Diana Peterfreund is pretty much an unknown author. She has written eight books and her two previous books are Rampant and Ascendant. She writes science fiction stories. For Darkness Shows the Stars is a stand-alone futuristic story based upon Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

In the dystopian future, a genetic experiment by humans has gone horribly wrong and as a devastating consequence, a new class system was created by the Luddites. The protagonist, Elliot North, is a dutiful Luddite girl who was raised in a family that fell from its rank. Elliot is now left to run her father’s estate alone.

When the boy she loved, Kai, asked her to run away with him, she refused, although it shattered her heart. Now, Kai is back as Captain Malakai Wentforth, and while Elliot is longing for a second chance with him, she knows it could mean betraying everything she’s been raised to believe is right.

The most amazing aspect of this story was how intricately the story was designed. It has a slight tinge of Jane Austen’s classic writing structure. As a science fiction fanatic myself, I was really glad to see an original story where the antagonists were the protagonist’s own family. I also appreciated Peterfreund’s fresh perspective where science fiction writing meets classic writing.

An aspect that I did not like, however, was how the story ended. The story concluded abruptly and left me wondering what was in store for Elliot and Kai. I would have wished for a more heartfelt ending, but the story was gracefully concluded nonetheless.

I would give this book a rating of 4.5, in part because of the ending and a few loose details (no spoilers). It’s a fast read and a well-written book. A person could really relate to Elliot North in the terms of handling some things alone as a young teenager.

You can buy the book at Barnes & Noble and amazon.com as a paperback for $8.80 or a hardcover at amazon for $13.34. For Darkness Shows the Stars is a wonderful read for classic book lovers and sci-fi lovers alike.