''Beautiful Darkness'' is a young adult

paranormal romance Paranormal romance is a subgenre of both romantic fiction and speculative fiction. Paranormal romance focuses on romantic love and includes elements beyond the range of scientific explanation, from the speculative fiction genres of fantasy, scien ...

novel written by

Kami Garcia Kami Garcia (born March 25, 1972) is an American writer. She is known for writing Young adult literature, young adult fiction and graphic novels for DC Comics. Life She grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, but currently resides in Los Angeles, C ...

and

Margaret Stohl Margaret Stohl (; born 1967) is an American novelist. She is the author of 14 novels, as well as 5 volumes of comics and several video games. She lives in Santa Monica, California. Early life and education Margaret Stohl was born in Pasadena, C ...

. The second novel in the '' Caster Chronicles'', it was published by

Little, Brown Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries, it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emil ...

on October 12, 2010. The third novel, '' Beautiful Chaos''. was released on October 18, 2011. ''Beautiful Darkness'' debuted at number three on the ''New York Times'' Bestsellers list for children's books.

Synopsis

The book continues to follow Ethan Wate, a teenage boy living in the small Southern town of Gatlin. He is in love with Lena Duchannes, a girl with the ability to work great magic, which she used to bring Ethan back to life after the events in the preceding book. She has managed to avoid having to make the choice between dark or light, but she is still not free to live her life as she chooses.

Reception

Critical reception for ''Beautiful Darkness'' was positive, with the ''

Manila Bulletin The ''Manila Bulletin'' () (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...

'' calling it "moody and atmospheric." ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

'' praised the book's "gothic atmosphere" and new characters. The ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...

'' blog positively reviewed ''Beautiful Darkness'', with a librarian also giving a positive review for the book's "great storytelling balance." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' noted that while the book had a "weaker and more hurried plot" than its predecessor, "readers... will find satisfaction here."

References

External links

Official Beautiful Creatures websiteThe Next 'Twilight': The Search Continues At BookExpo America (MTV)
* {{Caster Chronicles 2010 American novels American young adult novels Young adult fantasy novels Young adult romance novels Paranormal romance novels Little, Brown and Company books 2010 fantasy novels