Ever Darkening

Darkening Light #1

by Janeal Falor

Seventeen-year-old Kaylyn has just vanquished the last evil man in the land. Now her job is done, she's left without a purpose. She flounders, unable to enjoy the perfect world she's created. As if that wasn't enough, she's falling in love with the one man she can never have, Jorrin. She long ago promised him to her best friend, Marsa. With nothing left to do and nobody to share a future with, Kaylyn feels lost. When a stranger comes pleading for help against a darkness encroaching on his village, Kaylyn's instincts roar to life. Jorrin, Marsa, and several others travel join her in seeking the cause of this darkness, and are shocked to find out why their perfect world isn't so perfect. Kaylyn's new quest, harder than any she's been on before. As the darkness closes around her, her friendships, her life, and her very soul are on the balance.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 22, 2015

About the author

Janeal Falor has published over twenty books including the Mine series, Death's Queen, and Sands of Eppla. She lives in Utah with her husband and three children. In her non-writing time she teaches her kids to make silly faces, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and attempts to cultivate a garden even when half the things she plants die. When it's time for a break she can be found taking a scenic drive with her family or drinking hot chocolate.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Falor's other books, but this one just didn't cut it.
There was almost zero world-building, and even at the end of it, I'm still not sure where their magic came from, how they used it, why they believed what they believed, or pretty much...anything else.
Fantastic cover, though!

Kaylyn is the warrior who was chosen by her people's elders to become THE champion for good.
Their goal? Eradicate evil!
Because, evidently, either you're good or you're evil. There's no gray area in this world.
I think this was one of the many things that needed a lot more explanation.
There was little to no information on the BAD race of people. You eventually find out that (at least some of them?) had to choose to turn to the dark side, but how or why is sketchy at best. And then there were other weird things that sort of randomly popped up.
Like, the good guys seemed to have the ability to shoot fireballs out of their hands, but for some unknown reason preferred to chop at things with swords.
I'd be using the fireballs.
All. The. Time.

Ok, Kaylyn and her band of warriors set out to help a bunch of villagers, who are having some sort of strange weather problems. But there's a bit more going on than just wonky clouds and animals acting strangely. I will say that Silence of The Lambs takes on a whole new meaning to me now.
Zombie sheep...nice touch.
Baaa! Chomp! Chomp!
That was sort of it for excitement, though. There was plenty of action, don't get me wrong, but I didn't care about the characters enough to get worked up over it.

And the ending?
What the hell was that?! I don't want to spoil anything, but Kaylyn does something evil in the name of goodness. And it didn't seem to bother her as much as you would think it would. Not only that, but the ending was so out of character with...well, just everything, that I had a hard time understanding why there wasn't more of a struggle going on with the main characters. The finale felt weird, rushed, and awkward.
There was some amount of resolution in the closing chapter, but it was too little, too late.

I don't understand what the author was going for with this story, but I've enjoyed her other books, so she's still on my to-watch list.

I received a digital copy of this book for review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Janeal Falor, Chardonian Press, and NetGalley.)

“Being the one chosen to kill the entire evil population is a burden heavier than sin.”



I feel a little torn over this book, because I’ve read Janeal Falor’s books in the past, and I think she has a real gift for telling a story, but this book just didn’t do it for me.

Kaylyn was an okay character, and I did get glimpses of a girl I could have liked, but most of the time she was so closed off, and so insular, that I just couldn’t really feel like I understood where she was coming from. I understood that she had this big destiny, and that she had a lot of responsibility, but I just couldn’t love her. She also made some questionable decisions at times, which made me wonder just how much of her actions were intelligence, and how much had just been drummed into her through training.

“I’ve killed seventeen Malryx, most within the last few months, and I killed the very last one.”



The storyline in this confused me, and I lost interest. I do sometimes have problems with fantasy stories, and this one was possibly just a bit too high-fantasy for me. In places it reminded me of Bitterblue, and I really didn’t like that either. I did think that the story had some bright points in the second half, but I still couldn’t really get into it.

“When we’ve gont on quests before, I could sense where the threat was coming from. Now there’s nothing. Except it’s not nothing. The nothing feels like something. Which sounds like nonsense.”

It took me ages to work out what the heck she was going on about here.

The romance was a little odd, and I wasn’t really interested at all. I think if I’d have liked the characters more I’d have liked the romance, but I just didn’t.

The ending was probably the best part of the book, although it was a bit odd, and the answer to their problems turned out to be extremely simple in the end. I have to say I was pleased to see the end of the story though. Sorry Janeal!
6 out of 10

[Emmeline (The Book Herald) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC by Chardonian press via Netgalley

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!



Oh my goodness! I was not expecting such an epic story!

Seriously:



This probably has to be one of the best Fantasy books I've read this month!

ijustcan'tfunctionrightnow! *Sputters, gush and cough* Okay sorry for the fan-girl moment.

Kaylyn has been trained her whole life to destroy one thing- The Malryx.
The evil who consumes the land.

Upon her success of destroying the evil...could she possibly have released something best contained?

Can an evil which is so consuming ever be contained?

"Now we know we can't rid the world of evil at all."

The world building in this book is outrageously amazing!



Everything about it gave me the creeps and yet i loved every single moment of it! What imagination! I had so many heart pounding moments that i thought I'd become asthmatic simply because i couldn't ever catch my breath!

If evil can't be embodied, what other forms could it possess?

You have to read this book!

There's twists and turns that cannot be foreseen! It was so amazing i nearly cried from the fact that i couldn't guess the next step! (It's so rare!)

And a romance that twisted my insides and made me sigh. It's not even the focus of this novel, but you know something is going to happen and dang it if i didn't jump up and down telling them to love each other.

one word:- Jorrin...now that's a man who can steal hearts...just saying.

I DID NOT SEE THAT ENDING! *more sputtering*

Dear Miss Janeal Falor,



MISS FALOR YOU HAVE MADE ME A FAITHFUL FAN!

And i:



It is so scarce for me to like nearly everything about a book that now i don't know what to do with myself! I just need the next book pronto!

READ THIS BOOK PEOPLE!
-The Book Herald

Find me on twitter- @thebookherald

5th of Feb 2015 update:

SO The author Janeal Falor read this review and Loved it, she got in contact with me and sent me a couple of SIGNED Bookmarks!!! How awesome is she!?

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Janeal Falor excels at world-building. She created a fantastic world in You Are Mine, and now she has created a layered and intricate world in Ever Darkening. It is an interesting premise - what do you do when all the evil in the world is gone? Kaylyn must face this reality until she realizes that evil has bleed into nature since there are no more evil human beings. There were a few quibbles with the story. There was one plot point that seemed a little far fetched - Mainly that Kaylyn is too good to be turned into evil while her best friend takes only a few sentences to turn.

It was an enjoyable read as Falor has an engaging style. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)

This was an okay read, but I didn't like it as much as the authors other book, You Are Mine.

Kaylyn wasn't a bad character, but I couldn't warm to her enough to really like her.

The pacing in this was pretty slow, especially in the first half. The first half seemed to be more about Kaylyn thinking about how much she liked Jorrin, but couldn't have him because of Marsa's feelings for him. It got quite annoying.
The pacing did get a bit faster in the second half, and it did manage to keep my interest a bit more, but I still didn't love it.

Overall, Alright read, but I'm glad it was short.

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Janeal Falor for giving me this book to review.

Kaylyn has spent all of her life training to kill Malryx, the evil people in the world. However, when she finishes her mission, she has no idea what to do next as she has no other purpose and no other skills. A stranger from another village claims that the sky is growing darker and the animals are acting strangely. Kaylyn is more than happy to help and sets out on a quest to find out what is happening with her childhood friends Marsa and Jorrin along with the remaining Zophas. However, Kaylyn’s quest is harder than anything she could have imagined and will test her friendships, soul and how she views the world.

Ever Darkening is a really good fantasy novel which was fast paced and is really addictive as I could not put it down. It has lots of action, romance, suspense and it is quite dark with horror elements.

All the characters, apart from one, acted older than they are as they behaved as if they were in their early 20’s, not mid to late teens. I really liked Kaylyn as she is mature, a good person and always puts others before herself, although she is a bit blind about other’s people’s feelings. Marsa is a friendly and likeable girl, but I did not feel she fitted in as a Zophas, as her personality didn’t fit with that as a warrior. Jorrin is a serious guy but I really liked his character as he is protective.

I hope Janeal writes another book in this series as I really enjoyed it. I would recommend to fans of the Grisha series, Winter Queen by Amber Argyle or fans of Falor’s other series, Mine.

This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm

[Camly Nguyen · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

*sigh* Badly written love story.

This is what the story was supposed to be:

Kaylyn was trained to exterminate all the Malryx on the surface of the Earth, but no one was prepared for the consequences of her actually defeating all evil on the planet. When she did, it created a terrible unbalance in the society and now, she doesn't have a lot of choices left. She has to bring the Malryx back.

Sounds exciting right?

This is what it really was:

Kaylyn loves Jorrin and the feelings are mutual, but Marsa, her best friend, loves Jorrin too. Kaylyn ends up with Jorrin and Marsa has to get out of the picture so Falor decided to make her evil.The End.

Kaylyn was constantly obsessed with Jorrin like it's not even possible.
She was so needy that I actually felt a little disgusted and sorry for her.
Character development and world-building were very borderline. Do I have to add that the writing felt like the one of a ten year old?

Bleh. Don't read this. Not worth it.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full review to come!

[Rachmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

I'm conflicted now. I liked things in this book as much as disliked other things in the story.

I liked the writing, obviously. It flows smoothly and so clear I can picture the worldbuilding and everything in the story easily. And not to mention that it has perfect pace. There is a room for slow thing as well as things that made my heart beat fast.

I also liked the unknown feeling that I got from Kaylyn, the heroine in this story. She made me wondering what really happen to her world exactly. It's pretty predictable, to be honest and is quite easy to guess what happened and will happen into her world (and my guessed were right, if you want to know), but it didn't mean that I stop wondering while I read her story. I always love the feeling when I'm wondering and questioning the story. It means I pay attention to it and it glues me to keep reading it.

However me questioning things could lead into something else that bring me to other things that I didn't quite like. From the beginning I've already known that destroying the evil forever is not as good as it sounds because everything needs balance. So how come Showna, the leader of Kaylyn's band of fighter (I cannot point out my finger to Kaylyn since she's still young and doesn't have much experience as Showna) didn't think about it or at least questioning it to Aster and Astra, Kaylyn’s community leaders? I can ignore it, though. It's not a big deal compare to the grand scheme of the story and is kind of understandable for them to follow all the rule and what they asked since it's in their blood to be good person.

But it also leads me questioning that even a good person cannot be a whole good person forever. Everything needs balance, remember? At this point it seems conflicted with the plot. The good characters are described so good they don't have any single evil thought while the story tells me that good cannot exist without evil. If the good characters are so good and they need bad characters to exist, isn't it unfair for bad characters when they actually are good characters but are provoked to do evil things just so the balance keeps back in track? And I also didn't buy that the good cannot be swing into evil side. If they can provoke their friend, why cannot their friends do the same thing to them?

So you see, I liked this story, I really do. I think it has good idea and I liked the ending, though it's as I predicted. But I also didn’t quite agree with that good and evil thing. I guess it means that this book is more than an okay book as I enjoyed reading it.

[Skaistė Girtienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of the stories focus on good guys fighting bad ones. But what if that battle was finally over? What if all the evil enemies were defeated? Have you ever wondered about that? Would it really be that good to achieve it? That's the question this book is dealing with. And that was the answer I was eager to know.

I liked the idea of it. I got intrigued chapter after chapter. One strange event followed the other, there were more and more unanswered questions, more and more inner battles for the heroine. It was especially interesting by the last chapters, and I wasn't able to put it down.

I was interested to read this book because I was amazed by other books of the author, You Are Mine and Mine to Spell. This one was different and yet intriguing. I have to admit I wasn't as fascinated with the heroine as I was when reading those other books, she didn't get that dear to me, but the idea and events happening captivated my attention. And the cover did it too. I'm interested enough to know how the story goes in the next book.

I have received the book free from the David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite! group and the author in exchange for a honest review.

[Simona Beňová · Rating 1 out of 5]

Prečo sa mi táto "kniha" vôbec nepáčila?
1. Hlavná hrdinka je prakticky Boh, pretože od 10 rokov zachraňuje dedinu pred zlom, pretože očividne sú tam dospelí dobrí len na to, keď sa vtákovi zlomí krídlo, ale nevedia ošetriť ranu na hlave, to musí urobiť hrdinka.
2. Hrdinka je svätica, pretože sa vzdá chalana len preto, že sa páči jej kamoške.
3. Autorka nepozná slovo world-building.
4. Pretože hrdinka zabila najväčšieho zloducha len v 5 vetách.
5. Ak sa vyskytne nejaký problém, načo by to riešili dospelí, pošlú hrdinku, však tá je dokonalá.

Pevne dúfam, že toto bol vtip a už nikdy na nič takéto nenarazím, malo to 250 strán, čo by nevadilo, ale autorka nevie písať, nemá vytvorený svet, postavy sú mdlé a nemajú sa ako vyvíjať a všetko stojí na 17-ročnej babe, lebo dospeláci sú neschopní a zatiaľ čo ona bojuje s tým zloduchom, ostatní sa skrývajú v jaskyni. Naozaj super. Teraz si prosím späť tie dve hodiny zabité týmto vtipom, čo sa tvári, že je dielo.

[Sanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick, decent YA fantasy that will work for some readers but probably not all. The concept of good and evil and the way it was set up was interesting but I think based on book synopsis I probably expected Kaylyn to be a kick ass evil fighter and I didn't end up experiencing her that way. Side characters ended up stealing the show for me. Though I liked Janeal Falor's writing style, I did not get invested enough in the story to pick up part 2. Overall an OK but a forgettable story.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Chardonian Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[♥♡¢σσкιє♥♡ (Krystle) · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read this review and more on my blog:

I received this book for free from Netgalley, Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

 

This was a very  interesting idea for a book, but the execution was lacking.

 

Kaylyn lives in a world where You are either good or evil and there is no middle ground.  I think the author was trying to make a statement and show that sometimes things aren't that black and white, but it didn't come across that way.

 

Kaylyn is supposed to be the ultimate good, but she could be really selfish and whiny at times. She is in love with her best friend Jorrin and he clearly loves her back, but she pushes him away because her other best friend Marsa is also in love with him. This sounds noble, but Kaylyn spends way too much time thinking about this boy. All she does is think about how much she wants him but can’t have him.

 

Okay, she doesn’t spend all her time thinking about Jorrin, she spends half of her time thinking about him and the other half thinking about how much she misses hunting and killing people.

Just in case you are wondering, you read that last sentence right. Kaylyn is basically an assassin. She has spent the last few years of her very young life (She is 17) hunting down and killing the evil Malryx race. In fact, little Miss Kaylyn is so good at killing that when the book begins, she has just murdered the last Malryx.

 

This should be a good thing, but not only does defeating the last Malryx set off a horrible chain of events, but Kaylyn figures out that the best part of her life is over. Now that she no longer has anyone to hunt and kill, she has no purpose. I’m sorry, but this is not a good girl.

Kaylyn wasn’t a bad person, she just liked being useful and she was good at her job so I understood why she missed it. And it’s not like she just wanted to kill for the sake of killing. But she was human and all of her motivations were not good.

 

Now we get to my major problem with this book. Basically, Kaylyn figures out that life needs balance, and you can’t have good without evil. So she screwed everything up by killing the last Malryx, and now nature is taking on all that left over evil and turning on people.

 

This didn't make sense to me because Kaylyn and her friends were nice and all, but they were far from perfect. When I eventually found out what Kalyn was going to have to do in order to restore the balance of nature, I became very confused.

 

She had to turn her best friend evil! How is it not evil to lie to your best friend, steal the guy she is in love with, and tell her that you let her mother die because you were too busy thinking about a boy to save her? But it is evil to get angry when both your best friends betray you? Marsa was not evil! She and Kaylyn even have a friendly conversation at the very end of the book! They still like each other! All the girl did was get mad for a little bit and run away from home. What Kaylyn did to her was much worse than her reaction to the betrayal.

 

The relationship between Kaylyn and Jorrin was annoying because she fought it for so long, but they had cute moments, and I do like it when best friends fall in love.

 

The book really shined when it came to the action. There was plenty of it, and those scenes were very well thought out and entertaining.

 

There were positive things about this book, I just think the author got painted into a corner with that whole good verses evil thing. The evil characters just weren't that bad and the Heroes just weren't that good.

 

Because of violence, I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.

[Cee (The Mistress Case) · Rating 2 out of 5]

**ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for review**


Imagine you’re a child who bears a heavy burden to take out an evil race.

I’m here to inform you “burden” is an understatement. A big understatement.

Ever Darkening tells a story of Kaylyn’s destiny as a Zophas, a fighter against Malryx, using her Zophasken power. She is seventeen when there’s only one last Malyrx who goes by the name of Morphac. Once he’s eliminated, her life mission will come to an end and she will be left with no other purpose in an evil-free world. What’s a life with no more killing when killing is her life? How does she live like a normal village girl who does what’s normal— sewing, cultivating livestock and crops, attending parties, dancing, marrying, and having children of her own?

I understand Kaylyn on some level— her sense of uselessness, envy, guilty pleasure for danger, a desire for a calling. She’s only a teenager, who lost the only mother she ever knew and the leader. Now the village looks to her as the head of the Zophas, but Zophas are useless without any more Malyrx to hunt down . . . or so she thought.

An opportunity presents itself for her to fight against evil, but she lacks conviction and confidence in eliminating the danger when she and her group of Zophas don’t even know what or who the enemy is. Nonetheless, she’s determined to make herself useful to the people of a distant village, especially when she feels so useless in her own village.

The description of the forest surrounding Crowin is chilling and it’s gives the reader an impression of being there with Kaylyn and the others. I, for one, sensed their urge to get the job done and get the hell out of there. I grasped the eerie darkness, the suffocation, the dark power, the unknown threat in the forest— and it’s as if I was the one being swallowed up by it all.

The strengths of Ever Darkening is the author’s design of good and evil in this fantasy world and how she juggles with the concept of the balance between them. In addition, she can evoke fear and dread at the very least. Attacking trees? No, thank you, I hate the forest. A group of crazy killing-machine sheep? This is the first I ever heard of it.
That plot twist at the end of chapter 18 though . . . I did not see that coming. I knew Kaylyn was intent on bringing the Maylrx back, but not this way. Not ever. Nicely done, author. The events that followed afterwards, I foresaw.

The weaknesses of Ever Darkening I would have to say are the unexciting characters. I enjoy knowing characters and it’s like I couldn’t even engage with Kaylyn and everyone else at all. I don’t know how to explain it. It was like being thrown in the middle of the story and I was expected to understand how evil Malyrx are, and how heroic Kaylyn and Zophas have been for the past years. Regardless that they still feel like a bunch of kids running around to me, their bravery and sacrifices are duly noted.

Overall: Ever Darkening is a good book. The story had the potential to be great, but it turned out to be only good. The ending was worth reading the book for though. I almost gave up reading halfway.

I will consider reading the next book Savage Light, which features Kaylyn’s best friend now turned frenemy, Marsa. Hopefully, she’s a more exciting and intriguing character. I take pleasure in bitter, evil, and betrayed heroines (;


Update: My rating is now two stars.

[Kariny · Rating 3 out of 5]

*i received a free ARC from netgallery*

Goodreads Summary 3 STARS

Perfection. Goodness. Elimination of evil. It's what seventeen-year-old Kaylyn has trained her entire life to achieve. But no one is prepared for the consequences of her actually defeating all evil people on the planet. Finally successful in her mission, Kaylyn faces an unfamiliar world, full of good people doing good things, in which she no longer has purpose.

When the skies grow dark, and a stranger from another village pleads for her help, her instincts roar to life. It turns out their perfect world isn't exactly what it seems. Kaylyn's new quest, harder than any she's been on before, will rip apart her friendships, her life, and her soul more than any evil man ever managed to.

MY REVIEW

Kaylyn has defeated all the "malryx"-the evil dudes and the world is now pure good. But by destroying evil completely, there is an unbalance that lead to dreadful consequences such nature itself turning evil.

The story sets off when a guy from a neighboring village seeks their help against a new brewing darkness. The story is about her journey to the village and all the difficulties along the way and what she and her group do when they reach the village.

I can say this plot is super well thought of!unfortunately i really didn't feel anything special for this book. I get that Kaylyn is extremely good but i just didn't feel a connection to her like i do with most characters. The characters in this book were mostly flat and didn't jump out of the page. There was also a lack of stuff happening in the book. There was a few attacks but most of the time we're left alone with Kaylyn and her guilt. I can say the love story isn't bad but not one i swoon over...

The conversations between the characters were gruff and you couldn't get a read on them. It felt like this book was written for younger readers. I LOVED the ending even though it was completely predictable. The story is just not complex enough for me-no twist or anything. It was just pretty simple and i couldn't figure out how Kaylyn didn't figure it out at the very beginning. I mean if evil is destroyed, there is an unbalance in the world. How do you get the balance back???You bring evil back! That's all there is to it but i just didn't feel compelled to read the book.

But this is however one of my favorite authors and you should definitely check out her "mine" series which i absolutely loved. As for this book there are a lot of mixed reviews so you should definitely give it a shot if you're interested!!!

[pearl. · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*



I wanted to like this book so much! That being said, there were a lot of things that I did enjoy about Ever Darkening, but the book, as a whole, just didn't do it for me.



What I enjoyed:

The book was fast-paced. Ever Darkening is a quick read jam-packed with action. There wasn't a moment in the book that was without conflict, tension, or forbidden romance.

Chapter 7. Chapter 7 was a fantastic piece of story-telling. The eeriness of the forest frightened me, I shared the unease of the characters, and the mystery behind the darkness drew me in.

Chapter 24. Chapter 24 was heart breaking! Janeal Falor took great care in stressing the close friendship and sisterhood that Kaylyn and Marsa shared. The dialogue between Kaylyn and Marsa in this chapter hit me right in the feels. Every word Kaylyn spoke felt like a lash of a whip and watching Marsa's "light" flicker and fade out saddened me.



What could have been better:

Character building. It was difficult for me to imagine what these characters looked like. Kaylyn has long hair, but what color is it? What do her eyes and face look like? Marsa has blond hair. Is it long like Kaylyn's? I have no idea. I imagined it to be a bob for some reason. It was also challenging for me to connect with the characters. It always seemed like the majority of the dialogue between the characters was very proper and unnatural.

Explanations. After completing the book, I still am not sure if I have the correct understanding of what a Zopha, Zophasken, Malryx, and Morphrac are.

Kaylyn blaming herself for the darkness. Putting myself in Kaylyn's shoes, I'm still not sure I would have come to the same conclusion she did as the reason for why the darkness was growing. In theory it makes sense- Kaylyn destroyed all evil, so nature is balancing out all the good. Still, if I were her, I would have probably just thought there was an extremely powerful Malryx affecting everything.


I still recommend reading Ever Darkening! Everyone's opinions are different and I definitely read a lot of reviews praising Janeal Falor's work!



Check out my blog: asteriskpearl's book blog

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. I did not think I would like this book so much!!

In a classic tale of good versus evil, Kaylyn has been trained her entire life to eliminate the evil Malryx of the world. But when she finally accomplishes all she has set out to do, Kaylyn has no purpose left in a world without evil. Then the skies gets darker and a stranger arrives and reports strange happenings occurring in his village. Kaylyn is eager to help, along with her band of friends. But Kaylyn soon comes to realize that this new darkness may have been released because of her. This new quest will challenge Kaylyn in every way possible.

This book was nothing like I expected it to be! Once I started it, I could not put it down! Kaylyn might be one of my favorite characters ever! She is a smart leader, a fierce friend, and an even better warrior. I also loved that there was never any mention of magic, which gave this book an edge because it isn't magic, it is power. The power is derived from good or evil. I loved this angle, and it made the story that much more interesting. For anyone who loves fantasy, you will love this book! Part of me hopes a sequel will be written because I want some more Jorrin, but another part of me was satisfied by the way that it ended.

Check out more of my review on my blog:
http://thebookcourier.blogspot.com/20...

[Katy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I was gifted a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review through the David Estes and Y.A. Lovers Unite group on Goodreads*

First of all I have to say, I didn't even read the synopsis for this - I saw the author's name and and immediately signed up. I'm a big fan of Ms. Falor's Mine series so I knew I was likely to enjoy this and I was right. (I love it when that happens...)

It was quite a bit different from the Mine series (though still high fantasy) but that just shows versatility if you ask me. I enjoyed the characters and it was certainly interesting to read the book having no clue what it was about!

The editing was quite well done. There were a couple of things I might have changed - e.g. the word "less" was used a couple of times when "fewer" would actually have been the correct choice. Obviously nothing HUGE.

This was a fantastical adventure, filled to the brim with action and romantic tension right from the beginning. There were a few things that were a bit predictable obviously Kaylan and Jorrin were meant for each other! and I wasn't flabbergasted that Marsa turned Malryx; just sad. Other things took me by surprise though the death of Felix in particular (I really liked him!) and Tavo and Sosha turning Malryx along with Marsa especially so quickly - yikes!

I liked the way it ended and am interested in reading the next book!

[Angelique The Gilded Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Chardonian Press for granting me access to this copy in exchange for an honest review. This one was an extremely quick read. Overall i enjoyed it. There were some things I had issues with, but not enough to make me hate the book.

The plot is original. A young girl is picked to rid the world of all evil with the help of her energy. But, when all the evil is gone, it causes something even more sinister to appear.

Read the full review at: http://angreads.blogspot.com

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley on a read-to-review basis. This review can also be found on my blog)

** Technically 1.5 stars ** This book had so much promise but did not even come close to realizing its potential. From a barely fleshed out world to weak and nearly unlikable characters, I barely know where to start.

First, the good (aka: what saved this book from a much deserved 1 star). Essentially the strength in this book lies almost entirely in the potential alone. The concept of what the hero (who spent their life fighting evil) does in a world suddenly free from evil is certainly an interesting one, and one I wish Falor had spent more time on. Other than a few plot events that take place toward the end of the book (but which I’m omitting due to being spoilers), that’s really all I have to say on the strong points of this book. Except the cover. The cover to this is STUNNING and I love it. I just wish the book deserved it!

Now, the not-so-good. Where to even begin..? I suppose in the world itself. If you’re going from a world striving for perfection to a world without evil to a world struggling for balance, it’s essential to not only fully flesh out this world but also to spend adequate time in each stage you take the world (and characters) through. “Normal” one day, full-on apocalypse the next and back to a semblance of normal the day after (very nearly what happens over the frantic pace of this book) doesn’t work and leaves the reader feeling like they were cheated out of the actual story and given only the cliff-notes. And the world itself is barely described. Falor drops a detail here and there (multiple moons, random swamps next to canyons next to forests, a magic system seemingly held by only a few, etc) but never bothers to flesh out and or explain any of it.

This utter lack of explanation and details literally had me double checking goodreads to see whether I was actually reading the first book; I was so certain I was reading a later book in the series and had missed all of the necessary background information. Clearly, this is not Earth Falor is writing about, so where does this all take place? She describes an “Aster and Astra” but who are they? Are they the head of the government? The religious system? Who else is in charge? There is a military system - the Zophas to which the main character, Kaylyn belongs - but where do they fall in the social hierarchy? Are there other classes/ranks? Farming is mentioned, but is the entire society farming based? They use swords so what happened to technology? Is this a primitive society? What is the magic the characters use? Why is it greater in some than others? Is it religious? Where does it come from? What are the rules of this system? What are its uses and limitations (outside of “sensing evil” and shooting the occasional fireball)? Why do the “evil” people have power? Is it the same or different than that wielded by Kaylyn and the others? Where do the “evil” people come from? Why is the society killing them all without any form of trial or alternate punishment? Why is it that only a seemingly small group of people hunt down the “evil” ones? What does the rest of society do? How did the world get to this point? Why is Kaylyn chosen? Why does she train for such a short amount of time given the task at hand? Etc. etc. etc. Literally I could go on forever with the list of questions that are never answered and yet SHOULD have been as they fall under the “world building” foundation of the entire story. Without the essential foundation, it’s really no wonder the plot falls flat. (Seriously. The “villages” are not even named that’s how little thought went into this world)

Ever Darkening opens with a random scene of Kaylyn questioning why she was “chosen” (how she was chosen we are never told) creating the perfect opportunity for Falor to provide some of the much needed foundational information. Instead the reader is treated to a set up of the author’s primary concern and central plot point… the Kaylyn /Jorrin/Marsa “love triangle.” It’s Kaylyn’s conflicting loyalties toward Jorrin (the love interest) and Marsa (the best friend/sister) that make up the actual plot of the story with everything else (most especially the promised tale of good and evil) taking a major backseat. Despite the author’s focus on the relationships between the characters, the reader is given very little information (or even descriptions) on any character. Kaylyn is, apparently, an orphan who is taken in by Marsa’s mother (the head of the Zophas? This is never completely clear), but the hows and whys of this are never given. Virtually no information is given on Jorrin other than his looks, and Marsa is “sweet” and in love with Jorrin. It seems Falor felt no more information was necessary. Other characters (from people in the village to the other Zophas) enter and leave the story at random with little more than a sentence (at best) of description. The character that is the most fully realized is Foley (the stranger from another village who comes seeking aid) who is actually given at least something of a description and motivations. With barely an understanding of who the characters are and why we should care, the reader is thrust into the confrontation between Kaylyn and the last evil person on “earth” .. and left simply wondering “why?" And the lack of detail does not end with the characters. As I mentioned earlier, the society and landscape are likewise devoid of detail. So much so that it isn’t even clear what planet this all takes place on.

So, clearly, Falor gets an “F” from me in the “world building” and character department. Her actual writing itself is, unfortunately, no better. Kaylyn comes across as a completely unlikable character who is much more the “angsty teen” than “chosen defender.” The vast majority of her thoughts are occupied with wanting to be near Jorrin, her “promise and vow” to Marsa, and then blaming herself for anything and everything to the point of absurdity. The world is ending, and all Kaylyn thinks about is Kaylyn. It’s “all her fault" and only she can fix it but she is such a failure and she has failed everyone, and she wants to be near Jorrin but she promised Marsa.. this is essentially Kaylyn’s thought process the entire book. Her decisions and leaps to conclusions are more appropriate to a child than a seventeen year old trained to be a soldier (allowances for hormones and teenage angst included). Throw in an over abundance of simple/awkward sentences, grammatical errors, and “snoblot” (because normal curses just will not do).. and it felt more like reading children’s literature than YA.

Essentially, this book is more teen romance in a wacky setting than it is epic tale of good and evil. The frantic pace (squeezed into only 260 pages) cares only for the “resolution” to the romance drama while flying through any and all opportunities to expand on essential questions or explore the changes the world is going through. Other than Falor’s occasional (and nearly half-hearted) attempts to question the nature of evil, the “darkness” promised in the synopsis is all but omitted. If you’re looking for a quick and mindless read with no depth, Ever Darkening has you covered. If you’re looking more for a deep, thought provoking study on the nature of good and evil, you’re better off skipping this one.

[roxi Net · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel; I'm not sure if I read it fast because I couldn't put it down, or because it was a bit short; either way, I had a lot of fun reading it and found it a bit surprising as well.

Kaylyn, an incredibly sweet character (for being brought up as a warrior), has been trained to eliminate all evil from her land - and she succeeds easily with her band of warriors. This success is shortlived as she becomes aware of a strange darkness that's spreading through the land and cannot be fought physically as she's been taught.

The novel is a bit predictable, but still a great read and I look forward to reading the sequel that I hope is soon coming

[Debra Welch-Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great plot backed by lots of action

I enjoyed this twisting tale of good and evil that displayed unending danger, desolation and romance. The action never stopped with unexpected outcomes and desperation. I truly didn’t know how the heroine was going to win and find true love. Can’t wait to read the next one!

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

My Initial Reaction to this Book:



So yeah, I'm torn on loving this book and being a tad confused. Ever Darkening is just that, an extremely dark and twisted fantasy adventure. What it essentially boils down to though is a story of good vs. evil and the natural balance of the world. Kaylyn is destined to bring an end to evil in her world, and when she defeats the last of the Malryx she finds herself a bit lost. Her whole life has been to destroy evil and now there isn't any. Then a villager from a faraway village comes asking for help. A darkness has consumed his village and they don't know how to defeat it. With a renewed sense of purpose Kaylyn and the other Zophas set out to help, but how do you stop nature?

I really liked the characters. Kaylyn is an unstoppable force of good. She's a bit naive though in that she doesn't question her charge to kill all Malryx. In fact she feels a sense of pride and accomplishment with each kill. It's her sense of duty almost. She's strong, she's independent, and she ALWAYS puts others before herself. When things go wrong, she takes the blame whether it's hers or not. Then there's the other Zophas (warriors against the Malryx): Azleco, Felix, Sosha, Tavi, Marsa, and Jorrin. Marsa is Kaylyn's best friend and adoptive sister as Marsa's mother raised Kaylyn after her parents died at a young age. Marsa is a bit obsessed with Jorrin, Kaylyn's other best friend. And when I say obsessed I mean she loves him and wants to have his baby obsessed. Jorrin though doesn't seem to return the affection. Instead he focuses most of his attention on Kaylyn, creating a tenuous friendship between the three.

I also really enjoyed the main story, once I understood it ;) The plot was slightly confusing to me. We are dropped into the end of a hundred-years war. The author doesn't give much explanation about the Zophas or the Malryx other than that one is good and one is evil. What helps the plot and the book as a whole are the characters and the relationships that are established as the plot gears up for the return of evil.

I felt like the book dragged in parts though :( There's a short prologue setting up the convoluted love triangle among Kaylyn, Marsa, and Jorrin (which in all honestly let me predict the ending). Then it jumps 7 years and we see Kaylyn killing the last Malryx, lots of action and suspense. Unfortunately it just drops off after that. It's almost as if the climax occurs at the very beginning and then we have to wait to reach a second climax, which doesn't come until around 45% into the book. Foley, a messenger from a nearby village, comes asking the Zophas for help. A darkness has plagued their village, killing their animals and changing the forest. Kaylyn and the other Zophas answer his call and find that killing the Malryx has upset the natural balance of their world. To restore it, nature has turned evil.

Overall I DID enjoy the book. Kaylyn is a fun character and the whole nature is evil thing is a pretty cool concept. I could have done without the angsty love business though. I know it was necessary for the book, but really I just felt awful for the characters involved. This is a standalone novel, however I think if the author wants she could have more from this world featuring other Zophas. If you enjoy young adult fantasy with a little romance I highly suggest you check this book out.

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kaylyn has been chosen to be the Zopha to end the evilness of their region, to destroy all the Malryx from the world. While hunting the last evil being, her adoptive mother/ clan leader is murdered, devastating Kaylyn. After the Malyrxs destruction, Kaylyn is no longer needed and has to accept a new role with her people. While trying to figure out where she now fits, a stranger comes to her town asking for help from a new threat. Kaylyn and her friends are eager to provide assistance but don't understand what is coming next.

When I first saw the cover of this book, it was love. It was so pretty I knew I had to get to the luscious cream filling that was the plot. I had heard amazing things about the author’s other series Mine, which is on my wishlist to read, so I was really excited to get the chance to read this book. To be perfectly honest, it took me a good solid 60 pages out of the 160 page book before I got into this story and I was almost at the point where part of me wanted to stop reading and part of me that is a crazy compulsive would not let me because every book must be finished. Well, the crazy compulsive won and I kept on reading. The book did become more interesting the further I went, but I can say that this was not my favorite book. I liked the message that comes from the story, that everything must have balance and that the world cannot have only good. Yin and Yang at its purest.

I feel like the majority of the book was spent locked inside the head of the main character Kaylyn. The book uses her as a tool to sort through the concept of good and evil. The reader goes through the journey she takes to discover what happens at a nearby village, while internally struggling with her new role in society, what the loss of evil means to her personally, and how sacrifices need to be made for the greater good. I had a hard time connecting with her because I found her un-relatable as a person. That’s not to say that I don’t sympathize with her plight and struggle with being “the Chosen One” and the loneliness and burden that envelops her. I felt like she was not only standoffish to the other characters in the book but to me the reader as well.

The author did an amazing job with atmosphere. The pages were dripping with suffering and confusion, wrapping the reader up in cloak of misery. This was not a happy joyful tale, but one of devastation and loss and you can feel that clearly through the words written by the author. I could feel and see everything that took place right along with Kaylin, regardless of me wanting to or not. I was a little lost about the world the book took place in as well as the powers the characters had. Strange words were used as nouns that I had nothing to base them on and it seemed like it was a given as to what it was suppose to be (but I was full of uncertainty).

Overall this was an interesting read, but not at all what I expected or had hoped for. I thought the author did a good job of creating a story to show how things are not as simple as we make them out to be and I can honestly say I will never look at a sheep the same way. I thought the writing was well done but the story was not for me. I would like to still read more form this author in the future because she was great with building a mood.

I received this title from the author and Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to author Janeal Falor for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review

Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!

Ever Darkening is the latest release by Janeal Falor and in a step away from her sensational Mine series is a standalone fantasy tale.

Ever Darkening introduces readers to a world where good versus evil plays a very important part in the lives of those who inhabit it and sees heroine Kaylyn make some tough choices if she ever hopes to protect those she loves. Kaylyn is a Zorpha, a member of group of elite, well trained warriors who are tasked with destroying evil individuals known as Malryx. In fact Kaylyn has been specially chosen to be the one to destroy the last living Malryx and rid the world of evil. However no sooner has Kayln’s blade fallen does it become clear that the balance between good and evil has been tipped dramatically and as strange things begin to occur, Kaylyn and her friends must fight their toughest fight yet as nature rises up in order to protect their fragile reality.

As a real fan of Janeal Falor’s Mine series, Ever Darkening is a hard book for me to review. Did I enjoy the story? Yes. Was it worth reading? Hmmm….yes. Did it blow me away? No. I will say this; Ever Darkening was a really unique tale and I definitely don’t think I’ve ever quite read anything quite like it. I’d describe it as a fantasy tale, but it had a science-fiction aura to it, with some of the names and terms used throughout the story.

The concept Falor explores throughout the story is definitely different from what I’ve seen before. It’s fresh and unique and takes a different approach to the way evil affects everything around it. I think Janeal Falor’s writing was spot on and the pace forward moving, although I found it was somewhat slow at times compared to her other novels.

The heroine Kaylyn was likable, although I found her a bit tedious at times where her feelings for one of her close friends Jorrin was concerned. With Kaylyn’s best friend Marsa in love with Jorrin since she was a child, Kaylyn fights what she feels for Jorrin and refuses to acknowledge it as much she can---something that just needed to be resolved in my eyes sooner than it was.

I loved the action and suspenseful moments during this story that often kept me highly entertained. With nature rising up, Kaylyn and her friends find themselves up against aren’t what you expect; something that makes for an interesting read.

The ending was very much a surprise in some sense and seemed to come on too swiftly for my liking, but although the resolution was not something I saw coming in the beginning I think it seemed fitting for the story and a natural evolution. However, as the novel ends, I really feel there’s more to see thanks to the changes to Kaylyn’s world and would like to see Falor explore the next chapter in Karyn’s life and her new world.

[Carl Schierhorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Ever Darkening” essentially asks the question: “What happens to a kick-butt heroine when there’s no butt left to kick.”
It’s an interesting question. Unfortunately the answer is awfully sluggish in coming.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I’d rate it about three stars.
The book opens with Kaylyn – the “chosen one” of a group of Zopha warriors – killing the last of the evil Malryx – apparently the only truly bad beings in the world. Her victory is surprisingly easy, and she and her people think that their world will be one of peace and happiness.
But it turns out that a world without Malryx is not a world without darkness.
Kaylyn and her colleagues follow a refugee from another village to his home, which is being overtaken by some kind of darkness that seems to be poisoning nature.
And now we get to the dull part.
It seems to take forever for them to get to the village. Kaylyn agonizes over what it means to be a killer when there is nothing to kill. She agonizes over whether she can overcome a darkness that’s not the kind of challenge she was trained for. She agonizes over whether she can be a leader. She agonizes over her attraction to fellow Zorpha Jorrin, whom her best friend and foster sister Marsa has wanted to marry since all of them were children.
It’s mostly internal. I found it very slow.
At the village, the Zorphas find a physical darkness and tainted animals and forests but nothing to fight.
So there’s a lot of helplessness and hopelessness – not the most exciting things to build a novel around. Even when Kaylyn and Jorrin figure out the problem – a spoiler I won’t mention until later – they don’t know what to do about it.
So the Zorphas fight against trees. They fight against mutated sheep. They’re not particularly exciting fights.
They take the villagers back to their homes as refugees. Kaylyn continues to ruminate on a problem and her feelings of inadequacy. She continues to pine after Jorrin and worry about betraying her foster sister, whom she has promised to help marry him. (Nobody ever had seemed to ask him what he wanted.)
There’s action – but compared to the Katnisses and the Trises and the Penryns, it’s not very exciting.
(The following spoiler isn’t very specific, but it is a spoiler.)
The solution is that a world without evil is a world without balance. So Jorrin and Kaylyn seek to find a way to bring evil back into the world, and that will take sacrifice. In what I found one of the most interesting thoughts in the book (it’s really just a sentence or two), Kaylyn wonders whether the original evil was even so evil..
The concepts are interesting. But I kept wanting something to happen.
If you’re up for meditation on evil and purpose and leadership and finding your heart, you might like “Ever Darkening.”
For me – well, the last thing I read before this was the end of the Penryn and the End of Days trilogy. Those books also had some depth == and were a lot more fun.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is awesome and totally one of my favorites, I loved it! Going into the story, I was so confused and had no idea what it was going to really be about. To me, the synopsis was vague and while I went blind into this story, I'm glad I came out loving it! And I'm also glad the cover caught my eye and I had to read it, especially since I had read a previous book from this author.

In my opinion, by the end of it, it was still a little confusing. Especially with the whole deal of Malryx and Zophas and Zophasken, while it was entertaining to read and learn about, it wasn't really explained about their Zophasken powers and their village and such. Still, I knew vaguely what it was and either way it was still and easy read.

This was a well written story, I honestly didn't have anything that I didn't like, apart from being confused, and yeah, while it was a fantasy novel, romance was one of the more important aspects in it. For some reason that annoys a lot of readers and they decided to give the story a low score because of it, but if you just get past all the romance in it, you would see that the romance is a necessary thing, especially near the end when the conflict has to be resolved. Don't get me wrong, I was glad that Kaylyn ended up with the love of her life Jorrin, but at the expense of Marsa of her best friend. And yes, you read correctly- there is a sort of reverse love triangle in which both Kaylyn and Marsa (her best friend) are in love with Jorrin (their other best friend). It was easy to see from the beginning that Jorrin liked Kaylyn and so did she but she kept pushing him away because of her best friend. Because of that, she always suffered and while on this journey to save the next village, you could see all the sweet moments between them. I could easily tell how much Jorrin cares for Kaylyn before she even did and when it said out loud, I just wanted them to have their happy ending, and they did, somewhat.

Now, this book was full of action and had tidbits of humor. I was really engrossed in this book, I was so immersed in the story that I coudln't put it down, I had to know more about the evil spreading over the land and how they were going to stop it. The world building was incredible, I really liked the detail the author put into her story, even if she could have used some of that in explaining the characters' powers.

Either way, it was awesome and I went on the author's website and it said that there is going to be a book called Savage Light that is about Marsa, and while it's still not clear on much of the details, I know that it's a companion novel, and whether it's a direct sequel or a short novella or the same story in Marsa's view, I am still looking forward to reading it! Can't wait to read more novels by this author.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review:
I was very excited to read this new book from Janeal Falor, I am a big fan of her Mine series and was looking forward to what story she had to tell next. The concept of this book was interesting however I was just a little confused about the entire world this took place in. The main character Kaylyn destroyed the last evil in the world and now the world was only made up of good. But of course you can’t have good without evil so the world needs balance and it creates evil. I was confused with how all the evil in the world only lived by their village? How big is this world that they were able to get rid of it all. Then a stranger from another village comes to ask for help because a dark cloud has formed over their village, so a group of warriors from Kaylyn’s village leave to help the stranger. This is a village they have never been to but if they defeated the evil didn’t they have to leave the village they lived in and see other villages? The travel to get to the other village was kind of spooky, even when they go into the forest but I just felt like it was missing something. By the time it gets to the end you kind of figure out what is going to happen but even that gets a little confusing and opens more questions from me. I was very confused by the world build of this book and as much as I like the idea of it somehow it sort of just fell apart for me.

Kaylyn was an ok main character, I liked her however as the leader of this group she was a very weak person, scared of everything and I was hoping for a bad-ass heroine. Jorrin, I adored him and thought he would have made an excellent leader, I even loved Marsa her best friend, both of them were a lot stronger characters than Kaylyn and seemed to have a stronger character build than Kaylyn. I was also hoping for a bit more character build to really get to know these characters and the villagers but I just never happened.

Since I felt like the story and the world build did mess very well together and the characters didn’t really come together like I had hoped I gave this book a 3 stars. It was just a bit confusing and left me with lots of unanswered questions

[divider]

Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my review

Hope you have a great day and Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Fable's Library

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.


As a result of killing off the worlds last evil, a new kind of darkness is born and it's up to Kaylyn and the Zophas to figure out what is exactly happening. The Zophas are born to do good, and trained to destroy evil so its only natural that they help a neighboring village with the problem of something deadly growing in the woods.


For me, Ever Darkening was hard to get into. The story has a slow start where the writing seemed a bit rushed and the story a bit flat. In the first few chapters evil died, and a character who we don't even really know dies. Ever Darkening is far from a bad book, and the only thing I really didn't enjoy was the beginning which felt lacking. The rest of the book however, is far from lacking for me. Once I finally picked up the book, it was easy to read and enjoy even if it was difficult at first.


Like I said, I had a hard time getting into this book, that feeling changed once I got a bit further. The way Janeal Falor wrote really brought on the chills, the way she wrote every scene in the next village was gripping and detailed, it was a bit creepy. Ever Darkening brings up some crazy points about the balance of good and evil, and what it would mean to upset that balance.


The Zophas were raised to do good, and the main characters are good! I felt some parts a bit ironic, like when the main character Kaylyn hated evil actions such as lying, yet she lied to herself about her feelings... a bit ironic but it doesn't matter. Kaylyn is a strong main character, she doesn't want anyone to see her weaknesses but only her strengths. I liked Kaylyn, she was a good character, literally both a good character and very well written, it was enjoyable to read about her and the others. Each character was a bit different, but for the most part they were all made up of good, and kindness.


Their was a love triangle... which, for me, was both needed and not necessary. It wasn't necessary because love triangle usually aren't a huge part of the plot and sometimes, feel more like a distraction. BUT in Ever Darkening, the love triangle is actually a part of the story, and it wasn't a distraction, it was put into the story so that the love triangle didn't take away. So don't be turned off by the love!


All in all, Ever Darkening had a slow start, with good characters and a well thought out story. This book is one that makes you truly wonder about what it could mean to destroy evil.


I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a short, fantasy book with a unique plot and characters.


Have you read Ever Darkening yet?

[Poulami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full reviews can be found in Daydreaming Books

**I received a digital copy of this book from the author via Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.**

Ever Darkening had a lot of potential but it felt flat for me. I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

The story is about a girl named Kaylyn. She is a part of the Zophas, they possess a special kind of power through their Zophasken, i.e. they have ability to detect whether they are close to good or evil. They are all trained from their childhood to destroy all evil from the earth and Kaylyn is their best chance. But after all the evil beings are eliminated, strange things starts to happen in a nearby village which has the possibility to spread everywhere soon. Kaylyn and her other team finding new purpose goes to find the root cause of the problem and what they discover shocks them.

The plot had a lot of potential but it didn’t live upto the expectation. I expected a lot more action and twists but that didn’t happen either. They discover that by eliminating all evil they had destroyed the balance of nature and they need to restore it to stop whatever is happening. There is not much world building and not much description of the evil beings are given either.

I couldn’t connect much with the characters though I didn’t exactly hate Kaylyn, she was an okay character. She was in love with a guy named Jorrin but she couldn’t confess because her best friend liked him a lot and she felt she couldn’t do that to someone who was like her sister. This thing kind of stretched a bit, I think they should have simply sat down and talk about it which they definitely didn’t do but Kaylyn sort of turned this into something else at the end which affected the whole plot. I personally didn’t like what happened in the end, it was not fair to her best friend, at all.

The writing was simple and easy to understand. I finished this quite fast but I’m glad it was short. Overall, the plot was predictable and the characters were okaish.

Recommend it?

I have mixed feelings about this book, I wouldn’t usually recommend it but you could give it a try nonetheless.