Although I hadn't read the first book in this series (Dawn's End) it sounded like this YA fantasy novel would stand well on its own. After her mother's death Anastacia travels abroad for a family wedding but stumbles into another world where she finds that she has grown up believing lies. There is a good reason that she has no photos of her father or a birth certificate. Dawn's End was a place of idyll but has been corrupted by negative influences from our world. Anastacia is seen by a small band determined to fight the dark powers as a saviour but can she harness her natural powers?YA fantasy is right on the edge of my comfort zone, but I enjoyed the read. Anastacia is a mix of kick-ass 16 year old and innocent, grieving young woman. In Dawn's End she teams up with an assortment of characters and encounters creatures she wouldn't have imagined could be real. Watching her find her feet was interesting, even if at times I found her a little bit irritating (maybe because I'm closer to her mum's age than hers) I quite liked the development of the history behind the peoples of Dawn's End and felt that enough was revealed for this book to work well without having read the other book first.
As far as the writing goes I found it a well paced easy read but wasn't entirely sure what age range the books are targeted at. There is some content of a sexual nature and some violence but the way it is written made it feel more suited to a younger audience for whom the content might not be appropriate. There are some positive messages to take away from the story without it feeling preachy which is no bad thing.
The ending didn't work perfectly for me, just before the end it moved the focus away from Anastacia before moving back to her and ending a bit too abruptly, but it certainly sets up well for the next book in the series.
Format: Kindle, review copy
Publisher: Noble Young Adult
My Rating: 3*
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