The Dark Light by Sara Walsh

Goodreads Blurb

Mia is torn between two guys—and two worlds—in this epic, romantic fantasy.Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.

That is, until Sol arrives. Mia’s not one to fall for just any guy, but she can’t get Sol—or the brilliant tattoo on his back—out of her mind.

Then Mia’s brother goes missing, and Mia’s convinced that Sol knows more than he’s sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything Mia once believed to be true. Because Sol’s not who Mia thought he was—and neither is she.

(You guys, I had reviewer’s block so if I’m redundant, sorry! I’m afraid I may squeal too much if I unleashed my full thoughts. Redundancy is the best I can do!)

Crownsville is a town where strange lights dance across the sky, lights that are enchanting, but usual. In this small town, Mia lives with her little brother, Jay and her Uncle Pete, a guy who’s not that reliable and comes home late at night. Everything’s normal, but kids have been disappearing almost every week near Crownsville. Then, Sol enters the scene. Mysterious and older than he says with a giant tattoo on his back, Mia’s more than suspicious. Then Jay gets kidnapped and Sol is there. But no matter what Sol says, Mia knows that she saw a hooded figure and that the lights are part of it. And that Sol knows more about the kidnappings than he’s letting on. But…exactly what?

ZOMG you guys have absolutely no idea how much I’ve been dying for this book! When I got it in the mail, my mouth literally dropped open and I started squealing. So. Much. I forever love S&S. but honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into. Me? I was thinking “Vamps? Weres? Nah, too cliché. Maybe…another paranormal species that Sara created?” but you guys, you guys, it was way better than all that! I was in another world. (Literally)

The world-building? Absolutely amazing. Creating a new world is never easy, especially when it’s like a parallel universe except with demons, magic, a tyrant, and that “destroy-the-known-world” plan. It seemed creepy, dangerous, and enchanting all at once and I found myself drawn into the world, waiting to see what else was in it, what else I would discover about it. It wasn’t too far-fetched and explanations for things that couldn’t be possible (as in, would be too far-fetched even for books) made sense.  

Mia was, in short, annoying in the beginning. She kept whining on and on about her brother, thinking she could save him, but messing things up in the way. But, like all characters, she ended up growing on me. I have to give it to her though; she was strong and she was stubborn. In the good ways, of course! She just had this quality that made you love her as a character!

Sol definitely fit the whole mysterious-hot-love-interest persona perfectly! He was definitely protective of Mia and had his share of secrets. I loved him and I think he was definitely a fit for Mia! He’s quiet and careful, but at the same time, risks so much. Eep! Squeal time. Haha, I think I’m gathering too many book boyfriends!

As for plot, some things you could definitely predict, but about 80% of the story surprised and shocked me! It was unpredictable and full of action. I loved it and it kept me on my toes throughout the entire book. What would happen next? What secrets would be uncovered? You had no idea until it actually happened and I’m pretty sure the entire house heard my squeals of surprise! Plot twists were definitely full in number here.

Walsh deftly weaves an incredible story full of twists and action in an unpredictable world. The Dark Light is a page-turner for sure and you’ll love everything: romance, characters, plot, world. Intriguing and magical, the synopsis doesn’t do it justice! There’s way more underneath the cover and I loved it all! Definitely pick this one up soon!

Pages: 496

Series: Standalone

Genre: Paranormal/Romance

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: August 28, 2012

Rating: 4.5 ---> 5 stars

"In the second I broke from the trees, the light reversed its course. It expanded rapidly, up and out. Like a gateway to Heaven, it was brighter than anything I'd seen. (...) A few feet more and he'd walk right off the edge of the Ridge and plunge into the river below."