Dark of the West

Gr 9 Up—War is brewing between the North and the South as General Dakar slowly overthrows small nations. Aurelia, a princess in a small Northern nation, desperately wants to attend university and does not wish to get married to create alliances. While she studies hard and mourns the death of her father, the king, Aurelia's brother and mother strategize to keep their kingdom safe from the rebels and the ambitious general. Athan, the third son of General Dakar, has no desire to fight in the never-ending war and would rather be free to fly planes, but when his father forces him to make nice with Princess Aurelia to spy on the North, Athan finds himself in the middle of the conflict. This fantasy opens near the end of the war, where readers follow the budding relationship of the defiant Aurelia and strong soldier Dakar. The remaining story is told through flashbacks of how Aurelia and Athan met, fell in love, and were torn apart. Teens will learn a little bit about the fate of other characters and are introduced to the antagonist in the opening chapter, which provides intrigue and foreshadowing. Although there are some unique plot twists and fighter plane action, familiar character arcs and fantasy-world conflicts are on display here.