I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
I really liked the narrative that very easily pulls you into the story and doesn't let you go until the very end. There's a good balance between science, history and magic. Overall I liked the book.

A Review of Dark City Rising by C.L. Jarvis

Rating: 4 Stars

Pray, allow me to regale you with my thoughts on Dark City Rising, a most captivating tome penned by the talented C.L. Jarvis. As I turned each page, I found myself transported to the enchanting yet perilous realm of 18th-century Edinburgh, a city on the cusp of profound transformation in the realms of medicine and philosophy.

In the year of our Lord 1748, we are introduced to the astute and daring Professor William Cullen, a man possessed by a fervent desire to overhaul the antiquated medical education system. However, unbeknownst to many, this noble academic harbors a secret that could very well alter the course of history: he is concocting a new magical system, one that aims for egalitarianism in an age dominated by the aristocracy’s darkly enchanted grip on power. Alas, as fate would have it, murder strikes when a brave nobleman who dares to support Cullen faces dire consequences. This ignites a fierce realization within Cullen that confrontation with the nefarious forces arrayed against him is not merely probable; it is inevitable.

Accompanied by his exceptionally gifted former pupil, Joseph Black, our protagonist delves into an academic world rife with hostility, all while racing against time to unearth the source of the aristocracy's power before his own secrets are laid bare before the ever-looming threat of assassination.

Now, let me express how utterly beguiled I was by the cover of this splendid volume—it is simply perfection! The fusion of medicine and magic amidst the backdrop of a city on the brink of enlightenment creates an irresistible allure. Within its pages lies a fascinating exploration of medical practices intertwined with mystical elements, enriching our understanding of history while indulging our thirst for fantasy.

Moreover, Jarvis has masterfully woven together a tapestry populated by both real historical figures and imaginative creations that breathe life into this epic narrative. The pacing is impeccable, and the character development is such that each figure feels vividly real and engaging. It is a rare pleasure to encounter a work that strikes such a fine balance between historical accuracy and fantastical elements.

In conclusion, dear reader, if thou art in search of an enthralling escapade filled with well-crafted characters and an intriguing plot, look no further than Dark City Rising. It is a delightful blend of history and magic that shall surely satisfy your literary cravings. I bestow upon it a hearty four stars for its brilliance and charm! What more could one possibly desire?

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

This had so many good elements to it that could have made a kick-ass book, but instead just fell limp and flat. Dark academia with anatomists and chemists developing secret magical uses of phlogisten and aether and sigils? Yes please! 18th century Glasgow vs. Edinburgh medical professors fighting Scottish enlightenment battles? Yes please! Secret societies engaging in hidden power plays of town vs. gown to determine who runs the universities? Private assassins who are risen from the dead in arcane rituals? Hidden libraries with magical portals? Yes yes yes please!

And yet none of it actually came together in any kind of meaningful plot. William Cullen and Joseph Black spend most of their time playing musical chairs between positions at Glasgow and Edinburgh. The secret societies and various aristocratic patrons engage in murderous battles to support Cullen and/or Black for one positoin or another, except when they go away for ten years for reasons that are never entirely clear. Really, a lot of the power structures and motivations that drive all of the plot of this book are murky. What do the dark chymists actually want besides power that makes them so anti-Cullen? How do the institutional politics of university governance, split apparently between town councils, aristocratic meddlers, funding bodies, and--I guess--secret evil dark societies---how does that all actually work? Department meetings and wars of public opinion would be a lot more interesting if I actually understood the stakes and mechanisms of decision making. It was a weird combination of too much telling and also not enough telling. I spent a lot of time being told about people's various alliances, but I still wanted more exposition. What were the stakes behind the rivalries? Some of the ultimate stakes are so secret that nobody can actually be basing their alliances on them, and others are so entirely secondary to the main power struggles (like, road repairs, or the logistics of translation in smallpox inoculation projects) that it's baffling that they can be behind the deadly power struggles at the universities. I saw a lot of ticking, but none of the mechanism behind it, and so the experience of reading the book was about as interesting as watching the second hand on a clock go around in circles.

I think the problem here is that all the people are real: William Cullen was a real dude; Joseph Black is so real that there's a campus building named after him at the University of Glasgow. So the seemingly aimless switchy swapping between Glasgow and Edinburgh and the weird 10-year delays between plot points are presumably constrained by actual historical records. I imagine the Cumbernauld Road repairs and Highland smallpox inoculation projects were likewise based on real history. But the result is that the pacing was lumpy and the plot dragged and clumped. Oh, and the attempt to include women in the very dude-heavy plot was so miserably contentless that I would prefer they'd been left out entirely. It felt almost insulting to have token female characters with pointless appendix plots assigned o them thrown in my face, as if that would be enough to mitigate the fact that this is a book entirely about men doing men things.

So: great conceit; lousy execution.

𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐂 𝐋 𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬
He may have only wanted to fix the archaic medical education system but her ended up changing the world. Scotland, 1748. Professor William Cullen has a secret: he’s developing a new, egalitarian system of magic. If the aristocrats learn he threatens their stronghold of power, upheld through dark magical means, he’s dead.

When a noble is murdered for daring to champion his research, he realises confrontation is inevitable and must take his fight to the enemy. Aided by his prestigious former student, Joesph Black, the professor must navigate a hostile academic system, locating the source of the aristocracy’s power before his secret abilities are uncovered and the assassins return for him.

Medicine, magic and power collide in this epic reimagining of 18th century Edinburg on the cusp of scientific and philosophical revolution. A fascinating deep dive into the history of medicine and surgical practices steeped in magic. With a cast of real historical figures and imagined magical characters this novel is an epic fantasy steeped in history and scientific revelations which reader will surely enjoy.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐂 𝐋 𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬

I loved the historical setting of Dark City Rising! It may be very niche, but I’ve always been fascinated by the history of medicine and surgery. It is morbid and at times grotesque (after all, surgeons had to practice on stolen bodies for years) but also strangely uplifting as you see the extreme lengths people in the past went to in order to discover something new and find ways to heal the sick. I really liked that C.L. Jarvis placed her characters in Scotland in 1748 and chose to include real historical figures as side and main characters. It not only made the story more engaging, but also more immersive. It was like reading an alternative history where magic is real.
I do think that the pacing of the novel could have been better. It was quite slow and there were some scenes which seemed to delay the characters rather than advance the plot. But I will say that they added to the character development, especially the flashback scenes.
Overall I would say that readers who enjoy historical fiction with a dash of magic would enjoy this book! It had a really interesting and developed setting and an engaging plot. I’m excited to see what happens in the next instalment of The Edinburgh Doctrines Series.

A good Prequel novel should always have enough plot structure to stand alone and apart from it's mother series. Dark City Rising does a mid-range job of achieving this. Before Dark City Rising I had no knowledge of The Edinburgh Doctrines series, and thus can provide un-biased feedback on this matter. The novel as a whole had slow progression and was filled with unnecessary thoughts, dialogue and descriptions. I often found myself confused with what was happening and became bored during some of the drier dialogue. Despite this, the descriptions of the magic system are vibrant enough that I feel a pull to embark on the rest of this series. Dark City Rising is a good introduction into the world of dark academia and all the genre has to offer.

I didn't read any other books from this series before, so this was all new to me. I would have not guessed there are other books written before this one, so it is a fine start for the series.

I enjoyed the book, though I found it too slowly paced for me and sometimes hard to follow who is who, especially when plot switches to be in two cities.

It is very interesting to read about Scotland in this time and to learn how medicine was viewed. I really enjoy reading historical fiction set outside of wars and courts. I also greatly enjoy academia, so this book fits my interests very well.

I really enjoyed reading through this! Overall, I think that the theme of finding oneself, improving oneself, and daring to *be* oneself despite the odds felt prevalent and relatable. I think this book will stick with me for quite some time.

I loved to read this book. For me it was such a captivating story and the way the author wrote this was impecable.