[Review] For Darkness Show the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

For Darkness Shows the Stars 
Diana Peterfreund
June 12th, 2012
Blazer& Bray imprint
of Harper Teen

Amazon/Book Depository/B&N


 

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.
But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen's persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Tears filled my eyes and happiness flowed through my heart as I read the last page of For Darkness Show the Stars.  This book was fantastic.  Oh the feels, Oh the feels this book was so romantic.  It is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.  The world of For Darkness shows the Stars was what really drew me in.  I was fascinated with this dystopian post-apocalyptic society of three classes trying to seek out an existence on two islands.  In this world a genetic experiment from long past has created brain damaged humans called The Reduced and is the duty of normals or The Luddite nobility to take care of them.  There is also a class called The Posts who are not brain damaged or nobility.  The Posts do not want to be slaves like The Reduced.  They want to be treated as equals by The Luddites. 

 

Elliot is a Luddite who feels responsible for her estate and all the people living on it.  Kai is the son of the mechanic.  If you know the story of Persuasion then you know they loved each in the past but could not be together in the present.  Kai left the estate when they were both fourteen and both, him and Elliot, were forced to let go of their childhood dreams and grow up fast.  Now both are eighteen and Kai has come back to the estate but now he is no long Kai but Captain Wentforth.  To Elliot he seems cold and unforgiving of the past and wants nothing to do with her.  So as the story unfolds with all the same plot points as Persuasion.  It is Elliot herself that makes this story because she grows into such a strong character.  In the end is able to stand up for herself and what she wants to make her happy.   I loved the fantastical world that really could be any world any time in human history.  Humans are always going to humans and there will always be those who think they are better than everyone else.  I loved the history of world because post-apocalyptic societies fascinate me.  I love stories about how people survive and what they do after.  It doesn’t surprise me that when it all collapses and people are scared of technology things go back to the way would have been in Jane Austen’s time.  With the haves and the have nots.

 

In the end I think Jane Austen would have been proud of For Darkness Shows the Stars because it is pays great homage to the story of Persuasion and captures the essence of what makes it a beautiful and gut wrenching story.  It was so romantic and all without sex or even kissing.  I highly recommend this story because what started out the night before as “I am just going to read a few pages before bed” turned into a hundred and tonight I have read the last page because it was so hard to put down.  I give For Darkness Shows the Stars five laser pistols.  Go read this book!