Book Review: LARKSTORM by Dawn Rae Miller

Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Larkstorm is like no other book I’ve ever read. It’s a dysopian, with all the great world building stuff that goes along with that - wristlets, population control, fun new words like ping and heya, bindings (state chosen partners). But it’s also a fantasy – witches and quests and generation-spanning curses! The hybrid result is an amazing piece of fiction.

And while all that on its own would be enough to make me want to read this book, there’s also a star-crossed love story. Lark and Beck have been friends their whole lives, knowing that they’ll be bound when they turn 18 (like being married). They’re always together, they’re completely in tune with each others emotions, “two halves of the same coin,” they even room together at school. But they can’t kiss. At all. Until their binding ceremony. So, as you might imagine, this book is packed with sexual tension.

When Beck leaves the school in a scandal that marks him an enemy of the State, Lark risks everything to find him and clear his name. She’s bold and brave and smart, but at the same time, she’s not your typical dystopian LI. As the daughter of a State leader, she’s a stickler for the rules. And she actually *gasp* cares about her appearance. I loved hearing about her clothes and shoes, but more importantly, I found this mixture of strength and femininity refreshing. I love Katniss Everdeen, but I love her in The Hunger Games. I don’t want to see her as the cookie cutter for every YA heroine from now until eternity. Lark Greene breaks the mold.

But back to the love story. Lark and Beck are doomed. DOOMED! To quote the blurb on the jacket, “she has to kill the boy she loves, unless he kills her first.” Be still my beating heart. I’ve been aching for a love story like this since Buffy killed Angel.

The only issue I had was that with all the huge reveals and Lark’s volatile reactions to them. While they are an important part of her character and the story as a whole, sometimes I felt overwhelmed with everything I had to process emotionally. There’s a trend in YA recently to make authors cut stories to the bone in order to achieve non-stop action, and sometimes I miss the quiet bits.

To wrap it up, I also loved Eloise, Kyra, Bethina, and Eamon. The cover is beautiful. And the pages have this lark detail at the top that I thought was really cool. Also, the ending is so intense that I’m pretty sure I’m going to go crazy waiting for the next book.

Recommended for: I think dystopia fans and fantasy fans would both like this book. Also fans of star-crossed love.



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