It can feel lazy on the author’s part as a result. The fantasy elements call for their own worldbuilding since they are not really rooted in any of the milieu’s actual past or history. The settings are nicely created, though it is disappointing that the author did not go full fantasy and instead settled for yet another British historical setting. It is a straight-forward fantasy set in a pseudo-London of around the 1600s or so. No real relationships are created in this first book so there is not much in the way of romance. And then there is Katherine – fiancée of Will’s enemy and someone who calls to Will’s heart for reasons he does not understand. There is Will’s evil counterpart, James, who was born to be a slave to the Dark King and share his bed again.

There is Cyprian – a young man with a proud past and supreme martial talent. There is young Violet, who should be Will’s enemy but isn’t. Along this journey, he makes friends/companions who also are intricately wound up in the ancient history of the world. We mostly follow Will has he learns about his heritage and struggles with the notion that he may be the world’s savior through his bloodlines. The characters were interesting, though I am not a fan of an unreliable narrator structure. Now, with the help of a young girl with great strength and a group of ages-old guardians, he will become embroiled in a struggle to prevent the Dark King from rising again and destroying the world with his terrifying magic. Until a group of anachronistic men storm the ship, sink it, and he escapes. When he is captured and chained in the hold of a ship, he thinks all is lost. Now, he survives on the docks and tries to avoid the strange men who murdered her. Story: Will Kemper’s last moments with his mother was as she lay dying, her final word to him to ‘run’.

That said, the author has a tendency to repeat herself frequently enough to be frustrating and the book often feels like it borrows far too liberally from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Characters are likable and from the premise set up in this first book, it will be interesting to see where the author takes it from here. The point of view switches often but converges by the end so that it all ties in. Dark Rise is an entertaining fantasy with plenty of twists to keep readers entertained.

Dark rise series