Innocent Darkness by @SuzanneLazear

Title: Innocent Darkness
Rating:  ★★★★★
Genre: YA / Fantasy / Steampunk
Publisher:  Flux
Release Date: August 8, 2012

Review:

The cover of “Innocent Darkness” just plain rocks. When I picked up this book, I was excited. After all, who doesn’t love a great steampunk!

Fairly quickly into the novel, I was put off. I was excited about reading the novel in the first place, but all the steampunk-ness that I had been expecting was crammed into the beginning. The majority of the novel actually turned out to be a typical YA faerie tale. I kept reading because, well, I also adore faerie novels. But I found some things I wasn’t thrilled about. While Noli’s a tomboy and consequently has a bit of that cuteness factor just for being unafraid of getting her hands dirty, she lacks in the awesome-protagonist department. She was weak as a character and I actually found her friend, Charlotte, to be much more interesting.

Throughout the entire story, there is a very direct correlation between Innocent Darkness and The Iron Fey series from Julie Kagawa.

1. Both Noli’s and Meghan’s fathers disappear when they are young, leaving only a mother to raise them.

2. Both Noli’s and Meghan’s best friends are boys and also faeries

3. Both Noli’s and Meghan’s best friends have a secret crush on them.

4. Both Noli and Meghan travel to the Wyldwood/Real of Faerie and are pursued by horrific, mythological creatures.

5. Both Noli and Meghan are on the bad side of Fae royalty.

But there are some differences. I loved that Suzanne’s land of faerie wasn’t divided into summer and winter courts. She chose to go with elemental courts which I thought was unique, branching away from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and original in its own way since each sector of Faerie had to accommodate a different element.

Overall, Innocent Darkness was a fun read and had I not ever read The Iron Fey series, I would have enjoyed it much more.

Synopsis:

If one girl lives, the whole world dies.

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock and her best friend Steven “V” Darrow just wanted to take a flying car out for a joy ride. They had no idea it would result in Noli getting sent to reform school to mend her hoyden ways. While at the dreadful school, Noli’s innocent Midsummer’s Eve wish summons Kevighn, a mysterious man who takes Noli with him to the Ream of Faerie. At first Noli believes she has been rescued. But the sinister reason behind the handsome huntsman’s appearance quickly becomes clear – he wants to use Noli as a blood sacrifice to restore his dying world. V, who has secrets of his own, shows up to help Noli escape and return to the mortal realm – but first, they must navigate the dangerous intrigues of the Otherworld. If they are successful, Noli will live. But the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.