Spoiler warning! This is the third and final book in the Darkness Rising trilogy and will contain spoilers for the first two books. You can read my reviews of The Gathering and The Calling instead, otherwise avert your eyes or else be spoiled. You have been warned!
The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
Published: 2 April 2013 (Atom)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 406
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Waterstone's|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo
Source: Borrowed
Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the St. Clouds and a rival Cabal, they’re quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it’s not like they can just go to the authorities for help.
All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they’re so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting out of control.
But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she’ll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can’t keep running forever.
My Review:
I really enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy so I've been eager to read the third and final book! The Rising picks up with Maya, Daniel and Cory on the run in Vancouver. They're torn between escaping the people on their tail and reaching out the only people who can explain more about what's happening to them.
As with any book in a series or trilogy, I tend to look at it as both a novel on its own as well as how it fits in with the preceding books. On its own, I think The Rising really holds its own. It had a great plot and I ended up devouring the book in practically a day. Kelley Armstrong definitely has the power to hook me in! The near misses the gang faces whilst on the run meant there were a wealth of chase scenes and action which had me on the edge of my seat. I loved that there were still elements of mystery as Maya and the others try to work out how their powers affect them and do a little detective work to try and find people who can help them.
I really enjoyed the introduction of new character Ash, who I won't say too much about for fear of spoiling! But I was completely intrigued by him and loved his attitude. It was good to see the return of characters from the previous books as well. The thing I was most anticipating before starting The Rising was how Kelley Armstrong would incorporate the characters and storylines from her previously released Darkest Powers trilogy, In the end I really loved how it was done and getting to see some familiar faces so to speak! You don't need to have read the Darkest Powers books to understand The Rising, but I think it's great being able to spot references between the two.
A lot of the plot of The Rising seems to be dedicated to Maya's feelings for best friend Daniel and boyfriend Rafe. The (dare I say it) love triangle does get resolved by the end. I'm still torn over how I feel about it. I didn't have a preference beforehand so I don't think I could have been disappointed either way, but I wasn't completely won over by how it was executed.
As the final book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, the ending of The Rising felt a little too open for me. On the one hand we get enough of a conclusion to confirm the fates of those characters we've been invested in, but it certainly wasn't the climax I was hoping for or expecting. I did leave this story with a twinge of disappointment.
This is a trilogy I'll definitely revisit and recommend. I'd really like to read the books back to back one day as the action takes place over such a short period of time that I think they'd benefit from being read in one sitting. At the end of the day I do love these books and Kelley Armstrong is an incredible writer whose books always get me excited and The Rising definitely still ignited that fire.
Rating: 4*
What to read next: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
Books like this: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
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