Darklight by Lesley Livingston

4 stars -- I like it

In the same vein of Need and Captivate, Darklight, the sequel to Wondrous Strange (which I rated 3 stars), is about fairies (or Faeries in this case), a seemingly difficult love, and various Faerie kings and queens. The Wondrous Strange books have beautiful covers as well--really ethereal. It doesn't hurt that the model on their cover is drop-dead gorgeous and seems to fit the description of Kelley well enough. It's one of my pet peeves when the model on the cover doesn't look anything like the character described in the book.

But despite the many similarities (including release dates), and the fact that I apparently liked Need more than Wondrous Strange, after reading the second books, I feel that the Wondrous Strange series is the stronger one. I remembered the first book much better than I did Need, which is definitely a good sign in and of itself.

In Darklight, Kelley (Faerie princess, just like Zara) remains in the mortal world while Sonny, her boyfriend and a changling, hunts down the Wild Hunt in the Faerie world. Most of the story revolves around how much they miss each other, though there eventually Auberon, Kelley's Faerie father, grows ill, and he calls for Kelley's help. Considering that he was the bad guy (sort of) in the first book, no one is surprised when Kelley doesn't exactly leap at the chance to help him. Sonny, on the other hand, was raised by Auberon, so he does take the leap.

I feel like the majority of this book was a set up for the next book, or possibly the rest of the series. There's a number of dilemmas (ie, Auberon being sick, the two lovers unable to meet), good guys turn out to be bad guys, bad guys turn into good guys, and one major showdown occurs that doesn't really impact the long-term storyline except as a big reveal about Sonny's secret identity. None of the dilemmas that were already in place nor the new ones that arise are actually resolved.

But despite the fact that the book is just a long-winded set-up, it was still fun to read and the story is engaging. I also prefer the way the author sticks with fairy lore (Titania, Auberon, Mahb, and even Puck are featured in the stories, as well as the Wild Hunt, the fairy courts, and a plethora of other fairy creatures from common folklore) rather than inventing her own. And while she does make the individual creatures her own (sirens, Leprachauns, kelpies, etc.), she doesn't invent an entirely new world for readers to adjust to.

So overall a decent YA read with all the necessary elements. I'd love to hear what you think about the Need novels as compared to the Wondrous Strange series.