To Wield The Darkest Night

I have learned, over the years, that Beau Van Dalen has a talent to write in a way that both soothes and excites; the prose is compelling, pushing the reader forward while at the same time assuring them that they will be all right. As a result, the experience I have when reading his books is one of comfort. Yes, things may be bad for the characters and odds may seem insurmountable, but there is a way, or an alternative that brings an ending that's different but in no way lesser than the other possibilities. And lest we forget, there is steam. A lot of steam. Amazing steam. One of my favorite aspects of Van Dalen's writing is that the erotic aspects of his writing are written in a way that seeks to honor the characters, their personalities, and their needs for intimacy and vulnerability. We see so much more than we might in the day-to-day in these sensual, sexual moments that expose the core of the characters (in more ways than one).

I was so intrigued by the description of the book and it sounded so beautiful! I would say I read it at the right time even though most of the book is happening during summer, the vibes are just perfect for fall! It is so lovely to see an incredible lead and the lead being transmasc is just so powerful! I don't think there is enough queer stories like this one. Sol is our mc and the center of the story, we see how he is navigating the world while pretending to be someone he's not! That's where our cinnamon roll comes in Yohan who just helps him live the way he's supposed to live! It was so wonderful to watch their relationship develop and how they helped each other in so many ways. The chemistry and love was transferred so well to page that I genuinely believe these two characters love each other. I have grown to love them both so much! I just want to be honest with you this is a cosy low stakes fantasy and so there is no major conflict or plot it's is mostly focused on Sol and his owns struggles and growth. The journey Sol and Yohan go has such lovely description and the writing is really consistent and just magical. I really enjoyed the writing. The only thing I personally struggled with in this book is no chapters, this just made it really hard for me to read and focus. But that is a personal preference where I like to have shorter chapters because my attention span is really short, unless I'm hyperfixated on something. This didn't really impact my liking of the…

We need more happy endings in this world, especially this kind. Even when the journey was hard, to see a story focused on the healing and on the impending sunrise of a brilliant future is such a breath of fresh air. Hope you sign the permission slip for this 'feels trip' because it definitely is that and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

I hate being critical of indie books because I know how hard it is to be a self-published author. That is said, I have 3 main complaints about this one. 1. Lack of plot. The book is 80% şěx, with only a handful of scenes/conversations that actually have any substance. I get that healing the king was secondary to Sol's journey to find peace, but it felt like a huge, gaping hole that I just had to ignore. Other things were skimmed over, too: Sol's elven heritage, Sol's magic, Yohan's past, etc. I just wish there had been more to keep the reader involved than just șěx. 2. The conversations had during şěx were very repetitive and oddly eloquent for two people supposedly in the throes of passion. It was a strange reading experience, and I had to keep reminding myself of what they were doing. 3. Dozens of grammatical errors, namely misplaced commas. Again, I know that being an indie author means no professional editor. But there are [free] tools out there that can be used to check for mistakes without being a proponent of Åİ writing. Overall I liked the story enough to finish it, but wish I could have gotten to know the characters more--outside of their intimate moments.

Started reading this a few days ago, and haven’t stopped since. It has brought me comfort, and the ✨spice✨ was perfect for the characters. Will be reading more by the author.