Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 12/08/2022
*Thanks to the publisher and Readers First for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Cover:
This cover is absolutely gorgeous with its beautiful illustration and simple colour scheme. I also love the references to various elements of the story, as these create strong links between the cover and the story it represents.
Writing:
The rich writing style is descriptive and easy to follow, with every sentence building a vivid picture. This not only brought the action-packed story to life but made it easy to absorb the fascinating world inspired by Greek mythology. I also loved the tension and unease that slowly intensified throughout the story, as this made it hard for me to stop reading.
Human frames weren’t meant to channel the power of a god.
Storyline:
The story begins at a leisurely pace as the world and characters are gradually introduced. Once the stage is set, the pace picks up dramatically due to the action-packed quest. Besides threats from monsters, gods and rivals, the characters face various challenges, betrayals, past hurts and personal demons. With each chapter, hints are given regarding past and future events, which kept me eager to grasp the whole picture. Add on the numerous twists and revelations throughout the story, and it is easy to see why I was invested. Despite all this, the storyline never seemed overwhelming. It even manages to touch on themes such as misogyny and slavery. By the end, most loose ends are wrapped up nicely, and a little cliffhanger is used to sets things up for the sequel.
Main character:
Great effort is taken to introduce Deina’s character as tough and reckless. While this initially felt forced, I soon came to love Deina’s ambition and drive to achieve her goals. The growth and complexity slowly displayed by her character during the quest made her even more appealing.
Sometimes defiance is worth almost any price
Secondary characters:
Tackling the quest with Deina are four other key characters. These took some time to grow on me but eventually wormed their way into my heart. Although we do not get much of their perspectives, each character is given a distinct personality and backstory, which makes them memorable. Besides these four, a few other characters are gradually introduced throughout the story. These were also memorable as they play specific roles within the story and are given some depth.
Romance:
With such a strong storyline, the romance aspect of the story is only a simple subplot. The main relationship is easy to spot as the characters have a lot of chemistry and history. Theirs is a cute, slow-burn romance that is only tainted by the fact that I think the male lead was too easily forgiven for his past mistake. In contrast, the second relationship that unfolds was unanticipated and seemed rushed. Not much is done to establish the connection between the characters, and things fell apart before I could get invested in the relationship.
At the end of the day, ‘Daughter of Darkness‘ is a wild ride filled with tension, twists and danger (once it gets going). Not only is the story action-packed, but the world and characters it presents are fascinating and refreshing. The core premise is similar to Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, and I would recommend that to those who like this book.
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