Dark of the West

I’m a sucker for political intrigue and military stories. This book didn’t amaze me. I’m struck by how unattached I am to the characters and how I dislike most of them. I have no idea why they’re fighting, and the reasons they give aren’t good enough for me. It just seems miserable.

It’s made clear that the Nahir are seen as an enemy, and yet no reasons were ever given for why people hated them and were fighting them. I couldn’t ever get a visual of what the map for this book looked like which was important as they would travel to different countries and fight.

The book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger but it begins with one. By the end, we still haven’t gotten to the scene and don’t know how the situation gets to that point. For the tone of the book, the prologue seemed very out of place and too dramatic.

Athan is a brilliant pilot but hides it because of a promise to his mother. That may be noble to some, but it appears as if he’s a coward who’s only concerned for his own well-being. Hoping to be a transport pilot far out of danger, he intentionally sabotages his flight school training. He turns his back on his best friend (his wingman) just to play it safe and stay out of the war. His father is the leader of a nation combined of three kingdoms. Ruling with earned power rather than royal blood, they are looked down upon by the other northern kingdoms.

Aurelia is a princess with ties to the Southern kingdom but lives in the Northern Kingdom. She dislikes her uncle and has an unwanted suitor. She quickly learns that things aren’t as they seem and continue to flip sides with who she trusts. She’s besotted with Athan and never sees past his lies.

Both are stuck in situations that they dislike.