The Darkest Light by Ashley Earley

  Title: The Darkest Light

  Author: Ashley Earley

  Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

  Date Published: May 24, 2015

  Genre: YA fiction, Paranormal, Drama, Fantasy

  Pages: 458 (paperback)

  Age Range: 13+







                                                 Summary:

     After discovering a secret her parents have kept from her all her life, Alyssa’s life begins to unravel, and she’s thrown into a magical world she never knew existed—one that’s both frightening and intriguing to her. While trying to discover who she really is, and who her father was, she begins to see the darkness this unknown land holds, and fears becoming part of that darkness. Torn between this new world, and the human world, Alyssa must make the ultimate decision between the possibility of losing herself forever to become part of it, or stay behind and let the world of Föld perish. As if her life wasn't complicated enough, she’s falling for two guys—that live in totally different worlds. Wesley and Archer couldn't be more different, but they both have her captivated. A battle is coming. Will Alyssa be forced to fight against the people she loves?


                                                   Review:

     Um, first off, just look at that cover. It's one of those books that you want to own just so that you can have it sitting on your bookshelf. It's that gorgeous. Anywho, I got the immense privilege of reading this book before it even had a cover. Yes, I read this book as an email attachment on my computer because Ashley was freaking out about finishing it and wanted my opinion. As her fellow book nerd, I read the book, and was completely blown away. I was blown away for a few reasons, so let's break them down.
     Alyssa was such a relatable character. Yeah, there's the whole paranormal situation that no one can really relate to, but she's also your average, run-of-the-mill girl next door. She's been through some really tough times, and she's struggling, but that makes her feel even more real. If Alyssa was a great character, the people in Föld were even better. Kay and Archer were, by far, the best paranormal characters that I have read about in awhile- especially Kay. I totally ship Archer and Alyssa (my personal ship- it's not a spoiler).
     The world-building was spot-on! I loved the sound and feel of Föld, I would love to visit there, and stay awhile. I feel like everything was explained well, and fully. The real world and the paranormal scene melded together seamlessly. Honestly everything just felt right, and that was a huge contributing factor to this book.
     Am I going to buy this book? Yes. Would I read a sequel to this book? YES (hint hint, Ashley) ;) I'm so proud of Ashley for writing, and publishing, such an amazing book, and I'm glad that everyone gets to enjoy it as much as I did!