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Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.
Sometimes life-ending.
Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.
This second volume in the trilogy that started with Beautiful Creatures (2009) opens in the aftermath of magic Caster Lena Duchannes's climactic 16th birthday. Mourning the uncle who died in the fight between Light and Dark, Lena drifts away from narrator Ethan. When she runs away with her Dark cousin Ridley and mysterious supernatural motorcyclist John Breed, Ethan follows, jealous and heartbroken. Ethan's traveling companions are Mortals: Link, his dopey but loyal best friend, and Liv, a British exchange student training to be a sort of supernatural librarian. The three are outmatched and unprepared for the perils of the Caster underground but survive a number of deadly encounters, largely because outside parties show up at exactly the right moment. Besides its weaker and more hurried plot, this installment lacks its predecessor's sense of place. Nevertheless, readers eager to revisit Ethan and Lena's romantic tension and learn more about the Caster world and the Ravenwood family legacy will find satisfaction here. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)
Kami Garcia is a teacher and reading specialist with an MA in education, and leads book groups for children and teenagers. Margaret Stohl has an MA in English and studied creative writing under poet George MacBeth at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. They both live in Los Angeles, California, with their families. Beautiful Darkness is the sequel to their debut novel, Beautiful Creatures.
In this sequel to Beautiful Creatures, Lena the Caster girl wasn't claimed by Darkness on her 16th birthday, like everybody expected, so she and her mortal boyfriend Ethan Wate should have a normal, happy life. But Lena feels guilty over the death of her uncle/surrogate father Macon Ravenwood, and while she hasn't been claimed by the Dark, she doesn't fully belong to the Light, either, which could spell trouble for everybody around her, especially vulnerable non-magical Ethan.
As a second installment, Beautiful Darkness is a tour de force--it takes all the same elements as the first novel, turns a few on their heads, and ratchets everything else up a notch or two on the dramatic scale. You still get that lush Southern Gothic feel from BC, but now there's a whole lot more Caster magic and mystery swirling around. The plot twists proceed naturally from the setup of the previous story, but every new discovery manages to feel surprising.
Yet for all that, I didn't really enjoy reading it. I like Ethan, the POV character, and wholeheartedly sympathize with him, but I've finally figured out why he's never seemed fully real to me: it's not that his narrative voice sounds feminine, but to me he sounds like a very young guy. Ethan's incredibly mature and loyal and brave, etc, but even with his ever-growing love for Lena, I almost feel like I'm reading about Percy Jackson, age twelve. There's just a general broad sweetness to him that seems to belong to a younger person.
Then there's Lena, who I liked in book one, but who has now become a complaining heroine. Lena had her fair share of troubles in BC, but now she's riding a full-time down, and Ethan's so tied to her, that means he's down and depressed, too. She has ample reasons to be sad/angry, reasons that become more evident as BD progresses, but I still wish she wouldn't wallow in her black moods. Now that her Dark side is coming out more, she'll cause a little trouble or exact just the teeniest bit of revenge, and she won't really be sorry about it (I don't necessarily think she needs to be sorry for some of the stuff), but she'll cry anyway. Then Ethan tries to comfort or encourage her, and she tells him that he doesn't understand and he'll never understand, because he's mortal.
This was a case of the heroine turning me off of the story, because by the time the truly tremendous Big Reveals are happening in the last fifth of the book, I was already emotionally uninvested: I figured, Ethan's wonderful and he'll be okay no matter what, and Lena will be sad no matter what, so I didn't feel the impact of the game-changing scenes like I wanted to.
Poetry Bonus: I absolutely love the eerie simplicity of the Seventeen Moons song. Love it. And Lena writes poetry, and greats like T.S. Eliot, Walt Whitman, and Robert Frost are mentioned.
Though this sequel gets exciting and epic, it still maintains the basic feeling established in Beautiful Creatures--if you enjoyed that, you'll enjoy this. Fans of the series will want to pick it up as soon as they can, because it delivers everything we've hoped for and more. People who are on the fence, however, can probably wait to get it from the library.
28 out of 37 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The ladies have done it again! The Caster Chronicles stays a special place in my heart because it is so much more different than most series out there and it really stands alone in it's genre. Once you pick up the book it is so hard to function in life because you REALLY want to keep reading. Putting it down is like putting part of your brain away because while you are not reading you think about how much you would rather be reading it. The story continues to weave around Lena and Ethan. It strays them apart and dreams them back and we find all sorts of loose ends are tied back together. We loose some characters, gain one and a few come back. It was so wonderful. NOW I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ;)!
23 out of 25 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BleedingHeart
Posted October 16, 2010
I downloaded the first book as an audio through the library and have anticipated this one ever since. Kami really captures the essence of the deep south and the social woes of teenage life. The storyline is definately new and refreshing; not the same ol' same ol' that's being pumped out by every other author out there. A must read!
For those of you comparing this series to Twilight: it's not even the same premise. You should keep an open mind and remember that Bella and Edward are not real. Yes, Twilight is a great series, but so is this one. Be objective and mature if you're going to leave a review. Being grammatically correct helps also.
20 out of 25 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 16, 2013
I Also Recommend:
Great read (very dark), I prefer Fallen Angel (author is genie ems...i think) Just my opinion.
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.6452646
Posted August 2, 2011
I LOVE THIS BOOK SOOOO MUCH I CANT PUT IT IN WORDS
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 8, 2010
I Also Recommend:
The first book was amazing. I've read a lot of the paranormal romance books but this series really shocked me, i never knew what was going to happen next. I hope this book will be as good as the last.
6 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.1960nurse
Posted November 26, 2011
LOVED the whole series, can't wait for the next one! This is in the teen read section, but I am 50 and still loved this book. Great characters, you won't want to put it down! One of the better series I've read lately, and I read alot! Enjoy!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I thought this was a good second book! I loved the first one and was excited to read this one. Some parts are a little to detailed, but very worth it!
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.With the generous help of a few friends, I was able to garner an advanced readers copy of this highly anticipated sequel to 'Beautiful Creatures.' I tend to be a bit weary of 2nd books in series beacause most tend to fo the 'New Moon' route (i.e. major love character leaves, tons of angst, boring plot line, etc.) Beautiful Darkness throws you through so many loops, angles and mysterious corners that you have no time to get bored whatsoever. This story constantly kept me on my toes and I can't wait to see what else these two authors have in store for us.
5 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 19, 2012
To be honest this book was a big let down. I had fallen in love with the first book and decided to read the sequel, the start is quite interesting but then it's just dull, and not exciting enough to keep you reading.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.WOW, I LOVED Beautufil Creatures, but Beautiful Darkness was a level above- totally AMAZING. Kami and Margie have grown as writers and have succeded in drawing me further into their world. The writing is so visual you can see the scens in your minds eye. Ethan and Lena really shine and Link, Ethan's best friend, also comes into his own as a character. We also meet several new charaters that expand both ours as well as Ethan and Lena's knowledge of the caster world. This series is a very visual southern gothic adventure love story that I would suggest to anyone. The secondary characters are well developed and give depth to the story amd the world. Beautiful Darkness is a great second book and I cant wait for book 3!!!
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 20, 2012
Guys, this is a HUGE MUST-READ for everyone who loves paranormal romance and twist and turns that will leave you breathless!!! DON'T GIVE THIS A SECOND THOUGHT! READ THIS BOOK NOW!!!! I LOVED IT! MAYBE YOU WILL TOO! :) :D <3
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 12, 2012
This book is amazing. It's a bit slow at first, but it picks up, and becomes a real page turner! I read this in one day (this is book is NOT short) I loved it so much that the moment i started to read it I couldn't stop.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ATeenageVowInAParkingLot
Posted August 6, 2011
I couldn't stand Lena. She was moody throughout the whole book and it annoyed me at times. Ethan Is still very sweet and amazing. Despite Lena's constant attitude I thought this was a good second book in the Caster Chronicles. It was interesting and SO much better than the first book. It was never boring and I enjoyed Liv aka MJ for Marian Junior. Link was more involved in Beautiful Darkness, and the visions are even better.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 1, 2011
This book was wonderful and I cant wait for the next one(:
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.6365945
Posted August 1, 2011
Ok i read it from my school library and i didnt get to finish the last 30 pages of the book but hoping to!!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.TWO WORDS: CAN'T WAIT!
I read the first book Beautiful Creatures and can't wait to read Beautiful Darkness =D. I love love love Ethan. Can't wait to find out what happens to him in the next book! =D
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 8, 2013
This one has soo much more action....and im not talking about just fighting action ;D ........I cant wait to read the third one......if yiu love books with action, romance,and mystical creatures....you will LUUUV this book....BUY IT NOW!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 23, 2013
This was a great adition to beautiful creatures. The continuation flowed as if it was part two of the same read. The charactures were well developed. I would recomend this book to all who jave read Beautiful Creatures.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Naj
Posted April 2, 2013
Frankly speaking, I found the first book (Beautiful Creatures, now, a big movie franchise) too much of a drag to read mainly because of how prolonging it was. I wasn't planning on reading or listening to the rest of the series anytime soon. But thanks to my eldest sister's audiobook, I managed to finish it within 3 days. Best thing about this is that I get to listen to it while I worked. I call it 'double productivity' and with that double productivity, I actually grew to love the series!
When the book started, I groaned and I did it because the author(s) reuses the same plot from the first book and renames it 17th Moon instead of 16th Moon. Then they begin to write circles and differences around it. But you've got to hand it to them, they did write a damn good book!
Ethan (the main character) is a sweetheart and in this installment, the poor guy goes through heaven and hell for Lena (his female counter part). Man, I hate Lena. She's such a victim I can't stand. Even worse are the decisions that she makes, and the fact that she completely doesn't confide in Ethan, like they used to, makes me groan some more! I even rolled my eyes at her a couple of times. I am so happy I don't have to deal with her as the main character. I wouldn't want to get stuck in that head of hers.
In the end, my favorite character is Link (Ethan's lame best friend) instead of Ethan. He's one of those dorky characters that will make you cry and laugh at the same time. He can even be considered as the "Ron Weasley" of the whole series. He is very much linked to the end of this installment that will literally blow your mind with it's awesomeness!
Likewise, we've got the adversaries of Ethan and his gang. The mastermind of the whole evilness reminds me too much of the bad guy in The Hunger Games. But then again, nothing is really new out there.
Now, for the beautiful yet gothic land of Gaitlin, South Carolina. So dark, so mystical. I just want to move into this fictional town and spend the rest of my life doing the things I love with the people I love. Of course, I'll only live there if the fictional characters of Gaitlin weren't. If you dislike the characters, you sure won't dislike the town they live in (minus the people). Gaitlin isn't just a home for humans but also Witches or Casters as they like to be called. The world Stohl and Garcia creates for the Casters is so dark and haunting, you can't help but call it beautiful.
Undoubtedly, I adored the book. The writing style is flat out written for not only the teens but for mothers, fathers, older brothers, etc. Some characters will surely keep you glued to the book while the storyline remains with the same foundation but still has the ability to keep the reader going, and most importantly, the book encompasses the Beautiful Darkness that continues to draw me even closer to the characters and overall, to the entire series.
And with that, I quickly moved to the 3rd book and I'm half way done with the book!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where ...