Title: The Vanishing Spark of Dusk
Author: Sara Baysinger
Series: Unclear?
Genre: YA/Sci-fi/Romance
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: January 8th, 2018
Edition: Kindle Edition, 366 pages
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:
Stand up.
When Lark is stolen from Earth to be a slave on the planet Tavdora, she’s determined to find her way back home to her family, no matter the cost. Placed in the household of a notorious slave trader, Lark quickly learns her best assets are her eyes and ears. And if she’s brave enough, her voice.
Be heard.
Kalen is the Tavdorian son of a slave trader and in line to inherit his father’s business. But his growing feelings for Lark, the new house slave who dares to speak of freedom, compel him to reveal his new plan for the slave ships returning to Earth—escape. Together, they just might spark a change that flares across the universe.
Fight back.
So, I am not entirely sure how to feel about this book. It was written well, the world was interesting, I'm kind of conflicted when it comes to most of the characters.
This is the first book where I get what people mean about a romance between a slave and their "master" is troubling. Some of the other books used to talk about this weren't very good examples, this one a line that wasn't crossed in those other books was crossed in this one.
The characters were a little flat for me. Lark was not an inspiring heroine, and there was far too much telling when it came to Kalen. Lark was far too self-deprecating to a point that I was pretty much done with her character very early on. We're constantly told by other characters how brave and bold she is, but I never really felt it. While I am aware that in her situation there was very little she could do in that wouldn't risk her life and she was kind of going for the long-term con, she also kept back talking to the people she was trying to con. Honestly, there should have been some kind of consequence for her actions. But there never was.
Now, let's get back on the subject of the romance. This is when it was very clearly Slave/Owner... "falling in love". Other times when this complaint comes up, they never exactly got intimate, and there was never a time when the owner forced themselves on their slave. Anything that happened between them was 100% consensual. In this book, they got very intimate, and more than once to supposedly cover for him not falling for her, he kissed her and touched her without her consent in front of people. It made me a little uncomfortable.
This book ends kind of abruptly, and in a way that suggests that there should be at least one more book. But I have no idea if it's going to be a series or a duology or not.
Now, let's get back on the subject of the romance. This is when it was very clearly Slave/Owner... "falling in love". Other times when this complaint comes up, they never exactly got intimate, and there was never a time when the owner forced themselves on their slave. Anything that happened between them was 100% consensual. In this book, they got very intimate, and more than once to supposedly cover for him not falling for her, he kissed her and touched her without her consent in front of people. It made me a little uncomfortable.
This book ends kind of abruptly, and in a way that suggests that there should be at least one more book. But I have no idea if it's going to be a series or a duology or not.
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