thereaderintherye's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
heleneintheclouds's review
4.5
I am very lucky to read an ARC of this book, and I devoured it in one day.
Yes, that is his way. ... Every action looks innocent on the surface, and has dark tendrils growing beneath.
The thing I loved most about Dark Rise was the way it became a different book in retrospect.
After the twist at the end of Dark Rise, everything that happened before changes into a new light. Sentences are woven with hints and double meanings, and it was astounding. As easily as I missed them the first time, so obvious were they during a reread. Innocent on the surface, dark underneath.
With this twist revealed, would book 2 be just as interesting?
I’d say yes. The double meanings are everywhere, and give almost every scene a hint of suspense and dramatic irony. There is no eye-opening moment at the end, but every single scene is filled with layered conversations and things not said.
I am in awe of the way this author makes conversations feel so layered, as if every word was chosen deliberately to say one thing and mean another. I cannot think of a single other book that managed to use connotations as well as this one.
Another thing to make it so ironic is the many parallels between the characters.
Dark rise was written as ‘reclaiming of the queer villain’ (this was in the front of my ARC as description) and it showed.
<i><b>Will, Violet and James were all assigned ‘evil’ upon their birth. They did not choose it but they are punished for it, just like queer people are.</b></i> This felt like the red thread in the entire story.
The book discusses what makes a person evil, is it inherent or taught? And do evil actions make a person evil if the victims are not blameless?
Will and Violet are each other’s mirror, both choosing not to follow the path they were assigned, but falling into it nonetheless. Violet wields heroes’ weapons, just like the heroes who used to fight for good, but how good is she? James is to blame for the Stewards’ demise, but so are the stewards, for willingly tying themselves to shadows and trying to kill the child James used to be.
This is also a downside. The many characters make for an interesting ensemble cast, but sometimes it was hard to keep track of everyone. The main focus is on Will, James and Cyprian, with a secondary plot for Violet and a third plot for Elizabeth. Devon from book 1 is lurking somewhere, Simon has multiple relatives, Violet’s brother is…. Also doing things??
In my opinion the large cast overshadowed the main characters, especially Violet’s part.
I loved the emphasis on friendship in book 1. Will and Violet are each other’s best friends and they express it without a doubt. It is so rare to see a male and female character show affection without hints of romance, especially if they are the two main characters.
For a person who was without a doubt the deuteragonist of book 1, Violet had little to do in this book and the main setup from book 1 (with her brother) did not go anywhere.
Cyprian and James got a lot of development, which was great, but I was disappointed that these two got promoted to main characters at the cost of someone who was already a main character.
The many magical objects and their lore were a bit overwhelming as well.
After reading two books, I am still not sure what the magic is, how it works for each character and what dark things happened to make it work the way it does. There are kings, portals, armies, remnants, reborn, returners…. Lots of stuff to keep track of.
The book continues right where book 1 ended, and the author provides a short recap of everything that happened in book 1, and it did not hinder my reading in any way. Everything gets explained well enough while reading, and it all made sense while reading, but I couldn’t explain it to anyone if they asked.
I have NO idea what might happen or where this will go. But I guess that is a good thing? Keeps the anticipation high for book 3.
I will certainly be waiting when book 3 arrives.
Yes, that is his way. ... Every action looks innocent on the surface, and has dark tendrils growing beneath.
The thing I loved most about Dark Rise was the way it became a different book in retrospect.
After the twist at the end of Dark Rise, everything that happened before changes into a new light. Sentences are woven with hints and double meanings, and it was astounding. As easily as I missed them the first time, so obvious were they during a reread. Innocent on the surface, dark underneath.
With this twist revealed, would book 2 be just as interesting?
I’d say yes. The double meanings are everywhere, and give almost every scene a hint of suspense and dramatic irony. There is no eye-opening moment at the end, but every single scene is filled with layered conversations and things not said.
I am in awe of the way this author makes conversations feel so layered, as if every word was chosen deliberately to say one thing and mean another. I cannot think of a single other book that managed to use connotations as well as this one.
Another thing to make it so ironic is the many parallels between the characters.
Dark rise was written as ‘reclaiming of the queer villain’ (this was in the front of my ARC as description) and it showed.
<i><b>Will, Violet and James were all assigned ‘evil’ upon their birth. They did not choose it but they are punished for it, just like queer people are.</b></i> This felt like the red thread in the entire story.
The book discusses what makes a person evil, is it inherent or taught? And do evil actions make a person evil if the victims are not blameless?
Will and Violet are each other’s mirror, both choosing not to follow the path they were assigned, but falling into it nonetheless. Violet wields heroes’ weapons, just like the heroes who used to fight for good, but how good is she? James is to blame for the Stewards’ demise, but so are the stewards, for willingly tying themselves to shadows and trying to kill the child James used to be.
This is also a downside. The many characters make for an interesting ensemble cast, but sometimes it was hard to keep track of everyone. The main focus is on Will, James and Cyprian, with a secondary plot for Violet and a third plot for Elizabeth. Devon from book 1 is lurking somewhere, Simon has multiple relatives, Violet’s brother is…. Also doing things??
In my opinion the large cast overshadowed the main characters, especially Violet’s part.
I loved the emphasis on friendship in book 1. Will and Violet are each other’s best friends and they express it without a doubt. It is so rare to see a male and female character show affection without hints of romance, especially if they are the two main characters.
For a person who was without a doubt the deuteragonist of book 1, Violet had little to do in this book and the main setup from book 1 (with her brother) did not go anywhere.
Cyprian and James got a lot of development, which was great, but I was disappointed that these two got promoted to main characters at the cost of someone who was already a main character.
The many magical objects and their lore were a bit overwhelming as well.
After reading two books, I am still not sure what the magic is, how it works for each character and what dark things happened to make it work the way it does. There are kings, portals, armies, remnants, reborn, returners…. Lots of stuff to keep track of.
The book continues right where book 1 ended, and the author provides a short recap of everything that happened in book 1, and it did not hinder my reading in any way. Everything gets explained well enough while reading, and it all made sense while reading, but I couldn’t explain it to anyone if they asked.
I have NO idea what might happen or where this will go. But I guess that is a good thing? Keeps the anticipation high for book 3.
I will certainly be waiting when book 3 arrives.
meirinasoe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If I had to choose one word to describe "Dark Heir," it would be 'OTHERWORLDLY.'
It is everything I could ever wish for!!!
Thanks to Allen & Unwin and also Netgalley for giving me the ARC of the sequel of my dreams.
Reading this book was a surreal experience, almost like a sudden storm hitting me all at once. It was like being pulled into a whirlwind.
I devoured this book in just TWO DAYS, which is unexpected given my typically SLOW reading pace. It's worth noting that "Dark Heir" is considerably longer than "Dark Rise" (with "Dark Rise" comprising 34 chapters and "Dark Heir" containing 51). It is fueled by my eagerness to continue the story after a two-year wait, particularly following that cliffhanger!
Will has always been my favourite character since "Dark Rise," and this sequel only amplifies it. I perceive his struggles with the truth of his identity, as the Dark King, as a metaphor for internalized queerphobia. Many queer youth, including myself, have been told that our queerness is evil and abhorrent, leading us to hide and deny our true selves in the pursuit of acceptance from others. Will's yearning for his friends' acceptance, especially from Violet, his best friend.
Many of us would be delighted to see that James has multiple POV chapters in this book! It's great how it delves into his perspective on not only his relationship with Will or Sarcean, but also the traumatic past with his family with Cyprian, Marcus, and Jannick.
I'm equally excited about the introduction of the new character, Visander, and I'm thrilled that his portrayal can be interpreted as trans. Knowing that CS Pacat identifies as genderqueer/non-binary, I would like to see him writing more trans-coded characters. Visander is a character who captivates me, as there are times when he can be both lovable and totally frustrates me.
Praise Pacat (again), who has been so generous to give us the “Surprise POV” from the characters’ past lives which made me scream and jump up and down at 2 a.m.
I seriously love the flashback scenes of the Old World. The twists within them are both surprising and, in a way, expected. I've always held the belief that history tends to be written by the victors, and as a result, the truth about the Dark King and the Betrayer wasn't quite as the "light side" had painted them. It was also very gratifying to see that the characters that were once thought of as the paragons of virtue were not very saint-like after all.
Doubtlessly, the flashback scenes of the Old World are my favourites. And I yearn to have even more of them in Book 3 because I want to know more details about how Sarcean came to power- and later his downfall, and also the truth about his relationship with Anharion! I wouldn't mind the book stretching to 60+ chapters to accommodate it.
Pacat has indeed delivered on his promises to infuse this sequel with even more "on-page gay" content, so readers need not fret about the shortage of romance. They are plentiful, to say the least.
Dark Rise is my true love in the form of a book series, and I’m glad to see Dark Heir as a sequel wholly served!
This book series undoubtedly serves as a great form of escapism for queer youths, many of whom find themselves sympathizing with villains (who are often queer-coded).
For those of us who have been vilified, demonized, alienated, and even disowned from an early age by the people who were supposed to protect us—our parents and guardians—it is essential to remember that we are not evil. We do not deserve the abuse directed at us, and it is not our fault. There is nothing wrong with us. We deserve happiness, love, safety, and acceptance.
And oH MY GOD. THAT ENDING!!!
I have fantasized about *that* final line but I thought it was cheesy and that it might be something more like Prince Gambit's "The King! Damianos! He lives!" but it was not like that at all 🤣🤣🤣
It's my dream cheesy line 💜💜💜
It is everything I could ever wish for!!!
Thanks to Allen & Unwin and also Netgalley for giving me the ARC of the sequel of my dreams.
Reading this book was a surreal experience, almost like a sudden storm hitting me all at once. It was like being pulled into a whirlwind.
I devoured this book in just TWO DAYS, which is unexpected given my typically SLOW reading pace. It's worth noting that "Dark Heir" is considerably longer than "Dark Rise" (with "Dark Rise" comprising 34 chapters and "Dark Heir" containing 51). It is fueled by my eagerness to continue the story after a two-year wait, particularly following that cliffhanger!
Will has always been my favourite character since "Dark Rise," and this sequel only amplifies it. I perceive his struggles with the truth of his identity, as the Dark King, as a metaphor for internalized queerphobia. Many queer youth, including myself, have been told that our queerness is evil and abhorrent, leading us to hide and deny our true selves in the pursuit of acceptance from others. Will's yearning for his friends' acceptance, especially from Violet, his best friend.
Many of us would be delighted to see that James has multiple POV chapters in this book! It's great how it delves into his perspective on not only his relationship with Will or Sarcean, but also the traumatic past with his family with Cyprian, Marcus, and Jannick.
I'm equally excited about the introduction of the new character, Visander, and I'm thrilled that his portrayal can be interpreted as trans. Knowing that CS Pacat identifies as genderqueer/non-binary, I would like to see him writing more trans-coded characters. Visander is a character who captivates me, as there are times when he can be both lovable and totally frustrates me.
Praise Pacat (again), who has been so generous to give us the “Surprise POV” from the characters’ past lives which made me scream and jump up and down at 2 a.m.
I seriously love the flashback scenes of the Old World. The twists within them are both surprising and, in a way, expected. I've always held the belief that history tends to be written by the victors, and as a result, the truth about the Dark King and the Betrayer wasn't quite as the "light side" had painted them. It was also very gratifying to see that the characters that were once thought of as the paragons of virtue were not very saint-like after all.
Doubtlessly, the flashback scenes of the Old World are my favourites. And I yearn to have even more of them in Book 3 because I want to know more details about how Sarcean came to power- and later his downfall, and also the truth about his relationship with Anharion! I wouldn't mind the book stretching to 60+ chapters to accommodate it.
Pacat has indeed delivered on his promises to infuse this sequel with even more "on-page gay" content, so readers need not fret about the shortage of romance. They are plentiful, to say the least.
Dark Rise is my true love in the form of a book series, and I’m glad to see Dark Heir as a sequel wholly served!
This book series undoubtedly serves as a great form of escapism for queer youths, many of whom find themselves sympathizing with villains (who are often queer-coded).
For those of us who have been vilified, demonized, alienated, and even disowned from an early age by the people who were supposed to protect us—our parents and guardians—it is essential to remember that we are not evil. We do not deserve the abuse directed at us, and it is not our fault. There is nothing wrong with us. We deserve happiness, love, safety, and acceptance.
And oH MY GOD. THAT ENDING!!!
I have fantasized about *that* final line but I thought it was cheesy and that it might be something more like Prince Gambit's "The King! Damianos! He lives!" but it was not like that at all 🤣🤣🤣
It's my dream cheesy line 💜💜💜
lovelylloyd's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you, NetGalley, Allen & Unwin and C. S. Pacat for providing me with an ARC of Dark Heir - Dark Rise Book 2 - for review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Available 14 November 2023
I think that this is my book of the year so far. I absolutely loved this book. I have had Dark Rise on my bookshelf for about a year and hadn't gotten to it. When Allen & Unwin approved me for this - THANK YOU - I had to make the room in the TBR to jump them forward.
ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT.
I was so in love with Dark Rise that I had to move straight onto Dark Heir as soon as possible so I got to read them back-to-back.
This fantasy is so compelling. The morally grey situation - I don't even know if that is the correct term for Will but whatever he is - is absolutely perfect. Like a new favourite trope/theme/character arch unlocked. PERFECT.
All the different characters and perspectives are handled so well and give it so many layers. Obviously, the main twist is at the end of Dark Rise but this story kept delivering on my ‘what about that character?’ thoughts. Highly recommend. Plus a Melbourne/Naarm Author 😁
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Available 14 November 2023
I think that this is my book of the year so far. I absolutely loved this book. I have had Dark Rise on my bookshelf for about a year and hadn't gotten to it. When Allen & Unwin approved me for this - THANK YOU - I had to make the room in the TBR to jump them forward.
ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT.
I was so in love with Dark Rise that I had to move straight onto Dark Heir as soon as possible so I got to read them back-to-back.
This fantasy is so compelling. The morally grey situation - I don't even know if that is the correct term for Will but whatever he is - is absolutely perfect. Like a new favourite trope/theme/character arch unlocked. PERFECT.
All the different characters and perspectives are handled so well and give it so many layers. Obviously, the main twist is at the end of Dark Rise but this story kept delivering on my ‘what about that character?’ thoughts. Highly recommend. Plus a Melbourne/Naarm Author 😁
megsslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Spoilers for Dark Rise but spoiler free for Dark Heir.
I LOVED this sequel. It was very hard to put it down and I read it every opportunity I had. The plot was fast moving but never at the expense of the characters. It was fantastic being in Will's head because he was no longer hiding who he was from the reader, so you got to see more of the real him. How smart he is, how much of himself he holds back from others, how much he cares, how lonely he is. At the end of Dark Rise James was my favourite character, but by the end of Dark Heir Will has become my favourite. I love him so much. It makes me want to reread book one and two back to back I love him so much.
I've read other books where 'The Dark One' is the hero but with no memories of being the dark one. It always felt to me like there were no consequences to them being the dark one and that it is just for a shocking twist but ultimately goes no where. Not so in this one, Will definitely feels like the dark king returned, and the dark king seems to truely be a bad guy. There are consequences to this revelation and Will is dealing with it for the whole book. I loved this storyline the most and looking forward to how it all wraps up in book 3.
All the characters get a chance to shine. Violet probably has the short straw in terms of development, but her storyline has been set up for a magnificent arc in book 3. Both James and Cyprian had some amazing moments that had me emotional and on the edge of my seat. Elizabeth is a new favourite for me, it was so lovely seeing more from her. In book 1 James stole every scene he was in, Devon was that character in book 2.
The 'old world' gets expanded upon in this instalment. I'm so fascinated by it all. To me all the mythology surrounding the old world has the gravitas that the Lord of the Rings mythology has and I'm looking forward to learning even more in book 3. I feel like this book could be sold as 'imagine if Sauron was reborn but didn't have his memories'. Especially if you've read the Silmarillion and know his full backstory.
Much like Pacat's other books, the ending emotionally gutted me. I cannot wait for book 3.
Thank you Netgalley and Allen and Unwin for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED this sequel. It was very hard to put it down and I read it every opportunity I had. The plot was fast moving but never at the expense of the characters. It was fantastic being in Will's head because he was no longer hiding who he was from the reader, so you got to see more of the real him. How smart he is, how much of himself he holds back from others, how much he cares, how lonely he is. At the end of Dark Rise James was my favourite character, but by the end of Dark Heir Will has become my favourite. I love him so much. It makes me want to reread book one and two back to back I love him so much.
I've read other books where 'The Dark One' is the hero but with no memories of being the dark one. It always felt to me like there were no consequences to them being the dark one and that it is just for a shocking twist but ultimately goes no where. Not so in this one, Will definitely feels like the dark king returned, and the dark king seems to truely be a bad guy. There are consequences to this revelation and Will is dealing with it for the whole book. I loved this storyline the most and looking forward to how it all wraps up in book 3.
All the characters get a chance to shine. Violet probably has the short straw in terms of development, but her storyline has been set up for a magnificent arc in book 3. Both James and Cyprian had some amazing moments that had me emotional and on the edge of my seat. Elizabeth is a new favourite for me, it was so lovely seeing more from her. In book 1 James stole every scene he was in, Devon was that character in book 2.
The 'old world' gets expanded upon in this instalment. I'm so fascinated by it all. To me all the mythology surrounding the old world has the gravitas that the Lord of the Rings mythology has and I'm looking forward to learning even more in book 3. I feel like this book could be sold as 'imagine if Sauron was reborn but didn't have his memories'. Especially if you've read the Silmarillion and know his full backstory.
Much like Pacat's other books, the ending emotionally gutted me. I cannot wait for book 3.
Thank you Netgalley and Allen and Unwin for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
crazyasahare1's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"I told them when they ran me out of the hall that I'd come back to walk on their graves"
I could not put this book down. Which I really was hoping for that reaction. I was doing that classic meme. One more chapter!
It's kind of painful watching (reading) Will hide he's true identity. Hiding who he once was. And I love who he once was. It's so nice to see a story with a villain as the MC. Even if he is trying to be good. Will is so scared of them finding out who he used to be. And I feel so sorry for him. There is so much more to his past life that as the stories have been passed down have been wiped away.
James is such an intense character. Holding a confidence the others don't. He's embraced who he is. Who they made him be. But he also has many layers. And I'm just going to say. He's my favourite character in this series.
The other characters are pretty bad ass too. Like Violet. The "best" fighter in the group. It's interesting seeing how each of them fit in this story and world. The magic system is really cool too. I can't wait for book 3. I want it now.
I received a copy of this arc through Netgally for an honest review.
I could not put this book down. Which I really was hoping for that reaction. I was doing that classic meme. One more chapter!
It's kind of painful watching (reading) Will hide he's true identity. Hiding who he once was. And I love who he once was. It's so nice to see a story with a villain as the MC. Even if he is trying to be good. Will is so scared of them finding out who he used to be. And I feel so sorry for him. There is so much more to his past life that as the stories have been passed down have been wiped away.
James is such an intense character. Holding a confidence the others don't. He's embraced who he is. Who they made him be. But he also has many layers. And I'm just going to say. He's my favourite character in this series.
The other characters are pretty bad ass too. Like Violet. The "best" fighter in the group. It's interesting seeing how each of them fit in this story and world. The magic system is really cool too. I can't wait for book 3. I want it now.
I received a copy of this arc through Netgally for an honest review.
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