Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Darken the Stars
    Darken the Stars
    Darken the Stars
    Audiobook9 hours

    Darken the Stars

    Written by Amy A. Bartol

    Narrated by Kate Rudd

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Kyon Ensin finally has what he’s always wanted: possession of Kricket Hollowell, the priestess who foresees the future. Together, their combined power will be unrivaled. Kricket, however, doesn’t crave the crown of Ethar—she has an unbreakable desire to live life on her own terms, a life that she desperately wants to share with her love, Trey Allairis.

    As conspiracies rage in the war for Ethar, Kricket’s so-called allies want to use her as a spy. Even those held closest cannot be trusted—including Astrid, her sister, and Giffen, a member of a mysterious order with a hidden agenda. But Kricket’s resolve will not allow her to be used as anyone’s pawn, even as the Brotherhood sharpens its plans to cut out her heart.

    As the destiny prophesied by her mother approaches, Kricket will backtrack through her fiery future to reshape it. For she knows one thing above all else: the only person she can truly count on is herself.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 8, 2015
    ISBN9781501277948
    Darken the Stars
    Author

    Amy A. Bartol

    Amy A. Bartol is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the Kricket series, the Premonition series, and the two previous novels in the Secondborn series: Traitor Born and Secondborn. She has won numerous awards for her writing and been nominated for several more. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two sons. For more on Amy and her work, visit her website, www.amyabartol.com.

    More audiobooks from Amy A. Bartol

    Related to Darken the Stars

    Titles in the series (3)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Table Talk

      Dec 1, 2018

      Table Talk
      13 min read

    • Article

      Angel Of Death

      Mar 27, 2018

      I could see the wave coming long before it arrived. It looked like a length of rope uncoiling as the swell hit the edge of the reef and spun towards me, a beady eye staring me down in slow motion as it got closer. It was my first time surfing Speedie

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Art Of Secretion

      May 5, 2022

      The Art Of Secretion
      8 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems by Phillip B. Williams

      Dec 15, 2017

      The masters are yet dead. Wanting to be human,I tried to rewrite The Waste Land. The canon’s reachcasts ruinous light. The masters’ pens breachthis page where, above, my own hand spectates. Babylonrisen, exorcism in reverse, whose nature upended now?

      6 min read

    • Article

      Journal Entry 1940

      Feb 28, 2018

      Journal Entry 1940
      3 min read

    • Article

      On Beauty and Violence

      Dec 11, 2023

      On Beauty and Violence
      18 min read

    • Article

      The Taste Of The Sea

      Jun 4, 2020

      The Taste Of The Sea
      2 min read

    • Article

      Three Poems

      Sep 1, 2023

      He steps to his practicedforehand. He laughsas he hits the ball. Freedomfrom necessityfills his aura and dimsas the game comesto a close. His bodyguardsscan the sky, the tree,the roof. A walkalong the river, they ask him.Da, he says. They walk amidst

      2 min read

    • Article

      Racy Bedtime Reading!

      Feb 7, 2021

      Racy Bedtime Reading!
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Wild Cape

      Jul 12, 2022

      The Wild Cape
      9 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems

      May 1, 2020

      Your body becomes dangerousin water, after you watch Memoirs of a Geisha & learn aboutthe eel & the cave, knowing it’s a metaphor for sex but alsotaking it literally, imagining what animal mightswim up into you as you wade, nakedin the lake under a c

      1 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems

      Jul 1, 2020

      I look to the tree line & already the leavesare ripping themselves away from their mothers. It is only August but I am already rising earlyfor a crisp moon, smoking in the rare chill of a shaded patio. My breasts have begun pickling,the fat rounds pr

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Tidal Man

      May 3, 2018

      The Tidal Man
      3 min read

    • Article

      She Scribes

      Oct 4, 2020

      She Scribes
      14 min read

    • Article

      Dark Tales

      Dec 2, 2021

      Dark Tales
      6 min read

    • Article

      Soul Reader

      Mar 10, 2022

      A woman, a bird, a Pterodactyl? The thing came fast from the shadows, wings fluttered under the glow of one solitary lamp above the docks. I should never have had that last drink with Deny. I was drunk—maybe… sure, that was it—hallucinations. Her win

      26 min read

    • Article

      Perfect Prose II

      May 15, 2020

      Perfect Prose II
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Straw Hat

      Aug 2, 2018

      The Straw Hat
      6 min read

    • Article

      Long Shower

      Feb 3, 2022

      Long Shower
      3 min read

    • Article

      Turbulent Waters

      Mar 1, 2024

      Turbulent Waters
      4 min read

    • Article

      Three Poems

      Jan 1, 2024

      When the call cameshe ran. Outside, outthe back door, screamingNo No, got to thefence and ran back, droppedto her knees and pawedat the earth, clawingup handfuls of grass.She was howling. Aululation. Something I’d never heardbefore. Likea wild horse

      3 min read

    • Article

      Evolution

      Feb 3, 2022

      She bathes with shark’s teeth, black as memory. The pumice of ages has polished them smooth enough to reflect thought. Some are massive, dwarfing her palm, an enamel veneer still clinging to the tooth root, even after aeons of tumbling in the ocean’s

      1 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems by Brenda Shaughnessy

      Dec 15, 2017

      Watching little Henry, six, scoop up blueberriesand shovel them into his mouth, possessed. I’m so glad I brought blueberries—wish my kidscould/would eat them. Cal can’t; Simone won’t. Henry’s sisters, Lucy & Jane, took turns feeding eachother goldfis

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Darken the Stars

    4.5/5

    86 ratings10 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Wow!
      5 shining stars for this 3rd book of the series. Bartol has an amazingly creative mind.
      The story is enthralling, definitely a pageturner. The heroine is smart and sassy not like your usual superwoman protagonist who claims to be soo average.
      3 stars for the ending though. Yes, I know it was the only logical one, but nonetheless.....
    • 1/5
      I'm so mad that I could spit! ?
      This was a BS ending to a unique story.
      Kyon was an abusive A$$ to Kricket... Even in this book! He held her underwater, controls her down to deciding what to wear, and so many other things and we're supposed to now feel like he's just a little misunderstood and Kricket should fall in love with him!?!?! UH, no thanks! What kind of message does that send to young women? We take a strong female and negate the work she has done to carve her own path. ? This book is still clearly in the YA CATEGORY!!!
      I kept hoping it would be salvaged but no. Makes me never want to read anything more this author has written. ??‍♀️ I wish I could give it zero stars. I can't be the only person that thinks this way!
    • 5/5
      A thrill ride with survival, romance and sci-fi with a young female protagonist.
    • 4/5
      This is the third and final book in the Kricket series. I’m a little sad to see her go. I fell in love with a new character this book, a new side of the story. From start to finish, the flow was good; a slow gradual build to the end to a wrap up the series. There was a bit of everything in this one: friendship, romance, love, intimate moments, adventure, growth, betrayal, and stuff that goes boom. It was everything I expected from the series and more. The ending fit; now, looking back, I should have seen it coming. (Though, I personally wanted it to end differently.) As a young adult series, it kept me reading. It is the only one this year; I’ve started many, but only Kricket and her world kept me interested. Anyone who knows me knows that is a ton of credit to the books. Not just he story, but the writing, and the storytelling. It’s all great. To be honest, I’m not ready for it to end. I wan’t more. I'm going to miss these characters, and this world.
    • 5/5
      Definitely not the conclusion I would have expected. A more grown-up ending to a YA story that was very grown-up from the first book. I was back and forth while reading how I felt about the path the story seems to be taking, but in the end I really think it makes this series more unique and that more compelling. This ending (Possibly, is there another book coming? Don't know.) also shows that Kricket was and is always a strong character, she's a fighter, no matter if no ones betting on her, I always will. I really enjoyed reading this series and I'm actually glad that I didn't find it until it was complete. Don't know how I would have handled waiting for the next book. It would also be great to learn more about what's happening in Kricket's life now, but I don't know if that will be happening. Fingers crossed?
    • 5/5
      Excellent series!!!You may think you know what will happen but it twists and turns. By the end of the book you still want more!
    • 4/5
      There was certainly a lot of controversy with this book. I can't believe the ending of this book and I agree with other reviews that this can't be the end for Kricket. I certainly didn't read the Kricket series as ONLY a romance.(although I was left wondering if she really loved both men in her life, Trey Allairis or the broken Kyon Ensin.) To me, this story's always been about KRICKET--discovering her true identity, learning who to trust. Kricket has grown into herself and become stronger for it. The Romantic entanglements aside, if you're reading Darken the Starts because you recognize Kricket as the survivor she's always been, I think you'll enjoy it. And let's hope Amy will soon announce when she'll release book four.Jack Murphy
    • 4/5
      For my full review check out Southern Bred, Southern Read!

      Let me start off by saying that I thought the ENTIRE time I was reading this that this was the end of the series. WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME DIFFERENLTY?! If I would have written my review last night when I finished and still thought that the series was over, this would be a completely different review. Lots of expletives and shouting.

      The other two books before this one have been super action packed. This is not the case with Darken the Stars. Really, it is a pretty slow book, but I didn’t mind at all. The book starts off soon after the last ended, and now Kricket is on this island with Kyon. He has finally got her and now she is trapped. They spend months (or what I think are months.. the whole rotations thing is still confusing to me) together on this island. Just the two of them. Alone. Let me just say that Kricket is a lot stronger than I am because she is stuck on this island with this super villain (my favorite, btw) who is ridiculously good looking and wants her to be her everything (hellloooo is anyone else thinking of Warner from the Shatter Me series?!). Yeah, I would have been pissed at him for a bit too because, you know, super villain, but those good looks would have worn me down eventually. I also just love how creepy Kyon is. I know that is not the right thing to say. I should be talking about how him claiming her as his own is wrong! And gross! Screw him! Mmmm… yeah, I should be saying that, but let’s be honest, my moral compass is a bit broken when it comes to book boyfriends so I was ALL ABOUT IT. Kricket wasn’t having it though. She spends 99% of her time trying to think of a way to escape or thinking of Trey. We’re talking about half or more of the book. FINALLY we get some action when Kricket realizes that maybe Kyon isn’t as despicable as he seems.. I’ll leave it at that, because spoilers.

      I think it goes without saying that I was 100% #teamKyon in this book. Trey plays a super small role, and when he did pop up I hated everything about it. He acts like a super douche and I wanted him to just GO AWAY. It is so different from the rest of the books because I was all about Trey before, but this book really shows his weaknesses and his true colors. No thank you, I will stick with my super villain.

      So, yeah, the big part of the plot is Kyon and Kricket getting to know each other and trying to learn to deal with each since it seems like they are stuck. We finally start getting some major action in the last 30-40% of the book when Kricket is taken to one of the cities and hopes to complete the prophecy that she was always destined to complete. It gets crazy. The body count in this one is ridiculous. Kricket does manage to make a new friend, Phlix who is one of the other priestesses. It is kind of weird how they become insta-BFFs, but I get it. They both are super lonely and basically have no one. They click and it works. I really like Phlix and hope she becomes a permanent part of the series.

      The ending is what kills me. CAUTION spoiler-->, but it basically boils down to Kricket having three options: 1) Go with Trey, 2) Go with Kyon, or 3) Do her own thing. I will give Kricket so many props for this because she is a bad B in this book. No matter what happens or how she feels, she refuses to be anyone’s problem or possession. No matter how much her heart wants what it wants, she knows that she has got to take care of herself. Stone heart and all that. So, let’s go back to when I thought this was the end of the series. I WAS FREAKING OUT. I was so pissed at everyone because freaking no one gets a happy ending! How can you end a series on a huge cliffhanger?! WTF Amy Bartol?! Thankfully I was talked down from the ledge and was told that this is actually just book three of supposedly a six-ish book series. I feel so much better knowing that. The next book is going to be bomb. I cannot wait to see what happens, because you know (per usual) everyone is going to be coming after Kricket. I can’t wait to see how she handles everything!



      HUGE thank you to Netgalley and 47North for providing me with an e-copy of this book! If y'all aren't on Netgalley, you NEED to check it out. It is the quickest and best way to get your hands on ARCs! Love love love!!


      4/5 stars
    • 5/5
      Definitely not the conclusion I would have expected. A more grown-up ending to a YA story that was very grown-up from the first book. I was back and forth while reading how I felt about the path the story seems to be taking, but in the end I really think it makes this series more unique and that more compelling. This ending (Possibly, is there another book coming? Don't know.) also shows that Kricket was and is always a strong character, she's a fighter, no matter if no ones betting on her, I always will. I really enjoyed reading this series and I'm actually glad that I didn't find it until it was complete. Don't know how I would have handled waiting for the next book. It would also be great to learn more about what's happening in Kricket's life now, but I don't know if that will be happening. Fingers crossed?
    • 5/5
      I received this free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars. I dived right into this novel. And flew through it. For the overall rating, I really enjoyed it. I liked the second novel the best in the series. This one made my head shake a lot, yelling at Kricket way more than I wanted to. In fact, I think I almost disliked her in a way during this final novel. I will admit, I'm Team Trey. I tried to hold of on who I liked more until I got to see both male characters one-on-one with Kricket, and now I can safely say Trey is my man. Kyon was a bit too much for me, and I think I was mimicking Kricket's feelings for both guys as well. Kricket's letter at the end really summed up her actions and reasonings for why she did what she did. Everyone got what they wanted in the end. It may not have seemed like to it other characters at the time, but if the said person the letter was for shares this letter, all of the will see that they got their happy ending - well according to Kricket's perspective. Kricket really is a smart, cunning woman. She would have done well on either planet, and she will have great things coming her way I believe. Even though I feel like the ending should be different, the more I ponder about the ending, the more I might like it. It's not the typical ending ANYONE is used to, which is refreshing. There is a chance this is open for more novels, but there is a sense of completion to the series at the end of this book. I'm going to miss all of the characters, especially Jax and Wayra. Amy Bartol is an author I am going to be recommending and keeping an eye out for upcoming novels. I'm so glad I got a chance to read this whole series as eARC's from NetGalley and the publisher!