Darker Still (Magic Most Foul #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber

Summary:

I was obsessed.

It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I'd ever seen--everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable...utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike.

There was a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury never had committed suicide. He was alive. Trapped within his golden frame.

I've crossed over into his world within the painting, and I've seen what dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked--bound together to watch the darkness seeping through the gas-lit cobblestone streets of Manhattan. Unless I can free him soon, things will only get Darker Still.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 317 pages (Paperback)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: November 8th 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire

After sitting on my enormous tbr pile since October 2011 I finally had the chance to read Darker Still in January and I am still kicking myself over taking so long to finally read it but at least now I can say I did.

Darker Still is the story about a mute girl named Natalie who by various circumstances comes to meet a cast of characters that alter the course of her life forever and it all starts with a painting of the young and not so deceased Lord Denbury.

Leanna Renee Hieber offered up a wonderful piece of young adult historical fiction with a lot of mystery, a dash of romance and a proper serving of supernatural to make the story one that I found completely addictive. Once I started the book I couldn't stop reading it and stayed up to the wee hours of the early morning to finish it because I could not get enough of the story between Denbury and Natalie and the mysterious forces behind Denbury's imprisonment in his portrait.

I though that the plot was very good. At just over 300 pages long thing flowed quickly and seamlessly without seeming as though the story was rushing. It was perfectly paced and I didn't find myself lulled by a ton of plot filler. I loved the sense of adventure Darker Still gave and it definitely kept me at the edge of my seat. Like the title suggests it is a bit darker but not so much so as to make the book seem dreary.

The characters were wonderful I loved how each of them developed throughout the novel especially Natalie. She's one of my favourite heroines now because she was able to overcome so many obstacles like her selective mutism. She was both serious and funny, grown up and at the same time very much a little girl.

Denbury was good too. He had his rakish moments in the book but I liked him. As much as he was attracted to Natalie he is trying to do right by her and I find the chivalry and gentlemanly manor he possesses quite refreshing and I really like Natalie and him as a couple.

The side characters whether they were the good or the bad guys were interesting although I wish there was more to learn about the bad guys in Darker Still because I did feel that there could have been more explanation as to them and their origins. However I still liked how the book played out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this first novel in the Magic Most Foul series and I highly recommend it to fans of the young adult genre. If you haven't read it already go get your hands on a copy as soon as you can! It has a lot to offer and it's a very quick read. I think it's one of the better young adult novels I've read and I can definitely see myself reading the author's other books.

Really Liked It!
★★★★

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