READING: The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine,#1) by Bree Despain

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Publication Date: July 5th 2010
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd

Paperback, 384 pages

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A Prodigal Son


A Dangerous Love


A Deadly Secret


Grace Divine—daughter of the local pastor—always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappearedand her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.


Now that Daniel's returned, Grace mus choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother.


As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

My feelings towards The Dark Divine are quite mixed.Thus making it really hard for me both to rate and write a review about this book.It's not that i didn't like it,so a 4 star rating should be just.But on the other hand I didn't like it quite as much as I liked other books I rated with 4 stars in the past.So,I'll just settle with a 3,5 rating though I always try to avoid half star ratings.

After all the great reviews I've read about The Dark Divine I have to be honest that I expected a mindblowing novel.And the fact is that this book isn't half that bad.It's an original story beautifully written.I can't just pass the fact that Bree Despain's writing style is brilliant.I loved everything about it,how lyrical it was,how beautifully she was able to describe scenes in her book.Her writing just made the pages flow despite,in my opinion,the lack of anything really crucial happening for the best part of the book.The mystery was given perfectly,keeping the reader wondering the whole time about the turn of the events.

The character building was also very good.There was development in the characters and the world building was also something that I haven't come across in many books.But despite all that,I just couldn't bring myself to be awed by this book.

Maybe I couldn't get into it because I have to admit it,shapeshifter stories aren't my cup of tea.I have read books about werewolves,mostly,but they never were my favorite.So maybe,that's why I couldn't bring myself to like more a book that by all means seems more than good.

What also bothered me was the fact that I just couldn't like any of the characters in this book,except Daniel.Daniel is one amazing character,enveloped in so much mystery and pain that I couldn't help myself but feel drawn to him.Grace's father was also a character I didn't mind reading about.

But with everyone else I had some problems,making roll my eyes a number of times while reading this book with their reactions.

I found Grace's mother a bit hysterical,Jude,for all the good guy he is,a total jerk at most times,April selfish and uncaring and Grace herself indifferent as a character.There were times I liked her and times I just couldn't get her way of her thinking.But that wasn't my main problem.After all,you don't have to agree with the way the characters are thinking to like them.My main problem was that something just kept me from really getting into this book and appreciate more the good elements it had.

I'll say once more that Dark Divine is in no way a bad book or a book I don't recommend.It's just a book that didn't "speak" to me the way it spoke in the majority of readers.And a book that I won't re-read ever.As for the sequel?I may give it a chance but not in the immediate future to be honest.