I Am the Devouring Dark - Kimberly Lynn Hanson
I AM THE DEVOURING DARK
KIMBERLY LYNN HANSON
**
Deep in the Norse woods, a monster hungers…
The Skratti has no memory of who she once was, or what darkness has caused her to lurk in the shadows.
All she knows is her hunger. And human hearts – offered up by pagan villagers in exchange for her protection from invaders – are the only food that can sate her.
But when a thief named Rorik enters the Skratti’s lair, he awakens a long-buried memory. The Skratti had a life before this darkness. And a sister, who is now in grave danger.
Alongside Rorik, the Skratti begins to piece together the secrets of her past, as a dangerous closeness grows between them. The Skratti faces a choice: between her dark hunger for Rorik’s heart, and a fragile chance at love and humanity. A chance to save the sister she remembers, and the place she once called home.
For she is not the only danger in these woods…
MY REVIEW
**
It’s spooky season on Kindig Blog and I love books written from the perspective of villains. I Am the Devouring Dark - whose main character is a monstrous woman, enshrouded in shadow who eats human hearts sounded ideal.
The Skratti offers protection for her village, they offer a sacrifice to her and she eats their hearts. However, when the latest sacrifice looks familiar, the Skratti is forced to come to terms with who she is and how she became a monster…
The first chapter of this book really drew me in – a village making a sacrifice as part of a ritual, but the narrative is from the monster’s point of view. However, as the story continued, I realised that this was a romance story and became less invested. The romantic element seemed to arrive from nowhere and I also didn’t understand why Rorik would have reciprocated it, apart from a willingness not to get eaten. There was a point midway in the story where I thought the romance had all been a temporary technique for character building and plot-arc, but this is quickly taken aside, and the romance elements begin again. The romance angle of this plotline really ruins the premise of the story – it becomes that a wicked woman is saved by a man who sees her humanity, rather than having a dark and villainous female main character. This is less about female empowerment and more about how the Skratti’s problems were solved by a man, which I don’t think is what the blurb promises.
I found the plot to be rather loose – there’s a lot to it that doesn’t make much sense in terms of other characters’ motivations. I also found it quite repetitive in places, with a lot of the same wording used which made it quite difficult to get through. I would have liked more description of the Skratti and perhaps a bit more backstory around her previous deeds which would have expanded on the horror elements of the story.
Overall, I Am the Devouring Dark promises romance and horror, but I think will ultimately fail to please fans of either. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House – Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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