Reviews

Darkrise by M.L. Spencer

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kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed the amount of magic in here, as I get a bit bored by so many low, to almost none, magic books. I don't need it in every book, but now and then I really enjoy plenty of magic being flung around and interspersed in the world!

I clicked well with the main characters, but some of the side characters could have been a bit deeper for my personal liking, though I hope with some I'll see some more growth in later books of the series - and I'll definitely want to see what happens next! I especially want to find out what side some of them end up on!

The story kept me well entertained and there were so many things yet to be resolved without it feeling overwhelming or hard to follow, which is a big plus in my eyes. I don't like it overly simplistic, but I also don't want to need a flowchart just to keep up. And this one struck a good balance between having multiple things going on and yet not becoming overladen or confusing.

The prose was fluent and easy to follow without sticking out, so it allowed me to dive right into the world instead of consciously reading about the world. At times the pace felt a tiny bit uneven and I would have liked to stay in a scene a bit longer and / or get a bit more information before jumping to the next one,

All in all a great, sometimes grim and all around entertaining read that I'm happy to follow up!

vividox's review against another edition

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2.0

I'm still not sure how to feel about this book, even after finishing it. The story itself is engaging, but I am not a fan of the prose at all. The most melodramatic adjectives conceivable are used at every opportunity leaving you with a sense that every character, setting, or object is the most extreme version of that character, setting, or object to have ever existed. Entire sequences are played out in a matter of sentences, making the story feel like it's being told to you in passing, rather than something you are experiencing. And there were several places in the story where scene changes were so jarring they deflated any rising suspense.

I can't help but draw a strong parallel to Frank Herbert's Dune, in that the plot is remarkable, while the prose itself is spectacularly awful. I'm left wondering what happens next, while simultaneously dreading reading another four books to find out.

taisie22's review against another edition

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5.0

Aiden and Darien Lauchlin are brothers, sons the Prime Warden, the highest of the mages. When Aiden unseals the Well of Tears and releases the Eight, it's up to Darien to fight the armies of the Enemy and seal the Well once more.
This is the second time I read this, mostly because I read it before the prequel Darkstorm which sets up the Eight and the Well of Tears. Once I read the prequel, I reread this one to continue the series and keep everything in order. It's well worth rereading.
This book takes place one thousand years after the first. Darien is a tortured soul, for a while the last of the Mages. He gathers a band of recruits to help him, but most of the responsibility rests on his shoulders.
This is a good fantasy series. Darien is an anti-hero in the mode of Thomas Covenant. He must make impossible choices, mostly to his own detriment in order to save his world. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Rhenwars Saga.