Release Date: September 3, 2019
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Fierce Reads for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Synopsis
The Age of Darkness approaches.
Five lives stand in its way.
Who will stop it… or unleash it?
For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.
All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation… or the cause of its destruction. As chaos takes hold, five souls are set on a collision course:
A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart.
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.
One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer?
When I first read the synopsis of this book what caught my attention wasn’t the mystical prophecy or this ever impending doom that reminded me of the doomsdays in movies, but that there were going to be FIVE main characters. Novels with multiple points of views can often be disorienting, have unfinished characters, or seem skewed towards one character in particular. This was not the case with There Will Come A Darkness. Rose Pool did not disappoint. Each character was so unique and their own person that I never mixed them up and I instantly connected with them.
Our main characters are from different social classes, are different ethnicities, are Graced or not, and have differing sexual orientation. Each had their own unique voice and are started on a path, either by fate or their own choices, that will ultimately lead them to collide with each other and either stop or bring about the coming Darkness.
➽ Hassan – Crown Prince to the kingdom of Heret. He has been displaced due to the Witness’ taking over and was rushed to safety by his guards. Born to two graced parents, Hassan has not shown to have any grace himself yet his father has still named him as his heir. His main concern is savings parents, his people, and retaking the kingdom. How far is he willing to go to achieve the goals though?
➽ Ephyra – A murderer known well as The Pale Hand who kills the worst of the worst, those corrupted and who cause more harm than good. Her grace is so strong she can kill a man with just a touch. But why? That is the question on everyone’s mind. Ephyra is hiding a secret about her sister, the reason behind all of the blood on her hands.
➽ Jude – Soon to be leader to the hidden away Order of the Light, a loyal member who has hidden the secret prophecy away for years. He has his doubts though, not about the prophecy but of himself. He questions his role in the Order and his life in general. When the time comes will be able to be the guardian he is needed to be and put his faith first and above all else?
➽ Anton – A gambler who never loses with the grace of sight that he is unable to control. Anton has a secret, something that happened to him when he was younger to make him run and have difficulty controlling his grace. His past is starting to catch up with him, seeking him out and it won’t be long until ‘he’ finds him. The real question is how far is Anton willing to go to keep the past in the past.
➽ Beru – A dying girl who’s sister has become a murderer to keep her alive. The deaths are starting to catch up to Beru though and she’s unsure how much longer she is willing to stay alive at the expense of others. It’s not her choice though, her sister might be willing to do anything to keep her alive.
I don’t want to play favorites, but I found myself looking forward to Anton and Ephyra’s parts more than the others. That was because they both gave this strong outward appearance but were the two struggling the most and hiding some very important things from even themselves. Jude and Hassan frustrated me the most. They were just so human and I questioned the decisions they made as leaders. That’s also why I loved them though, I knew why they were making the decisions they were and it showed that even those with more power can be just as lost and confused as the rest of us. Sweet Beru was just a casualty in her own life. A nice girl in a not so nice situation, I truly felt for her and how her sister wouldn’t listen to how she felt.
The world building was spectacular. It was dark, mystical, and I felt such an impending doom. We have the Witness’ who want to overthrow the power of the graced, but are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Then we have this impending Darkness that was foretold in a prophecy and hidden away until the right moment which seems to be now. It was eerie and I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting for the worst to happen.
Fate, decisions and prophecies were huge to the central plot of the story. If you know the future could you change it? Stop it completely? Is it set in stone, predetermined by forces greater than ourselves? All our main characters have to stop and ask themselves these questions at some point especially Jude and Anton. Jude knows the prophecy, grew up with the foretold future of a coming Darkness and someone who could stop it. My question throughout the book though was can you stop the future or merely be a player in the game. The ending surprised me. I thought I had everything and everyone all figured out but it was ripped out from under me. The reader, like the characters, only know certain pieces of information that we think to be true. But escaping fate and our parts can be tricky.
Even after finishing it, There Will Come A Darkness still lingers in my mind. I question what will come next for these characters and how everything will be put into play. There is no doubt that this book is a great one. Any book that lingers after the final page and continues to make you think of it deserves the best of praise. The only reason it didn’t get 5/5 stars from is because of how slow moving it was. While it did allow me to get to know the characters and their world better, it made me put it down and come back to it multiple times. I did come back to it however, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
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