Introduction
Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian is a book by the famous writer, E.L. James. This is book 2 of the series told from the perspective of Christian Grey. Check my review below and some updates on book 3, Freed.
Goodreads Blurb
E L James revisits the world of Fifty Shades with a deeper and darker take on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the globe.
Their scorching, sensual affair ended in heartbreak and recrimination, but Christian Grey cannot get Anastasia Steele out of his mind, or his blood. Determined to win her back, he tries to suppress his darkest desires and his need for complete control, and to love Ana on her own terms.
But the horrors of his childhood still haunt him, and Ana’s scheming boss, Jack Hyde, clearly wants her for himself. Can Christian’s confidant and therapist, Dr. Flynn, help him face down his demons? Or will the possessiveness of Elena, his seducer, and the deranged devotion of Leila, his former submissive, drag Christian down into the past?
And if Christian does win Ana back, can a man so dark and damaged ever hope to keep her?
Book Estuary Review
The Fifty Shades Series
If you are a Fifty Shades book fan, you surely know that there are three books in this series that are all told from the perspective of Anastasia Steele. After the book series became a global hit, E L James released Grey (Fifty Shades as Told by Christian #1). More than two years after the release of Grey that is November of 2017, Darker is also released. Hence, this short review from yours truly.
I can say that I am a fan of Fifty Shades series because I think I have read the first three books multiple times. I would say, I skipped some of the parts of the sexual act while rereading because they did get old as they seem to take part in about half of the book contents. But, in all fairness to the book series, it delivers captivating and swoon-worthy romance with a taste of modern fairy tales, few thrills, and a psychological take on some issues.
Darker
So, Darker is actually an equivalent of book 2 of the original series entitled Fifty Shades Darker. This time, it was told from the perspective of Christian instead of Anastasia. So, this part of the series tells the story of how Christian and Ana get back together after they broke up in the last part of book 1. This is the part when Christian realized that he cannot live without Ana in his life and that he actually loves her. He is willing to exorcise all his demons of the past to start a normal relationship with Ana and make her his wife.
The thrill on this part of the series comes from the chase and security threat caused by Leila, one of Christian’s many exes/submissives and Jack Hyde’s antagonistic plans to bring down Christian.
The swoon-worthy part is of course the usual things that Christian can do and give to Ana because he can as he is very wealthy. This is also when the proposal of Christian to marry Ana happened with two versions: the unexpectedly emotional and the swoon-worthy one.
Are there new revelations in Darker?
It took me about 20 days to finish this book. So, why did it take me such a very long time to finish the book? Well, besides the fact that I had reread the series several times in the past, I actually did not find new things about the story from this book even though it was told this time from the perspective of Christian. I can say that I am not really impressed at how this book actually shows how Christian’s mind works. There’s really nothing new except the parts when we were given a glimpse about his nightmares and previous sexual dominant relations. I really find Christian’s mind boring and cheesy in so many ways in this book.
But, the part where Christian came back and did not find Ana in his apartment after Leila was finally caught and was turned over to Dr. Flynn for help is still emotionally loaded in my opinion. This is the part when Christian finally exorcised his past demons through the help of Ana and unexpectedly proposed marriage to her. This part still moved me in so many ways.
Overall Rating and Final Thoughts about Darker by E.L. James
Fans of this book series will love this book because they can revisit the story of Christian and Ana. But, my verdict is that it is almost like rereading book 2 of the original series and that a different perspective coming from Christian does not really offer something new and interesting that an avid fan of this series does not know yet. I give this book my 4-star rating.
New Announcement from E.L. James
As a Fifty Shades fan since day 1, I still look forward to reading the third installment of this version coming from Christian’s perspective. On E.L. James’ website, she announces that she is currently writing Freed although no release date has been announced. A draft of Freed Chapter 1 is also available for free reading on the website.
Related Review
*This review was originally posted on steemit.com.
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Book Title: Darker (Fifty Shades as Told by Christian #2)
Author: E.L. James
Publication Date: November 28, 2017
Print Length: 560 pages
My Rating: 4-star
Goodreads Link
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