For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

The Synopsis:
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.

My Thoughts:
I've heard so many things about this book.  Good things, too.  There was just so much talk about it and I couldn't wait to read it.  The story sounded cool enough, too.  I've never Persuasion by Jane Austen, so I felt a little left out of the wonder of the story.  So now, obviously, I would like to read Persuasion. 

Elliot had to be one of the most hardest characters to break.  Although I love such strong characters, I felt as if I needed to see other emotions in her so that I could justify she was even human.  She never let herself cry and she was so set in her path of keeping up the farm, that she didn't realize the others around her.  It was like she had tunnel vision and never really let out any of her emotions.  No matter how much I love strong heroines, I would still like to see a softer side to them.

I won't say much about Malakai other than he was a big butt head.  The whole time, I was wishing--begging almost--that Kai and Elliot would have a nice heart-to-heart convo where they reconnected and at least build build up their friendship that fell to pieces four years back.  I understand how he's angry and wants to play hard-to-get, but seriously, that act can't possibly act as long as it did.

Now, I don't know how Persuasion went, but I do know that some things are different in For Darkness Shows the Stars.  I really liked the book's idea and enjoyed the story, but looking back on the book, I feel as if not much happened in it.  For Darkness takes place in a futuristic world where people are governed under a feudalistic structure.  Of course, it is corrupted and unfair for a majority of people and a forbidden relationship had budded between a noble and a servant.  It is sweet and the entire time I was just waiting impatiently for Kai and Elliot to get on good terms.

It really was a great read.  I read it quickly, blasting through the pages.  The writing was great, the imagery vivid.  So, for having the awesome imagery, this book earned a few brownie points from me.  The characters were dimensional--all of them.  None of them were truly what I thought them to be and some of them either surprised me or proved me wrong.  If anyone in in the mood for a more subdued read, one not filled with action and adventure or passionate hookups, this would be your read.  I guess this would be a contemporary, like no other, might I add.

Happy reading!