Firefight in Darkness (Dryad Quartet #2)by Katie Jennings
I give this book a 3, almost a 3 1/2.
This is the second book in the Dryad Quartet to tell the story of an orphan, but these two characters are as different as night and day. When I read Breath of Air, I knew I’d like to have a friend like Capri, but when it came to connecting with a character, Blythe would be the one to win me over. I like Blythe for so many reasons, but for some reasons I’ll try to explain, I didn’t like her story as much.
First off, I should say that I do like this book and am enjoying the series. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment. I really appreciate how the tone of this book reflects the attitude and personality of its main character, just as the previous book did. For that reason alone, I could be happy enough to keep reading the series; just to see how the other books are written. Breath of Air was sweet and simple, just like Capri and Firefight in Darkness is rough and complicated, just like Blythe.
I guess what my disappointment boils down to is expectation. I didn’t think I had any expectations going into this book, but obviously I did if I’m feeling a little let down while still being very pleased with the overall story. Looking back on it now, I realize that the reason I feel disappointed is that I felt like Breath of Air seemed so natural and easy, while Firefight feels a little pushed. I feel like the character of Blythe and the many hardships she endures in this story are a little forced. I feel as if the story is trying too hard to be rough and tough. There are even a few times in the story when Blythe admits, only to herself, that she’s showing off purposely being tough so no one can see her being weak. The problem is, I kinda felt like that’s what was happening for most of the book.
Aside from that, though, the story was great. Blythe’s almost bad girl persona did suit me well and when she meets Jax, it doesn’t take a genius to see where it’s going to lead, but it was fun watching it all happen. I’d say the only other character I had any issues with was Dante and not because he was the bad guy. My problem was that he seemed to be so horribly evil, but then showed a silly side when he threw a temper tantrum that was eventually turned back into a sinister evil action. I guess I just didn’t understand why a character that was supposed to be so evil stopped to care long enough to get his feelings hurt.
My last pseudo-complaint is about the ending. I liked the ending and I liked all the action leading up to it, but the transition between the action and conclusion seemed non-existent. It all happened so fast and calm that I kept expecting someone to jump out of a bush and start another battle to break the peace, but that was it. There was conflict and drama and then, there wasn’t. I like happy endings, so to speak, but I do sometimes expect them to take a little more effort.
All in all, the story was really good. There was more action and development of the mythology behind this series, which is always a favorite for me. So I didn’t like Blythe as much as I thought I would, but that doesn’t mean you won’t love her. I’d say if you’ve read the first one, this is definitely worth a read.
See my review of the book 1 in The Dryad Quartet, Breath of Air.
This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.
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