Full Review on NetGalley
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“You’re not human, Eleanore Jones. I think that somewhere inside you, you must know that. You must always have known. You’re not made of ordinary bone or blood but of something else completely.”― Shana Abe
As always my reviews are based off of my true and honest opinion and I do my best to keep all reviews spoiler free.

16 year old orphan, Lora Jones is accepted into an elite boarding school called Iverson. Here she meets Jesse, and the attraction is almost immediate. She soon learns that he is so much more than just a boy. She finds that not only does he have some powers of his own, but he knows and teaches her to use her own powers as well. There is also Armand. He is a rich and handsome boy that for some reason takes a liking to Lora. Emotions are all around. This is a great read.

I loved this book. I originally only choose it because it fit the requirements for a challenge that I joined from my group, but it turned out to be a surprisingly great read. It had me from the first chapter. The time period, the fantasy, the romance. Best of all was the writing. It was so beautiful. There is no other word for it. Just a beautiful way to write. Even though I felt that nothing huge happened in the first 100 pages. I still loved ever single one of those pages because of the writing. The rest of the series is certainly a priority on my to read list. It is such an interesting take on dragons. It is one of my newest favorites. ( )

I have students who will clamor for this when I get it in the HS library.

Eleanor, an orphan, is taken on as a charity case at a prestigious school for girls. She hears voices and music in her head but after a couple of years of severe treatment, she’s managed to suppress them. When she is sent to a girl’s school on scholarship her life feels like it could be getting better, only to have the voices come back full force after she meets Jesse, the groundskeeper’s nephew. (Cue love interest #1) She also catches the attention of the duke’s son, Armand, but rebuffs him because she’s not interested. (Cue love interest #2) World War 1 is going on in the back ground of this story, and plays a big part in the climactic ending. Because of the dragon and star imagery, I was reminded of Sara Davis’ [b:Starman|231990|Starman (Wayfarer Redemption, #3)|Sara Douglass|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312034963s/231990.jpg|224705] during some of the world building.

Favorite quotes and word pictures:

….Watching billowing steam from the trains wind upward in corkscrews, condense into rows of silvery tears strung along the steel ribs. (Loc 232)

I learned that night that the loveliest, most lonely sound in the world is that of the sea striking the shore. (Loc 579)

There were stairs going down it, too, just as rickety, as clear an invitation to this is a bad idea as anything I’ve ever seen. (2074) ( )

I didn't read a single review before I started The Sweetest Dark which means I had no idea what kind of magic I was about to witness - and I'm so glad I didn't! I'll make sure this review contains no spoilers of any kind, including the essence of the magic.

Those nights, in the sweetest dark, we shared our dreams.

It took me a while to get into the story, mainly because I didn't like Lora - She is a vicious bitch most of the time She's just not a very pleasant person. She did grow on me, however, and the more she got involved with the other characters, the more I liked her; she stopped being annoying for the purpose of being annoying and started defending herself only when necessary. Her past is revealed bits by bits and shows a strong and determined girl whose distrust is easily understood.

I completely and utterly adore Jesse - he is amazing and his music is so beautifully described, I can hear it every time I think of him. I like Armand too, but it took me a while longer to care for him. Even though the summary makes it seem like there is going to be a classic love triangle - this is not the case! The feelings between the characters are slowly developed, they seem realistic and at the same time they seem unbelievable. It's so beautiful and captivating.

The ending is perfect, yet heartbreaking and left me both wanting to read the next book right away and rereading this book all over.
The writing is absolutely stunning! It's poetic at times, compelling and hauntingly beautiful. I loved every second I spent reading this book and I felt like I was right there with Lora, being a part of everything she went through.

I could smell the coming summer still, just as I had my first evening here, as I'd stepped from the train. It was warmer and lusher now, less a tinge in the air than a sultry blossoming. It traveled across the sea and laced through these woods. It slipped up my arms and neck and face and kissed me with the faintest hint of bitter salt.

Let's talk about the magic! It's unlike anything I have ever read about and I felt like I once again was a part of times gone by; back when someone read fairy tales out loud to me and I could dream away to the soothing voice. It was beautiful, amazing and quite an adventure. Being able to mix WWI, boarding schools, class differences, magic and love without ever making it seem unnatural or weird is some achievement. Shana Abé is a brilliant story teller and I can't wait to read the next in this series. The Sweetest Dark has my highest praises!
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Very mystical quality, mystery behind whi has what purpose. The story is dark and unexpected. The path that will be taken isn't what you expect.
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