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Darkhaven #1
Darkhaven
Ayla Nightshade never wanted to rule Darkhaven. But her half-brother Myrren – true heir to the throne – hasn’t inherited their family gift, forcing her to take his place.
When this gift leads to Ayla being accused of killing her father, Myrren is the only one to believe her innocent. Does something more sinister than the power to shapeshift lie at the heart of the Nightshade family line?
Now on the run, Ayla must fight to clear her name if she is ever to wear the crown she never wanted and be allowed to return to the home she has always loved.
When this gift leads to Ayla being accused of killing her father, Myrren is the only one to believe her innocent. Does something more sinister than the power to shapeshift lie at the heart of the Nightshade family line?
Now on the run, Ayla must fight to clear her name if she is ever to wear the crown she never wanted and be allowed to return to the home she has always loved.
400 pages, ebook
First published July 2, 2015
22 people are currently reading
1560 people want to read
About the author
A.F.E. Smith
11 books93 followersI'm a full-time editor, a part-time daydreamer and a constant scribbler. I have a three-year-old son (known to the internet as Small) and a baby girl (known, perhaps predictably, as Tiny). Things I like include snacks, books, complex maths problems, snacks, animated films and snacks. Send me chocolate and I'll be your forever friend. I also happen to be a robin some of the time, but you shouldn't let that bother you.
My debut novel, DARKHAVEN, is out now from Harper Voyager. It's a fast-paced fantasy whodunnit featuring love, murder and obsession, carriage chases, duels to the death and a very angry Wyvern, set in a unique city in the throes of industrial revolution. Coming soon to an ebook reader near you :-)
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A note on my book ratings: these are murky waters and I'm new to navigating them. I just want to give everything five stars to avoid hurting people's feelings (see, this is why I don't usually review stuff) but obviously that's neither helpful nor honest. So I've elaborated a bit on the Goodreads descriptions below, and if you're wondering, this is how I use my stars!
5 stars ('it was amazing'): reserved for books I love so much that I've read them more than once. Message: buy it now! Then talk to me about it!
4 stars ('really liked it'): a great book that I'd certainly recommend to others. May become a 5-star book, given time. Message: buy it.
3 stars ('liked it'): a good book. It was enjoyable - I don't feel that I wasted my time reading it - but I'm not going to rush out and evangelise about it either. Message: buy it, if it sounds like your kind of thing.
2 stars ('it was ok'): a book I have mixed feelings about. There was nothing terribly wrong with it, but it left me feeling meh. Message: borrow it from a friend.
1 star ('didn't like it'): reserved for books that, for me, had serious problems with plotting, characterisation and/or the basic rules of the English language. Sorry, but if a book is absolutely full of 'typos' then it will end up here, because I like some care to have gone into what I read. Message: avoid.
My debut novel, DARKHAVEN, is out now from Harper Voyager. It's a fast-paced fantasy whodunnit featuring love, murder and obsession, carriage chases, duels to the death and a very angry Wyvern, set in a unique city in the throes of industrial revolution. Coming soon to an ebook reader near you :-)
----------
A note on my book ratings: these are murky waters and I'm new to navigating them. I just want to give everything five stars to avoid hurting people's feelings (see, this is why I don't usually review stuff) but obviously that's neither helpful nor honest. So I've elaborated a bit on the Goodreads descriptions below, and if you're wondering, this is how I use my stars!
5 stars ('it was amazing'): reserved for books I love so much that I've read them more than once. Message: buy it now! Then talk to me about it!
4 stars ('really liked it'): a great book that I'd certainly recommend to others. May become a 5-star book, given time. Message: buy it.
3 stars ('liked it'): a good book. It was enjoyable - I don't feel that I wasted my time reading it - but I'm not going to rush out and evangelise about it either. Message: buy it, if it sounds like your kind of thing.
2 stars ('it was ok'): a book I have mixed feelings about. There was nothing terribly wrong with it, but it left me feeling meh. Message: borrow it from a friend.
1 star ('didn't like it'): reserved for books that, for me, had serious problems with plotting, characterisation and/or the basic rules of the English language. Sorry, but if a book is absolutely full of 'typos' then it will end up here, because I like some care to have gone into what I read. Message: avoid.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 26, 2015
It's the first time in a while that I've stayed up until stupid o'clock to finish a book, but I loved this one!
The city of Arkannen is beautifully detailed, with something new to 'see' every time. The characters are vivid and interesting, and I slowly got drawn into the plot; by the end I really wanted to know what happened to everyone! I didn't anticipate all of the twists, and the ending is excellent. My only niggle is why Ayla doesn't just fly out of the city...
Well worth reading.
The city of Arkannen is beautifully detailed, with something new to 'see' every time. The characters are vivid and interesting, and I slowly got drawn into the plot; by the end I really wanted to know what happened to everyone! I didn't anticipate all of the twists, and the ending is excellent. My only niggle is why Ayla doesn't just fly out of the city...
Well worth reading.
March 13, 2016
Sometimes I'm just drawn to a book by the cover. My inner fourteen-year old saw the cover for A.F.E. Smith’s Darkhaven and squeed. When the blurb for the book sounded great as well, it wasn't difficult to choose to review this book. Secondary-world fantasy with a murder mystery? Sign me up. Happily, Darkhaven delivered on its promise in full. Smith's debut novel reveals a great mystery set in a fabulous world.
I enjoyed the world of Mirrorvale and its capital Arkannen. A huge city, Arkannen is structured in a very traditional way, with rings leading both inward and upward. The first ring contains the city’s poor and unwashed and those from outside of the city, while the seventh and top ring is Darkhaven, the home of Mirrorvale’s ruling family. This circular and tiered city planning isn’t particularly new or under-used, but it is a form I enjoy a lot and in the naming of the various quarters, rings, and gates, Smith manages to convey a lot about her world without going into info-dump mode. My one complaint would be that the world outside of Arkannen was somewhat foggy, especially since the action was almost completely limited to within city confines. The reader is told that the territories of Mirrorvale are vast and that there are countries surrounding the realm that oppose the Nightshade way of expanding their territories, but that is it.
Much of the narrative centres on the dynastic challenges of the Nightshade family. The Nightshades rule by dint of their magical nature. They are shape-changers and their bloodline is the only Changer bloodline in Mirrorvale. Because of the importance of the shape-changing ability to being able to rule it is imperative for the Nightshade bloodline to remain strong and due to the slow decline of family numbers what had been familial intermarriage has grown to mean marrying whoever is available and in this case that means that like the pharaohs of old, Ayla and Myrren are doomed to marry. It is an added conflict into what is already a complicated situation, given Myrren’s lack of the Nightshade gift and Ayla’s not being of pureblood, but being the only gifted Nightshade remaining. Yet it took me almost half the book before I realised that this was in play, since both Ayla and Myrren mostly avoid thinking about it. It is a future they both wish to avoid, yet it unites them in finding a better solution together instead of making them bitter rivals and enemies, an approach I appreciated.
The story is structured in two different story lines, both trying to solve the same murder but from different angles. They are told through the shifting perspectives of Ayla and Myrren Nightshade, a former member of the Helm, the Nightshades’ personal guards called Tomas Caraway and a priestess of the Flame named Serenna. Through them, we get a story told from the inside and the outside of Darkhaven and we get a remarkably well-rounded view of the situation and the narrative. There are three additional points of view interspersed in the story, yet to discuss these would possibly lead to spoilers, so I’ll leave them aside for the moment, other than saying they were very well done.
The four main point-of-view characters are paired off to work together early on in the novel and while their dynamics are quite different and the accents are coloured differently, they do echo each other in several ways, most notably in the romantic entanglements that occur. But they also mirror each other in the way that Myrren trusts Serenna from the start, where Ayla and Tomas have to build that trust between them. Because Ayla and Tomas have history together, the reason Tomas was ejected from among the ranks of the Helm, and Ayla has never forgiven him. I liked the way trust developed between them only after Ayla was able to forgive Tomas, when she realised that he hadn’t even forgiven himself. Their interactions were marvellous and while I really liked Myrren’s emotional arc, the scenes between Ayla and Tomas were most of my favourites in the book. Ayla is a complicated character, both entitled through her possession of the Nightshade name and gift, yet at the same time curiously naive and vulnerable because of it. Her fervent desire to just be loved and accepted by her father coupled with her fear of him, make it easy to identify and sympathise with her, even if she isn’t always kind.
Myrren on the other hand is kindness incarnate; despite being the despised son of a tyrannical father and having gone through every sort of abuse thinkable to trigger his gift, he still manages to see the good in the world and in people. Myrren isn’t just sympathetic, he’s lovable and I loved his development throughout the book. Myrren grows up and comes into his own, without ever losing that inner core of kindness that marked him from the start. His partnership with Serenna was entertaining to read and they made for a great sleuthing pair. Of the four protagonists, Serenna was the one who remained the least well-developed. Not that she was flat or uninteresting, quite the opposite, but her longterm arc remained somewhat nebulous until the end of the book and it’ll be interesting to how she develops in the next book.
The mystery at the heart of Darkhaven — who killed Florentyn Nightshade? — was an interesting one and the investigations into its particulars were exciting and clever. The eventual denouement of the novel, after several heart-stopping twists, was spectacular. I had a brilliant time with Darkhaven and I can’t wait for the sequel. With her debut A.F.E. Smith has delivered a wonderful fantasy tale, one filled with heart and if you like your fantasy laced with a good mystery, Darkhaven is definitely a book to check out.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
I enjoyed the world of Mirrorvale and its capital Arkannen. A huge city, Arkannen is structured in a very traditional way, with rings leading both inward and upward. The first ring contains the city’s poor and unwashed and those from outside of the city, while the seventh and top ring is Darkhaven, the home of Mirrorvale’s ruling family. This circular and tiered city planning isn’t particularly new or under-used, but it is a form I enjoy a lot and in the naming of the various quarters, rings, and gates, Smith manages to convey a lot about her world without going into info-dump mode. My one complaint would be that the world outside of Arkannen was somewhat foggy, especially since the action was almost completely limited to within city confines. The reader is told that the territories of Mirrorvale are vast and that there are countries surrounding the realm that oppose the Nightshade way of expanding their territories, but that is it.
Much of the narrative centres on the dynastic challenges of the Nightshade family. The Nightshades rule by dint of their magical nature. They are shape-changers and their bloodline is the only Changer bloodline in Mirrorvale. Because of the importance of the shape-changing ability to being able to rule it is imperative for the Nightshade bloodline to remain strong and due to the slow decline of family numbers what had been familial intermarriage has grown to mean marrying whoever is available and in this case that means that like the pharaohs of old, Ayla and Myrren are doomed to marry. It is an added conflict into what is already a complicated situation, given Myrren’s lack of the Nightshade gift and Ayla’s not being of pureblood, but being the only gifted Nightshade remaining. Yet it took me almost half the book before I realised that this was in play, since both Ayla and Myrren mostly avoid thinking about it. It is a future they both wish to avoid, yet it unites them in finding a better solution together instead of making them bitter rivals and enemies, an approach I appreciated.
The story is structured in two different story lines, both trying to solve the same murder but from different angles. They are told through the shifting perspectives of Ayla and Myrren Nightshade, a former member of the Helm, the Nightshades’ personal guards called Tomas Caraway and a priestess of the Flame named Serenna. Through them, we get a story told from the inside and the outside of Darkhaven and we get a remarkably well-rounded view of the situation and the narrative. There are three additional points of view interspersed in the story, yet to discuss these would possibly lead to spoilers, so I’ll leave them aside for the moment, other than saying they were very well done.
The four main point-of-view characters are paired off to work together early on in the novel and while their dynamics are quite different and the accents are coloured differently, they do echo each other in several ways, most notably in the romantic entanglements that occur. But they also mirror each other in the way that Myrren trusts Serenna from the start, where Ayla and Tomas have to build that trust between them. Because Ayla and Tomas have history together, the reason Tomas was ejected from among the ranks of the Helm, and Ayla has never forgiven him. I liked the way trust developed between them only after Ayla was able to forgive Tomas, when she realised that he hadn’t even forgiven himself. Their interactions were marvellous and while I really liked Myrren’s emotional arc, the scenes between Ayla and Tomas were most of my favourites in the book. Ayla is a complicated character, both entitled through her possession of the Nightshade name and gift, yet at the same time curiously naive and vulnerable because of it. Her fervent desire to just be loved and accepted by her father coupled with her fear of him, make it easy to identify and sympathise with her, even if she isn’t always kind.
Myrren on the other hand is kindness incarnate; despite being the despised son of a tyrannical father and having gone through every sort of abuse thinkable to trigger his gift, he still manages to see the good in the world and in people. Myrren isn’t just sympathetic, he’s lovable and I loved his development throughout the book. Myrren grows up and comes into his own, without ever losing that inner core of kindness that marked him from the start. His partnership with Serenna was entertaining to read and they made for a great sleuthing pair. Of the four protagonists, Serenna was the one who remained the least well-developed. Not that she was flat or uninteresting, quite the opposite, but her longterm arc remained somewhat nebulous until the end of the book and it’ll be interesting to how she develops in the next book.
The mystery at the heart of Darkhaven — who killed Florentyn Nightshade? — was an interesting one and the investigations into its particulars were exciting and clever. The eventual denouement of the novel, after several heart-stopping twists, was spectacular. I had a brilliant time with Darkhaven and I can’t wait for the sequel. With her debut A.F.E. Smith has delivered a wonderful fantasy tale, one filled with heart and if you like your fantasy laced with a good mystery, Darkhaven is definitely a book to check out.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
May 30, 2015
In a world where fear and power rule, the ability to shapeshift equals control. The Nightshade family holds the throne, but only a shifter may rule and a diluted bloodline may force one princess to take throne she has never wanted because of her ability to shift, an ability and form no one has ever witnessed. Some creature has attacked a sacred priestess, a shifter and Ayla has been accused and imprisoned. On the fateful night she escapes with the aid of her brother, this same monster has killed the king and all of the land is now on the hunt for Ayla, now branded a traitor and murderess. Only the help of a disgraced soldier stands between life and death as a power-crazed and powerful warrior has declared open season on her life. But is there more to the deceit and machinations of a man determined to undermine the Nightshade family? What dark secrets has the king taken to his grave? Only one man knows and he is determined to stop anyone who gets in his way. They say power corrupts, will the corruption of justice mean the death of a dynasty?
Darkhaven by A.F.E. Smith is a dark and twisted journey through false accusations, underhanded trickery and a deadly fight for survival as the world Ayla never wanted to rule now needs her the most. A.F. E. Smith has brought her world of fantasy to life with stark feeling, pitting the innocence of a sheltered young woman against the reality of living outside her castle. Who can she trust? How can she hide? Will her fate lie in the hands of a lost soul whose failures long ago have cost her only warmth her life has ever known? Ms. Smith takes the battle of good versus evil into the magical, yet dark world she has created. As she sketches each scene, there is a foreboding atmosphere of darkness and desperation. While most characters are colored in well, some remain slightly mysterious as time begins to run out on justice being served and a kingdom lost to evil.
I received an ARC edition from HarperCollins UK/HarperVoyager in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 2, 2015
Publisher: HarperVoyager
ISBN: 9780008103507
Genre: Fantasy
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Darkhaven by A.F.E. Smith is a dark and twisted journey through false accusations, underhanded trickery and a deadly fight for survival as the world Ayla never wanted to rule now needs her the most. A.F. E. Smith has brought her world of fantasy to life with stark feeling, pitting the innocence of a sheltered young woman against the reality of living outside her castle. Who can she trust? How can she hide? Will her fate lie in the hands of a lost soul whose failures long ago have cost her only warmth her life has ever known? Ms. Smith takes the battle of good versus evil into the magical, yet dark world she has created. As she sketches each scene, there is a foreboding atmosphere of darkness and desperation. While most characters are colored in well, some remain slightly mysterious as time begins to run out on justice being served and a kingdom lost to evil.
I received an ARC edition from HarperCollins UK/HarperVoyager in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 2, 2015
Publisher: HarperVoyager
ISBN: 9780008103507
Genre: Fantasy
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
April 30, 2016
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for giving me this book to review.
Ayla Nightshade never wanted to be the heir of Darkhaven as her half-brother Myrren was meant to rule but because he does not have the ability to shift, she is forced to take his place. Things are bad for Ayla when a shifter attacks a priestess and she is imprisoned as a suspect, but thing get worse when on the night Myrran frees her, their father is murdered by the same creature and Ayla is now a traitor. With the help of disgraced soldier, Tomas, Ayla is determined to prove her innocence, discover the shifters identity and find out the secret her father is hiding but will they solve the murder in time.
Darkhaven is a really enjoyable which has fantasy and steampunk elements to it and different POV. It is fast paced, dark, full of twists and surprises and interesting characters. The idea of the shifters and the different forms they can be.
Ayla is a likeable character who is looked down on from almost everyone but is willing to stand her ground, however she did act like a damsel in distress a lot of the time. I also liked Myrren as he loves his sister and believes in her but also has a sense duty and honour. Tomas Caraway is a brave person who is looking for redemption and I think he is my favourite character in this book.
This is a really good book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author and hopefully another book in this world. I would recommend Darkhaven to fans of Nihal by Licia Troisi and Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Ayla Nightshade never wanted to be the heir of Darkhaven as her half-brother Myrren was meant to rule but because he does not have the ability to shift, she is forced to take his place. Things are bad for Ayla when a shifter attacks a priestess and she is imprisoned as a suspect, but thing get worse when on the night Myrran frees her, their father is murdered by the same creature and Ayla is now a traitor. With the help of disgraced soldier, Tomas, Ayla is determined to prove her innocence, discover the shifters identity and find out the secret her father is hiding but will they solve the murder in time.
Darkhaven is a really enjoyable which has fantasy and steampunk elements to it and different POV. It is fast paced, dark, full of twists and surprises and interesting characters. The idea of the shifters and the different forms they can be.
Ayla is a likeable character who is looked down on from almost everyone but is willing to stand her ground, however she did act like a damsel in distress a lot of the time. I also liked Myrren as he loves his sister and believes in her but also has a sense duty and honour. Tomas Caraway is a brave person who is looking for redemption and I think he is my favourite character in this book.
This is a really good book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author and hopefully another book in this world. I would recommend Darkhaven to fans of Nihal by Licia Troisi and Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
July 4, 2015
I was obsessed with this book from the first page. Deceit, danger, betrayal, and a lot of danger set within a magical realm - Darkhaven has it all!
I was instantly caught up in Darkhaven's lush storytelling. Darkhaven is told in multiple POVs, and I loved the insight from all the characters. It made it like a web of information, all the paths consistently intertwining. A.F.E. Smith really has a gift for story telling.
I loved the characters - Ayla, Serenna, Myrron, Caraway, the whole cast was fantastic. It is rare that I love the entire cast of characters this much, especially in a fantasy world where there were so many primary characters. Regardless, I found myself rather attached to them and was sad to see the book come to an end.
I loved the intricacies of the Changers and the gift that surrounded them. It was fresh and new, yet still melded with many of the classical components of fantastical creatures.
The ending was so good, yet I want more. I would love to revisit this wonderful world and see what will come to past next, especially as the final chapters unravel a lot of answers and confirmed some suspicions I had.
I am very excited to see what A.F.E. Smith writes next. I personally am hoping for more fantasy, as Darkhaven was just brilliant.
I was instantly caught up in Darkhaven's lush storytelling. Darkhaven is told in multiple POVs, and I loved the insight from all the characters. It made it like a web of information, all the paths consistently intertwining. A.F.E. Smith really has a gift for story telling.
I loved the characters - Ayla, Serenna, Myrron, Caraway, the whole cast was fantastic. It is rare that I love the entire cast of characters this much, especially in a fantasy world where there were so many primary characters. Regardless, I found myself rather attached to them and was sad to see the book come to an end.
I loved the intricacies of the Changers and the gift that surrounded them. It was fresh and new, yet still melded with many of the classical components of fantastical creatures.
The ending was so good, yet I want more. I would love to revisit this wonderful world and see what will come to past next, especially as the final chapters unravel a lot of answers and confirmed some suspicions I had.
I am very excited to see what A.F.E. Smith writes next. I personally am hoping for more fantasy, as Darkhaven was just brilliant.
July 3, 2015
I liked this book a lot. I read it in a single night which was easy because it's a very quick read. Not short but quick. It flows fast and you want to keep reading to see what happens. The whole book is set in this one city which is really fascinating and unique, I'm not sure I've come across one like that before. So the characters and the setting all felt real to me.
Some things in particular I REALLY liked:
1 there was a good variety of DIFFERENT female characters with DIFFERENT motivations. Not just one token girl in a male cast. That's not to say there aren't good male characters too, there are, but it's refreshing to have an even split in a kind of traditional not-YA fantasy like this. And the relationships don't always follow standard patterns. One plot strand follows a sort of typical boy rescues girl thread, which you know is fine. I don't have any problem with that if done well. But I really thought it was nice how in another thread, it was the man whose stomach was turned by blood and the woman who was very cool-headed and calm about gruesome things. And when people did need rescuing or helping it was because they realistically wouldn't have got out of that situation on their own. The characters all have different kinds of strengths and they use them. So yeah I liked how the male/female thing was handled.
2 it was really obvious to me how Florentin Nightshade's treatment of his children had weakened them in different ways, like Myrren is obviously affected by it but even Ayla is so used to being defensive that she can't stop. And she's strong but at the same time totally clueless because she's never been allowed to do anything. To start with I wanted her to use her gift more but then I realised apart from the fact that she can't change if she wants to stay hidden, she's been taught to be ashamed of it so it wouldn't be her natural first response. And there is quite clear symbolism in the difference in the surroundings she changes in between the middle of the book and the end, hidden vs open (I hope that isn't w spoiler).
3 the romance!! I love a bit of romance in my fantasy if done well and this was great. It doesn't overwhelm the plot but the relationships all develop in a very believable way. Some of them are really touching, like as the characters grow and change they sort of naturally come together and complement each other.
4 Sorrow. I'd read a whole book about her. I loved her insolence but also the way she developed a heart over the course of the book (or rather admitted to the existence of the one she had all along I guess). Also, she's gay and that's just how it is. It's not a big deal or even part of the plot, its just a facet of her character. In this world people don't give a damn about other peoples' sexuality which makes a change.
Also it was nice to read a book that wrapped up the storyline (though with a couple of hints at a followup) instead of ending on a massive cliffhanger.
I would have liked more detail of the wider world outside the city and the history of changers but I guess that may be for a later book if there is one?
But overall I would definitely recommend this book.
Some things in particular I REALLY liked:
1 there was a good variety of DIFFERENT female characters with DIFFERENT motivations. Not just one token girl in a male cast. That's not to say there aren't good male characters too, there are, but it's refreshing to have an even split in a kind of traditional not-YA fantasy like this. And the relationships don't always follow standard patterns. One plot strand follows a sort of typical boy rescues girl thread, which you know is fine. I don't have any problem with that if done well. But I really thought it was nice how in another thread, it was the man whose stomach was turned by blood and the woman who was very cool-headed and calm about gruesome things. And when people did need rescuing or helping it was because they realistically wouldn't have got out of that situation on their own. The characters all have different kinds of strengths and they use them. So yeah I liked how the male/female thing was handled.
2 it was really obvious to me how Florentin Nightshade's treatment of his children had weakened them in different ways, like Myrren is obviously affected by it but even Ayla is so used to being defensive that she can't stop. And she's strong but at the same time totally clueless because she's never been allowed to do anything. To start with I wanted her to use her gift more but then I realised apart from the fact that she can't change if she wants to stay hidden, she's been taught to be ashamed of it so it wouldn't be her natural first response. And there is quite clear symbolism in the difference in the surroundings she changes in between the middle of the book and the end, hidden vs open (I hope that isn't w spoiler).
3 the romance!! I love a bit of romance in my fantasy if done well and this was great. It doesn't overwhelm the plot but the relationships all develop in a very believable way. Some of them are really touching, like as the characters grow and change they sort of naturally come together and complement each other.
4 Sorrow. I'd read a whole book about her. I loved her insolence but also the way she developed a heart over the course of the book (or rather admitted to the existence of the one she had all along I guess). Also, she's gay and that's just how it is. It's not a big deal or even part of the plot, its just a facet of her character. In this world people don't give a damn about other peoples' sexuality which makes a change.
Also it was nice to read a book that wrapped up the storyline (though with a couple of hints at a followup) instead of ending on a massive cliffhanger.
I would have liked more detail of the wider world outside the city and the history of changers but I guess that may be for a later book if there is one?
But overall I would definitely recommend this book.
June 16, 2015
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I was quite curious about the novel after reading the synopsis. It must be said that the mixture of fantasy and shifters is also intriguing. I quickly wondered elsewhere if the fantasy side would not take over the story and what level of it the author would use here. Yet, I find that this side remains fairly light, which was very pleasant for me as it is something I prefer. Besides, I can tell you right away that I was surprised by the story and I had a great time with the whole thing.
Ayla and her brother Myrren have always been the disappointment of their father. The first because of the form she takes and the second because of his inability to take just any form. But now their father now wants to choose his heir, and although Myrren is the one who should become the new king, he wants Ayla to take his place. Alas, the girl doesn’t seem really interested by that and when she is accused of an attack, she is placed in prison until she changes her mind about the situation or she is proven guilty. Escaping during her father’s murder night, all tracks are turning toward her and everyone wants to find her to lock her again. But now, for the first time in her life, Ayla will be able to explore the world and to understand what she had missed so far! Accompanied by the man who left her mother to die younger, she will try to understand who is at the origin of her problem and she will try to find the killer of her father. Yet this quest might lead her to discover much more than she thought.
Yes the author perfectly manages to lead us by the nose and to surprise us throughout history. I loved Ayla. Although she knows very little of the world she is discovering about, she remains committed and tries to do the best. We also understand her doubts and fears, but we hope she will succeed in solving her problems. She begins to ask questions about the people she thought close to her and evolves dramatically over history in this way. I enjoyed Myrren too, he has no bad feelings about Ayla or about the fact that their father had decided to make her queen. Their commitment to each other is quite touching as this is not necessarily something that can be found in this type of books.
Yes I had a great time with the whole story and the characters. It is very easy to focus on all of them and I confess that I did not expect this end, I was really surprised. We find a mixture of conspiracies, love and mystery. I’m quite curious to see what will happen now. A very good first book to discover!
My English review
I was quite curious about the novel after reading the synopsis. It must be said that the mixture of fantasy and shifters is also intriguing. I quickly wondered elsewhere if the fantasy side would not take over the story and what level of it the author would use here. Yet, I find that this side remains fairly light, which was very pleasant for me as it is something I prefer. Besides, I can tell you right away that I was surprised by the story and I had a great time with the whole thing.
Ayla and her brother Myrren have always been the disappointment of their father. The first because of the form she takes and the second because of his inability to take just any form. But now their father now wants to choose his heir, and although Myrren is the one who should become the new king, he wants Ayla to take his place. Alas, the girl doesn’t seem really interested by that and when she is accused of an attack, she is placed in prison until she changes her mind about the situation or she is proven guilty. Escaping during her father’s murder night, all tracks are turning toward her and everyone wants to find her to lock her again. But now, for the first time in her life, Ayla will be able to explore the world and to understand what she had missed so far! Accompanied by the man who left her mother to die younger, she will try to understand who is at the origin of her problem and she will try to find the killer of her father. Yet this quest might lead her to discover much more than she thought.
Yes the author perfectly manages to lead us by the nose and to surprise us throughout history. I loved Ayla. Although she knows very little of the world she is discovering about, she remains committed and tries to do the best. We also understand her doubts and fears, but we hope she will succeed in solving her problems. She begins to ask questions about the people she thought close to her and evolves dramatically over history in this way. I enjoyed Myrren too, he has no bad feelings about Ayla or about the fact that their father had decided to make her queen. Their commitment to each other is quite touching as this is not necessarily something that can be found in this type of books.
Yes I had a great time with the whole story and the characters. It is very easy to focus on all of them and I confess that I did not expect this end, I was really surprised. We find a mixture of conspiracies, love and mystery. I’m quite curious to see what will happen now. A very good first book to discover!
September 19, 2015
I'm not much for reviewing but I wanted to do this one. I won it in a giveaway. The author didn't ask for a review in return, I just enjoyed it so much I thought it would be nice to write something. So here goes.
A bunch of fantasy books I've read recently have tended toward a bleak view of humanity. Nasty characters doing nasty things. So something I liked about Darkhaven was its optimism. The characters are complicated and make mistakes. They have less likeable traits. And dark and nasty things do happen in the book. So it's not all rainbows and kittens. Yet most of the characters have what I think of as basic human decency. They are trying to do the right thing. I just found that kind of refreshing to read a fantasy book where the author doesn't think that all people are selfish and amoral.
Next up, the plot. This is super unpredictable and keeps you guessing. I found it hard to put down, specially near the end. I felt like Darkhaven is a book that was tightly plotted beforehand, where all the storylines come together in a way that is inevitable and yet unpredictable.
There is romance in this book, so if you don't like the kind of trope where people fall in love pretty quickly then this won't be for you. But at the same time, I felt like it wasn't a happy ever after ending. You have a couple or two who are in a relationship by the end of the book, but the author has left it open ended as to whether those relationships succeed. I'm hoping there will be a second book in that respect because I don't feel like I'm done with the characters.
Overall, you can probably tell, I really liked this book and think it deserves to be more widely known. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who likes a good plot and complex, well-rounded characters at the forefront of their fantasy, letting the world building take back seat and come out organically over the course of the book (which is the way I prefer it, I hate being thrown a lot of unnecessary detail). Like I said, if you want grimdark you won't find it here, but if you'd like a satisfyingly dark and dangerous read that still has an optimistic heart then Darkhaven is for you.
A bunch of fantasy books I've read recently have tended toward a bleak view of humanity. Nasty characters doing nasty things. So something I liked about Darkhaven was its optimism. The characters are complicated and make mistakes. They have less likeable traits. And dark and nasty things do happen in the book. So it's not all rainbows and kittens. Yet most of the characters have what I think of as basic human decency. They are trying to do the right thing. I just found that kind of refreshing to read a fantasy book where the author doesn't think that all people are selfish and amoral.
Next up, the plot. This is super unpredictable and keeps you guessing. I found it hard to put down, specially near the end. I felt like Darkhaven is a book that was tightly plotted beforehand, where all the storylines come together in a way that is inevitable and yet unpredictable.
There is romance in this book, so if you don't like the kind of trope where people fall in love pretty quickly then this won't be for you. But at the same time, I felt like it wasn't a happy ever after ending. You have a couple or two who are in a relationship by the end of the book, but the author has left it open ended as to whether those relationships succeed. I'm hoping there will be a second book in that respect because I don't feel like I'm done with the characters.
Overall, you can probably tell, I really liked this book and think it deserves to be more widely known. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who likes a good plot and complex, well-rounded characters at the forefront of their fantasy, letting the world building take back seat and come out organically over the course of the book (which is the way I prefer it, I hate being thrown a lot of unnecessary detail). Like I said, if you want grimdark you won't find it here, but if you'd like a satisfyingly dark and dangerous read that still has an optimistic heart then Darkhaven is for you.
June 25, 2015
https://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/2015...
Just finished reading Darkhaven and what a very enjoyable start to series this is. (at least I think or hope it’s a series?)
We start off with Ayla escaping from captivity with the help of her brother Myrren. From there we learn that Darkhaven is ruled by the Nightshades, people with the ability to shapeshift, known as Changers. The ruler of Darkhaven, Florentyne, is a Firedrake, the other forms taken by the purebloods are Griffin, Phoenix, Hydra or Unicorn. Florentyne is not a man to be messed with, ruthless and dark, he will stop at nothing to ensure the continuation of the Nightshade line. Unfortunately his son and heir, a trueblood, has manifested no ability to shift. His daughter however, born to a regular human during a second marriage can shift but not in a pure form. Ayla is not popular, not with her father, or the Helm, the body of training guards who are sworn to protect the Nightshades.
Florentyne has made the decision to disinherit his son and place Ayla as his heir. Of course, she’s got something to say about that and consequently her father places her into captivity. And, that brings us back to the start of the story with Ayla’s escape and the beginning of all the trouble as on the same night her father is murdered – by a charger. Ayla is the only other charger so she’s the number one suspect. From here we have a situation where Alya, having escaped to one of the lower rings of the city and secured the help of a former guard, now needs to clear her name. Meanwhile Myrren, also convinced of his sister’s innocence is also looking for evidence to prove her innocence assisted by a priestess who has been attacked by this murdering charger and may have additional information. Now, what makes this tricky is that the Helm are convinced of Ayla’s guilt, they’re not really too bothered about evidence, and they’re also looking for her.
I’m not going to go on about the world building because we only really see Darkhaven – which is dark – with good reason. The City is split into rings, all planned as means of defence in times of siege. I have no real idea about the shifters history, why they’re in control – I mean, obviously there used to be more of them, a lot more, and in their charger form they’re almost entirely invincible – almost, entirely! For some reason, there are a lot, lot less now – again, at this point, not sure why – and I’m not sure that it matters to the story to be honest. Although it does lead to some rather nasty realisations about what exactly needs to take place to ensure the survival of the remaining shifters – yeah!
Characters. Ayla and Myrren are the Nightshades. They are assisted by Tomas, former Helm guard who is now living in disgrace, and Serenna, the Priestess who is assisting Myrren. We also follow the course of one of the helm guards who has his own personal mission and a secret character who has a protector – an assassin/sellsword called Sorrow.
The action and the story are pretty gripping. I think the author manages to keep the tension concerning the actual identify of the murderer in debate for a large portion of the story. I had my own thoughts on where the story was going but admit that the story was written in a way to keep more than one possibility alive and kicking.
In terms of criticisms. Well, Alya was one of my first thoughts in that respect. I don’t dislike her as a character particularly, but, I’m puzzled. She has the ability to change into this really cool creature and yet she spends the majority of the book either shut in a room hiding or being taken captive or just running away. She really doesn’t have much about her in that respect. She changes into her other form only twice in the book and never to actually evade capture or protect herself. I was just puzzled by her really. She seems to have no real chance of looking after herself at all. Merryn on the other hand has no shifting ability but he’s clever, quick witted and greatly skilled with a blade. Then we have Sorrow – an infamous assassin and sellsword – who frankly falls at the first hurdle!
I didn’t feel like we had enough time seeing or finding out about the shifters or seeing their other forms – but then this is the first book so there is room for more exploration. And, I felt the relationships – and the ending – were a tad rushed not to mention bittersweet.
And yet, in spite of my criticisms this was a very engaging read that I really enjoyed and it ended on a perfect set up for the next book.
I received a copy of this from the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Just finished reading Darkhaven and what a very enjoyable start to series this is. (at least I think or hope it’s a series?)
We start off with Ayla escaping from captivity with the help of her brother Myrren. From there we learn that Darkhaven is ruled by the Nightshades, people with the ability to shapeshift, known as Changers. The ruler of Darkhaven, Florentyne, is a Firedrake, the other forms taken by the purebloods are Griffin, Phoenix, Hydra or Unicorn. Florentyne is not a man to be messed with, ruthless and dark, he will stop at nothing to ensure the continuation of the Nightshade line. Unfortunately his son and heir, a trueblood, has manifested no ability to shift. His daughter however, born to a regular human during a second marriage can shift but not in a pure form. Ayla is not popular, not with her father, or the Helm, the body of training guards who are sworn to protect the Nightshades.
Florentyne has made the decision to disinherit his son and place Ayla as his heir. Of course, she’s got something to say about that and consequently her father places her into captivity. And, that brings us back to the start of the story with Ayla’s escape and the beginning of all the trouble as on the same night her father is murdered – by a charger. Ayla is the only other charger so she’s the number one suspect. From here we have a situation where Alya, having escaped to one of the lower rings of the city and secured the help of a former guard, now needs to clear her name. Meanwhile Myrren, also convinced of his sister’s innocence is also looking for evidence to prove her innocence assisted by a priestess who has been attacked by this murdering charger and may have additional information. Now, what makes this tricky is that the Helm are convinced of Ayla’s guilt, they’re not really too bothered about evidence, and they’re also looking for her.
I’m not going to go on about the world building because we only really see Darkhaven – which is dark – with good reason. The City is split into rings, all planned as means of defence in times of siege. I have no real idea about the shifters history, why they’re in control – I mean, obviously there used to be more of them, a lot more, and in their charger form they’re almost entirely invincible – almost, entirely! For some reason, there are a lot, lot less now – again, at this point, not sure why – and I’m not sure that it matters to the story to be honest. Although it does lead to some rather nasty realisations about what exactly needs to take place to ensure the survival of the remaining shifters – yeah!
Characters. Ayla and Myrren are the Nightshades. They are assisted by Tomas, former Helm guard who is now living in disgrace, and Serenna, the Priestess who is assisting Myrren. We also follow the course of one of the helm guards who has his own personal mission and a secret character who has a protector – an assassin/sellsword called Sorrow.
The action and the story are pretty gripping. I think the author manages to keep the tension concerning the actual identify of the murderer in debate for a large portion of the story. I had my own thoughts on where the story was going but admit that the story was written in a way to keep more than one possibility alive and kicking.
In terms of criticisms. Well, Alya was one of my first thoughts in that respect. I don’t dislike her as a character particularly, but, I’m puzzled. She has the ability to change into this really cool creature and yet she spends the majority of the book either shut in a room hiding or being taken captive or just running away. She really doesn’t have much about her in that respect. She changes into her other form only twice in the book and never to actually evade capture or protect herself. I was just puzzled by her really. She seems to have no real chance of looking after herself at all. Merryn on the other hand has no shifting ability but he’s clever, quick witted and greatly skilled with a blade. Then we have Sorrow – an infamous assassin and sellsword – who frankly falls at the first hurdle!
I didn’t feel like we had enough time seeing or finding out about the shifters or seeing their other forms – but then this is the first book so there is room for more exploration. And, I felt the relationships – and the ending – were a tad rushed not to mention bittersweet.
And yet, in spite of my criticisms this was a very engaging read that I really enjoyed and it ended on a perfect set up for the next book.
I received a copy of this from the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
June 23, 2016
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
Ayla lives in a world where the leaders of her land can transform into terrifying but beautiful beasts. Ayla also happens to be the ruler's daughter and is his only living child capable of changing which means her father has taking the right to be heir of Ayla's brother, and given it to Ayla...and she really doesn't want it. After arguing with her father, Ayla is locked up and then the night she escapes, her father is brutally murdered. On the run, and wrongly suspected of murder, Ayla needs all the help she can get, even if it's with the man who killed her mother.
This was one of those kind of books that after one chapter, I knew I was going to be completely enthralled. I mean, a world where one of the main characters can transform into a golden horse with a spiral horse and wings made of flame...awesome! I found the world and city the story was set in pretty interesting, and the way the city was laid out reminded me a little bit of Trudi Canavan's The Black Magician trilogy. I enjoyed pretty much all the POVs, with a particular favourite being Tom Caraway's and Ayla. Myrren and Serenna grew a little bit too soppy at points but they weren't too bad. There was enough action and mystery to keep me going, and I did jump around a few times to finally settle on who I believed was the mysterious Changer.
The book lost a star for me for how quickly some things seemed to wrap up. For all of the book, Ayla had been resenting Tom and he had purely helped her because of his loyalty to her family and his remorse over her mother. While the reader was told that Ayla had once fancied Tom, there no real sense of any flickers of attraction there until the very end where Ayla is rather blunt about the whole thing and Tom just goes along with it (even though there was pretty much nothing about how he felt about Ayla in that way in the rest of the story). I just would have liked this relationship to have built up more in terms of attraction and 'moments', like Serenna and Myrren's. I also felt this book was often a victim of the readers being told something, rather than shown. Travers repeatedly called Myrren weak and afraid, the same with Ayla talking about Tom's hangdog expression. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of this in the character's actions. I also would have liked more Changing in general but for reasons, Ayla trying to stay hidden, I understand why she couldn't.
This was a great fantasy debut, and I can only hope there is more to come!
Ayla lives in a world where the leaders of her land can transform into terrifying but beautiful beasts. Ayla also happens to be the ruler's daughter and is his only living child capable of changing which means her father has taking the right to be heir of Ayla's brother, and given it to Ayla...and she really doesn't want it. After arguing with her father, Ayla is locked up and then the night she escapes, her father is brutally murdered. On the run, and wrongly suspected of murder, Ayla needs all the help she can get, even if it's with the man who killed her mother.
This was one of those kind of books that after one chapter, I knew I was going to be completely enthralled. I mean, a world where one of the main characters can transform into a golden horse with a spiral horse and wings made of flame...awesome! I found the world and city the story was set in pretty interesting, and the way the city was laid out reminded me a little bit of Trudi Canavan's The Black Magician trilogy. I enjoyed pretty much all the POVs, with a particular favourite being Tom Caraway's and Ayla. Myrren and Serenna grew a little bit too soppy at points but they weren't too bad. There was enough action and mystery to keep me going, and I did jump around a few times to finally settle on who I believed was the mysterious Changer.
The book lost a star for me for how quickly some things seemed to wrap up. For all of the book, Ayla had been resenting Tom and he had purely helped her because of his loyalty to her family and his remorse over her mother. While the reader was told that Ayla had once fancied Tom, there no real sense of any flickers of attraction there until the very end where Ayla is rather blunt about the whole thing and Tom just goes along with it (even though there was pretty much nothing about how he felt about Ayla in that way in the rest of the story). I just would have liked this relationship to have built up more in terms of attraction and 'moments', like Serenna and Myrren's. I also felt this book was often a victim of the readers being told something, rather than shown. Travers repeatedly called Myrren weak and afraid, the same with Ayla talking about Tom's hangdog expression. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of this in the character's actions. I also would have liked more Changing in general but for reasons, Ayla trying to stay hidden, I understand why she couldn't.
This was a great fantasy debut, and I can only hope there is more to come!
August 24, 2015
This is a rich blend with base notes of the mythic and epic underpinning an urban setting in a world on the verge of industrialisation. A world in which the ruling class has turned in on itself and then stumbles – with far reaching consequences. And on top of this is the added spiciness of a mystery that will keep you guessing.
From the very beginning it is a story that grips. The intriguing set-up is wonderfully handled as the succession of consequences of the characters’ actions is almost hammered home. Yet you never feel you are being hit over the head with it, rather standing back and watching a virtuoso display as dominos start to fall, whole rows of them leading into different rooms you cannot yet see into.
The world itself is vividly drawn and layer upon layer is added as the book progresses. This takes you on a journey from the isolated austerity of the centre of the city where the ruling elite live through into wider and richer circles of humanity with something new, surprising yet nonetheless fitting round each street corner. The characters likewise unfold with subtlety exactly as if you were spending time with real people and getting to know them and their foibles.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was extremely well written. The plotting was deftly handled – everything flowed smoothly. The characters were well drawn. The pace was nicely judged and by the end didn’t go for the easy options. If that is all there is to be, I will be a happy reader, but… but… I really do hope there is more to come because I would buy any sequel without the slightest hesitation.
From the very beginning it is a story that grips. The intriguing set-up is wonderfully handled as the succession of consequences of the characters’ actions is almost hammered home. Yet you never feel you are being hit over the head with it, rather standing back and watching a virtuoso display as dominos start to fall, whole rows of them leading into different rooms you cannot yet see into.
The world itself is vividly drawn and layer upon layer is added as the book progresses. This takes you on a journey from the isolated austerity of the centre of the city where the ruling elite live through into wider and richer circles of humanity with something new, surprising yet nonetheless fitting round each street corner. The characters likewise unfold with subtlety exactly as if you were spending time with real people and getting to know them and their foibles.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was extremely well written. The plotting was deftly handled – everything flowed smoothly. The characters were well drawn. The pace was nicely judged and by the end didn’t go for the easy options. If that is all there is to be, I will be a happy reader, but… but… I really do hope there is more to come because I would buy any sequel without the slightest hesitation.
July 1, 2015
When Ayla escapes captivity, she finds herself in greater danger than she ever imagined possible. She can’t return to Darkhaven – not without facing punishment for a crime she didn’t commit. Myrren, desperate to investigate his father’s murder and clear his sister’s name, finds more questions than answers. Ayla teams up with the person she swore she’d never forgive, while Myrren has to determine who he can and cannot trust as he endeavors to investigate a string of attacks. When the mystery is solved, the implications are shocking and one thing is certain- Ayla’s and Myrren’s lives will never be the same.
Amazing. That’s the only word I can think of to describe this book. From the moment I began reading, I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading the last half of the book in one sitting. Yes, it’s that good! This book has everything – fantasy, sword battles, mythical creatures, shapeshifting, and more. All these elements are blended together perfectly in the world Smith has created. When you add in the cast of well-written, believable, likable (and not-so-likable) characters, you’ve got the perfect combination, at least in my opinion. I’m a sucker for complicated, multifaceted characters, and that’s what I’ve found in this book.
I would recommend this book to just about everyone. There’s so much that sets this book apart and makes it wonderfully unique. You won’t find better world-building and you won’t find better characters. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Amazing. That’s the only word I can think of to describe this book. From the moment I began reading, I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading the last half of the book in one sitting. Yes, it’s that good! This book has everything – fantasy, sword battles, mythical creatures, shapeshifting, and more. All these elements are blended together perfectly in the world Smith has created. When you add in the cast of well-written, believable, likable (and not-so-likable) characters, you’ve got the perfect combination, at least in my opinion. I’m a sucker for complicated, multifaceted characters, and that’s what I’ve found in this book.
I would recommend this book to just about everyone. There’s so much that sets this book apart and makes it wonderfully unique. You won’t find better world-building and you won’t find better characters. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
March 3, 2018
This was... interesting. It was an easy read and intriguing. This mixed genres, we had a royal family of shifters (with problems), a murder mystery, steampunk airships and pistols, and a ringed city with distinct quarters within the rings that added to the fantastical world. We follow a priestess as she tries to help the new Overlord clear his sister’s name, said sister, Ayla, as she seeks protection from the man she held responsible for her mother’s death, as well as both the men, Myrren (Overlord) and Tomas (disgraced soldier).
The characters didn’t have much depth and I guessed the ‘twist’ very early on, disappointingly early on, but that didn’t stop me reading. I was keen to see how the story unfolded, and while there wasn’t really any surprises as I had already guessed them, it was still an enjoyable read. Not sure I’ll carry the series on, but a good palate cleanser in between genres.
The characters didn’t have much depth and I guessed the ‘twist’ very early on, disappointingly early on, but that didn’t stop me reading. I was keen to see how the story unfolded, and while there wasn’t really any surprises as I had already guessed them, it was still an enjoyable read. Not sure I’ll carry the series on, but a good palate cleanser in between genres.
August 13, 2018
Gosh, why am I seemingly the only person on this whole website to not like this book?
For me, it really lacked world building. I had no idea how to classify it - was it steam punk? Was it Fantasy? No idea. Also a map in front of the book would have been great. I was lost a lot and couldn't concentrate on where the characters were located.
The characters... Oh well. At first I thought we would get some kick-ass female protagonist but it turned out to be a damsel in distress. Ayla did nothing but wait for others to do some work. Furthermore the characters were mostly bland and colourless. I couldn't realate to any of them nor could I comprehend their actions. It took me to read nearly 60% of the book until something happened. No action, no thrill, no nothing.
Second star is for the idea, too bad the execution was not for my liking.
For me, it really lacked world building. I had no idea how to classify it - was it steam punk? Was it Fantasy? No idea. Also a map in front of the book would have been great. I was lost a lot and couldn't concentrate on where the characters were located.
The characters... Oh well. At first I thought we would get some kick-ass female protagonist but it turned out to be a damsel in distress. Ayla did nothing but wait for others to do some work. Furthermore the characters were mostly bland and colourless. I couldn't realate to any of them nor could I comprehend their actions. It took me to read nearly 60% of the book until something happened. No action, no thrill, no nothing.
Second star is for the idea, too bad the execution was not for my liking.
February 23, 2016
Shapechangers, romance, and a murder plot - all contained within a tightly-controlled, heavily stratified city with an oppressive citadel at its heart... Darkhaven steals elements from several sub-genres for its setting, but does so with style and never loses sight of the central mystery.
Ayla's flight through the rings of the city, and her brother's quest to find her, contrast well against each other. Their father casts a long shadow over the story, both main characters running to escape his influence. The shape-changing element, while key to the plot, never intrudes so much as to unbalance the plot. And there's a satisfying ending for two supporting characters despite the inevitable tragedy that Smith has carefully plotted out.
Definitely one to follow up.
Ayla's flight through the rings of the city, and her brother's quest to find her, contrast well against each other. Their father casts a long shadow over the story, both main characters running to escape his influence. The shape-changing element, while key to the plot, never intrudes so much as to unbalance the plot. And there's a satisfying ending for two supporting characters despite the inevitable tragedy that Smith has carefully plotted out.
Definitely one to follow up.
February 1, 2016
This book really took off for me when Ayla is on the run from Darkhaven and collides with Tomas, the guard thrown out years ago for failing to save her mother from a landslide. Ayla always blamed him for her mother's death, and now he might be the only thing keeping Ayla alive. If he can stay away from the drink long enough.
Tomas quickly became my favorite character. He made the story for me! I loved the interaction between Ayla and Tomas. It added just the touch of romance for me.
Tomas quickly became my favorite character. He made the story for me! I loved the interaction between Ayla and Tomas. It added just the touch of romance for me.
August 20, 2015
This book is a brilliant blend of dark fairy tale, epic fantasy, and murder mystery, featuring a tight cast of intriguing, nuanced characters. Had a hard time putting it down once it got going. And the conclusion managed to wrap everything up in a bittersweet bow, while still leaving room for so much more.
October 31, 2015
A F E Smith’s Darkhaven was a thoroughly engrossing read. Set in a believable fantasy world beautifully realised, and with an intriguing mystery skilfully unravelled. A delight!
November 19, 2015
I received a copy of Darkhaven from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'll be honest, it was Darkhaven's gorgeous cover that first drew me in. Just look at it. Isn't it beautiful?
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. It's been so long since I immersed myself in high fantasy that I've become a little intimidated by the genre; sometimes I find it difficult to grasp entire new worlds and remember everyone's strange names, but I've been eager to get back into high fantasy because I loved it so much when I was younger. In Darkhaven I found a good ol' fashioned high fantasy meets whodunnit, and the combination of the fantastical with a murder mystery is a lot of fun!
The Nightshades have ruled Darkhaven for years, for they possess the ability to transform into great and powerful creatures. Overlord Florentyn Nightshade has the ability to turn into a firedrake, and given that he can literally burn villages to the ground if he wants to it's no wonder that no one dares question his rule. No one, that is, aside from his daughter, Ayla. Though Ayla possesses the gift to change, the creature she transforms into is a peculiar hybrid of fantastical creatures due to her mother being only human. Her older, half-brother Myrren, on the other hand, cannot change at all despite being a full-blooded Nightshade. Florentyn is embarrassed by both his children, but as Ayla is the one child who can change it is she he intends to bestow the crown upon after his death. Ayla, however, cannot bear to take that away from her beloved brother.
Then Florentyn is brutally murdered by another Changer, and when all fingers point to Ayla it's only Myrren who believes she is innocent.
If I'm completely honest I've never really been a big fan of stories involving shapeshifters, but these I liked; I loved the idea of the royal family having this gift which meant they were literally lethal, and how the Nightshades' desperation for purity has led them to breed with another so much that now only Florentyn, Myrren and Ayla remain.
I would have liked to know a little more about how the people felt about the royals, though. I could never quite tell if the Nightshades were popular or not; many of the people seemed to dislike Ayla because she had a human mother, but I was surprised that so many of the population would have held that against her. Wouldn't they have been pleased to see someone a little more like them within the royal family?
There were a few things about Darkhaven that I found a little off, the tone being one of them. Parts of the story felt as though it was aimed at a YA or younger audience - there was quite a bit of blushing when people were accused of liking someone else - and then suddenly BAM! Sex scene. It was a little jarring, though I did appreciate that Smith didn't shy away from the darker aspects of her world and the people in it; particularly the scene in which the villainous Travers visits a brothel.
I also sometimes felt as though the narrative and the characters were at odds with one another. The narrative would say something about one of the characters, such as how strong and capable they are, and then the character would be... useless. The character I probably had the biggest problem with was Ayla herself; she had real gumption when she stood up to her father, but then as soon as she teamed up with Caraway she became nothing but a damsel in distress and lost a lot of her agency. In fact Ayla spent a lot of the novel, which I assumed was mainly going to be about her, just sitting around and waiting for other people to solve her problems. The woman could literally turn into a powerful, fantastical creature and I wanted to see her defend herself a little more.
I did quite like her brother, Myrren - particularly how he refused to believe his sister was guilty, even when so much of the evidence pointed at her - and I really enjoyed Sorrow and Elisse, two side characters who find themselves caught up in the world of the Nightshades. I was pleasantly surprised to find queer characters in this book, one of whom is a queer sellsword no less, and I loved that Smith didn't make a big deal about their sexuality. It was treated as perfectly ordinary which is wonderful, because so many queer characters' stories seem to revolve around the fact that they're queer. I hope Smith explores these two more in future. I'd love a story about the two of them wreaking havoc and becoming pirates together, or something along those lines.
All in all Darkhaven isn't the best fantasy I've ever read, but there's a lot of potential in this world that Smith has created; in fact this book as a whole almost felt like the prequel to a book that hasn't been written yet, if that makes any sense. If you're a fan of shapeshifters and books that follow an ensemble cast of characters then I recommend checking this one out, and I hope Smith decides to flesh this world out in future!
I'll be honest, it was Darkhaven's gorgeous cover that first drew me in. Just look at it. Isn't it beautiful?
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. It's been so long since I immersed myself in high fantasy that I've become a little intimidated by the genre; sometimes I find it difficult to grasp entire new worlds and remember everyone's strange names, but I've been eager to get back into high fantasy because I loved it so much when I was younger. In Darkhaven I found a good ol' fashioned high fantasy meets whodunnit, and the combination of the fantastical with a murder mystery is a lot of fun!
The Nightshades have ruled Darkhaven for years, for they possess the ability to transform into great and powerful creatures. Overlord Florentyn Nightshade has the ability to turn into a firedrake, and given that he can literally burn villages to the ground if he wants to it's no wonder that no one dares question his rule. No one, that is, aside from his daughter, Ayla. Though Ayla possesses the gift to change, the creature she transforms into is a peculiar hybrid of fantastical creatures due to her mother being only human. Her older, half-brother Myrren, on the other hand, cannot change at all despite being a full-blooded Nightshade. Florentyn is embarrassed by both his children, but as Ayla is the one child who can change it is she he intends to bestow the crown upon after his death. Ayla, however, cannot bear to take that away from her beloved brother.
Then Florentyn is brutally murdered by another Changer, and when all fingers point to Ayla it's only Myrren who believes she is innocent.
If I'm completely honest I've never really been a big fan of stories involving shapeshifters, but these I liked; I loved the idea of the royal family having this gift which meant they were literally lethal, and how the Nightshades' desperation for purity has led them to breed with another so much that now only Florentyn, Myrren and Ayla remain.
I would have liked to know a little more about how the people felt about the royals, though. I could never quite tell if the Nightshades were popular or not; many of the people seemed to dislike Ayla because she had a human mother, but I was surprised that so many of the population would have held that against her. Wouldn't they have been pleased to see someone a little more like them within the royal family?
There were a few things about Darkhaven that I found a little off, the tone being one of them. Parts of the story felt as though it was aimed at a YA or younger audience - there was quite a bit of blushing when people were accused of liking someone else - and then suddenly BAM! Sex scene. It was a little jarring, though I did appreciate that Smith didn't shy away from the darker aspects of her world and the people in it; particularly the scene in which the villainous Travers visits a brothel.
I also sometimes felt as though the narrative and the characters were at odds with one another. The narrative would say something about one of the characters, such as how strong and capable they are, and then the character would be... useless. The character I probably had the biggest problem with was Ayla herself; she had real gumption when she stood up to her father, but then as soon as she teamed up with Caraway she became nothing but a damsel in distress and lost a lot of her agency. In fact Ayla spent a lot of the novel, which I assumed was mainly going to be about her, just sitting around and waiting for other people to solve her problems. The woman could literally turn into a powerful, fantastical creature and I wanted to see her defend herself a little more.
I did quite like her brother, Myrren - particularly how he refused to believe his sister was guilty, even when so much of the evidence pointed at her - and I really enjoyed Sorrow and Elisse, two side characters who find themselves caught up in the world of the Nightshades. I was pleasantly surprised to find queer characters in this book, one of whom is a queer sellsword no less, and I loved that Smith didn't make a big deal about their sexuality. It was treated as perfectly ordinary which is wonderful, because so many queer characters' stories seem to revolve around the fact that they're queer. I hope Smith explores these two more in future. I'd love a story about the two of them wreaking havoc and becoming pirates together, or something along those lines.
All in all Darkhaven isn't the best fantasy I've ever read, but there's a lot of potential in this world that Smith has created; in fact this book as a whole almost felt like the prequel to a book that hasn't been written yet, if that makes any sense. If you're a fan of shapeshifters and books that follow an ensemble cast of characters then I recommend checking this one out, and I hope Smith decides to flesh this world out in future!
July 23, 2020
This was advertised as a murdery mystery in a fantasy setting. While that is technically true, at least to me there was no mystery at all. As soon as the characters were introduced I roughly knew where the book was headed and I turned out to be completely correct.
When starting the book I didn't know this was YA, but it became clear quite soon. Everything is rather simplistic and geared more toward the Y instead of the A. Still, my fault for picking it up, I guess.
Overall this is not a bad book, if you're the target audience. Which I am most decidedly not.
When starting the book I didn't know this was YA, but it became clear quite soon. Everything is rather simplistic and geared more toward the Y instead of the A. Still, my fault for picking it up, I guess.
Overall this is not a bad book, if you're the target audience. Which I am most decidedly not.
July 3, 2015
I enjoyed this fantasy mystery with its magical shapeshifters and close sibling bond. However, the world-building is fairly light for such an intriguing place, which left me wanting to know more both about Darkhaven, the city it sits above and the rest of the country the Nightshade family rule. I would also have liked to know more about those Nightshades too, and just where their changing gift comes from.
But that’s all High Fantasy stuff, which isn’t always to everyone’s taste, so approach this book as Fantasy Lite, with fantastical elements (other world, shapeshifters) in a psuedo-Victorian/steampunk setting, complete with airships, trams and a rare gun or two and you'll be fine. Mostly this is an intriguing character-driven tale with several viewpoints as Ayla runs and hides for her life, while her older brother Myrren tries to work out who murdered their father. Clearly a Changer did it, but as Ayla is the only other known Changer in the city it either has to be her (which Myrren refuses to believe) or something strange is afoot.
I liked Myrren more than Ayla, he’s a more well-rounded character. He’s older, shoulders his responsibilities well and has the advantage of being able to get things done in this book. Ayla, unfortunately, spends most of her time hiding away somewhere, being surly and utterly failing to protect herself when needed. That last point really frustrated me – she’s a Changer! Why doesn’t she change? So what if she brings the house down on them all, would she really rather the nasty Helm get their dirty mitts on her and lock her up for life? Apparently so. Actually, the whole scarcity of actual changing made me a little sad too. It does happen, but very rarely.
Away from the Nightshade siblings there’s a clever priestess who is good at ferreting out pertinent information (and gives us the only real insight into those Changers), a disgrace former guardsman who has battled with alcohol and the contempt of his former comrades, a country girl and a female sellsword. These four definitely help to round out the action, bringing in different viewpoints and interesting lives to keep things ticking over while Ayla sits on her hands and Myrren scratches his head.
We also have the villainous Captain Travers, leader of the Helm guard that’s supposed to protect the Nightshade family, but in reality doesn’t think much of Myrren (for his inability to change) or Ayla (because she’s only half-blood Nightshade and her change-creature is a hybrid). Travers is sneaky and rude and obsessed with Ayla in all the wrong ways. While the unknown Changer is a physical threat that hangs over the whole story, Travers is darker and more insidious with his plans to recapture Ayla.
Though this book isn’t as detailed as I might have liked and I missed any hint of political machinations, overall it’s a fast-paced tale that grabbed my attention and refused to let go. It’s a straight up mystery with heavy hints of romance on all sides as they race against time to solve the puzzle, clear Ayla’s name and keep them all safe both from the mystery Changer and the treacherous Helm. It’s not too big or too complicated and it certainly isn’t grim-dark (thankfully). As long as you don’t approach it expecting High Fantasy complexity or political machinations, then you should find plenty to enjoy here. The ending, while packing a few sharp punches, also leaves things open for more and I’d definitely be up for exploring more of this world.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
But that’s all High Fantasy stuff, which isn’t always to everyone’s taste, so approach this book as Fantasy Lite, with fantastical elements (other world, shapeshifters) in a psuedo-Victorian/steampunk setting, complete with airships, trams and a rare gun or two and you'll be fine. Mostly this is an intriguing character-driven tale with several viewpoints as Ayla runs and hides for her life, while her older brother Myrren tries to work out who murdered their father. Clearly a Changer did it, but as Ayla is the only other known Changer in the city it either has to be her (which Myrren refuses to believe) or something strange is afoot.
I liked Myrren more than Ayla, he’s a more well-rounded character. He’s older, shoulders his responsibilities well and has the advantage of being able to get things done in this book. Ayla, unfortunately, spends most of her time hiding away somewhere, being surly and utterly failing to protect herself when needed. That last point really frustrated me – she’s a Changer! Why doesn’t she change? So what if she brings the house down on them all, would she really rather the nasty Helm get their dirty mitts on her and lock her up for life? Apparently so. Actually, the whole scarcity of actual changing made me a little sad too. It does happen, but very rarely.
Away from the Nightshade siblings there’s a clever priestess who is good at ferreting out pertinent information (and gives us the only real insight into those Changers), a disgrace former guardsman who has battled with alcohol and the contempt of his former comrades, a country girl and a female sellsword. These four definitely help to round out the action, bringing in different viewpoints and interesting lives to keep things ticking over while Ayla sits on her hands and Myrren scratches his head.
We also have the villainous Captain Travers, leader of the Helm guard that’s supposed to protect the Nightshade family, but in reality doesn’t think much of Myrren (for his inability to change) or Ayla (because she’s only half-blood Nightshade and her change-creature is a hybrid). Travers is sneaky and rude and obsessed with Ayla in all the wrong ways. While the unknown Changer is a physical threat that hangs over the whole story, Travers is darker and more insidious with his plans to recapture Ayla.
Though this book isn’t as detailed as I might have liked and I missed any hint of political machinations, overall it’s a fast-paced tale that grabbed my attention and refused to let go. It’s a straight up mystery with heavy hints of romance on all sides as they race against time to solve the puzzle, clear Ayla’s name and keep them all safe both from the mystery Changer and the treacherous Helm. It’s not too big or too complicated and it certainly isn’t grim-dark (thankfully). As long as you don’t approach it expecting High Fantasy complexity or political machinations, then you should find plenty to enjoy here. The ending, while packing a few sharp punches, also leaves things open for more and I’d definitely be up for exploring more of this world.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
January 18, 2016
"Darkhaven" an exciting new fantasy adventure is set in the kingdom of Mirrorvale where Florentyne Nightshade a pure-blood shapeshifter rules with an iron fist. In a land where the Nightshade family rules because of their ability to "Change" Myrren Nightshade is considered abnormal; a pureblood who can't shapeshift. Usually he would have changed into one of five forms by age fourteen, mating with his half-blood sister Ayla to keep the bloodline strong but Myrren has never been able to change even when provoked. Afraid that without a legitimate heir the Nightshades will lose their grip on the country Florentyne takes harsh measures to persuade Ayla to take over as the heir but she continues to refuse.
The plot heats up when Ayla escapes from her detention cell on the night her father is brutally slain. Because Ayla is the only Nightshade left at Darkhaven the Helm-the royal guard- begins hunting her through the levels of Arkannen. With the help of a former Helmsman Ayla struggles to find the truth while her brother and a priestess of the Altar of Flame believing in her innocence search for clues that will reveal the real murderer.
Threads of this well-developed mesmerizing story center around the hunt for Ayla, Myrren and Serenna's search for the truth and Florentyne's alternate plan for an heir. Cleverly the author builds the action and adventure as Tomas Caraway clashes with the Helm guard in his search for proof of Ayla's innocence while Myrren and the priestess Serenna uncover Florentyn's scheme to breed another heir. With each twist and turn the story reveals past guilt, pain and tragedy in the lives of the characters as the mystery deepens and passion ignites between Myrren and Serenna, and romance stirs between Alya and Tomas. The plot is intense and gripping with its power politics as Captain Travers tries to increase the influence and authority of the Helm only to be thwarted at every turn by Myrren. The pace never slows as events flow towards a violent confrontation and startling discovery at the end.
The characters are unforgettable and passionate, each with imperfections that gives complexity to their personalities. Ayla Nightshade with the mixed blood of a human mother and Florentyne flowing through her veins can change into a hybrid creature which only her brother and father have seen. Haunted by the death of her mother she tends to be a bitter and arrogant young woman with mercurial moods, but is also strong-willed and resilient as she stays one step ahead of the Helm. Myrren Nightshade her brother, a skilled swordsman incapable of shapeshifting is controlled, direct and honest , his dreams and headaches masking a dark secret. Serenna a priestess of the Altar of Flame is non-judgmental, observant and clever while Tomas Caraway is a drunkard looking for redemption from the guilt and shame that shattered his self-worth, confidence and pride as a Helmsman. These personalities and others infuse this page- turner with excitement, high-energy and drama.
I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative fantasy with its shapeshifters, mystery and political intrigue. I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see where A.F.E. Smith takes the story next.
The plot heats up when Ayla escapes from her detention cell on the night her father is brutally slain. Because Ayla is the only Nightshade left at Darkhaven the Helm-the royal guard- begins hunting her through the levels of Arkannen. With the help of a former Helmsman Ayla struggles to find the truth while her brother and a priestess of the Altar of Flame believing in her innocence search for clues that will reveal the real murderer.
Threads of this well-developed mesmerizing story center around the hunt for Ayla, Myrren and Serenna's search for the truth and Florentyne's alternate plan for an heir. Cleverly the author builds the action and adventure as Tomas Caraway clashes with the Helm guard in his search for proof of Ayla's innocence while Myrren and the priestess Serenna uncover Florentyn's scheme to breed another heir. With each twist and turn the story reveals past guilt, pain and tragedy in the lives of the characters as the mystery deepens and passion ignites between Myrren and Serenna, and romance stirs between Alya and Tomas. The plot is intense and gripping with its power politics as Captain Travers tries to increase the influence and authority of the Helm only to be thwarted at every turn by Myrren. The pace never slows as events flow towards a violent confrontation and startling discovery at the end.
The characters are unforgettable and passionate, each with imperfections that gives complexity to their personalities. Ayla Nightshade with the mixed blood of a human mother and Florentyne flowing through her veins can change into a hybrid creature which only her brother and father have seen. Haunted by the death of her mother she tends to be a bitter and arrogant young woman with mercurial moods, but is also strong-willed and resilient as she stays one step ahead of the Helm. Myrren Nightshade her brother, a skilled swordsman incapable of shapeshifting is controlled, direct and honest , his dreams and headaches masking a dark secret. Serenna a priestess of the Altar of Flame is non-judgmental, observant and clever while Tomas Caraway is a drunkard looking for redemption from the guilt and shame that shattered his self-worth, confidence and pride as a Helmsman. These personalities and others infuse this page- turner with excitement, high-energy and drama.
I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative fantasy with its shapeshifters, mystery and political intrigue. I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see where A.F.E. Smith takes the story next.
July 12, 2015
Where to start. Ah yes, first up, a disclaimer:
I have crossed paths with A.F.E. Smith on social media, to the point where I was interviewed at the Facebook launch party. I'd read her stuff on a critique site called Authonomy years ago so I knew it was likely to be good. I also knew that Harper Collins selected it for publication from over 10,000 manuscripts they received when they opened their lists to unsolicited submissions for a couple of months a few years ago. For all that, I wasn't sure what it was going to be like.
As it turns out, I really enjoyed this book. It had just the right amount of depth, action and romance for me.
As a whodunnit, I have to confess, I'd got the murderer pegged pretty much straight away but that isn't really the point, there's a lot more going on. We have a touching romance, a really sinister and nasty baddie and some extra twists to add an extra dimension. It starts off at a brisk pace and keeps you reading and turning pages when you really ought to be turning the light out and going to sleep.
The characters were real and vivid, I really liked Ayla and Thomas Cardew but I also had a soft spot for Myrren and Naeve Sorrow, the assassin with depth. OK I liked them all, except for the ones I was supposed to dislike who I found myself loathing accordingly.
The setting is interesting, you have a bit of a steam punk vibe going on with airships, although I never really had it as that Victorian like in my head, maybe because of the names of the sword moves - they were very oriental and with the concentric circles of the city I was imagining a kind of House of the Flying Daggers type vibe. That said, I'm sure I've seen stuff about cities that were zoned the same way as Darkhaven in South American ruins, so there were a nice feel of geographical mashing up going on. There's enough detail to give you a vivid mental picture and get you interested without it getting in the way.
It also had a very satisfactory ending which, at the same time, left plenty of scope for a sequel.
A fine debut: Recommended. Indeed, if I hadn't taken part in the launch party, I'd give it 5, but since I have, it has to be 4 because if I give it 5 nobody will believe me.
I have crossed paths with A.F.E. Smith on social media, to the point where I was interviewed at the Facebook launch party. I'd read her stuff on a critique site called Authonomy years ago so I knew it was likely to be good. I also knew that Harper Collins selected it for publication from over 10,000 manuscripts they received when they opened their lists to unsolicited submissions for a couple of months a few years ago. For all that, I wasn't sure what it was going to be like.
As it turns out, I really enjoyed this book. It had just the right amount of depth, action and romance for me.
As a whodunnit, I have to confess, I'd got the murderer pegged pretty much straight away but that isn't really the point, there's a lot more going on. We have a touching romance, a really sinister and nasty baddie and some extra twists to add an extra dimension. It starts off at a brisk pace and keeps you reading and turning pages when you really ought to be turning the light out and going to sleep.
The characters were real and vivid, I really liked Ayla and Thomas Cardew but I also had a soft spot for Myrren and Naeve Sorrow, the assassin with depth. OK I liked them all, except for the ones I was supposed to dislike who I found myself loathing accordingly.
The setting is interesting, you have a bit of a steam punk vibe going on with airships, although I never really had it as that Victorian like in my head, maybe because of the names of the sword moves - they were very oriental and with the concentric circles of the city I was imagining a kind of House of the Flying Daggers type vibe. That said, I'm sure I've seen stuff about cities that were zoned the same way as Darkhaven in South American ruins, so there were a nice feel of geographical mashing up going on. There's enough detail to give you a vivid mental picture and get you interested without it getting in the way.
It also had a very satisfactory ending which, at the same time, left plenty of scope for a sequel.
A fine debut: Recommended. Indeed, if I hadn't taken part in the launch party, I'd give it 5, but since I have, it has to be 4 because if I give it 5 nobody will believe me.
June 30, 2015
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in the exchange for an honest review.
There better be more books coming to us! Darkhaven was fantastic.
Synopsis: Darkhaven is home to the Nightshade family. They are the only ones left that have the ability to be a Changer. However, not everyone in the Nightshade bloodline can Change. It is a rare gift, and whoever has it is next in line for the throne. Ayla is a hybrid Changer, and a disgrace to her father. Her father does not want Ayla to inherit the throne. He prefers her brother Myrren. Which is fine by Ayla because she does not want the throne anyways. Ayla soon becomes an outcast from Darkhaven because she is accused of murder and random attacks. She is the only Changer in Darkhaven, and most people do not know what form she takes. If she is not guilty, then why is she on the run?
Review: I love the world of Darkhaven. I do wish there were a little bit more action from the creatures of Darkhaven. The Changers have the ability to be human, and take another form at will. They can be a firedrake, phoenix, hydra, griffin, or a unicorn. In some rare cases, like Ayla, a changer can be a hybrid. Ayla goes on the run from Darkhaven for a majority of the book. The only way she can survive is to trust the guy who may have killed her mother. The outlook is not looking so great, but she knows she is not the one attacking Darkhaven. She is wanted for murder, and some will stop at nothing to keep her a prisoner. This book was fast paced and left me wanting more. Even the epilogue was amazing. I hope there is more!
Characters: The reader is introduced to a lot of characters. I do not know if I made a real connection with any of them. However, I think if there are more books in the series I will definitely feel differently. I just wish we got to read more of these Changers. I love mythical creatures.
There better be more books coming to us! Darkhaven was fantastic.
Synopsis: Darkhaven is home to the Nightshade family. They are the only ones left that have the ability to be a Changer. However, not everyone in the Nightshade bloodline can Change. It is a rare gift, and whoever has it is next in line for the throne. Ayla is a hybrid Changer, and a disgrace to her father. Her father does not want Ayla to inherit the throne. He prefers her brother Myrren. Which is fine by Ayla because she does not want the throne anyways. Ayla soon becomes an outcast from Darkhaven because she is accused of murder and random attacks. She is the only Changer in Darkhaven, and most people do not know what form she takes. If she is not guilty, then why is she on the run?
Review: I love the world of Darkhaven. I do wish there were a little bit more action from the creatures of Darkhaven. The Changers have the ability to be human, and take another form at will. They can be a firedrake, phoenix, hydra, griffin, or a unicorn. In some rare cases, like Ayla, a changer can be a hybrid. Ayla goes on the run from Darkhaven for a majority of the book. The only way she can survive is to trust the guy who may have killed her mother. The outlook is not looking so great, but she knows she is not the one attacking Darkhaven. She is wanted for murder, and some will stop at nothing to keep her a prisoner. This book was fast paced and left me wanting more. Even the epilogue was amazing. I hope there is more!
Characters: The reader is introduced to a lot of characters. I do not know if I made a real connection with any of them. However, I think if there are more books in the series I will definitely feel differently. I just wish we got to read more of these Changers. I love mythical creatures.
June 3, 2015
You can find my reviews at: The Titan's Tomb
*ARC received for an honest review, thank you!
Told through different point of views, Darkhaven was an intriguing read of mystery and fantasy. Although the author kind of just throws you into this new and confusing world, leaving you to scramble to catch up and to understand, most of it is left to your own imagination, which I enjoyed more than long descriptions of buildings and such in most books. Arkanaan is a magical world which I loved reading about, but unfortunately, the main character didn't do much for me. Ayla is contemptuous and allows the other characters to fight her battles for her while she sits in a room complaining about the plumbing. It also annoyed me that whenever she was attacked all she managed was a few lousy hits while hoping that someone else will help her, you have the power to shapeshift what are you doing slapping people?! Thank god for Sorrow, a female assassin and total badass, because if she hadn't turned up when she did I would have thrown the book down in total annoyance. While the mystery of the murders around the city kept me interested and trying to guess who was responsible, I guessed it half way through and had to drag myself to the end. I really wanted this book to succeed in getting me to like it because it had so much potential, and my high hopes for it might be why I'm a bit disappointed.
*ARC received for an honest review, thank you!
Told through different point of views, Darkhaven was an intriguing read of mystery and fantasy. Although the author kind of just throws you into this new and confusing world, leaving you to scramble to catch up and to understand, most of it is left to your own imagination, which I enjoyed more than long descriptions of buildings and such in most books. Arkanaan is a magical world which I loved reading about, but unfortunately, the main character didn't do much for me. Ayla is contemptuous and allows the other characters to fight her battles for her while she sits in a room complaining about the plumbing. It also annoyed me that whenever she was attacked all she managed was a few lousy hits while hoping that someone else will help her, you have the power to shapeshift what are you doing slapping people?! Thank god for Sorrow, a female assassin and total badass, because if she hadn't turned up when she did I would have thrown the book down in total annoyance. While the mystery of the murders around the city kept me interested and trying to guess who was responsible, I guessed it half way through and had to drag myself to the end. I really wanted this book to succeed in getting me to like it because it had so much potential, and my high hopes for it might be why I'm a bit disappointed.
June 22, 2015
Originally posted on http://mikkysworldofbooks.blogspot.fr...
Ayla is a member of the Nightshade family and a changer.
Her family rules over Darkhaven, but not all of them can Change and only the ones with the ability will inherit the throne.
She and her brother, Myrren, are seen as disappointments by their father. One for her abilities and the other for the lack of them.
But something happens and, soon, Ayla will find herself on the run and being forced to trust a man who might truly be a murderer, just to stay alive.
I was caught up in this novel from the beginning. There are a lot of mythical creatures in it, so it was a big bonus. It was like reading a Greek legend but with a whole set of new and interesting elements.
Ayla’s journey to finding out who killed her father is full of action, mysteries, twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Nightshade family seems to have a few dark secrets the king has taken to his grave and she will discover a lot more than she was expecting.
I really hope this will be a series because, in my opinion, there were still questions left unanswered.
For being a debut novel, it was really well written. A captivating, fast paced story with fascinating characters that I’m sure you’ll like just as much as I did.
Great job, Anna! I highly recommend it!
Happy Reading!
Ayla is a member of the Nightshade family and a changer.
Her family rules over Darkhaven, but not all of them can Change and only the ones with the ability will inherit the throne.
She and her brother, Myrren, are seen as disappointments by their father. One for her abilities and the other for the lack of them.
But something happens and, soon, Ayla will find herself on the run and being forced to trust a man who might truly be a murderer, just to stay alive.
I was caught up in this novel from the beginning. There are a lot of mythical creatures in it, so it was a big bonus. It was like reading a Greek legend but with a whole set of new and interesting elements.
Ayla’s journey to finding out who killed her father is full of action, mysteries, twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Nightshade family seems to have a few dark secrets the king has taken to his grave and she will discover a lot more than she was expecting.
I really hope this will be a series because, in my opinion, there were still questions left unanswered.
For being a debut novel, it was really well written. A captivating, fast paced story with fascinating characters that I’m sure you’ll like just as much as I did.
Great job, Anna! I highly recommend it!
Happy Reading!
February 1, 2016
Darkhaven is a fantastic read- one of my absolute favorites of 2015. It's got everything- action, mystery, romance- but the story is uncompromised in spite of drawing from such varied elements.
For mystery fans out there, this book is perfectly structured. It switches its point-of-view from character to character, including the villain (who is not necessarily the killer- no spoilers here!) In the hands of a lesser writer, such a delicate balancing act might fall to pieces, but not here. Darkhaven gives up its secrets one at a time, with a truly compelling final act.
The characters are vivid, fully realized people. Smith takes special care to ensure that the reader completely understands every person in the story- what they want and what they're willing to do to get it- and no two characters are alike. I could go on and on!!! This book is so good!
For mystery fans out there, this book is perfectly structured. It switches its point-of-view from character to character, including the villain (who is not necessarily the killer- no spoilers here!) In the hands of a lesser writer, such a delicate balancing act might fall to pieces, but not here. Darkhaven gives up its secrets one at a time, with a truly compelling final act.
The characters are vivid, fully realized people. Smith takes special care to ensure that the reader completely understands every person in the story- what they want and what they're willing to do to get it- and no two characters are alike. I could go on and on!!! This book is so good!
January 16, 2016
Darkhaven was such a refreshing read. It had the feel of an epic fantasy but without the ponderous descriptions and was easy to read.
I loved the mystery surrounding the death of her father and who could possibly be the other 'changer'. I had my suspicions from the very beginning so the reveal wasn't a surprise but it didn't in any way affect my overall enjoyment of the story and I enjoyed the hints and suspense.
The romantic elements were thankfully not overly present and I really like the shapeshifting element which I haven't come across much outside of urban fantasy so that was interesting.
The author's writing style kept me engaged and I found myself unwilling to set it aside. The characters are well developed and the pacing is steady without lags. I was totally caught up in this world and I highly recommend this book!!
I loved the mystery surrounding the death of her father and who could possibly be the other 'changer'. I had my suspicions from the very beginning so the reveal wasn't a surprise but it didn't in any way affect my overall enjoyment of the story and I enjoyed the hints and suspense.
The romantic elements were thankfully not overly present and I really like the shapeshifting element which I haven't come across much outside of urban fantasy so that was interesting.
The author's writing style kept me engaged and I found myself unwilling to set it aside. The characters are well developed and the pacing is steady without lags. I was totally caught up in this world and I highly recommend this book!!
October 30, 2015
Florentyn Nightshade, ruler of Darkhaven, doesn’t hide his disappointment with his children. Myrren, his pure-bred heir, cannot Change into one of the fearsome beasts who rule Darkhaven with an iron hand and Ayla, his half-bred daughter, can Change but her beast is an inferior hybrid. When Florentyn asks Ayla to usurp Myrren’s place, Ayla rebells and her father incarcerates her beneath the castle. Myrren loves his sister and takes matters into his own hands on the same night that a terrible murder takes place in Darkhaven, throwing his sister under suspicion and driving her away from her home. Wonderful world-building reminiscent of Seraphina draws the reader in but it is the superb characterization that marks this fantasy for success! Fans will be wildly anticipating the sequel!
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