To a Darker Shore - Leanne Schwartz (#Blog tour & #Review)

Date of Reading: 2/5/2024

Author: Leanne Schwartz

Publisher: Page Street YA

Publication Date: April 30, 2024

Rating: 4/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Colored Pages Book Tours)

About the book:

A da Vinci-esque teen girl inventor on a Dante-esque journey through hell to save her best friend.

Plain, poor, plus-size, and autistic, Alesta grew up trying to convince her kingdom that she’s too useful to be sacrificed like so many of their country’s poor to appease the infernal monster across the poison sea in hell.

When Alesta’s attempt to prove herself with inventions goes awry, her best friend and heir to the throne, Kyrian, takes the blame expecting leniency―and ends up tithed in her place.

To end the sacrifices forever, Alesta plans to kill the monster that killed her friend. She travels to the depths of hell only to find Kyrian, alive, but monstrously transformed.

There’s no escaping hell or their deeper feelings for one another, and the farther they go, the closer they come to uncovering a truth about the tithings that threatens to invoke the wrath of not only monsters but the gods as well.

Review:

       Can you believe that this is my first plus-size novel? Hmm, we all have to begin somewhere and I am so glad to start with this adventurous tale. Though the blurb doesn't mention it, I found this story to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling in an entirely different world with its own set of rules. 

       Alesta lives in an island country where beauty is considered a virtue and ugliness an abomination. Every three months a youth is tithed off to the monster lurking in the sea to appease its wrath and it could be Alesta's turn any day. She is an orphan, fat and does not meet anyone's beauty standards. All she can offer is her sharp mind and the inventions it creates. When her latest creation goes awry, she seeks Kyr's help to take the blame and it results in him being the next tithe. 

        With the assistance of Kyr's cousin, Mico, Alesta embarks on a mission to kill the monster who took her closest friend. She finds Kyr alive only to find him transformed. Together they travel through hell finding that everything is not as they are taught to be. 

     The story was predictable but that doesn't make it any less engrossing. The deepening bond between Kyr and Alester as they face dangers together was truly heartwarming, all thanks to the dual POV. A compelling and engaging read, showcasing the strength of true love and the power of perseverance in the face of adversity.

Meet the author:

Leanne Schwartz is the author of the young adult fantasies A Prayer for Vengeance and To a Darker Shore, as well as the upcoming adult romcom My Kind of Trouble, writing as L. A. Schwartz. She has spent about half her life at either the library or the local theater, where she has played Lady Macbeth, Lady Capulet, and Hera―perhaps one reason she writes such vengeful, murderous girls. When she’s not writing, she can be found baking pizzelle and singing along to showtunes. She lives in California with her family.  

Get yourself a copy from Amazon today