I would give this more of a 3.5, but I rounded up. The Dark Light was definitely not what I was expecting. I actually thought it might be more like Obsidian, and was a little worried because I knew it wouldn't even compare. However, it was completely different. I did enjoy this book, but I didn't love it. There were some areas that I thought could use improvement that ultimately led me having to give it 4(technically 3.5) stars. However, one of the big things is that this isn't a series. I think that this book probably would have been better if it was split up into a second book. That way, we could really get to know the characters and the world could have been set up properly. 
 First up is the characters. I really liked reading about the characters, however I couldn't fully connect to them. I don't know if this is because they weren't described enough or something else, but I just couldn't make that final jump so to speak. Also, one thing that I couldn't get past is that after Mia was in Brakaland for a matter of a day, she knew all the lingo like she was an expert. I kept thinking, how does she know this, and how can she talk like such an expert? 
 The next thing I didn't like was the set up. I never thought I would say this, but I actually wanted MORE set up. I'm a girl that likes books to get straight to the point. I don't want to read 180 pages of set up, only to have the action begin in the last chapter. It just doesn't work for me. However, this book needed a tiny bit more. There were so many different kinds (for lack of a better word) characters that I had no clue what they were. Sure, some were described, but the majority of them were not. Even if she had a small glossary in the back of the book to give descriptions would have been better. Also, there was a lot of talk about the 5 founding groups, and how everyone is descended from them. However, these 5 groups were never described as to what their powers were, and not all of them were given names. I think we found out the names of 3 of the 5 groups, but the other 2 were just left hanging. 
 Finally, there were so many characters with weird names that I had a hard time keeping them straight. I know you want something different, but then don't introduce so many characters, or just give them nicknames. 
 Overall, I did like this book (please don't think I didn't). There were problems with it, but I would still recommend it. It was different and interesting. I don't know if I would read another one if this would become a series (there is definitely a storyline the author could follow if she would decide to make it a series), but I think that you should give it a try. It might not be for everyone, but for the right person, you'll like this book.