Official Review: The Dark Lady by Dawn Chandler

Kia · Post by **Kia** » 06 Mar 2016, 11:32

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Dark Lady" by Dawn Chandler.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The Dark Lady by Dawn Chandler is a captivating romance about a woman struggling to come to terms with her identity. Vanessa Fordella was taken away from her father when she was just a baby and was forced by her mother to live the life of a boy. As she grows, Van does everything within her power to become the best of the best and quickly becomes known as the Dark Knight; a man with a ruthless reputation who is feared and respected by all. But when her mother dies and Van is forced into the life of a docile wife she faces the toughest battle yet. How can she shed eighteen years of being a boy and assume the identity that is necessary to keep those close to her safe…

Chandler has created a wonderfully intriguing plot quite unexpected for a romance novel. I very much enjoyed the strong-willed nature of the main character that contrasts drastically with the feminine creature she is trying to become. This highlights the perceived differences between men and women throughout history (and continuing to this day). As a woman, I can relate to Van’s frustration in going from being respected by all to being told she cannot do anything without her husband’s permission, simply because she changed from pants into skirts.

The characters are rich in diversity and easy to relate to. Characters range from small children to fearsome warriors, men, women, good and bad. Many of them are actually given a backstory, which makes it easier to connect to them, and I found myself emotionally invested in their joys and struggles. These are not heroes, but real people who overcome their fear and struggles to do what needs to be done.

One major flaw that I found however was that the first several chapters were difficult to read- not because of the plot, but because of the writing style. I found the writing to be choppy and unpracticed in nature. The dialogue seemed forced and flat, and the characters flat as a result. Characters go into long winded explanations of their actions that are both dry and unnecessary. So much effort is taken to try and establish the plot and backstory that style is completely thrown out the window. I found there to be too many simple sentences, which, along with everything else, made it a very jarring read. That being said, the writing does improve drastically after the first few chapters. Though there are still hints of these problems throughout the book, they no longer dominate the ability to enjoy the plot.

Overall, I would give this novel 3 out of 4 stars. The plot and characters are superb, the sex steamy, and the struggles relatable. It is just the issues with the writing within the first few chapters that is a major problem. I’m glad I struggled through them, because had the writing not improved I would not have been able to enjoy the book at all. I would recommend this book to people looking for a steamy romance who also enjoy historical fiction.

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The Dark Lady
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dawnchandler · Post by **dawnchandler** » 07 Mar 2016, 14:10

Thank you so much for your review. While I usually do not respond to my reviews, this one I wanted to say a Thank you for. I have worried that the first few chapters were better than the rest, they were majorly changed by my first publisher, and she wanted to change the rest of the book to match them as well and I have worried that I should have let her. The first publisher changed a lot in the first 5 chapters saying my sentences were too long and that I had not added enough backstory to get my point across, so I followed her corrections. We were also only at Chapter 5 after two years of work. While I was unhappy with the time frame I tried to do as she suggested figuring she was a professional and knew things I did not. It wasn't until she started telling me that I needed to change the way my main characters behaved that I asked to be let out of my contract. I finally got out of that contract and entered into one with someone I am much happier with, someone who lets me write with my style and lets my characters be who they are. Even so I have worried that I should have listened to her and that the first part that she edited was better than the rest that was left in my style. Thank you for your review, it is much appreciated and very helpful.

Kia · Post by **Kia** » 07 Mar 2016, 16:34

I'm so glad that you went with your gut instinct when it came to your publisher. I probably wouldn't have even bothered to finish the book had the whole thing been written in the same way as the first five chapters. As it is, The Dark Lady is probably one of the best romance novels I have ever read. Thank you for responding as well. This is the first review I have done so I wasn't sure if the feedback was going to be valuable or not.