Darkphoenix

I received an advanced reading copy of The Deepest Night via Netgalley and I was thrilled because I didn’t actually expect it to happen. I’ve been sitting on this book for quite some time because even though I did want to read it, I knew that the third book was still a long way off. All I could hope for was that it did not end with a cliffhanger and I am relieved that it did not. The Deepest Night was a pleasure to read because of how beautifully written it was. We are inundated with YA fiction novels that have all the right things to make them instant best sellers: gripping story, kick-ass characters and an explosive climax. But the one woefully missing in most of those quick fixes is the language. In contrast, the language in the Deepest Night took me back to the fairy tales and classics I read as a child. And yet, it is not too flowery that it would pull you out of the story, no never-ending descriptions of things that matter little to the main narrative and the story. But an absolute treat nonetheless.The Deepest Night is a very short novel, just 223 pages and a very fast read. While the previous book was all about discovering who and what Lora was, this time it was more about how she could use her powers to help those close to her (despite the fact that it may not have been her idea) Iverson closed for the summer and when all the other students left for exotic vacations or to go back home, Lora had no where to go. Until, a certain Lord Armand stepped in and gave her an option (to another orphanage in Scotland) Lora and Armand also learnt that Armand’s brother is still alive, that he’s a prisoner of war behind enemy lines and that the stars want Lora and Armand to go and save him. Oh, and there’s also the part where the brother is also a dragon. So, the majority of the book was about the two of them on their rescue mission. This was a welcome change from all those simpering girls at Iverson.In the months after the events of the previous book and the loss of Jesse, Lora is a slightly different person. She is predictable sad about losing Jesse and yet a part of her yearns for the dragon with her, Armand. She always had wit and spunk and this is where I really liked her character even in the previous book. She did not cower in front of those self-entitled busy bodies. She let them have it (verbally of course) and what was even more gratifying was that most of the time, they had no idea how to deal with that. I am so glad that that did not change in this book. This time around, she was also more aware (and sure) of her powers and abilities and how she could use them.Armand played a much bigger role in the Deepest Night than he did in the first book. His character was slightly different than what it had been earlier. Sure he was still arrogant and self-entitled but it was muted this time, tempered, perhaps by what he had seen and experienced. I liked him fine The Sweetest Dark but he was more likeable in The Deepest Night. Also, most of the time, he and Lora were nicer to each other, which was a good thing and a bad thing in equal measure. Good, because of obvious reasons and bad because suddenly there were none of those entertaining verbal exchanges that had become so expected whenever the two of them were around each other. I can’t seem to recall very clearly if we were treated to his POV in The Sweetest Dark, I think that that was more Jesse’s book. There were parts in this book that were in Armand’s POV, those chapters were much fewer than what I had anticipated. I had hoped that we would get a more thorough glimpse inside his head but alas that’s not what I found. Still, it was very clear where he was coming from and exactly how he felt about Lora.I was glad to find that Jesse still featured in the narrative. He probably knows the most and also serves in setting up the next novel in the series. Jesse was probably one of the nicest boyfriends in YA fiction and I was truly sad to see him go but I guess I like the way it was handled, where he was a part of the story and at the same, was not.There were also the gaggle of those annoying girls from Iverson, of the lot, Sophia is the only one of any consequence and she is still inscrutable. She’s the nicest of the lot but its not always clear whether that stems from wanting to be genuinely nice (highly unlikely) or liking Lora because she her perceived relationship with Armand cuts her step-sister Chloe down to size. Its probably a mix of both, but leaning more towards the latter. Chloe is insufferable as always and I hope that we may be spared her presence in the third book. My only complaint with The Darkest Night is that it is far too short and was over much too quickly. Still, it’s a great book and a delight to read. Beautifully written, excellent characters and world building. I’d like to know more about the dragons in Lora’s world and the mythology behind them. I am really looking forward to reading the third instalment in this series. P.S. – I really want to see Lora truly come into her powers and then turn into a dragon in front of her classmates at Iverson and shut them up once for all. If that doesn’t work, she could always eat the really annoying ones. Sure it won’t be the most nutritional of meals but a little junk food never hurt anyone 