Dark Of The West by Joanna Hathaway
5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an advance E-Arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

From the very beginning, this story gave me perfect fantasy feels. From mythical horses, airplane battles, politics and the perfect forbidden love story is absolutely fantastic. The setting and plot were well written and plotted perfectly. Athan Dakar; a pilot kept in line by his father who is also the general, Aurelia; a beautiful princess of the north who thrives for a better future. The in sight into both of there extremely different lives is so interesting and compelling that you NEED to know what happens next.

As the story progresses, Athan and Aurelia have to fight for what’s right for themselves but what could also be right for the entire kingdoms. There are LOVE LETTERS!! A beautiful addition to a well written fantasy. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves fantasy, or honestly just loves a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Once you get yourself through this story I promise you, you will need the sequel quicker then it’ll be released. Ugh, my heart! ❤️ Joanna Hathaway did an amazing job and I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read that blended the past and the present. I love the dress style and customs of medieval culture that blends well with modern day warfare. It has a really sweet love story and it keeps you hooked right until the end, and the end definitely leaves you wanting more. <3
This was my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
5 star rating!

I was considering giving this 4 stars instead of 5, because it could use more worldbuilding (most notably, the only real folklore we get is a dragon and a unicorn from a story being friends, and we hear almost nothing about them). However, I enjoyed this book too much not to give it 5 stars.
The world is a unique one that I loved spending time in, and the relationship between the 2 main characters is one that I was fully expecting not to believe (they are so different from each other, and I was fully expecting that I wouldn't buy that they loved each other), but I ended up loving the relationship between them, and being sad every time it seemed like they could't be together.

Dark of the West is a fantasy full of unexpected elements. It has airplane battles, mythical horses, and fierce politics all in one book. You can tell from the beginning that this series is going to be expansive, as the sheer scope of the politics and world building alone foreshadows a rich history, as well as future. Not to mention that Hathaway's words and writing is imaginative and descriptive. The prologue alone is stunning and just wrapped me up in a cocoon of longing.
Characters

Dark of the West surprised me. At the beginning, while I loved both Athan and and Aurelia, I was drawn to Athan. While both of our precious main characters are torn between their parents, Athan's struggle is pronounced more at the beginning. He is torn between his ambitious father, a prominent general, and his mother who never wanted her children to be drawn into war. I could feel Athan's essence being pushed and pulled. And his struggles with this siblings made me empathize even more with him. The ways he just desperately wants recognition from his father and the different ways his siblings cope with their parents.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a totally fresh read with the blending of the past and the present... the dress style and customs of medieval culture blended with modern day warfare. It had a really great love story and a plot that keeps you hooked right until the end... and the end definitely leaves you wanting more.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who likes historical, fantasy fiction with a great romance thrown in.

<b>3.25/5 stars</b>

This was a tough book to rate. There's always a 50/50 in every aspect... characters, story etc. One thing I know for sure though, the final 3rd of this novel is just <i><b>mwah</b></i>. I couldn't get enough of it, and was sad to actually see it end.
Athan is like the anchor of this book. If Athan wasn't as developed and complex of a character, this book would probably tank. He was a fantastic MC, and I do wish there was more going on through his POV. Ali though... I didn't really like her at all. She felt bland, even though she does develop over the course of events. She just wasn't relatable to me, and I found myself slowing down considerably whenever it was her POV.
The love letters Athan writes are so swoony, and the only reason I can tolerate Ali being an MC. The love letters are everything, and the writing style in them is perfect. Everything else in the book was hit or miss. Some characters I liked, others intolerable, and others were simply meh. Same goes for the first 2 thirds of the book. Too many highs and lows for me. Just not very entertaining. It sucks though, because the final 3rd is amazing, but many people who get tired in the beginning would probably not reach it.

<i>ARC received by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</i>

I'm not sure where to begin with this one. It was an interesting read and I loved Athan. I read from other reviews how amazing the love letters are in here and they weren't lying. I need an Athan to write me letters like that.

However, I just didn't love Ali. Yes, her character did develop and she became stronger and more assertive, but I don't know, I just wasn't excited watching her story progress. I'm hoping maybe I will like her more in the second book.

I also had moments, where I just didn't feel like picking it up and reading again. Maybe there were just lulls, but I had moments of my attention drifting. However, the last 25% was hard to put down. Again, i'm hoping the next book will be more exciting. I mainly just kept reading for Athan. Overall, it was an interesting read and I most likely will read the next one to see how it turns out. But it was just okay for me.

Hello, I will publish to Instagram, blog, and Goodreads on January 24th, 2019. I will also add the review to Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the publication date. All links will be added here when reviews go live, thank you.

I am so thrilled I was able to read this book before its publication date because it was wonderful! I loved everything about it and I gave it 5 stars. Here is what you need to know about this book and why you should pick it up February 5th, 2019:

Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway is set in a 20th century political feud where war is inevitable and the stakes are high. The book follows two point of views. One is from a young princess named Aurelia who's mother rules a small northern kingdom who's trying to keep it from crumbling and the other is from a young pilot who is the son of a general trying to revolutionize and build a new empire. 

It was refreshing to read a YA fantasy that has a WWII inspired setting with planes and men in extravagant suits. Her character building breathes life into each one as they portray real human emotion that is sometimes hard to capture. Her writing style was detailed and the banter between characters was hilarious and kept me engaged. I love when chapters alternate point of views because it adds to the understanding of multiple characters especially when the two are from different sides that are pinned against one another.

This book is full of scandals, political lies, secrets and star-crossed lovers who are trying to figure out where their loyalty lies. Joanna's debut novel is nothing short of perfection and I can't wait to see where the next book will take us. 

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the digital copy.

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.

The only word I can think of to describe this book is sumptuous. What a richly told, decadent jewel of a book. I couldn't put it down, and when I did, all I could think of was the next time I'd be able to pick it back up again. Evocative, gripping, heart-wrenching, and achingly romantic, I cannot wait to hold a physical copy of this masterpiece in my hands to read again and again.