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A review by tagoreketabkhane31
As the Shadow Rises by Katy Rose Pool
3.0
The second installment in the trilogy, As the Shadow Rises continues the story of Anton, the last Prophet, Jude, Beru, Hassan, Ephyra, along with Hector and Illya as they become involved in the fight to prevent the Age of Darkness.
The second book will require a reread of the first book before continuing - the book picks up immediately from where it’d predecessor left off, and the reader does not get a reminder from the characters about where they were left off. However, the characters do take central stage, and Pool also continues the world building, blending Ancient Greek, Roman, Syrian and Phoenician cultures to create her world, while also using ships, trains and fashion to balance out her world with a little more modernity.
However, I felt that the second book did not live up to the excitement and pace of the first book. The balancing of the various narratives did not seem as varied in comparison to the first book, with only Anton and Jude having significance in their adventures and also the character growth, compared to the other four characters who did not show that much in their changes. I also felt that the end, while climatic, went about resetting the trilogy to where the conclusion would have a new setting for the characters.
Perhaps suffering from middle book syndrome, the story is still interesting, and the cliff hanger as the ending serves to remind readers that there is an amazing story to read and enjoy in the finale that I will be looking forward to enjoying.
The second book will require a reread of the first book before continuing - the book picks up immediately from where it’d predecessor left off, and the reader does not get a reminder from the characters about where they were left off. However, the characters do take central stage, and Pool also continues the world building, blending Ancient Greek, Roman, Syrian and Phoenician cultures to create her world, while also using ships, trains and fashion to balance out her world with a little more modernity.
However, I felt that the second book did not live up to the excitement and pace of the first book. The balancing of the various narratives did not seem as varied in comparison to the first book, with only Anton and Jude having significance in their adventures and also the character growth, compared to the other four characters who did not show that much in their changes. I also felt that the end, while climatic, went about resetting the trilogy to where the conclusion would have a new setting for the characters.
Perhaps suffering from middle book syndrome, the story is still interesting, and the cliff hanger as the ending serves to remind readers that there is an amazing story to read and enjoy in the finale that I will be looking forward to enjoying.