Sequels always have a hard time standing up to the first part of a story. Much of the time, I find that a sequel is unfortunately a stepping stone from the beginning to the end, without much substance to the book if it isn’t well executed. That was not the case for the sequel to Dark Rise as it had an incredible momentum from the beginning of the story, and by the time I had to put it down, I had ploughed through half of the book. The second half was no different. There was so much substance to this book, and so much that we learned about each character. Maybe it’s because I am in my morally grey hero era, but I had so much sympathy for Will. The romance(s) are just so incredibly well teased, but not taking center stage, and the fantasy world was expanded in a way that isn’t overwhelming to the reader. I highly encourage you to read this book, especially if you love complex relationships between characters and LOTS of fantasy, action, and drama.
Before I talk about the summary, please be aware that this review is for the sequel of a book. I will do my best to avoid spoilers for Dark Rise, but at times it’s inevitable. You’ve been warned.
Will and his allies have managed to just survive the Dark’s first assault, but it has come at a cost. A new threat from the past is arising, and the handful of heroes left will have to be strong enough to fight. The group will have to travel to the ancient world in hopes of finding new allies and staving off the new threat that carries some shocking secrets. Will also carries a secret of his own, his true identity. The closer he gets to the truth and James St. Clair, the more dangerous it becomes to keep his secret. Hopefully Will can change his fate and the worlds’.
Like I said at the start, I had a hard time putting this book down once I started it. Something I found helpful was a little summary of the characters. It helped refresh my memory, and didn’t feel like a lot of time had passed since I’d read Dark Rise. Will continues to fascinate me, because of his determination to hide who he is, but also work against his fate at every turn. We get some flashbacks to who Will is, which flesh out a bit more of his backstory and maybe even some of the motivation of what is happening now. I think what I love even more is seeing how each character sees Will from their eyes. There’s respect, love, hatred, and caution all displayed at different points of the book by different characters. I wish I could be more specific without spoiling the book, but just know that it is going to create a sense of frustration. Think of the lump that forms in your throat when you’re angry or agitated. Honestly, I felt that way for most of the book…but because I just wanted to pause and give Will a hug.
Violet and Cyprian were the other two characters that I felt displayed a lot of growth, in a variety of ways. In some ways, both of these characters have suffered some significant loss that helps connect them to Will and makes them eager to take their swords up for him. This brought up some interesting thoughts as I was reading, along the lines of the strength of their trauma bond. They become each other’s anchors through the trauma bond that they’ve formed, which makes what happens at the end of the book hurt so much more.
Something that I feel is emphasised in this book a lot is the fight between a predestined fate and choosing your own path. I think Will and James embody both of these themes really well. Will fights his fate at every turn, horrified and awed by the power that is buried within him. James, on the other hand, has embraced who he is, and what he thinks his fate should be. In combination with everything that happens in this book, it’s safe to say that book three is going to be the culmination of these two ideas, and it’s anyone’s guess how it will ultimately play out.
There is some serious slow burn romance in this book that makes you excited just locking eyes, and while this trope often frustrates me, it really worked well here. Maybe I’m warming up to it, but we do get a lot of heated glances and a kiss in this book, so there is that to look forward to. I could get into so much about this book, honestly, I need a buddy who’s read it so we can scream about it together. This is my second read of 2024, and I hope the rest of these are as amazing as this one. Add it to your TBR, buy it for a friend and buddy read it, because you won’t want to be behind when the third book comes out.
Dark Heir is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
In this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel Dark Rise, Will and his allies have survived the Dark’s first assault, but at a terrible cost.
A new threat from the past is rising, and only a handful of heroes remain to fight. Pursued by dark forces, Will and his allies must leave the safety of the Hall and travel to the heart of the ancient world, making new and dangerous alliances, and revealing the shocking secrets of the past.
But Will is carrying a dark secret of his own—his true identity. Drawn to the beautiful and deadly James St. Clair, Will is pulled ever deeper into the web of the past, and finds himself tempted by the darkness within. As the ancient world threatens to return, can Will and his friends fight their fate? Or will the truths they learn tear their world apart?
Dark Heir is the explosive and highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dark Rise,from global phenomenon C. S. Pacat.
