Beware the Night begins at the end. Starting with a moment of panic and terror, and then moving to the beginning. It is a world full of secrets, propaganda, and simmering tension.
Summary
When her world divides, pitting light against dark, Veda must join a dangerous revolution to save her grandfather and fight against injustice…even if it costs her the boy she loves.
On the island of Bellona, life is peaceful–as long as the citizens dutifully worship the Sun, which protects them from all harm. Seventeen-year-old Veda knows that keeping the Sun happy will protect her and her grandfather from the Night, the dangerous people who snatch innocent citizens from their beds under the cover of darkness, never to be seen again. As long as Veda follows the rules, she will be safe.
But when Veda’s grandfather is offered up as the next sacrificial offering to keep the Sun’s favor, she starts to see that the safety she’s been promised comes at a dangerous price. Maybe there is more to fear above than there is below.
With a mysterious young man, Dorian, at her side, Veda has to figure out if the scary bedtime stories she grew up hearing are real–or dangerous lies.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The world in Beware the Night is divided between those who worship the Sun and those in thrive in the night. The world has a very fierce divide not only between the Sun and the Night, but between the Dogio, the wealthy elite, and the Basso, the poor masses. So the things I found the most interesting are the relationships and secrets that bridge this divide. Whether it be Veda’s childhood friendship with a member of the Dogio, or her new relationship with Dorian, or even her own family’s past.
And with these relationships comes the idea of boundary crossing. Of relationships that may, or may not, be able to withstand the scrutiny, the differences. It speaks of connections with someone who may love you, but never understand you. Veda’s life is not one of luxury, it’s full of fear and poverty, of living day to day with her grandfather. And it is a huge backbone of who she is as a person, her loyalty, her appreciation for those around her.
World
So what I loved about Beware the Night is the world in it. I loved the tensions between the Sun and the Night, which you can pick up from the cover alone, to the classicism and elitism within the world of the Sun. And what is so great about the writing is that through this triangle of Veda’s relationships, we are able to see the differences in both. The glittering paved roads of the Dogio, and the terror of the Day of Reckoning. Additionally, I loved being able to witness Veda pick apart all that she thought she knew – from her family. Nothing is as it seems in this world. And Veda has to learn to figure out people’s intentions, secrets, loyalties, and abilities.
Overall,
After finishing Beware the Night I know I need to read the second because I found myself being swept away by the ending. As all these relationships started to (d)evolve and the world, as we know it, began to fracture. Can our worlds collide without exploding? In a world of illusions, careful constructions, and injustice, might that be just what we need?
Find Beware the Night on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.