Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Co
Page Count: 936 all together
Release Date: 1982-1990 originally
Format: Mass Paperbacks, most recent publications
How got: personal buy from B & N
First attention getter: already fan of series
Synopsis:
From GoodReads:
DarkAngel:
Aeriel is kidnapped by the darkangel, a black-winged vampyre of astounding beauty and youth. In his castle keep, she serves his 13 wives, wraiths whose souls he stole. She must kill him before his next marriage and comes into full power, but is captivated by his magnificent beauty and inner spark of goodness. Will she choose to save humanity or his soul?
Gathering:
Aeriel's love has broken the curse on the darkangel Irrylath, making him human again and freeing him from the control of his mother, the dreaded White Witch. But the Witch is far from defeated. Her wicked plans require all seven of her vampyre sons, and she will not give one up so easily. There is but a single hope for the Witch's defeat--solving an ancient, mysterious riddle. So Aeriel sets off to solve the riddle, sailing across a sea of dust and straight into the worst of the Witch's terrors. But if Aeriel is to save Irrylath and her world, she will have to overcome his bloodthirsty darkangel brothers--and ultimately confront his terrifying mother face-to-face.
Pearl:
All the world’s wisdom and magic resides within the iridescent depths of a small white pearl. “All my sorcery,” the Ancient Ravenna had said of the pearl. “It is left to you to save the world.” But is the pearl powerful enough to enable Aeriel to defeat the White Witch? Aeriel’s people have assembled an army--led by the redeemed darkangel Irrylath--and are soon to attack the Witch and her darkangel sons. But their cause is hopeless unless Aeriel can unlock the mysteries of the pearl . . . and of her own destiny.
My Thoughts:
Star Rating - 4
I've been hit by a wave of nostalgia lately which has triggered re-watches and re-reads all around. I initially read the series when I was in high school, late 90’s. I remember being so completely enthralled by Aerial and her struggles to save her loved ones and face down evil. I admired her courage and occasional bursts of vulnerability. Now, 20 years later, I can see where this trilogy has some flaws but my initial love still stands strong.
The plotline/setting still holds as unique now as back then. While holding some elements of your typical fantasy series (young person saving the world, unique creatures, some aspects of magic, etc.), the world and its history stand out. Set in some distant vision of the future, post colonization of the Moon, this vision of a dying world who’s creators have abandoned makes for a bleak and awe-inspiring setting for Aerial’s struggles.
The overarcing story also stands out. Elements like saving the world and fighting an evil witch may seem like they’re common place. Yet, it’s the small details that set this series apart. For most of the story, Aerial has allies, but they’re never with her for the full way. Most of the strength needed for this journey comes from her. Very unique creatures, minions of our villain, and atmosphere of the world give the trilogy a gothic, dark tone not often seen in young adult fantasy, either. This small detail makes Aerial’s struggle all the harsher as at times, she's facing her foes alone, unaided.
I loved Aerial as a character. Her courage knows no bounds, and her strength of will leaves me breathless. Ultimately, she doesn't let anything the White Witch throws at her stop her from saving her friends and world. Yet, she's also refreshingly vulnerable and lacks faith in herself at times. With so much responsibility placed on her shoulders, at times she feels lost and alone. This mix of strength and vulnerability make her a relevant character anyone can relate to.
I feel what really sets the series apart from the rest, though, is the ending. Without giving too much away (don't want to spoil anything for anyone), I will say that it's completely unexpected and so different than the usual, run-of-the-mill young adult fantasy trilogy. In a trilogy series written nowadays, it might not stand out as so different. However, the series was written between 1982 and 1990. For a trilogy from back then, it's a real departure.
While doing this re-read, though, I did notice myself having a hard time with time telling. The author uses an odd format of “fortnights” and “daymonths”. Nowhere in the book trilogy does it give any pointers on how these relate to normal methods of time telling. The reader’s left trying to suss things out for themselves given context.
As a young reader just flowing with the fantasy, this feature probably doesn't weigh that heavy against the book. Yet, as a mature reader, 20 years down the road, I found myself getting hung up on this. I kept trying to get a picture in my head of how the story was flowing and kept getting thrown out by the bizarre way of telling time. This may not be a problem with other readers, though, since it is such a small part of the book. Take that into account while we whether to read this trilogy or not.
Personally, I found this a pleasant revisitation of my early reading history. Aerial still stands as a wonderful character with hidden depths. The plot flows seamlessly in all its unique and vibrant glory. All my sweet and nostalgic youthful memories of this trilogy stand strong; even despite the issue with the time telling aspect, I would still recommend the series to readers today. People of all ages would find enjoyment out of Aerial’s tale of ultimate hope and arrival.
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