Six of Crows meets Graceling with a dash of Winter is Coming in this second installment of the action-packed and swoon-worthy Age of Darkness series!
The Last Prophet has been found, yet he sees destruction ahead.
In this sequel to the critically-acclaimed There Will Come a Darkness, kingdoms have begun to fall to a doomsday cult, the magical Graced are being persecuted, and an ancient power threatens to break free. But with the world hurtling toward its prophesized end, Anton’s haunting vision reveals the dangerous beginnings of a plan to stop the Age of Darkness.
As Jude, Keeper of the Order of the Last Light, returns home in disgrace, his quest to aid the Prophet is complicated by his growing feelings for Anton. Meanwhile, the assassin known as the Pale Hand will stop at nothing to find her undead sister before she dies for good, even if it means letting the world burn. And in Nazirah, Hassan, the kingdom-less Prince, forms a risky pact to try to regain his throne. When the forces of light and darkness collide in the City of Mercy, old wounds are reopened, new alliances are tested, and the end of the world begins.
The Age of Darkness trilogy, which the Amazon Book Review called “the next big fantasy series,” is perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Children of Blood and Bone, and An Ember in the Ashes.
Goodreads
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Last year I made it VERY clear that I thought There Will Come A Darkness was one of the best debut novels I had ever read in my life. With a review like that, there was a lot of fear that this book would suffer from second book syndrome. Would the plot fall short? Would the character development halt or get boring? THANK GOODNESS none of that happened. If the third book in the trilogy is written as well as the first two, Katy Rose Pool will be cemented as an all time favorite YA Author for me.
Like most people I’ve spoken to, COVID-19 has me in a little bit of a reading slump. Don’t get me wrong, I’m reading! However, I’m reading much slower than I normally do, taking 3 days to finish books that would normally take me 1. As the Shadow Rises was such a ride that I could not put it down for the life of me. I had plans to be productive today and clean, get groceries…I did not leave my apartment. Instead, I spent the day immersed in the incredible story Katy Rose Pool has created for me.
As my two favorite characters were Jude and Anton in the first book, I was happy to see them take a front seat in the sequel. Their development and growth as characters was such a joy to watch and I can’t wait to see where the plot takes them.
Hassan was kind of a miss for me in this book purely because he had less of a role in the overall forward movement of the plot. I feel that he will have more of a part to play in book three and am interested to see how he grows as a character. While he has definitely matured, I feel as though a lot can happen with him moving forward and I look forward to seeing it.
While Ephyra remains a character I am not particularly a huge fan of, I continue to love her chapters. She’s a compelling voice in the story and her love of Beru is admirable. Speaking of, I ADORE Beru and she actually became one of my favorites in this sequel. I found myself nervous and worrying for her throughout the book.
Overall, this was absolutely the sequel I was hoping for. It was full of action, emotion, and twists that kept me on my toes from beginning end. I can’t wait to see how Katy Rose Pool wraps up a series that is quickly becoming a top favorite.
As The Book Ends 