I want to begin by thanking Scholastic Press for sending out review copies of this stunning book and the Fantastic Flying Book Club for organizing this tour. The tour began Monday, so if you missed any of the stops, be sure to check them out here.
I am really excited to be able to tell you about this book, so let’s get started.
Amber & Dusk 
Author: Lyra Selene
Published: November 27th, 2018
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Book Length: 368 Pages
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: TheBibliophagist), Kobo
**Disclaimer: I received this novel for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.**
Sylvie has always known she deserves more. Out in the permanent twilight of the Dusklands, her guardians called her power to create illusions a curse. But Sylvie knows it gives her a place in Coeur d’Or, the palais of the Amber Empress and her highborn legacies.
So Sylvie sets off toward the Amber City, a glittering jewel under a sun that never sets, to take what is hers.
But her hope for a better life is quickly dimmed. The empress invites her in only as part of a wicked wager among her powerful courtiers. Sylvie must assume a new name, Mirage, and begin to navigate secretive social circles and deadly games of intrigue in order to claim her spot. Soon it becomes apparent that nothing is as it appears and no one, including her cruel yet captivating sponsor, Sunder, will answer her questions. As Mirage strives to assume what should be her rightful place, she’ll have to consider whether it is worth the price she must pay.
This cover is amazing, the image does not do it justice. The amount of detail in the netting-like material is fantastic. The diamonds look like they are realistic, almost jumping off the cover itself. I really enjoy how the “&” symbol incorporates Sylvie’s amber necklace.
Things I didn’t like:
- Similarities
- This novel does harbor many typical fantasy elements, an orphan has magical abilities, taken under the wing of a mentor to train, evil queen, a bad guy that isn’t really all that bad, etc. It felt like this novel had aspects of many more popular ones meshed together…though I will say that Lyra did a very nice job putting her own twist on it and bringing something new to readers.
- Plot
- I loved the overall plot but there were some parts of the story where I felt nothing was really going on. Nothing moved the story along. Luckily, these moments did not occur frequently.
Things I liked:
- Characters
- Sylvie/Mirage: In the beginning, I was not sure I would like her character. She was selfish and only wanted to get Court to serve her own interests. But, she grew on me and I now love her. The flaws that I was unsure about became the very things I loved about her. The author allowed her to be flawed, real. It let me connect with her more deeply and feel for her struggles as she navigated the complexities of Court. I did feel she remained a bit entitled throughout though and I was not a fan of that.
- Sunder: This is another character that was so flawed, but remained gentle. I actually really like him! He is like the bad guy that all of us grow to love. He seems evil but deep down he is caring. I will admit he also reminds me a bit of Draco Malfoy.
- World Building
- The world building was fantastic. I think what I enjoyed most was how relatable the court system was. Everyone wants prestigious positions of power…until they have them. It is only then that they realize exactly how dangerous power truly is. Honestly, this reminded me of Roman times, simply set in a fantasy world…and I loved it! Though, I would have liked to see more information and history about how the Amber city and Dusklands developed into what they are here.
- Prose
- For a debut novel, the writing is captivating. Incredible detail was used to describe everything, but not so much so that I felt bored or suffocated. Her writing is lyrical without being over descriptive and overbearing.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I wanted to continue reading each time I began. I became so engrossed in the world that I did not want to put the book down, though my kids yelling “mommy…mommy…mommy.” resulted in me doing so more frequently than I would like. If you enjoy young adult fantasy novels filled with secrets, romance, power-hungry leaders, struggles to belong, and flawed and realistic characters, you would enjoy this one. The amount of detail in the book itself is great as well, the detail extends from the cover to the symbol near the page number. Lyra did a wonderful job not only taking a new spin on popular fantasies but bringing a professional quality to the entire story as well.
About the Author
Lyra Selene was born under a full moon and has never quite managed to wipe the moonlight out of her eyes. When she isn’t dreaming up fantastical cities and brooding landscapes, Lyra enjoys hiking, rainstorms, autumn, and pretending she’s any good at painting.
She lives in New England with her husband, in an antique farmhouse that’s probably not haunted. AMBER & DUSK is her debut novel.
Giveaway
This is a US only (sorry everyone, shipping can be crazy expensive) giveaway. Enter now to win this giveaway of your own copy of Amber & Dusk but be sure to do so before November 30th…for that is when the mirage will end (see what I did there?).
Would you read this novel? Buy it or borrow it? If you have read it, what did you think?
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