Dawnbreaker (Salvation Cycle)

Dawnbreaker continues the fight of Salvation in the conclusion to this duology. King Rune is trapped in the malcite with only a feather from the Nightrender to keep the malice from infecting him. Queen Johanne Fortuin must use every trick possible to keep the crown when it becomes known the part she played in the Malcite bombs. The Nightrender has been told of a last-chance weapon that she must find, but with her eroding memories time is running out.
This story is not strictly religious but with the evil represented by a demonic creature and Nightrender of angelic build and purpose, there are many parallels as the story unfolds. The fighting and wars make the malice grow, but people seem doomed to repeat the hatred and fighting instead of coming together to save humanity. All must come together for there to be a chance for angelic good to conquer demonic evil and to allow humanity a chance for a continued future.
There is a redemption arc in Hanne’s character that was engaging to read. She has a powerful revelation about the voice guiding her for years. She is offered an opportunity that sets her on a path of atonement and humanity a future. Hanne has done so much to advance evil, yet it is difficult to dislike her. Readers glimpse into the events that formed her current predicament and realize she is not the self-made brutal character we first met in book one. Her character growth allows Nightrender and King Rune to have a chance that does not seem likely throughout the book.
I listened to this story as an audiobook. The narrator does a nice job conveying the feelings of the characters and the desperation of the events. There are times when there is a melodramatic quality to the character’s despair about the future that can be tedious. However, since the point is to drive home the urgency and all-ending nature of the epic events maybe it is exactly how it should sound. Overall, this is a satisfying conclusion to the duology that comes with a message of hope. It will appeal to readers who like epic confrontations of good vs. evil, YA romance, and religious connotations.