* * * *
It’s 1915, and sixteen-year-old Lora Jones is finishing up
her first year as a charity student at Iverson, a prestigious, gothic boarding
school on England’s southern coast. While she’s always felt different from
everyone around her, now she finally knows why: She is a drákon, a rare,
enchanted being with astonishing magical abilities.
As war hits Britain’s shores, and Lora reels from an
unimaginable loss, she finds that her powers come with grave and dangerous
responsibilities. At the request of Armand Louis, the darkly mysterious boy
whose father owns Iverson, Lora will spend her summer at his lavish estate. To
help the war effort—and to keep Lora by his side—Armand turns his home into a
military hospital, where Lora will serve as a nurse. For Armand is inescapably
drawn to her—bound to her by heart-deep secrets and a supernatural connection
that runs thicker than blood.
Yet while Lora tries to sort out her own feelings toward
Armand, fate offers an unexpected surprise. Lora discovers there is another
drákon, a prisoner of war being held in Germany. And that only she, with her
newly honed Gifts, will be able to rescue him.
With Armand, Lora will cross enemy lines on an incredible
mission—one that could bond her to Armand forever, or irrevocably tear them apart.
Beautifully written, deeply romantic, and filled with daring
adventure and magic, The Deepest Night is a mesmerizing novel of the enduring
pull of destiny, and the eternal strength of love.
In all honesty, not many books have made a major impact on
me so far this year which has been kind of disappointing. Thankfully a few have stood, one of them
being the Sweetest Dark series which has cast its spell on me.
In The Deepest Night Lora and Armand are recovering from the tragic events of the
previous book. With Armand’s father in the looney bin, Lora’s future at her
school is uncertain as he is her benefactor. When the summer break rolls
around, rather than being shipped off elsewhere, Armand arranges for Lora to
stay at Iverson to assist with the recovering soldiers who are coming to
Iverson to recuperate. Nice to have friends in high places, right? Naturally all of
this is a rouse for Armand to keep Lora close by and for them to work together
to learn more about their dragon nature. Their adventure together also takes them across the channel into France and Germany. Despite these areas being war torn, their landscape provides a dramatic and beautiful backdrop to Lora's and Armand's complicated and growing friendship.
It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly why I enjoy this
series. I love the chemistry between Lora and Armand. The sparks between them are constantly flying.
Their mutual love of dry humor and quick retorts always make their
conversations enjoyable. I love Armand’s vulnerability and his undying
affection for Lora. He is so patient as he pines after her. The fact that he
notices little things about her tugs at my heart. It will certainly win him a few fans. I have great admiration for
Lora too. She’s a sharp young woman who knows her mind and makes no apologies
for her circumstances. It's almost as if she doesn't belong in that generation. I also admire how Abé describes the physical changes that they both go through. Lora may be new to it but she is all Armand has and she has to be strong enough to help him through it. There is one scene in particular involving a dance on water that built such a stunning visual in my mind, I had to re-read it a few times to be fully satiated.
But perhaps what really won me over is how Abé dared to
take the plunge with Jesse’s character in the first book that seriously
affected the dynamic between Armand and Lora in this one. Complicated is an
understatement. And when the story
shifts perspective briefly to either Armand or Jesse, I find myself almost
squealing inside from all the romantic tension.
I definitely think The Deepest Night and the entire Sweetest Dark series is perfect for anyone looking for a touch of old-world romance. There are times when the mood feels so ethereal. And then the images of dragons against the horrors of World War I fighting machines stand in stark contrast to one another. But I think that is also why I like the series so much because these images, these worlds, when they collide into each other create such urgency and momentum. And Lora and Armand both so damaged and so beautiful are perfectly matched.
~ Bel
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