Thursday, August 23, 2018

Audio Book Review: Darklight: A Coming of Age

Darklight: A Coming of Age

By:  Greg L. Turnquist

Publish Date:  March 25, 2018, Audiobook Release July 13, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 7 hrs 6 mins
Narrated By:  Starla Huchton

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  1st in Darklight series

Impression:  A floater of a girl finds her purpose.

Synopsis:
Snitch, a young woman who grew up on the medieval streets of Kelmar as a thief, has learned something terrible. The regime’s evil military ruler has learned the hideout location of the resistance she joined and ordered an all out assault. Combined with the captain of the disbanded royal guard, a political prisoner, a duke’s daughter, and an old advisor, can her team rise to action and free Kelmar?

First Sentence:
Snith moved as fast as she could in the dark toward the southern edge of the city-state of Kelmar, desperate to not draw attention to herself.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A narrator can take a book to the next level, making it more enjoyable than reading words. Starla has done that here! The story is simple, but Starla breaths life into it with each word. She adds heart, emotion, and life to the characters with tone, innuendos, and accents. The narration is clear and clean while listening to it. I enjoyed listening to Starla bring the story to life.

Did you ever read a book and feel there's no desire in the characters? They seem to have no need for something. Well, I got that feeling here in the beginning of the book. I know the characters in the resistance are trying to live and those in the army under Melicose want to capture the resistance to rule on. But there doesn't seem to be any other drive than living, which we all want to live but it doesn't feel strong enough to back the story. But we get more in the end. Melicose's goal. And direction for Snitch.

I think Snitch is a character that's a floater, not sure where she's to be in the world. Snitch feels to not have a drive for anything until the end, which would likely carry on through future books. In the end, she finds what she should do and a mission to follow. It was a bit touchy for a while with Snitch as she felt to have no direction for me, but in the end she came together. And there are a few other important characters we see grow in the story.

The story is told from different character point of views. You easily know which character you are hearing from because they are clearly mentioned as the section starts to make you aware. This is very important in a story this vast. There are different things happening at the same time that are related. And there are groups that get separated, so to keep up with each set of events this is needed.

We come across some very interesting things here. There is a magic present, though it's limited to one or two people we are aware of. There is an extremely good reason for this, as it could draw a new danger and enemy to the world. And there is already enough problems in the world with Melicose.

I liked the twist of magic and technology here. It's interesting to see the two in a world that feels to be of a fantasy setting. There is a history to both, and we start to get details on the magic side here but not as much with the technology side. We know there is potential for technology here, but it's hidden.

There are some connections I'd have liked a little more details on, like with magic and more hard core on Melicose's weaknesses in his system. Yeah, I see it, but would have liked a little more to grip at.

The story was interesting, and seeing it all play together was nice. I'd be curious to see where the author goes in the next book.



****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

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