Review - For Darkness Shows the Stars

by Diana Peterfreund
publisher: Balzer + Bray
date of publication: June 12, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 398
source: from a friend

From Goodreads:

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, 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.

For Darkness Shows the Stars has the surprising distinction of being an adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion AND a post-apocalyptic novel.  Being a huge fan of Jane Austen's works and an especially appreciative fan of Persuasion, I knew that this would be a book that I just had to read.  I was fortunate in that a dear friend was able to send me a copy that she obtained at a conference.  Reading For Darkness Shows the Stars proved to be an intriguing experience that made me think about both the similarities between the two books and the variations on the themes present in Persuasion.  

If I had to describe Elliot North, I would say that she's a more stubborn, outspoken version of Anne Elliot.  The ways in which she deals with her heartbreak over Kai are filled with more anger than we see with Anne.  Though we only got a second-hand view of Anne's feelings due to a difference in narration, Elliot came off as a much more fiery girl than Anne did.  She was both similar enough to Anne that I enjoyed reading about her as an extension of Anne, and different enough that I enjoyed her as a character in her own right.  Kai, in keeping with the intensifying emotions present in For Darkness Shows the Stars, makes for an intriguing version of Captain Wentworth.  Though his cruelty is much more pronounced and, at times, hard to hear, we also get to learn more about the ways in which Elliot's refusal to run away with him as she originally promised affected him as a person.  Overall, these characters, while not the embodiment of their sources, proved to be successful in giving Jane Austen's story both new life and a new audience.

The setting in For Darkness Shows the Stars is an interesting one.  The estate system that is in place has similarities to the Antebellum plantations that were present in the south during the 19th century, as well as to the colonies held by England during the Victorian era.  That it all takes place on an island just added another nuance to the story, one that added credence to the importance of the maritime pursuits of the Post-Reductionists.  The hierarchy created for this story was also a novel addition to this story.  It upped the stakes for both Elliot and Kai and gave the post-apocalyptic setting a point of contention that added to the problems and conflicts present.

I've read several variations on Jane Austen's work and, I have to say, For Darkness Shows the Stars is my favorite, so far.  Thanks to its setting, societal issues, and intensified versions of the characters found in Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars proved to be well worth the time it took to read it.  I found the experience to be one of both reminiscence and discovery as I explored the new world that Peterfreund created.  If you're a fan of Jane Austen, you must give this book a try.  Even if you aren't, I still recommend it.  It is my hope that this book finds not only many fans for itself, but also new fans for one of my favorite authors of all time.  Read For Darkness Shows the Stars.  Read Persuasion.  It just might rock your world.

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