There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

Disparate characters are drawn together in a fantasy world to fight in a battle between religions.



Like a lot of fantasy novels these days, the whole novel is essentially the set up for the next one. As such, there's a lot of time spent on the characters, moving them in and out of situations designed to let us learn about them. It's a fun read, but maybe longer than it really needed to be.

I liked some of the characters. Hassen genuinely seemed to want to do the Right Thing by his people, and Jude was brave to keep going even though his doubts. I'm not so sure about the girls, but maybe the next book will redeem them.

The descriptions were very good, too. I especially loved the lighthouse, which is an important set piece in the story. This would be a fantastic live action series.

I enjoyed reading along with it, and I'll be watching out for the next installment to see what happens.

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?