Even the Darkest Stars

When I first saw what this book was about, before it even had a cover, I wanted to read it. The premise alone is amazing. A journey through mountains on a quest to find some ancient talisman that can save the world, sign me up! Especially when you add magic, ghosts, and witches. Then when the cover was revealed I was even more excited for this debut novel.

That being said, wow was this book a complete disappointment. I had to force myself to keep reading this book. I kept telling myself, eventually it will get more action and less walking through wilderness. Well that action occurred at roughly 90% into the book. And the big twist at the end, I probably should have been shocked and desperate to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next, but honestly I did not care one bit about it.

Now I've been super negative so far, and I don't want to be, but I really struggled with this book. I also think my expectations were way to high and it left me really disliking this book when it failed to meet expectations. If you are a fan of wandering through the woods looking for a special object while also having the risk of weather, ghosts, or witches killing you, you would probably love this book. I just found the constant walking through the forest or climbing ledges to be incredibly boring. This book had so much potential but was severely lacking. Even the ghosts and witches that are promised are not at all prominent in this world.

That being said, I had no issues with the writing and loved the scenery and the concept, I just think it was poorly executed and would have benefited from more action and less descriptions of the characters walking. My rating is solely based on how much I loved the concept of this book but also how much I disliked actually reading it. I'm sure they are people who will read this book and fall in love with the characters and the story. I'm just not one of them.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an early copy

Why, just why every YA book needs to begin with the main character being treated unfairly (on character's opinion, of course)? The beginnings are always the same. And there was nothing surprising at the beginning of this book as well.

Moreover, there was nothing surprising in this book at all. And you have to look for a YA novel with so many plain stupid decisions in a row.

I've known how the story will end after a couple of chapters. And the big twist was such not a twist, that Kiss of Deception was more surprising.

I can't fathom why I've even finished this book. Maybe that was my optimism. Or hope for at least something. Huh, fat chance.

Anyway, what happened, that is already done. Let's move to the other things now.