★★★ ½ #DarkHeart #AuthorDonnaGrant
When young love is betrayed and the world is turned upside down. This second book in the Elven Kingdom series can be out of order and independent of the other series in this universe. I do recommend reading the first book in this series to understand the world building. For those reading this book out of order, never fear, Ms. Grant does a great job bringing a reader up to speed.
Arya first appeared in the last book as a supporting cast. This is a surprise for me to see her as the main character. I like it. Arya's past catches up with her and it is a wild ride. If you want angst, star-crossed lovers, betrayals, and devastating lost, this is the book for you. Arya is reunited in an abrupt way with the one who stole her heart, Jai. To say it is an unhappy meeting would be an understatement. It may be clear to all readers what happened between Arya and Jai. But that isn't actually the main story. There are multiple subplots going on as well as the main storyarc for this series. The multilayered tale keeps my attention and makes me keep thinking and wondering how this series will ever end.
What I can say is that Ms. Grant consistently delivers intrigue and "it's complicated" situations. In addition, there are horribly reprehensible characters in this world. There is a bit of gray when it comes to her antiheroes, but the villains? 100% evil to the core. This new paranormal romance is recommended to readers who second chance romances with things that go bump in the night.
* I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I'm enjoying this foray into the world of the elves a lot.