The Dark Light by Sara Walsh: REVIEW

The Dark Light by Sara Walsh is a thoroughly enjoyable young adult fantasy. It also has an interesting premise, in that the 'Other' world is in an alternative dimension to earth's, and the barrier which separates the two is under threat. This will ultimately lead to the two civilisations clashing and causing war.

The story is told from Mia's point-of-view, as the human protagonist who, when her brother is kidnapped, finds out exactly who she is and why she was abandoned by her parents as a child.

I loved the characters you journey through the book with. They each brought different tones to the overall novel, which made for good mood-balance. However, though much is said of the main antagonist, which builds a great foundation for him, not much is seen. Even though his deeds paint a picture of him which sticks with you throughout the book, I would have liked to have read more interactions with him.

The pacing is great, with the mixture of slow, intimate moments and fast-paced action balanced well - though Mia repeating how 'hot' Sol is was not needed. We get it, you're a hormonal teenager, now carry on with the interesting story.

This is a perfect book if you're just getting into fantasy as the settings are clear and exciting. However, those who read a lot of high fantasy may find the world-building a little lacklustre. (Though, if sequels are written, there are foundations for the world to be developed.) Still, the characters are great and the story is page-turningly good - despite being nearly 500 pages long, it is a fast read. The greatest shame is that there are no plans for a sequel yet.