Innocent Darkness

Author:  Suzanne Lazear

Series:  The Aether Chronicles, Book 1

Year:  2012

Publisher:  Flux Books

Pages:  388

Goodreads Description:
Wish. Love. Desire. Live.

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

I went back and forth on this book. I had a hard time getting started on it but once I did, I couldn't put it down. I just wanted to keep reading. For some reason, I had totally missed that this book was a fae story. Talk about an unexpected combination - fae + steampunk. Totally unique. And I liked it. I also liked the way that the author wasn't afraid to be unique in her writing and didn't feel the necessity to stick to one genre. I did think at times that the book was a little more young or juvenile than what I would normally read but the characters were kind of young. Hopefully, Noli will grow up in the second book.  I am looking forward to it.