Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. LondonExpected Publication Date: May 29th, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 342 Pages
Format: ARC
Source: Borrowed from Bookalicious Pam
Purchase: Amazon
This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.While it seems like Vampire-Dystopian is on a rise right now, I think it takes a special writer to be able to capture the thrill of such a genre. Darkness Before Dawn is definitely a fast-paced and fun read, but it doesn't live up to the hype of Immortal Rules or even The Hunt. Both books, I thoroughly loved, but this one fell short. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I didn't find anything special or unique about the characters or story-line. I didn't particularly like any of the characters other than Dawn and Victor, and I wasn't amazed by anything specific. I really wanted to love this book, but I think it was definitely a case where the gorgeous cover outshone the average plot line.
Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....
Darkness Before Dawn is a fresh new story with captivating characters, unexpected plot twists, a fascinating setting, and a compelling voice. Written under the name J. A. London by a talented mother-son team, the trilogy is perfect for fans of True Blood and the House of Night and Morganville Vampires series.
Dawn is definitely a fierce chick. She's tough, living in a world run by vamps, but she's also smart and knows how to take care of herself. She's quick to make decisions, even if they aren't the best ones, and she's the kind of girl who follows her heart and goes after what she wants, despite the consequences. Victor reminded me of a younger combination between all of the swoony True Blood men. He's protective, powerful, smart, practical, genuine, and I could go on forever. Michael, Dawn's boyfriend, just got on my nerves the whole time. He was so protective it was nauseating, crossing the line into possessive on more than one occasion. He also came across as really insecure, throwing his muscle around just to prove a point which is BARF when it comes to guys for me. Dawn's bff Tegan is also a bit of a nuisance - she's incredibly shallow and stupid. I kind of just wanted to slap her most of the time...
The plot line, while fun and fast-paced, is incredibly predictable. At the introduction of almost every character or situation I was able to correctly guess how that was going to turn out. Nothing surprised me, which was definitely a blow to how much I enjoyed the book overall. I can understand coming across a few things that are a tad predictable, but being able to accurately guess what was going to happen at every turn just made the story unoriginal and a bit boring at times. I think the biggest benefit is that I was able to read it quite quickly, almost in one sitting, and the time flew by while I was reading. It's definitely an interesting take on vampires, but I just wish it would have brought more UMPH to the table.
Overall, Darkness Before Dawn, is a fast-paced, entertaining read, but it fell short in bringing me an exciting story-line. I would definitely recommend it if you have a free afternoon and are looking for something easy and quick to read, but don't expect the excitement of True Blood or the unpredictability of Morganville. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of vampires with a twist, especially when a love triangle is thrown in.
