The Beauty of Darkness

The Beauty of  Darkness

French edition : La Martinière

American edition : Macmillan Publishing Group

Number of pages : 660

Genre : Epic Fantasy

Publication year : 2016 (for the USA), 2023 (for France)

Author : Mary E Pearson

Summary

        Lia succeeded in running away from Venda. The problem is that she is hurt and enfeebled. During her stay in Venda she saw the Komizar’s army, she is aware of how much risky is this situation for realms and more particularly Morrighan. Lia also knows that some people in Morrighan betrayed theit realm. On top of this, Rafe, with whom she escaped, has to face a lot of problems coming from Dalbreck. Will Lia accept her destiny and save Morrighan ? Will this situation end well ? Will the Komizar’s army win ?

Criticism

        Well, well, well. This volume is THE volume, the one we cannot miss. We reach another level. Events are insane, everything happens very fast but at the right time. The author gives us the right amount of clues both to maintain the suspense and to challenge us to guess what is going to happen next. But it’s almost impossible for us to plan the story. Indeed, this volume is the volume of turnarounds. There is even one in the last few pages of the book, that’s for sure ! This is very impressive because we cannot see it coming and it always makes sense when we think about it afterwards. While I was reading I was like : “ Oh gosh !! Why did not I see this coming ? “. Besides, we feel like Venda or Morrighan’s citizens because we discover all along the story some pieces of Morrighan Book of Holly Text or The Last Testaments of Gaudrel but there’s always something missing that prevents us from understanding totally the foresight of those mysterious characters. Personally, I find this volume a little bit more somber than the previous ones. Tragic events are more present, injuries and mental wounds are more described… It adds realism and gravity to the story, it makes us feel the huge pain of our characters and the stakes of their actions in this world.

        Our heroine is the one every reader dreams about. During this volume, she improved so far. As Pauline, Kaden and Rafe, Lia has become an adult. She is now facing her responsibilities and even takes others responsibilities. There is an enormous evolution : at the beginning she was “just” a teenage girl with princess issues, now Lia is mature, she is a soldier, a princess who has a primordial and vital role for the world. In front of the solemnity of her task, Lia became a real “badass”. She is an impressive and strong woman. Her behavior gives a feminist dimension to the book. Lia shows that equality between men and women is possible, that the society can evolve, that all is possible if people are united and progress together. The magical thing is that our 4 main characters demonstrate that because they are progressing together, they prove to us that all is possible (even the unthinkable). Moreover, an explanation of each problem of each character is given to us. This was the missing key to understand them perfectly. Ordeals and upheavals they have to face reveal who they really are to us. We have the impression that the way of our 4 characters was tangled and through their adventure they succeeded in clearing this “knot”. This “untangled process” is also present in the romance part, their destiny was linked but we could not know why and how. At the end of the book, our love triangle has been solved and each element have found their niche. It was as if this last volume was the starting point of their ideal and dreamed life. As if they achieved their quest towards their happiness and “just” have to be happy for the rest of their lives (even with their responsibilities).

Final Conclusion

    Another favorite one ? Yes, of course !!!!! Once again Mary E Pearson amazed me with the story she created ! It is simply mind-blowing.

So are you going to read it ?

The song

Queen of Kings, Alessandra. I think this song, those lyrics and this beat represent perfectly Lia’s determination and ambition.

My note : 16/10

Characters : 4/2             My taste: 4/2

Story : 6/4                    Originality: 2/2