Dark of the West
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4.7 • 12 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
In a breathtaking YA fantasy debut, a fighter pilot and a princess become entangled in a war that threatens to tear their world apart.
Aurelia Isendare, a princess of a small northern kingdom, has been shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, longs for a life away from the front lines. When Athan's mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it's the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia's mother.
Determined to avenge his wife's murder, Athan's father devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, sending Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children. But Athan's mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he's been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it.
As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they've been raised to believe. Joanna Hathaway's Dark of the West, first in the Glass Alliance series, is "a novel of court intrigue and action-packed military adventure" that will leave readers eager for more.
"Heart-pounding . . . will leave the reader wanting more."—#1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this slow-burning debut historical fantasy, an illicit romance between a princess and a pilot blooms against the backdrop of a world at war. Athan, the youngest son of the cunning General Dakar of Savient, wants nothing to do with his father's military and political ambitions, but when his mother is murdered, he's forced to play a role as pilot and undercover operative. Then he meets the innocent Princess Aurelia of Etania, whose indomitable mother stands between the general and his ultimate goals of conquest, and he dares not reveal his true parentage, even after a relationship unexpectedly develops. Meanwhile, a complicated web of alliances, deceptions, betrayals, and intrigues threatens to drag previously unaffected lands into the escalating conflict, and Athan and Aurelia must find a way to prevent matters from growing worse. The leisurely pace and some overwrought prose slow the novel's momentum. However, once the plot gets underway, the charismatic characters, lush descriptions, a setting inspired by World War II era Europe, and a charming if subtle romance offer rewards for readers. Ages 12 up.
