Dark Breaks the Dawn

Dark Breaks the Dawn
by Sara B. Larson

From the publisher:
"On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan, the Light Kingdom, can finally access the full range of her magical powers. The light looks brighter, the air is sharper, and the energy she can draw when fighting feels almost limitless.

But while her mother, the queen, remains busy at the war front, in the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalon, the corrupt king is plotting. King Bain wants control of both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn onto the throne much sooner than she expected.

In order to defeat Bain and his sons, Evelayn will quickly have to come into her ability to shapeshift, and rely on the alluring Lord Tanvir. But not everyone is what they seem, and the balance between the Light and Dark comes at a steep price."

I liked this book, but didn't love it. People kept referring to it as a retelling of Swan Lake, and I was trying throughout the book to figure out how it was. After I finished I discovered it was like a prequel to Swan Lake, so the next book will probably be more like the story of the ballet. 
I found the world that was created very intriguing, although there was a lot I didn't understand. I enjoyed the characters, and liked reading from the points of view of several of them. It took me quite a while to get into the story, but once I did I liked it. But it was weird because most of the book is leading up to one big event, and then that event is over incredibly quickly. This was no The Two Towers where the battle scene lasts forever. It's hard to say too much about it without giving anything away, but I was very sad at the end and I want to know what happens in the next one, although some things can't be fixed. So, do I recommend it? Sure, I think there are a lot of people who will really love it.

Areas of concern:
*Violence and death.
*Talk of the queen needing to "bind" with someone and procreate quickly to save the kingdom.

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 7-10

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+