This year has been full of new and diverse reads, and I am happy to announce that this is my first book by an Irish writer and might be the best middle grade / YA I’ve read this year.

The story starts in a distant orphanage in a remote Ireland, surrounded by woods and sea. Denizen Hardwick is about to turn 13 years old, reading his books, continuing his routine, not knowing that he soon will become center of weird and magical events.

I must say that when it comes to fantasy, I don’t consider myself an expert, however the list of read fantasy books is growing every month. But for now, the authors usually do not fail to surprise me with the new and creative ways of magic source.

13 years old boy, living in an orphanage, no idea who he really is or what power he might possess. Yes! I am all about “Harry Potter” like novels! However, I must give the author his well-deserved credit, this story was unique and in no way similar to magic schools or Harry Potter like novels which are flooding the markets at the moment.

The second book starts on a surprising and very interesting note, introducing a whole new dimension within the magic world, an angle that on itself is exciting, scary and very intriguing.

This was a great find within a pool of new YA fantasy series, that I am planning to continue reading, and recommend to all fans of magic schools and magic within mandane, in general.

Dave Rudden's writing is interesting and dynamic, with a compelling lead character and an engaging exploration of a shadowy world without clearly delineated boudaries. Looking forward to the third installment!

I read a copy of this book on my kindle and I cannot wait to add a copy of this to my bookshelf. I love this kind of book and was really pleased when it lived up to expectations. It was similar in style to Peter. V. Brett’s books which I also enjoy.
The book begins at Crosscaper orphanage built on a cliff in a far corner of Ireland. Director Ackerby runs the orphanage and is sat admiring his collection of ‘beautiful leatherbound works’ and musing on the general uselessness of giving books to orphans. He is pleased that some of his books have never been touched let alone read whereas the books the orphans read have them dreaming of being rescued for their new lives as wizards or kings. He scornfully thinks that if they were wanted then they wouldn’t be there at the orphanage in the first place. Director Ackerby is a thoroughly unlikeable man.
Later on he receives a visit from an unusual man and woman, he knows there is something a little off about them but he cannot figure out what it is. “For a moment Ackerby wasn’t sure if they were people at all.” The man has eyes that flicker and Ackerby notes that he doesn’t know whether it is harder to look at them or to look away.
The strangers begin asking questions about an orphan named Denizen Hardwick and claim they are distant relations of the boy. They ask if the boy has reached the age of thirteen yet, if anything unusual happened on his thirteenth birthday. They also asked if he had any visitors on his birthday and where they took him. Ackerby is confused by their questions and says that the boy they are talking about turned 13 a few weeks previously without event and that he remains downstairs in the orphanage.
The strangers appear surprised by his answers and leave but not before extracting a promise from him that he will continue to make Crosscaper a place of misery.
Four months later Denizen receives a note from Ackerby stating that he will be going away for a few days with an aunt he didn’t even know he had. Denizen discusses it endlessly with his best friend Simon because since he was abandoned at the orphanage at the age of two he has had no letters or visits from anyone.
“Denizen Hardwick wasn’t the kind of person to believe in special circumstances – in distinguishing freckles or meaningful birthmarks or fortuitous aunts. Denizen Hardwick was a sceptic.” Denizen is one of my favourite protagonists from any book I have read for a long time, he is a character I can really identify with as he Is a huge bookworm.
I loved the authors style of writing as it alternated between suspenseful and humorous.
One of the best things about this book was the strong relationship that exists between Denizen and Simon and the ease with which this was conveyed to the reader. They had been friends since they were three and their beds were next to each other. “Furtive book trades at night, an inquisitive nature in common and a shared dislike of sports had continued it.”
Denizen is not an open book as a character, in fact he is reluctant to let anyone in. Simon himself feels he wasn’t let in by Denizen as such it was just that he waited him out and gradually he began to open up. On Denizen’s part he finds Simon’s stoic nature soothing “like the cool side of the pillow.”
Denizen insists he is not looking for any kind of relationship with his aunt, instead all he wants are answers about his parents. So Denizen Is understandably disappointed when his aunt sends someone else to pick him up.
Denizen is understandably nervous about leaving Crosscaper because its gates showed the borders of his childhood “the beginning and the end of what he knew.”
My absolute favourite character from this book was Graham McCarron, or Grey. A man “with a smile like a cat burglar.” Grey is the man Denizen’s aunt sends to pick him up from the orphanage.
Denizen has never believed in monsters he is far too sceptical for that. However, that all changes on the journey to his Aunt’s house when a tunnel collapses right in front of them and something emerges from its shadows.
“There was something fundamentally wrong about it, in every line and detail. At moments, it was blurred as if he was looking at it through dirty glass, and at others its shape was painfully sharp. “
Now Denizen uncovers a world beyond anything he has ever heard of, a world where a kind of monster exists in the shadows. A type of creature called the Tenebrous. Denizen discovers his aunt is the head of a secret order destined to fight these creatures. An order called the Knights of the Borrowed Dark and he has the potential to be one. All he has to do is decide whether he wants to be a part of that world or not.
The Tenebrous ‘seep into this world from a darker place.” Their existence in a place makes everything feel wrong.
In the meanwhile, Denizen has to struggle with the fact that his aunt seems to want nothing to do with him and has barely spoken to him since he arrived in her home.
The Knights know very little of their own heritage as it is shrouded in myth and mystery and out of necessity is very secretive. However, they set about teaching Denizen how to control the inherent powers of those with the potential to become a Knight and a brief description of what being a knight entails.
‘You’ve never heard of our war,’ Grey said quietly. ‘There are no big battles, no flags held proudly, no poems and no heroes. We don’t give speeches. We don’t hold parades. We die alone, or we die in twos and threes, but we always, always die in shadow. Unseen. Unmourned. If our war got into the history books…well, that’s how we’d know we’d lost.”
In the meantime, Simon wakes in the middle of the night to find everyone else in the orphanage is asleep and some strangers have arrived at Crosscaper, strangers who aren’t quite human.
Can Simon escape the strangers? And will Denizen decide to become one of the Knights?


The Forever Court

The Forever Court is the sequel to The Knights of the Borrowed Dark and it was just as good as the previous book.
The book begins by introducing us to a new set of characters named the Croits. Uriel Croit and his sister Ambrel are fighting on their grandmother’s grave. It becomes clear later in the chapter that this fight between them is encouraged by their grandfather when he quizzes them later about their technique. Uriel’s grandfather reminds him that we must all be ready to die when the time comes.
The Croits live in their ancestral home Eloquence – a ruined castle on an isolated island. As the book progresses it becomes clear that the family are almost cult-like in their worship of a figure they call the Redemptress. They believe that the Redemptress is asleep until such a time as they will face The Adversary. It Is unclear throughout much of the book who this Adversary is.
‘Long ago,’ grandfather intoned, we were given a duty. A calling. And now here you kneel, where the first of us knelt, ready to know whether that calling will be yours. Whether you are favoured. Whether you are Croits. The Redemptress looks upon you and, if you are worthy the world will tremble with the fire she bestows. “
We first see Denizen Hardwick in the midst of a newly discovered pleasure – a bookshop. Denizen Hardwick loved bookshops. It was a new romance for him. There simply hadn’t been any near the orphanage in which he’d grown up…now Denizen lived in a city, with bookshops on every corner, and you couldn’t get him out of them with a crowbar.
The current bookshop he is in is a beautiful example, almost too perfect. Denizen is there to confront the owner.
‘My orders are to let her deal with you,’ Denizen continued. ‘But I can’t not after…’ Blackness in the bookseller’s eyes. A twist of fire in Denizen’s throat.
‘After what?’ the old man whispered, his voice the uttering of dry, dead wings.
‘You put their pictures up on your door.’
The Tenbrous attacked.”
This and other incidents like it have led Vivian to worry that Denizen is being reckless and that he was looking for a fight. This, and the fact that Denizen and Vivian have still not spoken, means that there is a lot of built up tension between them. Simon tries to encourage Denizen to talk to her.
I mean, she’s only the estranged mother who left you in an orphanage eleven years ago to pursue a suicidal revenge mission. Why would you need to talk about that.
As if his life couldn’t get anymore complicated Denizen suspects he has feelings for Mercy. Mercy is the daughter of the Endless King, the king of the Tenebrous. Things get even more complicated when Mercy proposes a meeting to suggest peace between the Knights and the Tenebrous. Both sides are suspicious of each other’s intentions after the meeting but all Denizen can think about is Mercy. He even decides to sneak out to meet her.
Dave Rudden’s humour was very much in evidence in this book.
“Life in Seraphim Row had a very inconsistent quality to it, one moment you might be fighting for your life against impossible odds, the next you’d be doing the dishes. Maybe that was why knights were constantly on edge – you never knew whether the next five minutes would contain soul-crushing horror or chips with garlic sauce?’
There were also some moving moments in this book, such as the one between Denizen and Jack.
Dave Rudden gives the readers a lot more information about the Tenebrae and the Tenebrous and the origin of the Knights of the Borrowed Dark.
I cannot wait to read the final book in this trilogy and I would highly recommend it.

Knights of the Borrowed Dark

The first installment of this trilogy is a great introduction to a dark but fascinating supernatural story.

Denizen is a thirteen year old who has lived in an orphanage for the past eleven years. He has no recollection of his parents. He is a bookworm and has Simon as his best friend.

Out of the blues, he receives an invitation to visit an aunt. Someone he is not aware existed. He reluctantly leaves Simon behind as it's only for a few days!

He is collected by Grey and the journey turns into an education of its own. He now realises that there are such things as dark creatures after being attacked. When he arrives at his destination, he meets others who all have especial gifts. He discovers that he too, has his own gifts and is warned about the dangers of using them too freely. He is frustrated as his aunt, Vivian is not forthcoming with giving him information.

Unbeknown to him, strange things start to happen at the orphanage and Simon is caught right in the middle. There are those who thrive on the pain and misery of others and what better way to create chaos than starting a war. As the story unfolds Denizen learns about the Knights and their purpose. The question is, will he join them or return to his "normal" life?

This story is well paced and full of twists and turns. Grey is a great character and he has quite a surprise up his sleeves. Denizen becomes more confident and assertive. Vivian is admired as a warrior but her ultimate goal is revenge. The thing is that revenge doesn't always change what's already happened! It's quite a page turner and I can't wait to dive into the next instalment as there are so many questions left unanswered. I am keen to learn more about Simon and Grey.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

The Forever Court

This instalment picks up six months after the dreadful battle at the orphanage. Everything should be back to near to normal for the Knights but there is more danger looming in the form of some newcomers. The Croit Family. They believe that now that the Redempdress has returned, a war that they cannot win is imminent.

Denizen is settling in his role as a neophyte. Having his best friend, Simon by his side makes everything easier. They have become quite close to the two other neophytes, Darcie and Abigail. Besides, training to fight against the Tenebrous, he remains a bookworm but his relationship with Vivian is still tentative.

Ariel and Ambrel are the Croit twins being trained by their grandfather for the big battle. They have blind devotion in the Redempdress. They firmly believe that she is their saviour!

In the meantime, Denizen has developed a friendship with Mercy, the daughter of the Endless King who is the leader of the Tenebrous. In view of the what transpired at the orphanage, they make a gesture of gratitude towards Denizen. This is not very well received by the Knights as it could be a trap for all they know. Mercy appears to be genuine and she enlightens Denizen on the history of the world of the Tenebrous.

The Croits first step towards starting the war is to kidnap Denizen. Whilst Ambrel follows her grandfather without questions, Ariel starts to see holes in their history and doubts creep in. This inadvertently leads to conflict and it turns out that the Redempdress is not who she appears to be. The lies and deceit come to the surface. Who are the real enemies? The Croits, the Tenebrous or the Knights?

This second part of the story is just as captivating as the first one. Simon becomes a valuable member of the Knights. Denizen's confidence and abilities are even more prominent. I like the way he thinks things through instead of acting on impulse. He is conscientious and compassionate. Grey's situation is not ideal. Even though, there is a lot more to this part of the story, everything flows and falls nicely into place. It will be interesting to see what transpires in the final part of the series. Will there be a peace treaty?

I was kindly issued with this NetGalley exclusive from the publisher and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

I had enjoyed the first book, but this second one grabbed me from the first page and wouldn’t let go. I’d forgotten how punchy and readable the prose was, for starters. I love Rudden’s writing with his quirky imagery and desert-dry irony - and the way he nocks it up to gothic proportions when necessary. The descriptions of the Croits’ family home, the castle Eloquence, just pings off the page with its wrongness. While Denizen’s struggle to come to terms with his new family circumstances had me both grinning and feeling desperately sorry for him.
This one is a dual narrative – alongside Denizen’s storyline is another young teen – Uriel Croit, who is singled out by Grandfather for great things, alongside his twin sister. They train constantly and are being honed for the coming war, happy to pay the price for using their inner fire as they are set against cousins amongst the insane obstacle course that is the Croit family cemetery.
The two plotlines unfold with twists and turns in abundance and unlike most children’s books, there is very little ‘tell’ in this one and far more plunging forward with the story. I started off reading it with a view to its suitability for my granddaughter and by the end of the second chapter all that went out of the window. I was completely immersed in this grim world where everyone has an agenda and living alongside violence leaves scars – not just the physical sort, either. I love the fact that Rudden has created a world where killing is a big deal and we also get to see that monsters grieve for those they lose, too.
Of course when there are two storylines running alongside each other, there comes a time when they intersect – and this time around they didn’t so much meet as explode… The history of the Croit family is also caught up with the Knights in a fascinating manner – I loved the clever plotting, the gritty entrancing world and the spiky, memorable characters. And I cannot wait to read the next book. If you are fans of well-written fantasy, don’t be put off by the fact the marketing is aiming this series at children – for my money Rudden falls into the same category as Gaiman and Pratchett, whose writing appeals to both adults and children alike.
While my arc copy of The Forever Court Dark was provided by the publishers via Netgalley, this has not influenced or biased my review.
10/10

“The Forever Court” is a perfect sequel to “The Knights of the Borrowed Dark”, and if anything, the story line, and the way it is told, just gets better. If you have read the first book (if not, then DO!) then you are already acquainted with the Knights and the Tenebrous, and you think you have an idea about what each group stands for.
The main Knight (or more correctly, neophyte) and hero of the tales, is the thirteen-year-old Denizen, who “Six months ago, … had saved the world. He hadn’t meant to. It had sort of happened by accident while he was trying to stay alive and he hadn’t really thought about it until it was over and, when the adrenalin had worn off, he’d got a migraine and had to lie down”. He is accompanied by his fellow trainees “Simon Hayes and Abigail Falx (who) had a shared talent for popping the screws of any serious conversation and cheerfully riding it downhill”. The Tenebrous are mainly represented by Mercy, the daughter of the Endless King, who “wore a shawl of witchlight that shimmered with every step she took, becoming a longcoat, chain mail, a half-murk of cloud. Her limbs flashed with blue and lilac, the bright soft purple of an unworldly sunset”. Despite being a ‘monster’ from the unending dark, Mercy is always depicted in terms of light, and her continued association with Denizen makes her appear more human than some of the older knights.
Denizen is desperately trying to control the cants of power that Mercy has implanted in his mind, while also struggling to form a relationship with, or even just talk to, his aloof mother, the Malleus Vivian Hardwick, who “looked like an undertaker, possibly one willing to drum up their own business”. As Simon says: “she’s only the estranged mother who left you in an orphanage eleven years ago to pursue a suicidal revenge mission. Why would you need to talk about that?”
Now a third distinct group are introduced, the Croit family, represented by the twin teenagers Uriel and Ambrel. The Croits live in a ruined castle, the Eloquence, and train night and day to prepare for the coming war against the Adversary, when they will redeem themselves for the failure to protect their goddess, the Redemptress, “a sculpture of a thousand laments”. The true Croits are those who have been ‘favoured’ by the Redemptress with a flame of power. At age 13 they are tested, and those ‘unfavoured’ are banished to the outside world or become servant inferiors to the ‘favoured’. The world of the Croits is harsh and unforgiving: “This was the kind of landscape that made poets fall in love with it and then drove them steadily mad”. Family is all, and tradition is unbending. This is beautifully represented by the graveyard in which we are introduced to Uriel and Ambrel: “There was a saying from Outside–the past is another country – but here the centuries were packed close as cousins, the history of the Croits rendered in statue and stone … the statues had advanced, reaching out to their brothers and sisters across the way, coming together in a tangle of limbs and blank white faces … there was a curve ahead, where the Middle Ages lapped up against the Renaissance”.
The imagery in this book is just wonderful. I don’t want to ever see a film made of it, as no film could ever capture the glorious pictures that the author’s words create in your mind. A bookshop: “antique furniture colluding artistically to carve up the quiet, turning each aisle into a clandestine affair between customer and book”. A phalanx of Knight body guards: “violent storms in slick attire, each scanning the foyer with flat, cold eyes”. The Library: “It resembled a library in the same way a mountain resembled a pebble–the same shape, but on a far more massive scale … It had the reverent silence of a cathedral or a forest–that same sense of something ancient and powerful just a hair’s breadth away. Knowledge prowled here, like a tiger in grass”. A Tenebrous: “Pale crows spun and uttered, slamming off floor and ceiling before coming together in a clot of wing and eye”.
Dave Rudden paints with words, Denizen uses them in cants: “Words had power. Unseen, terrible power. And right now Denizen’s words had transported him into a whole other world”. But words are also powerful ideas, and symbols for a belief system: “The word adversary was an iceberg word because it was so vague. It could mean anything–an ideology, a country, a whole way of life. Calling something an adversary meant you didn’t have to think of it as a person”. Conflict and wars come about when words become concrete identities, beliefs that are no longer open to interpretation or change. The Order of Knights, the Tenebrous, the Croits all know that they are right, because that is what they have always been told to believe: “The Order’s origins had been lost in mystery for centuries. After a certain point, history became story, and story became shadows on a cave wall. There had been too many battles to fight to wonder why they were being fought at all” and so the animosity becomes unending. “Hatred and fear build like rust, … and they don’t just disappear”. But “what if humans and Tenebrous coming together was not the event of a millennium, the unique consequence of a vicious crime, but instead a chance to talk of peace?”. The Croits had been promised “a War they could win … This is what a Croit believes”. What would they become if there was no more war?

Knights of the Borrowed Dark: I reread this for the third time in order to prepare for The Forever Court, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. It's so good, I keep itching to press it into everyone's hands - in work, at home, walking down the street - it doesn't matter. It is perfect for fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

The Forever Court: A stunning follow up to Knights of the Borrowed Dark, this time the Tenebrous are holding out a peace offering...or are they? It's so hard to tell with shape-shifting monsters from another dimension...
Once more Denizen Hardwick is in the thick of it, when he'd rather be left alone with a good book - or to try to talk to his mother Vivien, the granite-souled warrior of the order known as Malleus.
But events - and people - and beings - aren't happy to leave things be, so Denizen is involved yet again in another fast-paced, tautly-written and gripping adventure.

Wow great start to this middle grade series hope to read more by the author

Denizen Hardwick is an orphan and he has no idea who his parents were, he just has a hazy recollection of a kind woman who smelled of strawberries. Life is boring an normal until the day a strange man arrives to rake him to an aunt he never knew he had. The adventures that then occur are well written and exciting, making this an excellent adventure/magical story for upper primary age kids. I'm just about to start the second book and I'm really glad to have ir ready and not have to wait o read it - I think this series could easily become addictive!

Second adventure for Denizen and his knight family. How confusing must it be when your first real crush isn't on a human girl but on a ...monster who takes the shape of a girl. Plenty of battles and shocks throughout this continuation of the story with pathos and family loyalties giving a softer edge at times. I'm loving this series and the taster chapter of book 3 at the end has left me wishing that I could read it before Spring 2018 - that's far too long to wait!

I very much enjoyed the story. Denizen was a well rounded and likeable lead and the story fits well into its genre. I did find some of the spelling changes of the 'world' a little jarring as they were a little too close to typo's and it took a while to get used to them ie ofce for office or rst for first. Overall though an enjoyable read that I would be happy to recommend

After his battle against the Clockwork Three, Denizen Hardwick has returned to Seraphim Row to continue his training as a Knight of the Order of the Borrowed Dark, but are the gifts of the Endless King's daughter everything they appear? And when Mercy calls for peace between the Tenebrous and the Order, no one can imagine what this peace would look like.

I really enjoyed entering the world of Denizen Hardwick again and loved the imagination and world play of this series. This book felt a little more laboured than the last - Denizen is constantly struggling with Mercy's gift, his relationship with Vivian, his feelings towards Mercy ... so much of the book is spent on this that the other character of Seraphim Row are under-used (which is a shame when there could be so much more to them!)

In any case, I enjoyed the second installment, the writing and the story and will look out for the third book.

Compelling and exciting, I couldn't put this down! Looking forward to the final instalment next Spring.

The first thing I’m going to say is that these books are brilliant. Knights of the Borrowed Dark is a MG series which completely understands the ‘chosen one’ trope and chooses to play with it. Denizen has grown up reading a rdiculous range of books, including a healthy number of SFF books. He knows he’s not special; he’s just another orphan whose parents died. He doesn’t even have anything to remember his parents by, like most of the other kids in the orphanage, so he harbours no grand ideas about his future. And then his future finds him, via a secret order of knights who protect our world from the shadows.

I really liked that the books are set in Dublin and rural Ireland. It’s easy to imagine the rugged, windswept crags and coastline that surrounds the orphanage, and it’s certainly a more unusual setting than in a lot of MG books. The background worldbuilding is also great – there’s a real sense of history to the secret war these knights are fighting. It is a little bit annoying that no-one will just sit Denizen down and explain what’s going on, but there are good enough in-world excuses that I can just about forgive Rudden for it. I also loved the parallel storyline playing out in the orphanage Denizen left behind. His best friend Simon is clever and sneaky, but he never forgets what he’s been through to survive, and he’s a good foil to Denizen. There is also a genuine sense of danger and realistic consequences to the action sequences, both on and off the page, and my heart was beating double time towards the ends of each book.

I thought all the characters were great. My particular favourites were Grey and Darcie (which possibly isn’t a surprise as they’re clearly Denizen’s favourites of his new friends too), but I really did love everyone and felt it was a shame that some of them were sidelined during The Forever Court. I hope we get to see more of them in book three. Every character had a purpose and a reason for existing beyond moving the story along. Despite sidelining some of my favourites, I did like the new characters we met in The Forever Court and I loved getting to learn more about the Tenebrous and the history of the fighting, although it didn’t quite hit the heights of Knights of the Borrowed Dark for me.

I was very glad I could move straight on to book two, and realising I now have to wait a year for book three was kind of agonising to be honest, because I’m desperate to know what happens next. Knights of the Borrowed Dark is a really fun, engaging (slightly scary) series, and I can’t recommend it enough to both children and adults.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Dave Rudden and Penguin Random House UK Children’s for this opportunity (this review is for both book 1 and 2).

I started reading Knights of the Borrowed Dark without having ever heard about either the author or the book and having no more information than what the synopsis provides. Having finished the books I can't believe I'd never heard of them before! I absolutely loved them and they rightfully earned the top spot on my list of favourite books. My only complaints are that Spring 2018 is too long a wait to get to read the third book and that none of my friends have read them so I have no one to spend hours talking about it with.

I feel like there's so many things I have to say about these books but on the other hand I feel like anything I say about them will fall short of even beginning to describe how awesome they are so I'll just end my review by encouraging everyone to give them a go. Also, while the orphan suddenly becomes a hero or has their entire world change drastically is definitely an overused storyline, these books are nothing like all other books with that kind of storyline that I've read so don't let that put you off.

The story centers around Denizen, a 13-year-old orphan living at Crosscaper Orphanage. Denizen has been at Crosscaper for 11 years with absolutely no knowledge of his parents; Battling everyday through the grim and dank orphanage with only his best friend, Simon for company. Until a stranger arrives…
…and Denizen is thrown head first into a world of secret societies, super powers and other world monsters.
FullSizeRender (7)Denizen is such a well written character. Rudden does a brilliant job of describing the emotions and thoughts that would have been rushing a terrified 13-year-old mind, having being told that not only does a whole other world full of horrific creatures exists but that you are a direct descendant of The Order of Borrowed Dark, a secret society sworn to protect the Earth from said horrific creatures. Denizen, his Aunt and the rest of The Order must fight to keep this world safe from the beasts and creatures creeping in from another world.

I really enjoyed this book and it was definitely a refreshing change to the usual YA Fantasy book that have been on the scene in recent months. The story line was great, characters believable and enough action to keep me gripped through-out.

I was lucky enough to be selected by the NetGalley team to review the second installment of The Knights of the Borrowed Dark series as well as the first. And I jumped at the chance to dive straight into The Forever Court.
I really enjoyed the characters first time round and couldn’t wait to see where the journey had taken them. Rudden writes the characters in such a was that yFullSizeRender (8)ou feel although you know then and genuinely care about them, especially Simon, I found him particularly endearing and I am so glad that he has joined Denizen.

While desperately struggling for peace and attempting to co-operate with an unlikely and not all together trust worthy source, The Order face a much deadlier battle from a completely unexpected opponent; forcing both The Order and Forever Court to work together.

Although the story line was much more complex than the previous book, it was equally enjoyable to read. I was overjoyed to hear that there will be another installment in the series.
What great reads! Definitely the next big thing to come out of the YA Fantasy genre.

Thank you NetGalley and David Rudden for the opportunity.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in order to provide an honest review - and I loved it! It's perfect for Harry Potter fans, probably more so for the 9-12 age group, but thoroughly enjoyable at any age.

Book 1:

The book pokes fun at the genre in the beginning, which is a nice touch. The ensuing fantasy tale builds up a magical world within the real world, and introduces memorable, believable characters. Denizen Hardwick is a relatable protagonist, well-versed in the stereotypes of the fantasy genre he finds himself occupying. The Clockwork Three are frankly terrifying, grotesque creatures - in other words, excellent villains! The story is well-paced, enjoyable and leaves the reader eager for the next instalment.

Book 2:

The second instalment picks up shortly after the conclusion of Book 1. We find Denizen and the inhabitants of Seraphim Row living through the aftermath of that conclusion, with a new threat - the ominous Redemptress - introduced in the Prologue. The new characters introduced in this book are equally as believable as the originals, with Uriel providing the foil Denizen needs to work through his issues with Vivian. The book maintains the same fast pace, and once again ends on a cliffhanger. The finale should be epic, and I cannot wait to read it!

The blurb of this story made me very curious, so I was very excited to receive the ARC from Netgalley. The story starts rather fast paced with Denizen, an orphan boy who lives in a orphanage, without knowing who his parents were. You feel sympathy for him and when someone comes to pick him up to bring him to his - suddenly out of nowhere - aunt, you are already second guessing what will be happening.

But as soon as Denizen is picked up by Grey (not his aunt Vivian, she didn't have time to pick him up), the story starts to get sinister. They are attacked by 'things' which are later called the Tenebrous.

The thing is, Dave uses a lot of terminology to describe strange worlds and creatures. But it is a bit too much and too confusing. There is magic, which isn't called magic. There are dark forces and evil creatures. Maybe I'm just getting too old for Young Adult stories, but I really felt out of touch here. Kind of when my eldest son is explaining the newest apps on his phone: they are probably great, but I don't understand them and I also don't understand why I would like to have those on my phone.

So, unfortunately, only two out of five stars from me. Probably I'm just not the target audience.

The copy I received has missing words and letters making it very difficult for me too read. Otherwise I am sure they were excellent books.

These two books in the Knights of the Bortowed Dark seties were enthralling and fabulous - somewgere between Harry Potter and Skullduggery Pleasant with an extra creep factor. I loved the Irish connections and the characters - and monsters - leap off the page. I'll be watching this series with interest.