Darkness Before Dawn Review

Title: Darkness Before Dawn

Author: J. A. London

Date of Publication: May 29, 2012

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Synopsis: After a devastating war between humans and vampires nothing more than a wall protects the human citizens of Denver from the horrors of the undead. When her parents, delegates between the human and vampire races, die Dawn takes their place at the young age of seventeen. However, all the training in the world didn't prepare her for dealing with Lord Valentine, cruel and unyielding he cares nothing for humans, making Dawn question if she'll make it out alive every time she is called to his manor. When Dawn meets Victor, Lord Valentine's son, she is adamant that he is just as much a monster as his father. However, the more time Dawn spends around Victor the more she discovers that maybe all vampires aren't killers. With a new war on the horizon Dawn struggles for peace between the humans and vampires, hoping her relationship with Victor is enough to save them.

My Review:

Unfortunately while Darkness Before Dawn had a beautiful cover and looked interesting enough it turned out to be a bit boring and very forgettable. Even though the idea itself had merit the book lacked a strong plot, leaving periods of time where I wasn't sure what the point of the novel really was. Though this novel held potential in the end Darkness Before Dawn lacked the substance I expected.

Throughout this novel I was confused about what the actual plot entailed. There was some action but for the most part this novel followed Dawn around on her daily life as she talked about how hot her boyfriend Michael was, how much she hated vampires, and her duties as a delegate and part of the agency. I think there was some plot involved, such as the man following her and her relationship with Victor, but it was lost under all the meaningless and mundane tasks the author constantly described.

Dawn irritated me a little bit as a main character; she constantly went against her instincts because her friends told her to and then sat around being whiny about it. Paired with the fact that she was cheating with her boyfriend and constantly went back and forth between Michael and Victor I just couldn't make myself like her. Victor was more likable than Dawn but ended up being a dull love interest, without much of a personality he fit the cliché of every vampire out there.

A fast, but boring, read Darkness Before Dawn is just one more addition to the slew of vampire fiction out there. The characters are dull and their personalities left a bit to be desired. While the plot does hold some appeal and the idea of cities being ruled by vampires is interesting enough the novel just doesn't present any new and exciting advancements.

Younger readers will probably love this book; however older fans of dystopain and vampire fiction may want to skip this one. Without much substance or clear direction this novel holds nothing new and exciting for seasoned readers.

3/5