The second in the For Darkness Shows the Star series, Across a Star-Swept Sea takes place on another surviving island, much different from the one described in the first book.
Initially I was disappointed that Diana wasn't sticking with her original characters. The biggest problem I had with For Darkness Shows the Stars was that the romance really didn't come into play until the last few chapters. For the most part the main characters were mean to each other, and I really wanted to see them actually be happy together. To my dismay, the same thing happened in this book. The main characters strongly dislike each other for the majority of the book, though it's not as extreme as the first. Luckily, there is a bit more romance, though it's slow moving and not nearly enough.
First of all, I have to comment on the cover. By far one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. The way the water turns into the dress is stunning, not to mention the sky and island background, with the few stars floating on the water, it's fantastic. It really helped me visualize a few key moments in the book, so bravo for the marketing team on this one.
So let's talk about the Wild Poppy. I really did like the idea of a beautiful revolutionary who play dumb but it really a genius. I think Persis' character was very fun, and I liked the way she carried herself. While sometimes she did seem a little immature, for the most part she made logical decisions. One thing I think could have added to the story was had she demonstrated times of more cunning. Even when she's in the mindset of the Wild Poppy, her thoughts lack a certain clarity that would have convinced me more that she really is a hidden genius.
Justen, I did not appreciate as much as I did Persis. He wasn't as much of a masculine figure as Kai was in the first book, and he seemed rather immature. He made stupid decisions, and was complaining a lot. His only really strong moments were when he was taking care of people as a medic. In those situations he really took control and established himself as an equal to Persis.
This is supposed to be a rewrite of the Scarlet Pimpernel, which I have never read, I hate to admit. While in general I enjoyed the story, it lacked a depth to the characters and storyline that it really could have benefitted from. There was a shallow introduction of the old characters, and I didn't like it as much as I should have.
As you can probably tell I am very torn with this series. I didn't love it, but I didn't not like it either. There is an element of mysticism that I adore, though the cover may be part of that…either way, I'll be interested to see if Diana's writing evolves at all with the next book (if there is one?) and whether or not she learns to develop characters more effectively.
As an afterthought, I must say the story progressed rather slowly. I had a hard time continuing at a few points, and it didn't hold my attention.
Three Stars
Rosalie
Across a Star-Swept Sea on Goodreads
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