"Dancing with passion and high-stakes action, this YA romantasy sees a darkness-obsessed girl entangle with an elf prince through an epic war between worlds"
While most fear the dark unknown, sassy Sascia has long been drawn to it, she’s a moth to its enticing flame - such is the basis of Kika Hatzopoulou’s Moth Dark, a dramatically-scoped YA romantasy that melds futuristic urban vibes with shadowy elf magic through its risky-romance-of-a-lifetime storyline.
The novel’s context is a world in which the Maw of Manhattan, “a giant gap sinkhole nearly a mile across” has opened up and been “catalogued as the second-largest host of the Dark World”. Sascia gives tours of the Maw (“her life was the Dark”, after all) and Darkmoths from the strange new realm that’s opened up are drawn to her.
In fact, “according to world databases, they have only ever appeared to Sascia”. But that’s not the only thing that comes to her — she somehow pulls “a creature, an undoubtedly humanoid creature” from the Dark. A being called Nugau, who informs Sascia that she’s been judged for her actions in the Battle of Feathers and found guilty of treason.
As Sascia falls for Nugau, who “looks like a nymph from a museum or a regal elf from a fantasy film”, she discovers that gender is fluid on a molecular level in their world. Moreover, Nugau is heir to the Darkworld and on a mission to kill her as part of a war against humanity. Thrillingly plotted, the couple’s personal passion for one another clashes big-time within the context of this ultimate battle. As such, Moth Dark is the ideal romantasy novel for readers who adore relish swept up in epic love stories and thought- provoking fantasy worlds.
From the bestselling author of Threads that Bind and Hearts that Cut comes a brand-new compulsive romantasy about a girl obsessed with the dark and the shadowy magical prince she falls in love with, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Laini Taylor.
THE DARK HAS COME ALIVE . . .
Six years ago, vicious creatures began to crawl out of the dark crevices of the world, and with it Sascia's fascination with the darkness was born. Now that fascination has become an obsession, and while exploring an area known for its connection to the Darkworld, Sascia - impossibly - pulls out a person from the shadows. But Nugau is no ordinary person, they're the heir to the Darkworld, with one mission . . . to kill Sascia.
Except, the second time they meet, Nugau is younger and doesn't recognise Sascia. And the third time, Nugau stumbles out of the darkness with poison running through their veins, expressing their undying love for her.
Piecing together the puzzle, Sascia makes two shocking discoveries: the timelines of her world and Nugau's are not linear, and she is inexplicably entangled in a war between humanity and the Dark. But with their worlds at battle, is it worth fighting for each other . . . ?
Moth Dark features in the following genres: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance / Relationship Stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Mythic fantasy / Mythic fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Fantasy romance, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories
Moth Dark is available in Paperback
Moth Dark was written by Kika Hatzopoulou and published by Penguin Books an imprint of Penguin Random House Children's UK
Moth Dark has 372 pages
£8.99
