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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I discovered this story for the first time through the audiobook, and I don't know if it alters my view on it but it was a good experience nonetheless.
Also I was quite lost the whole time because there are so many characters/creatures etc. But overall the plot was nice and I liked that it's about a "group" rather than only focusing on one person or duo.
And I like that no one is technically good. It makes me even more eager to know how all of this is going to end.
The only thing that I find too bad, is that Katherine feels like an annoying side character when she actually isn't at all but you get it at the end. So she reall got on my nerves the whole time, but maybe if she would have been portrayed a bit differently I would've come to appreciate her more.
+ the sister in the audiobook is the most annoying character, idk if it feels the same way without audio 🤣
Also I was quite lost the whole time because there are so many characters/creatures etc. But overall the plot was nice and I liked that it's about a "group" rather than only focusing on one person or duo.
And I like that no one is technically good. It makes me even more eager to know how all of this is going to end.
+ the sister in the audiobook is the most annoying character, idk if it feels the same way without audio 🤣
3.5 stars.
I'm going to be honest, the first half was pretty boring. We don't get much in the way of explanations and indeed the first set of inciting incidents make very little sense. My reaction to most of the early plot points was "what? I mean, okay??" (Case in point: who the hell goes missing and conveniently masters the sword in 3 months and then wanders back into their normal life like nothing happened?)
But the second half charges in with teeth bared, challenging the expectations not just of the naive but morally just main trio but also both factions in this cyclical war, regardless of age or experience. And with each successive bamboozlement (I don't think that's a word but I'm going with it) Pacat solidified the story, the characters, and their own cleverness.
I'm very excited for book two, which will presumably pick right up where this one left off and skip the slow nonsense burn.
I'm going to be honest, the first half was pretty boring. We don't get much in the way of explanations and indeed the first set of inciting incidents make very little sense. My reaction to most of the early plot points was "what? I mean, okay??" (Case in point: who the hell goes missing and conveniently masters the sword in 3 months and then wanders back into their normal life like nothing happened?)
But the second half charges in with teeth bared, challenging the expectations not just of the naive but morally just main trio but also both factions in this cyclical war, regardless of age or experience. And with each successive bamboozlement (I don't think that's a word but I'm going with it) Pacat solidified the story, the characters, and their own cleverness.
I'm very excited for book two, which will presumably pick right up where this one left off and skip the slow nonsense burn.
quality: 4/5
enjoyment: 5/5
(buckle up this is gonna be a long one.) whenever i review a book i didn't enjoy i like to start with the things i thought were done well—i always start with whichever list is shorter. in the case of dark rise, however, which i aBSOLUTELY ADORED HOLY SHIT, i’d rather start with the things i thought were lacking.
things i didn’t like:
the pacing: i enjoy the pacing of both the first and second half of the book, but i enjoy them entirely apart from each other. i like breakneck speed and slow burn pretty much equally, but never both within the same book, and the change in pacing for me felt really jarring, especially from pacat. (that’s a running theme actually, the first half spends so much time worldbuilding that a lot of the skills i know cs pacat to have aren’t immediately obvious.)
devon: while it is instantly apparent that cs pacat has been constructing this world from the inside out for over a decade, there are some concepts and ideas that i feel had little buildup, or could have been introduced in the sequel for a more rewarding payoff. this reveal in particular nearly single-handedly knocked this book’s score down from a 4.5 to a 4.
the predictability of the first half of the book: now that i’ve finished it i understand why this part of the story was absolutely essential, but i would be lying if i said that i wasn’t scared of the prospect of a book by cs pacat being (dare i say,) mid. the first half feels like a lot of generic ya fantasy, and it’s going to be very hard to get through if you have ya fatigue, but the payoff is entirely worth it.
things i did like:
the characters: for me, it wasn’t always obvious, especially during the first half, but will is exactly what i want in a ya protagonist. he isn’t particularly groundbreaking (at least, not without going into spoilers), but he’s charmingly snarky and good-natured. it’s so easy to sympathize with him, especially during the crescendo that is the second half. but in all honesty, i'd much rather be talking about a couple of side characters, who i’ll list below.
violet: i love the idea of a female lead being the powerhouse of the story, and (no matter how simple it sounds in concept) it’s something i rarely see in media. violet’s struggle with her own nature and her desire to do good is such a compelling motivation, and her reluctant attachment to her family makes for some genuinely interesting conflict. collectively, her and justice make for some amazing asian representation, and her character arc as well as her relationship with the overarching plot is so much fun to watch play out.
cyprian: oh my darling cyprian. on the first page he was introduced i expected to absolutely loathe this character. i had already grown quite attached to violet, so seeing him come in as a sort of rival for her made him instantly unlikable. but a pacat character is not allowed to be so simple. his most redeeming quality is easily his innate goodness. while most characters of this archetype tend to be much more impulsive and self-absorbed, cyprian understands the stakes and is willing to put aside petty grudges and put himself in harm’s way if it means taking care of those closest to him.
james: obviously i saved the best for last. i keep seeing people compare james to laurent, but i would argue that the two are fairly different characters. james is surprisingly naive where laurent is unexpectedly not (given the whole spoiled prince thing). james isn’t quite as witty (a lot of the best lines are delivered by will, actually), and his particular breed of verbal assault is much less artful—but equally entertaining. james is such a compelling and tragic character, with some of the most well constructed motivations out of the entire cast. he has violet’s loyalty and will’s firm belief in repaying debts, with sass that give both characters a run for their money.
the romance: CS PACAT UNDERSTANDS ROMANCE ON A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL. he knows exactly what it takes to make readers root for a couple and how to make the reader take part in the longing. i am of the personal opinion that a romance needs one of two things to be successful: chemistry or tragedy. chemistry is obviously the more essential of the two, but if a couple has none of it, it’s still possible to gain viewer sympathy with tragedy. his couple in captive prince had both. back to will and james, though, they have both tragedy and chemistry (unprecedented levels of both, actually). they don’t spend much of the book in each other’s presence, but when they’re together it’s such an engaging game of mental gymnastics. every conversation, every touch is a flirtatious power play. that’s chemistry. the tragedy comes in with
the plot: i’d like to start this portion off by reiterating just how terrified i was of the prospect of this book being bad. because, again, the first half of the book is largely dedicated to worldbuilding, which made me think that it was going to be much more heavily plot-driven. that wouldn’t be immediate cause for concern, if not for how generic the plot felt in its early stages. the basic premise of this book isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but this first half absolutely NEEDS to happen for the payoff to hit the way it does. everything you know about the world of dark rise can be completely thrown out the window with the flip of a page, and cs pacat very clearly gets off on pulling the rug out from under his readers’ feet. the entire second half is significant plot beat after sudden plot twist and it’s a roller coaster i found myself never wanting to end.
the themes: for a ya book, dark rise has some of the most well-executed themes i’ve read in the last year. the idea that kindness is repaid comes up so often, and the way in which it’s portrayed is surprisingly mature in spite of the theme’s childish nature. i loved the questions the book poses regarding nature vs nurture and fate vs agency. it also gives the dark side a very genuine appeal, and it blurs the lines between good and evil with how they so often exploit each other.
writing style: i have so much love for pacat’s writing style, and this story only serves to show how much range he truly has as a writer. because (as with captive prince and its often upsetting subject matter) pacat understands the value of everything he’s putting into this story. he has put so much thought into each minute detail, word choice and phrasing. i love his utilization of his unreliable narrator, the way he manipulates both will and the reader. his prose is simple and effective yet also inherently artistic—though it never distracts from the actual content.
the payoff / redemption: so much of this review (even during the portions where i am praising the book) is me complaining about its first half. there’s nothing inherently bad about this first half, it just feels like something the reader has seen a million times before. i keep praising the latter half but it’s really the final 50 pages that ties up every loose end and brings the book to what is somehow both a satisfying conclusion and a frustrating precipice. it is here that that first half gets truly redeemed. regardless of your feelings about the rest of the book, this ending will make you crave a sequel with your entire being.
final verdict: this book is most-certainly not for everyone. not everyone will appreciate its ambition or its scale, and that’s perfectly okay. some people can’t get through the slow first half to reach the payoff, and that’s okay too. but those who think they’re up to the challenge absolutely need to read this book. as long as the rest of the trilogy builds off what this book did and does it well, i can see this going down as my single favorite ya fantasy series.
enjoyment: 5/5
(buckle up this is gonna be a long one.) whenever i review a book i didn't enjoy i like to start with the things i thought were done well—i always start with whichever list is shorter. in the case of dark rise, however, which i aBSOLUTELY ADORED HOLY SHIT, i’d rather start with the things i thought were lacking.
things i didn’t like:
the pacing: i enjoy the pacing of both the first and second half of the book, but i enjoy them entirely apart from each other. i like breakneck speed and slow burn pretty much equally, but never both within the same book, and the change in pacing for me felt really jarring, especially from pacat. (that’s a running theme actually, the first half spends so much time worldbuilding that a lot of the skills i know cs pacat to have aren’t immediately obvious.)
devon: while it is instantly apparent that cs pacat has been constructing this world from the inside out for over a decade, there are some concepts and ideas that i feel had little buildup, or could have been introduced in the sequel for a more rewarding payoff. this reveal in particular nearly single-handedly knocked this book’s score down from a 4.5 to a 4.
Spoiler
devon being the last unicorn is actually an idea i could get behind, but at the point it was introduced it just felt very irrelevant and abrupt. especially because i was still getting over the death of all of the stewards, so i couldn’t really bring myself to care about a character who’d had so little screentime.the predictability of the first half of the book: now that i’ve finished it i understand why this part of the story was absolutely essential, but i would be lying if i said that i wasn’t scared of the prospect of a book by cs pacat being (dare i say,) mid. the first half feels like a lot of generic ya fantasy, and it’s going to be very hard to get through if you have ya fatigue, but the payoff is entirely worth it.
things i did like:
the characters: for me, it wasn’t always obvious, especially during the first half, but will is exactly what i want in a ya protagonist. he isn’t particularly groundbreaking (at least, not without going into spoilers), but he’s charmingly snarky and good-natured. it’s so easy to sympathize with him, especially during the crescendo that is the second half.
Spoiler
his character in concept is already brilliant, and such a nuanced (albeit literal) way to illustrate the theme of “the enemy within” that pacat continually comes back to. the complexity of him being such a good person while also having the potential for apocalyptic-level carnage is some duality i can get behind.violet: i love the idea of a female lead being the powerhouse of the story, and (no matter how simple it sounds in concept) it’s something i rarely see in media. violet’s struggle with her own nature and her desire to do good is such a compelling motivation, and her reluctant attachment to her family makes for some genuinely interesting conflict.
Spoiler
her coming to terms with her identity as a lion so long as she can become a steward, only to find out that the stewards themselves are on the verge of becoming shadows is peak fiction. it makes the reader (and violet) feel as if her struggle is futile and there’s really nothing she can do to escape the darkness, while also posing the question as to whether this is a bad thing. she is a stubbornly loyal character and i cannot wait to see her response to will (who is at this point her most trusted ally) being the dark king she was always meant to serve.cyprian: oh my darling cyprian. on the first page he was introduced i expected to absolutely loathe this character. i had already grown quite attached to violet, so seeing him come in as a sort of rival for her made him instantly unlikable. but a pacat character is not allowed to be so simple. his most redeeming quality is easily his innate goodness. while most characters of this archetype tend to be much more impulsive and self-absorbed, cyprian understands the stakes and is willing to put aside petty grudges and put himself in harm’s way if it means taking care of those closest to him.
Spoiler
his continual refusal to drink from the cup and his ability to acknowledge the fact that stewards, the people closest to him, made an earth-shattering mistake only made him more endearing. i really hope to see his pov in book two, since his dogmatism will be a nice contrast to how unknowingly cunning characters like will and james can be.james: obviously i saved the best for last. i keep seeing people compare james to laurent, but i would argue that the two are fairly different characters. james is surprisingly naive where laurent is unexpectedly not (given the whole spoiled prince thing). james isn’t quite as witty (a lot of the best lines are delivered by will, actually), and his particular breed of verbal assault is much less artful—but equally entertaining. james is such a compelling and tragic character, with some of the most well constructed motivations out of the entire cast. he has violet’s loyalty and will’s firm belief in repaying debts, with sass that give both characters a run for their money.
Spoiler
i’d say the best parts of his character are directly related to his relationship with will and the way their power-dynamic completely shifts once you find out who will really is. james begins as will’s greatest threat, then very quickly becomes his greatest asset, which poses such an interesting question as to why. is james loyal because of the freedom will offers him in this life, or the freedom he stole from him in the last one? did the nature of their past lives carry over alongside their supernatural abilities? i will never get over how brilliant it is that will’s refusal to close the collar around james’s neck is what ultimately guaranteed his undying loyalty. i cannot wait to see pacat delve into james’ self actualization in the next books.the romance: CS PACAT UNDERSTANDS ROMANCE ON A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL. he knows exactly what it takes to make readers root for a couple and how to make the reader take part in the longing. i am of the personal opinion that a romance needs one of two things to be successful: chemistry or tragedy. chemistry is obviously the more essential of the two, but if a couple has none of it, it’s still possible to gain viewer sympathy with tragedy. his couple in captive prince had both.
Spoiler
but i’d be lying if i said i was sold on the romance in dark rise from the very beginning. i was rooting for james and will once i read the lines “i will find you. i will always find you. try to run” ESPECIALLY AFTER THE PLOT TWIST WHEN THOSE WORDS TOOK ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING. but the romance (despite being one of my favorite aspects by the end of the book) started out as one of the biggest blows to the book’s score (seriously, if not for the climax this book probably would have been a 3/5). because will’s dynamic with katherine really gave me a scare. i almost thought cs pacat was writing a couple with neither chemistry nor tragedy (but then the plot twist recontextualized all of their interactions. i might not be sold on the pair as a couple but i can believe that katherine has a one-sided attraction to will).Spoiler
that plot twist, because will (and the reader) no longer know the nature of this romance, and whether or not it’s healthy or okay for them to be together.the plot: i’d like to start this portion off by reiterating just how terrified i was of the prospect of this book being bad. because, again, the first half of the book is largely dedicated to worldbuilding, which made me think that it was going to be much more heavily plot-driven. that wouldn’t be immediate cause for concern, if not for how generic the plot felt in its early stages. the basic premise of this book isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but this first half absolutely NEEDS to happen for the payoff to hit the way it does. everything you know about the world of dark rise can be completely thrown out the window with the flip of a page, and cs pacat very clearly gets off on pulling the rug out from under his readers’ feet. the entire second half is significant plot beat after sudden plot twist and it’s a roller coaster i found myself never wanting to end.
the themes: for a ya book, dark rise has some of the most well-executed themes i’ve read in the last year. the idea that kindness is repaid comes up so often, and the way in which it’s portrayed is surprisingly mature in spite of the theme’s childish nature. i loved the questions the book poses regarding nature vs nurture and fate vs agency. it also gives the dark side a very genuine appeal, and it blurs the lines between good and evil with how they so often exploit each other.
writing style: i have so much love for pacat’s writing style, and this story only serves to show how much range he truly has as a writer. because (as with captive prince and its often upsetting subject matter) pacat understands the value of everything he’s putting into this story. he has put so much thought into each minute detail, word choice and phrasing. i love his utilization of his unreliable narrator, the way he manipulates both will and the reader. his prose is simple and effective yet also inherently artistic—though it never distracts from the actual content.
the payoff / redemption: so much of this review (even during the portions where i am praising the book) is me complaining about its first half. there’s nothing inherently bad about this first half, it just feels like something the reader has seen a million times before.
Spoiler
it’s only after the cup plot twist that the reader really begins to understand that they’re in for much more than they’d bargained for.Spoiler
for those who couldn’t predict the twist, the ending is a complete thrill and struggle to keep up, a struggle that is so exciting and rewarding and (i can’t possibly overstate this) fun. even if you managed to predict the twist (as i had) this climax is equal parts dreadful and rewarding.final verdict: this book is most-certainly not for everyone. not everyone will appreciate its ambition or its scale, and that’s perfectly okay. some people can’t get through the slow first half to reach the payoff, and that’s okay too. but those who think they’re up to the challenge absolutely need to read this book. as long as the rest of the trilogy builds off what this book did and does it well, i can see this going down as my single favorite ya fantasy series.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
*W tym momencie James i Laurent biorą się za ręce*
i didn't want this book to end my god
never knew i needed a gay retelling of the lord of the rings and yet here i am, in love
never knew i needed a gay retelling of the lord of the rings and yet here i am, in love
i hate to say that this book stole from a cassandra clare (and holly black...) novel, of all things, but i feel like it kind of does -- i saw that plot twist from a mile away, because i've read it before. even so, i enjoyed it enough
Segunda vez que acudo a C. S. Pacat con cero expectativas y segunda vez que me sorprende. "El rey oscuro" comienza con la tĂpica historia de luz contra oscuridad. Ambientada en una ciudad de Londres en la que una vez hubo magia, nuestro protagonista Will comienza a indagar en sus orĂgenes tras la muerte de su madre a manos de una organizaciĂłn que sigue las Ăłrdenes de uno poderoso hombre de la alta sociedad londinense.
A partir de ese momento Will consigue aliados que luchan contra la Oscuridad y que intentan evitar a toda costa el regreso del Rey Oscuro, lo que aquellas personas que mataron a su madre parecen querer conseguir.
Iba a esta historia esperando algo bastante más sencillo y con menos elementos fantásticos, y tengo que decir que aunque me costó un poquito entrar, estoy gratamente sorprendida con ella. Un libro que aún teniendo sus defectos consigue atrapar y mantener tu atención en todo momento gracias a su atmósfera oscura y decadente y sus personajes que, sin ser tampoco nada extraordinario, son lo suficientemente interesantes e intrigantes para que quieras saber más de ellos.
Para mi tiene sus pegas: ya me di cuenta que la autora juega con contarte las cosas muy a medias descaradamente para que no llegues a ciertas conclusiones a las que acabas llegando igual... O ciertas partes de la trama que necesitan más desarrollo pasan demasiado rápido... Pero creo que en su conjunto ganan de lejos las sensaciones positivas. A pesar de que algunas cosas de la trama sĂ me las vi venir, sus personajes tienen siempre un punto de imprevisibilidad que me hace imposible saber por dĂłnde van a salir. Es una cosa que ya me pasĂł con su trilogĂa de "El prĂncipe cautivo". Sus personajes me fascinan y me desconciertan, y nunca terminan siendo aquello que parecen ser de primeras, lo que creo que los hace el punto fuerte de las historias de la autora.
El ritmo en general es muy bueno, sobre todo en la segunda mitad, y te lo bebes prácticamente del tirón.
No es la historia de fantasĂa más potente que me voy a leer este año, pero estoy muy contenta de haberle dado una oportunidad. Me esperaba algo más sencillo y tirando a juvenil, pero me encontrĂ© con una trama oscura, con unos personajes grises y mayor profundidad y complejidad de la que yo esperaba. Estoy deseando leer el segundo, sobre todo despuĂ©s de ese epĂlogo que promete que me va a dar en todo lo mĂo.
A partir de ese momento Will consigue aliados que luchan contra la Oscuridad y que intentan evitar a toda costa el regreso del Rey Oscuro, lo que aquellas personas que mataron a su madre parecen querer conseguir.
Iba a esta historia esperando algo bastante más sencillo y con menos elementos fantásticos, y tengo que decir que aunque me costó un poquito entrar, estoy gratamente sorprendida con ella. Un libro que aún teniendo sus defectos consigue atrapar y mantener tu atención en todo momento gracias a su atmósfera oscura y decadente y sus personajes que, sin ser tampoco nada extraordinario, son lo suficientemente interesantes e intrigantes para que quieras saber más de ellos.
Para mi tiene sus pegas: ya me di cuenta que la autora juega con contarte las cosas muy a medias descaradamente para que no llegues a ciertas conclusiones a las que acabas llegando igual... O ciertas partes de la trama que necesitan más desarrollo pasan demasiado rápido... Pero creo que en su conjunto ganan de lejos las sensaciones positivas. A pesar de que algunas cosas de la trama sĂ me las vi venir, sus personajes tienen siempre un punto de imprevisibilidad que me hace imposible saber por dĂłnde van a salir. Es una cosa que ya me pasĂł con su trilogĂa de "El prĂncipe cautivo". Sus personajes me fascinan y me desconciertan, y nunca terminan siendo aquello que parecen ser de primeras, lo que creo que los hace el punto fuerte de las historias de la autora.
El ritmo en general es muy bueno, sobre todo en la segunda mitad, y te lo bebes prácticamente del tirón.
No es la historia de fantasĂa más potente que me voy a leer este año, pero estoy muy contenta de haberle dado una oportunidad. Me esperaba algo más sencillo y tirando a juvenil, pero me encontrĂ© con una trama oscura, con unos personajes grises y mayor profundidad y complejidad de la que yo esperaba. Estoy deseando leer el segundo, sobre todo despuĂ©s de ese epĂlogo que promete que me va a dar en todo lo mĂo.