Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London

This is a book I saw on shelves and while searching for books for a long time. I always looked at it and said to myself, "Nah, not my kind of book." Well, I eventually gave in and read the book. If only to stop it from popping up everywhere saying "Read me!" Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. I loved  Darkness Before Dawn from page one. Imagine opening a book and thinking "Okay, let's get this over with," and then not being able to put it down until you've finished. That is exactly what happened with me. As soon as I finished, I requested the second book from the library. I gobbled up pages faster than dessert on Thanksgiving.

The main character is named Dawn. She lives in a dystopian Denver where vampires rule. Denver happens to be ruled by Lord Valentine. There are twelve vampire families total, one for each city left. Lord Valentine is the epitome of all things evil. He is the evil overlord to say the least. Anyway, Dawn's parents die at the beginning of the story and she has to take on their job as the delegate for Lord Valentine. In doing so, she shows great strength and bravery. I known I wouldn't be able to stand up to an evil, and powerful, vampire like that. Dawn really struck a cord with me. While I couldn't truly relate to her, I am in awe at how she handles what her crazy life throws at her. She takes it all in stride. Not to mention the fact that she has amazing taste in guys. What's better than being in love (though she doesn't realize it at first) with her sworn enemy. She has to break down walls she put up for her own good when things turn out to be different than anyone ever imagined. Something Dawn does amazingly well, is find out who the real bad guys are. And when found, they're going to wish the never crossed Dawn Montgomery.

The story is amazing. It's developed and like nothing I've ever seen before. I do have to compare it to Julie Kagawa's The Immortal Rules. If you like that book, you'll love Darkness Before Dawn. It's an amazing mix of dystopian and fantasy, a genre that seems to be ever more present in YA books. And I'm glad about that. It definitely shakes things up a bit. I couldn't put the book down and can't wait to read it again. Check out the author's Facebook page and website for more information on the books. I give Darkness Before Dawn five stars!

Synopsis:

The war is over. The humans lost. And in the shattered world that arises, the vampires are king. They rule over the remaining walled cities with an iron fist, none more terrifying than Lord Valentine. His concern is with blood and blood alone, and seeing that it is ‘donated’ on time.

It’s Dawn Montgomery’s duty to ensure the safety of her fellow humans within the city, but also to serve as Delegate to Lord Valentine. She is the conduit between the two worlds, the human and vampire, and the youngest to ever do so.

But when Lord Valentine’s son, Victor, steps into her life, everything changes. She assumes he wants her blood, like all vampires. But he’s after more: her heart.

Title: Darkness Before Dawn

Author: J.A. London

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release: May 29, 2012

Series: Darkness Before Dawn

Pages: 368