Darynda Jones would pick up a pencil and paper and scribble nonsense on it even when she was a toddler, asking her mother to read her literary genius aloud. Soon after, she started writing plays for the neighborhood kids, making up stories for her brother, and creating age inappropriate fantastical stories for Barbie and Ken to enact. In high school she almost finished her first manuscript, and even then, was dabbling in romance and the paranormal.
Darynda took a break from actively writing for several years, wherein she got married, had a couple children, graduated Summa cum Laude from UNM and got a job as a teacher and sign language translator. She missed writing though, and started up again in 2002 with the goal of getting a publishing contract securely in her mind’s eye. After 3 complete manuscripts, she finally landed an agent, a three book deal, and won the 2009 Golden Heart award for Best Paranormal Romance in 2009.
Death and the Girl He Loves, Book #3 of the DARKLIGHT series
by Darynda Jones
Publication Date 10/8/13
by Darynda Jones
Publication Date 10/8/13
Synopsis:
The fate of the world is not something a girl wants on her shoulders, and that is especially true for Lorelei McAlister. Unfortunately for her, that is exactly where the world’s fate has decided to take up residence. Lorelei has seen firsthand the horrors that lie beneath our everyday world. And those horrors are getting her friends killed. Because of this, she agrees to leave the sanctity of her hometown and is sent to a different world entirely. A boarding school. But even here she is being watched. Someone knows what she is. What she carries inside her soul. And on top of that she’s seeing visions. This is nothing new for Lorelei. But these visions are something more: death, destruction, and the end of the world. Lorelei must face the fact that there are people who want her dead, and no matter where she goes, no matter how far she runs, the lives of her friends and family are in mortal peril. Lucky for her, her friends and family include the handsome Angel of Death, a fiercely protective half-angel, and a ragtag group of loyal supporters who aren’t afraid to get a little dirty in the name of fighting pure evil.
*ARC Received from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Death and the Girl He Loves was a nice conclusion to the DARKLIGHT trilogy. Was it my favorite of the series? No. Was it interesting, compelling, and worth recommending. Absolutely!
This installment was quite a bit more somber and serious than the previous two. Since the moment Lorelei found out about her heritage, she has known that she was the key to stopping a war, however, she never knew how, or when, and nobody could (or would) tell her. As the end draws near, Lorelei's stress ratchets ever higher, and her self doubt skyrockets. Add to that the fact that she's literally foreseen the deaths of everyone she loves and is convinced that she just CAN'T stop what's to come, and she's kind of a mess. As she and the rest of the gang try to come up with ways to literally stop the apocalypse and change fate, she systematically works through these complex layers and attempts to find her center. While I enjoyed all of that, found the seriousness necessary, and loved the journey and growth of the characters, I missed the snark and wit. There just weren't as many one liners, snippy comebacks, silly escapades and practical jokes as there were in the previous 2 books, and while my brain understood the necessity for the solemnity, my heart longed for the level of Darynda Jones snark and with that I've come to crave.
I will say this, where the book 'grew up' and swapped fun for seriousness in my opinion, it didn't turn into a stodgy old biddy shut in at home. The level of action was as great, if not better, than the previous 2 books. In addition, the suspense and surprise in this installment were amazing. The plot twist was very unexpected for me, and at first, I was honestly really confused. Then, as it was all laid out and explained, I thought it was kinda brilliant! :)
All in all, Death and the Girl He Loves was an engaging read that I would recommend. I do recommend reading the entire series in order, however, as there is just way too much history for the book to stand well on its own.
Death and the Girl He Loves
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