Hardcover: 398 Pages
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Diana Peterfreund's Website | Blog | Twitter
From Goodreads. Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.
But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.
Review by Kate
I had the pleasure of meeting Diana again at BEA this year (two years ago I met her at BEA for a signing of Ascendant) and was intrigued by the premise of this novel. Since she is a pretty fantastic writer and really sweet woman this was the first book I chose to read. And I was so happy I did!
FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS, by Diana Peterfreund, contains quite an array of genres and ideas, that initially I had no idea how a good story could cohesively come together, but thankfully my fears were not realized. I absolutely loved this book! I did a quick Wikipedia search on Persuasion since I hadn't read it yet (please don't throw things at me!) but then a reviewer said it was very loosely based on the novel so I gave up my search and read the book with little knowledge of that story and found myself lost in this amazing work.
I loved the world-building in this novel. It was a little confusing at first (as most sci-fi books are) but I was pleased with the little nuances of the world slowly trickling in through the story instead of an information dump in the beginning. I liked the religion versus science debate. And the war that occurred years ago in the book because of that debate created a really unique setting for the story.
In terms of the romantic/Persuasion aspect to the book, neither of the main characters had it easy. Initially I hated Kai when he returned after four years. I wondered where the sweet boy from their youth had gone. He treated Elliot like crap the whole time and she just took it because she felt guilty for not going with him when he left. In true Austen fashion there were a lot of communication mix ups that made any time they were together unbearable for the other. But I really liked that aspect, I thought it was very realistic and made their relationship stronger in the end.
Overall this book was absolutely wonderful! From the gorgeous cover outside to the amazing and unique story on the inside this one is definitely another winner for Peterfreund!!
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