I have been intrigued with the SKYLARK series for awhile now but, alas, never picked it up until recently. You know how it goes. You see a book that seems to have a sweet concept and the author sounds awesome and everything points to a great read but …life gets in the way or you want to read books more aligned with what you’re own writing or ….you get the picture. That’s what happened with this series. I have been wanting to read it for a long time but the stars never aligned…until I scored a Digital Reader’s Copy from NetGalley of SHADOWLARK, the second book in the series. Then I was like CRAP, I need to read the first one FIRST.So I read SKYLARK in, like, a day and was ready to GO.

Ever since she escaped the city within the Wall, Lark Ainsley’s wanted one thing: to find her brother Basil. She’s always believed he would be the one to put an end to the constant fear and flight. And now, hidden underground in the chaotically magical city of Lethe, Lark feels closer to him than ever. 

But Lethe is a city cowering in fear of its founder, the mysterious Prometheus, and of his private police force. To get the truth about what happened to Basil, Lark has no choice but to face Prometheus.

Facing her fears has become second nature to Lark. Facing the truth is another matter.

Lark never asked to be anyone’s savior. She certainly never wanted to be anyone’s weapon. She might not have a choice.

So, as I stated, I read SKYLARK right before I started it and WOW, was I blown away. First off, the concept and world was totally unique to me and I absolutely LOVE the idea that magic is born into all of us. That we all hold a small amount inside of us and that it is our basic energy source. In SKYLARK, kids are harvested of their magic and then left with only the bare minimum in their systems to live. The harvested magic then goes to power the city. Lark has a renewing ability with her magic even after being harvested …but I won’t go into that much so as not to spoil either book!I will say that when reading SKYLARK, there were a few big plot twists that I did not see coming AT ALL, yet still made sense once they were revealed. But I SO didn’t want them to be true! My heart seriously broke from one of the reveals. AHHH THE FEELS!!

Anyway, back to SHADOWLARK, there were plot twists in this book as well but I could more readily see them coming. That is not to say that the book wasn’t good because of that Even though I could see where the twist was coming I still was nervous for Lark because I couldn’t imagine what I would do once I found out what she finds out in the twist. It blurs the lines of right and wrong and makes her question her past decisions all over again!

Now, can I touch briefly on the love interest here with Oren?? I honestly cannot put my finger on exactly what it is about him that I love so much but …I just do. It’s one of those “I-can’t-explain-it-but-he’s-awesome” kind of things. He stays true to his character and who he is at all times. Right when Lark’s all about to break down and you think the guy should step in and be all comforting, he’s not because he’s Oren. And Oren is about survival and not trusting others and being strong. He just tells her how it is. And the physical contact between Lark and Oren is so rare that I absolutely savor every moment and read it over and over again. But even when they aren’t touching (which is 99% of the time) I can feel the tension, I can sense the connection between the two. It sizzles off the page and ugh, can they just make out already?? Alright, I know that the main plot isn’t romance but I really do love that aspect of this book and the things that keep them from being a couple.

All that being said, I’m now a true SKYLARK fan and absolutely cannot wait for the third installment to complete the trilogy. If you like a book with great world building, a slow-but-swoonworthy built romance, and a touch (okay, a whole lot of) magic, then this book is for you.

Buy SHADOWLARK on Amazon or Barnes and Noble or your local bookstore. Here is the official Goodreads page as well so add it to your To-Read shelf now!