Aidan Loughney

This is one of those books I just tore through. The pacing is excellent and there are plenty of cinematic moments which made me pause and marvel.

At the time I read howling dark, I felt put off by the 30 year time jump. Demon in White starts with a 100 year jump which makes the previous pale in comparison. But I think after the third book in the series, I’ve adjusted to the time skips. If the book continues the pattern, they seem to take Hadrian’s personality and where he was heading at the end of the previous book and just accelerate it. Still, the scale of time the series is over is hard to wrap my head around. It does make sense though given the society it’s set in and it does help explain changes in Hadrian’s personality and outlook.

I enjoyed the strengthening of valka and hadrian’s relationship. But I also feel dread. My best guess after finishing demon in white is that valka’s eventual death will be a large part in pushing Hadrian to become suneater. Valka seems like a positive, balancing and moral force in Hadrian’s life. Hadrian is horrified when he is shown visions from the quiet of him making the fateful decision to destroy the star. He can’t recognize himself. I can’t help but feel Valka’s death will be pivotal point in the road to him becoming that version of Hadrian.

My only possible criticism of this book is it felt like Hadrian just kept winning. Even in his losses, he didn’t face much of set back or really any costs that felt significant to the character. That will almost certainly change as the series goes on so it’s not something I’m really worried about. It was also a nice change from the earlier Hadrian of book 1 & 2 who just kept on messing up.

While is starts out slow and introduces characters who I’m initially not fond of, the culmination of the book is worthwhile and sets up an exciting story for the rest of the series.