''Dark Rise'' is a 2021

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

fantasy novel by Australian author

C. S. Pacat C. S. Pacat is a bestselling Australian author, best known for the ''Captive Prince'' trilogy, published by Penguin Random House in 2015. Personal life Pacat was born in Melbourne, Australia, and was educated at the University of Melbourne. She ...

. The series has been well received by critics, and is noted for its queer protagonist.

Synopsis

The book is set in 1821 England, and focuses on Will Kemper, a queer white orphan, and Violet, the illegitimate half-Indian daughter of a lord. They work together to stop Lord Simon Crenshaw from resurrecting the Dark King that once attempted to conquer the world in the age of magic.

Reception

The book received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with praise for reinterpreting tropes of YA fantasy. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' wrote that "Pacat uses fully fleshed-out, realistically flawed characters and a rich, if occasionally rote, mythology to explore issues of faith, fate, and free will." Natalie Zutter, in a review for

Tor.com ''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction. From 20 ...

, praised the setting but felt that the Stewards were too one-dimensional and pure, while the themes of temptation and darkness were underexplored compared to Pacat's previous work. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' praised the complex characterization of the novel, but felt that the head-hopping between POV characters made it difficult to connect with the story. Carrie R. Wheadon of

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

wrote that, despite good worldbuilding, the characters were largely unlikeable with the exception of Violet. The book received the 2021 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel.

References

LGBT speculative fiction novels Young adult fantasy novels 2021 fantasy novels Quill Tree Books books LGBT-related young adult novels 2020s LGBT novels {{2020s-LGBT-novel-stub