Darklight

The plot thickens to the gummy consistency of taffy in the second book of the Wondrous Strange series, Darklight. Seriously, how's it all going to work out in the end? I'm dying to know!

Sonny and Kelley are thrown into the position of impossible star crossed lovers by a number of things outside of their control. The big one has to be the whole race issue, but the different worlds they are forced to occupy by the Wild Hunt situation doesn't do much to help. Add into the mix a surprising Daddy discovery for Sonny and it's looking pretty grim that these two cute kids might make it work.

In a genre where the love story has become a virtual prerequisite to writing anything successful, it's nice to see someone broach it with some different show more twists. I especially liked the moments where Sonny or Kelley questioned how well they knew each other, which, lets face it, would likely happen under the circumstances. After all, as sticky sweet as it is for two teenagers to fall into unquestionable, life or death, passionate love, instantly (Twilight anyone?) it is refreshing to think that even soul mates can still question the sanity of falling passionately, unquestionably in love instantly.

Like the title implies, Darklight is a much darker story than Wondrous Strange, with Kelley struggling against her ominous left over powers, and Sonny forced to hunt down and kill the remaining faeries of the Wild Hunt. The Janus guard are also developing some serious problems internally as more rifts in the Central Park gate begin to show up. But Lesley still manages to imbue Darklight with what is beginning to look like her trademark humor, introducing some great laugh out loud moments despite the mounting tragedies. Every-bit the page turner Wondrous Strange was, Darklight promises to climax into a very exciting conclusion if part three turns out to be the end. show less

My Thoughts:

If you know anything about me, you know I love faeries. Any kind of faery. When I received Darklight in the mail, I sat down right away to read it. Wondrous Strange, Lesley’s first book, is easily on my list of favorites. While Darklight doesn’t beat Woundrous Strange, it certainly comes close.

When I started the book, I had forgotten a majority of what happens in Wondrous Strange. Lesley easily provides any information you need to remember within the first few chapters without a major info dump. Info dumps up front usually put me off a book, so thank you, Lesley, for not doing that to me. Another problem I usually have with sequels is my lack of attachment to the characters. Since I hadn’t read Wondrous Strange show more recently, I had sort of forgotten who was who and why I was supposed to care about a certain character, swoon over one, or be afraid of another. Within the first 50 pages, I could easily identify which was which and all the emotions I had felt during Wondrous Strange came rushing back.

Speaking of characters, these are some of my favorites. Kelley is a normal teenage girl that has discovered she’s really a Faery. Talk about a punch in the face. She’s strong-willed and level-headed, a nice combination when you’re a girl in her position.

Sonny is just as swoon-worthy as he was in Wondrous Strange, possibly more so. My favorite reason for the third person point of view in these stories is that we are able to enjoy Sonny even when he’s not with Kelley. Sonny is a strong character that is just sick in love. The bond between Kelley and Sonny seems to be unbreakable.

Mabh and Auberon are what I like to call “chemical reaction” characters. Very cause and effect. One does something and there are instant consequences, ripples. Not only are the characters we love, or hate, back in full force, there is a whole slew of new characters introduced which makes the book fun, fresh, or scary at times (a good scary, that is). Faeries are easily differentiated from the humans because of the language. The Faeries speech is formal, regal almost, yet still understandable.

One of my favorite aspects of Darklight is the fact that, while Wondrous Strange took place lmost solely in New York, this story is set mostly in the Otherworld. Lesley creates a vivid setting that you feel like you are literally walking through. Her visuals are stunning and real.

The Verdict:

A fabulous follow up to Wondrous Strange, Darklight is an emotional roller coaster into the Otherworld and back again. show less

In the second installment of the Wondrous Strange series, we follow Kelley Winslow through another adventure full of romance, intrigue, and danger. Kelley is in for a load of surprised and revelations that threaten the mortal world, the Otherworld, and the love of her life.

I was a bit hesitant to read Darklight in the wake of reading Wondrous Strange. Wondrous Strange was a good book but it did not reach a caliber I had expected. But after reading a bit into Darklight I was hooked. This book stepped it up 100% and I honestly could not put it down. The first book was more for a background into Kelley's life as the daughter of the Winter and Autumn Court and her instant attraction to Sonny Flannery. But this second book was all adventure show more from start to finish.

I am reluctant to divulge anymore of the plot because there was a significant development into Sonny's past that made me give an audible gasp when I read it. This revelation was so unexpected and the result made me actually cry, so I will not ruin it for those who have not read it yet. I shall not say anymore!

I felt this story was a more well written story than the first and the battle scenes were very intricate so that I was able to visualize them to great detail. The plot itself matured along with Kelley since she has been thrust into this unchosen life of the Otherworld. She learned that every choice she made had consequence and in the end learned that not all good choices make everyone happy.

For as much as I love Kelley and Sonny scenes (don't worry there are plenty of steamy kisses) I appreciated the anticipation between these two characters when they were separated so I could get to know them both as individuals. And I sensed a small love triangle brewing that I hope will manifest in the third book between Sonny, Kelley, and Fennrys.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of this series after reading Wondrous Strange. This is not your typical 'middle' book with the characters just idly standing by until the real climax in the third book. This book will keep you hooked until the very end.

On another note, I had the fortunate opportunity to sample this book in audiobook format as well and I have to say I was extremely happy with the result. Lesley Livingston is a great voice over actress and if you have the chance to listen to her book in audio format, do it! Her characters really come to life and I appreciate her dedication to her own novels to be able to voice them herself. show less

The Wondrous Strange series is one of the best faerie series I have read. Kelley's inner battle with her parents and the love of her life is very believable. It makes you wonder what is out there that we can't see or understand. Definitely a great read!

Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-review-darklight-wondrous-stran...

It has been a half a year for out Faerie (and not so faerie) friends in New York. After suffering through the devastation of the Wild Hunt, Kelley wants her boyfriend, Sonny, back. Sonny, unfortunately, has a duty to fulfill. He is now a fighter for King Auberon, Kelley’s father. Because of a mistake made in Wondrous Strange (book 1), he can’t come back unless he kills the remaining Hunters of the Wild Hunt started by Kelley’s mother, Queen Mabh. So while Kelley is missing Sonny, she thinks she will have some success in seeing him in Central Park. Central Park is where the gate between the mortal world and the Fae world has show more cracked and things are beginning to creep through the cracks. Unfortunately for Kelley, none of them are Sonny.

I really enjoyed this book. Although I don’t think I liked it quite as much as Wondrous Strange. I love Kelley, but she had a knack for getting herself into trouble. Her going back to the park and getting attacked in the middle of the night made me want to punch her. She has the Janus Guard, but she never took them with her when she ventured into the park where she was always being hunted and that made me want to punch her sometimes. But I love that she is getting into her Fae power which helps her. Whenever we have characters just discovering who they are, they are always apprehensive about working with their powers. They are usually frightened of the fact that they aren’t human. But Kelley grew up fast and learned about her powers. I like that Livingston did that.

I loved all the characters in this. I am a huge Puck (aka Bob) fan. He oozes plenty of personality. Actually, dare I say, he reminds me a bit of Myrnin from the Morganville Vampires series. But my favorite character was Fennrys Wolf. He is not quite Sonny’s friend, but he is also a guard who grew up in a court, the Spring court. Sonny doesn’t like seeing him around Kelley, but knows he is best to look out after her while he is working for Auberon. I loved Fenn, He cracked me up and he was hot. As the story progresses though, I have the feeling Fennrys is up to something. I don’t want to give out my suspicions, but something was off when Fenn returns later in the book after a strange hiatus. I can’t wait for more of his story.

I liked the plots in the book. The one plot we really finish is the fight with the greenmen though. The others definitely have more to them, but we weren’t given much of those yet. There is a terrible secret about Sonny and what he really is. We also find out that the Greenmen aren’t the only ones they should be afraid of. Kelley’s friend and roommate Tyffanwy (aka Tyff) knows something that she took drastic steps to not tell Kelley and I have a feeling it has something to do with Tyff’s supposedly good friend, Titania, may have her own agenda. Problem is, we don’t find out what it is. There is also the issue with Kelley’s dad being sick and the fact that he may have been poisoned since the Fae don’t really get sick. But again, not much was revealed here.

This was a great book. As I said before, I mainly started this series because of the covers. Shallow, I know, but come on, they are gorgeous. Redheads always get great covers. Am I the only that noticed that or is it just me? As much as I enjoyed the book, the ending made me want to scream. It wasn’t bad or anything just made me insanely sad. The next book, Tempestuous, is the last in the series. So I am hoping all the doubts brought up in this book will be brought to light. There is obviously plenty of betrayal, but again, we will have to see where it will lead. But this book was full of magic and amazing characters, both good and bad. This book was just about raising suspicions and so I believe Tempestuous will pack a big punch considering all that was left unsaid (and said) in Darklight. show less

The Wondrous Strange trilogy by Lesley Livingston is a modern day fairy tale surrounding the young and aspiring, stage actress Kelley, who has the world of Faeries thrust upon her very unexpectedly. If you haven't read the first book Wondrous Strange, I highly recommend that you do before reading Darklight.

After reading Wondrous Strange, I eagerly went straight to reading Darklight. Darklight had strong character growth, a deepening romance and a darker story line that continued to grab my attention. Kelley had more of an angst attitude and Sonny isn't as trusting as he was before plus fighting the Hunters has giving him a harder edge. These changes in Kelley and Sonny causes tension between them but it also deepens their feelings for show more one another. I also enjoyed seeing Fennrys in a whole new light, proving he is capable of more then just fighting and growling (Yes, he growls!) as he was previously portrayed.

I found it fascinating how Lesley created hints at parallels in this story to theatre production of Romeo & Juliet. She did the same thing in Wondrous Strange with A Midsummer Night's Dream. Lesley's portrayal of the Faeries, are just as I have pretty much imagined them to be: whimsical, fickle in nature, and loving and hating in the same breath. You never know if you can trust them. This is what makes them so dangerous in this story and antes up the mystery. Oh, and not all the Fair Folk are magically delicious either – the leprechauns are terrifying.

The ending was one I didn't see coming. It left me feeling awed and frustrated in a good way. I'm eagerly looking forward to the final conclusion to this trilogy.

Cover note: I think the covers of the books in the Wondrous Strange trilogy do a terrific job depicting what Kelley looks like. She looks just as I would imagine her to be. show less

Yesterday, I had finally finished reading the second book in the Wondrous Strange series! Again, I LOVED IT. I mean, I LOVE IT. It's so wonderfully written. Out of the two books, this one has to be the best. It's a good balance between romance, comedy, and action.

Lesley Livingston never failed to make laugh while reading. Kelley and all the other characters had gotten funnier. I still love Sonny. He's still my favorite character. That romantic Janus guard *sigh*.

In this book, we get to see more of Queen Mabh, Kelley's mother. We get to see her feel a bit more loving towards King Auberon. Although later, you read that Queen Mabh still has...feelings...for Henre. And spoiler alert! Henre is the father of Sonny! Yes! Sonny Flannery that show more romantic Janus guard who confesses his love for Kelley Winslow, daughter of King Auberon and Queen Mabh. I never knew that King Auberon and Queen Titania were um...together. Fennrys' remark was hilarious followed by Kelley's comical thought, "i so did not need any visuals" (that's not the exact quote, it's just from memory).

The way Lesley Livingston describe places like the places in the Spring court/palace, was just beautiful and lovely. It was calming and peaceful, and nothing like I've ever read about before.

Of course, I spotted nothing wrong with this book. I'm all positive. The Wondrous Strange series is on my favorites list and forever it will stay. I still am in love with the world of Faerie, Unseelie, Seelie, Lesley Livingston has created. It's nothing compared to the drab fairy tale stories (that I still enjoy when I'm utterly bored) that had been told, once upon a time...

In this book we read more about Tyff, and she gets more involved in the story which is great because we get to know more about her and we get to read her witty and humorous remarks and come backs.

Fennrys the Wolf is more involved here and there probably is going to be some kind of Team Fennrys or Team Sonny. If you would like to know, I'm definitely Team Sonny! But Sonny and Fennrys are hilarious together especially earlier in the book when Kelley and Fennrys "drop by" because they had this incident, which you will need to read about! I'm not going to spoil that one.

I loved reading about how Sonny was madly in love with Kelley and he uttered three blissful words that sent my heart hammering in excitement. Sonny is still protective in this book but Kelley also becomes more protective which is why I am ticked at her.

Towards the end of the book we all get to see Tyff, Sonny, Jack, Kelley, and Queen Mabh (yes you heard me, Queen Mabh) fight in action. It's really epic and awesome.

Maddox isn't that involved because he's at Sonny's apartment with Chloe, who he's in love with. I'm pretty sure if you read what Aaneel told Kelley you'd love to kick his snooty butt just like I wanted too.

The end was incredible. I hated Kelley and I'm still ticked off at her right now. She had screamed out loud that she did not love Sonny (IT'S A LIE I TELL YOU! Who with the right mind would not love Sonny Flannery?) I understand why she had but she was so careless...because major spoiler alert: Sonny is missing. Imagine the heartbreak of the guy when he heard Kelley yell at Tyff saying she did not love him. She had to convince herself that she didn't so it wouldn't be hard for her to let go of him. She wanted to protect him from himself and others. You'll find out why in the book. The book ended with such a big cliff hanger that I can't wait to buy the next book, Tempestuous, which comes out at the end of 2010!

So, I suggest you go get your mortal butt down to your nearest book store, hunt down any attendant there and command him to find Wondrous Strange and Darklight, buy it, THEN READ IT. Mark my words, if you do not read it I will gladly hunt you down and use some of my 'secret' magick powers... :D show less