Athan is a gifted pilot and the youngest son of a famous and ruthless general. I loved the portrayal of these two young people.

As exciting as all of that sounds, however, what really makes the story come alive are the star crossed lovers at its heart, Athan and Aurelia,

I think this is a series that is going to have a little bit of something for everyone: political intrigue, war mongering, spies, assassinations, epic battle scenes, just to name a few. Inspired by the political landscape of WWII, the worldbuilding in this novel is lush and intricate, and manages to feel familiar and yet unique all at the same time. Joanna Hathaway’s Dark of the West is the exciting first book in her ambitious debut YA Fantasy series, Glass Alliance. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it-a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.Īthan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania-Aurelia’s mother. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. Can their love stop a war? Code Name Verity meets The Winner's Curse in Joanna Hathaway's Dark of the West, a breathtaking YA fantasy debut.Īurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Published by Tor Teen on February 5, 2019įTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

Courting darkness book