The Dark Light by Sara Walsh

book cover of The Dark Light by Sara Walsh

Title: The Dark Light
Author: Sara Walsh
Release date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 496
Source: Publisher

Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.

That is, until Sol arrives. Mia’s not one to fall for just any guy, but she can’t get Sol—or the brilliant tattoo on his back—out of her mind.

Then Mia’s brother goes missing, and Mia’s convinced that Sol knows more than he’s sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything Mia once believed to be true. Because Sol’s not who Mia thought he was—and neither is she.

The cover for The Dark Light is very misleading. While it fits the book perfectly, it makes readers think the book is a paranormal romance. I went into the book thinking that is what I was going to get. Wrong! The Dark Light is fantasy and not only that; it’s awesome fantasy!
The Dark Light is thoroughly captivating from the very start. It starts off very mysteriously and I was hooked. Crazy things were happening in the town of Crownsville and no one there could explain them. There were these insane lights, missing kids, and somehow they were connected. I had no guesses as to what was going on and let me tell you, I was curious. For the first 100 pages or so I could not put the book down. The beginning really does a great job of capturing the reader’s attention, as does the end, but I have to say that the middle of the book was a little lacking. The book is almost 500 pages and there is a lot of information contained in the pages and most of it is included in the middle of the book. It dragged a bit but it really is all necessary information. It was definitely interesting I just would have preferred a bit more action to keep the pace going. The action does pick up again though and it’s worth the wait!
The Dark Light almost has two sets of characters; the people from Crownsville and the people/creatures from the other world, Brakaland. The Crownsville characters are very easy to connect with. Mia is your typical teenage girl, worrying about work, her crush, and her little brother. Her best friend, Willie, is a truly good friend and she’s hilarious. Pete is a bit confusing in the beginning but he’s easier to understand by the end. Jay is a cute kid who is a little too serious for his age. The second set of characters is a little harder to connect with. They are part of this other world and their world is very different. Everyone is raised differently and they are much more serious. Sol, Delane, Rip, and the others are good characters just in different ways from the others. They’re all brave, smart, kind, and Delane is pretty funny. Once their history is explained they are much easier to understand and like. I really enjoyed the contrasts of the two worlds.
I have to say that Brakaland is probably what made the book so awesome. At first I was a little confused about what exactly was going on and where exactly everything was going on but it didn’t take long for everything to come together and make sense. Brakaland is a unique fantasy land unlike any other. It’s full of demons, kings, mythological creatures, and so much more. The history of Brakaland is fascinating and while much of it was explained in The Dark Light I have high hopes for a second book so I can find out even more!
Overall, The Dark Light was nothing at all like what I expected and I think that’s what I loved the most about it. Sara Walsh is another author I will be on the lookout for. Can’t wait to see what she does next!
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17 comments

  1. I’ve been waiting for a review for this one! I really didn’t know what it would be about and I am pleasantly surprised to hear it is more fantasy! I am really looking forward to picking up a copy later this month. Thank you for the review! 🙂

  2. Hmmm, while I am not a huge fan of fantasy, this one with both worlds sounds rather interesting. I might not pick it up but I enjoyed reading your review and I am glad you enjoyed it! I can definitely imagine it confusing me also though.

    Great review 🙂

  3. Yeah, that cover is misleading! It looks kind of adult firstly but then very paranormal; and instead it’s fantasy? I hope it gets a new cover design for the paperback!

  4. I definitley agree with the misleading cover and the whole un-predictableness of it all! I’m actually only halway through and it is a little slow right now, but I’m glad to hear it picks up.:)

  5. I love the cover and I was thinking what you thought at first. I love fantasy so I am really excited to dive into this book and see where it leads.

    Chayse
    thebookreaper.com

  6. I had no idea this was fantasy! You’re right about the cover being misleading, but your review really sold me on it.

    Love the creepiness!

    Lovely review 🙂