Come, the Dark by Rebecca Hamilton
(Forever Girl #2)
Publication date: January 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Synopsis:
TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with the sensitive subject of sexual abuse.
Rose desperately wants to escape the abuse of the father who impregnated her and the dark spirits that haunt her life. Being thrust from Georgia 1961 into the era of Salem’s infamous witch trials isn’t what she had in mind, and now her daughter is left hopelessly out of reach.
The only way to return to her daughter is by facing certain death to banish the dark spirits that plague Salem. If she doesn’t eliminate these dark spirits in time, they will destroy civilization and trap her in this strange new place, ages away from her daughter.
Even if she can complete the task in time to return home to save her daughter, there’s still one problem: she’s falling in love with a man who can’t return with her. Achieving her goals will force her to choose between the only man who has never betrayed her and a daughter she can’t quite remember but will never forget.
A heart-wrenching tale of a mother’s love for her daughter, this romantic paranormal fantasy underlines the depravity of both historical and modern society while capturing the essence of sacrifice and devotion.
REVIEW
For years I’ve read stories of
fantasy and magic. I’ve devoured romance
and mystery. I’ve cried as favorite
characters have died, and cheered when the villains get their comeuppance. I’ve fallen in love with the underdog and
been surprised by the twists a story may take.
I love history and the today, and all the possibilities the future can
hold. It is always a nice surprise when
an author is able to meld all of these things together into a story. Such, it was my pleasure to discover, is the
case of Rebecca Hamilton’s Come, the Dark.
While Come, the Dark is the
second story in the Forever Girl
series, I read this book without the background of the first FG’s story. I was able to understand and follow the
story, beside a small amount of disorientation (similar to the heroines) with
the timeline and a point of confusion that I will address shortly. This isn’t a time-travellers story in the
strictest sense of the word but it does hold some of the elements you might
find there and at some points this too does result in a bit of confusion. As I said, I was able to follow the story and
it can certainly be read and enjoyed on its own, however I do wonder whether
some of Come, the Dark’s storyline would have been easier to understand
and less confusing to follow had I previously read the first FG’s story.
The biggest source of confusion,
at least that I experienced, was from the use of multiple names for the main
character. She begins the story in 1961
as Rose. Suddenly she becomes Abigail of
1691, except that to her she is still Rose.
She thinks of herself as Rose and has little to no memory of being
Abigail. Only, she then discovers that
she is really Cordovae and that Abigail and Rose come from Cordovae, so
Cordovae was able to become them. Additionally, the longer she remains in the
1691 timeline, the less she is able to remember of her 1961-self. With explanation from other characters it
becomes more understandable, even acceptable within the realm and basis of the
storyline and genre. Except the other
characters never really settle on one name to call her, and even she introduces
herself differently throughout the story.
In the end, besides or maybe
despite any name-confusion Come, the Dark was a really great
story. I thoroughly enjoyed the
combination of mystical and physical forces, as well as the integration of
history and fiction. I was charmed by
William and his willing devotion to Rose/Abigail/Cordovae (and yes, they
actually refer to her like that sometimes in the story). Tess was a nice
combination of abrasive and caring, and boy-oh-boy does that make sense
now. Other characters that we met and
whom interacted with the intrepid trio of Rose, William and Tess, added color
and provided some of the necessary grit to help root the story into the 1691
timeline.
All in all, I definitely recommend
the book. Except, I would probably
suggest that book one of the series The Forever Girl should be read
first. I intend to read book one and
then re-read Come, the Dark, and hopefully I’ll discover that some of the
questions that I had (primarily before any attempt was made by the characters
to in any way explain them) will be answered.
However I will say this: if you’re a fan of stories with twists, stories
steeped in history and brimming with magical elements – Come, the Dark should
definitely make it on to your TBR pile!
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For more information about the book, author, series and more >> Goodreads
To purchase Come, the Dark >> Amazon
