Dark Rise was good, but not great. The writing is there, but I felt like I didn't get to know the characters at all. It is important to me that I feel connected to the characters, because that is a major part of escaping into another world. The story and world building was fantastic though. The plot twist was good, but definitely left you wondering what happens next. I wouldn't read this book again, but I will give the second one a try just to find out what happens. If I don't feel like I'm getting to know the characters any better after the second book I won't pick up another.
A 4 star book usually leaves me interested in pursuing additional books by the same author, but I have no desire to check out any of the other books. There are too many fabulous books out there to waste time reading multiple books with boring characters.

Dark Rise is definitely one of the best books I've read in the last few months. At first I kinda got the vibe of King Arthur, the middle kinda meanders a bit, but the end picks up at an exhausting pace and any resemblance of King Arthur is completely and utterly flipped on its head. King Arthur who?

What we get is an enormous cast of characters with what feels like a Chosen One story. It's exactly that, but before you make assumptions on what that mean, lemme tell ya, whatever you think it is, it is not. And oh my goodness do I hope for a second book, because this one left on the sharpest, highest, most dangerous cliffhanger that I can recall in recent memory. Be careful.

A thing I have learned about myself in the last few years is that I really don’t love reading fantasy books. I have a tough time with them. What I don’t have a hard time with? C.S. Pacat. She is 10000% the reason why I picked up this book to begin with. And excitedly.

Dark Rise is more or less what you’d expect from a YA fantasy plot. Good vs Evil. Light vs Dark. Old time London with magic. A chosen one. A few other chosen ones. A giant foretold battle. All of it!

I don’t mean to diminish the plot by any means because it’s good! It’s interesting! But it’s C.S. Pacat and there are twists and turns a’plenty. Up until the 50% point, this reads like most other fantasy novels. I found my attention wandering. It took a lot of effort to return to the pages. And then after the halfway point, this thing kicks into high gear. I read half the book in about 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down.

These characters. I love them. We get into their heads with chapters told from different perspectives, adding the the complexity of the world and their lives. You fall in love with all of them. Will, Violet, Cyprian, and even James a little.

Okay more than a little.

Look, C.S. Pacat is extraordinary at writing… a specific type of character. And they always tend to be my favorites. And the CHEMISTRY that James has with (no spoilers) another character is wild.

Two more books you say? I am very in. Very, very in.

4 stars.

Dark Rise begins like a pretty typical YA fantasy, albeit a well-written one with interesting characters and delicious worldbuilding. You want tropes, you got tropes: Chosen One, good vs. evil, powerful bloodlines with cyclical rebirths, secret magic martial academy, friendship forged in fire, etc. The setting is Georgian London meets Camelot-esque medieval fantasy, and the story follows two teenagers who become caught up (due to the secret circumstances of their births) in a long-running battle between Stewards of the Light and servants of the Dark. The Stewards, an ancient and sacred order of knights, are on their last leg desperately trying to stop the Dark King from rising once again and plunging the world in despair and subservience. Their lore tells of a descendant of the Lady, the one who defeated the Dark King eons before, who will come into power to stop his rising once again.

The story gets off to a slow start with a lot of heavy exposition, but I was never bored. Because I'm familiar with Pacat as an author, I was not lulled by these typical trappings. I was making note of every little hint of a clue from the very beginning, trusting that they'd pay off in some delightful twists and reveals down the line. And BOY DID THEY. I had a lot of little theories; some paid off and some didn't. There were definitely plenty of things that came as a total surprise ((view spoiler)). I did guess the BIG reveal (iykyk), but only because I was actively looking for it-- it was foreshadowed extremely well, imo. And the reveal itself was still written so well! AND THAT ENDING?!? The tension. The dramatic irony. The tragic inevitability. Once again, Pacat shows a deft had at writing an unreliable narrator and at not pulling punches.

Pacat is definitely no stranger to dark topics (see: Captive Prince), and there were moments while reading Dark Rise that, despite its title, I was shocked by how dark things got. (view spoiler) She really went there! I'm also glad that I trust her to handle dark, taboo, sensitive themes with intelligence and grace, because this series is going to go to some... touchy places. But if anyone can pull it off, it's Pacat. This first book is already subverting tropes and expectations, and I'm sure the rest of the series will carry on spectacularly.

Let's talk characters! Other early readers seem enamored with James, but I'm actually quite taken with Will. His sense of right and wrong is so strong, but may place him at odds with the fate he's been dealt. He feels so deeply tragic and I'm extremely anxious to see how his character will develop over the next two books. I also love Violet; her fortitude, loyalty, and uprightness make her a simple character, but not a bland one. Her dependability and steadfastness are beautiful and important in a tale filled with twists and secrets. (view spoiler) I'm not totally sure how I feel about Cyprian or James yet, but I'm prepared to love them both. Finally, the side characters that I'm going to be keeping a close eye on in the sequel: Devon and Elizabeth. I think their parts in this story will be much larger than it may first appear.

In the advanced digital copy I read, there was some repetitive writing and a few small mistakes. But it all seemed like the kind of things that will be fixed in final edits. Overall this was such an enjoyable read, and I'm so ready for the wild and captivating ride the rest of this series is sure to be. Like the Captive Prince series, this first book feels like a great set-up for the rest of the series; the players are all on the board and game is about to really start. This is a 4-stars-for-now rating; I can easily imagine myself raising this to 5 stars upon future re-reads.

TW: death of a parent, child abuse, reference to past enslavement / mind control, reference to past rape and possible rape of a minor, animal death, violence and gore, mention of British colonization in India

While this book had mere flashes of moments where it was as consuming as the Captive Prince trilogy, after that ending, I have higher hopes for the second book and am greatly looking forward to it.

Sure! Dark Rise has lots of ominous magical happenings, dark figures, murky history, and lots of other things that I really enjoy in my fantasy stories. Things can get a little blurry plot-wise at times, but I enjoyed this character and relationship driven story. It has the soul of a quiet storm.

I have to start off with OMG this cover is absolutely beautiful!! I was really excited about this one. Who wouldn't with that synopsis and cover? It was a very good read but very predictable. I enjoyed everything but it was a very slow story with lots of details. I loved the setting of the story and the ending was pretty cool. I will totally be reading the next one. I think it can get really better.

A new series from bestselling author C.S.Capat, DarK Rise is only the beginning to what is going to be a wild journey full of magic and adventure, fighting, and realizing there's more to the world than the good-or-bad dichotomy.

An incredible YA high fantasy!! I loved these characters and the amazing queer rep among them! The romance and plot was so engaging and exciting, I am already dying for the next book!!

Lord Simon Crenshaw has dedicated his life to reviving the Dark King he’s descended from and he’s about to succeed. Everything he needs is nearly within his grasp. Unfortunately for Will and Violet, they’re essential sacrifices for the resurrection to succeed. Sixteen year-old Will has been on the run since his mother’s death. When he’s discovered by Simon’s men while working at the docks, he’s imprisoned to await his fate. Meanwhile half-English, half-Indian Violet has snuck aboard the ship her brother works on to witness his welcome to Simon’s inner circle. When Stewards, the gatekeepers of the last flame of the old world, attack, Will and Violet are thrown together to face down their fates.

Set in 1821 London, Dark Rise is a high fantasy slow burn that builds a rich, if sometimes cliché, world. Pacat’s talent for rich fully realized characters is a real highlight which combines with the worldbuilding to explore issues of fate, faith, and self determination. While the occasional trite nature of the mythology and naming conventions drags down the middle of the novel, a killer twist three quarters of the way through makes the remainder of the book fly.

Fans of Pacat’s other works will be familiar with her habit of writing series that take awhile to get going. For new readers, be warned that some labels given to this book like enemies to lovers won’t materialize until later in the series. Pacat is very fond of elaborate worldbuilding and character writing that make the eventual payoffs worth it. As a standalone, this novel feels incomplete but I suspect that once we have more installments to the series it will prove out. Maybe wait until closer to book 2’s release before you pick up this one.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me access to this book!
This book started strong and had a bit of a wonky middle and ended really well!
The twist at the end was just *chef's kiss* and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!!

2.5 Stars

I was granted eARC access to Dark Rise on NetGalley via the publisher through HarperCollins Canada's influencer program YA catalogue preview. I would like to thank the HCC Frenzy team and the HCC staff member who handles eARCs for granting me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Going into this one I was SO excited. This was the single most anticipated title stuck in my mind after the preview event and I wanted to be able to call this one my new favourite YA Fantasy of the year. Alas, my expectations were not met. I'm not personally familiar with this author, but Pacat does have a big following and I was hoping the fact that this isn't a debut would mean it felt polished. I was told about the Disney villains inspiration behind these characters and plot and I expected big, loud, fabulous characters that made me love them or love to hate them with fiery passion. I did get all of that... in the last 30 pages. If I were reviewing only the last 30 pages or so this book would be a solid 4 out of 5. The rest is a 2.

A fantastic world and cast have been set up for what I do still hope will be an amazing series, and I do intend to come back and read book two. I like this magical version of London, I'm rooting for Will, and I really, REALLY love the LGBTQIA+ friendly romantic subplot elements.

The trouble is that 400+ pages of this book, the vast majority of it, felt like a 30-50 page prologue and first couple of chapters of a much longer book, but carved off and stretched into their own book. It's slow. The plot, in broad strokes, is good. There's a story here, it's unique, the stakes are high, the consequences are real, the payoff is satisfying. With that said, when the characters plunked their stops through the plot into Google Maps and it gave multiple options, they chose the longest possible routes between each consecutive point. This wouldn't be a bad thing if the scenery was nice to look at, but in this metaphor, the scenery is lots of excessive descriptions of things that don't matter and wooden dialogue in conversations that were too long for the amount of information they actually needed to convey.

I think if I had gone into this book with no expectations and all the time in the world to read it at the best possible pace for the way it's written, I might have enjoyed it more. Between the expectations I had and the fact that I felt pressed to get it read in time for release day in between other bookish obligations, I didn't end up having the patience for this sort of slow circles storytelling. This sort of storytelling has its place, for sure. I think lighter, more pedestrian fantasies written for an adult audience, especially when they really feature romance like this one, do tend to move slower and the audience expects it. Books like The Night Circus do that well (though the prose here does not hold a candle to Morgenstern) and it works. This, however, is marketed as YA, and this decade's YA Fantasies move fast. That's part of why I love them. And I can take or leave purple prose, but if you're not giving me beautiful purple prose that I could read for 50 pages without a hint of a plot point then please just cut to the chase.

Once again, though, I would like to emphasize that the ending was sublime, a great story is being set up, and if book two reads like that last 30-or-so pages then that book is going to be a 5.

DNF @ 30%

This book's interesting world and morally grey characters make it a read that I'm sure will appeal to many. However, the pacing is a little slow for my taste, and I'm having trouble getting into the story. The writing is undoubtedly skilled, though, so I'll have to check out C.S. Pacat's other works.

I'm so thankful to have received this arc after attending a Frenzy event! Thank you again for the opportunity. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get into it? I think I will try and pick it up in the future again. It simply isn't for me right now.

Absolutely fantastic! This book captured me with its compelling and complex characters and enchanted me with its magical world building and lore. Dark Rise is reminiscent of classic light vs dark stories such as The Dark is Rising and The Lord of the Rings (two of my favorites), but is very much its own story and brings something new and exciting to the genre. For one, it's twisty and full of shocking revelations that not only upend the characters but the reader as well. Secondly, the world and characters are much more diverse than classics. And, unlike other books I've read in this genre, the characters in Dark Rise are not what you'd expect. They're neither wholly good or bad and they all have to wrestle with their pasts and their fates. I loved reading that internal struggle just as much as I loved the thrilling action and intrigues. At its core, Dark Rise gets to the heart of what it means to be a chosen one, as well as the role of nature vs nurture, free will vs fate. Full of searingly beautiful moments, heartache, loss, deep friendships, and a riveting plot, Dark Rise is a thrilling start to a new series and will leave you begging for the sequel!

Will is on the run from Simon, a magician of some kind who killed his mother and wants to kill him. Will is the descendant of the Lady, who defeated the Dark King, and he’s supposed to fight the reborn/resurrected Dark King, but can’t figure out how to do it. Violet is the illegitimate daughter of a merchant who works for Simon; she shares her half brother’s unnatural strength and wants to follow in his footsteps, but a chance encounter with Will changes her course. It starts as a fairly standard “chosen one” narrative, but takes some interesting turns along the way. Decent YA; violence but not sexualized (there is a bit of close-to-chaste consensual kissing).

I got the Arc off of Netgalley, these opinions are my own. This book was so good! It had the good vs evil, light vs dark thing, but all the characters were more nuanced then that! Really showed that often the world is in shades of grey! And it leaves the reader thinking a lot about nature vs nurture! I loved all the main characters, though Katherine did bug me! But Will, Violet, and Cyprian were all amazing! All of them were a testament to inner strength! And I also foresee great things from Elizabeth she was a quiet badass (maybe not so quiet!) The book also had a lot of sad moments in it, more sad because of how people can let you down! Like James, a product of what others made him. I loved the James/Will interactions… I’m hoping that relationship develops further in upcoming books! The twist in the book, I didn’t see coming! And now I’m left pondering in which direction I wanted the series to progress! C.S. Pacat had me on edge through out most of this book, I can’t wait to see what comes next! I also can’t wait to have an copy of this book in my hand!

Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, HCC Frenzy, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“When the past is forgotten, then it can return. Only those who remember have the chance to stave it off. For the dark is never truly gone; it only waits for the world to forget, so that it may rise again.”

In 1821 London, Will Kempen is working on the docks, hiding from the men who killed his mother and trying to find out who ordered her death and why. Just as an old servant finds him and informs him of a great destiny he is meant to fulfill, Will is captured and held prisoner in the hold of a ship. Violet Ballard sneaks onto that same ship to watch her brother take the brand of the mysterious and powerful trader, Simon, as she hopes to someday, when there is chaos as the docks are attacked by men dressed like Knights of old in search of someone. In the confusion, both Violet is also mistaken for a captive of Simon’s and both she and Will are rescued by the knights, known as Stewards, and taken to their hidden stronghold. They are introduced to a magical world where an ancient battle between Light and Dark is on the horizon as descendants and loyalists of the Dark King are working to bring him back to life, unleashing evils that would destroy the world as they know it.

I can’t believe I didn’t know about this author until now, because this book was so good! The world-building was not as complex as I expected it to be but everything was explained pretty well and the story was easy to follow even though it jumps into the action right from page one. Despite being set in 1821 London, this book could have been set in a fantasy world of its own with the amount of history and lore involved and the initial chapters did a great job of setting the mood for the story ahead.

“I think what people were is less important than what they are. And what people are is less important than what they could be."

Will and James are definitely my favorite characters here and I’m really curious to see where their arcs will go. Both seem to me like rather tragic characters and it’ll be fascinating to see just how far nurture over nature goes with the two of them. I also really liked Violet’s journey throughout the book -though the sheer irony of her situation was astonishing after all she did in this book to not end up there. The cast of characters isn’t huge, but each of them has a significant role to play – even those who seem like side characters. What I found really interesting about the characters in this book is that when they are first introduced, they all seem to perfectly fit into one of the traditional roles of an epic fantasy – of course, some take to it easier than others – whether it is the special Chosen One, the evillest of evil villains, the mentor or the sidekick. It seems a bit cliched at first – however, nothing is as it seems with any of them, and I was seriously impressed with how the ending essentially turned all these roles on their heads, leaving an entirely unpredictable field going into book 2. It will be interesting to see all the characters’ reaction to the reveals at the end of this book!

The pacing was the only issue I had with this. After a promising start, things slowed down a lot, almost as if just going through the motions and if I wasn’t accustomed to fantasy novels doing this a lot, I might have put the book down before the halfway point. To be fair though, it does take a turn after a while and the pace picks up almost imperceptibly to the point that I was so engrossed in the tale, I stopped taking notes entirely and didn’t notice till I was nearly at the 80% mark.

The ending was a fantastic and at least for me, a completely surprising reveal. It was the kind of twist I’ve never seen in any fantasy novel I’ve read so far and with the sheer number of possibilities ahead, I want the sequel right now! Overall, this was an amazing read, and a much lighter book than many epic fantasies I’ve read. It would probably be a good choice for even beginners to the genre because it wasn’t as overwhelming in terms of world building and lore as some of the other ones out there. It was a wonderful start to a new series and this story has a lot of potential going forward. Seasoned fantasy fans are sure to enjoy this book and I would highly recommend it!

writing is knee buckling, disgustingly unstoppable. It aligns to the story perfectly. When an author doubles down on the wishes of my dark heart and black soul? 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I was nauseated, in the fetal position and screaming WTF JUST HAPPENED multiple times per chapter after the 50% marker.

And that ending? Pacat is a monster.

this book started out really strong, dragged a bit through the middle, and then had an AMAZING ending! i was attached to our main character will right away and immediately wanted to learn more about him. i loved how this book took its time revealing things because at no point did i think i knew where the story was going. there are twists and turns throughout the whole book but the plot twist at the end quite literally TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. i know i'm going to be thinking about that twist for a long time and i need the second book NOW. my main complaint with this book is i think it was a little over its head with the world building as sometimes i was getting confused about how the magic system worked and who exactly each character was. overall though, i thought this was a great first book to a new series and i can't wait for more!