentions were when it came to his guild's goals. It was an interesting experience trying to figure out who he really was and I liked that even by the end he was still this huge question mark. I think it made for an intriguing character for sure.
3. Complex and twisty politics and world building
With a fantasy world full of assassins, thieves, knights, corrupt powerhouses and Demon riders, there was no doubt that the world building in both Midnight Thief and Daughter of Dusk was exciting in every way. It was rich, solid and very well-developed, which is all I look for when it comes to fantasy world building. There were also lots of themes of poverty and corrupt politics that I really enjoyed reading about, especially because they could be reiterated into the real world. Livia Blackburne did a fantastic job at crafting her world from the bottom, making sure to explain every nook and crook that existed. I know some people shy away from fantasy books because the world building tends to be complicated, but this isn't one of those books where you can't figure out the world. It's well-written and easy to understand. It was definitely a highlight of the duology for me.
4. Realistic relationships
Kyra forged many relationships in this book and they were all pretty memorable for me. Her relationship with Flick was I one that I particularly appreciated. Theirs was a relationship that never swayed from friendship. I love that the author decided to show this platonic relationship between a boy and a girl, that never once moved into romantic territory. The romance in this duology was between Kyra and Tristam, a Knight. I can't say that the romance was a huge part of this series - it was more of something that developed in the background. I liked the slow pace however, and enjoyed the sweet moments between the two of them as they got closer to one another.
Minor Quibbles
5. Same old fantasy plot
I did wish that the plot in both Midnight Thief and Daughter of Dusk went beyond the "try to take down the corrupt leader" storyline. Livia Blackburne wrote in an entertaining way that still made the book stand out despite the plot being rather cliched, but I also feel like she could have gone a bit beyond that and explored a different area to make this unique.
6. Loose ends in conclusion
While the conclusion to the Midnight Thief series was pretty solid and I was for the most part satisfied with it, there were some things I wish the author had delved more into, such as Kyra's relationship with her new-found father and her past with her mother was something I would have liked to have learned more about. Despite that though, I thought the ending was good.
Overall Thoughts
I enjoyed binge-reading this series back to back. I preferred Midnight Thief a bit more than Daughter of Dusk because I thought the plot was a little tighter in that one, but I enjoyed watching everything come together in the last book. This is certainly a series that I think is worth reading because the characters, world building and the different relationships between the characters were all phenomenal. I look forward to reading more from Livia Blackburne.
March 11, 2016
*Review also on Adele Is Reading*
I love the opening sentence to this book. “The snow was a problem, the way it crunched beneath Kyra’s shoes and bore marks of her passing.” I like how the book just opens up to the continuation of the story without actually telling the reader what had happened in the last book right away. Not that that doesn’t happen. It does, just in smaller portions, and when the reader needs to be re-informed about it.
I honestly really love Daughter of Dusk. So much happens. We have some new revelations, which I wouldn’t have guessed at all. What had happened was such a surprise to me, and it totally blew my mind!
I have to say that, Kyra; the main character, definitely has some new difficult stuff happen to her. There are difficutlies that she has to over come, and she does. She learns and takes everything in stride even if some of the things she learns is a huge shocker to her. I mean, some of the stuff that happened even shocked me. Now that I know though, I have a ton of flashbacks from both books, and I have to have a “DERP!!” moment. Why didn’t I see it coming?! It’s so obvious now…
There were parts that made me angry as well. Some parts of the book I would think didn’t even need to happen but they did. ..I’m okay with that, I mean it’s not like I can rewrite the book or anything, haha. Well, these instances made me angry because a lot of the characters were treated like shit by one of the antagonists in this story. Which again, just really pisses me off because no one deserves to be treated that way.
Nonetheless though, there is a lot that happens in this book! I think I actually read and finished this book in a day. Daughter of Dusk had me sqealing, and yelling out profanities. Thankfully, only my mom was home, so no one one besides her actually witnessed me fangirling.
While reading Daughter of Dusk, we see so much happen to Kyra and her friends. We see Kyra grow into the person she is at the end of the book. We see Kyra thrive in her environments, and we see Kyra accept the things that life has thrown her way.
I like that in the ending of the book, not everything is resolved. There are still quite a few things that are left unanswered. I find with the ending being that way, it leaves me really happy. That maybe in a few years down the road, the author will pick up this story again and add on to it. I would personally LOVE that to happen, since I love Kyra’s story to bits, but if not, I like the ending that Blackburne gave us.
There are moments that I didn’t think would happen, and there are moments that I am so glad that they actually happened. And because I read this book in a day, I pretty much devoured the story. The ending to this duology actually has me so happy! I want to squeal every time I think about it.
I love the opening sentence to this book. “The snow was a problem, the way it crunched beneath Kyra’s shoes and bore marks of her passing.” I like how the book just opens up to the continuation of the story without actually telling the reader what had happened in the last book right away. Not that that doesn’t happen. It does, just in smaller portions, and when the reader needs to be re-informed about it.
I honestly really love Daughter of Dusk. So much happens. We have some new revelations, which I wouldn’t have guessed at all. What had happened was such a surprise to me, and it totally blew my mind!
I have to say that, Kyra; the main character, definitely has some new difficult stuff happen to her. There are difficutlies that she has to over come, and she does. She learns and takes everything in stride even if some of the things she learns is a huge shocker to her. I mean, some of the stuff that happened even shocked me. Now that I know though, I have a ton of flashbacks from both books, and I have to have a “DERP!!” moment. Why didn’t I see it coming?! It’s so obvious now…
There were parts that made me angry as well. Some parts of the book I would think didn’t even need to happen but they did. ..I’m okay with that, I mean it’s not like I can rewrite the book or anything, haha. Well, these instances made me angry because a lot of the characters were treated like shit by one of the antagonists in this story. Which again, just really pisses me off because no one deserves to be treated that way.
Nonetheless though, there is a lot that happens in this book! I think I actually read and finished this book in a day. Daughter of Dusk had me sqealing, and yelling out profanities. Thankfully, only my mom was home, so no one one besides her actually witnessed me fangirling.
While reading Daughter of Dusk, we see so much happen to Kyra and her friends. We see Kyra grow into the person she is at the end of the book. We see Kyra thrive in her environments, and we see Kyra accept the things that life has thrown her way.
I like that in the ending of the book, not everything is resolved. There are still quite a few things that are left unanswered. I find with the ending being that way, it leaves me really happy. That maybe in a few years down the road, the author will pick up this story again and add on to it. I would personally LOVE that to happen, since I love Kyra’s story to bits, but if not, I like the ending that Blackburne gave us.
There are moments that I didn’t think would happen, and there are moments that I am so glad that they actually happened. And because I read this book in a day, I pretty much devoured the story. The ending to this duology actually has me so happy! I want to squeal every time I think about it.
July 13, 2015
Full review to come!
Read
April 13, 2017It was a really good book and I would recommend it to people who distompian books.
August 21, 2015
This and other reviews on my website My Friends Are Fiction
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Midnight Thief so was very eager to see what would happen in Daughter of Dusk. I chose not to reread the first book so it did take me some time to remember the characters and exactly where the last story left off. After a few chapters though I was back into the Kyra’s story.
I felt that the pacing was a bit slower in this novel though I did enjoy what I was reading. It felt like it took a little long for the action to kick in. Kyra still struggled in this novel to come to terms with her dual nature and I found her difficulty in accepting herself to be one of the more interesting parts in the book. I also loved that we got to see more about what happened to Kyra’s parents. I also like that we see Tristam work on accepting Kyra and working to forgive/acknowledge her Makvani side.
I was a tad irritated that a good amount of the relationship side focused on the two with-holding information and not speaking plainly to one another. I know this happens in life but it is so frustrating to read about for me. I wanted to knock each of them on their heads and get them to speak. Perhaps because of this friction between the two characters I felt little to no chemistry between them. I remember liking them as a couple in the prior novel. I will say there was no love triangle if that was something you worried about.
In the first book and the prequel we got to know James fairly well. He wasn’t nearly as present in this book and I must say I missed him. He was one of my favorite characters because I loved that he was such a grey character.
We are given the opportunity to get a better feel for the Makvani and get more detail about their society. The same characters are present through this novel though we do get introduced to a few new people. Sadly, I didn’t make any sort of emotional connection to any of the side characters.
When we aren’t with the Makvani the story focused on Forge and the political scheming/unrest tearing the city apart. I found this to be moderately interesting but overall it made for a bit of a slower read for me. There’s a lot about Kyra not being of high enough class and to prove it I felt the author would through in some dialect/slang to show her as a street urchin. It never flowed for me and sort of pulled me from the story. I don’t mind class issues in books and this one felt fairly realistic to the characters but it wasn’t something I really loved about the story.
Final Thoughts:
I really looked forward to Daughter of Dusk and overall I found it an entertaining read. I didn’t like it as well as the first book but I was happy to learn more about Kyra and the other characters.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Midnight Thief so was very eager to see what would happen in Daughter of Dusk. I chose not to reread the first book so it did take me some time to remember the characters and exactly where the last story left off. After a few chapters though I was back into the Kyra’s story.
I felt that the pacing was a bit slower in this novel though I did enjoy what I was reading. It felt like it took a little long for the action to kick in. Kyra still struggled in this novel to come to terms with her dual nature and I found her difficulty in accepting herself to be one of the more interesting parts in the book. I also loved that we got to see more about what happened to Kyra’s parents. I also like that we see Tristam work on accepting Kyra and working to forgive/acknowledge her Makvani side.
I was a tad irritated that a good amount of the relationship side focused on the two with-holding information and not speaking plainly to one another. I know this happens in life but it is so frustrating to read about for me. I wanted to knock each of them on their heads and get them to speak. Perhaps because of this friction between the two characters I felt little to no chemistry between them. I remember liking them as a couple in the prior novel. I will say there was no love triangle if that was something you worried about.
In the first book and the prequel we got to know James fairly well. He wasn’t nearly as present in this book and I must say I missed him. He was one of my favorite characters because I loved that he was such a grey character.
We are given the opportunity to get a better feel for the Makvani and get more detail about their society. The same characters are present through this novel though we do get introduced to a few new people. Sadly, I didn’t make any sort of emotional connection to any of the side characters.
When we aren’t with the Makvani the story focused on Forge and the political scheming/unrest tearing the city apart. I found this to be moderately interesting but overall it made for a bit of a slower read for me. There’s a lot about Kyra not being of high enough class and to prove it I felt the author would through in some dialect/slang to show her as a street urchin. It never flowed for me and sort of pulled me from the story. I don’t mind class issues in books and this one felt fairly realistic to the characters but it wasn’t something I really loved about the story.
Final Thoughts:
I really looked forward to Daughter of Dusk and overall I found it an entertaining read. I didn’t like it as well as the first book but I was happy to learn more about Kyra and the other characters.
September 7, 2015
I loved book 1 of this and eagerly awaiting this installment, so I was more than delighted to dive right in when I got it. Well, can I say that this is even better than the first!
I found that Kyra grew so much during this one. She was always competent and capable but she is so much more here. She really grew up and has taken responsibility for who she is. She still struggles with the other side of her but at least she is trying to find out more about it and her family. She is still treated as an outsider by the palace people and the Demon Riders but her friends are her rock. There is only 3 people inside the palace that know about her, though one only suspects, but all hell is about to break loose and Kyras' loyalty is tested.
Tristam is as awesome as ever! He knows Kyras secret and while he struggles to accept it, he knows that Kyra is, and always will be, Kyra, no matter what she may be. Both of them know that Tristam is from a high ranking family, so a relationship isn't possible, but it doesn't stop either of them from dreaming. But when Tristam is told that his match has been made, poor Kyra finally realises the truth of their situation. My heart broke for both of them because they obviously love each other, but their relationship isn't to be!
The plot was really fast paced. Right from the start you are swept up into the story and carried away. Their is so much happening on every page that sometimes I just had to stop reading to absorb everything. We have the Demon Riders raids happening more often, the place intend on stopping them even if it means war, Tristam having to meet the woman he is going to marry, Idalee is beaten to within an inch of life and Kyra tries to get justice, Kyra is also trying to deal with the Demon Rider side of everything and being a go between the two groups, plus she is learning about her family and heritage! So as you can see, a lot happening between the pages!
Overall this was an action packed and engaging read. While I'm sad to see this as a duology and had hoped from more, it's still a world that I won't easily forget. I loved everything about it and will definitely keep my eye on this author in future. Maybe we haven't seen the last of Kyra and Tristam, well, one can only hope ;)
I found that Kyra grew so much during this one. She was always competent and capable but she is so much more here. She really grew up and has taken responsibility for who she is. She still struggles with the other side of her but at least she is trying to find out more about it and her family. She is still treated as an outsider by the palace people and the Demon Riders but her friends are her rock. There is only 3 people inside the palace that know about her, though one only suspects, but all hell is about to break loose and Kyras' loyalty is tested.
Tristam is as awesome as ever! He knows Kyras secret and while he struggles to accept it, he knows that Kyra is, and always will be, Kyra, no matter what she may be. Both of them know that Tristam is from a high ranking family, so a relationship isn't possible, but it doesn't stop either of them from dreaming. But when Tristam is told that his match has been made, poor Kyra finally realises the truth of their situation. My heart broke for both of them because they obviously love each other, but their relationship isn't to be!
The plot was really fast paced. Right from the start you are swept up into the story and carried away. Their is so much happening on every page that sometimes I just had to stop reading to absorb everything. We have the Demon Riders raids happening more often, the place intend on stopping them even if it means war, Tristam having to meet the woman he is going to marry, Idalee is beaten to within an inch of life and Kyra tries to get justice, Kyra is also trying to deal with the Demon Rider side of everything and being a go between the two groups, plus she is learning about her family and heritage! So as you can see, a lot happening between the pages!
Overall this was an action packed and engaging read. While I'm sad to see this as a duology and had hoped from more, it's still a world that I won't easily forget. I loved everything about it and will definitely keep my eye on this author in future. Maybe we haven't seen the last of Kyra and Tristam, well, one can only hope ;)
September 23, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Wonderful story with a gripping plot, fun characters, and an intriguing world! I didn’t quite like it as much as the first book, but it was still a very entertaining read!
Opening Sentence: The snow was a problem, the way it crunched beneath Kyra’s shoes and bore marks of her passing.
The Review:
Kyra grew up on the streets and she learned to survive by becoming a thief. She can scale walls and do things most normal people can’t. It turns out the reason she is agile is because she has Demon Rider blood running through her veins. She is only half demon rider, but she can’t help feeling like she is a monster. She is currently on good terms with the palace, but if they find out her true identity they will hunt her down and kill her.
Things are escalating in Forge and the Demon Rider attacks are growing more frequent. Kyra feels so out of place because she isn’t welcome in the Demon Rider’s camp and with her secrets she is constantly worried about staying in the city. It looks as if war is inevitable, but maybe Kyra can stop it. With the help of Tristam, the brave noble knight she has developed feelings for, and some of her street rat friends, Kyra has to face her past and hope that she will be able to save her city so she has a future!
Kyra is an interesting character. She is a silent and intellectual type of person. She tends to keep to herself and doesn’t like to show others how she feels. I tend to like more bubbly characters that have sharp mouths, but there was just something about Kyra that made me really love her. She is smart and always assesses situations before rushing to a decision and I respected that. She has had a hard life and has made the most out of her bad upbringing. It’s hard not to admire her determination and skill in doing whatever needs to be done. You get to learn so much more about her background, and I really liked how she dealt with all of the information she learns. Even though she’s not the normal type of character I love, I still ended up really liking her, and I am glad I got to read her story.
Tristam is such a great guy. He is loyal to the core and level-headed. He is very courageous and someone you can easily identify as a hero. He always tries to do the right thing even though it is really difficult at times. I feel like he is just one of those characters you can’t help but love and respect. Sure he’s not perfect and makes stupid mistakes at times, but overall he is genuinely good person. His relationship with Kyra is so sweet and slow burning. There isn’t a ton of romance in the story, but the little interaction between these two was done perfectly. Tristam was a great addition to the story and I just adored him.
Daughter of Dusk is a really great and entertaining read. I loved Midnight Thief and was really excited to enter back into the world Blackburne created. While I didn’t quite love this one as much as the first book, I did still really enjoy it. It is action packed and from page one I was instantly engrossed back into the story. The plot really thickened and kept me very intrigued the whole time. The characters were so much fun to get to know, and very easy to connect with. The romance was very subtle, but it was developed so well. The pacing was spot on all except for the ending. I felt that things seem a little rushed at the end. I may have felt this way due to the fact that for some reason I thought this was going to be a trilogy where in fact it is actually a dualogy. This was the final book and I guess I just wasn’t prepared for the story to end. It wasn’t a bad ending per say, but I felt like it could have been better. With that being said this was still an amazing read and I would highly recommend this series to anyone that enjoys high fantasy!
Notable Scene:
“I don’t have to answer to you anymore,” Kyra said.
James actually laughed, though the laugh ended in a cough.
“And yet, you’re here. No, Kyra. If you’ve gone to this much trouble to speak to me, you want something from me. And unless you plan to add your own cuts to those your masters have decorated me with, then I’ll have something from you in return. Starting with the real reason why you came.”
Funny. Kyra had planned this breakin perfectly, from fashioning the keys to getting past the door guards. But here in this cell, her plans came up short. As she’d lain awake plotting, she’d known that she wanted to talk to James. But now she didn’t have the words.
“You’ve not given me away,” she said.
“Of course.” James’s eyes refocused on her face. “Your… surprising identity. Did you know what you were before the Demon Riders took you?”
Kyra didn’t answer.
“I’ll wager you didn’t. You didn’t have their bloodlust. And you still don’t.”
FTC Advisory: Disney-Hyperion provided me with a copy of Daughter of Dusk. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Wonderful story with a gripping plot, fun characters, and an intriguing world! I didn’t quite like it as much as the first book, but it was still a very entertaining read!
Opening Sentence: The snow was a problem, the way it crunched beneath Kyra’s shoes and bore marks of her passing.
The Review:
Kyra grew up on the streets and she learned to survive by becoming a thief. She can scale walls and do things most normal people can’t. It turns out the reason she is agile is because she has Demon Rider blood running through her veins. She is only half demon rider, but she can’t help feeling like she is a monster. She is currently on good terms with the palace, but if they find out her true identity they will hunt her down and kill her.
Things are escalating in Forge and the Demon Rider attacks are growing more frequent. Kyra feels so out of place because she isn’t welcome in the Demon Rider’s camp and with her secrets she is constantly worried about staying in the city. It looks as if war is inevitable, but maybe Kyra can stop it. With the help of Tristam, the brave noble knight she has developed feelings for, and some of her street rat friends, Kyra has to face her past and hope that she will be able to save her city so she has a future!
Kyra is an interesting character. She is a silent and intellectual type of person. She tends to keep to herself and doesn’t like to show others how she feels. I tend to like more bubbly characters that have sharp mouths, but there was just something about Kyra that made me really love her. She is smart and always assesses situations before rushing to a decision and I respected that. She has had a hard life and has made the most out of her bad upbringing. It’s hard not to admire her determination and skill in doing whatever needs to be done. You get to learn so much more about her background, and I really liked how she dealt with all of the information she learns. Even though she’s not the normal type of character I love, I still ended up really liking her, and I am glad I got to read her story.
Tristam is such a great guy. He is loyal to the core and level-headed. He is very courageous and someone you can easily identify as a hero. He always tries to do the right thing even though it is really difficult at times. I feel like he is just one of those characters you can’t help but love and respect. Sure he’s not perfect and makes stupid mistakes at times, but overall he is genuinely good person. His relationship with Kyra is so sweet and slow burning. There isn’t a ton of romance in the story, but the little interaction between these two was done perfectly. Tristam was a great addition to the story and I just adored him.
Daughter of Dusk is a really great and entertaining read. I loved Midnight Thief and was really excited to enter back into the world Blackburne created. While I didn’t quite love this one as much as the first book, I did still really enjoy it. It is action packed and from page one I was instantly engrossed back into the story. The plot really thickened and kept me very intrigued the whole time. The characters were so much fun to get to know, and very easy to connect with. The romance was very subtle, but it was developed so well. The pacing was spot on all except for the ending. I felt that things seem a little rushed at the end. I may have felt this way due to the fact that for some reason I thought this was going to be a trilogy where in fact it is actually a dualogy. This was the final book and I guess I just wasn’t prepared for the story to end. It wasn’t a bad ending per say, but I felt like it could have been better. With that being said this was still an amazing read and I would highly recommend this series to anyone that enjoys high fantasy!
Notable Scene:
“I don’t have to answer to you anymore,” Kyra said.
James actually laughed, though the laugh ended in a cough.
“And yet, you’re here. No, Kyra. If you’ve gone to this much trouble to speak to me, you want something from me. And unless you plan to add your own cuts to those your masters have decorated me with, then I’ll have something from you in return. Starting with the real reason why you came.”
Funny. Kyra had planned this breakin perfectly, from fashioning the keys to getting past the door guards. But here in this cell, her plans came up short. As she’d lain awake plotting, she’d known that she wanted to talk to James. But now she didn’t have the words.
“You’ve not given me away,” she said.
“Of course.” James’s eyes refocused on her face. “Your… surprising identity. Did you know what you were before the Demon Riders took you?”
Kyra didn’t answer.
“I’ll wager you didn’t. You didn’t have their bloodlust. And you still don’t.”
FTC Advisory: Disney-Hyperion provided me with a copy of Daughter of Dusk. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
October 2, 2015
Totally loved this book. This book was like a wonderful roller coaster of emotions. Kyra has a lot more at stake than she did in the previous book. This book took on some crazy intense moments, but it delivered on so many things. I totally loved Kyra and Tristam even more than I did in Midnight Thief.
I love all the characters so much in this world. Flick, James, and many of the others as well. The Demon Riders are totally back in this book and have a major part to play. Plus Kyra and Tristam have to deal with a lot more politics than they did in the last book. I totally love how Tristam and Kyra have to navigate through their feelings for one another in this book. Kyra learns a lot of things about her past and her parentage that she didn’t know about before. The twist about her father was a real surprise.
Leyus being her father was something else indeed. I thought that it was an interesting development, but it explained some of Leyus actions in Midnight Thief when he intervened. Their family relationship is definitely going to be complicated because at times Leyus acts like he does and doesn’t want a relationship with Kyra, his daughter. There seems to be some hesitation on his part. I guess it’s definitely one of the odder relationships in the book.
James was probably the most interesting character as he once had power, and now is a prisoner without no power. He is at someone else’s mercy. His scenes with Kyra were some of the most interesting. James still likes to play games and manipulate things to serve his own advantage. I thought his situation is one of doing what he does best when he is cornered, do whatever it takes to survive. James did a lot of sneaky stuff.
The romance between Kyra and Tristam was really good and not going to be easy at all for our characters. I feel like these two are trapped in different ways. Their stations in life are vastly different. Tristam should marry someone that his family wants because of his social station in life and his position means he can’t be with Kyra. Kyra and Tristam are very aware of this obstacle in life. Everything is difficult but find themselves being drawn to one another in so many ways. It’s almost impossible for you not to want this couple together.
A lot of this book moves at a very quick pace as certain characters agendas are exposed. Plus lives are put in danger at times when you don’t think it’s possible. Not to mention people are scared of what they don’t understand when they see the Demon Riders in cat form. I also found myself realizing that James might be right at times, when he says to Kyra to pick her fight. The nobles don’t want things to change, while other characters like Tristam do for the betterment of everyone. I also like that Kyra does pick her fights and they are not always what everyone thinks she will do. I like that we got to see a lot more of Flick in this book. He was an interesting piece of this book in a lot of ways. I also like how he is the character who seems to be the most ordinary and sees things in a way that maybe Kyra and Tristam don’t.
A totally awesome ride. I loved how this book ended. It made total sense as they have to try to make peace with the demon riders and other people as well. They have to try to make the world a better place for everyone. Also Kyra and Tristam getting their happily ever after was a great moment.
Rating:
4.5 Hearts
I love all the characters so much in this world. Flick, James, and many of the others as well. The Demon Riders are totally back in this book and have a major part to play. Plus Kyra and Tristam have to deal with a lot more politics than they did in the last book. I totally love how Tristam and Kyra have to navigate through their feelings for one another in this book. Kyra learns a lot of things about her past and her parentage that she didn’t know about before. The twist about her father was a real surprise.
Leyus being her father was something else indeed. I thought that it was an interesting development, but it explained some of Leyus actions in Midnight Thief when he intervened. Their family relationship is definitely going to be complicated because at times Leyus acts like he does and doesn’t want a relationship with Kyra, his daughter. There seems to be some hesitation on his part. I guess it’s definitely one of the odder relationships in the book.
James was probably the most interesting character as he once had power, and now is a prisoner without no power. He is at someone else’s mercy. His scenes with Kyra were some of the most interesting. James still likes to play games and manipulate things to serve his own advantage. I thought his situation is one of doing what he does best when he is cornered, do whatever it takes to survive. James did a lot of sneaky stuff.
The romance between Kyra and Tristam was really good and not going to be easy at all for our characters. I feel like these two are trapped in different ways. Their stations in life are vastly different. Tristam should marry someone that his family wants because of his social station in life and his position means he can’t be with Kyra. Kyra and Tristam are very aware of this obstacle in life. Everything is difficult but find themselves being drawn to one another in so many ways. It’s almost impossible for you not to want this couple together.
A lot of this book moves at a very quick pace as certain characters agendas are exposed. Plus lives are put in danger at times when you don’t think it’s possible. Not to mention people are scared of what they don’t understand when they see the Demon Riders in cat form. I also found myself realizing that James might be right at times, when he says to Kyra to pick her fight. The nobles don’t want things to change, while other characters like Tristam do for the betterment of everyone. I also like that Kyra does pick her fights and they are not always what everyone thinks she will do. I like that we got to see a lot more of Flick in this book. He was an interesting piece of this book in a lot of ways. I also like how he is the character who seems to be the most ordinary and sees things in a way that maybe Kyra and Tristam don’t.
A totally awesome ride. I loved how this book ended. It made total sense as they have to try to make peace with the demon riders and other people as well. They have to try to make the world a better place for everyone. Also Kyra and Tristam getting their happily ever after was a great moment.
Rating:
4.5 Hearts
July 26, 2015
I will admit that when I read the first book in this series “Midnight Thief” I wasn’t overly impressed. I felt there was a lot of improvement that could be made, and I feel like Livia really delivered a lot of those improvements in this sequel. Daughter of Dusk really picks up a lot of the negative feelings I had about Midnight Thief, and turns them into something much more positive.
One of my main issues with the first book was just how gullible it seemed Kyra was, especially early on in the book. That did change later on, thankfully. In Daughter of Dusk, it almost feels like Kyra is a whole new character. She is the character now that I wish she had been from the very beginning. She is much more confident, and she I feel like her actions have a much clearer purpose, which is heavily attributed to the things going on in the story throughout the book.
Not only was Kyra much easier to connect to in Daughter of Dusk, I feel as though many of the characters were. The character development improved drastically from what we saw in the first book, and I was very impressed with it all. There are so many side characters, and even a lot of their stories are very well thought out which allows you to be able to connect with them, albeit at a much smaller level than the main characters.
Overall, the writing in general just improved a lot. Livia showed a lot of potential in Midnight Thief, which was the main reason I decided to stick with her and read this sequel, when I had the opportunity to. I am glad she was able to find her strengths, and write a sequel that really redeemed this story for me.
While it’s important to have developed characters, you must also have great world building when you’re dealing with fantasy books. World building can easily make or break a fantasy book, especially for those that love reading fantasy. Livia definitely delivers on this front too, making huge improvements to her world building, over what I saw in the first book.
This is one of those situations where it’s difficult for me to decide how to recommend the series. She made vast amounts of improvements with Daughter of Dusk, which to me makes this series worth reading, because you might not come to find yourself having the same issues with Midnight Thief as I did. But I also feel as though the issues in Midnight Thief are somewhat on the extreme side, at least early on.. I feel like it all comes down to your gut feeling on this series. If you want to read it, then definitely go for it! Even if you run into the same issues I had with the first book, there is hope that you could enjoy the second book as much as I did!
One of my main issues with the first book was just how gullible it seemed Kyra was, especially early on in the book. That did change later on, thankfully. In Daughter of Dusk, it almost feels like Kyra is a whole new character. She is the character now that I wish she had been from the very beginning. She is much more confident, and she I feel like her actions have a much clearer purpose, which is heavily attributed to the things going on in the story throughout the book.
Not only was Kyra much easier to connect to in Daughter of Dusk, I feel as though many of the characters were. The character development improved drastically from what we saw in the first book, and I was very impressed with it all. There are so many side characters, and even a lot of their stories are very well thought out which allows you to be able to connect with them, albeit at a much smaller level than the main characters.
Overall, the writing in general just improved a lot. Livia showed a lot of potential in Midnight Thief, which was the main reason I decided to stick with her and read this sequel, when I had the opportunity to. I am glad she was able to find her strengths, and write a sequel that really redeemed this story for me.
While it’s important to have developed characters, you must also have great world building when you’re dealing with fantasy books. World building can easily make or break a fantasy book, especially for those that love reading fantasy. Livia definitely delivers on this front too, making huge improvements to her world building, over what I saw in the first book.
This is one of those situations where it’s difficult for me to decide how to recommend the series. She made vast amounts of improvements with Daughter of Dusk, which to me makes this series worth reading, because you might not come to find yourself having the same issues with Midnight Thief as I did. But I also feel as though the issues in Midnight Thief are somewhat on the extreme side, at least early on.. I feel like it all comes down to your gut feeling on this series. If you want to read it, then definitely go for it! Even if you run into the same issues I had with the first book, there is hope that you could enjoy the second book as much as I did!
August 9, 2015
More Reviews Here: Readers Live A Thousand Lives
I’m not going to lie; I’m a tad bit disappointed in this conclusion. Overall I liked the story and I enjoyed it, but I think I was hoping for a bit more. I just had a hard time staying invested at times and the plot never seemed to fully climax. It was just a lot of “this happens”, “we do this”, “and now this happens”, without a real central plot point. It was just a lot of little plots pulling in together. Honestly I wasn’t even sure where the story was trying to go until about the 40% mark.
When I read Midnight Thief, I loved Kyra but I struggled with her a bit in this one and I’m not really sure why. I just didn’t connect with her as much this time around. She wasn’t the same tough girl we met originally. She was still strong, but she was also more impulsive and that impulsiveness took away from her intelligence at times.
As for Tristam, well he wasn’t really the same either. I still liked him, but there was just something that held me back from absolutely loving him. My favorite character was actually James, as messed up as that is. He may not have always taken the best course of action, but he truly believed in his cause and he did want to make change for the better, which is a lot more than a lot of other people can say. Also, I fell for him in Poison Dance and I’ve never really been able to let that go.
As for the romance, it was kinda nonexistent in this one, which really bummed me out. I’m not a reader that needs romance in her books, but when you build up to it in the first book and then basically ignore it for the second book, I’m going to be mad. It was still there in parts, but the parts were few and I mean really really few. Like I said, this only upset me because I felt like it had been built up and then just conveniently ignored for a big part of the book. It’s hard to really root for a couple when you don’t get much of them together as a couple.
The world in Daughter of Dusk is still good and I did like the story for the most part, I just wish some things had been different and that the plot had been a bit more linear. I like complicated plots, but this one just felt like it was pulling from all over at times.
All in all, Daughter of Dusk was a likable conclusion to the series. It wraps everything up and gives you the answers you are looking for. I guess I was just hoping for a little bit more from this one.
I’m not going to lie; I’m a tad bit disappointed in this conclusion. Overall I liked the story and I enjoyed it, but I think I was hoping for a bit more. I just had a hard time staying invested at times and the plot never seemed to fully climax. It was just a lot of “this happens”, “we do this”, “and now this happens”, without a real central plot point. It was just a lot of little plots pulling in together. Honestly I wasn’t even sure where the story was trying to go until about the 40% mark.
When I read Midnight Thief, I loved Kyra but I struggled with her a bit in this one and I’m not really sure why. I just didn’t connect with her as much this time around. She wasn’t the same tough girl we met originally. She was still strong, but she was also more impulsive and that impulsiveness took away from her intelligence at times.
As for Tristam, well he wasn’t really the same either. I still liked him, but there was just something that held me back from absolutely loving him. My favorite character was actually James, as messed up as that is. He may not have always taken the best course of action, but he truly believed in his cause and he did want to make change for the better, which is a lot more than a lot of other people can say. Also, I fell for him in Poison Dance and I’ve never really been able to let that go.
As for the romance, it was kinda nonexistent in this one, which really bummed me out. I’m not a reader that needs romance in her books, but when you build up to it in the first book and then basically ignore it for the second book, I’m going to be mad. It was still there in parts, but the parts were few and I mean really really few. Like I said, this only upset me because I felt like it had been built up and then just conveniently ignored for a big part of the book. It’s hard to really root for a couple when you don’t get much of them together as a couple.
The world in Daughter of Dusk is still good and I did like the story for the most part, I just wish some things had been different and that the plot had been a bit more linear. I like complicated plots, but this one just felt like it was pulling from all over at times.
All in all, Daughter of Dusk was a likable conclusion to the series. It wraps everything up and gives you the answers you are looking for. I guess I was just hoping for a little bit more from this one.
April 6, 2016
**I received an ARC of this title at no cost from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions voiced here are my own.**
I loved this series so much more than I suspected I would. I admire the main character's fight to find herself and preserve those parts she sees as positive and valuable. I appreciate her fear of a part of herself. I think this book has many lessons to teach readers.
First, none of us is without flaws, or parts of ourselves that we keep hidden from others. Part of learning who we are as people is learning how to accommodate those parts. Kyra must come to terms with who she is and determine, despite what others around her might urge her to do, how she will use her power and influence. She must determine who she is, who she wants to become, and what she is willing to do to accomplish those things.
A positive book with positive messages, Daughter of Dusk is a powerful, well-written, and action-packed exploration of self.
I loved this series so much more than I suspected I would. I admire the main character's fight to find herself and preserve those parts she sees as positive and valuable. I appreciate her fear of a part of herself. I think this book has many lessons to teach readers.
First, none of us is without flaws, or parts of ourselves that we keep hidden from others. Part of learning who we are as people is learning how to accommodate those parts. Kyra must come to terms with who she is and determine, despite what others around her might urge her to do, how she will use her power and influence. She must determine who she is, who she wants to become, and what she is willing to do to accomplish those things.
A positive book with positive messages, Daughter of Dusk is a powerful, well-written, and action-packed exploration of self.
July 30, 2015
I had the opportunity to beta read Daughter of Dusk during one of its final revisions. I am so excited to read the finished book when the rest of the world does, as well, but I can honestly say that I was beyond pleased with the way this story concludes even in the draft I read.
Upping the romance a notch, as well as the action, Livia Blackburne holds nothing back as she brings all those involved in her story together into a thrilling climactic battle.
As someone who asked for "MORE romance, MORE chemistry!" - I am sure that Livia delivers on that front. I will have to wait and see after I've received my own finished copy...
A step up from Midnight Thief - and just as dark, with great risks faced by not only Kyra, but also the other secondary characters (deaths abound, guys - DEATHS ABOUND) - you NEED to add this duology to your collection. STAT.
Upping the romance a notch, as well as the action, Livia Blackburne holds nothing back as she brings all those involved in her story together into a thrilling climactic battle.
As someone who asked for "MORE romance, MORE chemistry!" - I am sure that Livia delivers on that front. I will have to wait and see after I've received my own finished copy...
A step up from Midnight Thief - and just as dark, with great risks faced by not only Kyra, but also the other secondary characters (deaths abound, guys - DEATHS ABOUND) - you NEED to add this duology to your collection. STAT.
January 11, 2016
I was going to give this book 3 stars...
but the ending was better then what I expected...
It was fun to read...
So my reading went up!
I like it, but i didn't love it.
I was hoping there would be a little more romance... It definitely lacked on that part.
I really did like the idea of humans transforming in cats...
Kyra is a great character and I did enjoy her. But there was a lack of information about her past. I really wanted to know more about her mother, and how she met her father... which is the whole reason Kyra have such cool abilities...
I felt it lack some important information there, especially about the whole Human/Cat transforming ability.
Over all this book was alright.
but the ending was better then what I expected...
It was fun to read...
So my reading went up!
I like it, but i didn't love it.
I was hoping there would be a little more romance... It definitely lacked on that part.
I really did like the idea of humans transforming in cats...
Kyra is a great character and I did enjoy her. But there was a lack of information about her past. I really wanted to know more about her mother, and how she met her father... which is the whole reason Kyra have such cool abilities...
I felt it lack some important information there, especially about the whole Human/Cat transforming ability.
Over all this book was alright.
October 27, 2015
This series holds a special place in my heart. I went into this book having read and loved the first one with high hopes and I was not disappointed. The story zips along at a wonderful pace. The chapters have that really addictive habit of finishing on a cliffhanger, so you find yourself forced into the next chapter in order to discover what happens.
If you love young adult fantasy, please oh please pick this series up in beautiful hardcover. You won't regret it.
If you love young adult fantasy, please oh please pick this series up in beautiful hardcover. You won't regret it.
September 4, 2015
Oh, this book! So great, such a great sequel! Really enjoyed learning about her family, and Kyra learning about the power that she has-and how to use it! So great! And I would really love the story of her parents, since apparently this is the end of Kyra's!
September 2, 2016
3.45 Stars
July 18, 2016
Confused between rating it a solid 3 or 3.5 stars. I only completed this one because of Tristam.
August 2, 2015
Originally Reviewed For: Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
Sometimes if you are very very lucky you find this amazing gem of a book. Livia Blackburne's Daughter of Dusk is just that type of book. It is book two in her Midnight Thief Novels really really well worth the read. Yep, this is me gushing!
Daughter of Dusk is most definitely a second book in the series, I don't suggest reading it as a stand alone. I did and totally enjoyed it but I knew all along that there was so much I was missing. Because of this it took me a while to actually get into the book and I often considered just not finishing it. Which would have been a shame because once I was able to completely immerse myself, I fell in love.
This is one of those YA books that transcends age. It's fantasy at it's best. I would certainly rate this right along Cinda Williams Chima's, Seven Realms Series.. It has that wonderful ability to make the reader forget just what age the characters are. These are individuals written with depth of character, personality and incredible nuances.
Daughter of Dusk begins with it's heroine Kyra, an orphan, having been raised in the streets until she is discovered by the head of the Assassins Guild. She has been scouted and they want her.. for a while that was wonderful but she discovers that she wants more. She also discovers that she is half of another species, for lack of better description a large cat species, but she doesn't want to be part of them and has been allowed to join the palace guards. That's your back story...
The book begins with Kyra being allowed to be part of the guard but not really. More like a scout, they use her for her talents but will never allow her to belong. Again she's okay with that for a while, until she discovers that the leading council is so filled with rot that they need to be overthrown. Her boss, a decent enough man and member of the council, is trying to begin change from the inside but in the mean while people are dying and the elite are just that.. above the rules.
Kyra also realizes that with the way things stand she can never be more than friends with the man she is falling in love with. He has been demoted from being a knight and now works with the guard. His demotion came because he dared to act on his convictions (again in book 1). But he is still a lord's son and there is no way they can ever be together...
And if that's not enough..
Kyra is slowly, very slowly beginning to accept what she is and realizes that she wants answers. Her questions lead to some pretty interesting discoveries. But because she is all areas she is uniquely positioned to bring them all together. A battle is coming and the City/State of Forge is on the line. Hard to believe that it's all in the hands of one outcast and her group of friends.
JUST FABULOUS!!! I would seriously consider this a MUST READ book! And if you love YA or better yet are YA, then this book is for you!
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Daughter of Dusk, provided by netgalley and is scheduled to be released on August 4, 2015
Sometimes if you are very very lucky you find this amazing gem of a book. Livia Blackburne's Daughter of Dusk is just that type of book. It is book two in her Midnight Thief Novels really really well worth the read. Yep, this is me gushing!
Daughter of Dusk is most definitely a second book in the series, I don't suggest reading it as a stand alone. I did and totally enjoyed it but I knew all along that there was so much I was missing. Because of this it took me a while to actually get into the book and I often considered just not finishing it. Which would have been a shame because once I was able to completely immerse myself, I fell in love.
This is one of those YA books that transcends age. It's fantasy at it's best. I would certainly rate this right along Cinda Williams Chima's, Seven Realms Series.. It has that wonderful ability to make the reader forget just what age the characters are. These are individuals written with depth of character, personality and incredible nuances.
Daughter of Dusk begins with it's heroine Kyra, an orphan, having been raised in the streets until she is discovered by the head of the Assassins Guild. She has been scouted and they want her.. for a while that was wonderful but she discovers that she wants more. She also discovers that she is half of another species, for lack of better description a large cat species, but she doesn't want to be part of them and has been allowed to join the palace guards. That's your back story...
The book begins with Kyra being allowed to be part of the guard but not really. More like a scout, they use her for her talents but will never allow her to belong. Again she's okay with that for a while, until she discovers that the leading council is so filled with rot that they need to be overthrown. Her boss, a decent enough man and member of the council, is trying to begin change from the inside but in the mean while people are dying and the elite are just that.. above the rules.
Kyra also realizes that with the way things stand she can never be more than friends with the man she is falling in love with. He has been demoted from being a knight and now works with the guard. His demotion came because he dared to act on his convictions (again in book 1). But he is still a lord's son and there is no way they can ever be together...
And if that's not enough..
Kyra is slowly, very slowly beginning to accept what she is and realizes that she wants answers. Her questions lead to some pretty interesting discoveries. But because she is all areas she is uniquely positioned to bring them all together. A battle is coming and the City/State of Forge is on the line. Hard to believe that it's all in the hands of one outcast and her group of friends.
JUST FABULOUS!!! I would seriously consider this a MUST READ book! And if you love YA or better yet are YA, then this book is for you!
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Daughter of Dusk, provided by netgalley and is scheduled to be released on August 4, 2015
August 5, 2015
After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.
Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.
As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?
Kyra now knows her heritage and with the city wary of any Demon Riders, she has to be extra careful not to be found out. But it's hard to keep control when she doesn't know how. And since she was banished from the clan, they aren't exactly being helpful towards her. She still, however, feels the urge to go to them. As tensions mount in Forge, where the politics is leading to a war on the Demon Riders, she is struggling hard to prevent such a scenario. When she has to go on the run, she still has the best interests of the city at heart. She even comes to sympathize with James, and when she realizes he isn't entirely the monster she thought he was, she realizes she has to make some hard decisions. Her character has been through a lot in this series, from being one person's puppet to another's prisoner, forever feeling one step lower than the others. Even her clanspeople don't welcome her with open arms, and she is lonely but she doesn't let that define her. She becomes a leader, a beacon of hope, prevents a war under a death threat, and literally saves the day.
Tristam and her were seeming impossible at the start of the book, with their statuses being unequal and him not really wanting to go against his family. They were definitely cute together, but the romance wasn't really the focus, you know. Cause girl had bigger fish to fry! That was probably for the best, though there were still traces of the teen in her. And it was handled well, anyway, so no complaints on that matter. The writing was as good as the first one, and I loved the different storylines layered through the plot. I especially adored Flick and Adele - her bringing him a dead rabbit like a cat brings dead presents to it's humans was precious!
Overall, great writing, good storyline, strong world-building, and good flow. 4.5 stars to this one!
Received a free galley from Disney-Hyperion via Netgalley; this does not affect my opinions or review.
Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.
As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?
Kyra now knows her heritage and with the city wary of any Demon Riders, she has to be extra careful not to be found out. But it's hard to keep control when she doesn't know how. And since she was banished from the clan, they aren't exactly being helpful towards her. She still, however, feels the urge to go to them. As tensions mount in Forge, where the politics is leading to a war on the Demon Riders, she is struggling hard to prevent such a scenario. When she has to go on the run, she still has the best interests of the city at heart. She even comes to sympathize with James, and when she realizes he isn't entirely the monster she thought he was, she realizes she has to make some hard decisions. Her character has been through a lot in this series, from being one person's puppet to another's prisoner, forever feeling one step lower than the others. Even her clanspeople don't welcome her with open arms, and she is lonely but she doesn't let that define her. She becomes a leader, a beacon of hope, prevents a war under a death threat, and literally saves the day.
Tristam and her were seeming impossible at the start of the book, with their statuses being unequal and him not really wanting to go against his family. They were definitely cute together, but the romance wasn't really the focus, you know. Cause girl had bigger fish to fry! That was probably for the best, though there were still traces of the teen in her. And it was handled well, anyway, so no complaints on that matter. The writing was as good as the first one, and I loved the different storylines layered through the plot. I especially adored Flick and Adele - her bringing him a dead rabbit like a cat brings dead presents to it's humans was precious!
Overall, great writing, good storyline, strong world-building, and good flow. 4.5 stars to this one!
Received a free galley from Disney-Hyperion via Netgalley; this does not affect my opinions or review.
July 21, 2015
Original Review can be found on my blog, As Dreams Are Made
A fantastic and thrilling installment to a great series!
Kyra has learned the truth about her bloodlines and her past; something she struggles with, especially with her relationship with the palace and Tristam. Another revelation about Tristam will force Kyra to examine their relationship even further. Before she can concentrate on that however, tensions are building within the palace and it’s council, forcing Kyra to make a choice between what is right and what might save her people–both human and Makvani.
I had read the first installment a while back and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, Daughter of Dusk is definitely my favorite of the two. This is rather unusual for a sequel. The second book, especially in a trilogy, tends to be the weakest, but not in this case!
I loved Kyra’s development and struggles in this storyline. You really find her coming into her own and accepting her strengths and weaknesses, whatever they may be. We learn even more about her true heritage and how she came to Forge. It was a bit surprising, but at the same time, expected. What I loved most about this story/Kyra is that she is forced to make some ethical and moral decisions that aren’t always the easiest. She struggles with that which makes her completely relatable and probably more human than her Makvani relations. Her relationship with Tristan becomes even more complicated. I won’t say much because spoilers but halfway through you’re going to be like “Well Duh! What did you expect!” But then at the end you’re going to be like:
Tristam at first annoyed the bejeezus out of me, but finally grew on me towards the end. He redeemed himself, but you will cry when you read what it was because I was like:
We knew it was coming, but still. The FEELS.
Flick, Malikel, and the rest of the secondary characters were all great. Their storylines were fleshed out very well and you were really invested in their outcomes. I loved Flick’s storyline in this one. He’s just awesome! Malikel makes you realize how wise and strategic he really is. The plot moved quickly and you couldn’t help but want to know what happens next. The ending was extremely satisfying and I can’t wait to read the next installment!
A fantastic and thrilling installment to a great series!
Kyra has learned the truth about her bloodlines and her past; something she struggles with, especially with her relationship with the palace and Tristam. Another revelation about Tristam will force Kyra to examine their relationship even further. Before she can concentrate on that however, tensions are building within the palace and it’s council, forcing Kyra to make a choice between what is right and what might save her people–both human and Makvani.
I had read the first installment a while back and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, Daughter of Dusk is definitely my favorite of the two. This is rather unusual for a sequel. The second book, especially in a trilogy, tends to be the weakest, but not in this case!
I loved Kyra’s development and struggles in this storyline. You really find her coming into her own and accepting her strengths and weaknesses, whatever they may be. We learn even more about her true heritage and how she came to Forge. It was a bit surprising, but at the same time, expected. What I loved most about this story/Kyra is that she is forced to make some ethical and moral decisions that aren’t always the easiest. She struggles with that which makes her completely relatable and probably more human than her Makvani relations. Her relationship with Tristan becomes even more complicated. I won’t say much because spoilers but halfway through you’re going to be like “Well Duh! What did you expect!” But then at the end you’re going to be like:
Tristam at first annoyed the bejeezus out of me, but finally grew on me towards the end. He redeemed himself, but you will cry when you read what it was because I was like:
We knew it was coming, but still. The FEELS.
Flick, Malikel, and the rest of the secondary characters were all great. Their storylines were fleshed out very well and you were really invested in their outcomes. I loved Flick’s storyline in this one. He’s just awesome! Malikel makes you realize how wise and strategic he really is. The plot moved quickly and you couldn’t help but want to know what happens next. The ending was extremely satisfying and I can’t wait to read the next installment!
August 5, 2015
Let me just started off by saying that this book is really good, even if you haven’t read the first novel. When I requested the eARC from Netgalley for this book, I somehow missed the fact that this book was a sequel. Oops! But it sounded so good that I had to read it, and see what it was about anyways. Thankfully it gave some background information, so I wasn’t confused that often. I read it within a couple days and ended up giving it 4 out of 5 stars.
Right from the beginning, the book dives right into the exquisite story of Kyra, and her friends. I adored most of the characters, and loved to hate at least one (if you’ve read the book, I’m sure you know who I’m referring to). Kyra is still grappling with the fact that she’s half human, half Demon Rider. Then the attacks start in nearby communities, and she has to choose a side. Will it be the people of Forge whom she’s known practically her whole life, or her newfound family…even if she’s still terrified to be one of them?
The book is pretty fast-paced, and action-packed for the most part. Kyra is a former thief, so we get to see her sneaking around in stealth mode in this book quite often. As I was reading this book, it reminded me somewhat of Throne of Glass and The Orphan Queen. They all have kickass heroines that I adore. I’m all about finding books where the girls don’t rely on guys to come to their rescue. They can take care of themselves! It also reminds me of Aladdin a bit since she refers to herself (and other poor people in the city as “gutter rats”) and she’s a former thief.
There was some romance in this book. It’s not that prominent, but it’s still there in places. And when it’s there, it’s pretty good. I absolutely adored the ending, and completely ship this couple (and the other couple that formed during the book).
One of my favorite lines was: “It is better to die honorably and render yourself immortal than live to an old age and fade to dust.”
I loved so many of the characters in the book: Kyra (obviously), Flick, Tristam, Lettie, and Adele. I could keep naming names, but I’ll stop there. There’s definitely some twists in the plot, even ones that I wasn’t expecting. I’m usually good at guessing what’s coming next, so I liked that this book surprised me a couple times. When I have some free time, I think I’ll go back and read Midnight Thief, so I can get the backstory I missed.
Final note: I really enjoyed this book, even without reading the first book. The characters are fantastic, and it’s a quick enjoyable read. I’d definitely recommend it if you like action books with a hint of romance throughout.
Right from the beginning, the book dives right into the exquisite story of Kyra, and her friends. I adored most of the characters, and loved to hate at least one (if you’ve read the book, I’m sure you know who I’m referring to). Kyra is still grappling with the fact that she’s half human, half Demon Rider. Then the attacks start in nearby communities, and she has to choose a side. Will it be the people of Forge whom she’s known practically her whole life, or her newfound family…even if she’s still terrified to be one of them?
The book is pretty fast-paced, and action-packed for the most part. Kyra is a former thief, so we get to see her sneaking around in stealth mode in this book quite often. As I was reading this book, it reminded me somewhat of Throne of Glass and The Orphan Queen. They all have kickass heroines that I adore. I’m all about finding books where the girls don’t rely on guys to come to their rescue. They can take care of themselves! It also reminds me of Aladdin a bit since she refers to herself (and other poor people in the city as “gutter rats”) and she’s a former thief.
There was some romance in this book. It’s not that prominent, but it’s still there in places. And when it’s there, it’s pretty good. I absolutely adored the ending, and completely ship this couple (and the other couple that formed during the book).
One of my favorite lines was: “It is better to die honorably and render yourself immortal than live to an old age and fade to dust.”
I loved so many of the characters in the book: Kyra (obviously), Flick, Tristam, Lettie, and Adele. I could keep naming names, but I’ll stop there. There’s definitely some twists in the plot, even ones that I wasn’t expecting. I’m usually good at guessing what’s coming next, so I liked that this book surprised me a couple times. When I have some free time, I think I’ll go back and read Midnight Thief, so I can get the backstory I missed.
Final note: I really enjoyed this book, even without reading the first book. The characters are fantastic, and it’s a quick enjoyable read. I’d definitely recommend it if you like action books with a hint of romance throughout.
August 25, 2015
As seen on The Quiet Concert
When I first read Midnight Thief, I marveled to you all how FULL it was. SO MUCH happened in that book to introduce us to a brilliant world and cast of characters. It was well-balanced with action, mystery, and romance and all around well-written, especially for a debut novel. It was one of my biggest surprises last year with how much I enjoyed it. So it is with great enthusiasm that I am now telling you how similarly wonderful Daughter of Dusk is.
In Daughter of Dusk, Kyra finds herself divided between the people and city she grew up with and the Demon Riders, who her blood calls to. As war threatens to break out between the two, Kyra struggles to protect everyone she cares for. One of her most defining features is her overly large heart and she goes on this remarkable journey to accept that there are just certain lines that she’s not willing to cross. Watching her find a way to fight while staying true to herself was amazing. Her actions were so commendable and she is just such a likable character.
I loved the politics at play in this book. There was an obvious power struggle between the members of the council and I was surprised by quite a few developments. The entire situation in Forge was a fascinating one to watch unfold and I never knew which direction the story would take. I also loved learning more about Kyra’s heritage, which is further revealed in this book. This is another area in which Kyra grew tremendously and needed to learn to accept herself. There was a new relationship that emerged that had an interesting dynamic and I am pleased with where it left off.
The romance definitely has a stronger presence in Daughter of Dusk. It is not without some angst and it got pretty complicated at times but that could be expected due to each of their circumstances. I still shipped it and I LOVED the ending. I also loved the greater exploration into the secondary characters, particularly Flick who got a little romance of his own.
This book and this duology at large have pretty much everything one would hope to find in a story. It’s exciting, thoughtful, unpredictable, and unique.There is a wonderful cast of characters with so much growth and Kyra herself is particularly badass herself. I definitely recommend it!
When I first read Midnight Thief, I marveled to you all how FULL it was. SO MUCH happened in that book to introduce us to a brilliant world and cast of characters. It was well-balanced with action, mystery, and romance and all around well-written, especially for a debut novel. It was one of my biggest surprises last year with how much I enjoyed it. So it is with great enthusiasm that I am now telling you how similarly wonderful Daughter of Dusk is.
In Daughter of Dusk, Kyra finds herself divided between the people and city she grew up with and the Demon Riders, who her blood calls to. As war threatens to break out between the two, Kyra struggles to protect everyone she cares for. One of her most defining features is her overly large heart and she goes on this remarkable journey to accept that there are just certain lines that she’s not willing to cross. Watching her find a way to fight while staying true to herself was amazing. Her actions were so commendable and she is just such a likable character.
I loved the politics at play in this book. There was an obvious power struggle between the members of the council and I was surprised by quite a few developments. The entire situation in Forge was a fascinating one to watch unfold and I never knew which direction the story would take. I also loved learning more about Kyra’s heritage, which is further revealed in this book. This is another area in which Kyra grew tremendously and needed to learn to accept herself. There was a new relationship that emerged that had an interesting dynamic and I am pleased with where it left off.
The romance definitely has a stronger presence in Daughter of Dusk. It is not without some angst and it got pretty complicated at times but that could be expected due to each of their circumstances. I still shipped it and I LOVED the ending. I also loved the greater exploration into the secondary characters, particularly Flick who got a little romance of his own.
This book and this duology at large have pretty much everything one would hope to find in a story. It’s exciting, thoughtful, unpredictable, and unique.There is a wonderful cast of characters with so much growth and Kyra herself is particularly badass herself. I definitely recommend it!
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