Daughter of Dusk
by Livia Blackburne
Disney-Hyperion (August 4, 2015)
Audience: Young Adult
IndieBound | WorldCat
"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."
Carolyn's thoughts on the book:
Midnight Thief was one of my favorite releases of 2014, so naturally I was pretty excited to read Daughter of Dusk. After the events in the first book, I wasn't sure how this book would go - Midnight Thief had so many different elements: political intrigue, adventure, fantasy, friendship, romance, and I wasn't sure if the sequel would be able to weave those elements together just as brilliantly a second time around. But I had nothing to fear - Daughter of Dusk is an exceptionally fantastic book, not just as a sequel but on its own merits as well. Everything that was in the first book is there again, with the same writing and superb character development, but there is more, more of every element. Everything is deeper and more complex - Kyra's relationships (with Tristam, with the two orphan girls she takes care of, with the Makvani, and even her complicated and complex relationship with James); the political situation stretching into the past and far beyond the borders of Forge; and Kyra's character development as she grapples with her own identity and morality in the wake of tragedy and violence. This book is faster paced than its predecessor, almost a heightened intensity in response to the stakes being higher than ever before. The unique premise and multitude of differing elements makes the story never predictable or stagnant at any point, and Blackburne's choice to eschew the trilogy format in favor of two books works perfectly from a plot perspective as well as a character development perspective. While the ending may not be what some readers hope for, it ultimately does Kyra and the story justice by being authentic to the story. Overall, Daughter of Dusk is just as strong as Midnight Thief and a phenomenal read in its own right.
Carolyn is a teen blogger who shares her favorite YA reads and favorite book related finds with readers on Fridays.