Book Review: A Fractured Light

A Fractured Light (A Beautiful Dark #2)

By: Jocelyn Davies

Published By: HarperTeen

Publication Date: September 25, 2012

Page Count: 352

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher

Audience: Young Adult - Paranormal, Angels

Read my review of A Beautiful Dark

Angels are my least favorite of the paranormal beings. I'm not sure why they lack appeal for me, but the stories that feature them rarely hold my interest. Other angel series fizzle for me pretty quickly or I just avoid them. In spite of this, last year I took a chance on reading A Beautiful Dark and I realized that I don't really dislike angel stories. I just needed one that had a plot that I could sink my teeth into and characters that I craved. Jocelyn Davies has provided me with both elements and earned herself a fan. I am in love with this series. I just finished this installment mere moments ago and I am already anxious for the next novel. I already have so many predictions about where things will head next.

From this point forward in the review, there may be things that would spoil book one. If you haven't read A Beautiful Dark, I strongly encourage you to stop reading this review, go get yourself a copy of book one, and just know that I loved it. For those of you who have read the first book, by all means, stick around.

I loathed the way A Beautiful Dark ended. It was just cruel for Davies to leave us thinking even for a second that Skye's wound would be fatal. I was freaking out. Now in the back of my mind I knew that she had to survive - this is a series after all - but you never know in fiction. Luckily for me, Skye does manage to survive to fight another day. (I won't explain exactly how this occurs because that would spoil several twists.) She wakes to find herself in an old cabin with Asher and another Rebel, Ardith. These two nurse her back to health and eventually return her to her home, friends, and family. It was so nice to have Asher back on page one. (He's still my favorite angel.)

Skye can't tell anyone the truth about where she's been for the past week; knowing too much could result in more accidents or even deaths. She fights so hard to hide her struggles from everyone she cares about in order to protect them. I have to admire how loyal and tenacious Skye can be. This doesn't mean that I'm happy with her all the time. I hate how she can't really decide if she wants to be with Asher or Devin. This novel doesn't have as much of the bouncing back and forth between the two as the first novel did, but the conflict is still there. Devin does take a backseat in this one. He's always lingering on the fringe of the plot, but it's not until the end where he is drawn firmly into the thick of things. 

More of the lore surrounding the Order and Rebellion is revealed in this installment. I also really enjoyed learning about the Rogues and how they fit into everything. It has been awhile since I have read book one (I wanted to revamp, but time just didn't allow for that) so I honestly can't recall if they are mentioned in book one. Regardless, I found them to be a fascinating addition that is sure to lead to some interesting turn of events in the future.

Skye's growth in this one is impressive. She is starting to come into her own and take control of her destiny. There is a fair amount of girl power in this one which always makes me cheer. I loved that Skye didn't allow her heart to control of her actions. She makes some difficult choices because she knows which direction her path needs to go. I would hope that I could be as strong in the same situation, but I would have struggled a lot to arrive at the same outcome.

I do have to admit that this one was slower to draw me in than book one and I felt like it lacked in action at times. There is so much build up for the coming war yet there are never any skirmishes. The last few chapters were the first moment where I really started to feel my adrenaline pumping. I missed the tension that seemed to be present in every chapter in A Beautiful Dark. A Fractured Light is crucial to the story and reveals so many twists (most of which I never saw coming) but there were moments that were tedious as I waded through some of the humdrum moments of normal human life like Skye's skiing. I wouldn't say this one hit the sophomore slump, but it really is a bridge between the beginning and the next novel more than anything else.

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and I am so excited to see where Davies will take things in the future. I love all these characters and am enjoying watching them evolve. Davies has a way of keeping me on my toes as I form prediction after prediction. I love stories that allow me to interact with the characters and setting in such an authentic way; you become a participant in the action. The ending of this one held the right amount of suspense, but I was happy that it wasn't a cliffhanger that left me with heart palpitations.

One Last Gripe: There were some elements that seemed inconsistent to me like the handwriting in the journal and the dress. Things that were obvious to me should have been apparent to Skye as well.

My Favorite Thing About The Book: I love how Davies describes the setting - the writing in these segments is gorgeous - I ended up writing quite a few quotations in my reader's notebook

First Sentence: I am hovering on the edge.

Favorite Character: Skye

Least Favorite Character: Ellie

Summary:

When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. But it's not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories come flooding back. She tries to put the past behind her, but she knows she'll be forever haunted by the ruthless betrayal that almost took her life.

Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she's capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can't forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion. 

A Fractured Light picks up right after A Beautiful Dark's shocking cliffhanger ending and is perfect for fans of Lauren Kate's Fallen and Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush saga.