Title: Dark Nights – First in the Until Dawn Series
Author: Jordan E. Walker
Publisher: Writer’s Branding
ISBN: 978-1954341159
Pages: 180
Genre: Fantasy
Reviewed By: Susan Brown
Hollywood Book Reviews
This imaginative fantasy begins in mystery with an enigmatic cloaked figure who magically disappears in a poof of smoke. That is just one of the many mystifying and fanciful events which take place in Dark Nights – First in the Until Dawn Series, the first installment of this storyline by author Jordan E. Walker. Set in a land right out of the author’s imagination, this novel transports the reader to a place where, unlike the real world, fantastical things occur.
From the outset, the heroine, Jayde Henryk, is straddling the line between truth and fiction in her home life. She is the “black sheep” in what she describes as a family that is living a lie — putting on a loving and loyal front outside their front door, but behind it the family is dominated by her “maniac” of a father. She exhibits the typical disdain for her parents common to young people her age. She is challenged by her distrust of her parents based on the lie they are all living and her fierce determination to protect her younger brother, creating a tightrope she must walk between compliance and rebellion.
This imbalance drives much of this narrative as she is thrust into unraveling family secrets, pitting her against her dictatorial father while trying to uncover his role in the deaths of her mother and brother. On the heels of these deaths Jayde is forced, by her father, to flee their home. This hasty escape untethers her from the reality of her life, forcing her to navigate an unknown realm, both emotionally and physically. The author is adept at making the reader part of this struggle through her effective use of dialogue and by showcasing Jayde’s thought process through a robust inner monologue.
So, their escape lands them in unfamiliar territory where they meet a mixed bag of odd, quirky and beguiling characters, and have to deal with a brutal assassin, presumably the murderer of their family members, who’s followed them from their homeland. This begins the heart of the story and Jayde’s quest to find the meaning behind the deaths of her mother and brother, and, subsequently her father. It’s all tied to a fairy tale taught to her as a child about a magical and power-filled jewel.
She is joined in her journey with a sassy, sarcastic lug of a man-fairy. Along the way she encounters hobbes, ogres, harpies, goblins and more fairies, and eventually a fairy queen who might just have the solution to her quest, all of which adds to the fanciful ambience of this novel. Good versus evil comes to the forefront as Jayde begins to understand her unfolding family history.
As the title to this novel proclaims, this is just the beginning of the Until Dawn series. It’s a compelling introduction to all of the players, both human and not-so-human. It will be interesting to see how the author deals with Jayde as she matures and comes to fully understand her situation. I’m invested in the process and looking forward to the next installment.