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criticalgayze's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If Daddy Tolkien has taught the kids anything, one would hope it would be the importance of world building. The Granddaddy of Fantasy, the man constructed a universe and a history from the foundation up and dedicated his career to fortifying his creation. While Pacat wants to do a lot of begging and borrowing and stealing from Middle Earth and the larger canon of Campbell's Hero's Journey, it is clear that they are not interested in sticking around in their world longer than their trilogy, and it creates some wear and tear at the edges.
What do you have here? The return of a Dark King, a hidden (albeit non-elfin) city, magical objects that enslaved human kings, and a "shining lady." (Plus, also a lot of Harry Potter and Star Wars-adjacent Hero's Journey tropes.)
What else did you have? Too much. This is supposed to feel like the first book in a trilogy, yet it felt like a standalone work. You have every trope of every major fantasy series stuffed into this single <500 page volume. You have mass slaughters. You have magical romances begun, then ended, and then new ones begun. You have torture and then escape. You have slaughter. You have first, second, and third reveals about each individual character. I cannot fathom reading another two books that can sustain this momentum, yet I also worry that I could be just as exhausted at the end of each installment.
Finally, while I haven't read their Captive Prince trilogy, I know there has been some discourse around their use of enslavement as the precipitation for romance. While I won't give away too much for those who want to read Dark Rise (DM me here or on Instagram - also @criticalgayze), I will say that this book doesn't make the best case for Pacat. While I have the CP trilogy on my shelves as a planned read this year, I will be entering it a little more wearily.
Now, I did give the book 3-stars because Pacat is clearly a talented writer. This was fast-paced with an intriguing universe, even if I did want it to be a little more fleshed out, and the first half especially is a very enjoyable read before you begin to feel a little gorged as a reader.
What do you have here? The return of a Dark King, a hidden (albeit non-elfin) city, magical objects that enslaved human kings, and a "shining lady." (Plus, also a lot of Harry Potter and Star Wars-adjacent Hero's Journey tropes.)
What else did you have? Too much. This is supposed to feel like the first book in a trilogy, yet it felt like a standalone work. You have every trope of every major fantasy series stuffed into this single <500 page volume. You have mass slaughters. You have magical romances begun, then ended, and then new ones begun. You have torture and then escape. You have slaughter. You have first, second, and third reveals about each individual character. I cannot fathom reading another two books that can sustain this momentum, yet I also worry that I could be just as exhausted at the end of each installment.
Finally, while I haven't read their Captive Prince trilogy, I know there has been some discourse around their use of enslavement as the precipitation for romance. While I won't give away too much for those who want to read Dark Rise (DM me here or on Instagram - also @criticalgayze), I will say that this book doesn't make the best case for Pacat. While I have the CP trilogy on my shelves as a planned read this year, I will be entering it a little more wearily.
Now, I did give the book 3-stars because Pacat is clearly a talented writer. This was fast-paced with an intriguing universe, even if I did want it to be a little more fleshed out, and the first half especially is a very enjoyable read before you begin to feel a little gorged as a reader.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Murder, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Incest
nicamooch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The way this book builds in its entirety is amazing. I admit the first quarter is lot to get through especially, because of all the world building and establishment of characters, even I as a Pacat fan was starting to have my faith waver, BUT faith is restored 110%. Consider the rug pulled from beneath me several times, consider me in pain from this book. I’m so excited for Book 2!
I had to constantly pause the audiobook during chapter 34 lmao. I kept yelling “It’s not his name!” 😂
Also, that ending??? I’ve seen people constantly crying about the ending for this book and now I get it 😭 This is reading Prince’s Gambit for the first time kind of pain, I didn’t expect it to go this direction at all. Only Pacat can write a scene between characters like this and have it feel so tragic in a way unique to itself 😭
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Minor: Colonisation, Gun violence, Grief, and Racism
bee_a_boo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Violence
sarahna's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was so excited to read this new fantasy novel by C.S. Pacat after having adored their captive prince trilogy and have mixed feelings about it. I'm well aware that Dark Rise is a YA series and of course I'm happy to read a slow burn romance between the enemies but my main issue lies with Will as the main character.
Spoilers ahead!!
Will is a predestined boy-savior on the run since his mother's murder and is hunted by Simon, a man who wants to help the dark king rise once again. Throughout the first couple of hundred pages we are lead to believe that he's one of the stewards, a group of ancient knights that wield the power of ancient times. The power of light that fights the dark. Will is the one and only one who can stop the dark king from regaining his throne. C.S. Pacat themselves said that this fantasy story about a war between light and dark isn't at all what it seems and that they want to twist the common hero trope with Will and thus also with the enemy of James St. Clair. So the big twist (SPOILERS) didn't come as a surprise at all when in the last 60 pages it was revealed that Will is actually the dark king himself. Maybe it's just me reading a lot of mysteries but it wasn't a huge surprise. I guess that's why Will's character had to be somewhat bland to make it believable that he is part of both sides at one point as the story progresses.
The other side character's such as Violet, Cyprian and James aren't as bland. I really loved their arcs and backstories. Violet the double lion fighting alongside the stewards instead of the dark and Cyprian the last steward who hasn't drunk from the cup yet still standing! James really shone the most though and I saw lots of parallels to Laurent. Both are devastatingly beautiful, use their words as a weapon and have a tragic backstory that motivate their cruel deeds. Still, James isn't a copy of Laurent. The way he seemingly can't act on his own accord and gets set free when will hands him the collar back is so powerful. In general the book shined when James was in a scene. The dialogue between him and Will were outstanding, the chemistry was practically palpable. Sadly, he barely interacts with the rest of the cast but I'm positive that it was necessary to set up the next two books. <
Kathrine and her sister Elizabeth didn't catch my attention at first but as the last third of the story approached they became more and more important. Kathrine was practically a plot device who gets sacrificed at the end and only Elizabeth matters but since she served more sass and attitude I didn't mind her being the only one left of the lady's line. The insta love between her and Will was just unbelievable to me and I knew that the light that made the tree bloom when they kissed was due to her power. Will never managed to tap into his so there was no other explanation.
Simon's motivation to free the dark king were too cliché but still, the final showdown with Will where his true identity was revealed was exciting. I just wish Simon would've been more of a fleshed out character and more interesting villain. Again, another indicator that Will has to have a stronger tie to the dark king than Simon. When he died it was clear that the next two books would explore the power dynamics of Will and James that have switched and which part of Will will win. The light or the dark?
I also really loved the historical setting in England and the world building as a whole. Everything was well researched and descriptive. The halls and in general what the cast wore was on point. Devon's storyline, being the last unicorn and having a horn that forces the person to tell the truth when stabbed, was original to say the least. I wonder what his role will be in the sequels.
Despite Will being somewhat of a flat character and the big twist being predictable I loved the world building and side characters. Can't wait to read the sequel after this open end!
Spoilers ahead!!
Will is a predestined boy-savior on the run since his mother's murder and is hunted by Simon, a man who wants to help the dark king rise once again. Throughout the first couple of hundred pages we are lead to believe that he's one of the stewards, a group of ancient knights that wield the power of ancient times. The power of light that fights the dark. Will is the one and only one who can stop the dark king from regaining his throne. C.S. Pacat themselves said that this fantasy story about a war between light and dark isn't at all what it seems and that they want to twist the common hero trope with Will and thus also with the enemy of James St. Clair. So the big twist (SPOILERS) didn't come as a surprise at all when in the last 60 pages it was revealed that Will is actually the dark king himself. Maybe it's just me reading a lot of mysteries but it wasn't a huge surprise. I guess that's why Will's character had to be somewhat bland to make it believable that he is part of both sides at one point as the story progresses.
The other side character's such as Violet, Cyprian and James aren't as bland. I really loved their arcs and backstories. Violet the double lion fighting alongside the stewards instead of the dark and Cyprian the last steward who hasn't drunk from the cup yet still standing! James really shone the most though and I saw lots of parallels to Laurent. Both are devastatingly beautiful, use their words as a weapon and have a tragic backstory that motivate their cruel deeds. Still, James isn't a copy of Laurent. The way he seemingly can't act on his own accord and gets set free when will hands him the collar back is so powerful. In general the book shined when James was in a scene. The dialogue between him and Will were outstanding, the chemistry was practically palpable. Sadly, he barely interacts with the rest of the cast but I'm positive that it was necessary to set up the next two books. <
Kathrine and her sister Elizabeth didn't catch my attention at first but as the last third of the story approached they became more and more important. Kathrine was practically a plot device who gets sacrificed at the end and only Elizabeth matters but since she served more sass and attitude I didn't mind her being the only one left of the lady's line. The insta love between her and Will was just unbelievable to me and I knew that the light that made the tree bloom when they kissed was due to her power. Will never managed to tap into his so there was no other explanation.
Simon's motivation to free the dark king were too cliché but still, the final showdown with Will where his true identity was revealed was exciting. I just wish Simon would've been more of a fleshed out character and more interesting villain. Again, another indicator that Will has to have a stronger tie to the dark king than Simon. When he died it was clear that the next two books would explore the power dynamics of Will and James that have switched and which part of Will will win. The light or the dark?
I also really loved the historical setting in England and the world building as a whole. Everything was well researched and descriptive. The halls and in general what the cast wore was on point. Devon's storyline, being the last unicorn and having a horn that forces the person to tell the truth when stabbed, was original to say the least. I wonder what his role will be in the sequels.
Despite Will being somewhat of a flat character and the big twist being predictable I loved the world building and side characters. Can't wait to read the sequel after this open end!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Racial slurs
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
**Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
I so wanted to love this book. The concept was so intriguing and the book started out so strong! But there were just some things that didn't work for me alongside the things that did work. It took a little time and some conversations/reviews for me to be able to piece together all of my thoughts.
I do think the one thing this book did really well was keep you guessing and continually throwing curves and reveals at you. This was my first read by Pacat so I am not sure if that is common to their writing, or if that is a unique element to this book. But there were numerous moments when you think you might finally have something figured out, and then a reveal is thrown at you and it leaves you reeling trying to figure out where you are now and where things will go next. I can't get into much more detail about that though, because these should definitely not be spoiled!!
I will also say that I really liked the characters of Will, Violet, and James. I think they are well-done characters and I was intrigued to see where their stories were going, how they all weaved together. Especially for James - somehow he ended up being the more complex character!
Now, unfortunately, there were more things that didn't work for me than there were things that I liked.
The first is that I REALLY struggled with the pacing of this book... The beginning pulls you in so quickly and you are entirely caught up in what is going on, trying to figure things out and follow the characters. There is lots that happens at the onset of the story, and you can't help but be pulled along with the characters. HOWEVER, the entire middle of the book drags on sooooo slow. The best way that I can explain it is if it were like a roller coaster ride where there was a big exciting drop at the very beginning, and then the longest length of straight coasting track before a final ascent and a loop-de-loop at the very end... I think it was almost 200 pages of just slowness through the middle that seriously dragged for me - to the point where I ended up skim reading some sections closer to the end of the book because I had lost a lot of my interest. It was so disappointing.
I think a big part of that stems from the fact that while the beginning and the end have so many things happening TO the main characters, the entire middle of the book is seemingly events happening AROUND the main characters that they are often not involved in and do not understand. It just made things a lot slower. And while I liked the main characters, it was difficult to keep track of which side characters I was supposed to be paying attention to. Characters that were quite developed and piqued my interest were suddenly killed off part way through, while characters that had little to no development were still around at the end of the book. It was a big odd and confusing. I completely understand that it is a fantasy novel and you cannot get too attached to characters (believe me, I know) - but it was a bit odd for which characters were developed and killed off, along with the majority of the characters, and the final characters that were left in as part of the continuing narrative.
Anyways. I think maybe if the pacing issues hadn't been there, I would have enjoyed this book so much more. I just wish that it had been paced a bit better... BUT if you are okay with a slower, slightly uneventful middle to a book, this one definitely has some great characters and unique concepts to get you through! Let me just say: magical sex slave collar... if you know, you know. HAHA.
I so wanted to love this book. The concept was so intriguing and the book started out so strong! But there were just some things that didn't work for me alongside the things that did work. It took a little time and some conversations/reviews for me to be able to piece together all of my thoughts.
I do think the one thing this book did really well was keep you guessing and continually throwing curves and reveals at you. This was my first read by Pacat so I am not sure if that is common to their writing, or if that is a unique element to this book. But there were numerous moments when you think you might finally have something figured out, and then a reveal is thrown at you and it leaves you reeling trying to figure out where you are now and where things will go next. I can't get into much more detail about that though, because these should definitely not be spoiled!!
I will also say that I really liked the characters of Will, Violet, and James. I think they are well-done characters and I was intrigued to see where their stories were going, how they all weaved together. Especially for James - somehow he ended up being the more complex character!
Now, unfortunately, there were more things that didn't work for me than there were things that I liked.
The first is that I REALLY struggled with the pacing of this book... The beginning pulls you in so quickly and you are entirely caught up in what is going on, trying to figure things out and follow the characters. There is lots that happens at the onset of the story, and you can't help but be pulled along with the characters. HOWEVER, the entire middle of the book drags on sooooo slow. The best way that I can explain it is if it were like a roller coaster ride where there was a big exciting drop at the very beginning, and then the longest length of straight coasting track before a final ascent and a loop-de-loop at the very end... I think it was almost 200 pages of just slowness through the middle that seriously dragged for me - to the point where I ended up skim reading some sections closer to the end of the book because I had lost a lot of my interest. It was so disappointing.
I think a big part of that stems from the fact that while the beginning and the end have so many things happening TO the main characters, the entire middle of the book is seemingly events happening AROUND the main characters that they are often not involved in and do not understand. It just made things a lot slower. And while I liked the main characters, it was difficult to keep track of which side characters I was supposed to be paying attention to.
Anyways. I think maybe if the pacing issues hadn't been there, I would have enjoyed this book so much more. I just wish that it had been paced a bit better... BUT if you are okay with a slower, slightly uneventful middle to a book, this one definitely has some great characters and unique concepts to get you through! Let me just say: magical sex slave collar... if you know, you know. HAHA.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Racism and Torture
There is a mass murder that happens, and the scenes following are described in some detail.
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