Book Review: Dark Before Dawn by Monica McGurk (+ Giveaway!)

Thank you to Monica McGurk for providing me a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
Dark Before Dawn

If you’ve followed Hello Nature for awhile, you’ve seen the review for Dark Hope and Dark Rising. Today, I’m excited to bring you a review of the third book of the Archangel Prophecies! 

About The Book from Monica McGurk

Twelve years have passed since Hope Carmichael helped fulfill the ancient prophecy that permitted the Fallen Angels to return, forgiven, to Heaven. Now a lawyer at twenty-eight, Hope—along with a resurrected Michael, the archangel who loves her—has been presented by Heaven with a choice: one that could either result in Hope never seeing her family again, or the world losing its greatest angelic protector. At the same time, Hope’s young sister Aurora struggles to help a school friend resolve her dark personal issues, all while being observed by a sinister adversary from Hope’s past, working on a plan for revenge that may soon plunge the entire extended Carmichael family into tragedy.The culmination of the saga begun in Dark Hope and continued in Dark Rising, Dark Before Dawn returns to the world of the Archangel Prophecies, telling one final story of adventure, moral urgency, and the ultimate choice Hope and Michael make between the human and the divine.

First off, let me say I’m a big fan of book trilogies. And I’ve also loved this series from the start. So I had really high hopes for Dark Before Dawn. If you’re looking for a new trilogy to start and ultimately get sucked into, this is one I would highly recommend.

Now on to the book itself.

I wasn’t sure what I would think about the big jump in the book. It’s usually either really good or really bad when a book or movie skips over a significant amount of time. In the case of Dark Before Dawn, it really worked. The jump transitioned away from Dark Rising in a way that showed growth in all of the characters. It also embraced a realistic view of how that time gap would affect relationships. I especially loved being able to see Hope’s growth with her trust issues throughout the series, but especially throughout Dark Before Dawn. 

Dark Before Dawn dove even further into human trafficking which is one of the reasons this series is so stellar. While it’s a fantasy series, it has a really raw and eyeopening underlying storyline about human trafficking. This has continued throughout the series and has always made it even more gripping for me. I loved how McGurk raises awareness for such an important topic throughout this series and how much light is shed on it in Dark Before Dawn.

In regards to the bigger focus on human trafficking, I appreciated the fact that Dark Before Dawn was closer to home. In Dark Rising, many locations were visited and discussed throughout the book. But Dark Before Dawn focused more so on the United States and it gave me a deeper understanding to what goes on within our borders. It also made me want to do something to help even more.

The ending for Dark Before Dawn and the series itself was very fitting. I feel like it was the perfect ending for the book and the trilogy itself. If you haven’t read Dark Hope or Dark Rising yet, I would absolutely recommend them both. Dark Before Dawn is just as good, if not better, than it’s prequels.

 

Want to learn more about Monica McGurk? You can find her on:

And if you’re interested in this book, today is your lucky day – I’m giving away a copy to a lucky reader! Fall is my favorite time of the year to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea while it’s cold outside. Comment below with your favorite way to enjoy a book to be entered to win!