To any who glanced at the cover, or flipped through it,Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes is simply another historical romance novel, but truly it is much more than that! Written in first person, the book switches between the perspectives of multiple different characters, however, it centers around Matthew Petticrew, a young man cast off from fashionable society with a deep sense of honor and a love for horses. Through a series of events, Matthew finds himself deep in France in the middle of the first World War. Caught between his duty to his country as a soldier and his duty as a man to protect the legendary Angel of Argonne, Matthew’s loyalties come crashing together and he has to make a choice of who to fight for first.
Dykes demonstrates her skill for writing in expertly painting a highly accurate and sharp picture of battle and war in Yours is the Night. As she depicts Matthew’s experience during battle and dealing with PTSD and trauma afterwards, she keeps it realistic and yet appropriate without becoming graphic. She continues to master this delicate balance with Mireilles’ narrative.
From the beginning Yours is the Night had me hooked. This one is a page turner in the best way possible. However, I wouldn’t suggest starting it if you’re not willing or able to spend the next few days with your nose deep in the book! Amanda Dykes’ writing style is A+, engaging, descriptive, and hauntingly beautiful. The Christian faith of various characters was a little surprising when it popped up, not having been present since the beginning of the book, however, after the initial surprise, it was a beautiful contributing element. Mireilles’ gentle faith and willingness to receive the beauty in the pain was very touching. Dykes wrestled with hard questions and pain in Yours is the Night, and her words on the matter stick with you long after the book is finished.
Considerations: Yours is the Night is a clean and masterfully written novel. However, Dykes includes mature themes such a rape, trauma, and war. She deals with each of these in a way that contributes to the story and lends to it feeling so realistic, however they also make the story heavy to read. As stated earlier, Dykes does a wonderful job including hard elements in Yours is the Night while doing it in a manner which keeps the book appropriate and not graphic. Still, these are not things that I want to be thinking about all the time.
Moral Value: 4/5
Artistic Value: 5/5
Overall Value: 4.5/5
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