Darkness Follows

The Broken Trilogy #2

by L.A. Weatherly (Contributor)

Welcome to Harmony 5: A secure prison camp where the rebellious and the discordant are broken. The rules are simple here: obedience or death. But in a world this dark, what has Amity got to lose?

"A gripping, fascinating thriller" - Lancashire Evening Post on Broken Sky

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy

512 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2016

About the author

Lee Weatherly was born in 1967 and grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. She lives with her husband in Hampshire, England, where she writes, goes on walks, tries out new recipes and has a cat named Bernard.

L.A. Weatherly is the pseudonym for Lee Weatherly. You can follow her on Twitter at @LA_Weatherly

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really gripping.

Q:
The stars were a million icy pinpoints (c)
Q:
“The Harmony diet. It works wonders.” (c)
Q:
“You’re crazy.”
“Yes, why not? Everyone should be crazy once in their lives.” (c)
Q:
She had an uncanny grasp of astrology; she could find the interpretation she wanted in the most innocuous chart. (c)
Q:
Dry sense of humour.”... “Is that what I have? I thought I was just an ass. (c)
Q:
“Are you actually giving me compliments?”
“No. I’m just telling you facts.” (c)
Q:
“We’ve eaten a rat together and are willing to shove deadly implements into each other’s throats. I think that means we’re bonded for life, in some strange way. … Do you want to carry the bag first, or shall I?” (с)
Q:
Little things struck me the most. Like the lampshade on my bedside table. It was yellow, with tassels hanging from it. Tassels. Such extravagance, just for a lampshade. And a delicate ballet dancer figurine, poised on eternal tiptoe. I spent long minutes gazing at it, marvelling at a life so safe that such things could exist. (c)
Q:
“See? April happens everywhere,” said Ingo. “Even in Harmony Five.” He glanced at me with a rueful smile. “That kept me going sometimes, thinking that,” he said. “Maybe they could take away everything else, but they couldn’t keep the world from bursting into spring… Okay, that sounds incredibly stupid, saying it out loud.” (c)
Q:
… I suggested that there might be something wrong with us – remember?”
“With us?”
“Yes, us, lady. And now I know exactly what it is. We have terrible taste in the opposite sex.” (с)

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5

Oh my gosh!!!! While Darkness Follows isn't the best written book in the world, and there's nothing particularly special about it, it is sooooooo freaking addictive!

So the things I liked!
- There were plot twists I never saw coming.
- It was fast paced and action packed.
- Our MC (Amity) was developed from the almost preachy girl to a realist.
- Mac, Kay, and Sephy were all well developed as well.
- And INGO!!! Thank goodness we got more of him this book!

The thing I didn't like? The romance ... Warning - contains spoilers!

I still hated Collie. He was a dick. He betrayed Amity, not just once but on numerous occasions! And yet I bet, like I would actually bet money, that stupid Amity will take him back. Yet we have beautiful Ingo who would make an AMAZING partner, and nothing romantic happens whatsoever! I mean there was one tiny moment where I was hoping it would happen, but it DIDN'T! And then she bloody well kissed bloody Collie again and hinted that she could eventually forgive him!!!! UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Here's my perfect scenario - and if Ms Weatherly reads this, I REALLY hope she goes with it! Or hey, take parts? Just give me Ingo and Amity!!!

1. Ugh have some bloody angst where Amity can;t make up her mind.
2. Ingo falls in love with her, but is the perfect gentleman. Though he is rude and conniving and such still. I mean, he's not perfect, but he's so freaking wonderful!
3. The rebellion gets into strife and Ingo is taken/nearly killed, which makes Amity realise how much she loves him too.
4. Collie saves the rebellion, but sadly dies as a sacrifice. (And when I say sadly I mean it, because he redeems himself and realises that she's meant to be with Ingo, so if his life is the price of her happiness and the freedom of the world, he would do it!)
5. Amity lives with a little bit of regret, remembering her harshness towards Collie, but also the good times they had (though honestly there weren't that many after childhood...)
6. Ingo understands and thinks she's still in love with Collie so gives her up and goes back to his farm.
7. Amity follows him home and they are happy together, just living on the winery and flying passenger planes.

**Oh, and Mac and Sephy get married, but maybe Sephy dies and Mac lives sadly but resolutely, taking over the rebellion. He and Collie are best mates and he loves him like a brother. Maybe there's a fight against the clock to stop Kay nuking some country. Cain becomes a good leader! Halcyon becomes a peace fighter (if they're re established) or like a politician or something to help make the world a better place. Kay is sent to the camps to work in drudgery. **

Just as a side note, I also wasn't keen on the shifting timeframe, going back and forth in time. Maybe it's just me, but unless it's done SUPER well, I like things to be chronological. But eh, I got used to it, and it didn't affect my rating.

Anywho, would I recommend this series? Bloody oath I would! Get your butt down to a bookstore and read this baby!

Age: 13+
Warnings: Sex is intimated but it's fade to black. There is hardship and torture is mentioned. There is also some death, though it's not super graphic and people feel guilty.

[Ruzaika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Another version of this review can be found here

It's no secret that I loved the first book in this trilogy- Broken Sky had everything I ever wanted in a dystopian and I could only devour it greedily as the story unfolded. Darkness Follows, I'm beyond delighted to inform you, was no exception. In fact, I liked it even better than the first book and that's saying something considering how much I loved that one. Despite this not being my usual cup of tea, the author works her magic yet again to deliver exactly what was promised: a chilling and compelling journey of revenge, survival and love.

The story unfolds sometime after Broken Sky ended and we see that a lot has happened already- nah, not going to tell you what, but trust me when I say there's ample twists and turns in this book to keep you hooked and how! I found myself being taken by surprise right from the start, and this only continued throughout the book. Just like in Broken Sky, the world-building here is just terrific. We get to see more of Amity's world and damn, it was just superbly written. The author should definitely be lauded for creating such a tangible atmosphere.

Amity was as kickass as ever. Certain things that happened during the course of the story definitely affected her and we see her undergo a great deal of character development. The Amity we see towards the later part of the book is far, far removed from the person she was in book one, and I'd love to see how her character arc takes its form by the end of this trilogy. Another character whose growth would take you by surprise is none other than Collis Reed. I wasn't impressed with him to begin with, but his actions at the beginning of this book made me downright hate him and therefore I wasn't really pepared to forgive him. Nevertheless, he goes under a lot of development and shows us that a man can indeed change. Well, he'd better keep up the good work is all I'm saying since Ingo kinda sorta has my heart.

There wasn't, thankfully, a love triangle, but we did get to see more of Ingo in this book and that was very welcome- he's one character who you'd no doubt warm up to. While I'm not entirely sure I want any romance between him and Amity (I have a feeling Collie wouldn't go down without a fight even if it comes down to it), I do hope the series has more to offer him. Hal, Amity's brother makes an appearance here as well, and while I couldn't help but feel like punch him in the face when he so readily accepted Collie, I did like him. Another character who had a small role in first book one but makes a solid impact here is Mac Jones, and I was always rooting for him and Sephy. In fact, theirs might just be my favorite ship here and I can't wait to see if Sephy's "maybe" will finally turn to "yes" in the next book!

I reallly missed Kay Pierce's POV in this one, though! I loved seeing both Amity's and Kay's sides of the story in Broken Sky, so not seeing what was going on in Kay's world this time around was a bummer. I do however agree that it contributed towards maintaining the suspense of the story, speaking of which- the reveal of what exactly happened and did not happen with regards to Collie's betrayal wasn't much of a surprise since I could totally see it coming. Nevertheless, there were a couple of major twists towards the latter part of the book that I really appreciated. One in particular was so out of the blue that I still can't quite wrap my head around it.

What's really brilliant about this story is how realistic it all seems. The characters, the setting, everything. It's all so well-written that I had no trouble conjuring up everything that happened in my mind (the correctional camp part, in particluar, was simply spectacular) and I just felt so at home in this world. You see where the characters are coming from, you understand why they do what they do, and despite them having multiple shades, you'd find yourself rooting for them- even though you may not necessarily agree with everything they do- and that right there is where the author succeeds.

Let me just say that book three is going to be fabulous. I have high, high hopes pinned on it, and here's hoping the grand finale would be every bit worth it!

The story idea: 4.5/5
The realization of the story: 5/5
The characters: 5/5
The cover: 5/5
Enjoy factor: 5/5

Final Rating: 5/5

[zainab]

Review will be posted soon.

[Maddisen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is seriously underrated. So good ❤️

[Florina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dang.
I'm mad this is shelved as run-of-the-mill YA, cuz it really ain't. The second installment reads like a taut and harrowing historical thriller with a lot of heart subtly buried underneath. You can tell the author isn't half-assing any of this and has done all the relevant research. I was honestly really impressed with some of the bold parallels this novel draws to WW2 history. And I was equally impressed with the way she handled the protagonist's internal journey. There was not a drop of cheap sentimentality, even in situations where I could see other authors hamming it up. Eager to read the third installment.

(But okay, one small concession: Ingo/Amity 5ever. Their build-up, so far, has been nothing short of wonderful)

[anushay · Rating 3 out of 5]

so well written nd evn profound at times didnt feel like a ya book at points but unfortunately suffered middle book syndrome with how long some of the camps descriptions were.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, this sequel rivals THG for how friggin' heartbreaking it is. It's heavy ... but I liked it. Loved how [SPOILER] there was no sexual tension between Amity and Ingo whilst they were on the run. So many other YA's would have them kissing two weeks in but hello, just got out of a concentration camp, not in the mood for smooching. [END OF SPOILER]

Ingo kind of looks like Seb from LA Weatherly's other trilogy in my mind, but luckily Ingo is MUCH nicer. (Hated Seb, for real). So yeah, this book is great. The last 200 pages were very intense. However, I shall have to fire an official warning shot for my ultimate pet peeve: there are, unfortunately, smoking characters in this book. It's just one character though, only one scene and it's not at all romanticized so Imma let my "1-star off" penalty rule slide. Guess the fact that it's in a 1940's setting helps too. But still: unneccessary. Love Mac a lot, so I do not wanna see him die of lung cancer, you feel me.

TL;DR: astrology nazi's. You're gonna wanna read this.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’ve already mentioned that I severely dislike withholding important information as a plot device. It’s a cheap trick – one employed waaaay too many times in YA fiction – and I’m sad to say that Darkness Follows used it, too.

If you read my review for Broken Sky (or saw my IG or Twitter), then you know that I LOVED the first book. I thought it was original and gritty, and well-written. It took my by surprise. But even though I expected to, I didn’t love this one as much as I loved its predecessor.

The sequel picks up a few months(?) after the last book left off, with Amity captured by Gunnison’s men, deemed a traitor to her nation, and shipped off to Harmony 5 – one of this world’s versions of a concentration camp. She’s more or less a changed woman now – The Guns have beaten and broken her into… not submission, exactly, but almost. Which, if you’ve read the first book, you’ll find weird because Last we saw her, Amity was escaping the war with Collie

So, basically you’re thrown into this book with the knowledge that something went horrible awry. And it doesn’t take too long to figure that this something has a lot to do with the actions of Collis Reed. And here comes the issue that I mentioned at the beginning of this review – the mystery revolving around Amity’s capture was held too close to the vest. Which would have been fine if it had been crucial to the storyline – if holding on to this secret for as long as everyone did actually made a difference in the grand scheme of things. But it didn’t.

I could have also forgiven this withholding of information if the two narrators hadn’t known it. But at some point in the story, both our narrators (Amity and Mac, this time) knew this information, and still chose to dance around it. By the time it was revealed that Collie had seemingly betrayed Amity, (surprise, surprise) I’d not only already figured it out, but I’d also built it up in my head to be much worse than it was. So when the reveal finally came, it was anticlimactic.



This is just one of the handful of things that made Darkness Follows a bit of a let-down. Pacing, again, was an issue. There was a lot of buildup. Slow, slow, buildup. Picture a single man pushing a giant tire up a hill. He huffs, he puffs, he slips sometimes, but eventually, he gets that tire to the crest of the hill. But instead of letting it roll down to the bottom on its own, like you’d expect, he latches tightly onto the tire and tries to control how fast it slides down the hill.

So the tire’s journey down the slope is jerky, too. Stops and starts, with sudden rushes of momentum in between. And then, finally, once he sees the slope leveling out into flat terrain, only then does he let go, and allows the tire to roll down the rest of the way at it’s own pace.

The pacing of this book was exactly like that. Jerky, with random bursts of speed, and with a ridiculously fast paced final few chapters. It was boggling – even worse than the first book, where I actually LIKEDthe slow buildup. I’ll admit that the ending for this was much less rushed than the first one, but the weird pacing throughout the rest of it kind of takes away from that.

I also don’t know how I feel about any of the characters any more. Collie and Mac, so far, are the only ones who feel real. Amity.. while I understand that Harmony 5 changed her (obviously. How could it not?) the changes don’t seem to be very consistent. She waffles a lot between her new self and her old self, and that doesn’t really make much sense to me considering all she’s been through. And Ingo? I loved Ingo in the first book. And idk if this is me reacting to a potential love triangle, but I feel like he’s lost a lot of his charm. Again, I get he’s been through a lot, but his interactions with Amity now feel… wooden. But I don’t know. Maybe this is all just me.

Now for the things I did like!

1) I liked the Hitler and WWII parallels. I feel like Weatherly’s use of star signs as the device of segregation just makes it all seem so much more ridiculous and heinous. Gunnison was a respected leader, a great orator, and a man who firmly believed he was doing the best for his nation by cleansing it of people he deemed “impure”, and then went and committed mass genocide. Sound like someone you’ve heard of?

2) I liked Amity’s mixed feelings on the whole Collie situation. I also like how the Collie situation was dealt with. He’s not completely redeemable, but he’s not completely despicable either – he’s in this gray area that can either take him down a path of tremendous growth, or one of darkness. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see where he goes.

3) Weird pacing and withholding of information as a plot device aside, this is still a really good series. It’s riveting, and in terms of premise, it’s wholly original. Weatherly is not afraid to take risks with her plot, as she showed us with the ending of this novel. She let you suspect, sure, but I don’t think anyone was truly prepared for what happened in that ending. I sure wasn’t.

Regardless of my issues with this book, I still recommend it to anyone who’s into Dystopian novels, and anyone who’s looking for a fresh dystopian. It’s got it’s problems, but so far, the Broken Sky Trilogy has been engaging, well-written, and a wonderfully dramatic read, and I personally cannot wait to get my paws on the next one.



This review and more here

[Mina Rehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

How this trilogy doesn't have more reads is beyond me.

[booksineverynook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why has no one read this book? Like why?

[the_queen_of_books24 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. It ruined me. It made me feel, question motives, and cry (at the end) but it also kept me reading. Literally until 1 am last night. Bearing in mind if only started it at 9pm that night. But I'd read 20% in that time and read the rest today. I loved every second, no matter how dark it was. And it left me light and happy and wanting to cry at the poignancy. And read on to the next one because PLOT!! And I love Ingo. So much!! He's my favourite character. I love his camaraderie with Amity, I really think they'd be good together. I have never read a series so quickly. Onto the next book!! Even though I should be studying lol

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys I don't know how to write the review for this, I really don't! I mean...I loved the first book so damn much, and I've been so excited for this and then I read it and it was amazing and it ended and I just...I need the third book like now, and I can't form the words to write this review, I can't even put my thoughts together my brain is just like SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOOOODDD! So I'll try and do my best!

The prologue of Darkness Follows draws you in and I loved that it was similar to Broken Sky in it's use of time, it adds an air of mystery and keeps you reading and guessing because you need to find out what happened! I love how it switches between time so seamlessly and you're basically given an outline, like when you do a puzzle and you do the edges first and each trip back in time to the previous months fills in a little piece of the picture until you finish the book and you know everything that happened. I love it. I genuinely do, it's so well done and it keeps you guessing to try to figure out what happened and how this character got to be in this place, or that character doing this thing and so on. Weatherly is excellent at building up the plot until you reach the climax and it completely blows your mind and you're sitting there reading like no...no way...that did not just happen! I love how brilliantly all the different plot threads combine!

Obviously for this book you know a lot more of what's going on than you did in the first book, but I love how Weatherly still managed to maintain the air of mystery, the tension and the sense of foreboding about the missing puzzle pieces that you're trying to work out and then when you think Amity's finally safe and it's all going to be okay boom. The Twist happens. Oh yeah. I capitalised the hell out of that. I had SUCH a bad feeling (again) as Amity goes on her little trip, and man it blew me away! I'm not going to lie, after the ending of Broken Sky I had a bad feeling from the start especially with the prologue, and that bad feeling persisted until some things where filled in and then I while I was feeling the atmosphere of the book, I was probably more chill than I'd been reading either of the two books until The Twist and the build up to The Twist. I mean...I just knew something was going to happen but I had no idea it was going to be that!

Much like Broken Sky the atmosphere in Darkness Follows is a tangible thing. You can feel it, it has an almost physical presence. You can feel the tension, the danger, the suspense and in Harmony 5 you can feel the despair and the oppressiveness. It helps bring you in to the book and it helps create the scene and where Harmony 5 is concerned I think it's completely brilliant in conjunction with what Harmony 5 quite clearly is. But more on that later. We get plenty more of the politics of the world of the book, and the spying and the backstabbing and betrayal and all of that kind of thing as we see the Resistance trying to put a stop to what's happening, and trying to get information. We get a LOT of Mac, so we get a lot more of this than Broken Sky but I feel like this is the right place in the narrative for all of this!

I have to harp on about the plot some more because genuinely, the amount of times I had a real reaction to the book made it impossible for me to read this with other people about, I was gasping, muttering to myself and sometimes just staring at the pages with my mouth hanging open after a brilliant plot twist. Sure, there's some things you can guess, but they're almost like red herrings to make you feel all safe and secure because you guessed something, right before there's a huge giant plot twist you didn't see coming that practically knocks you out when it hits you. Threads from the past and present are once again perfectly combined, with a couple of other threads to give you an engrossing plot that keeps you curious. The writing's on the wall with the characters in this book, you know who's a goodie and who's a baddie although Collie's still kind of up in the air at points! You're always trying to work out what this character is up to or what's the significance of this, and there's much bigger threads being woven in to this book. I just loved how there's always something going on, action, adventure, romance, politics, and so on.

Once again we get multi-POV's and I seriously love how Weatherly does this! Obviously we get Amity, but not as much as before I don't think, which surprisingly worked really well considering what she was up to. We get a LOT of Mac's POV, and he's the one that keeps us in the know with what's going on in the political world and what's happening with the resistance, his cover has been blown with us so I was excited to get to see his POV this book! Sorry not sorry that I was happy we didn't get Kay's POV this book. Her POV worked in the first book to show you what it's like both sides of the fence as it where, but for this book you needed to now know what was going on with her, but seeing as you kind of knew her from the first book you had a vague idea even though she still surprised me right at the end!

I loved the different POV's because while Amity has her own thing going on, for this book she's quite removed from what's going on back home and so we need Mac to show what's happening with Gunnison, what's been planned and what's been going on and what happened to the pilots! I loved getting to know Mac more, although I do find it chilling reading about Gunnison's camp as it where, and how Mac fits in there with his mask and his lies. Incredibly chilling. But his POV is so well done, I just love how Weatherly creates distinctive personalities and narratives for the characters so you can tell who it is narrating before a character name is mentioned, and each POV draws you in and adds to the story, enhancing it and keeping you in the loop so you know what's going on.

I missed the pilot's this book! I'm not going to lie, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing them in book three and I'm so stoked for that! Amity is still my favourite, and she goes through so much this book and it was great to get to see Amity struggle with herself and overcome everything throughout the course of the book, and it was all so believable and realistic. If you where in Amity's position you would feel the same. You would react the same. She changes a lot over the course of the book and I'm interested to see what she's going to be like in book three after that ending. Our poor brave and courageous Amity takes quite the beating down in this book, but it was inspiring to see her push past it, and I suspect we might see some of her struggling with what she went through. I just got Amity as a character! My wish was granted and we find out what happened to Ingo and best of all we get loads of Ingo! I really liked him in book one, so I loved getting so much of him in this book and getting to know him better and his past and I'm excited to see him again in book three! I kinda ship him and Amity, I'm not going to lie, but I did like how they bonded over the course of the book.

Like I said, I liked Mac, and I liked Sephy, and I liked Amity's little brother when I didn't want to smack him one. I mean I get why he's all hero worshipping Collie, but at the same time Amity is his sister and she went through so much. My guess was correct about Kay, she did not redeem herself at all and I can't say I was susprised. From what I can remember of her specific motivations from Broken Sky she was just trying to save her own skin and I got that, but in this book she's gone way past that, especially at the end. I think she might actually be worse than Gunnison. She's on such a power trip and she's just....she could have done so much but she made people's lives a misery instead.

Gunnison is as crazy as ever. He's completely insane...but thanks to Mac's POV we get to see a different side to him and it's terrifying. He's completely crazy...but he genuinely believes in everything he says, everything about the Discordants and the star charts and everything and I think that's so incredibly terrifying because he thinks he's doing what he has to, he thinks he's right and he's doing the right thing for everyone else.

Now Collie. Oh Collie. I was so damn suspicious of him in the first book and he lulled me in to a false sense of security and then BAM. This book I went in disliking him from the start. From the last book I knew who he really was and what he'd been doing, and thanks to the prologue I knew what he'd done. Or at least had some vague guesses about what went down. So I disliked him from the start. As the book went on, I wasn't sure. He seemed to not care. He loves Amity but he didn't try to save her or stop her being taken, he didn't try to find out what happened to her, he didn't go to her trial and he didn't try and rescue her. Now before he threw in his lot with Mac and the Resistance he had no need to maintain his image and position at Gunnison's offices so when Mac needled him some and you could see he "cared" it wasn't enough for me to forgive him for whatever he'd done to Amity, not seeing where Amity was. Then he had his little temper tantrum and then he's all woe is me and everything and I'm like dude....you're not the character I thought you where. I understand being scared, but he really bugged me with how he was acting while professing to love Amity. Then you find out what he did and it's like wow okay. It's hard, because on the one hand you get why he's scared and everything but on the other, you just want to smack him one. Like I said, I kinda started shipping Amity and Ingo, and in Broken Sky I loved Amity and Collie together. Now I'm not sure what's going to happen and I'll roll with whatever because I like both ships, but after this book I'm kinda leaning towards Ingo because he never left her behind.

The thing with the characters is that they're realistic and believable and that makes them really come to life and because of how realistic they are....you can understand their motivations and why they do something whether good or bad. Especially in this situation. You might not like it, but you get it, so with characters like Collie it's hard to decide how you feel about them after they do something. I'm hoping book three will reignite my love for him and Amity! I'm also hoping it'll give us more of Vera and Harlan! I just love the characters and how Weatherly brings them to life for you! I missed the pilots, but this book was more politically focused and we got a different set of characters, and I'm looking forward to both being combined in book three and getting to see some more dogfights!

Now on to the world of the book! It continues to be original, well thought out and well created, as well as having a rich history and politics to it. I'm still not sure what to describe this book as, Mac's parts felt so much like a WW2 spy thriller, while most of it is very dystopian and some parts seemingly historical but with a twist that fits the book and I love this blend of things. It's just so easy to jump in to the world of the book, and when I started reading Darkness Follows it was like I'd never left. Genuinely. I have such a clear image in my head of this world and the characters, who are so brilliantly created, including the secondary ones! I've said it before, and I'll say it again.....this book trilogy should be a movie. It's so damn cinematically written it leaps off the page and as you read it starts to play out on a little screen in your brain. I have this mental image of the world with like a grey/sepia tone to it, with a film noir feel!

Most of all I love how Weatherly has thrown in some very real WW2 elements. I'm going to sound like such an old person here but I don't know about schools/teenagers in this day and age, but when I was at school (it really wasn't as long ago as I'm making it sound I swear!) we learned aaaalllll about WW2. Now the Dunkirk hashtag that I stumbled across last week made me wonder if teenagers are currently learning about WW2 and if so how much. This is a YA book and the people who read it are going to pick up on things and seeing these characters go through things, experiencing these things with them, gives a valuable insight in to the past and what it must have been like. I think it makes people more compassionate and gives a level of understanding that wouldn't normally be there, call me weird but there you go. Weatherly does a fantastic job of giving you enough truth in this book to make you think, to make you feel and to put yourself in the place not only of the characters, but of the people of the past.

Harmony 5 is quite clearly a concentration camp. Not exactly the same, obviously, but there are enough echoes of the truth and the past that it really hits you hard when you come across something and you can see the history in it. It hit me hard in Broken Sky and it hit me hard here. You feel exactly as the people of the time must have felt. It's emotional. Harmony 5 is a "correction camp", and I knew going in that it was a twist on a concentration camp, and as I read more and more about it, I got more and more emotional. Like I said, this is an alternate WW2 so it's not exactly the same but there's enough reality there to pack a punch as you see Amity go through the camp and the camp life. Gunnison being projected talking all the time, trying to brainwash and indoctrinate. How the "campers" where spoken to and treated by the Guns who are pretty much the secret police, especially the ones with the shadow cars. How they get to Harmony 5, what happened when they arrived. So much of it was reminiscent of a concentration camp and it really hit me hard.

I got to go on a school trip to Berlin back when I was doing history, we saw plenty of the usual sights. The Berlin Wall, museums, other landmarks, a prison. But we also went to visit Sachsenhausen and that experience has and will stay with me for my entire life. It was horrifying. Chilling. I can't begin to describe to you what it was like walking around that place, imaging what it must have been like, seeing what went on there. There are no words. Weatherly evokes in writing what I can't put in to words, you feel what it must have been like, you get the sense of horror and despair and doing what you have to, to survive. I really do applaud Weatherly for these books because while it may just be a YA book to some people, I view this trilogy with its strong echoes of the past as a way to educate teens, to make them empathise with history, if that makes sense?

There are plenty of other incredibly strong echoes of WW2, to quote my review of Broken Sky..... "A leader who decides to persecute people for something they have no control over. You have said persecuted people having to wear a letter on their clothes to mark what they are. Correction camps. The group called the Guns who where pretty much the Secret Police. Behaviour exactly like what I imagine it was like in WW2 Germany. A mindset of do what you can to survive even if you have to betray people." but this echo, Harmony 5, really gave the book an emotional punch.

Darkness Follows is a brilliant sequel, the world pulls you right back in, and you easily slip back in to it. I read this in one sitting, it's so hard to put down and I know the wait for the final book is going to be hard after the twists and the ending, and with everything I'm guessing we'll see in the next book. Darkness Follows is dark, and mind blowing. It makes you feel, feel what the characters feel, feel on behalf of the characters. Weatherly's writing is just brilliant. Like I've said before, compelling, intriguing, and vivid. She paints a picture with her words, and builds a world so rich and evocative that you get lost in it. She creates an atmosphere perfectly to fit with the scenes and the narrative, and she has you on the edge of your seat. These books are a truly phenomenal read, and you're missing out if you haven't read them yet!

[Kirsty Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read my review on Broken Sky - the first book in this series - you will know how much I absolutely loved it. Darkness Follows wasn't as good. That's not to say that the book was bad, it didn't suffer from the 'middle book syndrome' but it definitely wasn't as good as it's counterpart.

Welcome to Harmony 5: a secure prison camp where the rebellious and the Discordant are broken. Amity is their newest inmate. The rules are simple here: obedience or death. Anyone caught trying to escape is executed. But former Peacefighter, Ingo, is prepared to risk everything for freedom. And in a world this dark, what has Amity got to lose?

The one thing that I didn't like about this book was the fragmented storyline. The story just kept going back and forth and there were times where I couldn't keep up. I feel like Darkness Follows should have picked up from where Broken Sky finished as we were left on such a cliffhanger, we needed answers straight away.

But, as much as I think that the second book should have started straight after the first, I do think the way in which Weatherly did tell the story was interesting and captivating. Through the fragmentation of the storyline, we got to see the present and past tense. We were given our answers about THAT >Broken Sky ending and we were given a - sort of - resolution.

The one thing that stayed the same for me throughout Darkness Follows was my hate for a certain character. I just hated him. Even if he did something good, I didn't like him. Every time someone mentioned his name, I shook my head in disgust and forced myself to carry on reading. I don't hate him because he's a rubbish character - because he isn't, he's wonderfully written - I hate him because Weatherly has written his character so well that he just seems real. Therefore, my hate for him is real. WOW. So much hate in one paragraph.

"My mother and I hadn't always gotten along, but I never doubted for a second how much she loved me."

- L.A Weatherly, Darkness Follows

Ingo and Amity's friendship is rekindled in this book and I have to say... I love them. I love their friendship so much. They are always looking out for each other and making sure that the other is safe and they also make pacts to help themselves get through the tough times. How can people not love Ingo? Seriously, he is my new book boyfriend. I just adore him.

We also get to read from Mac's perspective which I thought was very interesting as Mac is inside Gunnison's regime. We got to see from the inside what was going on with the Zodiac and we also got to see a completely different side to Mac that I would never have guessed.

Darkness Follows may not be as good as Broken Sky, but it's full of action, friendship, revenge, and Amity just being brilliant. L.A Weatherly continues to impress with her writing and I simply cannot wait til Spring to read the final installment in the trilogy: Black Moon.

[Tabby Furman-Woodvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I believe that weatherly should have triple the credit and popularity for creating such an amazing underrated trilogy masterpiece.

Unlike before, when I ready the first book in the series, ‘broken sky’ I was reading it during a longer time period while also creating my English assignment which was about the book. But as I got to actually sit and read the book in my own time and properly follow the plot I enjoyed the book twice as much. Anyway, reasons why I loved the book.. :

• The character development-

- Amity. Her character has come such a damn long way since when we where firstly introduced to her amazing personality and character to the beginning of this book, to where we stand now. I couldn’t be any more happier at the point where we stand with her now, but i could say that yes she has a extremely important role with the plot and how the series will end.. but I felt as if she wasn’t all the main focus to this book.

As yes, she HAD the Karmic bond with Gunnison and that held great importance, but it wasn’t as if the whole book was dependant on her actions.. as the majority of the plot was based on what would happen if Mac or Collie messed up or if Kay was planning something that could destory everything. Which was somewhat what happened with the AHD when they were all in Appalachia, she was the one who- in my opinion- plotted Gunnisons death( and cains but bad luck ) so she could rule.

Anyway, amity’s character has come an awfully long way as she even pointed out that Harmony five had changed her and made her that better of a person. She’s become much more stronger and self-dependant, as we saw she decided to not join the resistance before heading to Appalachia. I hope to see her and Ingos relationship progress more then her and Collie as she can relate to ingo in so many more ways than collie.

- Collie. Out of anyone in the book this is who I’m least impressed with. I cried hard when reading back to before when he made amity wholly dependant on himself because she LOVED him, and yes, he supposedly loved her, I’m sure he does.. but if you loved her you would keep her away from danger, to some degree amity only had herself to blame. But Collie BURNT the documents, and basically handed her over to Gunnison on a silver Platter.

I understand he’s trying to mend what he did to her, but even weeks after he got her back he SHOULD NOT be kissing her because after someone you love thows you in a concentration camp, how could he even expect amity to have forgiven him? I can’t really think of how he could make amity forgive him, but hey, I’ll just have to find out and see..

- Mac. OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM. We really didn’t get to learn much about this amazing male in the last book and I’m so so happy we got to learn and see more about him. His character is just so precious and loving I want to just protect such a fragile being.
I can’t wait to see more of him in the next book.. what makes Mac such an interesting character is because he has so many different layers to himself. I mean, apart of the Resistance, apart of the can-amer- a bloody high ranked officer. Like damn.. but what I really love about Mac is how he treats Sephy, like asking her to marry him twenty times now, and still counting. I just think he’s got such a soft character under the layers of double agent and officer.

- Ingo. I loved this guy also. I did learn about him a little in the first book but we really got some deep past and information about him in this book that made me cry so so so damn hard. Learning about his family over in the Germanic state that still thought he was dead was PAINFUL so painful to read about. Then reading about how that cow screamed when she saw his burn he got after his plane was sabotaged. Like I would have mollycoddled him to see if he was alright. You DONT tell your partner to leave and scream at their faces.

I loved how we saw both ingo and amity tell each other about how they came to Harmony five and about their past. In just thought it was so special. I really hope their relationship only keeps on the up. I mean, if ingo turns out to be a spy for Kay I will have a fit. I will be writing to the author to complain. Yeah. He’s also came along way from where he was at the beginning of the book where he believed that amity betrayed him to where they are so close and know each other like the back of their hands.

- Kay. I thought I should mention her as she has now became a rather important character to the plot and holds some higher significance. From the start of the book where she was doting on Gunnison and doing all his dirty work for him. Like yes, that was all to in the end to overthrow him and I kind of respect that. Like even through she’s the next big antagonist, she’s got the brains, and that’s what counts!

Mention for development/ Hal and Sephy : I loved both of these characters so so much, if either of them die there will be trouble. They need to be protected at all times. Hear that Mac?

• Relationships
- Amity and Ingo. There relationship is so special if anyone thinks about ruining it, like collie for instance. I don’t know what I’ll do.

- Mac and Sephy. They’re just so cute, and I we don’t get a snippet about their wedding or an engagement party in the epilogue or some time in the next novel..
- Collie and Amity(meh) I honestly don’t think their relationship will progress any further as many people have given me slight spoilers..

• Places we visited(special mention)❗️❗️
Like detail in the description of places that went back to or was n the present, like amity’s journey to Appalachia, how the seasons turned, it all was described wonderfully and the author NEEDS to get extra credit for that!

• Plot to the book- as I’ve said the plot to this story was amazing, my key plot twist I loved was when amity was at the stadium in Appalachia when she was talking to Madeline, then she said about the guilt she’s been carrying since the death of truce, then when she shot herself, I feel as if she finally redeemed herself and I kinda forgave her character in that moment..

Things I can’t wait to see more of her n the next book include-
- To see how Collie and Amity’s relationship changes especially after we got that kiss..
- See how Kay deals with the added pressure of become the ruler after what happened with Gunnison.
- See where Ingos relationship with amity goes..
- I WANNA KNOW IF HE HEARS BACK FROM HIS FAMILY. Please tell me they are not dead.
- How Mac and sephy deal with being new fugitives.

I will definitely getting the next book as I really want to find out how the end to this amazing trilogy ends and if we do get a happy ending. I have this book a five, because it deserved it. I couldn’t justify my reasoning any further, was truly a great ending, set out for the finale amazingly. Please read!

[nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main feeling I have after having read Darkness Follows? Annoyance! I'm so annoyed because I think this had the potential to be really amazing, even better than Broken Sky. It had so many issues at the start that I almost decided to just quit; it's not until you get over the 50% mark that the story begins to shine.

The great:

✧ To start with, once you reach about the halfway point, the storyline is amazing. It's fast-paced, action-packed, the stakes are high and the plot becomes much more intriguing. Seriously, the first and second half felt like night and day. It went from thinking I was going to stop reading, to pulling an all-nighter and speeding through the chapters.

✧ I liked Ingo in the first book, but I liked him even more in Darkness Follows. Especially his relationship with Amity. I really love his chemistry with Amity (I don't expect that they will or should get together, but I definitely preferred reading about Amity with Ingo compared to Collis). We get to hear a lot more about who he is, where he comes from, what makes him tick, and it's great. The chapter where he and Amity escape from Harmony 5 stood out to me as one of my favourites in the whole book - it's such a gratifying feeling when they finally make it.

✧ Some other characters also get some good screentime (page-time?). Specifically, Hal, who I'm very glad is back in the picture. Also, Mac, who's taken over the POV chapters that Kay previously had in Book 1. There wasn't all that much to make of Mac in the first book, but here he's fleshed out really well and feels like a well-rounded, human character. He's written a lot better than Kay was (even if I'm still unsure as to why his chapters are written in the third person).

The disappointing:

✦ I'm still getting a lot of confusion as to what time period it's meant to be. In Book 1, I don't believe a specific date was alluded to, although it seemed reminiscent of 1940s America. In Book 2, the events specifically take place between 1941-2. Because of this, it's kind of confusing. It's actually stated to take place in 1941 AC, which... I don't know what that's meant to refer to. The whole time they talked about it being a new post-war era, I assumed they'd been alluding to the world wars and the present wars, but that can't be the case if it's actually 1941. In which case, is it meant to be an alternate timeline? And if so, I wonder why Weatherly didn't just create a whole new world, instead of using weird versions of present-day countries and alluding to the existence of real-world brands like Coca-Cola. I don't know, my brain hurts.

✦ The allusions to Nazi Germany are higher than ever, which works against the book's favour as it just feels like a cheap retelling of a WWII story (especially with the time that the story is set). Most of the content of the first half of the book made me draw comparisons to Between Shades of Gray except it was written much worse. (By the way, you should definitely read BSoG if you haven't already.) Weatherly states in the acknowledgements that Harmony 5 wasn't meant to represent any specific real-life camps - but it's not just the camps that feel like a copy-paste, it's the entirety of Gunnison's regime. It fell so flat and felt utterly unintriguing.

✦ There is so much recounted backstory in this book, and I don't know why. It rehashes a lot of info that we already get from reading Book 1. It feels very unnecessary.

✦ Amity's chapters in Harmony 5 felt very repetitive - it's pretty much worrying about her boots, don't think of Collis, don't think of Dad's thrown fight and what it's caused, don't think of Ma and Hal, rinse and repeat. There's very little in the way of new information gained or additions to the plot up until some time after Ingo shows up.

✦ Along with the addition of dates, this book features a whole lot of time-jumping. It's not an issue in itself, but it was very awkwardly done, and chapters which I felt could have been ordered more chronologically were not. It made it hard to keep track of the plot and what took place when. It's more of an issue in the earlier half of the book than the latter half.

✦ The whole reveal of what happened with Collis' betrayal was built up through so much of the book, only for it to be an anticlimax and not really any more dramatic than you'd think it would be.

✦ There are so many typos in both books for some reason? Also, apparently Weatherly doesn't know that forever is one word, not for ever. As I type this, Grammarly is asking me to correct its spelling.

Again, this had so much potential, and I'm annoyed. I'm surprised that this book has so few reads, but I'm also not surprised that people decided to drop the series after Book 1. The ending was explosive and so if I manage to get a hold of the final book, I'll probably go ahead and read it, but if I don't manage to then it's not a huge loss - I gave it a good run.

[MyOwnBookAdventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Mac gripped his shoulder. "You go on," he said. "Find some place where you're alone and cry or scream or whatever you got to do. And then we'll keep on fighting... because, buddy, I'm afraid we ain't got much choice."'

How awesome was this book?!
My expectations just got crushed!! In a good way!
I loved everything in this book! The plot was amazing, though a little slow at times. I loved how there were a lot of time jumps going back and forth between months going from Amity's arrest and Collie's betrayal to finding out what was happening around the Resistance with Mac!
I was hooked on all storylines. The tragic arrest was so interesting! I just wanted to skip chapters to find out what happened and why Amity now hates Collie (My readerheart couldn't skip the chapters though so I not-so-patiently read all of them in order lol)
And the chapters set in the 'now' time, guys... my heart. Amity has been through so much in this book! She's sent to a correction camp for being Discordant after living through an unfair trial. It was all written so beautifully heartwrenching! Weatherly truly did her research on this stuff and it shows!
I won't go to much into detail here, but I have to say I loved the friendship (and hopefully more??!?) that bloomed between Ingo and Amity in this book. They survived together, and stayed together no matter what would happen. It was so amazing to see two people go through all that. They were prepared to do anything for and with one another.

'"I will not let myself be taken," he said.
I licked my lips. "Me neither."
we exchanged a look. We both knew exactly what we meant. "Another pact," I said softly, and Ingo nodded.'

Then there's Mac's pov, which I just loved! This guy is amazing and charismatic and funny and so good! I wish there were more Mac's out there in this world.
It was great to find out about Collie's past. I had guessed a lot during the first book, Broken Sky, and was happy to see how much of it was right. Some stuff I hadn't guessed though! ( I would never have guessed Collie had been in a correction camp! And that he got out so.. easily I guess. That really helped getting his perspective; why he did some of the stuff he did ).
I never cared much for Amity and Collie to be together and I was happy to see that in this book they were no longer a couple, even if finding out how they broke up took so long. It was great seeing Amity on her ow. I got to see how fierce she was, but also how broken inside after everything that has happened to her! If there's any character that deserves a hug, a warm blanket and some hot cocoa than it's Amity Vancour all right! (although I wonder if she would want any of it lol)


So all in all, this book was great!
We get a lot of answers on questions from book 1, get to see a lot more of certain characters like Ingo and Mac, of which the last one was a rather nice surprise! I hadn't thought him to play a big part in this series, seeing how little part he played in book 1. Not that I mind... 'cause Mac is totally my bookboyfriend now. Yup.
We get to have more deeper looks inside the minds and pasts of characters. And the ending just took my breath away! Damn Amity, you badass!!

And now I have to wait no-so-patiently on book 3, Black Moon, which has an awesome cover! (it's found in Darkness Follows on one of the last pages).

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 because there were some moments of this book that I said to myself: "Huh? Okay... well then."

Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to Broken Sky.

I read Broken Sky literally years ago and it never left me. After all these years, I finally felt a book call to me to read it and so I picked up Darkness Follows and dove head-first. The plight of Amity and her colleagues immediately pulled me back in; it felt like years had not gone past since I read the first in this series.

Darkness Follows jumps back and forth over the years 1941-1942 from Amity and Mac Jones's point of view to give the reader a very well rounded perspective of the events that take place in this novel. I can't say much more for spoilers -- this book centres largely around one event that lasts 9ish months. I was pleased at the reintroduction of certain characters and I am very (delightfully) curious to see what Weatherly decides in terms of a love story for Amity. It's clear she has made up her mind, but at this point, I am unsure as to what was decided.

I do find it a bit weird that Weatherly decided to write an alternate-universe WWII fiction as I have never seen/heard/read of that being done before. My partner and I debated whether there is some weird moral or ethical implications in doing so, specifically reframing the actions of the Nazis in a fictional light in a way that may affect how a reader could view the history associated with WWII and Nazi Germany. The specific example discussed was something along the lines of: there is evidence for a rise in a lack of WWII/Holocaust education and/or awareness in some younger generations. Would a novel like this help bring the attention of youths back to the real history, or swathe it further down in the deep? I don't think there is any true negative impact of fictionalizing/fantasizing history in the way that Weatherly has chosen to do so, but it does feel odd sometimes to read AU WWII fiction without seeing Hitler's name splattered across the pages.

All in all - great read that had me thinking and speeding through this novel. I am excited for the final installment to come in the mail. I do find it a shame that this series is hard(er) to find and isn't as popular as some other YA series as it is an inventive read with very strong female characters and respectful male characters.

[Paris Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Getting up seemed heartbreakingly difficult. I thought how nice it would be just to close my eyes and never bother to move again.’

When Amity Vancour begins to unravel the horrific secrets of the trusted government, she is thrown into a pit of deception in which she can never be fully sure who to trust. Will she survive, or will the corrupt John Gunnison have the stars align in his favour?

Personally, I believe Weatherly has done a glorious job at portraying unlikely friendships and heartbreaking betrayals. We are taken on a whirlwind of a beautiful plot, so enthralling it was impossible to put down for longer then a moment to gather your thoughts. From start to finish, I found myself desperately looking for a short break for Amity, feeling as though I myself was on the run and that all hope was lost. But despite this, she keeps going- so willing to help strangers, even if it landed her in a worse position.

However, all books have their flaws. I found myself wanting a longer, better explanation for the vital discoveries in the plot. From the truth about her fathers choices and how quickly he seemed to sway towards the wrong choices for a love he couldn’t have, to the death of one of the major characters. Perhaps this will all be explained better in the final book of the trilogy , however, I felt that some things didn’t last as long as I had hoped. How could a death we all wished for during the course of two books be over in a sentence?

Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The plot was so well written, with plot twists I wouldn’t of imagined, perfectly illustrating Amity’s thoughts and feelings during her horrific stay at the correction camp. Likewise, the flashbacks were a much needed addition to the book – a great way to explain vital parts of the plot without it being interrupted by the current events. It provided a release for the readers, between the horrific things we see Amity face with Ingo, as well as dividing up the sweet scenes of them in the abandoned office.

Overall, it was a well rounded, refreshing book. I especially appreciated the abrupt start with the court scene. Being thrust straight back into the world of Amity Vancour is particularly appealing as it depicts the urgency of the events whilst also mirroring how Amity can never catch a break

[Ailbhe Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Opinion of this series has been turned around, compelling plot, great characters and tension galore!! (Spoilers are only mild)

*CHARACTERS*
INGO MANFRED IS FANTASTIC, hilariously dry, well developed and deep, Ingo Manfred has evolved from a pleasing side character to the saving grace this series was looking for. He impacts and changes Amity beautifully and I WORSHIP HIM FOR HIS WIT. A model of a well rounded and real character who comes to life every time he's in a scene.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of Collie and Kay weaved into this story and Mac was a pleasing addition to the narrative, coming to the forefront imposingly and exceedingly charming.
The characterisation of Amity greatly improved in this volume of the series and she is certainly more digestible now and less sickly.

*PLOT*
The plot of this novel was magnificent. I really enjoyed the echoes of world war 2 and Nazi Germany which seemed gimmicky in the first book, and are now well integrated and integral to the story. Weatherly's world building only improved and despite taking a backseat to the jam-packed plot, was still well written and engaging. Harmony 5 was an excellent way to kickstart the plot and set the story into motion, and the emotional distress which followed was relatively well developed. It has very much shifted into the survival genre for this book and I for one am not complaining since Weatherly pulls off the shift flawlessly

*FINAL THOUGHTS*
I was really surprised by how much I am OBSESSED with this book and think it really is a step up from the first book, taking this series too new heights and I can't wait to read the final installment

[Yasmin Ijouiher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think all book lovers have trepidation going into a sequel of a great first book as we know everything will be compared to its predecessors and quite often the sequel just won't quite measure up. This book proved an exception to the rule. This book had me on the edge of my seat. It opens with Amity's trial and quickly moves into her time the harmony camps (I can best describe them without being too graphic as being like the Nazi concentration camps of WW2). While the circumstances were dire i was thrilled to see Amity and Ingo reunited in these camps . I was more thrilled to read about their escape and the progression of their relationship as they attempt to remain free. After making contact with the existence Into is giving the chance to go back to his family and Amity joins a plot to dispose Gunnision and in the biggest twist to date Gunnison is killed but Kay uses his death to take power herself. This is why I love this series. I like that LA weatherly makes you think a plot point is so organic that it must be it only to twist it when you least expect it. The book ends with A new mission to stop Kay and sees the brief reunion of Ingo and Amity. While nothing overt has occurred between Ingo and Amity yet their reuniting at the end of this book gives me hope that the relationship will come to fruition in the next book.

[Brigitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkness follows is the second book in the Broken Trilogy. It's an extraordinarily and revolting insight in a prison camp. The cruelty is beyond belief. The lies, deceit and delusion are fitting to this Dystopian world. There is some romance and heartbreak too.

Amity is now confined in a prison camp and what she experiences is unbelievable. She rebels to begin with, but soon learns her lesson whereby she appears to conform to avoid further punishment. Gunninson is still delusional and has now built loyal followers, but there are those willing to show the world that he is nothing but a dangerous con artist. Whist in the camp Amity meets Ingo who is in the same situation. At first they are aprehensive of each other other. They have been lied to and when this becomes apparent, they start a friendship. From that friendship a plan forms. It's a risky and dangerous one. After what they are going through, what have they got to lose? Can they pull it off?

Amity and Ingo forms a friendship that is rare. It's a good addition to the series and its worth finding out what the final installment brings.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet again, LA Weatherly has managed to produce a well thought out, clever story. She is a remarkable writer.

I loved the survival scenes, they were amazing. I lost all respect for Collie, as we're probably supposed to do; and then started to see something in Ingo. Amity is the perfect character mix of being a young strong female without being rude, crude, bad mannered, masculinised, whiny, hypocritical. Well done!

I didn't quite see the ending, but thought it lacked a tiny bit of punch (just the smallest, tiniest bit) and was a bit too easy.

Plot- it thickened, it challenges the reader in to thinking what would be acceptable under extreme circumstances.

What lost it that star is that there were several f-bombs dropped in. It's been a while since I read Broken Sky, but I'm sure there weren't any in there. The story, style and characters were so strong they didn't need the impact of language like that.

I did love it though, and I'm going to be getting the last in the series very soon.

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still not sure what to say about this ... experience really, idk what else to call it. I read the first book "Broken Sky" years ago and had given up any hope of ever finding the rest, I bought it at an airport and couldn't find any stores that sold them where I lived/ currently live. I still found myself thinking about this story years later and decided to look online, I was hesitant to start reading cause I didn't know if I'd still like the story, but boy am I glad I did. This is one of the few books that have stayed with me and in my memory even after so much time had passed from the moment I finished reading it. It's such a rich story about people, about humans, about us, it's like a distorted mirror of what we could be, of what we are, of what we were, it's everything and nothing all at once, it's disturbing and heartwarming and unsettling and familiar. And I am really glad I didn't give up on it.

[Elise (Bookpopwonderland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkness Follows is the second book in The Broken Trilogy.

I really enjoy the concept of these books. In this instalment the extremist government regime has taken over that has ideals based on astrology. People who are rebellious against the cause, or who aren't aligned with harmony, are classed as 'Discordant' and carted off to concentration camps. The protagonist, Amity, is located at one of the worst camps, Harmony 5, at the start of the book and the conditions are horrific.

I'm so glad I discovered this page turning trilogy. The concept and storyline is fresh and exciting and this book was action packed. The only thing I will say about these books is that I think they are more adult than YA. Not because of the content, but because the characters just come across as mature, like thirty-something-year-olds rather than young adults. So it may not appeal to teens or younger adults.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy. Wowsers. I thought the first book was amazing with the believable characters but the wonder of the settings and the concept keep you invested in the story. The second one enthralls you and Darkness Follows is a beyond apt title for the second installment. The character relationships in this one and teetering on the edge of what you know as well as binding deep.

LA Weatherly's description skills should be given an award for their imagery. Simple but effective and you stay long in the story.

The character arc in this one is so different to the first but so believable.

The story gets extremely dark in places which makes me question whether it really should be young adult but at the same time would fit in well with the dystopian likes of The Hunger Games etc.

[Kym · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I’m just going to put it out there and say this is a criminally underrated trilogy.

I loved the first book and this was almost as good, the back and forth with the time line was sometimes a bit confusing which is the only reason I’ve marked it down half a star.

That aside, I *loved* reading this and devoured it in a couple of days. It was one of those stories I just couldn’t put down.
The writing was brilliant, the story line was well thought out, there were so many plot twists that had me on the edge of my seat, the characters were well developed & continued to develop as the story continued… Everything about this was really well done and I’m really excited to start the final book in the trilogy.

[Elle✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

20/12/22- Phenomenal!! Loved it so much!!!
21/12/22- I've had time to sit and think on the characters developments in this book now so here are my thoughts.
I would really love to see Ingo and Amity continue to have a really strong platonic relationship, with the flirty banter like they have now.
I don't think that Amity should forgive Collis, he could've gone around what he did differently.
I think Amity should go solo and stay out of a relationship, I think her character was better when she was single and had her friends around her.
Madeline (whatever her name is- Truces lover) took the cowards way out of what she had done, she should have had to face the consequences of what she did.

[A Darwish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly? Wow.

Fantastical book, really what I signed up for and I didn’t expect the author to go through breaking the main character thoroughly. Some of the details were so gruesome but it really lifted the book because now I genuinely don’t know who will live and who will die.

Romance is much less which I’m grateful for but even the romance that was included is actually pleasant and sweet.

The twists and the actual villain changing is welcome and I can’t wait to read the 3rd one, hopefully it lives up to what this book has set up.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second instalment of the Broken series has become very dark and harrowing. Amity seems to have failed and can see no way out of her predicament. When she meets Ingo again who is almost as broken as she is, they start to imagine what would happen were they to escape their prison and hope started to make me read on more frantically. This book was exciting, horrific in parts, emotional and so very good to read.