Dark & Day

Dark and Day tells the story of Jonothan Wyer, on the verge of adulthood at story opening, and events that will change his life forever within a world divided into Dark and Day. An introverted young man, he prefers reading to interacting with peers, his heart and lungs damaged to such an extent he pulls around an oxygen tank with him. He lives in Dark on an earth that has been divided by a cruel Empress. The people of Dark live in fear of Day, endlessly training against surprise attacks from the “magic” that resides there. Jonothan, due to his high test scores, is faced with the possibility of joining the academy to fight Day and Magic, where he will be offered replacements for his poorly functioning organs, without which he is guaranteed an early death. In return, however, he trades his freedom-the military service is a lifetime commitment. Jonothan faces many challenges once accepted. Even getting to the school is a challenge, and once there, he must learn enough to be able to fight the cruel Empress and end her tyranny over a divided world.

This is a well-crafted novel, its universe holding together without the inconsistencies sometimes apparent in the fantasy genre. There are excellent fight scenes and illusion. Some of the themes and literary references present in best representatives of the genre are apparent here: echoes of Genesis, for example, are in the telling of the creation of Jonothan’s society at the beginning of the novel. There are also themes of the Cold War in the depiction of two cultures divided, armed against each other, almost too paralyzed with fear to act. There are some concerns with editing in proofreading – work on correct use of commas, periods, and quotations marks is needed in places – but overall this is a well-written fantasy novel.