Saturday 4 October 2014

The Sarah Midnight Trilogy - Dreams, Tide and Spirit by Daniela Sacerdoti


"You’d never think it could happen to you. You’d never think that one day you’ll stand in a graveyard, rain tapping on a sea of black umbrellas, watching your parents being lowered into the earth, never to come back. It’s happening to me. They said it was an accident. Only I know the truth. My parents were hunters, like their parents and grandparents before them, hundreds of years back, scores of ancestors behind me, fulfilling the same call. I must follow in their footsteps. I am the only one left to keep the promise. I can never give up the fight, this fight that has been handed down to me, thrust upon my unwilling shoulders. I’d rather be buried with my parents, my brave, fierce father and mother, who lived and died by the Midnight motto: Don’t Let Them Roam.’
Ever since her thirteenth birthday, seventeen-year-old Sarah Midnight’s dreams have been plagued by demons – but unlike most people’s nightmares, Sarah’s come true. Her dreams guide her parents’ hunt as Sarah remains in bed, terrified but safe, sheltered from the true horrors of the Midnight legacy. But all this is about to change. After the murder of her parents, she is cruelly thrust into a secret world of unimaginable danger as she is forced to take up their mission. Alone and unprepared for the fight that lies before her, Sarah must learn how to use the powers she’s inherited and decide whom to trust before it’s too late…"

"Sarah Midnight is no ordinary teenager. She is a demon hunter, caught up in one of the deadliest wars unknown to man. Orphaned at the age of sixteen, Sarah learned the family trade of hunting without her parents to guide her but under the watchful eye of her ‘cousin’, who was revealed to be Sean Hannay, no relative at all, but a dear friend of the real Harry Midnight.
Now, in the exciting sequel to Dreams, the fight continues. Sarah and Sean may have defeated the Scottish Valaya, but the rest of the war still rages on, and Sarah, Sean, Nicholas and their companions must unearth the identity and location of the Enemy – the leader of the demons – before the world plunges into the Time of Demons once more. Their quest leads them to Sarah’s family home, the Midnight mansion in Islay, and there they discover horrible truths about the demon ruler, his plans, and Sarah’s own personal history.
Along the way, Sarah must battle not only the demons but her hurt toward Sean and her feelings for the enigmatic Nicholas, who has plans of his own."

"This is the gripping conclusion to the Sarah Midnight trilogy. The identity and location of the Enemy - the King of Shadows- have been revealed and Sarah has fully embraced the Midnight legacy and her own powers. Sarah and her friends travel to the ancient forests of Poland to find the portal between their world and the Enemy's in order to destroy him. Two Secret Heirs join them on the journey, but are all members of Sarah's company really loyal to their cause? Nicholas, the son of the King of Shadows, holds the key, but is he still serving his father? As they enter the Shadow World and battle demons they didn't know existed, will Sarah and Sean finally come together? Or will Elodie's vision of the death of Sarah Midnight be realised? A final sacrifice may be necessary to free humanity from the King of Shadows. Follow Sarah and her friends into the Shadow world, and to the heart wrenching, exciting, surprising end of Sarah Midnight Trilogy."


I am a massive fan of Daniela Sacerdoti, having read her absolutely incredible debut novel Watch Over Me and also more recently Take Me Home - to see what I thought of them both, click on the links to see my previous reviews.  My review of Watch Over Me also appears on Daniela's website as one of her favourite reviews (I feel very honoured by this!!!)

In contrast to her other books that I have read, this trilogy is a Young Adult trilogy, and I have to admit, I didn't totally fall in love with the trilogy in the way I loved The Hunger Games or Host.  I liked Sarah Midnight, I liked Harry/Sean and I liked their chemistry but there was something missing for me.  I did not find myself entirely captivated, unable to tear myself away, although I should stress that I did enjoy the books as a whole and would not go as far as saying that I do not recommend them.  

The Sarah Midnight Trilogy is packed full of demons, friendship, betrayal and love.  Sarah (and others) find themselves in all sorts of horrific situations, and I think this was the source of the main downfall for me; I just found it too unrealistic and could not understand how people could continue to survive an onslaught of such awful encounters.  

Don't get me wrong, the writing is good and you will not find yourself bored. Daniela does well to link the three books without being repetitive, keeps the momentum going, and each book contains a distinct element to the storyline. For those YA's who enjoy this type of book, definitely worth a look.

Perhaps my feelings are purely because I can no longer call myself a young adult!  I continue to look forward to Daniela Sacerdoti's next Glen Avich magic book; Inary's Silence.

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