Dark Breaks the Dawn

by Sara B. Larson Narrated by Amy Shiels

Overview

A warrior princess must defend her throne is this haunting and romantic YA duology packed with action and romance from critically acclaimed author of the Defy trilogy, Sara B. Larson.

On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan, the Light Kingdom, can finally access the full range of her magical powers. The light looks brighter, the air is sharper, and the energy she can draw when fighting feels almost limitless. But while her mother, the queen, remains busy at the war front, in the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalon, the corrupt king is plotting. King Bain wants control of both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn into the throne much sooner than she expected.In order to defeat Bain and his sons, Evelayn will quickly have to come into her ability to shapeshift, and rely on the alluring Lord Tanvir. But not everyone is what they seem, and the balance between the Light and Dark comes at a steep price.In the first book of a remarkable duology, Sara B. Larson sets the stage for her reimagining of Swan Lake -- a lush romance packed with betrayal, intrigue, magic, and adventure.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Dark Breaks the Dawn:"With its intricate, dazzling system of magic and a vibrant cast of characters caught in a devastating conflict between forces of light and darkness, this passionate, war-torn retelling of Swan Lake is not one to be missed! You'll be spellbound from the very first lines." — Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series"A breathtaking origin story of Swan Lake that unfurls with soaring beauty and a villain prince as captivating as the fearless princess." — Kathryn Purdie, author of the Burning Glass series* "Larson is especially effective in her portrait of Evelayn's need to summon maturity before she thought she would have to, a sweetly innocent romance underscores the bite of betrayal, and the cliffhanger ending will easily build anticipation for the second book." — Publishers Weekly, starred review"This reimagination of Swan Lake features a plucky heroine, a sinister, surprise villain in the wings, and plenty of battle action . . . a clever cliff-hanger ending will have readers demanding the sequel." — Booklist"Girl-power fantasy." — Kirkus Reviews"In this reimagining of Swan Lake, the characters deal with issues of morality and justice and the burdens of responsibility; these universal themes flourish in Larson's fantastic setting." — VOYAPraise for Endure:"Readers of the previous books in the trilogy will be lining up to read the conclusion to this epic story. Readers who are looking for fantasy with strong female characters, such as Cinder in The Lunar Chronicles or Celaena Sardothien of the Throne of Glass series, will find a great new trilogy here." — School Library Connection"Fans will be very satisfied with this final journey." — School Library JournalPraise for Ignite:"[A] fast-paced fantasy novel laced with political intrigue." — School Library Journal"Alexa [is]... an interesting, multilayered character, a valiant fighter with heart." — Booklist"Alex is so strong... The intrigue is really thick in this book, and there are secrets within plots and people." — Jessie Plots, blogging for USA TodayPraise for Defy:An Indie Next List Selection"A wonderful tale of adventure, romance, and embracing your true self. Alexa is a heroine readers will love to follow!" — Marie Lu, bestselling author of the Legend series"Grand adventure, romance, and thrilling political intrigue." — Booklist"Powerful and narratively satisfying." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Kirkus Reviews

2017-03-06
The tragedy of Swan Lake gets a fantasy reimagining in this fast-paced book for teens.Evelayn, a white teenager, is the crown princess of Éadrolan, a kingdom of light that is locked in an ancient battle with King Bain, who commands the dark powers of the rival kingdom Dorjhalon. Citizens of both realms possess supernatural powers, and Evelayn comes into her full strength while the queen is fighting in the war, though the ability to shape-shift into swan form eludes her. Evelayn must foil a plot to deprive her people of their gifts by murdering the queen who is the conduit of all the light's power. When the worst happens, Evelayn undertakes a perilous journey to seek aid from an ancient power in an effort to prevent Bain from extinguishing the power of light permanently. Larson's (Endure, 2016, etc.) latest novel contains many of the tropes found in modern fantasy adaptations: a feisty princess, dastardly villains, epic fights, and a love triangle. The worldbuilding is intriguing and the matrilineal conveyance of power is a neat twist, but the novel's fascinating premise is undermined by its too-fast pacing. Readers are not given enough time to really invest in Evelayn's struggles or the supporting characters' before the main adventure gets underway, resulting in Evelayn's lapse into caricature. An appealing if imperfect girl-power fantasy that ably sets the stage for its sequel. (Fantasy. 13-17)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170536566
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/30/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

Read an Excerpt

When Tanvir lunged forward yet again, this time going for a debilitating torso wound, Evelayn used his momentum to hook his arm, swing herself around his body, and drag her blade across his back."Point to Princess Evelayn!" Kel called out. But not a killing blow.She moved to disentangle her arm, but instead, in that one moment of hesitation when she'd allowed herself a pause of triumph, Tanvir dropped one of his blades to grab her wrist, squeezing so hard it compressed a nerve that forced her hand to convulse and drop her own knife. Simultaneously, he wrenched her forward so he could spin her in front of him, his arm now firmly wrapped around both of hers, and then, so fast she didn't even have a chance to struggle, his blade angled against her throat, ready to slit it.A killing strike. Evelayn exhaled angrily even as her stomach sank."Lord Tanvir takes the match," Kel announced unnecessarily.But Tanvir didn't move yet, his arm still holding her close and his blade still touching her skin, both of them breathing heavily. Her irritation at losing faded as she became aware of the heat of him pressed through her leathers, of a heady musk that suddenly colored his scent, sparking a responding warmth deep within her. A different kind than she'd ever felt before, it called for more, beckoned her to move even closer to the hard length of his body.And then suddenly, he let go, stepping back. Evelayn stumbled forward, shocked at her own thoughts. Shocked that he'd beat her so quickly. Shocked that for a moment, she'd forgotten about her mother leaving, the war, not being able to shift, or anything beyond Lord Tanvir's arm around her and his muscled chest and abdomen against her back.

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