Review: The Darkling Lord

The Darkling Lord by Shona Husk

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book introduces us to the dark world of a "darkling" who has to steal a soul every year in order to survive. Somehow the author has managed to make this soul-stealer into a sympathetic hero, no matter how he got there.

Darah has one task - to spy on the darkling who is gathering an army of the banished. She assumes it should be easy, especially since she was raised in the ways of the court. Little did she know, she would be put face-to-face with banished who know all about court, deception, and the royalty that keep it alive. Darah also didn't expect to find herself drawn into the world this "darkling lord" has created.

Henry is a man struggling with his past. He has killed every year since his birth (beginning with his mother) and is searching for meaning. Somewhere along the way, he began to focus on fixing up the city through any means necessary. While this puts him at odds with the corrupt government, he's more than willing to risk his life to improve the lives of those around him. It's for this and tons of other reasons that the banished begin to flock to him. He's a fair and kind leader to his "people" and that is what led Darah into his life. While everyone appears to know about her attempt to spy, Henry seems most interested in her story. These two fight to figure out if any real relationship can be built upon layers and layers of lies.

Ultimately this story ties back into the new king and how he will deal with Henry's "court." If you've read the other books in this world, you will recognize some familiar faces here and there. It's nice to pick up a book and be able to dive back into the world. This series always entertains.



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