Darkness Rising 6: Redemption, by Ross M. Kitson

Ross M. Kitson has finally completed his Darkness Rising series with Darkness Rising Book 6: Redemption, and I have to say, I couldn't have imagined a better, more thrilling conclusion to the story. I was fortunate enough  to be asked to edit the novel, which was a real pleasure. Then when I read the final book, and saw what Kitson had done with what was already a great story, I was knocked out. But you be the judge!

But first, the BLURB:

There's no change without loss. No gain without sacrifice. Redemption is rarely painless.'

War has ripped apart Artoria as the dark forces of Vildor prepare for the final battle. Flying north to battle, Lady Orla forms an uneasy alliance with the Artorians. Yet her heart remains heavy with the guilt of recent betrayal.

In the wilderness of the Wastes, Emelia has succumbed to Vildor's black charm and watches helplessly as his schemes come to their terrible conclusion. Separated from his partner, Hunor, the Wild-Mage Jem races across Artoria to save Emelia. But more than just Vildor stands in his way as the terrors of the past seek to steal the might of the crystals from his grasp, and with them all hope of salvation.

The final book in the epic fantasy series, Darkness Rising- Redemption brings the incredible journey to its thrilling conclusion.


My Review:

All I can say is wow. This final book in the series is absolutely engrossing. Once I had my Kindle version in my hot little hands, I was unable to put the book down for fear I would miss something, even falling asleep reading it! All the threads are wrapped up, and done so in brilliant and unexpected ways.

Hunor is still and will always be my favorite character, but I grew to have a deep affection for Kervin, which surprised me because I was so angered by him previously. Each character brings their best (and sometime worst) nature to the battle, which is definitely weighted against them. Vildor has the upper hand, but his arrogance and disdain eventually get out of hand.

Each character's nature is explored through their actions, and each choice they make for good or ill has repercussions. Emelia finally grows up, but is it too late? Lady Orla also does some maturing, as does Marthir, who ultimately has the most intriguing part to play.

If you haven't read the previous 5 volumes, I do recommend them, but even a person new to the series will find this book impossible to put down. The action is non-stop, and there are some rather graphic scenes of violence.

Darkness Rising Book 5: Broken, by Ross M. Kitson

Darkness Rising Book 5: Broken is the long awaited fifth installment in the sweeping  Prism Series, by Ross M. Kitson.  I LOVE this series! Book 5: Broken does not disappoint! It has all the hallmarks of classic high fantasy, with unique, gut-wrenching twists that, in this book, take the reader down dark paths.

But first, THE BLURB:

Beneath the veneer, beneath the beauty, there is always the coldness of stone.’

Tragedy has torn apart Emelia and her companions, a terrible betrayal instigated by the Darkmaster, Vildor. A devastated Jem struggles to control the fearful power of the crystals, becoming distant from his closest friends. Hunor and Orla are tested by a secret from the past, a revelation that will change everything between them. In the Dead City, Emelia begins a search for her past, a journey that will plunge her deeper into the darkness of Vildor and his twisted schemes.
Desperate to seek aid in their battle against Vildor, the companions travel north to Belgo, capital of North Artoria. But everything is not what it seems in the palace, and danger lurks in every shadow, whether cast by friend or foe. Separated and alone, can Emelia, Jem and Hunor hope to prevail? Or will the evils of the present and the past overcome them at last?

MY REVIEW:
What I love most about this series is the way Kitson gets into the heads of his protagonists. Each one is individual and unique in their own right. There are many intriguing characters in this tale, and the evil ones, such as Vildor, are truly horrendous. There is no depth to which he will not sink to achieve their goal, that of gaining all the prisms.

Several times during this book I had the urge to throttle certain characters. Emelia makes some astounding decisions, as does Lady Orla. I felt like slapping both of them.

For me, Hunor's story in this particular episode is deeply compelling. Jem also faces some tough realities, and grows stronger from them. Marthir does have a role in this book, but only toward the end.

Kitson weaves his tales with the hand of the master. Each of the many story-lines is dealt with, and done in such a way that it was hard to put the book down, and hard to say good by to the book at the end. 

The next book will be the final book of the series, and I can't wait to get it! I have to know how this ends!!! Mr. Kitson--please finish writing book six NOW.

Darkness Rising 4 - Loss, by Ross M. Kitson

Darkness Rising  4, Loss is the long awaited fourth installment in the sweeping  Darkness Rising Series, by Ross M. Kitson.

The Blurb:

Bravery is measured in moments.

In the lands of Nurolia the evils of the past are returning to torment the present. Emelia and her companions traverse the arid desert of Pyrios seeking the red crystal. Its power resides in the grasp of the dreaded Red Emperor, who enslaves the warrior race of Incandians. Time slips away as Vildor, Lord of the Ghasts, begins his dreaded plan and as Emelia’s sanity starts to crumble.

Far to the north, in the hills of Artoria, Aldred Enfarson holds onto life by a thread. His friends flee towards the walled city of Keresh, a dark army on their heels. Yet when the opportunity to save Aldred’s life presents itself, they unleash a force every bit as terrible as Vildor. The Cabal, creators of the Prisms of Power, seek to return to the world—and Aldred may become the key.

The forces of darkness are rising—and tragedy awaits even the most heroic.

My Review:

I've been following this series since book 1. In the Darkness Rising Series Ross M. Kitson has created compelling, wonderfully drawn characters.  Emelia, Jem, Hunor, Marthir, Orla and Kervin are each fascinating on an individual level, each with a real story. In the previous three books they have traveled all over Nurolia, from Goldoria to the swamps of Ssinthor and down into the depths of the earth. Through it all this group of companions has been thrown into many terrifying situations. In the course of their travels into lands ravaged by ancient sorceries and dark secrets they have become a well-oiled, if dysfunctional, team. 

In Book 4 - Loss they are  mature, battle hardened men and women. I like the fact they are not perfect, nor do they behave the way I think they should. Sometimes their decisions endanger the entire group. They always believe their actions are for the best. 

Danger surrounds them, divides them and brings them back together, and all through the first three books I have been really rooting for each these characters. In book four, at times I felt angry with certain decisions made by one of these characters, feeling like a friend had made a bad error in judgement. But bad decisions make awesome plot opportunities, and they really move the story forward. At no point did I want to quit reading--on the contrary, I had to know how this fourth book was going to end.

Vildor, Lord of the Ghasts is vile, filled with evil, and he is as obsessive and unforgiving as any immortal can be. He is one of the best, most evil villains I've come across, but Vildor is not the only villain on the block. Vildor's underlings have an agenda of their own, as do several other characters. Other forces are at work, and other people are trying desperately to gain control of the crystals. Everything comes down to the Prisms, and who controls them in the end. Whether human or immortal, obsessions and madness drive the plot.

Kitson's overall plot for the series is quite original and his world is colorful and intense. This is not a tale that has been told before, not a rehashing of J. R.R.Tolkien or Robert Jordan. Kitson's characters are strong and remain unique and true to themselves, faults and all, through each and every book in the series.  Emelia is not a superwoman, nor is she a fainting lily. She is a woman faced with terrifying prospects, and how she copes is both real and absorbing.

The good news is, there will be two more books in this series, and I will be first in line to buy them when they come out!

Darkness Rising 3, Prism by Ross M. Kitson

Darkness Rising  3, Prism is the long awaited third installment in the sweeping  Darkness Rising Series, by Ross M. Kitson.

In Books 1 and 2 we met Emelia, Jem, Hunor, Marthir, Orla and Kervin.  After their escape from Goldoria, Emelia and her companions begin their arduous journey into the swamps of Ssinthor. A land ravaged by ancient sorcery, it is a place of secrets and danger. In fact, the land is in many ways poisonous, and while it affects Kervin, the toxic land affects the druid, Marthir most extremely. Emelia also undergoes a profound change, and the personal stresses between the companions threaten their cohesiveness as much as the evil which surrounds them.

Deep in the mists and unhealthy fogs of Ssinthor, an insane lizardman sorcerer wields the green crystal to devastating effect. As darkness threatens to tear the comrades apart they must somehow challenge the awesome power working against them.  It is in Ssinthor that Orla comes into her own, and we see the woman as the honorable warrior she is.

In Artoria far to the west, Aldred and his new comrades travel on a misguided mission to save his cursed father. A chance encounter with a seer throws them into a rash digression from their path, deep into the Emerald Mountains, where a terrible foe awaits. Now Aldred is set on a path, for good or ill, which affects everyone.

Hidden in the secret recesses of a ruined fort, a crystal of blackest sorcery awaits its former master, Vildor, Lord of the Ghasts. Vildor’s underlings are legion, and his reach is long. Vildor is as obsessive unforgiving as any immortal can be.

Kitson’s world is fully fleshed in both its history and social structure, but he doesn’t fall into the trap of overly descriptive prose.  The reader’s mind is allowed to absorb the tale, free to imagine the places and the people unimpeded.  We are drawn in and live the tale with intensity, feeling a sense of loss when the final pages arrive, and we emerge from the tale only to realize we must now wait until Mr. Kitson has written the next installment in this brilliant fantasy adventure.

Darkness Rising 2 -Quest; Ross M Kitson

 

 As are most fantasy addicts, I love a good series; something I can get my teeth into. But I also like to know there will be some resolution, at some point and Ross M. Kitson has delivered on all points so far with his Darkness Rising Series. 

In Darkness Rising book 1 - Chained,  by indie author Ross M. Kitson, we met Emelia. Born with strange silver-grey eyes, Emelia is trapped in servitude to uncaring and haughty masters. Technically she is a ‘hired servant’ and not a slave, but the family who ‘employs’ her and others like her, own her body and soul.   It is a harsh and unforgiving life for a girl who hears voices which counsel rebellion; a girl who who frequently crosses the line and forgets her place through no fault of her own.  Even so, she has friends and loved ones within the servant community, and even a wistful romantic interest. Because of her eyes, she is called ‘Star-Eyed’, and it is suspected that one of her ancestors was actually a ‘Subaquan’ or a merman. Events happen to Emelia and she finds herself caught up in them, unable to control them or to avoid the punishments that surely follow.

The family that employs her, the Ebon-Farrs are members of an elite and highly-placed nobility with many important connections. They are also possessed of an item, a Crystal that the Arch-mage, Inkas-Tarr desires and plans to steal. Inkas also desires to possess Emelia, and he makes a bargain with the Ebon-Farrs to purchase her. Arch-mage Inkas is the highest ranking Elemental master and he sees something in her that he wishes to have at his enclave to study.

Before that can happen, she inadvertently runs afoul of Uthor Ebon-Farr, the arrogant son of the house, and strange powers emerge within her, but she is unaware of what has happened, only that strange things are happening to her, and that she is punished severely for the events that she had no control over.

On the night that she makes her escape from her masters, Emelia meets two men, Hunor and Jem, who are attempting to steal the very crystal that Arch-mage Inkas has also sent a thief after. Things begin to really go awry, but it turns out that Emelia is a Wild Mage, and is the antitheses of the Elemental Mages.

It turns out that the crystal is actually a dangerous and powerful magical artifact, one of the Prisms of Power - ancient artifacts made by a long dead race containing terrifying magic.

Once she is embroiled with Hunor and Jem, she embarks upon an epic adventure to find the Prisms. The Prisms are necessary to defeat the lord of the ghasts, the undead mages who are unequivocally evil.  No wishy-washy maybe-they-are evil here!!!  The Lord of the Ghasts is Evil. Emelia holds the key to their location but the Wild-magic comes at a dire cost...that of her mind.

Now in Darkness Rising Book 2 - Quest, Emelia, Hunor and Jem’s adventures continue. Wounded by a demon, Emelia is taken by her comrades, Jem and Hunor, into the dangerous Silver Mountains where they seek an old friend. A chance encounter propels them into a quest to find artifacts of awesome power.

Joining their quest is Lady Orla Farvous, a knight of the air, and member of the family which ‘owns’ Emelia. Her honor is put to the test as she finds herself fighting alongside people she despises. Also joining the group is Marthir, a druid and a thorn in Emelia’s side; Kervin (a tracker); and Mek-ik-ten, Jem’s mentor.

The Lord of the Ghasts, Vildor, has risen and lays a trap that may end their quest before it begins.  Emelia struggles to learn what she must and to do what she must, all the while fighting her personal demons.  In Thetoria, Aldred Enfarson, begins an investigation into a horrific murder. As he starts to unravel the events surrounding the appearance of a vampyr, he discovers a shocking truth which threatens all he holds dear.

Kitson has created a world that is fully fleshed in both its history and its social structure, and built a system of magic that is logical and is fully believable.  I love all the different races of sentient people; everything from lizardmen to mermen people this tale. The details are slipped into the story in such a way that you absorb them without realizing it.  Kitson's world is rich with the sounds and smells of another place and time; and I become fully immersed in the lives of Emelia, Hunor and Jem when I read his work.

I am positively over the moon knowing book three will soon be released, because I REALLY love this series.