Dark Age is my favorite, and also my least favorite book of the series.

Some of the most jaw dropping events, some of the most mind bending twists, and some of the most intense action not are only in this book, but fill it. In parts I couldn't put this book down.

However, this one of the most bleak, and hopeless books I've ever read. With some things so horrendous, that is hurts me, just to even think about them. In other parts I had to physically walk away. This happened so frequently, that I had to actually dissociate, and separate my emotions from what I was reading, becoming numb to it.

However, that was the point, if not to wear the reader down, so they feel as Darrow, Lyira, Ephraim and Mustang do, broken and beaten.