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mgxwawa13's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Seven Prophets have guided civilisation for centuries with their prophecies – they ended wars and united nations using their gifts of foretelling. However, one day, they suddenly vanished. With lack of guidance, the world descends into fear and chaos and a new power rises. There was, however, one final secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new and final prophet. This prophecy mentions harbingers-who will either be the world’s salvation, or it’s destruction.
rep: gay m/c, brown m/c’s
content warnings: violence, death, childhood abuse, ptsd, depictions of drowning & being burned
I’ve been on such a roll with fantasy recently, i’ve read some excellent ones, such as The Midnight Lie, Queen of Coin and Whispers, and Girl, Serpent, Thorn. I had heard some mixed things about this so went into There Will Come a Darkness with lower expectations but, suprisingly, I really enjoyed it. In the UK, There Will Come a Darkness is being marketed as an adult fantasy novel, but I know in the US it is being marketed as a YA fantasy but it will definitely appeal to fans of both!
One of my favourite aspects of There Will Come a Darkness is the magic and the Prophets. After the Prophets dissapeared, the Witnesses grew in power, led by the Hierophant. The Witnesses despise the Graced-people who have magic- as they tend to be rulers and in the Witnesses eyes, opressors. I really enjoyed the complexities of the magic and the detail that went into the history of the world. World-building is incredibly important for a novel like this, but Katy Rose Pool definitely has a talent for it.
There Will Come a Darkness features an ensemble cast and I really love books that do this well. Our characters, who are connected by an apocalyptic prophecy, are as follows:
Each of these characters really do bring something special to this story and as the story goes on, you discover how each are linked to the propecy. I really enjoyed how each individual storyline sort of intertwines with each other. I absolutely adored the sibling relationship between Ephyra and Beru and I loved Ephyra’s moral ambiguity- she will do anything for her sister no matter the cost but Beru is struggling to shoulder the guilt she feels. I enjoyed their interactions with Anton too. Jude- a favourite of mine – is a holy warrior brought up with one single goal, to protect the final prophet. However, he struggles to put his duty before his heart. I really love paladins, especially paladins that will stop at nothing to protect those they care about. (It is also strongly implied Jude is also gay). Anton, a scared and soft boy!! I love him. My least favourite is Hassan, his chapters were the least compelling, it’s just such a shame he seemed to have the most!
There Will Come a Darkness is a compelling and immersive fantasy adventure featuring paladins, rogues, princes, and seers. Highly recommend for fans of the genre.
The Seven Prophets have guided civilisation for centuries with their prophecies – they ended wars and united nations using their gifts of foretelling. However, one day, they suddenly vanished. With lack of guidance, the world descends into fear and chaos and a new power rises. There was, however, one final secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new and final prophet. This prophecy mentions harbingers-who will either be the world’s salvation, or it’s destruction.
rep: gay m/c, brown m/c’s
content warnings: violence, death, childhood abuse, ptsd, depictions of drowning & being burned
I’ve been on such a roll with fantasy recently, i’ve read some excellent ones, such as The Midnight Lie, Queen of Coin and Whispers, and Girl, Serpent, Thorn. I had heard some mixed things about this so went into There Will Come a Darkness with lower expectations but, suprisingly, I really enjoyed it. In the UK, There Will Come a Darkness is being marketed as an adult fantasy novel, but I know in the US it is being marketed as a YA fantasy but it will definitely appeal to fans of both!
One of my favourite aspects of There Will Come a Darkness is the magic and the Prophets. After the Prophets dissapeared, the Witnesses grew in power, led by the Hierophant. The Witnesses despise the Graced-people who have magic- as they tend to be rulers and in the Witnesses eyes, opressors. I really enjoyed the complexities of the magic and the detail that went into the history of the world. World-building is incredibly important for a novel like this, but Katy Rose Pool definitely has a talent for it.
There Will Come a Darkness features an ensemble cast and I really love books that do this well. Our characters, who are connected by an apocalyptic prophecy, are as follows:
Hassan, a prince exiled from his kingdom.
Ephyra, a ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand
Jude, a paladin, a once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart
Anton, a reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone but he’s also running from his past
and finally, Beru, a dying girl filled with grief and guilt and on the verge of giving up
Each of these characters really do bring something special to this story and as the story goes on, you discover how each are linked to the propecy. I really enjoyed how each individual storyline sort of intertwines with each other. I absolutely adored the sibling relationship between Ephyra and Beru and I loved Ephyra’s moral ambiguity- she will do anything for her sister no matter the cost but Beru is struggling to shoulder the guilt she feels. I enjoyed their interactions with Anton too. Jude- a favourite of mine – is a holy warrior brought up with one single goal, to protect the final prophet. However, he struggles to put his duty before his heart. I really love paladins, especially paladins that will stop at nothing to protect those they care about. (It is also strongly implied Jude is also gay). Anton, a scared and soft boy!! I love him. My least favourite is Hassan, his chapters were the least compelling, it’s just such a shame he seemed to have the most!
There Will Come a Darkness is a compelling and immersive fantasy adventure featuring paladins, rogues, princes, and seers. Highly recommend for fans of the genre.
caitcosentino's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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? No
4.25
It reminded me of the avatar but dark
aristotledaughter's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
wanyachu's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
secondhandpages's review against another edition
4.0
WOW! This book was a total roller coaster! From the fantastic characters and multiple POVs, it was easy to get lost in this novel. This is not a novel for those needing a fast paced plot driven novel. This novel is entirely about how that plot affects each of the five MC in turn. The intricacy and efficacy of the 5 POVs is so masterful, you would be surprised to find out this is a debut.
Characters aside, the magic in this world is phenomenal. It's well thought out, defined and explained. It's incorporated into so much that it does seem second nature, which I assumed the author was aiming for.
The plot itself isn't anything we haven't seen before, but the way the novel revolves around the characters and not so much the plot makes it stand out in ways others may not.
While I'm was really skeptical going into the novel, mainly because of so many moving parts, I was pleasantly surprised and I look forward to the next novel!
Characters aside, the magic in this world is phenomenal. It's well thought out, defined and explained. It's incorporated into so much that it does seem second nature, which I assumed the author was aiming for.
The plot itself isn't anything we haven't seen before, but the way the novel revolves around the characters and not so much the plot makes it stand out in ways others may not.
While I'm was really skeptical going into the novel, mainly because of so many moving parts, I was pleasantly surprised and I look forward to the next novel!
teiira's review against another edition
I will likely pick this back up sometime in the future
annineamundsen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5⭐
The problem with multiple POVs is that it takes me longer to get invested in the stories/characters. Much more fun when their stories start intertwining and they start interacting
The problem with multiple POVs is that it takes me longer to get invested in the stories/characters. Much more fun when their stories start intertwining and they start interacting
perusinghannah's review against another edition
2.0
Should I have DNFed this at 30% like I originally wanted to? Yes, absolutely. But I convinced myself I was DNFing too much, and also the last book I nearly DNFed turned out to be a five star read. So I stuck with it against my better judgement, and now here I am disappointed. Please insert the clown emoji.
This really was just your bog-standard YA fantasy that did not surprise nor delight in any way, and I am very much over that kind of YA fantasy. I found the characters to be superficial and therefore boring, the world building was whatever, and the plot was unfortunately far too predictable to land even a single plot twist. As I said though, I'm just particularly tired of this type of YA fantasy, and so all these things aren't necessarily the book's fault. But you know what is? The fact that this does not stand on its own whatsoever.
This is just a giant, 500 page-long introduction to a story that in no way actually takes place in this book. And if you're going to make me sit through 500 pages just to have the characters end up in a place where the story can now finally kick off? Nope, you lost me. Very little of consequence has happened within these pages besides introducing each character as their specific stereotype (predictable red herrings included, of course), and because the rest was all so mediocre, this just pissed me off. If your first book only exists so that the sequel will make sense, you're not structuring your series properly. I will die on this hill.
This was a one and done for me with this author, unfortunately, as I just didn't get on with anything about it. A bit of a bummer, but hey - at least it's one more TBR veteran off my shelves.
This really was just your bog-standard YA fantasy that did not surprise nor delight in any way, and I am very much over that kind of YA fantasy. I found the characters to be superficial and therefore boring, the world building was whatever, and the plot was unfortunately far too predictable to land even a single plot twist. As I said though, I'm just particularly tired of this type of YA fantasy, and so all these things aren't necessarily the book's fault. But you know what is? The fact that this does not stand on its own whatsoever.
This is just a giant, 500 page-long introduction to a story that in no way actually takes place in this book. And if you're going to make me sit through 500 pages just to have the characters end up in a place where the story can now finally kick off? Nope, you lost me. Very little of consequence has happened within these pages besides introducing each character as their specific stereotype (predictable red herrings included, of course), and because the rest was all so mediocre, this just pissed me off. If your first book only exists so that the sequel will make sense, you're not structuring your series properly. I will die on this hill.
This was a one and done for me with this author, unfortunately, as I just didn't get on with anything about it. A bit of a bummer, but hey - at least it's one more TBR veteran off my shelves.