Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief (2))

** spoiler alert ** If you look at my review of the first book in this series, Midnight Thief, you will see that I love the plot, writing style, and characters.

James, even though locked up, was great. I like to think he represented the little voice in Kyra's head that told her the truth about working for the palace. The warnings and cautions that she felt but needed someone to tell her to her face for her to listen to that voice inside. It didn't matter that he was just manipulating her, what he said was true. His intentions didn't matter. He spoke truths to Kyra that she didn't want to hear, but needed to. People may think that he should have been removed from this book, that they should have been rid of him now that he was arrested, but I think he was one of the most _important_ characters to the story. Kyra needed to face things to be able to come to that spot in herself where she is ready to risk everything to save her true people, the Makvani. His scenes paired perfectly with her slowly finding out about her past and becoming close to Pashla. I don't think she would have been able to try to help her people if she hadn't been meeting with James.

Pashla is a wonderful character. I love how she becomes sort of a Hanai sister/mentor to Kyra. As Kyra grew up with no real family, just people who accepted her and became the closest thing she had for a family, it was nice to see Kyra find someone who not only had the same blood running through her veins, but truly understood the changes Kyra was going through. Her human 'family' may love Kyra, but Pashla was a whole other level of family. Her humans cared about her, but she needed and found someone who had been through the changes and experienced the emotions and thoughts than went with the Makvani changes.

Flick, Idalee, and Lettie are good side characters to have, but I don't think of them as important. I mean, I think its good for Kyra to have them, but they aren't as essential to the story as some of the other characters. However, there are some events that involve them that _are_ essential. For instance, the beating of Idalee led to Kyra seeking out James. And to her finally opening up her eyes to the social differences between the wallhuggers and the rest of the city. She realizes that she wants to changes the injustices happening around her, but doesn't know how. Flick is the voice of reason, but Kyra doesn't seem to value his opinion or thoughts very much, even though she cares for him.

I like that Kyra starts to develop trust between her and Malikel. She realizes that he isn't a typical wall wallhugger. He used to be a mercenary, and was low of birth, unlike the others on the council. She debates in her head whether or not she can trust him with her secret, and thinks that telling him is important to develop some sort of peace between the humans and Makvani.

Kyra goes through quite the personal journey in this book. Seeking out answers about her mysterious past, and feels the pull more and more of her Makvani side. She needs to learn more about both. She isn't as idealistic as she was in Book 1. She sees the world as it is. Or at least, she does a bit in. I think that before, it wasn't that she was just dim about the world. I think she didn't _want_ to see the reality of the way of the world. But several things force her to open up her eyes and admit to herself at least how things truly are.

I'm not going to get into the romance drama with Kyra and Tristam. If you want to know about it, read the book. That wasn't my favorite part of the book. In my opinion, the book would be just as good, if not better if that arc was removed.

Loved this book. Five stars. I dare you to read it.

This series holds a special place in my heart. I went into this book having read and loved the first one with high hopes and I was not disappointed. The story zips along at a wonderful pace. The chapters have that really addictive habit of finishing on a cliffhanger, so you find yourself forced into the next chapter in order to discover what happens.

If you love young adult fantasy, please oh please pick this series up in beautiful hardcover. You won't regret it.

Original Review Link: http://asdreamsaremade.com/2015/07/book-tuesday-arc-daughter-of-dusk/

A fantastic and thrilling installment to a great series!

Kyra has learned the truth about her bloodlines and her past; something she struggles with, especially with her relationship with the palace and Tristam. Another revelation about Tristam will force Kyra to examine their relationship even further. Before she can concentrate on that however, tensions are building within the palace and it’s council, forcing Kyra to make a choice between what is right and what might save her people–both human and Makvani.

I had read the first installment a while back and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, Daughter of Dusk is definitely my favorite of the two. This is rather unusual for a sequel. The second book, especially in a trilogy, tends to be the weakest, but not in this case!
I loved Kyra’s development and struggles in this storyline. You really find her coming into her own and accepting her strengths and weaknesses, whatever they may be. We learn even more about her true heritage and how she came to Forge. It was a bit surprising, but at the same time, expected. What I loved most about this story/Kyra is that she is forced to make some ethical and moral decisions that aren’t always the easiest. She struggles with that which makes her completely relatable and probably more human than her Makvani relations. Her relationship with Tristan becomes even more complicated. I won’t say much because spoilers but halfway through you’re going to be like “Well Duh! What did you expect!” But then at the end you’re going to be like:

"Hehehe!"

Tristam at first annoyed the bejeezus out of me, but finally grew on me towards the end. He redeemed himself, but you will cry when you read what it was because I was like:

"Nononononono! Noo!"

We knew it was coming, but still. The FEELS.

Flick, Malikel, and the rest of the secondary characters were all great. Their storylines were fleshed out very well and you were really invested in their outcomes. I loved Flick’s storyline in this one. He’s just awesome! Malikel makes you realize how wise and strategic he really is. The plot moved quickly and you couldn’t help but want to know what happens next. The ending was extremely satisfying and I can’t wait to read the next installment!

I read this book in two days. I couldn't put it down. I didn't care what was going on all I wanted to do was read this book. Kyra is a great character. Strong, loyal, compassionate, and willing to walk though fire for the people she loves. In this book Kyra is torn between two worlds her human and her Makvani(Demon Cat)self. I can understand Kyra's desire to know about the Makvani and her real family. Who wouldn't want to know where they came from? I loved finding out more about Kyra's past. Kyra is also very scared of her cat self and she doesn't know how to control herself then in cat form. I understand Kyra's frustrations and hatred for the palace. Allowing the rich to get away with atrocities committed on the poor and helpless is horrible. The palace is so corrupt that it is easy for me to side with James sometimes. James is in jail and knows Kyra's secret that she is part Makvani. Kyra is still drawn to James even after everything and I am not surprised. He hates the way the palace runs the city and wants to change it just like Kyra. But James' way includes a lot of innocent blood spilled and Kyra just couldn't live with herself doing it his way in book 1. I really love James. James is the only bad guy who ever won me to his side well sometimes. I was happy to get more scenes from James PoV. I really loved the prequel novella that was written from his PoV and loved getting some more time in his head. Tristam is loyal, honorable, and a brilliant strategist and I love his character. Tristam is also keeping a secret from Kyra and it is putting a strain on their relationship.After what happened to Tristam's friends he is having trusting the Makvani and struggling with his attraction with Kyra.Tristam and Kyra's romance was a rocky and sometimes not their road at all in this book. My only complaint is this book needed more romance between Kyra and Tristam. I felt their connection and loved them together but I wanted more. More scenes together. More kissing and embracing. I loved seeing more of the demon cats and really grew to love and understand them. I was so happy to see more of Pashla. I really loved her in book 1.

My hatred for Willem reached major highs in this book. I was all for handing him over to James with a dagger and a bunch of silver hair pins. This world is very grey. I don't know who's side to take. This is one of the most grey books I have ever read. I loved Kyra's brother Flick and was happy to get his PoV. I hope the author writes more books in this world. There is just so much she can do. Betrayal, power, love. loyalty, friendship , and understanding others collide in this action packed heart-stopping sequel.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Content Rating: PG

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Daughter of Dusk by Livia Blackburne
Book Two of the Midnight Thief series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.

Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.

As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?

In this spellbinding sequel to Midnight Thief, Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents.

What I Liked:

Despite my immense love for Midnight Thief and my overwhelming excitement for this book, I didn't love it. I actually beta-read Daughter of Dusk last year (my most heartfelt thanks to the author), and I did not quite enjoy the book then. I can see some changes made from the draft I read to now, but I'm still not convinced that I enjoyed the book.

In this sequel novel to Midnight Thief, Kyra must learn to be both Makvani and human to save herself and the ones she loves in Forge. Forge's Council is slowly being taken over by Willem, and the Makvani are shying away from helping Kyra or the Council. Kyra is hiding who she is - but how long will that last before Willem and the Forge find out? Kyra will need to make alliances and outsmart Willem before Forge is lost.

There are a fair amount of twists and turns in this book, that definitely keep the story interesting. The overall story of the series is very important and ever-present, as the Council is moving in on the Makvani, and the Council is slowly being taken over by Willem, who has his own agenda. There was also the book's plot and subplots, dealing with Idalee (a young girl Kyra considers her adopted sister), Kyra's struggle with her Makvani side, and her feelings for Tristam.

While I mostly liked the story, there were definitely cliche parts, and boring parts. Read more on that in the next section. For the most part, the story held my attention. There were some changes made to the story from what I beta-read. I think the changes were necessary and an improvement, though I still (obviously) didn't love this book.

The author cleans up the romance in some areas, and complicates it in others. There is no love triangle between Kyra, James, and Tristam. I personally never thought there was one, but there definitely isn't one in this book. But then Tristam has familial duty, and Kyra knows he isn't comfortable with her Makvani blood... so there's that. The romance isn't really in this book, which bothered me. There is no chemistry between these two characters. But still, at least it's a pair, and not a triangle.

The ending is a good one, not perfect, but not sad or terrible either. There are a good amount of deaths, but also a good amount of surviving couples and positive changes. Some things didn't change, and I like that the author kept some things a certain way - it felt very authentic that way. Overall, I think this book was okay, but not great, especially for a series conclusion.

What I Did Not Like:

I'm not even sure how to explain why I didn't like this one. I think it was a case of me being weird... but I can't say that this is all on me. For one, it seems obvious that the author hasn't written more than one or two novels. Her writing style isn't really that great. There are so many anachronistic or slang phrases and words that just don't fit the style of language and speech in this series. The author uses a specific speech most of the times, but inserts modern phrases at other times. This felt very off. Seriously, shouldn't editors screen for these things?

Also, the author's writing style seems very juvenile - almost like this book is Middle Grade. Is it? I thought this was Young Adult. The author doesn't have a lush, flowing writing style. Everything is rather TELL, and not SHOW. Matter-of-fact, conversational, instead of descriptive, or something. Every person's writing style is different, but Blackburne's isn't very... author-y. I'm trying to put this in words and failing majorly. I'm not trying to take shots at the author, but I'm trying to accurately convey how I felt about her writing style - it just isn't that great.

The story seems rather cliche and predictable. While Midnight Thief blew me away, this one seemed to be full of cliches. OF COURSE Flick and ______ would form a relationship, basically on sight. Of course Tristam's familial duty would come up RIGHT NOW. Of course Willem would do this, Malikel would figure out this, Leyus is this. Cliche, cliche, cliche. So many cliches.

I can't say I'm a huge fan of the romance in this book, though I'm glad it wasn't worse. There is NO ROMANCE, and I personally don't find this to be a good thing, given that Kyra and Tristam moon over each other fairly often. There is no chemistry! No rhyme or reason for them to want to be together! They would make good friends or partners or solders-in-arms, but lovers? Naaahhh. They have zero chemistry, physical or otherwise.

There were times when I wondered where the story was going or what the significance of this or that was. Some things just didn't seem to have a point. The story, as a whole, is interesting, and I was in no danger of not finishing, but the construction of the plot wasn't great. And keep in mind, I said this was an improvement from what I beta-read. That statement still stands.

Overall, I'm disappointed in some ways, ESPECIALLY since I beta-read this novel, and had issues with a lot of the things I mentioned above. The author changed some things, but most things stayed the same. When I beta-read this book last year, I told the author what I didn't like (I was very honest), and while I understand why the author wouldn't want to change things, it's too bad, because my sour opinion still stands.

Would I Recommend It:

No. Sorry, but no. If you haven't read Midnight Thief, don't worry about it. There are plenty of high fantasy novels publishing in 2015 and 2016 that are REALLY GOOD. This series is meh, okay at best. This conclusion should have been so much more epic and so much less bleh. But I walked away with a feeling of "oh well" and "meh" and "whatever". Not exactly encouraging.

Rating:

2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. I'm disappointed, because Midnight Thief was one of my favorite novels of 2014. Yes, three stars is still positive. But I was really hoping that, since I beta-read the book (and didn't like it), that when I read it the second time, I would at least like it more? Not so much, unfortunately. Still, it was an okay novel!

Originally Reviewed For: Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy

Sometimes if you are very very lucky you find this amazing gem of a book. Livia Blackburne's Daughter of Dusk is just that type of book. It is book two in her Midnight Thief Novels really really well worth the read. Yep, this is me gushing!

Daughter of Dusk is most definitely a second book in the series, I don't suggest reading it as a stand alone. I did and totally enjoyed it but I knew all along that there was so much I was missing. Because of this it took me a while to actually get into the book and I often considered just not finishing it. Which would have been a shame because once I was able to completely immerse myself, I fell in love.

This is one of those YA books that transcends age. It's fantasy at it's best. I would certainly rate this right along Cinda Williams Chima's, Seven Realms Series.. It has that wonderful ability to make the reader forget just what age the characters are. These are individuals written with depth of character, personality and incredible nuances.

Daughter of Dusk begins with it's heroine Kyra, an orphan, having been raised in the streets until she is discovered by the head of the Assassins Guild. She has been scouted and they want her.. for a while that was wonderful but she discovers that she wants more. She also discovers that she is half of another species, for lack of better description a large cat species, but she doesn't want to be part of them and has been allowed to join the palace guards. That's your back story...

The book begins with Kyra being allowed to be part of the guard but not really. More like a scout, they use her for her talents but will never allow her to belong. Again she's okay with that for a while, until she discovers that the leading council is so filled with rot that they need to be overthrown. Her boss, a decent enough man and member of the council, is trying to begin change from the inside but in the mean while people are dying and the elite are just that.. above the rules.

Kyra also realizes that with the way things stand she can never be more than friends with the man she is falling in love with. He has been demoted from being a knight and now works with the guard. His demotion came because he dared to act on his convictions (again in book 1). But he is still a lord's son and there is no way they can ever be together...

And if that's not enough..
Kyra is slowly, very slowly beginning to accept what she is and realizes that she wants answers. Her questions lead to some pretty interesting discoveries. But because she is all areas she is uniquely positioned to bring them all together. A battle is coming and the City/State of Forge is on the line. Hard to believe that it's all in the hands of one outcast and her group of friends.

JUST FABULOUS!!! I would seriously consider this a MUST READ book! And if you love YA or better yet are YA, then this book is for you!

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of Daughter of Dusk, provided by netgalley

Last year I happened upon a book called Midnight Thief and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, definitely do so. As soon as I saw the galley of book two, Daughter of Dusk, I had to request it. I won’t spend a ton of time on the back story here but if you haven’t had a chance to read book one yet, you might want to hold on reading the rest of this review as Daughter of Dusk picks up shortly after book one ends.

Kyra is in a bit of an odd spot. She knows more about her heritage and the few people she trusts (Tristam and Flick) and one she doesn’t (James) know about her secret, but because of the choices she made, she isn’t accepted by the Makvani.
In addition to that, Kyra is now working for the Defense Minister, Malikel to hunt down the members of the Assassin’s Guild. Because of her ability to hunt and climb, she is an invaluable resource to the group but not everyone thinks she belongs. She is still looked at as a thief and a gutter rat by the group and it makes things tough for her. Trying to keep a balance as well as not give away her secret is taking its toll on Kyra.

The Demon Riders are continuing to raid villages which is also creating a lot of fear amongst the Council and as a result, the head councilman, Willem, is using that to his advantage. In his bid to get rid of Malikel and eventually take over leadership of Forge, he is using the Demon Rider attacks to institute some changes. The first thing is conscription which has direct impact on Kyra because one of the first people pulled into the training is Flick.

Things definitely move quickly in this book and there are a lot of things all tying back to Kyra that create so many conflicts. Not only is there the threat of Willem and the Demon Riders, but there is also the continued conflict between the wallhuggers and the rest of Forge that impacts Kyra when Idalee is beaten. Kyra already has a fear of what she is but when things happen that put her on the edge, she lets go and does something that puts her in danger and reveals her secret.

Along with all of that going on, Kyra also has to figure out what her relationship with Tristam really is. Despite the fact that he was demoted, he still has a family that he has to answer to and when the Demon Rider attacks force Tristam to consider something he never really thought would be an issue, he and Kyra have to face the reality of their situation. He is from a royal family and she is still a gutter rat.
As characters go, Kyra is still one of my favorites. She is tough and smart but she is also fiercely loyal. She will do anything to protect the people she cares about and she stands up for the things she believes in. Kyra’s interactions with James were very interesting and it provided more insight into him as a character, not just Kyra. I loved seeing Kyra recognize as the story moved along, just what he meant and his intent behind his actions.

Of course, Flick, Idalee, and Lettie are great as secondary characters. In addition to them, we learn more about the Makvani and where Kyra comes from. We also find out who really is the “bad guy” in this book and I thought Blackburne did a wonderful job of linking all of these characters together with the different avenues this story took.

I will mention here that while James is still a character in this book, we don’t see much of him. Since he was turned over to the palace by Kyra, he is locked up and the only times we get to see him is when Kyra breaks into his prison cell to talk. These interactions were interesting and revealed a lot, not only about James but also about Kyra and I thought the way things were wrapped up with these two said a lot about them as characters.

Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to this series. It has a great mix of action, magic, deception, and of course there are some swoony bits. If you are looking for something in the fantasy genre and if you haven’t started this series yet, definitely consider it. Hopefully this review doesn’t sound too rambling and if it does, ignore the detail and just know that you should read the series.

Kyra now knows her heritage and with the city wary of any Demon Riders, she has to be extra careful not to be found out. But it’s hard to keep control when she doesn’t know how. And since she was banished from the clan, they aren’t exactly being helpful towards her. She still, however, feels the urge to go to them. As tensions mount in Forge, where the politics is leading to a war on the Demon Riders, she is struggling hard to prevent such a scenario. When she has to go on the run, she still has the best interests of the city at heart. She even comes to sympathize with James, and when she realizes he isn’t entirely the monster she thought he was, she realizes she has to make some hard decisions. Her character has been through a lot in this series, from being one person’s puppet to another’s prisoner, forever feeling one step lower than the others. Even her clanspeople don’t welcome her with open arms, and she is lonely but she doesn’t let that define her. She becomes a leader, a beacon of hope, prevents a war under a death threat, and literally saves the day.

Tristam and her were seeming impossible at the start of the book, with their statuses being unequal and him not really wanting to go against his family. They were definitely cute together, but the romance wasn’t really the focus, you know. Cause girl had bigger fish to fry! That was probably for the best, though there were still traces of the teen in her. And it was handled well, anyway, so no complaints on that matter. The writing was as good as the first one, and I loved the different storylines layered through the plot. I especially adored Flick and Adele – her bringing him a dead rabbit like a cat brings dead presents to it’s humans was precious!

Overall, great writing, good storyline, strong world-building, and good flow. 4.5 stars to this one!

Good book

Cross posted from @son_of_a_bookshelf on Instagram (Midnight Thief and Daughter of Dusk):

I absolutely ADORE these books! I could honestly read them over and over and I would never get tired of them. The fact that you don't know who you can trust? I love that feeling when I'm reading. The way the backstories were written made it so I really connected with the characters and got me really attached to the books!