Breathtakingly beautiful.“Those nights, in the sweetest dark, we shared our dreams.”I’ve always been fascinated by dragons. The dragon is one of the most fearsome yet regal of all the fantasy creatures. To me, dragons evoke strength, power, and wealth. There’s a lot to be said for a dragon’s ability to find and hoard shiny – read valuable – objects. The idea of a race of dragon shifters called The Drakon living amongst humans has always intrigued me. Shana Abe’s Drakon series is one of my favorite depictions of the dragon shifter. The Sweetest Dark is the start of a new series that takes place in her Drakon world. Unlike the Drakon series, The Sweetest Dark can be read as both an adult and a young adult novel. There is no need to read the Drakon series prior to reading The Sweetest Dark. This book can be read as a standalone book.As I read The Sweetest Dark, certain aspects stood out for me. First of all, Ms. Abe’s writing is both elegant and beautiful. Her descriptions evoke all of the senses. I especially liked how the author wrote the dream sequences. It really felt as if I were flying as I read. Other dream sequences were sensual without becoming sexually explicit. Beautifully done. The world of The Sweetest Dark was intriguing. I loved that it was set in a castle-like girls’ school complete with turrets and secret tunnels. I also liked the fact that the book was set in during World War I. I enjoyed all of the characters and I liked how they interacted with each other. Eleanor (Lora) acts as a narrator for most of the book. She doesn’t really know what she is but she has several interesting talents: she has an affinity for music and she “hears” gemstones and gold singing to her. She is even able to tell the carat weight of gems. In a way, she could be seen as a synesthetic. There is a bit of a love triangle as two boys vie for Lora’s attentions. Both Armand and Jesse are smitten by Lora but in different ways. Jesse and Lora had a nice connection but I think I enjoyed the banter between Lora and Armand more. The Sweetest Dark is the perfect fantasy read. If you enjoy dragon shifter books, The Sweetest Dark may be right for you. A second book is planned for the series The Deepest Night and is due to be published in August. I can't wait. Highly recommended.Thank you to Edelweiss and Random House for a review copy of this book.Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
