On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan, the Light Kingdom, can finally access the full range of her magical powers. The light looks brighter, the air is sharper, and the energy she can draw when fighting feels almost limitless. But while her mother, the queen, remains busy at the war front, in the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalon, the corrupt king is plotting. King Bain wants control of both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn into the throne much sooner than she expected.

Dark Breaks the Dawn was a mixed experience for me – due mainly to one fact. I read it almost entirely because I believed that it was a ballet retelling. Although I could see inspiration, it was not until the very last pages that there was any real reference to the original. So, if that’s why your interested, be warned. HOWEVER – it does appear that the sequel is going to be a bit more like the ballet. Although I went in for the ballet element, I was not at all disappointed with the plot I did get. Just keep an open mind!

On the other hand, the writing was definitely for a younger YA audience overall. Not in a bad way, but the plot and the characters were very simple and relatable that would make the story easily read by a young teen. This, paired with the fact that the romance is young in a very pure way, I would definitely put this on the lower end of the YA age range. Not at all in a bad way – but be warned if you have pretentious taste. ;p I prefer books written like this, as they have a nice wholesome feel to them, with all of the plot one wants, without having the adult-feel to it.

Overall, I really did enjoy this little book. It had a very nice plot, and enjoyable world. There was some very nice world building done in so few pages, which I was very impressed by.

If you enjoy fantasy, I would definitely check it out. It is safe for many age ranges, and a nice, short read. It held my attention, and I enjoyed it immensely, overall. 😀 I will anxiously await the next installment.

Dark Breaks the Dawn 3.5 out of 5.

Maddie