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A review by mallorypen
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I wanted to love this book. It had the feeling of a great epic! It had a haunting, dark vibe to the storytelling! It had unexpected twists! The characters were compelling and formed a broad cast!
But … it was boring?
The pacing was very odd; in some parts, tons of things happened in quick succession and in others, the story lagged. It also didn’t help that multiple of the narrators were untrustworthy - Will especially - but in a way that made it obvious that the only reason they were was to preserve the twist at the end. And though the twist was interesting, if not altogether unguessable, the fact that Will knew almost at the beginning of the book (and certainly at the midway point) and didn’t “tell” the reader was annoying, not mysterious. His character felt inconsistent - first, he’s being self-sacrificing and doing the right thing despite overwhelming odds - and then he’s utterly convinced of his own downfall into darkness despite himself.
The way Catherine was used in the story - and ultimately fridged - was obnoxious and disappointing. And the queer relationships all seemed insidious, which was doubly disappointing and honestly kind of disgusting.
The concept of the Stewards and Lions were well done, and again, the cast of characters was enjoyable. I don’t know if I’ll keep with the series, though.
But … it was boring?
The pacing was very odd; in some parts, tons of things happened in quick succession and in others, the story lagged. It also didn’t help that multiple of the narrators were untrustworthy - Will especially - but in a way that made it obvious that the only reason they were was to preserve the twist at the end. And though the twist was interesting, if not altogether unguessable, the fact that Will knew almost at the beginning of the book (and certainly at the midway point) and didn’t “tell” the reader was annoying, not mysterious. His character felt inconsistent - first, he’s being self-sacrificing and doing the right thing despite overwhelming odds - and then he’s utterly convinced of his own downfall into darkness despite himself.
The way Catherine was used in the story - and ultimately fridged - was obnoxious and disappointing. And the queer relationships all seemed insidious, which was doubly disappointing and honestly kind of disgusting.
The concept of the Stewards and Lions were well done, and again, the cast of characters was enjoyable. I don’t know if I’ll keep with the series, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal death