Book Review: The Vanishing Spark of Dusk by Sara Baysinger

The Vanishing Spark of Dusk 
by Sara Baysinger
Publication Date: January 8, 2018
Format: ARC E-Book, 366 Pages
Genres: Young Adult - Sci-Fi - Romance
Find it On: Amazon - Goodreads
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis:

Stand up.

When Lark is stolen from Earth to be a slave on the planet Tavdora, she’s determined to find her way back home to her family, no matter the cost. Placed in the household of a notorious slave trader, Lark quickly learns her best assets are her eyes and ears. And if she’s brave enough, her voice.

Be heard.

Kalen is the Tavdorian son of a slave trader and in line to inherit his father’s business. But his growing feelings for Lark, the new house slave who dares to speak of freedom, compel him to reveal his new plan for the slave ships returning to Earth—escape. Together, they just might spark a change that flares across the universe.

Fight back.

About the Author:

Sara Baysinger grew up in the heart of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador where she spent her childhood exploring uncharted lands and reading all things magical. She now lives among the endless cornfields of Indiana with her husband and two young children. Sara enjoys writing and reading anything out of the ordinary, and has a bad habit of zoning out at the most inopportune moments. She is currently considering seeking medical attention for her potentially life-threatening coffee addiction.

Website / GoodReads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

My Review:

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth book I've received for review from Sara and let me tell you, it's always a pleasure to pick up her work!

The Vanishing Spark of Dusk did a 180 from her other series, a dystopian, and dove into hard core Sci-Fi. The main character, Lark, is a human stolen from Earth by a race of aliens who have systematically enslaved humanity. Lark's home in what was Indiana is one of the last known strongholds of "free" humans on Earth. Headstrong, desperate for freedom, and determined to see her terminally ill mother again, Lark does whatever it takes to escape her captors - even if her life of "enslavement" doesn't seem all that terrible.

Jumping in from that synopsis, I do think it's important to note that this story walks a very fine line of apologism. Is a person from a culture built upon slavery ever forgivable, even if they themselves fight for abolition? If they are improving the lives of individual slaves, fighting to change the system, or even literally freeing people, can they ever be truly absolved while they are still benefitting from the system they oppose? That's a real deep moral can of worms, and I'm not entirely sure I share the opinions this book presents, but I'm proceeding with this review without getting deeper into that analysis.

I love the characters. Lark is an engaging protagonist because she's brave, outspoken, etc., all the things you'd expect from a strong female protagonist. But more than these traits, the most important thing about her is her compassion and hope. It is these strengths of character that get her from point a to b in the story, and they're such essential human qualities that it's really easy to relate to her as a reader.

Kalen's a little harder to talk about without getting into my disclaimer above, but he's well-writen, for sure. The fine line he treads between his role as the son of a merchant empire and his own moral standards makes for interesting plot and character development. The cool thing about him is that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop somehow, but instead of him doing something awful, or him falling into a trope I was dreading, he would surprise me with true actual dedication to being a good person. By the end of the book, I was much more understanding of Lark's feelings towards him than I thought I would be.

Honestly, the coolest part of this book is its handling of sexuality. When you start venturing into other worlds with alien cultures, I always roll my eyes at how many human prejudices are built into completely foreign cultures. Kalen's culture is largely polyamorous, but it's not disgustingly sexualized. Like, I didn't feel like I was reading some weird pseudo-erotica, as much as sex was mentioned. Also! Consent. Was. Important. A+++ to you, Sara, for creating such a great world with that built in. There was also queer rep in some supporting characters, so extra kudos.

The plot itself unfolded much in the way I expected, and honestly, sometimes things came too easily to Lark. I would have personally enjoyed feeling more danger for her situation (she gains favor and privileges in her new situation real fast, with very minimal resistance, or even fear on her end). But the reason this was so binge-worthy was the characters. For such a dark topic, it was amazing how so many characters would surprise you with their humanity. What a refreshing twist for this genre! 

Diversity Score: Multi-racial main relationship (+2), Supporting gay character (+1) = 3

Book Review: Ashen City by Sara Baysinger

Ashen City (Black Tiger #1) by Sara Baysinger 
Publication Date: April 6, 2017
Format: E-Book (ARC), 378 Pages
Genres: YA - Dystopian - Romance
Find it On: Amazon / GoodReads
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis:

Make your choice, Ember Carter. And make it count.

Ember Carter has escaped the flames of death. But will she ever be free from Chief Titus? When the orchard goes up in smoke and her family turns up missing, Ember returns to Frankfort hoping to find her brother and father, and to get Titus to drop the death wish he has against her.

But Titus is always one step ahead. When Ember faces him head-on, she’s captured, only to receive another death sentence. But on her way to her execution, plans go a little askew, and Ember finds herself traveling to the one place no one dares travel: Louisville. If the outskirts of Ky were a ghost town, the ashen city is the borderline of hell itself, but it’s the one place Ember can find refuge from the people who want her dead.

In the ashen city, Ember must learn that being a hero is more than doing what is right because she can, but doing it for the good of the people. And when plans take a turn for the worst, she must decide if it’s worth risking her life to save her country.

About the Author:

Sara Baysinger grew up in the heart of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador where she spent her childhood exploring uncharted lands and reading all things magical. She now lives among the endless cornfields of Indiana with her husband and two young children. Sara enjoys writing and reading anything out of the ordinary, and has a bad habit of zoning out at the most inopportune moments. She is currently considering seeking medical attention for her potentially life-threatening coffee addiction.

Website / GoodReads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

My Review:

*This book was graciously received as an ARC from the author.*

Oh my oh my oh my, where do I even start!

Well, to begin my praise: I read Black Tiger as an ARC six months ago. Since then, I've probably read 30 books, and yet the world of Black Tiger was still as fresh in my mind as if I'd read it yesterday!

Ember thought her life returned to normal when she got permission to go back home to her father and brother. She was even followed by her now-boyfriend, Forest, so things seem pretty great. But of course Chief Titus isn't going to let someone as important as Ember off the hook that easily. It's only weeks of peace before she is thrust back into the center of a political intrigue that she never asked for, and no one to help her except maybe the Turner brothers - if she can trust even one of them.

Ember continues to be an awesome protagonist. To quote my review of the first book, I'm hardcore team Ember-just-gets-to-be-happy-and-safe-no-matter-what. Which, I mean, is unfortunate because that doesn't sound like it's happening any time soon, but I also love when a protagonist is a self-sufficient in her story that I root for that. Ember is against the awful things the government is doing, but she didn't ask to be in the middle of the fight. She spends much of the book resenting her mother for putting her in this position and really wants nothing more than to run away from it all. She starts with just wanting to protect herself and her loved ones, and even more so than the first book, Ashen City is Ember's journey to find the love for her people to hold herself accountable for their well-being.

I have shipped Ember and Rain from the start, and that never seems to be good news when the love triangle has swung the opposite way that it should. But Baysinger pulled it off great! Without getting into spoilers, her relationships with Forest and Rain evolve in a natural and well-paced way for her trust and affection to shift based on what's going on around her. Neither boy is entirely right or wrong. Forest is an extremely flawed love interest without being a "bad guy," and Rain becomes endearing without being made any less edgy and impulsive. In fact, from all ends, no characters sacrifice their personalities or morals to make way for romance. I think that's what's left me hung up on these character's stories since I dove into this series.

Another major point of credit I have to give to Baysinger is that she made me realize what a lot of dystopian books are missing: religion. Living in a major American city, I live in a fairly agnostic society where religion minimally impacts my daily existence, but regardless of my own beliefs, I would find it very reasonable to believe that with America falling apart at the seems people wouldn't look to faith to find guidance. How is it that The Hunger Games or Divergent's societies aren't looking to a higher power? Because it wasn't convenient to the author? Rain, the token bad-boy, is devoutly religious and open's a disbelieving Ember's eyes to the miracles around her. There is no fantastic definitive "this is real" like you get in a fantasy novel, but Ember's decision to believe without definitive evidence is exactly what makes her a stronger character, and it's so refreshing to see that plot.

Please don't let the fact that this is an indie book daunt you - Black Tiger and Ashen City are bound to be instant favorites!

Book Review: Black Tiger by Sara Baysinger

Black Tiger by Sara Baysinger

Publication Date: October 6, 2016

Genres: YA - Sci-Fi - Dystopian

Find it On: Goodreads / Amazon

Synopsis:

When the fire goes out, supposedly dead, the embers still remain, tiny specks of deadwood and ash that have the capacity to start a fire large enough to burn down an entire city.

Ember Carter is a sixteen-year-old farmer’s daughter who wants nothing more than to stay close to her family in the Community Garden when Career Day approaches. Unfortunately, all farming careers are given to boys, and besides, as of the past two years, all students have been drafted to the Line of Defenders to fight in a war no one seems to know about. When she meets Forest, the mysterious stranger who seems to know a bit too much about city life and the way the government is run, she’s even less eager to leave the safe haven of the Garden.

On Career Day, the future couldn’t look brighter when Ember is the only student assigned the career of a Farmer. But all hopes come to end when she attacks a Defender to save her best friend. Suspected a rebel and sentenced to death, she’s transferred to Frankfort Prison where she will carry out her sentence.

But Frankfort is full of surprises and snotty Patricians. While in prison, Ember learns a dark secret about Forest that makes her question what little she knew about him. And then there’s Rain,the carelessly handsome boy who enjoys instigating her just a bit too much. If THAT’S not enough, the world learns something about Ember even she doesn’t know. A secret that brings her character into question, enlightens her on her mother’s true identity, and ultimately, gives her the power to affect the rise or fall of Ky.

With the handsome Forest tugging at her heart, and the rogue Rain whispering treasons into her ear, can Ember make the right decision that will redeem the corrupt government of Ky?

Trailer:

About the Author:

Sara Baysinger grew up in the heart of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador where she spent her time exploring uncharted lands and reading all things magical. She now lives among the endless cornfields of Indiana with her husband and two children.

My Review:

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for sharing, Sara. This is one heck of a book!

Ember is a common farmer in a post-plague America. When her career-assignment day comes, all she wants is to become a farmer so she can stay with her father and brother. Instead, she has her best friend taken from her and her entire life turned upside down.

Black Tiger is one of those rare gems among the dystopian genre that I find myself loving. Most books are about a revolutionary girl who wants to change the world, but Baysinger took a page from series like The Hunger Games and Chaos Walking where the main character just wants to survive and go home. Does she want to kiss that cute guy who helped her? Of course. But does she want to stay with him forever at the cost of never seeing her family? Of course not! Ember is probably what any of us would be in her scenario: a confused and distressed teenager who is just trying to play everyone's games and get by.

Besides Ember herself, I found all the characters in the novel fantastic because they somehow always subvert what you'd expect from them. Forest, the beautiful blue-eyed love interest, is honest yet in the pocket of the government and unwilling to truly shake anything up. Meanwhile, Rain, the bad-boy, is maybe a little too far off the deep end, and definitely doesn't have Ember's best interests at heart either.

Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of juicy love triangle goodness, but this is one of those dystopians that is about the main character and her figuring everything out while the world crumbles around her. I am 110% team Rain, but something tells me I'm also going to be team Ember-just-gets-to-be-happy-and-safe no matter how everything else plays out. 

I'm so hung up on the characters because that's what endeared me so much to Black Tiger, but the plot is one heck of a ride, too. Baysinger strings you along with twist after twist without ever losing you in the detail. Perfectly paced and always intriguing!

This one gets 4/5 stars for now, but I have high hopes for the sequel! 

Interview With Sara Baysinger, Author of BLACK TIGER

Black Tiger by Sara Baysinger, a kick-ass YA dystopian, releases TOMORROW! To celebrate and get excited for the launch, Sara herself is stopping by Looselaf Reviews to answer some questions about her new book.

Check out the book on Amazon (today is the last day to pre-order for $.99!) and enjoy the interview below!