suvi's Reviews > Dark Rise

So. Simon is probably the worst villain name I have ever come across.

Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. He is told to fight beside the Stewards against the dark. Sounds fun, sign me up!

"Ancient world is gone and forgotten" yeah yeah I get that, what about the plot? - me for the first 50% of this book. I really do not have the patience for this much world building, I need it to happen alongside the plot or I start jumping on the walls. I did get plot - eventually! And I have yet to decide how I feel about it! What C.S. Pacat did with the Stewards was very brave but it is not the path I would have chosen. Which is probably why I didn't write this book. I also saw the plot twist at the end coming a long time before it happened. Lady of the Light? Dark King? Will? That's all I am going to say.

Another thing, I also do not like is slow burn - because you guessed it! - I don't have the patience for it. But enemies to lovers? I don't think there is anything better than that. And if there is one thing I would trust my life with, it's C.S Pacat's ability to write good enemies to lovers. The tension was through the roof.

James, my beloved, I will protect him at all cost. What about the war crimes, you may ask? And I would like to ask if you have considered the fact that he is my little meow meow. Another silly little blonde sad boy to my collection of silly little blonde sad boys.

...Will on the other hand had the personality of plain toast. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, quite the opposite, actually. It just does get a bit boring after a while. I have already started the second book as I type this and it does get a bit better, there is now some butter on the toast as well.

Violet though, my girl, she was done so dirty. She felt more like a side character, even though the story was told as much through her POV as it was told through Will's. She had absolutely no character development and flavour, despite being one of the most interesting characters in the whole book. I want to tuck her in a bed, give her a kiss on the forehead and read her a bedtime story. I feel like she deserves that.

I am waiting for my bravest person ever medal for not giving up on this book despite being bored out of my mind in the beginning. The last 30% or so nearly made it all worth it. But I also feel like this book thought I am stupid because it kept explaining things in such great details even though I got it the first time. Was that just me?

I also listened to the audiobook in basically two sittings. I sewed myself such a pretty skirt. So my experience was basically; the ancient world is no more, magic, Will this and that, the ancient world is no more, *sewing machine noises*, James-, *sewing machine noises*, WAIT JAMES WHAT *skips back*

Anyways to sum it up; I had a great time. And I get it, the ancient world is no more, I feel like we could have toned that down a bit. James <3333


TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Violence, death, murder, kidnapping, blood and some gore, branding
(If you have read Captive Prince, this is rather light compared to that in my opinion!)