Jo Riccioni’s The Rising, the concluding novel of The Branded Season duology, plunges readers back into a world divided by a rigid class system between the “branded” and the “pure.” This stark disparity forms the backbone of the story’s tension, painting a vivid picture of cultural divides that ripple across the lands. The novel ultimately reveals a profound message: what may seem like weaknesses can become the greatest sources of strength, and through perseverance and faith, unity is possible.

The story begins immediately after the cliffhanger of the first book, thrusting readers into a whirlwind of revelations and challenges. While the narrative initially feels as though it’s heading in a predictable direction, Riccioni masterfully introduces twists that deepen the lore and history of this fractured world. Secrets emerge, altering the course of the story and enriching its themes of resilience and redemption.

One of the most compelling aspects of The Rising is its exploration of the evolving relationship between Osha and Nara. In the first book, Osha’s protection seemed paramount, with the bond between the sisters framed as one of savior and protector. Yet, the sequel masterfully subverts this dynamic. Both sisters find themselves on distinct paths, and it is through their individual struggles and hardships that they emerge as true heroines. Together, they are a formidable force, but their separate journeys—marked by pain, growth, and triumph—are equally essential to their development.

Nara’s internal struggle is particularly captivating. Her journey to channel her abilities, reconcile her past, and carve out a new place in the world is a testament to her resilience. Riccioni’s portrayal of female strength shines here, not only in Nara but in the supporting characters as well. These women endure suffering, uncertainty, and sacrifice, yet they push forward, embodying the novel’s core message: unity and understanding are more powerful than division.

At its heart, The Rising is a story about rising above societal divides. The branded and the pure are pitted against each other, their differences creating rifts that threaten to consume their world. Yet, the storm that brews throughout the novel is not merely one of conflict but also of transformation. It’s a call to find common ground, to see strength in diversity, and to strive for a future built on acceptance and mutual sacrifice for the greater good.

In conclusion, Jo Riccioni delivers a powerful, thought-provoking finale to The Branded Season. By weaving themes of perseverance, faith, and unity into a richly imagined world, she leaves readers with a story that resonates long after the final page. The Rising is more than just a tale of heroism; it’s a reminder that even in the face of division, humanity’s greatest strength lies in coming together.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy; All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the final instalment but I wish the series was a trilogy. There’s a lot of political play and world-development, if this was done slower and over a more realistic timeframe then I think the pacing would have flowed so well and been epic. The story is still good with high stakes and new bonds. One thing I absolutely loved was the romance, there’s banter and plenty yearning (two of my favourite things) plus a bit of complication but not too much. We also do get to enjoy the characters together and their connection is great. I also liked the fact that despite prophecy the main character was not a natural with their magic. Nara really has to try hard and shows real personal growth. If not for her and the wrangler I would have put the book down. So ask I mentioned before if this was expanded out to another book the battles would have been absolutely epic and I would have had more connection to the other side characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This was disappointing. The story pacing was incredibly uneven, with build ups to huge battles that end up resolving quickly with no stakes. There is little character growth and overall this feels like a lot was crammed in without enough space to cover everything well.

I read The Branded through Netgalley a few months ago and was dying to read this. I will say, this was very much like the first one for me. It was a bit slow in parts, but the characters are great, the plot is interesting, and the writing is easy to read. I did not see the betrayal coming, but I should’ve remembered there was one.

My main complaint was secondary characters from the first book are brought in very briefly without much description as to who they are and what they did. If I didn’t read the amount of fantasy books I do, it probably wouldn’t be an issue. I barely remember some of these characters and had to heavily rely on context. This is a pretty trivial complaint though, all things considered.

I also felt that this universe could certainly be expanded. I know this a duology, but DYING for an Osha and Haus spinoff.

Low spice, lots of war, and a heartbreaking betrayal. Really fun read, 3.75⭐️

I absolutely adore the way Riccioni writes her characters. Particularly, how she writes them with their conflicting emotions, not only towards others, but towards themselves. This gives the characters a multifaceted feel which allows you to relate to them, to feel their frustrations, their joy, and their fear. Her characters, simply put, have range which makes you warm to them easily. She creates characters that are critical of who they are and their place in the world and that's what will make you completely fall in love with them from the start.

I throughly enjoyed the character arcs in this one. I felt there was a lot of character developing in such a short amount of pages, so this book did not lack that at all. The growth that did occur, impacted the characters decisions and their views which was beneficial in our understanding towards how certain parts of the plot unfolded. I must admit, I absolutely loved Osha's character development, particularly how she learnt to forgive herself for her different between her and Nara. Also, her unwavering love towards Haus - and their commitment towards each other with all the little quirks, it was lovely. Also, can we talk about The Wranglers sister, Azza? I admired her SO much for her strength of keeping her own secrets, but also what that did to her having to stay hidden.

A lot of people seem to have mixed feelings about Nara, and whilst I understand it to some extent I would say this - Nara is designed to be a complex character, who at best is hot headed, brazen and defends those she loves fiercely to the cause and at worst struggles to communicate very basic feelings towards others without feeling like she's losing parts of herself. You have to remember she's Branded, and the guilt that she carries for putting other people in harms way, and then TRULY finding out who she is? she does not have an easy ride during this story at all. I also can understand the moments of miscommunication between her and the wrangler, and I do believe it was essential in order for him to realise his mistakes in withholding the truth (we all know he did not lie, he just withheld information), and she's had to grapple with people lying to her all her life - so I actually do feel for Nara.

I love her and The Wrangler together, and the slow burn that really solidified their relationship in the end.

Brim is the prime example of having his mind shaped by a purist cult. Every which way, it was hard to believe that he would ever become anyone other than the person he became. His future was written in the prophecy from the very start.

This was a strong sequel in many ways. However, I do believe as others have also mentioned, The Rising would've been great as the second book of a trilogy. The ending, whilst a good conclusion - unfortunately felt a little rushed, and the fighting scenes were a little lacking and could've been drawn out more. There were elements that I think definitely could've been explored in more depth, and we could've stretched the remaining 40% of this into another book. Duologies are always tricky. I think what maybe threw me is The Branded felt MUCH longer than The Rising, given how the ending in The Rising really packed a punch and still left me wanting more.

After originally thrifting book one years ago, Jo Ricconi has me sucked into her world from chapter one. So it comes to no surprise that I devoured The Rising through the opportunity of reading it via Net Galley. To have the opportunity to continue the story on Nara and Osha. Book one was so unique and had me hooked. I’d implore anyone to read this series!!

Nara and Osha learn to harness their individual powers to fight for the people they love the most, and to change a society that only values the Pure and looks down on the Brands as inferior and dispensable. Nara and Osha may have escaped the Citadel in Isfalk, survived the bleak wastelands and the suffering she endured, the harsh brutality of Orlathon but they have yet to face their greatest challenge and it begins in Reiss, the homeland of the Wrangler.
Though on the surface Reiss seems to be a city of freedom and equality between Pures and Brands, under the surface a woman called Phibia is plotting and manipulating the ruler of Reiss, Haxim the father of the Wrangler/Nixim. There is the Reiss prophecy that “one pure woman with magical powers to cure the branded and bring peace and happiness to the world. “The Elita” Phibia is the leader of the High Seer Circle and it will be her that will test the pregnant Osha to see if she is the long-awaited Elita. Naturally Nara is worried for her sister, with her promise to Amma to always take care of Osha she cannot hold back and intervenes at the testing. It is then Phibia realises that Nara is a Tathar like herself, but she dismisses both sisters, in particular Nara as she is a brand saying they are both weak.

Nothing is straight forward for Nara, she has so much weighing on her mind and heart such as the rather cryptic prophecy/warning that Frenka the blood wife gave her "Be careful of the boy. He is a good soul born of bad." Along with the advice to be wary of relying on the visions she sees, telling all may not be as it seems and that things can happen to change these visions. She has to learn to master her sway as it will be an essential weapon in the battles that are on the horizon. Nara worries about her pregnant sister, Osha as she battles the uncertainty of who the father of the child she is carrying is. Is it the love of her life her lyfhort, Haus or is the pregnancy a result of her assaults at the hands of Orlath. Only time will tell. Then there’s the question of whether the baby will be born pure or brand and how healthy it will be. There are also the complications of the love triangle she finds herself in with Brim who sees her as a fec, but then professes his love for her, and Nixim whom she still doesn’t fully trust and that situation is only exacerbated by the fact he has the complication of a betrothed called Hira, the daughter of Phibia. Nixim also seems to have the knack of disappearing when she feels she most needs him!
Nara also has the mystery of who her parents were and why they were left in Fornwood with Amma before being sent to Isfalk. What do the pendants that she and Osha wear mean?

Nara has a lot on her plate even before the fighting starts and wow there are some great battle scenes in this book!
The Rising has amazing multi-layered characters, not just the main ones of Nara, Osha, Haus, Nixim and Brim but some of the others such as the usually drunken Maw who teaches Annek to fight, to defend herself after the trauma she experienced in Orlathon at the hands of Orlath and his men. Azza, the principled, straight-talking sister of Nixim who is also a Tathar but chooses to hide her gift and uses it only when necessary. I admired the way she used her gift only when necessary unlike others who use it for nefarious purposes, such as Phibia and Inness, she also helped Nara with her own Tathar powers too.
There’s lots of laugh out loud banter between the different characters, Maw, Dalla & Annek have a funny camaraderie and of course Nixim and Nara take the banter to another level, all whilst there’s the subtle simmering feelings of love they each hide from each other.
I loved the way Nara saw a different softer side to Nixim when he was around his sisters Azza and Sadiq. He was no longer the “wrangler” he was “Nixim”. In the same way that Nara could be two different people the “scourge” and then the softer side being “Nara”.
I of course adored the character of Nixim, but I also loved Haus, the quiet yet deadly lyfhort of Osha. Even when there is doubt over the parentage of the baby Osha is carrying he stays by her side, when she will allow him and hovers in the shadows when she will not allow him by her side!

I thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic, detailed world building with so much rich history to the different tribes & settlements, their cultures, traditions, languages, ways of living
all wrapped up in an amazing, written plot with such varied emotive scenes from harsh battles, to beautiful heart wrenching betrayals, laugh out loud banter between certain characters and watching at first tentative feelings, that grow into fierce love between the characters that on the surface are so very different, yet are perfect for each other.
At times, it has very emotional and poignant scenes!

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were Wow! Just wow! Then I felt immediately sad that it had ended!

Summing up, The Rising has it all going on, action, drama, angst, betrayal and some simmering romance too! I loved the characters, the prophecies & visions that were twisted and sometimes turned on their heads. I enjoyed the way Nara sometimes interpreted them incorrectly as she was honing her talents. I felt like I felt Nara's heartbreak when the reality of Frenka's warning of "Be careful of the boy. He is a good soul born of bad"

The conclusion to The Branded Season duology surprised me. While the overall outcome wasn’t unexpected, The Rising still shocked me with several twists and revelations along the way, making it both gripping and entertaining. I enjoyed the story, though it did feel a little rushed, and there was a ton of well-described and exciting action.

I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, but as it was already done in The Branded, I was a little disappointed that Nara and Nixim’s relationship in The Rising felt a lot like a repeat of the first book. I was hoping the wrangler’s betrayal would come to a head and there would be some sort of solution a bit earlier, leaving plenty of room for the growth of their relationship, but that wasn’t the case. I did very much enjoy Nara’s interactions with new characters introduced though and found her relationship with Azza especially endearing.

This book mostly takes place in another city, where the Pure vs. Branded hierarchy exists, but differently. It was interesting to see how another part of Nara’s world dealt with the aftermath of The Brume, and the ways in which witnessing these differences affected Nara, Osha, and Brim.

I’m a big fan of the overall messages behind The Branded Season duology and that through a great story, Jo Riccioni encourages her readers to think some big thoughts about some important subjects.


***I have included links to Goodreads/Storygraph reviews. I’m scheduled to be a part of the online book tour in February and will update this review with social media links on my tour date (February 27)***

I've never loved a book so much! I could hardly put it down, and yet was begging myself to take my time and make it last. Love just pours through the pages. Nara, Nixim, Osha, Haus and Azza will be plaguing my thoughts for a long time to come, I fear.

Loved the followup very emotionally provoking and will continue to watch out for this author in teh future

It was very easy to dive back in 'the branded' world. Fantastic world building, full of intrigue and great character development. I loved the politics, how the characters worked out what to do next and fully understanding their thought process. I did feel the pacing was a little mismatch though, parts were full of action and others were slow.

A novel that can only be considered an explosive conclusion to the Branded Season filled with action and an epic high fantasy world. Two sisters harness their powers to fight for the people they love. But when those powers are capable of overturning worlds, love can be an uprising. Nara and her twin sister, Osha, have escaped the brutality of the wastelands and the citadel, and arrive in the capital of Reis, home to the wrangler.

A city rife with political power plays, complicated by rumours of a long-awaited prophecy - the coming of a Pure Healer with the ability to heal The Branded. With her healing powers growing even stringer, all eyes are on Osha. But there are those in the city who would kill to control her gifts. If she is to protect her sister, Nara must navigate new allies and old enemies, in this city of shadows.

That’s easier said than done when she’s caught between her first love and the man who’s stolen her heart and betrayed her trust. Worn down by lies and deception, she is forced to question who she truly is and what she an believe. One thing is becoming clear is that she and Osha must learn to wield their powers to gain their freedom. But also fight for what is right. With dark forces taking control across the continued The Branded must rise to survive.

Rife with adventure and betrayal, this is a novel that will have you on the edge of your seat and craving more. Filled with strong female characters, relationship dynamics that will have you swooning, and a world that will leave you dreaming. This is an excellent conclusion to a duology and I would hope to see more from this world and the characters that reside within it. This is for fans of anyone who lives for high stakes, magical abilities and an epic fantasy world that leaves you breathless.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐨 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢

The Rising by Jo Riccioni was an example of how a good book is written. Jo gave us a masterpiece in book form. I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

The Rising wraps up the Branded Season duology with a blend of tension, emotional struggles, and high-stakes action. Nara and Osha, twin sisters tied together by their powers and their past, must confront the dangers lurking in the Shadow City, all while a prophecy concerning Osha threatens to unravel everything. The stakes are undeniably high, and the constant threat of danger keeps the plot moving.

While the action sequences and the evolving conflicts are engaging, some of the emotional arcs felt a bit drawn-out, especially when it came to Nara’s internal battles with loyalty and love. Though these struggles are important, they sometimes slowed the overall pace of the story. The character relationships, while intriguing, lacked some of the depth I hoped for, leaving me wanting more in terms of their emotional development.

The world-building is solid but left me wishing for more explanation, particularly around the fantasy elements that drive the plot. There were moments where I felt the setting could have been explored further to enhance the stakes and immerse the reader more deeply in this world.

Overall, The Rising is an enjoyable conclusion to the duology, though it didn’t completely fulfill its potential. It’s a good read for fans of the series, but it doesn’t quite reach the level of brilliance I was hoping for, earning it a solid three-star rating.

*The Rising* by Jo Riccioni is a gripping and emotional finale to the *Branded Season* duology. Nara and Osha, twin sisters bound by their powers and their past, must navigate the dangerous Shadow City as enemies close in from all sides. With tensions running high and the prophecy surrounding Osha sparking chaos, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

This book is packed with action, intrigue, and heart, as Nara wrestles with love, loyalty, and her own identity. The relationships are raw and complex, the world-building is immersive, and the twists keep you on edge until the very last page. A stunning conclusion that will leave fans of the series deeply satisfied.

This was a strong sequel in the Branded Season series, it had that element that I was looking for from the previous book. I enjoyed the overall storyline and how everything worked with the world. The characters had that element that I wanted and enjoyed getting to go through this world with them. Jo Riccioni was able to continue this world and had the same writing style that I was looking for.

this book felt rushed I feel there should be another book within the series. the book got very predictable and the I feel as if the battle scenes were not long enough. but the world building was great, the banter was brilliant and I loved the characters.

I still really enjoyed the book, I just feel the third book in the series was needed and would have made a whole load of difference.