The Blurb
Deborah has a secret
But she doesn’t know what it is.
The Protector does
And so does Abaddon.
Both of them want her destroyed.
A wild boy and a pack of wolfdog pups are all that stand between Deborah and destruction.
But Jonah and Deborah have forged a weapon that even the demon fears.
Love.
Between them, the pariah girl and the dog boy will change the world. Or die in the attempt.
If there is one genre I’ve so far avoided reading by self-published authors it’s fantasy. Not because I dislike fantasy, quite the opposite. I really love fantasy, and that was my problem. I was worried any books I chose would be derivative and not bring anything new to the genre. I should have known better.
In the Dark Citadel, Jane Dougherty has created a vividly layered, cruel fantasy world where the city of Providence acts as the last refuge of humanity against the demonic armies of evil. Yet even Providence has succumbed to the all pervasive corruption, where the heavily structured society where love and affection are suppressed by the rigid laws and a twisted, oppressive religion.
Out of this gloom we follow Deborah, a young orphan shunned by others because of her parents, who rebels against the fate mapped out for her. As she gets further into trouble, Deborah starts to learn more about her history, and the true history of her people. She decides to escape Providence and find her mother, a direct descendent of Eve, to change the world for the better.
I loved this book. Dougherty’s world may be bleak, but she has balanced the hope and despair with great skill to ensure the threat of disaster is always there but never overwhelming. Her multi-layered society is terrifyingly believable, especially the way the authorities use their twisted doctrine to ensure the population oppress themselves, and in Deborah she has created a wonderfully spiky, independent protagonist you cannot help but want to succeed – a great example of a strong, female lead.
If you enjoy you are looking to escape into a well-written, unique dark fantasy, you would be hard pushed to find a better book than this. I cannot wait to read the next two books in the series. Highly Recommended.
To buy The Dark Citadel from Amazon.com click here
To buy The Dark Citadel from Amazon.co.uk click here
Reblogged this on Jane Dougherty Writes and commented:
Another lovely review by Dylan Hearn out of the blue and very much appreciated. Thank you so much, Dylan for taking a chance on this one.
Thank you, Dylan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the book. And additional thanks for getting Deborah right and NOT calling her feisty or kick-ass 🙂
My pleasure. I’m looking forward to reading tge next two in the series to find out what happens next!
I think the series gets better. The first volume was a bit of a struggle with my late unlamented publisher. Glad you liked DC enough to stick with it 🙂
I just bought one of Jane’s books, based on Ali Isaac’s and your reviews of her work. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
You’re in for a treat 🙂