Amber & Dusk

Amber & Dusk #1

by Lyra Selene

In a magical world where the sun never sets, a gifted girl dreams to be in the royal court but once inside, she may not be prepared for the drama.Sylvie has always known she deserves more. Out in the permanent twilight of the Dusklands, her guardians called her power to create illusions a curse. But Sylvie knows it gives her a place in Coeur d’Or, the palais of the Amber Empress and her highborn legacies. So Sylvie sets off toward the Amber City, a glittering jewel under a sun that never sets, to take what is hers.But her hope for a better life is quickly dimmed. The empress invites her in only as part of a wicked wager among her powerful courtiers. Sylvie must assume a new name, Mirage, and begin to navigate secretive social circles and deadly games of intrigue in order to claim her spot. Soon it becomes apparent that nothing is as it appears and no one, including her cruel yet captivating sponsor, Sunder, will answer her questions. As Mirage strives to seize what should be her rightful place, she’ll have to consider whether it is worth the price she must pay . . . Lyra Selene weaves a lush and thrilling story of sacrifice, secrets, and star-crossed love set in a Parisian-inspired world where the sun never sets in this remarkable YA fantasy debut.Praise for Amber & Dusk“A shimmering tapestry of language, woven through with soaring beauty and subtle menace.” —Sara Holland, New York Times–bestselling author of the Everless series“Full of riotous color, fantastical locations, and surprising plot twists.” —School Library Journal

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Fiction, High Fantasy

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 27, 2018

About the author

Lyra Selene was born under a full moon and has never quite managed to wipe the moonlight out of her eyes. She grew up on a steady diet of mythology, folklore, and fantasy, and now writes tall tales of twisted magic, forbidden romance, and brooding landscapes.

Lyra lives in New England with her husband and daughter, in an antique farmhouse that probably isn’t haunted. She is the author of the young adult duology AMBER & DUSK. A FEATHER SO BLACK is her adult debut.

Twitter: @LyraSelene
Instagram: @lyraselene

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buckle up b*tches - I'm taking you for a ride.

The Young Adult Checklist - Aspiring Authors Edition

~Courtesy of the Miranda Reads School of Writing ~

Some of you may remember our earlier course How to Write a Hit YA Novel 101...but what about the author on the go?

What if you don't have the time to wade through the entire course? How can you know how many tropes you need to tick off before your manuscript is ready?

Well, I'm glad you ask. Look no further - here is an easy how-to guide for aspiring young adult writers!

1) Orphanhood - aka NO PARENTS FOR YOU

"I'm just tired of being a castoff. My parents abandoned me. The women who raised me despised me. The villagers feared me."

Now, this may seem a little bit obvious to our experienced YA readers (and writers) but it is important to make sure that everyone is on the same page for step one.

Before you EVEN BEGIN to consider writing a YA book, brutally murder the parents.

Maim, dismember, poison, electrocute, vanish without a trace - does not truly matter how, just get those creative juices flowing and those parents outta here!

Sometimes you can get away with emotionally neglectful or abusive, but honestly, just tear the folks limb-from-limb right off the bat.

Can't have character development if mommy loves you!

2) Motivation - aka repression and abuse

"Obey the distant and sanctimonious Sister who hid the secret of my heritage, denied my legacy, and locked me away when I dared ask questions?"

Always (ALWAYS) kickstart your book by kicking your orphan (preferably when she's down).

You need to start somewhere!

Making your unloved orphan run from a horribly toxic and stifling environment is not only a great conversation starter when she meets other street-smart orphans but also garners a TON of sympathy from your audience.

People need a reason to root for her and why earn it through development when just a few sorry sounding sentences at the beginning does your work for you?

3) Unnecessary World Building - aka it's creative license, not stupid switch-a-roo

"And how did a fine lady such as yourself happen to misplace sixteen quintals of raw kembric ore?"

Most YA books try to find the one "thing" that makes them stand out - so why should yours be any different?

Swapping commonplace words with new, fun and exciting ones (anybody feel up for visiting the peons at the menagerie?) is a cool, unusual and exciting way to catch the reader's eye.

Make sure to add in something incredibly complicated:

The sun had not set on the Amber Empire for a thousand tides. But that didn't mean my world knew nothing of darkness.
Or violence.

Like a world that did not experience days but still contains many terms that suspiciously sounded a LOT like regular time measurements.

An easy way to do this is to write your book like normal, pick out a few words to swap and then control+F to deploy your uniqueness!

Just spans older than me, Madame Rina's son was...

As they say in my world - Easy. Peasy. Lemon. Parcheesi!

4) Backlash - orphanhood just ain't enough these days!

You are weak and simple.

With so many orphaned young adult heroines running around, you may be wondering what could make yours possibly stand out?

Self-doubt, loathing and hatred!

Everyone around her must tear her down, almost as much as she does herself!

I knew this was where I belong. But would I ever be able to learn the intricacies of a life I wasn't born to?

Backlash is a great way to keep that sympathy rolling and it is absolutely essential for that all-so-important relatable factor.

She may have ungodly powers, a body that people would kill for and two incredibly hunky guys to fight over her but she hates herself - just like you!

5) Narcissism - aka narcissism? I said confidence. CONFIDENCE!

I didn't owe him anything. I'd fought for my place in this world, and earned it. I deserved this serenity, this opulent luxury.

Gone are the limp-noodle heroines like Bella Swan.

Nowadays, young adults want heroines who not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.

"We are bound to our power, just as it is to us. And every legacy has its consequences."
"Prestige, fortune, and admiration," I hissed. "Consequences indeed."

Keeping in mind she must have crippling self-doubt (see number 4), this also must be balanced with the swagger and confidence of a body builder snorting his fifth round of roids before lunch.

It can seem a bit like your character is having a breakdown every couple of pages as she yo-yos between such extremes but as long as she leans towards one or the other by the end of the book - character development!

6) Alternative Naming Formats - aka Nicknames!

Sunder. Lullaby. Mirage.

Look, Bob, Jim, and Jimbo ain't gonna cut it.

If you ain't picking monikers from the Obscure Baby Names from the 16th Century Gregorian Chants or 101 Commonplace Objects YOU Can Name Your Unfortunate Spawn - should you even call yourself an author?

7) The Smooches - aka no one calls it that anymore mommmm.

He deepened the kiss, his lips a promise: a covenant of the sublime.

Kissing one of the leading abstract concepts in the twenty-first century.

It is extremely important to NEVER use concrete terms to describe smoochies - they must be stunning rays of sunshine, taste of the dancing moonlight and sparkles.

8) The Struggle - aka achieving your wildest dreams? NEVER!!

The Sisters always swore the Scion would punish me for my sins: my anger, my ambition, my tenacious dreams. But I always thought those features made me smaller.

This one can be a little tricky, but don't worry. Your audience is YA, not A so if you mess up - they won't even notice!

It's extremely important to create internal struggle - but a small, controlled one (this ain't a psychology book).

Your emotionally deprived orphan must have dreams, goals and ambitions - ones that would seem crazy to anyone from her world but in reality are rather normal.

She must fight the good fight for every positive sentiment, thought and sensation and be rebuffed at every turn.

"I'm staying," I breathed. "This is where I belong."
"...Who cares where you belong," he said, "if you're dead?"

Ahhh, that's good. Make her want it.

9) The Makeover - aka pretty pretty princess with no plot progress

I struggled to choose a gown from the haphazard selection...

You are contractually obligated to provide an Oscar-worthy gown for your main character for no discernible reason.

She may have mixed feelings about being trussed up but once she gets in front of the mirror - wow. Beautiful.

Then never mention it again.

10) Revolution - aka seventeen seems like a good age to overthrow the government

"Whispers?" My throat rasped dry. "Of what?"
"of Revolution."

Now, you may be thinking how many revolutions can the YA book world handle?

The answer is: always at least one more.

You also may be wondering - how much time and effort do I need to put into orchestrating the take-down of the government?

The answer is: about as much time as it took to write the gown scene.

Just make sure that the seventeen year old (or tide-year-old? Whatever unit of measurement your uniquely crafted world uses) feels personally responsible for every little aspect.

Every miner dead in a mine blast - my fault.
Every sand skiff scuppered by Zvar militants - my fault.
Every child starving in the stinking shanties of Paper city - my fault.

Ahhh, I can just feel the character development. Smells like a movie deal.

Overall - aka now what??

Thank you so much for checking out The Young Adult Checklist - Aspiring Authors Edition - it has been a pleasure working with you.

As you read over the list, tick off how many boxes your book is covering. Below is a handy-dandy evaluation sheet to determine if you are ready:

0 out of 10 - MY GAWD, you let your orphan keep her parents? Did you even try?

2 out of 10 - Seriously? Why even bother wasting paper on this?

4 out of 10 - Well, you wrote something...and it will be a great to use as firewood.

6 out of 10 - Not bad. Not bad at all. Bottom of the bookshelf material but at least you did made an attempt.

8 out of 10 - Finally, someone who takes parental dismembership seriously! But you really named your characters Susan and Tyler? Not Songbird and Tiaga?

10 out of 10 - Congrats! Here's a multi-million twelve-book deal plus twenty novellas! And movie script! And a firstborn child of a superfan!

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[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

this appears to be one of those books that is flying completely under the radar at the moment. i probably wouldnt have even read this, let alone known about this, had it not been the book choice for decembers owlcrate. but this honestly deserves sooo much more attention.

because this book is a straight up dream for any YA fantasy lover. it basically takes every trope imaginable and uses them shamelessly. and because of that, because of the familiar aspects from other novels, it makes the story a bit predictable. but it also feels like a celebration of everything i love about the genre. its a marriage of everything that works for a world filled with magic, for a strong female MC trying to make her place in the world, and for the feelings of enemy angst that turn into something more. ;)

in my opinion, the familiar components effectively build a strong foundation for a wonderfully fresh story. i enjoyed everything about this and hope the book gets hyped up more, because it deserves it!

↠ 4 stars

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Owlcrate Unboxing! Click link below the picture to see the awesome goodies!



THE GOODIES LINK

I reckon I will leave it at 3 since I can’t really decide. Sigh....

Happy Reading!!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Jillian Reynolds (Jillian Loves Books) · Rating 1 out of 5]

2019's first installment of: I READ THIS BOOK SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO!


WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST BE A BETTER BOOK?!


To whoever is reading this review: Imma need to warn you of three things before you scroll any further: 1) This is an angry review, don't come here looking for niceties--you'll find only anger and expletives, 2) There's some harsh language involved(I'm sorry, kind of, but my anger supersedes my apologetic nature), 3) This is clearly an unpopular opinion, as this books seems to be pretty well-received, so take my review with a grain of salt, 4) There are nothing but spoilers, but I'm honestly saving you from reading 360 pages of a book, in which the plot only develops in the last 60 pages.

Now that that's out of the way, feel free to keep scrolling for the ramblings of an angry reader.


Literally. Everything about this book drew me in: 1) The LOVELY and quite intriguing cover, 2) The premise of a corrupt court in a beautiful amber city, 3) A strong female lead working her way to what she wants....

And then we end up with this shit.


Here's the deal. Lyra Selene can WRITE. I don't mean like, she's a good writer or whatever. But this woman can paint a legitimate picture with her words. I mean, some of her passages were so beautifully written, I couldn't help but be entranced.

BUT OH MY GOD THESE CHARACTERS.

Mirage or Sylvie, or whatever the hell she chooses to go by (it changes page-to-page), has to be the dumbest, most entitled, whiniest lost princess I've ever read about. She constantly talks about how she "deserves" to be at Court because she worked hard for it. Which may or may not be true, but as readers, we're kinda thrust into her story after her entire journey to the Amber City is complete. Her whole voice just reads as, "I'm special and I deserve to be here, and I'm going to be sure to tell that to every damn person I meet in this world." It just comes off as, "Hi I'm Slyvie, I'm special." I hated her more than most characters I've read about. Reading from her point of view made me lose IQ points, and if I would've taken a shot every time she mentioned the "amber stone hanging between her breasts," I would've died and never had the displeasure of completing this harrowing tale.

I'm not angry enough, so let's talk about the love interest.


Sunder. The boy who is a TOTAL AND COMPLETE ASSHAT for the whole first three fourths of this tale. He builds his character by humiliating our decidedly smart heroine, embarrassing her in front of masses of people, talking down to her and reminding her she's nothing special, and doing the douchiest crap to her. SO TELL ME WHY THIS CHICK FALLS IN LOVE WITH HIM. Oh, and I didn't even mention that her other little friend, Luca, is in love with her 30 pages in. Because hot damn is she a SUPER special little snowflake of a lost princess.


Oh, and let's talk about her "friends." I use the term loosely, because she never actually develops a relationship with them, she screws them over, and they contribute nothing to the plot. Thibo and Lullaby only serve to further the point that, oh shit, the Empress is evil. Yeah, that's cool and all, but could you guys.... I don't know, DO SOMETHING throughout the book?! Yeah, Lullaby teaches Mirage/Sylvie/Snowflake how to act at Court, but it's all glossed over very briefly. So why even have her in the plot? And Thibo? Wtf man. I actually liked him, and then he is killed off FOR LITERALLY. NO. REASON. He is just found DEAD, and then we don't talk about it. LIKE..........



Let's talk about the lack of a clear plot, while we're at it. Because there really wasn't one until the last 60 pages. In fact, it felt like this was written as the author was finding her story. It all read like the following:
"I'm special."
"No you aren't."
"Yes I am, watch this." *insert magical doodly doo illusion shit that's never really explained*
"You need more practice."
"Oh, okay, better walk around the palace for 40 pages while not doing anything that contributes to furthering the plot of this 300+ page novel."

Like, this was OVER THREE-HUNDRED PAGES, people. And we don't get to any real plot until page 300. For most of the book, I thought the plot revolved around this damn stone that "thrummed between [her] breasts," because she felt the need to draw attention to it at least once every 50 pages. And throughout the "plot," things were never actually explained, but readers were just expected to understand. Wtf is kembric? How tf does this chick illusion? HOW IS SHE SO GOOD AT IT TO GET INTO THE COURT, AND THEN SUDDENLY LOSES ALL HER ABILITIES ONLY TO CONVENIENTLY GAIN THEM BACK?


Let's not even forget to mention the fact that once the plot picks up for say, ohhhh, I don't know, literally only the last 60 pages, all the main action takes place in one chapter. And this fearsome empress that everyone says is so scary and strong, and groups have planned to plot against her for decades, is EASILY defeated by some weak little girl whose barely-there powers were suddenly enough to bring down an entire kingdom. This freaking empress steals people's powers, but this new illusionist was able to magically overcome it using her legacy (again, never really explained) because she's so special and unique and stronger than literally every other person at Court, regardless of the fact that all the other people have much more useful and pain-inducing powers than hers.But yeah. Ok then. Go off, sis.


I'm just infuriated. I probably shouldn't have finished the book. I knew this wouldn't be for me as soon as we met the brooding love interest whose love was furthered by a revolution *cough cough* GALE, and the SECOND love interest who was a total asshat (for reasons, of course) and our dumb protagonist fell in love with this asshat *cough cough* THE CRUEL PRINCE RECYCLED MATERIAL. I knew I was going to be angry. But I'm stubborn as hell and finished this book so you don't have to. But THANK GOD 2019 is bringing us a sequel!


Damn. I hoped my first review of 2019 would be more positive. But you know.


1.5 stars because I'm feeling generous and the imagery was nice, rounded down to 1 star for GR because I can't bring myself to round this dumpster fire up to 2.

[Nastassja · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I will not sit idly by while the world changes around me. I don’t know whether my blood is a gift or a curse. And I don’t relish breaking the world in order to remake it the way I see it. But I will if I have to. Does that make me a monster?”

Such moments make me wish I was a poet, so I could transcribe my feelings into a melody of words. Alas, I am not, and you are stuck with my numerous attempts to praise the book I loved and would want to shove up my every friend's face, so we would sing serenades to the story together. As I said, wishes.

So, how to describe Amber & Dusk?

Amber & Dusk is a gift you never knew you needed in your life. Amber & Dusk is a song you hear passing by on the street and finding yourself following its words until the last note. Amber & Dusk is like a rich chocolate with a unique flavour you cannot put your finger on, but you desperately want to guess the ingredients. Dark, delicious, captivating and achingly beautiful in its honesty Amber & Dusk is perhaps the most unexpected surprise of the year for me.

The book is telling a seemingly familiar story of an orphan girl Sylvie who lives in the cold lonely Dusklands but dreams of a better life. Her only companions are her gift of creating illusions and her belief that she is meant for more. So she packs her scant belongings and travels to a distant Amber city to become a part of the Empress's court and to find her legacy. To do so she will have to accept the help of her very cruel and cold sponsor Sunder, to find friendship, to face her past, and to claim her future. But not everything is at it seems in the court and some secrets a deadlier than the others. Sounds familiar? I am sure it does. I've seen many comparisons of this book to Red Queen, Selection, Shadow and Bone, and my personal favorite - The Cruel Prince. But all these stories are similar in one way or another.

But what makes Amber & Dusk stand out in its own way?

The Characters. The concept of strong feminist heroines is not new to young adult genre these days; almost every book has one. But more often than not, those heroines are strong and feminist in words not actions, or, sometimes, heroines are too brazen and powerful, making me wish they'd be more balanced so that I could sympathize with them, otherwise what is the point of a girl Terminator? I believe, strong but vulnerable, determined but uncertain, gentle but tough - the best type of heroines to connect with. And Sylvie/Mirage is exactly such a heroine. She knows what she wants from the beginning, she doesn't shy from admitting that power interests her: it's her birthright. She is honest in going after what she believes is hers. And maybe it makes her a monster in some way. Mirage admits she lacks education, she doesn't understand court intrigues, but she is eager to learn. She has a vision of her world and she is determined to make it true. One of the strongest heroines in YA.

“You spoke of sunlight and ambric smiles, of dreaming vast, colorful dreams. That’s why I came here: to be part of that world. They named me Mirage, and that is what I am. Not a faint illusion that will quickly disappear, but a desire, and a promise, and a dream of something impossible. But only if I’m given the chance.”

And then we have Cardan's twin brother Sunder. Do you feel the temperature rising in the room? No? Then read the book and you will feel it. What words can I find to describe Sunder? Seductive? Cruel? Charming? Smart? Deceitful? Broken? All of them seem fitting but in an undivided-from-each-one way. For example, if you could take all these words and blend them together, thus creating one single word that will combine all of them - that would be the word to describe Sunder. All his sides - bad and good - are indistinguishable from each other, creating a complex kaleidoscope of a person, who you cannot help but fall in love with. Yes, this is Sunder, my new book boyfriend.

“I had finally forged the dristic bones of my own fortune in this pristine palais. I would not squander that on a man whose truths were laced with lies, whose face was a mask, whose price was power. He could only be a curse.”

Sunder and his twin sister Bane are Suicide twins - this is how the court sees them. They can hurt you with their powers, but it doesn't make them monsters, though, I admit there were moments when I wanted to cry "Wolf" and run away from Sunder, so cruel he was (Cardan from The Cruel Prince seemed like a child compared to him). But there's reason for everything and you will have to read the book to find it out.

“A wolf wasn’t cruel when she killed for her meal. A nighthawk wasn’t cruel when he ripped his talons through the still-warm body of a mouse. Winter wasn’t cruel when it blanketed the land in snow and stole the warmth from your bones. Sunder and Bane might be cold, but they weren’t cruel. They were merely as nature made them.”

Secondary characters are no less complex and diverse. Special mentioning deserves Reaper, a friend of Mirage. He is the kindest and sympathetic person, who cares a lot about his friends and loved ones. He was a sunshine among clouds and I wanted to cuddle and protect that cinnamon roll from any harm coming his way I find it unfair that Thibo dies in the book, looking like a best-gay-friend-dies cliche, though it added more darkness to the story and served like an incentive for the heroine to make an important decision. But I have that voice in my head whispering that Thibo deserved more than to be a plot device.

“We are all thieves here, Mirage,” Thibo breathed. “We steal a thousand scintillating moments of drinking and dancing and laughter and pretend that there will never be any cost for the choices we make. But the price of love is heartbreak. The price of pleasure is pain. And the price of power is always corruption.”

The Romance. Uh-huh, you've got me, I wouldn't be half that excited about this book if not for the labyrinthine tangles of romantic liaisons. And Mirage with Sunder provided me with enough angst to pump the blood in my veins for weeks to come. I am a goner for hate/love relationships, and the harder characters troll each other, the hotter they make out after. Amber & Dusk has a special kind of slow-burn that makes you want to shad your skin off, so much it burns after every interaction between them.

“So you don’t mind,” I managed, “if I’m a monster?”
“No.” He rocked closer, and his closeness sent a thread of desire stitching up my spine. “Because I’m a monster too.”

The World-building. Vast and rich mythology of the Dusk world, plump with legends and magic, and spiced with court intrigues and ruthless deeds. This is the world of Amber & Dusk. I love vicious political intrigues and dubious characters you think you can trust until you don't. Who plays who, who manipulates who, and how are they going to untangle themselves from that web? Oh, Sunder, my clever naughty boy, how many times have you played me into believing you. How many times had I found myself tricked and gasping because this-is-not-what-I-have-expected-damn-all-of-you was my normal reaction.
Simply put, I was smiling like a cat who just caught a very appetizing mouse. Maybe I did.

But nothing sweet is without a spoon of tar, and so Amber & Dusk is not ideal. I wish there was more depth to some aspects of the story, perhaps more pages in the book to make it more complex and full. I wish some characters had gotten more development, and some events were explained better. At times, world-building felt overwhelming, and I had found myself wondering the labyrinthine intricacies of the world, hard for grasping. But those are small things that in no way spoiled my comprehension of the story and its characters.

Overall, Amber & Dusk is a story written in the most exquisite and richest way, making me fantasize about unreachable worlds on the brink of Dusk, full of illusions and magic. Lyra Selene masterly created a unique debut that will haunt my dreams with fantasies of something beautiful and terrifying for a long time to come. One of the favorite books of the year!

[Rachel L]

DNF about 100 pages in

From what I read, I hated the purple prose writing, lack of character development and horrible world building. This book just wasn't for me. Too bad, it has such a pretty cover.

[Lyra]

I wrote this book to be everything I want to read:

Prose that tastes like sugared secrets.

An impossible, intoxicating world--bright to look at but dark to behold.

Ball gowns and courtly politics and sarcastic banter and hidden motives.

A plot that fits together like broken mirror glass, sharp enough to cut.

And a heroine with teeth. An ambitious, complicated, stubborn girl who dreams of an impossible world, glossy as the colors spilling like jewels from her fingertips.

Oh, and kissing. There can never be enough kissing.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED all the machinations and court intrigue that drove the plot and kept me guessing. Sylvie is at once a cunning and ambitious character who is still somehow sympathetic and endearing.

I absolutely couldn't get enough of the world origin story - the sun chasing the moon and Meridian getting caught up in the drama. It was captivating and really gave so much insight into motivations and games.

The only thing I wished for was either 1. a second book or alternatively 2. an epilogue showing more detail for the ending. I think some loose strings were definitely left that I would love more clarity on.

A fantastic new fantasy with romance, ambition and magic.

ETA: A second book was just announced! YAY!

[Rylee Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preface:

While I have some complaints about the heroine, I absolutely LOVED this book. Political scheming, a damaged antihero, and twists in the story combined to slingshot me through this novel. I’m officially willing to devour whatever this author will write next.

The plot:

The story is full of politics, scheming, and secrets, and an evil empress who uses her court as her own personal Mean Girls Coliseum. The people around Sylvie are miserable, but she’s like a cult victim, and completely naïve to how evil the Amber Empress is. Sylvie spends most of the story focused on cultivating her ability and confused about the drama unfolding around her. 

Sylvie: the heroine?

She’s ambitious, and oh so entitled. She’s not the most perceptive heroine either, as she just doesn’t get what’s going on around her. She wheedles her way into the palais so that she’ll be with other people like her, motivated to learn about her ability while being surrounded by luxury. She’s conveniently blind to the fact that her new place serving the Empress is basically a life of slavery. She’s like Katniss, but selfish — “I volunteer as tribute! But only because I belong with the other victors. You can dress me in Swarovski now! (But I’ll address the maids by their real names so you know I’m not evil.)” 

The girl doesn’t notice that she’s willingly placed her head directly into the lion’s mouth. When reading the synopsis, I got the impression that Sylvie is astute, and trying to work out the mystery of the place she’s at. But she’s dense and doesn’t ask questions, admires the villain and distrusts the hero, and spends a good deal of time talking herself out of the truth.

Multiple opportunities for improvement:

She wants so badly to belong somewhere. But when she’s presented with that opportunity in the beginning, she gives it up in order to be with others like her in a life of privilege. A sense of belonging isn’t the only thing she’s after. She’s ambitious, and is resentful of her humble origins as a poor orphan. And she feels sorry for herself because of everything she’s been through, which is annoying. It really makes me question whether she’s truly heroine material. The girl has flaws up the wazoo. 

And yet, as the story progresses, more of the typical OG heroine traits emerge. She gets angry at injustice and motivated to take action. She evolves, making her a much less annoying protag after some time investment. In fact, I actually began to like the things I initially complained about. She’s not Snow White, all purity and altruism. At first glance, she could even have what it takes to be a villain. But by the end, I was loving that she wasn’t your basic heroine mould. She’s got darkness to her. And she is indeed a heroine by the end, albeit a complex one.

Sunder: either the antihero or the villain (place your bets!):

Sunder enters the scene as an antagonist. He steps up to sponsor her, but in a way that it makes it seem like he’s rooting for her to fail. But still, he steps up and makes it possible for her to stay at the palais. He “saves the cat,” so to speak. “Saving the cat” refers to the mechanism used by writers of introducing a person as a protagonist. The hero shows himself as a hero by saving a cat from a tree, signifying that he’s a “good guy.” Sunder’s intro is very “save the cat”ish, and it had me doubting throughout the book whether he was a villain because I had that moment stuck in my head. He has several moments where his actions seem negative, but are they really? That game of villain vs antihero is played throughout the novel, and we do get our answer by the end.

His personality:

He’s dark, damaged, and wears a cloak of cockiness to mask his vulnerabilities. It’s an attractive recipe that’s been used frequently, but it works. Hence its frequent use. Our inner heroine wants to rescue him from himself, pat him on the head, and tell him he’s worthy. I love this character, and he ended up being my favorite one to follow. I cared more about his story than Sylvie’s.

PS, the synopsis implies that Sunder isn’t forthcoming with answers, but he is when she finally starts asking. 

Supporting characters:

Luca — the best friend. Beautiful and clearly in love with Sylvie. He’s sunshine personified.

Severine — the Amber Empress. The evil “it girl.” The end.

Dowser — trains Sylvie how to use her ability. Secretive about his past and what he knows of Sylvie’s history. Father figure.

Lullaby — reluctant ally of Sylvie. Trains her in etiquette. Damaged by her time in the Amber Empress’ court.

Takeaways:

There’s commentary on how trials throughout life and enduring pain can lead to strength and transcendence compared to living on Easy Street. Trials build character.

To build something beautiful — a life, a society — loss is inevitable. The concept of breaking the world to create a new one makes an appearance.

The theme of making your dreams into reality is central. The protag’s power is illusion, and it ties into displaying her dreams for others to see.

Pitfalls:

Elaboration on people’s abilities comes late. The whole time I’m wondering what exactly Reaper can do (ps, it’s not what I thought at all). 

Maids are introduced in the beginning, seemingly set up as characters, but are forgotten after the intro. They’ve got names, personalities, and then whoosh, they’re gone. I mean, I didn’t really care about them, but when they resurface towards the end, it’s just a bit jarring.

Tropes:

Sylvie is basically the chosen one trope. Little orphan that’s destined for more. 

There’s also a love triangle that’s not really a triangle but more of a misdirect. There’s really only one true love interest, though I can see Selene potentially employing another misdirect in the sequel with the other dude.

Ultimately:

It feels unfinished, so I can’t see this as a standalone. There are a couple cliffhangers. I don’t know where it’s heading, but I’m definitely in for the next one! It was a breeze to get through, and addicting enough that I ended up carrying it around with me on my errands for those spare seconds in between tasks when I could read a few sentences at a time.

PS: a big thanks to Scholastic for sending me an ARC!

[Christina (Ensconced in Lit) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amber and Dusk stars Sylvie, a poor orphan, who has been raised by very strict nuns. We are told from the outset that she has been bullied and tormented by others because she is different. She has special powers that she believes means that she is meant for greater things. The good: the prose is pretty good, especially for a debut. The magic and the world building is interesting. The not so great (and this may be a lot personal): I just didn't feel like it was any different from any other fantasy I've read. Bad boy who ends up not being so bad. Another love interest who kind of turns out to be a jerk. An evil queen. A mentor who teaches her how to use her magic. Sylvie herself is grating because she really thinks that she is super amazing and is meant for riches and power, and she truly doesn't let anyone stand in her way of her "destiny." This makes her a pretty unlikeable character especially when she has been warned by many characters that pride comes before a downfall and she should not idealize the Amber kingdom. This book for this reasons was not really for me. There are others in the genre that are much better.

[Minni Mouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked The Cruel Prince, I can almost guarantee you'll like this one as well. For a debut YA fantasy author, it's a good book with an engaging beginning, a decent world building with a both cultural and dystopian-esque tone, and an admirably subtle shift toward a feminist approach to ambition. Similar vibes also included Red Queen and The Diabolic.

THE GOOD
1) Big fan of the beginning.

2) Sylvie wants a man, yes, but she wants a strong career first. You go, Glenn Coco.

THE BAD
1) The author mixes a few different YA tropes together in an attempt to create something original but at the end of the day, the story is predictable. Special powers, beautifully evil ruler, asshat of a bully who's secretly the love interest, rebel group, Chosen One, hometown boy who wants the girl, uprising. Not a terrible thing to do, but definitely why the average three star rating is there.

2) A bit of a plot pacing lag that had me skimming pages around the 60% mark, almost like we said all we're willing to say in this book and need to save the rest of the good stuff for book two.

3) It was hard to actively like and root for any of the characters. Mirage was someone with whom you could understand due to her in-depth inner monologues, but it didn't mean you could actually relate to or believe them. It was like we were being told -- not shown -- how she felt about her situations and how we as the reader should feel about her in return.

Drowser was a forgettable character. Lullaby was under-developed, particularly as the main and only female friend for Mirage. Thibo struck me as a character who was only there to fill a stereotyped image. Luca was the proverbial bland Gale and Kilorn. And Sunder. Sunder was written to be deliberately callous and cruel, and I don't like the Holly Black wave of love interest who behave like cold bullies as a façade to hide their real intent.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I really do think fans of the asshat love interests, YA fantasy royal court politics, and social cruelty themes that were found in The Cruel Prince will at least find this book enjoyable. As it turns out, I'd rate both books just three stars -- good, but not in the best or most original of their YA craft.

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We are only as blind as the things we refuse to see.”

Me staying up late to read this book:


But honestly, this was such a delightful read.

Now, I won't go as far as to say this book is free of tropes. Because it isn't. However, it manages to use some of the typical tropes while still keeping the story fresh and interesting.

One such way it does so is our heroine Sylvie/Mirage. She is not our usual YA heroine. No one arrived to rescue her and take her to fulfill her destiny. Instead, she takes her destiny into her own hands. That being said, she could also be terribly irritating at times. Because, while she is ambitious and determined, she is also self-entitled and stubborn. Constantly, demanding what she feels she deserves, what she feels she is owed. But slowly and surely she learns that no one will just give you want, you have to earn it, you have to fight for it.

Sunder, Sylvie's sponsor, is a young-man of rather questionable morals and, for most of the book, questionable intentions. He is certainly no hero, but he is also never truly a villain. Has he done terrible things? Yes. But like all interesting, gray characters, he is more than the worst thing he has ever done. And that is what I like about him.

Sunder & Mirage/Sylvie
“I confess I'm not surprised to find you here, the one place in the palais where you can view your own reflection so many times. You must be in raptures.”
...
“So you admit,” he purred, “that I am beautiful to look at.”

---
“Perhaps you have deceit in your soul,” whispered Sunder. His hand floated higher, raising the hairs along my neck. “Or perhaps you want to show the world something only you can see. Something lovely, and strange, and just a little bit monstrous.”
“So you don’t mind,” I managed, “if I’m a monster?”
“No.” He rocked closer, and his closeness sent a thread of desire stitching up my spine. “Because I’m a monster too.”
---
“My monster,” he whispered against my mouth. “Show me what you dream, when you dream of new worlds.”


*Detailed review to come*

[mandatorial · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why I bothered. The main character is unlikable. The love interests are mildly unlikable. The writing is bogged down with metaphors that aren't necessary.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Purple Prose
noun
Prose that is too elaborate or ornate.

↑ That’s straight off google, baby!

I recently criticised The Gilded Wolves for having writing that leans too much toward style over substance. Purple prose. Here’s the thing: I think there are stories where purple prose works, and stories where it doesn’t.

I think the reason why the incessantly flowery writing annoyed me less in this book than it did with other books is because, unlike the aforementioned, this book isn’t trying to say anything fake-profound with some dressed-up, empty words. The purple prose is there because it suits the, shall we say, aesthetic of the book, rather than being there to hide the fact that the story and characters are insipid as hell.

However, one thing that did particularly annoy me: ambric, dristic and kembric aren’t real things and Lyra Selene never actually explains what they are or look like, so can she please stop using them to describe other things, eg “his kembric eyes”. Because I have no clue what “kembric eyes” are supposed to look like.

But onto the story!

Sylvie is a young penniless orphan who has recently discovered she has the power to create illusions. In the beginning of the book she is setting off from the poverty-stricken Dusklands towards the Amber City, where others with powers like hers live in obscene wealth and luxury. Sylvie believes she belongs with them because of the magic that runs through her blood.

If you think that all sounds very derivative and tropey, you’d be right. 50 pages into this book I was utterly unimpressed with how tropey the book seemed, but I did start to find that Selene was doing something at least a little interesting with these tropes. The story still smells of books such as Shadow and Bone and all its ilk, but the ending of the book appeared to be opening an avenue we don’t always see in YA. And I’m sorta excited for it.

I won’t lie, the heroine Sylvie/Mirage is annoying as hell for a lot of the book. All her talk of “birthright” really rubbed me the wrong way. She thinks she deserves a place at the top of the world just because it’s in her bloodline, even though it’s painfully clear she’s a selfish naive little brat with no clue how politics or intrigue work at all. Sometimes I think YA authors forget that literal wars have been fought in the real world over the idea that “bloodline = right to rule”. Is it too much for me to hope that a YA book will go all SEIZE THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION and knock the rich hereditary aristocratic assholes we see all the time in these books down a peg or two?

However, I don’t think Lyra Selene is totally unaware of this which is why I’m intrigued to see where the story will go next. I’m pretty sure one character mentioned the desire for a government “by the people, for the people” and I think it would be pretty cool to see the creation of a democracy in a YA fantasy book. We’ve got too many monarchs running around the YA world lately. It’s time to bring power back to the people, baby.

Anyway, a character that I genuinely liked was Sunder, Sylvie’s cruel and mysterious sponsor. He’s not all that he seems (which Sylvie probably would have realised if she’d bothered to stop and think for a second) and I was all *waggling eyebrows* the moment he appeared on the page. However sometimes I felt sorry for Sunder for having to deal with Sylvie’s brainlessness lol. I think at one point I literally said out loud “Mate, why are you even bothering?” But I appreciate that he calls her out on everything that annoyed me about her. Lmao.

Despite everything I did actually really enjoy the romance (maybe just because I fancy the pants off Sunder). It was slow-burn enough to satisfy me but had plenty of sexual tension so I wasn’t bored. However, I do smell the possible potential for a love triangle in the next book, and if that happens I will be so, so angry. Don’t do it, Lyra Selene. I’m begging you. I like Luca as a character but if he becomes a proper second love interest then he can burn in hell.

Overall this was sort of a guilty pleasure book? The writing had a very aesthetic quality to it, and the setting was dripping with beauty. Yes the story was derivative and had many tropes but in a way that was sort of a nostalgia trip for me (since the first YA books I ever read were the quintessential “orphan with special powers” books.). I liked the romance. And I’ll probably read the next one.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I found the book's concept and everything interesting, but it was too predictable to be as enjoyable as it could have.

[Bookish_Opinions · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. From the beginning I was drawn in by the unique descriptions and captivating imagery, it's clear this author is a very talented writer. The book has LGBTQ+ representation which is a big draw for me (although it did feel a bit like a check in a box since it was essentially just one central character and his boyfriend). However, I quickly found the main character unsympathetic in her goals and the initial romance unbelievable. From there, the world building was intriguing but arbitrary, the whole concept of the missing moon and the dying sun didn't seem to have any real impact on the story and could have just as easily been left out. Much of the fantasy lingo also seemed random, gardens are jardins and guards are gardes but there doesn't seem to be any real difference between them, while other things kept the names we use for them. I really enjoyed Sunder as a character up until the point when he became the romantic interest. He was nuanced and complicated but I just don't believe him falling for Sylvie. The political intrigue that is introduced is entirely sidelined by the protagonists self-interests, and so much mythology and magical lore was set up only to remain unexplained. There is so much potential in this story, and I honestly eagerly await what this author might come out with next. I personally would just hope to see that same strong descriptive writing with more nuanced characters like Sunder, more development of characters and relationships to make them believable, and world building elements having a real impact on the characters' day to day lives. For me, this story had a lot of promise but ultimately did not deliver.

[ℓуηη_σƒ_νєℓαяιѕ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit I had high expectations for this book and it didn't entirely deliver. I wasn't blown away or wowed out of my chair. That isn't to say that I didn't still enjoy it, because I did. I just wanted/hoped for a bit more. It still gets a solid 4 stars and I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel!

Things I loved:
~The legacies (though the name reminded me of the Lorien Legacies lol), I liked what each one could do & the names they earned because of their legacies
~I found many of the points of the description are so beautiful & breathtaking!! I can never have too much gorgeous prose! The Amber Palace sounds so lush and vibrant, with life and color <3
~The myth about the Sun, Moon, and Meridian. I love it when stories have myths & legends tucked into them. It gives the world more depth and history
~The premise of never-ending dusk sounds so unique, almost like Tattooine's twin suns in A New Hope. I love things dealing with celestial beings.
~Over all plot was intriguing; there was the mystery of Sylvie's parentage, the mystery of the Empress's legacy and all the court intrigue to go with that, and of course tipping-toeing around on who to trust with your own secrets or get answers from. And of course a nicely done slow-burn romance

Then there's some things I sadly wasn't fully pleased with:
*Luca. Just so many issues with him. His drastic change from the smiling boy in the beginning to the extremist who tries to use friendships to bend to his will. I dunno, I just really didn't like him. Hopefully he gets some redeeming points in Bk2.
*There wasn't enough world-building for my taste. The skeleton world we get is quite interesting, but I just don't feel like it was fleshed out completely and developed to it's fullest potential. We get brief mentions of various other regions in the empire, but no real proper depth to them. We get a passing mention of "the Conquest" and how Belsyre was annexed during this event. But we got no real back story on it, so I just was left with questions. The world needs more history and customs and culture. I'm hoping this is also improved upon in the sequel.
*Sylvie's extreme arrogance, and in turns extreme petulance. She constantly was saying how she "deserved" this or that, or how something was her "birthright" and so much talk of entitlement with no basis for it other than that she was a legacy. It was just a bit grating at times and over the top.

That isn't to say I didn't like Sylvie, because I did. I liked her. I just didn't fully love her yet. I admired her rash bravery and wanting vengeance for her friends even when they weren't entirely honest with her on things. There was still a strong enough bond between them that she was willing to risk herself for their lives.

I absolutely LOVED all the characters in this book!! (With the exception of Luca later on). They were all uniquely different from each other, and even more different from the masks of themselves they portrayed for the court vs their actual personalities beneath. I loved the reveals we got of each of them as the story progress and things were stripped away.

Now I must talk about my boys <3 <3

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how frickin' adorable Thibo is??? He's so sweet & kind, and he's just got this gentle & accepting nature. He doesn't judge Sylvie for her differences, but welcomes them as a breath of fresh air. He appreciates the things that really matter, the little things in life: someone to love & share his life with, a home and family, a cozy life out of the limelight of the court. I just freaking love him so much!! And I was obviously gutted by his loss *wails bitterly* He and Mender were so cute together <3

Sunder. Oh you deliciously beautiful man!! (Although I normally prefer my dudes dark-haired, I make the occasional exceptions, such as now ;) ) **fans self** He's so aloof and locked away behind that mask of ice and arrogance. I always, and I mean always have a weak spot for the bad boys. They have the most engaging back stories that get you emotionally invested in their character arcs. I just love them to death & always thank my lucky stars when I come across them in books. I could seriously go on for ages about this topic and this particular character, but I'll just wrap it up by saying his moments in the book were my absolute favorites!! I lived for them!

Dowser of course needs a mention as well. I really liked his character. I always have a soft spot for the mentors and guides for our MCs. They never get enough credit, am I right? He appears gruff and unapproachable, but in actuality he's kind and even has a soft spot for Sylvie. At the end he tells her that he never had any children, buuuuuttt....he implies his affection for her is equal to if he had. Such a sweet moment.

Finally, I'll try to wrap this up. Definitely waxed on longer than I meant to *eye roll* Such is an enthusiastic book nerd's life lol. Anyway, the buildup to the climax was deliciously dramatic, and the ending was very well done, though of course, leaves you on a cliffhanger. But it doesn't feel like an absolutely dreadful one, if that makes sense. It finishes with a feeling of hope for the future to come, even if it has to be put off for a time. I just HOPE my baby Sunder is okay!!! He's got a serious injury in his side and is coughing up blood. So I really, really hope he's okay!!

Now the wait for the next book begins...

[Hanna☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ (Free Palestine) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ily Aaizaaaa, this was exactly what I needed

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧Amber & Dusk✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

3.5. If you enjoyed Shadow and Bone then you should definitely read this book, it's very similar in some ways.


__________________________________


Things I liked:


⪼------➢ The fmc is not portrayed as a 'good' person nor does she act like wants to be one. She's arrogant, she's selfish and she's entitled, but it's sort of refreshing? Mainly because I feel like it's usually insited that fmcs who act like her are saints and the definition of goodness when they're clearly not.

“You’re ambitious. You’re arrogant. Perhaps even a little cruel. Whatever gave you the idea that you were owed so much, when you offer so little?”

⪼------➢ The fmc and mmc have banter which honestly, is not bad at all lol, they had a bit of an enemies to lovers moment which I wasn't expecting and didn't fall for each other by the second meeting so that's definitely a win!! I don't know if I would call them enemies to lovers though for certain reasons but it was still thoroughly entertaining.

“Ah!” He snapped his fingers. His voice grew taut. “How strange, now being yesterday. Are Dusklanders unfamiliar with the concept of time? Or are you just as stupid as you look?”

Flames zinged out toward my fingertips, raising the hairs along my arms. My eyes cut up to his. “Sinking to my level, Lord Sunder? You insult my looks and intelligence so bluntly that no one would claim you are adept in the art of dealing pain.” I dragged an insolent gaze around the lavish chambers. “Although subtlety hardly seems to be your forte.”

⪼------➢ The descriptive writing was exquisitelyy gorgeous, you can't help but be utterly memerised by how everything is described.

Satins rippling with sky-lit colors: vermilion and magenta feathering toward a sapphire twilight. mechanical eagle, twice as big as my head, with articulated wings and ambric eyes as red as the sun. Feral-eyed vendors selling bottled curses and stoppered wealth, mirrored kisses and scented secrets. Clear ponds full of giant lotus flowers, their silky-soft petals pale as the mythic Moon. Jewels and colored glass. Laughing children.

⪼------➢ I just love the whole palace atmosphere. The elegance, the finery, the balls and sophistication but also the politics in play, the way you don't quite know who to trust, the way everyone is always busy playing their own games and keeping up appearances, the art of playing your hand and playing it well. All that is just mwahhhh, love it so much.




⪼------➢ That ending, the way she showed the THING was soooo cool and different, I loved the end scene with Mirage and Severine ughhh. (Also I loved the whole fake names, fake identity thing)


__________________________________


Things I didn't like:


⪼------➢ The fmc KEPT on biting her lip and it was driving me insaneee. I counted it happening at least 6-7 times but don't worry guys, she alluded to the fact that she did it a lot more than that 😭 I'm genuinely concerned about if there was anything left after she was done with it, I won't be surprised if she needs a replacement soon sigh. Also she was pretty whiny but I didn't mind it so much because I felt that it just added to her overall character, to that person who's just here for their own selfish needs and purposes and that she's not a hero here to save them.




⪼------➢ Her emotions were all so... exaggerated, everything was felt so intensely that I just found myself wondering how she functions when every single thing is like:

'I gritted my teeth so hard I thought my jaw might crack.'

Or

'my ears still hummed, and my fingers itched, and my heart thrummed uneven in my chest.'

(I think the words 'hummed' and 'thrummed' were used about 50 times themselves)

Or

'A word that shuddered through my bones with a familiarity I couldn’t name.'

Or- you get my point




⪼------➢ The romance became boring after they starting acknowledging their feelings for each other, I'm sorry but I hateee it. Where's all that attitude that was there before? Where's the tension or just... any banter at all? No one wants staring into each other's eyes and catching your breath hoping they don't notice the flush blooming on your cheeks, we want drama and sarcasm and attitude and f u n. This also just makes it really predictable for the rest of the story.




⪼------➢ The worldbuilding was slightly lazy, it felt as if words were just substituted with others to give it that 'fantasy' feeling but it honestly just feels a little confusing as it isn't explained and so you have to keep figuring out for yourself what everything means by swapping out the words for yourself. 'Three Nocturnes ago', hmm, probably 'Three nights ago', etc.




⪼------➢ In some ways, the plot was a littleee predictable, especially with the grand plot twist and everything, it was kind of obvious from the beginning and when they reveal it you're just like, no wayyyy, totally didn't see that comingggg.




All in all I really enjoyed it and was so surprised to hear that it was a debut because in that case, it's even better than I expected. I'm genuinely looking forward to reading the second book (I mayy have peeked at the blurb) and I just hope that it's as interesting as the first one.


__________________________________


I've never been so excited to read a book that a friend of mine has actively disliked before lol, now no more dawdling, give me the court politicssss

[mo · Rating 1 out of 5]

everyone has their own opinions with books and writing styles. in the case of amber & dusk, mine is this: it is stunningly bad.

character motivations were thin on the ground. the worldbuilding was nonsensical. other characters telling the protagonist how powerful and good she had become didn't just feel unearned but instead read as laughable. and to top it all off, the writing was cloyingly overwrought, relying heavily on the constant and clumsy use of similes to present characters and scenes with an attempt at vividness.

this is one of the least-enjoyable reading experiences i've had in a long while, and i don't think i'll be revisiting this author.

[Sophie Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why👏aren’t👏more👏people👏talking👏about👏this👏book?

Positives:
+ Beautiful, rich language that matches the romantic, fantastical setting of the world. Each description painted a beautiful picture that was a lush treat to imagine.
+ Although Amber and Dusk looks like most YA fantasies on the surface, it has the marks of a great in its blood. The court politics remind me of the “Under the Mountain” arc of ACOTAR. Anything similar to some SJM gets love from me. In fact, it also reminds me a lot of The Cruel Prince and the courtly jibes found there.
+ Sunder’s character had me from the word go. Anyone who’s that evil and messed up must have an amazing angsty backstory, right? 😍
+ Amber and Dusk tackles one on my favourite themes in literature which is decay in decadence, misery in luxury. The idea that being at the top, with money and power and romance, is not actually all it seems is absolutely fascinating to me. It’s a scathing look at the 1%, the bourgeois, the upper classes that reminds me of decadent Victorian novels like a Picture of Dorian Gray. Beauty in chaos and vice versa. And I just LOVE AESTHETICS OK.
+ Sylvie is kind of a dumbass and literally spends the entire book messing up. Yet she never seems like a ditzy heroine and I think this is because of Sylvie’s own self awareness and the narratives focus on her doubt and insecurities. She knows she has things wrong. She knows she’s being selfish and she feels guilty. This isn’t a character who barrels through a story thinking she always knows best or that she is purely a victim. It’s a rather refreshing spin on the clueless protagonist trope.

Negatives:
- This is only a teeny tiny little itty bitty complaint but- anyone else real tired of these brown haired white girl protagonists? I’d love to see some attention to detail and aesthetic to Sylvie the same as characters like Sunder or Lullaby or Luca got. Give me something different and fantastical as the rest of the novel.
- Characters keep talking about how dangerous and horrible the court is but evidence seems pretty lacking on the negative side of the court. Sure, people are bitchy and the empress is insane, but besides that it doesn't seem all that bad to me. I'm not sure if the book intentionally builds the tension and only shows the uglier side in the second half or if the whole thing just feels a little censored. Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for some Captive Prince level horrors, but something to help support the tension the narrative was trying to build would have helped.
- Not much actually happens in terms of change or plot movement. Most of the novel is learning the world and solving the mysteries of what the feck is actually going down. It was very fun to read but there wasn’t much action or progression for the world or the characters.
- The ending doesn’t resolve events so if you don’t like cliffhanger endings, stay away.

Trigger Warnings: Explicit violence.

[Vaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sylvie is an outcast. Because of her power to create illusions she's been called a witch. Therefore, she is trying to earn her place in the Amber court. Is any of what she finds there what she was hoping and aching for?
Author is initially developing the story in a slow pace, but afterwards it gets faster and stronger.
A great debut novel full of color, hope and magic!

[Erin Bembridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

EEEEK!!!

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is all kinds of ridiculous. I honestly should've DNF'd this thing and moved on but I'd already read more than half the book before I realized I was starting to despise it and I figured I should just finish it to see how weird the ending would be. I'm still salty about this book so my review is a little scathing, but sometimes you just gotta vent, you know?

The Characters

"You are neither as brave nor as clever as you imagine yourself to be."

I have never agreed with an antagonist so much in my life. Sylvie must be the dumbest and most simple-minded character I've read in years and a lot of the conflict in the novel could have been easily avoided if she was smart enough to let a bad idea go. The first half of the book is about Sylvie's quest to claim her birthright at the Amber Court, the only place where magic users (here known as legacies) live and thrive. As a magic user too, she believes that she deserves a place among the wealthy elite and so she decides to travel to the capital to announce her intentions to join her "peers." And so ensues the most mind-numbingly ridiculous storyline I've ever read. As you would assume, when she arrives at court, she notices that most of the people there are cruel, snobbish, and proud, but because they have reluctantly allowed her to stay on a trial basis, and because she believes in her own superiority, she sticks around to be tormented and ridiculed. As the story progresses, the people she befriends continuously try to get her to leave and even she starts to notice that she hates a lot of what the Court does and stands for, but she once again insists that the Court is her birthright and she will stay no matter! It was at this point in the novel that I went from hoping that Sylvie would get better as a character to downright hating her. When I know, and you know, and everyone else knows that something is wrong, but you persist in doing the thing, that just makes you ridiculously dumb. Honestly, I'm surprised that any of the other characters even bothered to pretend that Sylvie' opinion mattered or included her in their plans at all because she was such a huge liability and I wouldn't trust her not to screw something up. I'll get into this more in the plot section.

As for the other characters, for the most part they were fine. They weren't particularly well developed but they were relatively harmless, with two exceptions. I'll explain more in the love interest section, but just know that I hated Luca and liked Sunder, even though he's incredibly problematic as a love interest.

The Plot

The plot was very poorly developed and so predictable that I guessed the plot twist and the climatic moment about 20 pages in. On top of this, Amber & Dusk really wants you to believe that its The Night Circus when really it wants to be The Grisha Trilogy, making for a really hurky jerky reading experience. For more than half the book, we're forced to follow Sylvie through etiquette and magic lessons so that she can prove herself to the Empress by performing a mind-blowing illusion show. This portion of the story had very little tension or stakes as we're lead to believe that Sylvie is in great danger, but since she was the one who walked into the palace in the first place and she is free to go at any point, the danger is just as much of an illusion as Sylvie's powers are. Then, about 100 pages out from the end, the story hits the gas and quickly swerves into a classic revolution story. We're quickly fed stories about how the Empress murdered her entire family and is a horrible tyrant that needs to be stopped and Sylvie is one of the old Emperor's bastard children and is the only one who has any legitimate claim to the throne. Honestly, I knew this storyline was coming because it was hinted at in the beginning of the book, but the execution was so poor that it would have been better if the author had just left it alone. We learn that Sylvie was abandoned at the edge of the Empire for her own safety (you know, because her half sister was on a murdering rampage) until it was time to dispose of the Empress and bring Sylvie in to take over. This whole plan is thrown out the window when Sylvie arrives at the castle unannounced and eager to prove herself. Instead of kicking her out of the palace or telling her about the plan, those in charge of the revolution decide to ignore her and hope for the best even though she's dumb as a brick and frequently almost exposes them by accident. I'm not surprised that the revolutionaries didn't tell her anything because I wouldn't trust Sylvie as far as I could throw her, but letting her into the palace and leaving her to her own devices when she's the key player in their game of thrones? That's equally as stupid. When they finally do let Sylvie in on their Big Plans, she and the others are able to overthrow the Empress and take the throne in about 50 pages. It was so rushed and so simplistic, that I'm still trying to figure out how their plan actually worked.

The Writing

As with the rest of the book, I wasn't particularly fond of the writing style. Its written in a very flowery, dramatic style, so much so that even the dialogue sounds like purple prose. Now, I love me some beautiful purple prose, but not in my dialogue. It just made the characters sound uppity and unrealistic. Normal people don't consistently use profound metaphors and other figurative language when they speak. I wish I had marked some passages while I was reading as examples, but I was cringing so hard that I just wanted to blow through this novel as quickly as possible.

The Love Interests

The last thing that urked me was the romances. I don't know what it is about YA and love triangles, but a vast majority of authors still insist on including them even though they add little to the plot and only serve to cause shipping wars (which may be why authors include them, now that I'm thinking about it...). Sylvie's romances with Luca and Sunder definitely fall into the "add little to the plot" category. First, both romances are poorly developed and I felt no chemistry whatsoever between these three characters. Secondly, Sylvie is as desirable and winsome as a lamp shade, so I have no idea why either Luca or Sunder bothered to waste their time with her. Sunder clearly thinks Sylvie is an idiot for the majority of the book, so in his case, I literally have NO IDEA why he falls for her at all. He could honestly do so much better. As for the men, Luca was a waste of space and I have no idea why he was included in the book. He did nothing to further the plot and he turned into an a**hole when Sylvie refused to marry him so I immediately wrote him off. As for Sunder, he's a complicated person and while I enjoyed his character, he makes for a poor love interest. He literally tells Sylvie at one point that he can't look at her without wanting to hurt her. I could feel this on a visceral level because I too couldn't read about Sylvie without wanting to punch her in the face, but abuse is not a good foundation for a romantic relationship and I couldn't root for him either because that's just so messed up.

Overall, the only thing I came out of this book liking was the creation myth that Selene introduces us to early in the book about the Sun, the Moon, and the soldier sent to capture her. It was beautiful and atmospheric but as the myth had no connection to the plot of the story, its just a single pretty decoration on an otherwise ugly Christmas tree. I definitely won't be reading the sequel because I just don't care and because I can't think of any reason why a sequel is necessary.

[Vicky Again · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Unlike the last 3.5 I gave out, this I would round up to 4 stars on a whole number scale! Which is all the more important when we're looking at my crazy rating subtleties.

I guess the first thing I should admit is that I did not have very high expectations for this. Which is kind of terrible, because I'm on the blog tour and I do think it looks cool, but historically fantasies like these have been huge let downs.

But Amber & Dusk, despite it still being similar to those fantasies, wasn't as drab and dull and cliché. Sure, it relied on some of the same clichés--newfound royalty, political intrigue, girl uneducated in the courtly ways makes her way through court--but it actually captured my attention, which deserves a lot of credit.

I wanted to keep reading and I wanted to turn the page, and that's ultimately why I ended up giving this a positive rating. Because even though the heroine fell onto the "be nice to your maids once & you're a nice person" trope, and she just couldn't hold her tongue for the life of her, I was still interested in what came next.

For a debut, that's already a pretty solid endorsement from me. It really did have the entertainment value, and it also had the interesting premise that makes a book like this appealing to readers.

Although I have no idea what scientific merit should be given to a world with a sun that never sets, I do think it's really quite cool (and it is fantasy, so) and has a lot of roots in the magic. Plus, I really do enjoy the newfound royal trope and watching people blunder with royalty.

I do have to note that I was a tad frustrated with the main character--not only because I wasn't big on remembering her name (it's Sylvie--huh. Thanks, summary), but also because she felt like one of the more flat characters in the novel.

Which is weird because she's the MC, but I feel like we've all read dozens of Sylvies before (although, new to YA readers haven't) and that she's the quintessential "ascended from poverty" girl who tries to be friendly with maids as she social climbs.

The other characters felt a lot more complex--Sunder and Lullaby and even the Empress. They were all much more unique and dimensional in the way that they didn't rely as much on the tropes.

But, given my expectations, in the end Amber & Dusk turned out far better than I expected and was an engaging read that I didn't want to put down! I'd recommend to anyone maybe looking for a lower YA read to introduce them to some of the darker YA novels, or anyone who wants to find something a little tropey and a little cliché, but still ultimately entertaining!

Thank you so much to The FFBC and Scholastic for sending me an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

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[Kelli Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The story was gripping from early on, with an extremely promising plot filled with magic. The romantic tension and villain building were on point, and ultimately allowed me to overlook aspects of the world that didn’t fully live up to its potential.

From the start, Sylvie was a firecracker of a main character. She was stubborn and entitled and at times I honestly struggled to like her. However, it was these faults and the mistakes that she made that kept me rooting for her - because she really did feel real. Oddly enough, my favorite character in this book wasn’t the MC. Instead, I lived for the villains (really the entire Coeur d’Or). Sunder in particular was this cruel, mysterious and rich a**hole (for lack of a better term), but there was just enough underlying his character that constantly made me wonder if he was truly evil or not (think Rhysand vibes from ACOTAR). I hated him, but I also hated to love him. The relationships were all I look for in a YA fantasy - a touch of forbidden love, deep friendship, and characters who shift and change in their relationships as all of us do in real life.

Lyra’s writing was beautiful and I enjoyed getting lost in her prose. She really brought scenes to life and perfectly captured the eerie air and grandeur of the palais and all that came with it. The plot pacing kept me intrigued, but at times I wanted it to slow down so we could spend a bit more time in certain relationships, as well as developing the overall suspense and consequences of living in this world.

My biggest struggle was with the follow through of the world building. While the world itself was built upon an intriguing myth (living in a place where the sun never sets) - I wanted this myth to play a more significant role towards the end of the plot. Once in the Amber City, the myth seemed to stop driving the story. The court could have been plucked out of this world and located almost anywhere and it wouldn’t have changed the trajectory by that much. Additionally, the world was heavily built upon three metal ores (ambric, kembric and dristic) which were overly used in descriptions and their relevance was a bit lost on me.

Overall this was a fun read that held my interest without fail - and could easily round up to 4 stars. For her debut novel, I was very impressed with Lyra’s writing and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series (here’s to hoping it will dive even further into this world). To any YA fantasy readers who enjoy court intrigue, myth and magic, I highly encourage you to give this one a try!

*Thank you to Scholastic for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Read more YA reviews here.

[Geneviève (thefreckledbookworm) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"[...] an ignorant, unreliable, loudmouthed provincial with delusions of grandeur and an entitlement complex as big as this château?"

This summarizes my feelings for this book 😂 and here's why : when I first started reading this book, I was intrigued by the promising world building and the fast pace of the story. But there were so many confusing elements that were never explained. For example, this world lives in eternal daylight. Or dusk, guessing from the title? 😂 It remains unclear. I also feel like so many aspects could've been developed more. It didn't help that the pace slowed down dreadfully.

And then I started having issues with the main character. She is so entitled, it's ridiculous. annnnd she develops a love interest seemingly out of thin air. For the beautiful, cruel noble (of course). Overall, I felt like this world was so promising, but after the original descriptions, the story revolved only around the usual lies and intrigues of courtisans living in a grand palace.

The paced finally picked up again in the last 80 pages. Everything started coming together, even if it was a tad predictable. I didn't hate this book, I actually enjoyed quite a few passages. The author occasionally wrote some beautiful, flowy descriptions. But it still fell flat for me.

[Adela Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

So lyrical and serene, full of wonders and... mirage. :)
Also... where is the FANART? I need that in my life, for reals.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating/Score: 4 out of 5 Stars on Goodreads' rating system. 8 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.

[Rebecca Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved! So much happens and I'm dying for the next book. Sunder was an amazing character!

[Eleni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn between 3 stars or 4. It was really hard for me to get into this book for several reasons but it really picked up about 3/4 of the way in. It ended with me definitely wanting more and wanting to know what happens to the main characters so I'm looking forward to the sequel.