Review: Eternal Darkness by J.F. Johns

My Review:

I read After Darkness, the fourth book in the Eternal Darkness series, several months ago and loved it. I was eager to read Eternal Darkness and see how this dystopian society developed since it takes place almost a hundred years before After Darkness.

Eternal Darkness takes place in a world divided between humans and cyborgs. I was fascinated by the world that Johns created. It describes how the government first created cyborgs, how the development of cyborgs changed society, and how wars in the not-so-distant past affected the present. It also delves into the government’s manipulation of its citizens and how government officials secretly abused and manipulated the system for its own personal gain.

Though it is a work of science fiction, the real-life messages about prejudice, judgment, governmental control, and oppression are universal. The humans, who fear the exceptional capabilities of the cyborgs and blindly and ignorantly follow the dictates of society without question, treat them harshly and enforce regimented, restrictive, and unfair rules and regulations to oppress them.

Interestingly, the characters who are treated as sub-humans display more humanity than the humans. Most of the humans in this story are violent, deceitful, and dangerous, more dangerous than the cyborgs. The cyborgs show mercy, kindness, and empathy. This is the opposite of what one would expect, and I love that the author analyzes the effects of ignorance and fear on society.

The protagonist, Scarlet, is neither and spends much of the story trying to figure out what and who she really is. Scarlet can’t remember 20 years of her life, but brief flashbacks of memory help to put the puzzle pieces of her life back together. She is a wounded and conflicted person who doesn’t quite know where she fits in this new and unusual world that she doesn’t remember. Luckily, she has the help of some fantastic people to help her on her journey.

I love Scarlet’s journey to learn more about herself, and I adore some of the people she meets along the way, especially Sam and Eric. Sam has a father-figure vibe and has a kind and supportive nature that Scarlet desperately needs. Eric is a cocky bad-ass who uses his self-assured attitude to hide his pain. He is witty and sarcastic, and I absolutely love him. I’m eager to read the next book in the series to see how these relationships develop and change.

Eternal Darkness is a great story for readers who like SFF with well-developed characters and some nail-biting action. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The dystopian world. It is a fascinating world of cyborgs, humans, and something more.
• The characters. They are well defined and intricately developed.

Favorite Lines:

Instead of killing yourself, you might want to try living. Then ask yourself if you really want to die.

Those eyes. Scarlet had never seen anything like them before. It was like seeing two dark tunnels ahead of her, claiming her, telling her to come closer. All she wanted to do was disappear inside their darkness, be wrapped within them.

“You really make the task of seducing you difficult, Beauty,” Eric’s voice was a soft purr, sweet and seductive. He was clearly teasing her, making a joke. And she hated him for it.

“I don’t need seducing,” she barked. “I need fixing.”

“The world needs fixing,” he said. :You’re perfect.”

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Check out my review for After Darkness, the fourth book in the Eternal Darkness series. (It can be read as a stand-alone!)