Darkness Before Dawn

Author: J.A. London
Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: May 29, 2012

Format: Paperback

Source: For Review

Goodreads Description:

"Only sunlight can save us.

We built the wall to keep them out, to keep us safe. But it also makes us prisoners, trapped in what's left of our ravaged city, fearing nightfall.

After the death of my parents, it's up to me--as the newest delegate for humanity--to bargain with our vampire overlord. I thought I was ready. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the monsters. Then again, nothing could have prepared me for Lord Valentine . . . or his son. Maybe not all vampires are killers. Maybe it's safe to let one in.

Only one thing is certain: Even the wall is not enough. A war is coming and we cannot hide forever."

***

While Darkness Before Dawn was an enjoyable read, vampires are a bit to overdone for me to really enjoy this novel…and by a bit overdone, I mean enough already!!!!! The plot was pretty stereotypical—vampires have taken over the world (new trend, same premise: vampires), there is a love triangle (I typically like this part), and there is a “new” type of vampire that feeds off of other vampires (this was original when Richelle Mead did it in Vampire Academy, but has been used so many times it is beyond old, predictable, and dull). Luckily, the romance was able to salvage what would otherwise have been a relatively dull story.

The romance between Victor and Dawn was excellent. There was just enough hate/fear in the beginning to keep it realistic without being angsty, as well as a genuine attempt to fight off an unnatural relationship (as society considers it). Dawn already has a boyfriend—the extremely annoying Michael, who seems to think that he is invincible and that women are incapable of protecting themselves (hello, annoying). Since there was nothing appealing about Michael’s character, this love triangle didn’t really work for me. Luckily, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the Victor/Dawn scenes.

Michael is not the only character that irritated me in Darkness Before Dawn. Teagan, Dawn’s best friend, is best described as clueless and reckless—she is as much of a child as Michael is. Sin, the sexy stranger from out of town, had a predictable ending (which I will not spoil for those of you who haven’t read the novel). While there are plenty of teenagers out there who do really stupid things, Michael and Teagen were exceptionally dumb with their risk-taking behavior. I am all for a little recklessness, but there is a difference between reckless and sheer stupidity. Victor and Dawn were the only characters I enjoyed reading about.

Dawn as a main character is terrific. She is strong, but has the appropriate amount of fear when confronted with a dangerous situation. She is both courageous and intelligent—when she takes a risk, it is calculated and thought out. This does not mean she is unafraid, she most definitely is, but she is willing to do what she needs to despite her fears. Luckily, we are seeing more characters like Dawn in today’s young adult literature.

Even though Darkness Before Dawn has the world’s most predictable vampire plot and exceptionally annoying supporting character, it does have a good romance and a fantastic main character. Despite the generic nature of the plot, I am sufficiently intrigued to continue reading the series, and hope that it will become more original as the story progresses.

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