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dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
Ascension opens with Rhys working as the new High Priest and thriving in his relationships with Moira and David. Things start going awry, however, when Rhys's ambition leads him down a dark path.
Like Evocation, this is largely focused on the characters and relationships, with the plot serving as a backdrop to further those. Rhys, in particular, has some truly great growth in this. I finished the book loving him more than ever! Since Rhys is the main focus, David and Moira's scenes are largely about him and their relationships with him, but they are still amazing characters who both have great moments. Also, Leda and Antoni, supporting characters in the first book, have larger roles in this book and quickly became new favorites for me.
Rhys's relationships with both Moira and David have some rocky patches in this book. Rhys makes a series of decisions that temporarily strain their relationships, but there are still many great moments for both pairings and for them as a throuple. Moira and David also have some really nice moments together. There's one scene early in the book where they discuss what they should refer to each other as, which is one of my favorite scenes of the entire series so far. The book is also spicier than the first, with one scene near the end being the steamiest yet.
As I mentioned earlier, the plot is largely in service to the character and relationship stories, but there is an expansion of the magic that I found to be very interesting. There's a heavy focus on the Society, too, so if you liked the minor Dark Academia vibes in the first book, you should enjoy this one.
Ascension is a fantastic follow-up to Evocation. It takes some interesting turns and has a lot of i character and relationship development. It left me very excited to read the next book in the series, which will be called Divination and will focus on Moira!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm, Blood