Book Review: The Dark Sun
- Stella
- Apr 28
- 3 min read
Author: Cristine Keller
Pages: 330, ebook
Pub date: 1/12/2025
Rating: 3/5
"She glowed in honey-gold variations and flickered like a distant star."
Pocky is a military medic on a mission. A man from her past has been deemed by the military too dangerous to let roam Oxtaria and she has volunteered to lend them her aid in capturing him.
Even if it means using her twin brother, Thomas, as bait.
When the mission goes wrong, a hidden truth will become their salvation, as only The Dark Sun has the power to keep them safe.
This is a very interesting story. The plot weaves itself via 3 different POVs, those of Pocky, her twin brother Thomas, and a farmboy named Lance. The world itself is complex and diverse, with its history being explained very early in the book. I loved how to the point the prologue's narration was, no unnecessary details added. Regions around Oxtaria have their own distinct cultures and languages, and I hope we get to explore even more of them in the next book!
Our cast features people from all walks of life, looking for a place to belong and finding family in each other. I live for strong character dynamics, and the bonds between Lance and Bren truly made them stand out to me the most. I also hope we get to see more of Thomas and Kai -my girl needs more page time!
I didn't expect the plot twist, nor the cliffhanger at the end of the book, and yes, it is enough to make me want to pick it up upon release!
So far so good, but why 3*? Well, for two reasons. No.1 - the pacing. It felt like the story took too long to pick up. Although I loved seeing the characters getting to know each other, the main plot seemed to take off from the middle of the book. I wish it were balanced a little better.
No.2 - representation. There is only one gay character in the book (he is described as physically attracted to another of the same sex), and the representation is not the best. He is someone we definitely don't root for and -without going into too much detail- his behaviour is truly disturbing. I genuinely hope this is not a pattern in the author's writing and that this character behaved as such because of what he is (explained near the end of the book) and not who he is.
Important note: I am not familiar with the author and under no circumstances wish to jump to conclusions based on a single work of hers that I have read.
With the 2nd book still on track for release in September (based on the author's Goodreads update), I can't wait to see what this story has in store for our crew.
If you pick up this book, I would love to know your thoughts! And if you are looking for a song to go with it, I recommend Ordinary by Alex Warren. It can easily be Pocky and Lance's theme song!🤭
A big thank you to the author & Hidden Hollow Tours for the complimentary copy. This review was voluntary, and my opinions are my own.
Now on to the next book!
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