Dark Metropolis (Dark Metropolis #1) by Jaclyn Dolamore
Released June 17th, 2014 by Disney-Hyperion
Source: ARC provided by NetGalley and hardcover I purchased
Goodreads link: (click here)
What's it about?
Dark Metropolis is a dark, historical fantasy, set in an alternate, late 1920's, post-war Berlin. Rationing has ended, but the memory of hard times still lingers.
Thea is a girl who's had a rough life. After her father died in the war, her mother began to lose her mind. This is because their marriage was "bound", meaning that they had a magical bond so that they would always remain together even while apart. When he passed, the connection should have been severed, but instead her mother's grief combined with the bond slowly drove her insane. Her mother refused to believe that he was dead and it consumed her entire life. Thea had no choice but to take care of her and support them both by working at the glitzy, caberet-like Telephone Club as a waitress with her only friend, Nan. One evening, when Thea is serving drinks to a handsome young gentleman with peculiar silver hair, their hands touch and she has a vision of her father...and he is alive...but he can't be...can he? She must know why this happened and what this boy, Freddy, has to do with her father. But Freddy is just as intrigued by Thea. When Thea's friend, Nan, disappears, he agrees to help her find out what really happened to her and the two will uncover ghastly secrets about the city and those who run it. But Freddy has secrets of his own that he's been living with.
Nan is a tough-talking orphan, who has always felt different from everyone else. One day, she violently awakens in the dark, seedy underground of the city with no memory of how she got there. Actually, she has no memory at all, the only thing she can recall is her name. She's told that she committed suicide and is being given a second chance, whatever that means. It turns out there is a whole other underground city and there is definitely something not right about the people down there. Nobody seems to remember their past and Nan is beginning to think the worst...that everyone, including her, is dead. If they really are dead, what are they, why are they there and who did this to them? When Nan befriends Sigi, a girl who seems to understand her, she also begins to regain her memories. As this happens, she realizes that perhaps she is special and that it is her duty to do something to save everyone, especially Sigi, who she's beginning to develop real feelings for. There is a possibility that they are all doomed, but she has to try.
As Thea, Freddy and Nan unravel the mysteries of their own stories, their paths will converge in a cataclysmic way. These three unlikely heroes will have to battle against dangerous magic, corrupt authority and of course, zombies. With all this going on, there is still time for a little romance.
My Thoughts
It was gorgeous and I loved it. Dark Metropolis was very well crafted. There are three different characters telling the story and everything weaves together seamlessly to create a full picture. Jaclyn Dolamore's writing is beautiful and pretty much to the point with just enough detail and not so much extra stuff that might clog up the story line. At first I was thinking that Thea was the main character and I was pleasantly surprised as I kept reading when I discovered the multiple POV, which worked really well. Oh, and my favorite character was definitely Nan, she kicked ass. I really did feel like I was transported into this world as I read. It was magical, noirtastic (probably not a word), romantic and it made me unexpectedly emotional. I admit, I cried a couple of times. I genuinely liked the characters and enjoyed the world Dolamore created and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Other books by Jaclyn Dolamore:
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<3 Michelle
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