I picked this up on a whim. The conceit is interesting enough: it's a fantasy set in a city divided in two, with half the population being unable to live in dark, the other half unable to live in light. The two societies function side by side, but distrust each other.The fantasy world is richly drawn, and the magic is done well. I liked the characters, too - there's a refreshing lack of good guys and bad guys, and everyone is depicted in shades of grey. I really liked the start of this novel, and was eager to read more...but as it went on, I found it dragging. Sadly, the plot is a bit of a let-down. It starts out well, but it becomes decidedly flat, and by the end I had to force myself to read on. I felt that nothing really happened in the novel - maybe things are just getting set up for the second book, which could be more interesting. We'll see (or will we?! I don't know if I'll bother with #2). This is the first Sinclair book I've read, and it definitely won't be the last. Darkborn was very well written, the plot is nicely paced, and the characters are well developed and realistic. The plot is very intricate, but not too difficult to follow, and thankfully it doesn't rely on the main characters acting in an irrational or stupid manner (a pet peeve of mine). I can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy.
What do You think about Nachtgeboren (2011)?
I thought the writing style was a little coarse, but the story was an interesting change.
—Yvonne
