Another excellent book by Mr. Carr. His books are weighty and thought-provoking. Can't wait to read his next book.

This one is amazing! I loved how complex the story is, with so many different layers. I highly recommend all of Patrick Carr's stories.

This is a series where I got each book through NetGalley. So I didn't actually have to pay for any of them, and I'm glad for that. It kept me interested (at least when I was able to read the whole series continuously once this last one was out, since it really didn't work for me with long breaks between books) but I really don't think it was as good as it could have been.

This review will contain spoilers for this book as well as previous books. I'll try to tag them.

First, the good parts. I enjoy most of the major characters in this book. I really think that's what kept me reading through the whole series. With some exceptions, I cared what happened to most of the people. Willet had some blind spots where other people were concerned, I think, but he was generally a decent, noble guy who made a good hero. Bolt was cool and always entertaining. Gael made a very good female character and love interest. Rory, Fess, and Mark were fun. Custos was delightful.

I was happy that in the end, (view spoiler)

But the reason I can't give this book more than two stars is because the worldbuilding is way too inconsistent, the plot relies way too often on people doing stupid things or things that don't make sense, and the writing really isn't that great. I was constantly rolling my eyes or thinking, "Oh, come on." Far, far too many times to give proper examples. But one was where first Willet meets a dude and Bolt goes, "Be sure to delve him," and then Willet doesn't, and the dude goes away before it can happen, and everyone had forgotten about it the instant Bolt said it anyway. And then Toria meets the dude and thinks she should delve him, but then doesn't for no apparent reason. Maybe this was the author's idea of foreshadowing (view spoiler) but it wasn't subtle at all. It just made the characters look like idiots for being so careless, not doing something after explicitly knowing they should do it, and then not ever thinking of it again. This sort of thing happens again and again and again in this series. Or where Willet gets basically kidnapped and brought under guard before some powerful person who has a task for him to do, not giving him any option to refuse, and when he goes, "Okay, I'll do it, but in order to do it, I'll need this," and the person responds with, "If I give you that, what will you do for me in return?" and he doesn't go, "Um, you're the one forcing me to do a thing. If you don't want it done, don't give me that thing I need, and I'll go on my way like I was trying to do before you captured me." He never says that, even though he finds himself in that situation more than once.

Things I was not thrilled with about this book and the ending: (view spoiler)

Also, GAEL. The author goes out of his way to give Gael the badass physical gift that makes people super fighters, and then doesn't give her a single freaking cool thing to do. Bolt gets multiple cool scenes showing off his skills. So does Rory. So do others. Gael doesn't get one single cool badass moment. The only reason she even has the gift, as far as the story is concerned, is to give her some excuse to be there with Willet. What a waste!

Kind of related to the problem with Gael, this author pays lip service to the idea of women being equal to men in this society, but he can never seem to really commit to it. We see no women with impressive physical/fighting gifts--aside from the one brief moment for the female urchin in the first book. Gael has the gift but we never get to see her use it (running smoothly and shooting arrows fast is about the extent of what we get), so that doesn't count. Both of the older female members of the Vigil refuse to be Eldest because of reasons, making sure their male colleagues are forced to shoulder the responsibility even if they don't want it. The female urchin is pretty much only in the story in order to have a rapey past, get gang raped, and then let the rapes in her past totally define her for the rest of her life. I just really feel like the author thought he was being pretty equal in his treatment of women, but he fell pretty far short, IMO.

As for this being Christian fantasy ... meh. There are obvious parallels in the way people talk about God and stuff, but in the end, it still comes down to some big, bad evil being (on a level of a demon, maybe?) who can't be killed but only stopped even though he's totally destroying the world and taking over lots of people's minds, and meanwhile the good guys (angels?) are constrained by mysterious and arbitrary rules and one of them dies because he has the nerve to tell a human some very vague clues about how maybe to go about stopping the big evil being. In other words, it's another fantasy where evil is incredibly powerful and good is weak. Which, in terms of Christian fantasy supposedly being about speaking Christian truth in a fantasy sort of metaphor, is not speaking truth. (view spoiler) That's just not truth. Of course, that also goes back to my other problems with logic, worldbuilding, and people being stupid, as well.

So yeah, I really wanted to like this series because I enjoyed a lot of the characters, but the author simply was not up to the task he set himself in writing a complex fantasy trilogy. A for effort, but C- for execution. (less)

I think one of the hardest challenges of a series like The Darkwater Saga is pulling everything together to create a satisfying ending. I feel like Carr does a great job answering questions I've had since the very beginning while still leaving some elements a mystery. I will not discuss all of the conclusions because it's better when read.

Characters are key for a book. We have to like some, hate some and know their quirks and personalities. Once members of the urchins joined the Vigil, the way opened up for all kinds of exciting dialogue, events and turns. In addition, we can see a lot of character growth in them and how they affect the members of the Vigil. I'm just going to touch on a few of the characters, but they help show the complexity of this epic fantasy series.

Mark, the chosen apprentice of Pellin (Eldest in the Vigil), has struggled through the series because he witnessed man's inhumanity to man as an urchin. He saw the falseness of the priests directed by the church. Vigil members have felt like he was disrespectful and didn't belong. Pellin discovers Mark's depth of humanity as he cares for Elieve, the first to rebuild a personality after a vault was destroyed within her mind. Further, the Eldest realizes that Mark is the way he is because of his depth of belief in Aer (God) compared to the shortcomings of those who profess to follow Aer.

Cesla, the former Eldest of the Vigil, started the entire epic battle with the Darkwater forest - which is really the ancient, poisonous god-like entity imprisoned within the forest. More than Cesla's character, the thoughts of how the other characters perceive him is interesting. Obviously, Pellin recognizes his hubris to believe he could access the power, but over time Pellin also can still feel love for his brother instead of hatred. I also felt like Willet could pair his deep sorrow with compassion for the man and his mistakes.

Willet, the main protagonist, started as being recalcitrant and glib, now he is humble and devoted to stopping the evil of the Darkwater forest. Through the course of the series there were several key events that changed Willet's perspective. The first has to be receiving the gift of domere. The gift changed the course of his life. Second is the love of his fiancé, Gael. Willet felt he wasn't worthy to be loved, and yet her love supersedes the bounds he had come to expect. The next forces of change are his interactions with Ealdor, the priest he communed with. Willet is first devastated to discover Ealdor is a product of his mind, and then is justified when it is revealed that he is from the Fayit - the previous god-like race which inhabited their earth. Working with the Fayit, and witnessing Ealdor's sacrifice teaches Willet to be humble. Willet also learns to forgive when he thinks of Volsk as a friend, even though this man had previously tried to kill him. Forgiveness is a theme found in many works of classic literature.

Bolt has always been an enigma. Even though we learn more about his role as an Errant, he remains reticent to interact with others. He is probably the least changed of the characters because he had gone through his growth as a person prior to this series. I like him because he expects the worse and stirs the pot, at least in regards to Willet. He also snookers Rory into working harder to train as a guard, which had me laughing. Bolt has a dry sense of humor.

Toria Deel, who was so opposed to Willet, goes through another personal crisis, while working with Brekana and recognizes she doesn't feel worthy to be a leader within the Vigil. She comes to realize that Willet makes choices based on his moral code and she loses her distrust of him. Toria Deel and Fess also come to a better understanding and the reader is left with a hope for something better in both of their lives. Fess moves from being critical of Toria Deel, to understanding her actions, and gives her comfort in his lack of condemnation. Toria wonders how an urchin could offer such grace in complete amazement.

Even minor characters like King Rymark are transformed. He no longer has a thirst for war after the battle against the Darkwater that stole so many lives. Jeb, the prison guard from The Shock of Night, is happy raising his adopted daughter. Custos is one of the few characters that feels exactly the same, he loves knowledge and a packet of figs.

I highly recommend Carr as an author for anyone who loves fantasy and a story well-told. I consider the prequel, By Divine Right, for The Darkwater Saga to be a must, it's a short gem. He is also the author of The Staff and the Sword series, which you won't want to miss. Check out A Cast of Stones! It's one of my all-time favorites.

So I’ve been sitting here for a while trying to come up with the words to describe just how much I liked this third book of the Darkwater Saga (and how much I hope Patrick Carr doesn’t wrap this series up, but continues it forever!!), but words seem rather inadequate. It was just so good, it took my breath away a bit!
I really liked the first two books (and the introductory novella) in the series, but I loved The Wounded Shadow. It was absolutely crammed with everything I love in a good read: terrifically crafted and intelligent characters, intricate world building, intense and exciting adventure, good and evil, love and heartbreak, and fabulous wit. Willet, Gael, Rory, Bolt, and all the characters that I have gotten to know over the first books, I came to cherish in this book, and I already miss spending time with them! I have a feeling I’ll be re-reading this series. 🙂
Patrick Carr just keeps getting better, and I can’t wait to see what he has for his readers next!
Many, many thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the digital copy of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

Picking up right where the previous books left off, the kings are trying to contain the Darkwater as it closes in. Willet Dura seeks the answer to defeating the Darkwater, while also looking for answers for the vault within. Meanwhile searching for heirs and missing members of the vigil, while Toria goes to the front lines and Fess tries to find peace with his two gifts.



This can be a rather daunting and confusing read if you have not read the previous books in the series, so I won't not recommend attempting to start with this book. Also it is a very complexly built world and it can be hard to jump into again, if you are like me and haven't read about Willet and his companions since last year when the second installment came out. I did find it a bit hard to remember the details of what was going on so it took me some time to get back in the swing of things. I did feel like this book took some twists that felt abrupt and changed the flow of the entire course of the book, and though we've been working up to it for a long time the ending felt kinda neat. It also brought up many questions for me on what kind of metaphors and allusions that the Fayit were meant to correlate to in the spiritual realm, and what their origin story meant for everyone, and if I was possibly analyzing it too closely.



I liked seeing Willet grow more confident in his role in the Vigil despite their distrust, it was good to see Fess's growth throughout, and Pellin finally come into his own as Eldest. I found it was a bit hard to keep up with all of the characters, as well as the many new ones, it is a complex world, with many twists along the way. Willet matured in this book, seemingly less impulsive.



Overall, I'm not a hundred percent sure what I think about this book as I have a lot of questions, but I did like seeing the characters grow towards who they are meant to be. I'm sure there are many more adventures to be had in the future!





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The Wounded Shadow Is a heart pounding book. It has secrets revealed and don't you want to know what they are? Mr. Carr has created a fantasy world that is so vivid and exciting but you also get what he is trying to get across as a Christian which is why you get it for isn't it? A fantasy book that is clean in thought word and come out well so on. The storyline is so fascinating and Am I sorry to know that it is over. Busiest fun, action filled and so totally enjoyable.

Feelings were mixed as I opened the review copy I received from Bethany House of Darkwater Saga 3 Patrick W Carr The Wounded Shadow. Bethany has been sliding away from the faith for quite a while. I was afraid that Carr would do what he did with the amazing Cast of Thrones. It turns out I was wrong. The Darkwater Saga loses touch with Truth entirely. This tale wallows in entertaining worldly wisdom, at best. Christianity lies completely outside this wonderfully complex and detailed example of world-building.

Rating the book as a whole
Darkwater Saga 3 Patrick W Carr The Wounded Shadow entertains
With no expectation of edification, the Saga presents fantasy entertainment with little or no redeeming merit. Patrick shows excellent writing skills and an impressive imagination—receiving more accolades than he did with The Staff and The Sword series. I don’t question the accolades. Instead, I wonder how Bethany justified publishing it.

Here’s the blurb:
The kings and queens of the northern continent lay siege to the Darkwater Forest, desperate to contain its evil. But rumors of gold and aurium have lured deserters and the desperate into its shadow, creating a growing army held in its sway. Desperate after the death and dissolution of their greatest ally, Willet and the Vigil seek the truth of what lies at the heart of the evil they face. They delve the mind of an old enemy and find an answer far worse than they could have imagined.

Danger stalks the cities of the north, striking at the rulers of the kingdoms. As Willet and the rest of the Vigil seek to find answers, the group is scattered with an ever-growing darkness around them. Will they discover a path to keep their land safe, or will an ancient evil reclaim the world it once called its own?

Bottomline? I found I didn't care much

In the third book of The Dark Water Saga by Patrick Carr, the kings and queens of the northern continent lay siege to the Darkwater Forest, frantic to contain its evil. But rumors of gold and aurium have lured deserters and the reckless into its shadow, creating a growing army that can see in the dark and fight like the gifted. Desperate after the death and dissolution of their greatest ally, Willet and the rest of the Vigil seek the truth of what lies at the heart of the evil they face. They delve the mind of an ancient enemy and find an answer far worse and more unimaginable than they had feared.  But while they seek to understand their past and peril, danger stalks the cities of the north striking at the rulers of the kingdoms. As Willet and the rest of the Vigil search for answers, the Vigil is scattered with an ever-growing darkness around them. They must discover a path to keep their land safe or risk losing the world.

Having read the first two books in this series, I was eager to get my hands on the next one. I have read all of Patrick Carr books and I love them. The worlds he builds are interesting and unique, but not too far out there. The characters are complex and interesting. They are just an interesting and fun read, a great escape from the never ending Canadian winter. I like how the female characters are portrayed as strong and independent people who can hold their own in this fantastical world. If you at all like fantasy, or want to give a it a try, I highly recommend this series.

I was given an copy of this book through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley in exchange for me review. All opinions are my own.

This is not a stand alone novel. Following the prequel (By Divine Right) and books one and two in the series (The Shock of Night and The Shattered Vigil), this is a continuation of a complex and slightly dark tale.

The Darkwater saga draws you into a brilliant series full of creativity, with a broad expanse of world building and in depth character development. Truthfully, I was sorry to see the series end making the final pages of the book move a little too quickly for me. As beautifully written and intricately complex as this series is I'm sure that I will revisit it again.

The Wounded Shadow has all the twists and turns and depth that I have come to expect from Patrick Carr. The Darkwater Saga is now listed among my favorite fantasy series.

I received a pre-release digital galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

And honestly, I loved it.

With The Wounded Shadow, the Darkwater Saga comes to an end. Patrick Carr has done a remarkable job. He has a gift to keep things exciting even in the parts with little action. Personally, I don’t care much for books that are stuffed with action on every other page. Carr has a nice balance when it comes to that.
What I admire in Carr’s books is that there are no flaws in his stories. I read quite a bit of fantasy and often there are facts or circumstances that are not accurate – or it becomes clear that the writer does not know how to nicely fit everything together. So, Carr’s series – though the story is somewhat complicated – has no flaws; somewhat like The Lord of the Rings. The author did a good job of creating a realistic fantasy world and storylines that all fit together; both in time and in facts.
The Wounded Shadow picks up where The Scattered Vigil left off; immediately drawing you into the story. Slowly, the secret about the Darkwater is unraveled. This secret is partly a surprise – but not totally unexpected.
The development of the storyline to the final battle is very exciting! You might find yourself on the edge of your seat at some point! The end is satisfactory and well done.
The romance parts are much better than in The Staff and the Sword series. It still could be better, but for a man Carr did a nice job. :)

The Wounded Shadow is a heart-stopping, action-packed end that will satisfy any fantasy reader. The third book pulls out all of the stops as it barrels to then end. Secrets are revealed and shadows come to the light as an enemy older them time dares to unleash his evil on a completely unsuspecting and vastly unprepared world. As the loose ends and myriad of questions are answered, horrors beyond comprehension and wonders beyond imagination unfold before your eyes. Just when you don’t think you can take any more revelations, another one springs out before your eyes to take you unaware and twist your world in another direction. This is a fantastic treat for enthusiastic fans of Patrick Carr. Nothing is possibly as sweet as one of his exquisite masterpieces!

Lord Dura Willet has had his life turned upside down and inside out by a deadly mystery that he can’t remember. In all his years on this earth, he can’t shake that this one might be the end of him, but he also knows that the price of not finding out the truth will be higher than he ever hope to live with. Not many friends have stood by his side at the danger that both finds him and the danger that he puts himself in, but thankfully Bolt, Geal, and Rory have proven their unfailing devotion more times than he can count. When hope is on the line and the darkness of night appears to prevail, can Dura convince those he has gathered together to follow his crazy plan, or will he find what lies on the other side of eternity before his time?

I love that Carr’s main characters are flawed humans, but above all they let their heart lead them. Even if you are as naïve as the day you were born, no one can truly fault you for following the path that your heart sets before you. While it definitely won’t be an easy journey to walk, it will be one well worth the pain and suffering in the end. Isn’t it our scars that tell our story better than any words? They are more the badges of courage; they are proof that we are willing to expend the energy to go the extra mile for what we know is right even if we are surrounded by a world that is lost and only knows how to look out for itself.

Patrick Carr is an incredibly gifted author who can paint beautifully complex worlds filled with absolutely fascinating characters that are both wonderfully flawed and devotedly hopeful. His characters will touch your heart in a way that you can never shake or walk away from. That touch will seer itself in to your very soul where you will carry it until you find another who needs to know that they are precious beyond measure, loved without condition, and needed beyond all.