I closed dark rise last night and stared at the wall in awe for about ten minutes. CS Pacat strikes again with a beautifully compelling story outside of their usual genre.

Dark Rise follows Will, a sixteen year old boy on the run from the people who murdered his mother. Soon Will finds that not everything is what it seems… and discovers that his mothers murder was for a reason he could have never anticipated.

I cannot express the joy I felt reading more of CS Pacats work after the captive prince trilogy. The magic and wonder I felt reading their introduction to YA Fantasy is unmatched. I sat down and *demolished* Dark Rise.

I truly felt like I was in Will’s shoes and making the same decisions. My favourite thing about Pacats writing is how they manage to keep the reader in suspense. There’s always the most vital information slightly out of reach so you end up finding out revelations after the main character has figured it out. As someone who is the worst for predicting plots, I would have never thought Dark rise would head in the direction it did.

Ultimately, gay wizards and historical fantasy… what more do you need ? That’s all I need truthfully.

If you want rich lore, well developed characters and interesting dynamics, Dark Rise is the book for you.

Hmm. Hmm. Hmmmm.

Honestly, I don't know about this one. Let's get this out of the way first : I did not hate my time with this one. But did it grip me, surprise me, pull me in? I have to say.. no.

In some ways this book is pretty predictable. And by some I mean.. almost all of it? Add to that fact that the pitch of this set up an expectation of a big dark queer enemies romance and we get none of it in Dark Rise. The story ends in a way that implies it could still happen in book two but I obviously had prepared myself for something that I did not see pan out. So that's kind of a bummer. So between the predictability, the lack of romantic tension, and then..

Well, I've kind of lost track of some of the POVs but most of them are new to this fantasy world. Only two really matter in the point I've trying to make though which is : the outsiders seem to have become bigger players than those who had been in this world, living this fantasy life, the whole time. And eventually there is a reason for this (a spoilery one) but at the same time I felt like there was just little to no shock value? No reluctance to believe? I feel there often should be a balance between struggling to come to terms and also settling in all nonchalant like and yet not being too much one or the other. I'm not sure I can properly explain this without you experiencing it but hopefully you know what I mean.

I'm also not sure I ever really felt any stakes after the first few chapters. Those had some good tension, a lot of uncertainty, but the deeper we went into the story, into understanding some of the world, which is when you would think the stakes get higher -- and I definitely should've felt this because they are basically end of the world as we know it stakes -- but.. I honestly felt nothing. Maybe because I wasn't invested in the world? Or the characters? I was never quite pulled away from this story or distracted by other things but I definitely was very conscious of reading things, not living things. If that makes sense.

Ultimately, now that certain events have played out, I think this is very much a first book in a trilogy/series (whatever it's going to be) issue. It's very possible, now that we have our footing and our reveals, and we stand on the precipice of the romance I wanted, that book two will give me something to sink my teeth into. I sure hope, at least.

But in the meantime.. lower your expectations a smidge. And it's possible you might enjoy this more than I did.

While this book had an...interesting ending that some readers might have seen coming, it wasn't the book I expected it to see. I've heard nothing but great things about C.S. Pacat, knowing that she is even one of SJM's favorite authors as well.

Dark Rise starts off with many of my favorite things: boats, murder, and a darkness that seems to have permeated into everything and anything. Many mysteries are thrown at us, including the inclusion of two rival groups and the unknowing of which side is in the right. We're also introduced to several characters: Will, running away from the people who killed his mother, and Violet, who knows she doesn't belong with her adopted family, but still can't help but love her brother anyways. As their stories intertwine and we begin to see which side is the one to be on, the darkness rises to a climax resulting in a massive series of murders, the realization of several things I never saw coming, and a plot that seems to be at a decent resolution.

However, if you notice the title on Goodreads, you'll see a small little (#1) next to it, meaning there's more in this series. I'm truly wondering how. While it ends on a plot twist of sorts, it isn't one that necessarily merits a sequel, or even the three it's currently planned to have. A lot of other authors would have felt the need to end it after one, knowing the readers and fanbase could have interpreted the ending however they wished.

There's a lot of places it could go, but it's not my favorite of the new releases and doesn't meet the high expectations set for it.

Oh my god, this book has easily taken a spot in my favourite historical fantasies. There is just something that I love about historical fantasies, especially those set in London, that just pull me in. And Dark Rise is no exception. It grabbed my attention straight from the beginning, in chapter 1.

Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the murders of his mother. When an old servant of his mothers tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, Will is ushered into a world of magic, where he must train to play a vital role in the upcoming battle against the Dark.
As London is threatened by the Dark King's return, the reborn heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war begin to draw battle lines. But as the young descendants of Light and Dark step into their destined roles, old allegiances and old flames are awakened. Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the Dark from returning to destroy his world.

This is my first CS Pacat book, and I already bought The Captive Prince ebook as I was in the middle of this, because their writing style just captivated me. I never felt lost, I never felt bored, there were SO many twists and turns that I just had to keep reading even when I should not have been. These plot twists honestly feel like ones that even people who CAN guess plot twists won't guess because there is always one bit of vital information out of reach that makes you keep reading.

Also, Will is bisexual, which we love seeing representation (and not to mention that this is a HISTORICAL fantasy which makes it even better!)

Dark Rise in a nutshell is basically gay magic wielders, historical fantasy, London, and dark themes, what else could you want? It is a perfect read for the season with Halloween next month.

If you are looking for well-developed characters, interesting dynamics, powerful friendships, and a book that will give you whiplash from all the twists and turns, Dark Rise is the perfect book for you.

I went into this without really any expectations, I was just excited to read it, and my god it was amazing! I loved everything about this book, and I'm so happy to have read it! Thank you to Harper Collins Canada Frenzy for the advanced copy! My review is rather slim because I really think that going in blind to this was a great experience!

CW: violence, murder, war, blood

The ancient world of magic is no more. Its heroes are dead, its halls are ruins, and its great battles between Light and Dark are forgotten. Only the Stewards remember, and they keep their centuries-long vigil, sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns.

Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. When an old servant tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, Will is ushered into a world of magic, where he must train to play a vital role in the oncoming battle against the Dark.

As London is threatened by the Dark King’s return, the reborn heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war begin to draw battle lines. But as the young descendants of Light and Dark step into their destined roles, old allegiances, old enmities and old flames are awakened. Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own.

I really enjoyed Will as a character, I liked the flashes of his past that we got, with how interesting his backstory is. Violet also had a really interesting past, and I liked seeing her family dynamics and how strong of a character she was. They worked very well together and I enjoyed seeing the relationship they built, though from a rocky start. They were both so strong, and seeing them grow more powerful over the course of the story was great. I also really enjoyed the Stewards, I think they were all interesting and I loved learning about their brotherhood. I also LOVED James, and I'm so ready for more of him in book two! Though no sexualities are explicitly stated, there definitely are characters that are part of the 2SLGBTQQIAP+ community and we love to see it.

This book is incredibly high stakes from the start. It took off with an absolute bang and never slowed down. It has a lot of really intricate parts, and the world building is incredibly well done and important to pay attention to. It's a super interesting world though, it really jumped off of the page because of how detailed it was. This story is a lot about good vs evil, dark vs light, and it's so very great. It was so well executed and great the entire time. Very character driven, with lots of moving parts that come together in such an incredible crescendo.

The ending of this book took me for a spin, it was amazing. Very big cliffhanger that has me CURRENTLY DYING BECAUSE OH MY GOD EXCUSE ME C.S. PACAT! Such a twist, such a big twist. I'm still very much thinking about it.

Overall I think the writing was very amazing. It was compelling, and interesting the entire time. It was wonderfully fast paced and well done. The passage of time felt a little weird at times, but nothing that stopped me from enjoying it. I really, really enjoyed this. It hooked me early on and was interesting right up until the last word. Add this to your tbr list if it's not already there!

The title and worldbuilding started off feeling like it was a riff on The Dark Is Rising series, but it becomes its own story. The three main characters struggle with how to be good people, or at least do good in this world. Of course, it's complicated by family expectations, blood, destiny, and the choices we make along the way;

I looke forward to reading the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I love this book, it's so different than C. S. Pacat's other series I've read. I really enjoyed the characters and how they grew thought out the book. It started a bit slow but once I hit about the halfway point and s*** went down it picked up so much! I really liked Will and all the friendships he made throughout the book. I can't wait for the next one! How long do I have to suffer waiting?!?
I would definitely recommend this to a friend :)

Pacat's new series starts with a classic, high fantasy tale of good vs. evil, starring Will, who is determined to avenge his mother's death, but finds himself pulled into the heart of an ancient battle for the fate of the world. The novel maintains the same lush attention to detail as Pacat's adult works, and I enjoyed every moment reading this book. I loved the complex and varied characters, and was deeply engrossed in the action sequences. The novel ends with enough questions unanswered and hints about what might happen next that I'm already longing for the sequel. Content warnings include: parental death, on-screen violence and death, discussions of past sexual encounters with dubious or no consent, and physical descriptions of characters experiencing anxiety.

This is a twisty and well-crafted take on the modern YA fantasy novel, with dynamics that will be fun and familiar to fans of Pacat's adult work.

I am so excited for this book to be released! The magic, characters, secret societies....and that cover! I was hooked from the beginning. Perfect for YA fantasy fans looking for a new magic world to explore. I will definitely be grabbing a copy for myself this September!

I think Pacat is such an intriguing and genius writer and it blows me away. I was pulled into this book right from the prologue--I love a book that starts en medias res and is low key stressful because you want to know WHY something is happening right from the start. I have such high expectations when it comes to Pacat because I absolutely love the Captive Prince trilogy but she more than lived up to these expectations. This book is continuously interesting; there are no excessive "down times" in the plot where my attention started to wander. I love a good light vs. dark thematic element and tension between characters. Her world building is deceptive in that you don't necessarily feel it happening until you're in the thick of it and it's genius. I love her character arcs and how complicated her characters are, but in a really relatable and understandable way. I cannot wait for the next book in this series and am sad I have to wait so long!

As London is threatened by the Dark King’s return, the reborn heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war begin to draw battle lines. But as the young descendants of Light and Dark step into their destined roles, old allegiances, old enmities and old flames are awakened. Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own.

Dark, emotional, and 100% worth it. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. I wanted to have high hopes, but I also didn't want to over-hype it for myself. But C.S. Pacat is a truly gifted writer of both character and narrative, and they managed to exceed my expectations completely. They are one of the only authors who can still manage to surprise me. This was a top ten book of the year for me, and I'm looking forward to selling it in stores.

I didn’t actually finish this one. I requested and read much of it because, like others, I’m a huge fan of the Captive Prince series and just wanted more of Pacat’s writing, but this definitely didn’t hit that same sweet spot for me. Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be exactly the same because it’s YA, which I enjoy, but it’s definitely a very different type of story and written differently- which is great and I will definitely recommend this book to teen readers looking for traditional YA fantasy with intricate world building. As always with Pacat, the writing is amazing and I will definitely be finishing it completely in audio when it releases in September. Also- look at that cover: amazing.

CS Pacat has long been known as a divisive author. I understand where both sides are coming from but unfortunately I just didnt really enjoy this book.

I had so much fun reading Dark Rise. I loved the fact that it takes place in London. C.S Pacat created an amazing magical world with a cast of complex characters. The life of a steward who are to protect the light magic against dark magic was an interesting concept and I was intrigued to learn more. Let’s talk about Will our main character. Will is a boy on the run after his mother was murdered. He doesn’t know the reasons these men attacked his mother. He’s constantly being hunted down until he meets the stewards and learns about magic. Thanks to a stranger Violent, they are in this journey together. Violet was an amazing character. I loved Violets determination and courage to help even though she was forced to turn on her family. I can’t wait to read book two. I am positive there’s a lot more to come because the last two chapters nearly killed me due to new revelations. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to receive an early copy. Can’t wait to have a physical copy in my collection.

The world is not as it seems. The old world has been destroyed and magic no longer exists, but the Stewards hold on to a small piece of the flame. Their job is to guard and protect and when an orphaned boy with a shadowed past, a girl with unusual power, and a Steward meet, the known world will never be the same again. In this first installment of C.S. Pacat's Dark Rise series, a mystery haunts every page encouraging the reader to devour every word. A darkly perfect ride through past and present, Dark Rise promises to be a series worth following to the very end.

Dark Rise is the latest fantasy novel from C.S. Pacat, the author of the popular Captive Prince series. And while the book may not feature a groundbreaking new setting or overly complicated new characters, this is a good versus evil fantasy saga done extremely right, with a few gut-punching twists thrown on top.

The story follows sixteen-year-old Will Kempton, a young boy who has spent months on the run, trying to avoid the pack of mysterious men who killed his mother. Young tomboy Violet wants nothing more than to follow in her brother's footsteps and go work for Simon, who controls the docks with an iron fist. But when their paths cross unexpectedly, their lives will change forever as they're introduced to a hidden world where light battles dark, and a band of Stewards are charged with protecting the modern world from a threat of a much more magical one.

The novel is almost shockingly dense, clocking in at over 400 pages with a sizable cast of major characters involved. Yet, the story is also fabulously propulsive, a tale of destiny across time, friendship across pre-determined boundaries, and the desire to become something more than what you've been told you must be.

Another great book from C.S. Pacat. Set in London, magic is still around, just hidden from the rest of the world. The twists and turns of this story were fantastic, as well as the characters. I really enjoyed the main cast, as well as the supporting characters. Ended on a cliffhanger, but not in a way that upset me. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

I tried to read this book, simply because I loved the Captive Prince series so much. I knew going into this series would be different, mainly because this is a YA series, but I was sure I would enjoy it because I enjoyed the writing in Captive Prince.

Unfortunately, there was very little I enjoyed in this book. The plot is extremely slow paced and confusing. I had a hard time connecting to any characters or caring about the plot in general. This book is also over 400 pages and I typically like books on the longer side, but only if it is needed. I felt like a few things could have been cut from this and it would have read so much better and quicker.