For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
With a classic such as Jane Austen’s Persuasion it is almost impossible for a reader of fiction to not stumble across one of its many retellings and like many other enthusiastic readers, I was a bit hesitant to endeavour on the journey of another retelling with a fantasy twist. However, For Darkness Shows the Stars did not disappoint in the least. The author was able to integrate not only the bare bones of Austen’s classic story, but also take scenes from the original and mold and add them to the new story line so that these two genres fit together so perfectly.
The main character was multidimensional and easy to identify with. The author successfully created a character that showed the depth of human emotions from despair to love to strength in dire situations. Along with a cast of secondary characters that enhanced the story instead of only aiding in the main character’s development, the story is a well-crafted retelling that puts equal focus on the importance of character depth and plot development.
The plot, although inspired by the original Persuasion, delicately drifts from the pure retelling and ease of identifying those very similar scenes to a story that becomes rich in fantasy and science fiction.
The writing was easy flowing, yet not rudimentary. The author possessed the ability to convey the complexity of the characters’ emotions and situations in such a way that the reader was able to follow and feel for and with the characters without feeling inferior to the story’s overall premise.
Overall, I have to say it was the best retelling of a classic with a twist of sci-fi and fantasy. I felt for the characters and got lost in the story of love and family and everything in between. As I am reviewing this book two months after I have read it, I can say with certainty that this is a story that will stay with the reader for a long time. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, who enjoys sophisticated Young Adult fiction, classic retellings, science fiction and fantasy.
