Bree Despain's debut The Dark Divine is, simply put, quite divine.
Wholesome with a fulfilling plotline, there's something very
satisfying about this book. "A prodigial son. A dangerous love. A
deadly secret." (Synopsis) Mystery, drama, intrigue, danger,
secrets, lies - The Dark Divine has a little bit of everything for
everyone.
Grace Divine, leading lady extraordinaire, is conveyed beautifully
through Despain's writing style. Simultaneously simplistic and
unique, there's something very raw and earnest - and real - about
[Grace]'s voice, making it very distinctive. Grace's innocent
naivity and kindheartedness simply makes her the likeable
girl-next-door who seems very relatable (albeit with a paranormal
twist). The letters from the past could have had the periodic
diction and voice tuned a bit further to seem more in time, though.
The best part of The Dark Divine is definitely the way Despain made
it different. The major catch of the paranormal aspect - it's
amazing that it's been kept under wraps so well. Which makes the
adventure readers embark on trying to discover it all that much
more exciting. Despain shows intricate foresight and planning with
the little clues dropped through foreshadowing and red herrings
throughout the course of the novel. From those, readers may or may
not be able to figure it out before the characters themselves - and
the race and potential for dramatic irony simply adds to the fun.
Daniel, Jude, the Divine parents, Pete, April - again, all very
interesting characters. It's great to see Despain's little twists
to make them truly her own. For a novel that chronicles a struggle
of sorts between good and evil, so to speak, it's wonderful to see
that the lines between the two sides have become blurred, which
adds to the credibility. There were moments here and there that
were sort of sappy and were close to bordering on corny. However,
that does seem to be part of the draw of The Dark Divine - all in
all, it's a very sweet, hope-inspiring read.
The way an ages-old myth was taken and incorporated in a modern way
with a unique twist that's all Despain's own is what makes this
novel stand out. The contents are as achingly raw and beautiful as
the cover. With captivating writing and a unique plotline, Bree
Despain's The Dark Divine is a very enjoyable read.