Received my backordered Luda dark set today. Did a quick swatch. Currently working on material reorganizing so have little time to explore them. All except for the black pastel arrived intact. The black had crumbled edges, and was a cleanup. Anyway the other pastels were fine with a little wiping . I previously received the light set, that arrived in perfect condition. Most everything I order from Dakota Art Pastels ships perfectly. With new brands of pastel, I get smaller sets to explore if it meets my needs. I wouldn't call this a dark set but a set of shades. The palette is thoughtful and well rounded. The spectrum is a warm ochre ,followed by a warm & cool red, warm & cool violets, an ultramarine, and 4 greens , cool to warm , grey and black that are cool. The pastels have a nice soft feel. Feel hefty in the hand. The rectangular shape gives edges to exploit. I probably wouldn't break them. Anyway, that's what I can say as of now.