In Dawn and Darkness

Secrets of Itlantis #5

by Kate Avery Ellison

Alliances have been formed. Stakes have been set. Time is running out. Aemi and her team of unlikely allies from across the ocean must find the mythic and long-lost final city before war with Nautilus destroys the rest of Itlantis. Secrets must be uncovered, and Aemi is still discovering her role in the fate of the republic. As enemies close in, who can she trust?

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Mermaids, Young Adult

286 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

I've been making up stories since I was five years old, and now I'm thrilled to be able to do it as a full-time job. I have an obsession with dark fantasy, dystopian futures, and Pride and Prejudice-style love stories full of witty banter and sizzling, unspoken feelings. When I'm not writing, I'm creating digital art, reading funny blogs, or watching my favorite shows (which include TVD and BSG). I live with my geeky husband and our two bad cats in Atlanta, GA.

Click here to read the first chapter of THE CURSE GIRL!

Click here to read the first chapter of FROST!

Attention Book Bloggers ~ If you are interested in interviewing me or reviewing one of my books, send me a message. I'd love to hear from you! (Please note: I am currently not able to fulfill most requests for print copies at this time, but you can always ask. However, I am ALWAYS able and happy to provide e-copies or PDFs of my books in exchange for an honest review.)

If you're wondering why I categorize books as "breathless," "cake," or "amnesia," check out this blog post!

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The journey is over. Some interesting twists in this. One really surprised me but also had me oddly happy. There is a lot of traveling in this one again but honestly, the timeline and locations felt a bit disjointed at times. Also, there were a couple of blatant typo word and name errors and for a finished book, it bothered me. I wish we got more with Kit in this as well. I felt his character had ptoential to expand upon since the first book but no luck. But the story is still very enjoyable.
One a major positive-I LOVED the epilogue!!! Rarely have a seen a book wrapped up so well. All questions really are answered Nothing and nobody forgotten or left to question. I appreciate this more than I can express! Well done!!! Now I would just love a side story around Valus. :)

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Kate Avery Ellison for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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


In Dawn and Darkness is the fifth and final book in Kate Avery Ellison’s impressive Secrets of Ilantis series and sees a fantastic series go out in spectacular manner; mixing politics, romance and danger together one final time in a conclusion that is full of emotion!

Secrets of Itlantis has been a really enjoyable series to witness unfold. Kate Avery Ellison has released instalment after instalment that has been action packed, forward moving and exciting. There’s romance, friendship and plenty of twists and turns to keep you entertained; something that translates all the way to the final book, In Dawn and Darkness.

Aemi Greywater has been through so much since discovering a whole new world beneath the sea. She’s learnt the truth about her heritage, discovered a family she never knew existed and found herself in the middle of a battle between the Ilantean people and the Dron before finding herself in the midst of a war closer to home where the lines between friends and enemies have never been more blurred. Aemi has found love, found friends and lost so much, but in this last instalment of an amazing series, everything is on the line and nothing will ever be the same…..

I’m really sad to see this series come to an end, but I’m so pleased to have read it. The different worlds, different races and different people Kate Avery Ellison has created have gone together really well and made for a really interesting read. I’ve loved seeing Aemi grow and discover who she is and what she wants from life. She’s become such a strong person and I’ve adored seeing her fall in love with Nol. They’re a great pair and I’m glad they’ve made it together.

The characters within In Dawn and Darkness, and really the whole series, have been excellent. This final book is not without its losses, but Ellison manages to give us a lot of happiness too. The supporting characters have always complimented the series wonderfully and I’d never pass up the chance to visit them again. A spin off featuring Valus or even the Dron is something I’d be interested in…..

If I’m being honest, I was the tiniest bit underwhelmed by the very final few chapters of this book. In Dawn and Darkness managed to be exciting and riveting with plenty of things happening, but the final few chapters I felt concluded too easily. There has been such a build up to the battle Aemi and her allies have against Nautilus throughout the series that I felt the resolution seemed too easy; I wanted to see a bit more fight between those fighting for their home, freedom and very lives. Yet in saying that, I am pleased with how the series ends and I’m very sad to say goodbye to the characters.

Fast paced, exciting and filled with romance, Secrets of Itlantis ends well with In Dawn and Darkness and if you haven’t already read the series, I would definitely recommend checking it out!

[Tammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part I liked this series. A few of the scenes and characters could have been cut from the series as a whole, as they didn't add enough to the story or didn't advance the plot. I think In Dawn and Darkness was a good ending to the series. There were some typos like the wrong name being used a couple of times, or words that didn't belong in a sentence that need to be fixed in the Kindle version, but I still enjoyed it. I especially liked the epilogue.

[Tabi Wares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good ending. It was a good series. I appreciate that the author wasn't tempted to drag this out longer than necessary.

However, from a purely technical standpoint, there was a mention of Merelus where he wasn't, and almost the entire last half of the book (kindle edition anyway.) was in italics due to some kind of layout issue. It was annoying. Someone needs to proofread this, please.

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

Review coming soon

[Shreya Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly the ending I was looking for

I have a lot of thoughts about this finale and a good deal of moderate disappointment. I truly enjoyed this series. The author did a wonderful job setting up the world, characters, endless plot twists, murder attempts, and political strife. The way things just came together…wow!

~spoilers~
I’m trying to take a second to digest the ending, but honestly I have no idea. I just know that I’m not sure if I liked it. There was so much intricacy and thought put into the first four-ish books compared to the ending, so emotionally (and literally) I’m left a bit confused.

For one, I don’t understand how I blinked and now Nautilus is *gone*. What was the point of anything? I mean logic holes galore: How do we even know that Nautilus was on that specific warship that the sea monster blew up? Why would a single torpedo take the whole ship down (Aemi’s mom’s ship previously survived a torpedo explosion)? This ship was way bigger than her mom’s if it was the flagship… so that makes no sense. I mean, one torpedo and he’s out? Unlikely.

How is Perilous an island?? Wouldn’t that defeat the whole purpose of living underwater because the surface is toxic post the cataclysm? That makes no sense. I don’t understand at all what the purpose of finding it was. Never addressed the weapons of the cataclysm being dealt with, just started living in the lost city. What’s so special about it (excluding world destroying weapons)? You could live anywhere, why live amongst ruins?

I’ll admit I thought it was pretty ingenious to find the abducted kids on the island. (Tob being one of those abducted kids was crazy good.) But, also, once they were alone, why did they never leave? What happened to the rest of Azure (the uncle)? We’re just going to leave the sea monsters?? And the other facilities? WHY WAS AZURE EVEN ON PERILOUS?! I have no idea.

I feel like Aemi’s dad’s background got wrapped up as well as could be, it just made me sad for the guy though. And his family. He was an artist, why get so wrapped up in politics?

And don’t even get me started on the state of the characters in the finale. WHY THE F*CK did we kill Tallyn? And Kit? All within like two chapters?! Honestly, that was messed up. Plus they got literally one thought after they got offed. I just have so much to say…

Tallyn was such a vital character in books 2-4. He was THE closest person to Aemi for so long, protected her and taught her so much. It’s really disheartening then didn’t get the chance to reconcile before he didn’t. I think he deserved to earn Aemi’s trust back. (Side note: I did not get “surrogate father” vibes from him—maybe older brother—but that kinda didn’t make any sense either. Maybe could’ve defined the relationship better. I thought Merelus was more her father figure.)

Other side note, after the coma we just don’t get to see Merelus again? Or Lyssia? Disappointing.

On to the main characters…

To be honest, I didn’t really care for Nol. I like enemies to lovers, but Aemi and Nol were a little flat for me. He had next to no personality. There were so many other characters that got way more thought than him. I swear, I was rooting for her to get with someone else the entire time. Nol always kinda made the wrong move with her. There were a few touching moments where they supported each other (mentally/emotionally) that were good, but I think he could’ve easily been replaced with any other romantic interest. I think considering their pasts, they just as well could’ve ended up being good friends, and not life partners. Aemi was clearly hesitant with him the majority of the series. He said “I love you” super early on compared to her. It just felt like the easiest option.

Speaking of which, I was sooooooo confused on who Aemi’s romantic interest(s) were. I swear EVERYONE was flirting with her. But, most notably was Valus. I am genuinely perplexed by his character. He was the OG betrothed, so I thought he might stand a chance, especially after the build up of his relationship with Aemi via the prison visits. Also, we know he liked her, but still nothing came of it? I mean, his ruse to help her was literally to get married. Is it bad that I wanted them to go through with it? lol. I think he was done a bit dirty by the author. He was always made out to be the bad guy (to others) when we knew he had more to him, but he was never given the opportunity to prove himself. He somehow continued to make weird choices. I don’t know why Aemi and his relationship was so particular if nothing came of it. We didn’t even get anything interesting in the epilogue.

In conclusion, I really liked this series. I enjoy water related tropes and politics, so this was right up my alley. It is a worthwhile read, and while the ending is a bit of a let down, I can always just make up a different one ;).

[Shae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed

Disclaimer: This will be a review of the series as a whole vice just this book.

I've read this author's other series and I've more or less enjoyed them. So I had pretty good hopes for this series. Unfortunately those hopes were dashed pretty quickly.
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a passive protagonist. And that's what Aemi is. Passive. Don't get me wrong, in the first book it makes sense for her to be so passive. It even makes some sense for her to be passive in the second. But by the third, nothing. No growth. Aemi's story is rinse and repeat. Kidnapped, escape, complain about trusting no one, gasp betrayed, and repeat. She spends more time whining about how no one is trustworthy and she can't share any of her plans for fear of being betrayed, but then preaches to her mother on how sometimes one needs to have blind faith in others. Everything happens TO her. Anytime she attempts to do something, it frankly goes nowhere until something else happens.
This series tried to be too much. It wanted court intrigue, mystery, and action without giving enough of any of it. Nautilus being beaten by random sea creatures was disappointing. Everything just casually working out in the end was disappointing. Don't ask me where the climax was meant to be because I couldn't tell you. The most climactic part of this book was the escape from Nautilus and that was only halfway through.
Nol frustrated me to no end. His whole "I love you but I want you to join me on my side because I've determined that's what will make you happy" was frustrating. Yes, the possessive-type can be done well and work. Nol was not done well and it did not work. It, again, felt like the author wanted to use the possessive-trope but failed to commit. Same with the love triangle that was teased with Valus. Wanted to use it, didn't want to commit.
What sucks is that I've seen the author use these different tropes and aspects so well too! The series with our Dragonsayer girl Briand (Which is a series I cannot recommend enough) uses these tropes and does it well! From there we know the author can do court intrigue, action, and a hint of mystery! Hell in that series the love triangle was done so well I was half convinced it was going to end with a threeway. So why did the ball get dropped SO HARD here? If it's outside interference, stop it. If it's not enough outside interference, also stop it.
I wanted to love Aemi and her story. But instead I found myself bored and constantly rolling my eyes.

[Monique Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story but needs better editing.

I really liked the whole series. There were some great character surprises and suspense. I can handle some wording issues but character names were mixed up more than once and throws the story at that point as you try and figure out who it was supposed to be.

[Hrimcealde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good ending to a good series

I read all of the books one after another, and while they need some extra editing for slight errors, the books are all quite fun to read. This final chapter wrapped up all of the loose ends and felt very satisfying. Recommend for anyone looking for a good kindle unlimited book to read.

[Corina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery, Intrigue, Feisty but clever heroine.

What a beautiful world, so many places to "see". The story is packed full of mystery, intrigue and action. I love how feisty the heroine is, but she's not stupid about it (usually). She is a character with a lot going on inside, who grows throughout the series.

[Ashley Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was amazing!! I read all 5 books in 2 days because I couldn't put it down. You will laugh and you will cry as you follow Aemi on her journey. If you're looking for a good series of books, I highly recommend this one.

[Brittany Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished

A good conclusion to this story. A bit bitter with the sweet but a good one nonetheless. Even though the the loose ends are tied up I feel like i'm missing something but I am not sure what. Despite this it is a satisfying ending.

[April Coombs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great series!

I was hesitant about the premise of this book when I started it, but the characters and great writing drew me in quickly. I'm a huge fan of the strong, independent women who lead in Kate's books. Another wonderful series!

[Amanda Ebner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and satisfying conclusion to the series, though I wish a bit more time had been spent on payoffs before the timejump to the epilogue. I also wish the protagonist had ended up with someone else than she did.

[mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing world with non stop adventure

The characters are strong and smart. The world is beautiful and leaves you visualizing it long after you have set the book down. I really loved this series!!

[Brandy Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice wrap up.

Wrapped up in a nice little bow. I love to read a happy ending where the good guys win and the bad guys don’t. Sad to see some of my favorite characters gone but not forgotten.

[Rachel Robins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bummed. Great start to series. Subsequent books got more and more repetitive.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sad the series is over. It was a wonderful escape into the glittering cities below the waves of the sea.

[Allyson O’Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was drawn out longer than necessary but overall the series was okay.

[Jessica Grace Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting for this book.
I love this series. Ellison is probably best known for her Frost Chronicles, but in my humble opinion her best work is the Itlantis series. The books are set in a beautiful futuristic fantasy world deep under the ocean, and there are several different cities and cultures that are wonderfully woven together. The books main character, Aemi, is flawed (like all good characters are,) but determined. The series has victory, loss, romance, a little comedy, and most importantly a lesson. All of the elements of a good fantasy novel are there. Of course, any decent YA Fantasy book should have all of these elements, so what sets this book apart from the eighty others I have read this year?
The writing.
I love Authors who are poetic. I don’t want books to tell me it’s raining, I want them to tell me how each raindrop cascades down the glass pane, leaving a trail of sparkling drops behind. I want beauty. I want quotable lines. I want the mundane to sound amazing.

Kate Avery Ellison is a pro at this.

The story is well woven, the plot is thick, and the pacing is good. None of these things are spectacular, but they are good. The characters have their own personalities, and surprises are revealed as the story moves. It is a solid piece of work. But what sets it apart from other books is Kate Ellison’s specific style of writing.

The book isn’t perfect, which is why I would give this book a 4.5 start rating. There are a few editorial errors, and parts of the ending seemed rushed. I think the romantic tension could have been more defined. However, the final chapter of this book gave the readers great closure, and the beautiful writing and creative world building made up for the small amount of typos. As far as the romance? Well, I always want more. That flaw is probably my own.

Overall, I loved it! I will be recommending this series to people, especially now that I know it remains strong to it’s end.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all books by this author, there is a majorly missed opportunity for expansion. The plot is solid, characters good, world building excellent, writing good (needs a better proofread - some frustrating layout errors and typos) - but the pacing is too quick! There is room for more development of just about everything, and the ending was wrapped up far too quickly, which was disappointing. Would have been good to see the romance develop at a more realistic pace and be deeper before the HEA(s), and there were several characters we've grown to love who we just want to know MORE about who were hardly in this book. Still, an enjoyable read!

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great finally to a fantastic series. I love Kate Avery Ellison's writing and this book lived up to my expectations. She neatly wraps up many of the questions that were opened in the series and leaves the story at a perfect point. I love finishing a story and feeling satisfied with the ending, and this story fulfilled those expectations.

This book is a great read if you are looking for a diversion from everyday life.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent action series and mystery

I have read all five books and would recommend them to anyone that loves adventure, danger, mystery, intrigue, romance that is not overdone, betrayal, forgiveness. Intricate many sided characters. The ocean. Beautiful and mysterious cities beneath the sea. I could go on and on.

[Katie Cain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed

I was very disappointed with the errors this book contained. I felt like it wasn't even edited. There were characters popping up out of no where. I felt like this could of been better if it was looked at before being released.

[Azalea Rae]

it was a great book and the ending was perfect