Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles, #1) by Suzanne Lazear

Apr 07, 2012 Maja rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: annoying-love-triangle, arc-2012, are-you-kidding-me, cover-lust, debut-author, historical-fiction, huge-disappointment, multiple-povs, magic, netgalley, the-fae-are-so-scary, totally-saw-that-coming, ya, wake-me-up-next-year, reviewed-in-2012

Innocent Darkness is a story about Noli, a girl who lost her social status and her chances for a good marriage when her father disappeared, and is forced to go to a boarding school for troubled girls, from where she is later taken to Faery to become the human sacrifice that will save the entire realm. She is found and taken by the queen’s ruthless huntsman Kevighn. He somehow falls in love with Noli even though she’s just one of many girls he’s kidnapped and brought to his queen to be killed. No...more Innocent Darkness is a story about Noli, a girl who lost her social status and her chances for a good marriage when her father disappeared, and is forced to go to a boarding school for troubled girls, from where she is later taken to Faery to become the human sacrifice that will save the entire realm. She is found and taken by the queen’s ruthless huntsman Kevighn. He somehow falls in love with Noli even though she’s just one of many girls he’s kidnapped and brought to his queen to be killed. Noli’s best friend V, whom she has feelings for, turns out to be none other than the earth court prince in exile and comes rushing to save her.

If someone had given me a copy of Innocent Darkness without the cover and the publisher info, I’d have dropped it after less than 20%, thinking that it’s self-published, and one of those books that gives self-publishing a bad name. Innocent Darkness seems unfinished and unpolished. It lacks structure, it’s full of rough transitions, repetitiveness and contradictions. In fact, to me it seemed more like a draft than like a finished book. It was very rough around the edges and uneven in more ways than one. The transitions between different points of view tended to be too abrupt and badly handled so they always came like a slap in the face.

In some ways, the book seemed very childish, but then there was just enough sex and opium to make me uncomfortable. (Reading about either of those things doesn’t make me uncomfortable in itself, but in this case, it didn’t fit well with the rest of the story.) I am glad that the author decided to tackle the topic of sexual abuse; after all, something like that is highly probable in a boarding school where unprotected girls get examined by a male doctor who has absolute power over them. I just wish the rest of the book wasn’t quite so naïve.

The language was another thing that didn’t sit well with me at all. I’m certainly not an expert in English language, I’m not even a native speaker, but I can recognize a failed attempt when I see one. It wasn’t nearly formal enough for that time (1901), alternate history or not, and throwing in a few archaisms and repeating them over and over again couldn’t have possibly worked.
I didn’t actually do a search to see how many times the exact words ‘opium and soft women’ were used, but it must have been over fifteen. To me, this shows that the author doesn’t know the first thing about opium users (or soft women) and that she didn’t do any research whatsoever, but instead adopted this expression because it sounded good to her (or it sounded like an appropriate activity for a man beyond redemption) and insisted on repeating it twice in every chapter. That brings me to Kevighn, the Faery queen’s huntsman, who indulges in all this opium and soft women and is one of the most underdeveloped characters I’ve ever come across. I’m still not quite sure what his role or his motivations were supposed to be, but his entire situation was left completely open, which makes me think that he’ll be very important in the sequel.

At the beginning, I liked Noli’s best friend V, even though he was a bit of a cliché, but as the story progressed and he was conveniently given the role that was most needed at the time, the whole thing (and his character) became utterly ridiculous. The way the plot was solved was also entirely predictable and childish and in complete contrast with the darker parts of the book I’ve mentioned earlier. That ending would have fit better in a children’s book, but for an adult, or even a young adult, it’s almost insulting.

I guess I’ve made it abundantly clear that I won’t be reading the next book in the Aether Chronicles. At best, this book needs a lot more work, but frankly, I’m not sure it can be saved.

For more of my reviews, visit The Nocturnal Library (less)

35 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2012 Katy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had such high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, I did not like it at all. I really struggled to finish it, and I felt the characters and the dialogue were very irritating. And sorry, this book is NOT recommended for steampunk fans.

I really wanted to like this book, but it was not what I was expecting - and not for the good either. The cover was awesome - spunky yet exotic at the same time - but the cover was in no way a representation of Noli at all. And she sure didn't dress like that (...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Jami Leigh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, arcs, kindle, trad-pub

Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Style: 3 stars
Pace: 2 stars

Read as an E-ARC, through my household librarian. The cover had caught my attention at BEA, but they weren't giving arcs of it there, so I had her request it, as I thought I'd like it.

The cover makes it look more steampunk than it ended up. It's far more of a Faerie tale than steampunk, and while there are steampunk elements, they felt more like shiny window dressing than anything relevant to the plot. Aside from that, it reminded me...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 AH rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley, steampunk, fae, read-apr-2012, babr-reviews, young-adult

What a promising start to a debut novel. I was transported back in time to the turn of the 20th century Los Angeles, a place where hover boards and zeppelins fly in the sky. Our heroine, a “sparky” girl named Noli repairs cars and other gadgets. Noli takes her best friend V (Steven) on a joyride in her lovingly restored flying car. Of course, the ride or rather the flight, did not end well and Noli and V crash land in her backyard. Noli is detained for flying without the proper license. She is f...more What a promising start to a debut novel. I was transported back in time to the turn of the 20th century Los Angeles, a place where hover boards and zeppelins fly in the sky. Our heroine, a “sparky” girl named Noli repairs cars and other gadgets. Noli takes her best friend V (Steven) on a joyride in her lovingly restored flying car. Of course, the ride or rather the flight, did not end well and Noli and V crash land in her backyard. Noli is detained for flying without the proper license. She is forced to attend the Finlay School in San Francisco where her outrageous behavior is to be corrected and beaten out of her.

I really, really enjoyed the first few chapters of this book. The steampunk elements were imaginative and nicely done. I liked Noli at this point and her friendship with V was refreshing. Then as Noli is enrolled at the Finlay House, the story began to deteriorate for me.

I can’t imagine a loving mother allowing her daughter to be placed in such a school. Finlay House was frightening – the methods used to “train” the girls were barbaric. Finlay House turned out vapid, opinionless girls who were beaten into submission and isolated from their families and friends. Noli is at Finlay House for a short period of time and plot out an escape with her friend Charlotte. Unfortunately, Charlotte is removed from the home before she could escape.

Kevighn Silver-Tongue was on a mission for the fae queen. Once every seven years, a “sparky” human is taken into the fae realm and sacrificed to keep the fae realms in existence. Kevighn’s last attempt at procuring the sacrifice failed and the fae realms are suffering. Kevighn manages to “capture” Noli and transport her to the fae Otherworld as the sacrifice. Surprisingly enough, the magic does not bind to Noli because she wears an amulet given to her by V as a good luck charm. Noli lives under the radar with Kevighn as he imagines the possibility of a life with her. Meanwhile V and his brother James look for Noli and follow her trail to the Otherworld.

I had several problems with this book. I understand that I read a galley, an uncorrected proof, but my copy had too many spelling and grammar errors. I usually overlook these errors in galleys but I had to re-read several passages to make sure I understood correctly. I hope that these errors are corrected on the final copy.

I felt like this book was trying to do too much. Steampunk, a reform school, the fae realms – maybe if the book had concentrated on one or two elements it would have been more successful.
I also found it strange that the fae queen would have clockwork pets. A little odd since technology doesn’t work well in the fae realm.

I did like Noli’s “sparkiness” and her affinity for things of the earth and the land. That was a nice touch. The dream sequences were fun to read too. I found Noli a little too uptight

It was hard for me to rate this book. I really liked the beginning of the book but the remainder was slow paced for me. Perhaps others may enjoy the book more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.

(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 23, 2012 Dani rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faerie, magick, 2012-dac

How does the saying go? “Good Steampunk is hard to find?”

Ok. So maybe that’s not precisely how it goes, but sadly, that fact doesn’t make the statement any less true.

I’ll admit, Innocent Darkness first caught my eye because of it’s cover. Adorned with gears, a dirigible, the obligatory corset/pocket watch/brass-’n-leather goggles combo, and a rebellious looking heroine ready to flout Victorian-era conventions, this cover said to me, “Hi there. I’m steampunk. Grab a cuppa and read me.”

And I said,...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 22, 2013 D rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: like-a-lobotomy, series

Aside from the cover and the author's taste in music (she claimed to have listened to Emilie Autumn while writing the draft for this book), I find nothing at all charming about this book.

Oh wait, I do think Kevighn Silver would have been quite an interesting character if the author even gave him a chance and if everyone was more believably fae than they are in the book. As it were, I have no idea why I even tried.

'Steampunk' novel with fairies and tithes and set in San Francisco.

I wanted to know...more

like · see review

Feb 26, 2013 Kristina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed the general concept of INNOCENT DARKNESS where a young girl is rescued from a dire situation, is spirited away to a magical land (the Otherworld in this case), and finds out she not simply an ordinary girl. Where the story lost me was in the dangerous situations Noli was put in because once we get settled into one scenario Noli is spirited away to somewhere else. I never got a chance to get used to the setting or really understand character motivations. As a “dark fairytale”, I expecte...more I enjoyed the general concept of INNOCENT DARKNESS where a young girl is rescued from a dire situation, is spirited away to a magical land (the Otherworld in this case), and finds out she not simply an ordinary girl. Where the story lost me was in the dangerous situations Noli was put in because once we get settled into one scenario Noli is spirited away to somewhere else. I never got a chance to get used to the setting or really understand character motivations. As a “dark fairytale”, I expected the creepy and abusive subject matter, but I felt like the danger was only surface deep in order to prevent Noli’s situations from going too deep.

In addition to pulling back on the dark fairytale aspects, the steampunk elements started out with some interesting gadgets and flying machines but once Noli goes into the Otherworld the story becomes purely about fairies and magic with little to no hint of anything ‘steampunk’. I don’t mind mixing genres but this segregated split makes for a book that doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be.

Worse than being afraid to commit to one genre, INNOCENT DARKNESS also failed at getting me to connect with the characters. Noli started out as this fun rebellious girl who liked creating gadgets but we only see this side of her for the first few chapters before the plot bounds away to a completely different genre. On the love triangle aspect I couldn’t really root for Noli to be with either of the two boys considering they had little to no redeeming qualities.

INNOCENT DARKNESS started off with some promise but switched genres and changed character perspectives so randomly that I was left confused as what was supposed to be happening in the plot. In the end, Noli didn’t grow or learn anything and the story didn’t convince me on an authentic romance. Everything from character development to the plot felt like it was skimming the surface of what could have been a really good story with unique characters. Hopefully the next book in The Aether Chronicles, which is due out in 2013, will fare better.
(less)

like · see review

Oct 27, 2012 A Beautiful Madness rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Was I the only one disappointed with this book? I mean, it wasn’t that bad, it just wasn’t what I had expected. The thing is, I was expecting a real Steampunk novel, but instead, I found that it was more a faerie book with a touch of Steampunk (which we mostly see at the beginning. Most of the book is spent in the fairy world…) I would probably have enjoyed it more if I had been sold this book as a fairy book, but I was sold to it because it was Steampunk, and I LOVE a good Steampunk. This proba...more

like · see review

Oct 18, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I LOVED this book. Seriously. I love steampunk. I love faeries. To find an author that had the vision to combine the two?? I'm in serious fan-girl mode, people! SERIOUSLY.

Okay, let me try to talk myself down a little bit here...become a little more coherent. LOL. Let's see. Why did I LOVE this book? Well it starts out with a girl who refuses to become the perfect little society Lady taking a flying car for an illegal joyride...awesome. Then she gets sent to a reform school (read punishments and...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 15, 2012 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya

I am an avid reader of young adult novels, and not ashamed to admit it. Once you are past the age where reading level is the main factor in what you choose to read, it doesn't make sense to me to worry about whether you are reading books aimed at a much younger audience. For the most part, I hold young adult novels to the same standard as the adult ones, rarely thinking, "I would probably have enjoyed this more if I read it as a teenager." That thought seems patronizing to me; I had discriminati...more I am an avid reader of young adult novels, and not ashamed to admit it. Once you are past the age where reading level is the main factor in what you choose to read, it doesn't make sense to me to worry about whether you are reading books aimed at a much younger audience. For the most part, I hold young adult novels to the same standard as the adult ones, rarely thinking, "I would probably have enjoyed this more if I read it as a teenager." That thought seems patronizing to me; I had discriminating tastes as a teen, and I believe teenagers nowadays do as well (at least as much as adults).

HOWEVER: Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear may be the exception.

I believe that a good book is a good book regardless who it is aimed at, and Innocent Darkness has many factors of a good book. The characters are appealing, particularly the plucky heroine and the anti-heroic elf; the steampunk setting, though terribly trendy at the moment, was vividly realized, and I liked the connection of aether to seismic activity (I'm a California kid). I gravitate towards any novel that deals with sinister fairies and the traditional human sacrifice or "teind to hell"; I loved that the heroine was mechanically inclined for a change (even though I myself am not), and that this was what drew the fairies to her; I loved that she was sent to a girls' reform school and subjected to treatment reminiscent of "The Yellow Wallpaper."

I really just didn't need all of those things at once.

Did you ever hear the old fashion saw "Spin around to look at yourself in the mirror, and whatever accessory leaps out at you, take that one off?" The point being that, no matter how much you like all your scarves and jewelry and whatnot, if you wear all of them at once, something is going to get lost. That was how Innocent Darkness felt to me; overaccessorized. I read about the elves, and the reform school, and the steampunk setting with its aether and air pirates, and it was all so dazzling, but I wanted Lazear to "put something back." Everything "cool" doesn't have to be squeezed into a single novel, or even a single series, and I feel that if Lazear narrowed her focus, she could have fleshed out the elements she retained better, and more naturally. Spent more time showing us that Noli's classmates at Findley House were shallow and insipid, rather than simply telling us. Not just told us that V* is bookish yet the only one who understands Noli, but demonstrated it through their interaction. Used the idea of airship pirates for something other than establishing this is a steampunk world (though that could come in book 2).

In short, I think this is a novel that tries to dazzle its readers with lots of cool elements and, on those to whom steampunk, Victorian ideas of women's mental health, or fairy sacrifice are new, it might actually work. For those of us who are more jaded, who may appreciate the dazzle but appreciate it best when well integrated and richly developed, the novel shows promise but does not captivate.

*Okay, I couldn't figure out how to integrate this into the rest of my review, but V's nickname--his real name is Steven--was like nails on a chalkboard to me, as were the spelling of Kevighn's name, and the fact that fairy women wore corsets on the outside. The other problem with writing a novel and sticking in "everything I think is cool" is that your readers may not feel the same.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Sharon Tyler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear, the first book in the new young adult The Aether Chronicles, is set for release on August 8 2012. Magnolia 'Noli' Braddock is considered a troubled girl because of her willfulness and love of tinkering. After crashing a flying car with her best friend Steven 'V' Darrow, without the proper permits, Noli faces a boarding school that is not as advertised. Kevighn is the faery queen's huntsman, and he is searching for someone much like Noli to offer as the schedu...more Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear, the first book in the new young adult The Aether Chronicles, is set for release on August 8 2012. Magnolia 'Noli' Braddock is considered a troubled girl because of her willfulness and love of tinkering. After crashing a flying car with her best friend Steven 'V' Darrow, without the proper permits, Noli faces a boarding school that is not as advertised. Kevighn is the faery queen's huntsman, and he is searching for someone much like Noli to offer as the scheduled sacrifice to restore and balance the magic of Faery. Will Noli be able to resist Kevighn's otherworldly charm or will she become the next unwitting sacrifice? More importantly, is V more than she knows and can love really conquer all?

Innocent Darkness started out fantastic. I liked Noli and V, falling into the family dynamics quickly. I though Charlotte and the other characters Noli encounters at the school are fleshed out well. I liked the faery lore used, and the way an alternate history and the very real oppression of women in the 1900's were woven together. I could relate with Noli's frustration with the limits placed on her, and the lack of desire to learn or be creative in others. However, despite the steampunk start and a few mentions here and there, I do not recommend this book to steampunk fans. The steampunk elements seem to be concentrated in the first part of the book, and it is good while it lasts. However, the story quickly looses most of the technical elements and becomes much more about the restricted roles of women and girls in the 1900's and then the Fea elements of the story. More worrisome to me, is all the mention of how girls and women should be able to think for themselves, learn, read, and have more freedom but in the end Noli still rather waits and relies on a guy to fix things. The constant use of a couple words that sound right for the time quickly become old, and stated to wear on me a little.

Innocent Darkness starts off with a bang, and then sputters. Readers that like new looks at faery lore can enjoy the story, as can those that like stories that look at roles of women, even in altered history. There were moments of the book that I really did enjoy, particularly the characters, but I doubt I will be reading the next book in the series.(less)

like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 V.J. Chambers rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya, romance

I picked up Innocent Darkness last week, but I didn't get around to reading it until last night. I couldn't put it down.

There's very little not to love about this YA read. To begin with, you've got a spunky lead who doesn't want to be proper. Got to love stories like that.

Secondly, there's a whole very Jane Eyre sequence in a boarding school/reform school. (Honestly, that's the element in the blurb that made me pick this up.) The truth is, of course, that Noli really isn't a bad girl. She only l...more I picked up Innocent Darkness last week, but I didn't get around to reading it until last night. I couldn't put it down.

There's very little not to love about this YA read. To begin with, you've got a spunky lead who doesn't want to be proper. Got to love stories like that.

Secondly, there's a whole very Jane Eyre sequence in a boarding school/reform school. (Honestly, that's the element in the blurb that made me pick this up.) The truth is, of course, that Noli really isn't a bad girl. She only lives in a bad society, and the entire sequence is almost reminiscent of Dickens.

Then of course, we have the shift into Faerie. Some other reviewers said this shift didn't work for them. And I will admit, I was a little worried. Until we got into Kevighn Silver's head. And realized that in addition to all the other great stuff, we had a typical rake-is-reformed-by-the-love-of-a-good-woman story going on too.

And just when that was getting good... Love triangle!

Sometimes it feels like YA books are phoning the love triangles in. But this one is quite well done. For one thing, while the reader is torn between Kevighn and
V, having seen inside both their heads, Noli really isn't. She makes a fairly decisive choice, and it makes sense given what she's seen of the boys' actions.

Also, fun faery politics. I love me a book with faeries, and this one is creative and also true to tradition. The queen is a really intriguing character.

Finally, I really appreciated how sex positive this book was, even though it was set in a time period in which conventions were different. Except for a few clearly bad characters, female sexuality is treated as normal, natural, and fun. I appreciated that the boy characters were not insta-mature prudes who were always pushing away the protag and making her wait. While there is a bit of boy-stopping-girl action here, it actually has a good reason in terms of the plot. *Little spoilerific coming up...* If you're worried, Noli does escape the book with her V-card intact. But...there's freaking oral sex in this book, and it was awesome and brave and not at all graphic and very cool. Hats off to the author. I can't think of a better message for teenage girls. Sex is natural. Sex is good. (Sometimes George Michael just gets there first.)

Overall, loved the book, can't wait for the sequel. Highly recommended. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 23, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, fantasy, galley, love-triangle, meh, meh-characters, paranormal-romance, net-galley, part-of-a-series, reviewcopies, romance, steampunk, supernatural, urban-fantasy, why-the-hype, ya

Innocent Darkness is a book that I sometimes loved and sometimes hated. There were exciting, funny and enthralling moments. But there were also some annoying, boring and confusing moments to.

The idea behind this book is a gutsy one. It inhabits many genres and sub genres which I admire the author for trying. But at the same time I think it is where a lot of the problems with this book lie. There are pacing issues as we go from one theme and genre to another and I often got the impression that...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 11, 2012 Books & Sensibility rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-reviewed

I think alot of the mixed rating for this novel lie in the misleading cover and genre. This novel isn't a historical and isn't a zeppelin/gadget filled Steampunk. I think the best way to describe this novel is that it is tried and true Fairytale. It is what I expected and what I got.

We've got Faeries, a damsel in distress, princes, queens and true love. The novel has a clever plot with smooth pacing and quite a few plot twist. This novel is also a bit more steamy than most YAs, which I suppose...more

like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Sensitivemuse rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ohhhh I really tried to like this book. How it first started out had promise. I really liked how Noli was portrayed. She seemed like a strong character, and typical when you read some of these steampunk novels. They’re strong willed, always going against the social mores, and always tinkering - which Noli does. She’s also in love with botany - that was pretty interesting and different too.

As the plot progresses, I thought it was off to a good start. The reform school part really got me into the...more

like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This curious tale set in an alternative world in the early 20th century has romance, magic, a touch of steam powered technology and some brutal reality. Even in these enlightened times there were restrictions on women. So, when Noli, Magnolia Braddock, and her best friend V, Steven Darrow, take up a Pixymobile she had repaired there are disastrous effects. After a high speed chase with the police, she wrecked it and was sent to a boarding school for young women of high spirits. But the school wa...more This curious tale set in an alternative world in the early 20th century has romance, magic, a touch of steam powered technology and some brutal reality. Even in these enlightened times there were restrictions on women. So, when Noli, Magnolia Braddock, and her best friend V, Steven Darrow, take up a Pixymobile she had repaired there are disastrous effects. After a high speed chase with the police, she wrecked it and was sent to a boarding school for young women of high spirits. But the school was far from instructional; it was an abusive detention center where young women were subjected to physical, mental and sexual abuse with the excuse of rehabilitating them for society. After being isolated and drugged for trying to help a friend, Noli escapes to a favorite tree in the garden and makes a wish that transports her into the Otherworld and straight into the hands of Kevighn Silver a lascivious, opium smoking fairy.

Otherworld is a magical realm of fairies that depends on the mortal world for its very existence. Once every seven years Kevighn Silver, a huntsman who enjoys the darker pleasures of the mortal world, is sent into the world of mortals to find a young human woman that can save his world. And this time he finds Noli. She has a zest for life and creative talents that make her perfect for Kevighn’s mission, but he doesn’t count on Noli herself who isn’t so easily seduced or V, who has made himself her protector.

This coming of age story has some spunky characters and some that were just plain despicable but there were enough twists and turns to keep me reading. Noli is very much a teenager and fluctuates in her affection between the two young men vying for her attention. The Finley House setting has a deal of descriptive abuse that I don’t feel moved the story forward. This tale is more fantasy than Steampunk considering that the major portion of the book takes place in a fantasy realm with only a few elements of Steampunk technology. Innocent Darkness is best suited to older teens with an interest in historical fiction, have a passing interest in Steampunk and enjoy the world of the Fae, magic, romance and can handle a grittier look at the times, more descriptive sex and less then angelic fairies. Even though “The End” rests at the completion of this story, I am in hopes this may be the beginning of a series that will answer some of the questions left behind at the end of this book. I recommend this book for older teens 16 years and up.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Random Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I pulled out my awesome goggles for this one, because well, I’ve always had an unusual fascination for all things steampunk. The fashions alone are just my absolute favorite, especially the more Victorian touches. So when I came across one book which literally was described as a ‘Steampunk Faerie Tale’ I was on that thing like well… I always hated those clichés, like white on rice. So let’s just move on. The book is called Innocent Darkness and once again it is apparently going to be the first o...more I pulled out my awesome goggles for this one, because well, I’ve always had an unusual fascination for all things steampunk. The fashions alone are just my absolute favorite, especially the more Victorian touches. So when I came across one book which literally was described as a ‘Steampunk Faerie Tale’ I was on that thing like well… I always hated those clichés, like white on rice. So let’s just move on. The book is called Innocent Darkness and once again it is apparently going to be the first of a series.

Faerie tales alone tend to catch my eye, but when I can come across something with an alternate history steampunk variety it just gets even more fun, like putting steampunk in my Castle or Firefly. Out of the gate with this book, I rushed the first couple of chapters because I was just so excited to be reading a steampunk faerie tale! Looking back I can hardly remember the beginning other than the main character, Noli, a rather rambunctious sixteen year old girl, finished building a freaking car with wings and decided to fly it, which resulted in her crashing it and getting arrested. Oh, and I just about died that the car was called a ‘pixie’ because of its wings. Since I could totally see that being the name of a car brand if we had flying cars. Now coming in 2013! The Ford Pixie!

Anyway, the further I got in the more the simple child-like excitement of reading a Steampunk Faerie Tale started to fade. It quickly became apparent that the author took a literal approach to ‘Faerie Tale’, in which the story is actually about Fae and the Faerie World. Through a series of silly events the main character ends up in the Fae world but for a rather interesting and unusual task that the main character isn’t aware she is supposed to do at first. You see in this particular Faerie World, the world feeds itself off of the life force of a girl just on the verge of womanhood, killing her but granting seven more years of life to the entire Faerie World, including all the Fae that live in it.

This was a bizarre and different concept I hadn’t seen before with Faerie stories that I found rather exciting and it managed to revive my interest in the series as I read further. I did rather skip over most of the ‘romance’ parts in the book, but that was mostly because they were all rather obvious to me. These days I like my romance to be confusing and crazy, with multiple possible outcomes that you really don’t know which one the main character will end up with in the end. It’s how I always write my romance and it’s the only romance I truly enjoy because it makes it more like a detective novel. This one was obvious from the beginning that she was going to end up with the handsome but lovable best friend that really was a Fae Prince all along. And trust me, I am not ruining anything for you by mentioning that. The author kind of just throws it in your face out of nowhere that her best friend had really been a Fae all along, when she could have very easily dropped such fun hints along the way first to give people a chance to guess and then feel smart.

No matter what though, the story itself brought some brilliant ideas to the table and ones I never would have thought of, which leaves me to believe this was certainly a story to be written. And I say that because I’ve always held the firm belief that every story is worth reading, but not every story is worth being written. There are always good and bad things to every story crafted. Guaranteed I can gush about how well something was done with a Stephen King novel but then also mention how I didn’t like this and that about it, simply because no one is perfect with their story-writing. Well, except me of course, right?

Although a lot of the story was obvious to me, even with not always knowing the terminology that was used in the story, I still enjoyed the read and I particularly took amusement with the High Queen of the Faerie Court whom was quite literally a Steampunk version of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. In fact I’m almost sure that was where the inspiration for that Queen came from for the author. The ending lacked a little power, but mostly because it was all rather obvious by the time it got to the ending that I just didn’t even need to read it to know what would happen, except for one rather large twist that I won’t spoil.

If it hadn’t been for the fact that the Faerie Land was a Queendom, then I largely would have been annoyed more than anything with the very male-centric, misogynistic mentality that the novel took, even with what was supposed to be a strong female protagonist. I do still in some way feel that the ending was silly, as it felt like the author was saying to all the teenagers reading this, no matter what you do, eventually you will conform to society’s standards so that you can live in it, even if you don’t mean to. And I’m always ticked off by those kinds of hidden messages in books (Hint Hint TWILIGHT). But the story itself was interesting, added to the particular landscape and world that the author had crafted giving some stellar design that amused me, but maybe that was because I was simply getting distracted by the pretty things, much like the main character did, every time she met a Fae.

I’m still kind of up in the air with this one. I enjoyed it in the in-the-moment reading of it, but the more and more I reflect on it, the more I grow frustrated with what I discover in it. I would definitely relegate this novel to just a read and forget type to pick out the more revolutionary ideas that are swimming in it, but not to dig deep into the actual story. Either way Suzanne Lazear managed to amuse me and stun me with steampunk faeries and that is definitely not something I will forget anytime soon. Check out Innocent Darkness if you at all have a love of Faeries or Steampunk, you’ll definitely enjoy it, even if it is a Young Adult novel. Though it isn’t scheduled to hit stores for another month and a half unfortunately.

Oh, and don’t forget your goggles, it will definitely be a wild and bumpy ride.(less)

like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Valia Lind rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed on: http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.co...

Innocent Darkness is a story about a girl named Noli, who is nothing like the proper lady of her time. She is rebellious, fun seeker, who rather tinker under a flying car than wear pretty dresses. Despite her social status she is best friends with Steven Darrow, otherwise known as V and she constantly gets him in trouble. When a joyride is caught by the police Noli is sent to a boarding school to “fix” her ways. Separated from her best friend...more Reviewed on: http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.co...

Innocent Darkness is a story about a girl named Noli, who is nothing like the proper lady of her time. She is rebellious, fun seeker, who rather tinker under a flying car than wear pretty dresses. Despite her social status she is best friends with Steven Darrow, otherwise known as V and she constantly gets him in trouble. When a joyride is caught by the police Noli is sent to a boarding school to “fix” her ways. Separated from her best friend and her mother, Noli must fight the pressures of the boarding school and discover for herself who she truly is. The boarding school is not what it seems and for Noli that’s where the adventure begins.
There is so much to say about this book. I’m still in the beginning stages of loving steampunk and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this book but I really wanted to give it a try. I wasn’t disappointed!!!
I loved Noli as a character. She has a lot of growing to do, and she constantly has to prove to the world that staying true to herself is the best option. She goes through many changes throughout the book but she continues to portray her strength and never giving up. It takes her a while to figure out her feelings on some matters which in itself is sweet and realistic. Speaking of feelings, there’s V.
I adore V’s character to pieces! From the beginning, I knew there was something about him that’s going to capture my heart. Sure, I felt for Kevighn at times but V has truly won my heart. He is such a sweet, unexpected hero that it makes me squee with happiness anytime he comes across the pages. I love his friendship with Noli and how he makes her a better version of herself.
The ending took me by surprise! I literally grunted at some things in the last pages. The aspects of Noli that I loved so much are taken to the highest test and I’m really curious to see how book two and three are going to play out. Nervous? Yes. Excited? Most definitely!
Suzanne creates a world that is so real it could be the one we read about in history books. Full of memorable characters, fascinating plots, and flying contraptions (yes, I had to throw that in) Innocent Darkness is a beautiful debut!(less)

like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Noli Braddock and Steven Darrow, who is called V by Noli, are best friends despite their different social classes and his father's disapproval. When they are caught in an unregistered flying auto, Noli is sent away to San Francisco to a special school for hoydens. There she experiences all sorts of abuse as the headmistress tries to mold her into a proper young lady. She does manage to make to make a friend in Charlotte who is a fellow student. One day, after being waterboarded, Noli finds her w...more Noli Braddock and Steven Darrow, who is called V by Noli, are best friends despite their different social classes and his father's disapproval. When they are caught in an unregistered flying auto, Noli is sent away to San Francisco to a special school for hoydens. There she experiences all sorts of abuse as the headmistress tries to mold her into a proper young lady. She does manage to make to make a friend in Charlotte who is a fellow student. One day, after being waterboarded, Noli finds her way to an ancient oak tree, makes a wish, and finds herself in the realm of faerie.

V and Noli's social positions are much more different than Noli knows. V is an exiled prince of faerie who came to the human realm when his father refused to give up his kingdom to become the consort of the High Queen. V's father was exiled but his children - V, James and Elise - chose to come with him. The children can go back to faerie but don't want to have to deal with the High Queen since she chose being queen over her children.

V gives Noli a sigil of his house to protect her. She thinks it is to protect her from the aether that caused earthquakes in San Francisco. She doesn't know that by accepting it V has claimed her as his which provides her with a different kind of protection.

Meanwhile, Kevighn Silver-Tongue has been looking all around San Francisco to find a young human woman who has Spark. He needs to seduce her and bring her to faerie to be a sacrifice. Every seven years a young woman with Spark has to die so that all of faerie can live.

Kevighn finds Noli in faerie and attempts to seduce her under the guise of helping her find her way home. Noli resists him and insists on going home. Kevighn falls in love with Noli but he still has to find a way to get her to accept being the sacrifice because the queen has demanded that he find one.

When V comes to faerie to try to rescue her, the situation escalates. Noli is torn between the love she feels for her best friend and the attraction she feels for bad boy Kevighn. V has to find a way to rescue Noli both from being the sacrifice and from having to stay in faerie forever. It looks like the only way is to bargain with the High Queen. But no one smart bargains with the fae...

The was a well-written fantasy with lots of likable characters. I really liked that Noli was not a typical vapid society miss but was interested in mechanics and botany. And, even though she loved her mother, she wasn't able to fit herself into the good girl mold. I think other readers will identify with Noli and fall in love with V. I know that I am rooting for them and can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series. (less)

like · see review

May 30, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Steampunk is one of those genres , that you either enjoy it or don't. For me, I enjoy the mixture of thee Victorian era with the modern/fantasy world and it's aspects.
Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear mixes Steampunk with Fantasy as the novel starts with a girl named Annabelle who is being hunted by fairies as in order for the fairies to keep their magic, every seven years they have to sacrifice a girl who is vivacious and contains that extra ommph, a special spark. Seven years ago, Annabelle...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 16, 2012 Ferdy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Spoilers

Sixteen year old Noli is sent to boarding school after getting in trouble. Her mum hopes that her time at boarding school will help her become a lady and increase her chances of finding a husband. Noli hates boarding school, she makes a wish to escape whilst unknowingly sitting in a faerie tree, the wish sends her to the Otherworld.
Kevighn Silver, a huntsmen from the Otherworld is tasked with finding a mortal girl that has 'Spark' (talent/genius) so she can be sacrificed to stabilize th...more Spoilers

Sixteen year old Noli is sent to boarding school after getting in trouble. Her mum hopes that her time at boarding school will help her become a lady and increase her chances of finding a husband. Noli hates boarding school, she makes a wish to escape whilst unknowingly sitting in a faerie tree, the wish sends her to the Otherworld.
Kevighn Silver, a huntsmen from the Otherworld is tasked with finding a mortal girl that has 'Spark' (talent/genius) so she can be sacrificed to stabilize the magic in the Otherworld. Kevighn comes across Noli who unbeknownst to her has Spark. Noli's best friend, V, knows that she is in danger of being hunted because of her Spark and sets about saving her.

-Some of the world building felt a little off, the hoverboards and flying cars came across as more futuristic than steampunk. I was put of by the style changing from steampunk-esque to a boarding school vibe and then to a paranormal/magical tone.
I did enjoy Noli's time at boarding school - it was an awful place and there was a real sense of danger there. Unfortunately, Noli didn't stay there long, and she just ended up in the boring Otherworld gardening and fretting about which one of her boys was sexiest.
There were a lot of cliched characters - typical mean girls, vapid girls, old fashioned mothers, bad boy love interests and evil fae. So it shouldn't come as surprise that I didn't connect to any of the characters.
The constant repetitions were irritating - the phrases/words like fussy old bodger, little blossom, dollymop and uncouth kept appearing every other page. I wish these YA authors would expand there limited vocabulary.
The solution at the end was a bit too convenient, everything worked out for all the main characters. They were just given a perfect out, they didn't have to work or fight for their lives - it was all so anticlimactic.

-Noli was a decent character at first even though she was fairly generic. I liked that she wanted to go to university, that she was ambitious, that she liked fixing and creating things and that she had a mind of her own. However, all of Noli's positive qualities disappeared as soon as the dreaded love triangle was introduced - she became indecisive, whiny and weak and cried at every little thing.

-Kevighn was a vile character and a rubbish love interest. The way he treated girls was appalling - he lied, seduced and manipulated them without regret. He didn't empathize or care about anyone else's feelings but his own. Of course, we're meant to just think he's misunderstood, lonely and tortured - he wasn't. His past loss was no excuse for his effed up behaviour.
I was disgusted that he tried to get in Noli's knickers by getting her drunk..ugh. The only reason he even seemed to want Noli was because she was the first girl that didn't fully succumb to his charms. It was bizarre how he kept saying that he loved her yet would casually think about having to eventually kill her - there was no pain, remorse or anguish about what he had to do. Also after apparently falling for Noli, he went and slept with a bunch of prostitutes..ugh. He said he loved her but his thoughts, feelings and actions proved otherwise.

-Noli's BFF, V, started of as a likeable love interest and then in the last half he turned into a douche. He was a bastard to Noli all because he wanted to protect her. I'd be fine with that but after treating her like crap he'd then be affectionate towards her. I hate love interests that are hot and cold and fuck around with the heroines feelings. Either be a bastard all the time or don't be one at all.
I found it odd that for most of the book, V kept referring to his mother and the high queen as two separate people. It just didn't make sense. If a character has their own POV then it makes no sense for them to conveniently not think about things they normally would think about just to create more drama.

This wasn't as good as I hoped it would be, I was again taken in by a pretty cover. If Noli had stayed the headstrong, reckless and driven girl she was depicted to be in the beginning then I probably would have enjoyed this even with the excessive tropes/cliches, uninteresting plot and shoddy world building. I'll only read the sequel if I have nothing else to read or if the reviews look promising.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ohmygoodness... I LOVED this book!!! *squee* That's not to say that it's perfect because it is FAR from it, but I loved the story so much and cannot wait to see what happens next. And at the end of the day, for me at least, my feelings after putting the book down are way more important than anything else. I will caution readers who are looking for more of a steampunk book because to me, this was a tale about the fey with just a few small steampunk elements thrown in. But since I happen to ADORE...more Ohmygoodness... I LOVED this book!!! *squee* That's not to say that it's perfect because it is FAR from it, but I loved the story so much and cannot wait to see what happens next. And at the end of the day, for me at least, my feelings after putting the book down are way more important than anything else. I will caution readers who are looking for more of a steampunk book because to me, this was a tale about the fey with just a few small steampunk elements thrown in. But since I happen to ADORE faerie stories, it totally worked for me.

Innocent Darkness introduces us to Noli, a teenage girl growing up in an oppressive environment. See, Noli doesn't desire to be a "lady", she wants to study, learn, WORK, all manners of inappropriate behavior for a woman of her social class. Noli's adventures land her in a reform school for girls, a school that believes harsh discipline and punishment will mold girls into proper young women. When Noli can take no more abuse, she finds herself making a wish that changes everything...

Noli ends up in the Otherworld with Kevighn, a mysterious and handsome faery who seems to be stalling in his promises to help Noli get home to Los Angeles. Noli soon learns of his deception and is taken to the palace of the High Queen. Meanwhile, Steven, her best friend from the mortal plane, is desperately seeking a way to find Noli and rescue her from the High Queen's clutches. Will he make it in time? And will Noli be able to forgive him when she realizes how much he's kept from her all these years?

I really don't want to spoiler this story for anyone because there were some definite twists and turns! I really, really enjoyed the story. For those who have read the Wicked Lovely Series by Melissa Marr, you will definitely see some similarities. While I didn't like this book as much as that series, it really has a TON of potential. Yes, some of the writing seemed a little unpolished at times and a few transitions were a little jarring, but the story itself was good. And who knows, I read an ARC, some of my minor complaints may have been worked out before the book went to print.

Would I recommend this book? Definitely. ESPECIALLY for fans of faerie books. I really can't speak to the steampunk thing because I haven't read any before this but it didn't seem to focus on that part of it much at all. This is a GOOD story though... there's romance, love, friendship, duty, pain, betrayal, shocking revelations, and sacrifice. It really has something for everyone. Make sure to grab a copy when it releases in August. Enjoy! *XOXO*(less)

like · see review

Nov 28, 2012 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Alice Belikov First lady Ivashkov rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-2012-best-books-ever

'If being a Faerey is anything like this book and includes HOT GUYS....Then count me in!!'

This book tells the story of Magnolia Braddock aka Noli,a girl who has had some INNOCENT run ins with the law. Noli is adventurous, sweet with spunk and just has this spark is TO DIE FOR!!! *evil voice* Because of her 'unladylike-like' behavior and run in with the authorities Noli is forced to leave her hometown and also her handsome neighbor named Steven/V to be placed in a reform school, whose main purpos...more 'If being a Faerey is anything like this book and includes HOT GUYS....Then count me in!!'

This book tells the story of Magnolia Braddock aka Noli,a girl who has had some INNOCENT run ins with the law. Noli is adventurous, sweet with spunk and just has this spark is TO DIE FOR!!! *evil voice* Because of her 'unladylike-like' behavior and run in with the authorities Noli is forced to leave her hometown and also her handsome neighbor named Steven/V to be placed in a reform school, whose main purpose is to beat her soul and free will out of her to make her a respectable young lady to society. This school was HARSH!!! I can't believe half of the things these people were doing to the girls! I really wanted to jump into this book and beat up Miss. Gregory for Noli but anyway, this reform school is the least of Noli's problems because crazy things starts happening when Noli meets Kevighn Silver Tounge and he so called rescues her from Findlay House. Noli thinks it is a coincidence until she finds out that his saving her was all but a trap to sacrifice her to save the creatures of the Otherworld.

Noli: I like her character a lot! She was funny, smart and she really kept the story going for me. She was strong in her own way and I liked that most about her.

Steven: I liked him as Noli's love interest. He is just the kind of guy Noli needs to keep her balanced. He was kind of HOTT in a NERDY way and those type of boys always attract me :)

Kevighn Silver-tounge: First off, I HATE his name, hate how it's spelled and I HATED his character in the book. I am not a fan of this guy, or maybe I didn't get him? He is this slick talking guy that can get any girl in bed, he works as the huntsman for the queen of the Otherworld, he captures Noli, Starts to like her knowing she has to be sacrificed, is still sleeping with other mortal women, and claims he wants to be with Noli? CONFUSING!!!! His character was a mess lol I just didn't get him or like him PERIOD!!

Queen Tiana What a BITCH!!! I am not a fan of hers either which I think It's meant to be that way. Hopefully she will come to her senses in the 2nd or 3rd book or hopefully she dies #sorry.

The only CONS I had with this book were the continuous mistakes in the beginning of the book which got better towards the end(and I understand it's and ARC so hopefully everything is fixed before the pub date). I also didn't like how Noli only had TWO expression throughout the WHOLE BOOK! Which was 'she bite her lip and twisted her hands' something like that, can she do something else when she's nervous please!!! If it is a habit of hers please state that it is because it became annoying that that was the only thing she did!

Pros I like how the author wasn't afraid to put the really steamy parts in the book. When I say STEAMY I MEAN STEAMY!!! thank you for that! Those parts always make for a good book!! Well for me at least :)

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will most definitely become a fan of this series! I know the next book will be great :)

-Alice <3

(less)

like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Innocent Darkness wasn't so innocent to me. Why? I felt like the blurb completely deceived me. I thought that I was getting a steampunk novel with fairy tale elements to it. I guess I didn't really notice that Innocent Darkness was being billed as a steampunk "faerie tale" (notice the spelling of fairy). But still, with an opening like that, I was not expecting this book to literally be a tale about faeries. Not only that, but Innocent Darkness didn't even read as a story about faeries with a st...more Innocent Darkness wasn't so innocent to me. Why? I felt like the blurb completely deceived me. I thought that I was getting a steampunk novel with fairy tale elements to it. I guess I didn't really notice that Innocent Darkness was being billed as a steampunk "faerie tale" (notice the spelling of fairy). But still, with an opening like that, I was not expecting this book to literally be a tale about faeries. Not only that, but Innocent Darkness didn't even read as a story about faeries with a steampunk backdrop because there is virtually no steampunk in this book. Not at all.

That was the biggest question I kept asking myself as I read this book: Where is the steampunk?

Since this was the main reason I even picked it up in the first place, the significant lack of a steampunk setting really bothered me. Okay, so it's in there a tiny bit at the beginning, but then it fades into the background so much that it feels like it's not even there at all. This really should be re-categorized as a YA fantasy novel about faeries, but that's really what it is. Faeries, fey and romance -don't let the cover deceive you!

Okay, now that's out of my system.

Once I actually got past all of my issues with the book's deceptive advertising, I still found a novel that was worth reading. I really enjoyed the main character, Noli, since she is stronger than many of the other female protagonists in most modern YA novels. I really connected with her personality and her struggles. I wouldn't say that I was very into the romance subplot here, but the story itself, especially once Noli gets to the Otherworld, is still fun to read. As the action builds to a climax, I found myself more and more engaged by Noli and her world -even more than I expected I would be.

Though I was ultimately disappointed in the bait-and-switch marketing of this book, I still read it and thought that it was worthwhile. Would I recommend it to others? Only if they like YA fantasy. Would I read the next book? Probably not, as I generally am not into books about faeries.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Jennifer Whitehead rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Jul 27, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

First Impressions: Don’t judge me, but I am totally guilty of judging books by their covers. I first saw the cover of Innocent Darkness months and months ago. I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the book. And, from the start, it didn’t disappoint. Innocent Darkness is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside, even if I don’t think the cover is an accurate representation of how I saw Noli in my head!

First 50 Pages: It only takes a couple pages to realize that...more First Impressions: Don’t judge me, but I am totally guilty of judging books by their covers. I first saw the cover of Innocent Darkness months and months ago. I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the book. And, from the start, it didn’t disappoint. Innocent Darkness is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside, even if I don’t think the cover is an accurate representation of how I saw Noli in my head!

First 50 Pages: It only takes a couple pages to realize that there is magic in this world, held in balance only by mortal girls who have enough of what the Otherworlders call, “The Spark.” With that spark, they are able to bring balance to the magical world and keep the magic alive in the earthly world. That sacrifice is the central crux of the story. In chapter one, when you first meet Noli and V, you know there is something special about them. Noli is nothing like the women of her time; instead of learning to be proper, she’s up to her elbows in goo, trying to get a flying car going again. She is, fiery, ambitious and an obvious light in the world. But, trouble follows her, and Noli is soon sent away to a boarding school to learn to become a proper lady.

Characters & Plot: I expected there to be a lot more Steampunk in this book, that’s for sure. The setting starts out including those elements, but the story definitely blends quickly into fantasy. Noli is sent away to a boarding school that is violent and cruel. The head mistress and doctor are characters that are evil to their core, taking pride in breaking the spirits of girls with more passion than their counterparts. Noli doesn’t know there is magic in the world, but she knows she can’t stay at the school a moment longer. The stars literally align as Noli wishes herself away from her confinement.

The main characters are all well-fleshed out and believable. I found Noli to be the best of teen girls everywhere; ambitious, bright, willing to fall in love, cautious and caring all at the same time. V is the boy she left behind. But, he’s also a central figure to the rest of the story and maybe the only person that can save Noli from becoming the sacrifice to save the Otherworld. The other man in Noli’s life is Kevighn, the queen’s hunter. He goes to the mortal world to find the sacrifice, but he doesn’t expect Noli to affect him as much as she does. Each additional character brings a little bit more of the story into focus and adds another layer of mystery and promise to the tale.

Final Thoughts: Innocent Darkness is a complex, rich story. It’s hard to write about here without giving away key plot points. While there is nothing overly surprising in the pages, it is so well written that I don’t want to take away anyone’s enjoyment of the story. I highly recommend this book. It’s different than pretty much anything I have read in a long time, and the characters even managed to follow me into my dreams last night.(less)

like · see review

Mar 05, 2013 Hidden32 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off id like to say that this book is badly titled. I can not find the connection between the title and the story, so if anyone knows the connection please tell me. And yes it was marked off 1 whole star because I don't see the connection. The story plot wise was okay not the best in fey story but still good. The characters were awesome like no joke. I really did love the characters. What I didn't love was how the characters acted together. Don't get me wrong at some parts it was cool but a...more

like · see review

Jul 20, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, autographed, own, steampunk, young-adult, reviewed, library

***Review of an uncorrected proof.***

Misleading Cover:
Based off the cover this book should be about steampunk and airships and girls who fly airships, right? All of that was there in maybe the first 50 pages then the next 350 pages were about the Fae and romance. Mentions of steampunk and airships were thrown in once in a while, but besides that there was nothing about this book that should allow it to be categorized as steampunk.

Mediocre Characters:
I liked Noli in the beginning of the book, but...more ***Review of an uncorrected proof.***

Misleading Cover:
Based off the cover this book should be about steampunk and airships and girls who fly airships, right? All of that was there in maybe the first 50 pages then the next 350 pages were about the Fae and romance. Mentions of steampunk and airships were thrown in once in a while, but besides that there was nothing about this book that should allow it to be categorized as steampunk.

Mediocre Characters:
I liked Noli in the beginning of the book, but later she got a little annoying. Whenever there was a difficult situation she would run off and cry. Like that would solve anything. I think she's been watching too many Disney princess movies (not that they had them back then). V was an okay love interest. I found Kevighn to be far more interesting though a little underdeveloped as a character. Other characters weren't all that memorable. I liked James and Charlotte and I would love to read more about them.

Scattered Plot:
There was a lot going on in the summary so when I started I didn't really know what to expect. The plot was much the same way. The author pushed a lot of different elements into her book and it just seemed a little overwhelming. Plus the pacing was erratic. Sometimes the plot would be fast and exciting and then the next chapter it would get dull until it eventually picked up again. Also everything seemed too convenient. There was a problem, little bit of research was done, some time passes by, and then the solution appeared. Too easy and a lot of times I would say to myself "Totally saw that coming in the last chapter" or something similar. So it's also predictable.

So 3 stars because the characters weren't too bad and this series could be saved by the second book. The ending was really open so there are a lot of possibilities for the next book. I also enjoyed the Otherworld that this book was set in half the time (the other half was set in San Francisco!).

I know this was an uncorrected proof, but no one's draft should have that many mistakes. There was a misspelling or grammatical error every other page. I hope this book goes through some heavy editing before its release next month.

Oh, and also there was a reference once or twice to Dickens' Great Expectations. That has nothing to do with the review, but I just wanted to point it out and say that I do pay attention in English class.(less)

like · see review

Mar 11, 2012 Haley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magicy-stuff, arc

I was not expecting this book to be about...fairies. Like at all. I kind of found this book hard to read and I couldn't get into it.
3.5 stars. I'll review it more after I think about it a little bit.
So I've thought about it a bit...

When I received a copy of this book, I was so excited and jumped right into it. Steam punk it totally up my alley, and so is romance. This book has both in nice equal measures. I found the writing to be adequate, with characters that are well put together and easily...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Innocent Darkness
avg rating	preview: Innocent Darkness Goodreads rating: 3.58 (526 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12971656-innocent-darkness?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347736183l/12971656.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12971656-innocent-darkness?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear[/url]

Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Suzanne Lazear

Books by Suzanne Lazear

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Innocent Darkness

Quotes from Innocent Darkness