Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen ~ a Review

by MK French

Lydia escaped to a kingdom across the sea after she meddled in the plots of a powerful man. Killian is Marked by the God of War, but he can't stop the Corrupter from invading Mudamora. The two strike a bargain, but are caught by forces they can't control and their bargain has disastrous consequences.

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May 2020; Tor Teen; 978-1250317766
audio, ebook, print (480 pages); YA fantasy

Dark Skies is book two of the Dark Shores series, and I hadn't read the first novel. Apparently, the Celendor Empire sought to conquer the entire East of this world, and it's separated from the West by the Endless Seas. The Empire is based on the ancient Roman empire, complete with slaves, senators, Domina/Dominus titles, and the legions to fight wars and conquer land. Lydia just wants to study, and would rather not marry the would-be senator Lucius Cassius hungry for even more power than he already had, although that's the only avenue left to her because of her outsider heritage within the Empire.

In the meantime, in Mudamora people are marked by the gods, meant to do good things. This is also a terrible burden, so of course, Killian would help Lydia hide in the city and try to use her newfound skills as a healer to help find the Corrupted and protect the princess. It would also help her find her way home to prove Lucius broke the law and had her cousin poison her father. The drama of living in this war-torn country, along with its poor and the dread creatures roaming the skies at night is compelling, and I was sucked into the story once we hit that part of it. The slow beginning became a rapid and tumultuous ride, right down to the end of the book. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a cliffhanger, so it doesn't quite stand alone.

Buy Dark Skies at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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