Friends with ARCs | There Will Come a Darkness + The Lady Rogue

While this novel has been getting a lot of buzz online, I was still so surprised by how much I ended up enjoying There Will Come a Darkness. The basic set-up of this fantasy series starter is that there are five individuals tied together by a prophecy that seems to indicate they will be involved in either the salvation or destruction of the world as they know it. Sounds great, if not anything particularly new in the fantasy genre, yes? And, fortunately, I really ended up enjoying this one! What I found most impressive has to do with the juggling of POVs. It’s no easy feat to juggle multiple perspectives for an ensemble cast tale, but I think Pool did her characters and their individual narratives justice. I was able to easily distinguish between the characters, and I was genuinely interested in the outcome of all their narratives – which isn’t always the case with these types of stories. It kept me zipping through this tome (which is just under 500 pages) without pause, as I really needed to know what happened next! The plot might have reflected bits of other fantasy stories that I’ve read before, but I think Pool puts just enough of her spin on them to keep things interesting. I did find the world and lore a bit confusing, since readers are dropped right into the thick of things with the first chapter, but once the ball gets rolling and things start getting pieced together, it all started getting a bit clearer. While I didn’t necessarily love every little thing about this story, I do think it was well-done, and I am curious to see where the author takes us with the next installment. 

Favorite ensemble cast story? I'm really torn here because I want to choose both the Avengers film quartet and the TV show Friends, so I'm just going to take the opportunity to name drop both for my answers to this question.

There Will Come a Darkness was released on September 3, 2019 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR).

I received an ARC from the publisher for review.

Prior to The Lady Rogue, my only experience with Jenn Bennett’s work has been reading all her young adult contemporary novels (which have been truly enjoyable for the most part). I was mildly apprehensive, but mostly eager to start this one – and I’m happy to be able to say that it was a fun one, if ultimately not a new favorite. This novel is, at its heart, is a historical romp with a touch of the fantastical. It starts off with a mystery that is specifically centered around a bone ring that was said to give power to Vlad the Impaler and is the object that main character Theodora’s father was tasked to retrieve. But after her father’s disappearance and the unexpected reappearance of his former ward (and her former flame) Huck, they begin an investigation that results in an unexpected journey. I really enjoyed the first half, finding myself very interested in the Vlad the Impaler aspect, the set-up of the mystery and the likable (if ultimately not memorable) main characters. But I lost reading momentum in the second half, finding it to be less engaging and the mystery turning into something simpler than expected (which meant I could guess at how all the pieces would fall into place). Still, The Lady Rogue was entertaining (and I could imagine a film adaptation being very fun indeed). I’d particularly recommend checking this one out if you’re partial to lighter fantasy reads, or fantasy YA with a historical aspect incorporated into the plot, or Jenn Bennett’s writing style.

Favorite mystery? I actually don't indulge in a ton of mystery stories (they're not generally my cup of tea), but I really enjoyed the mysteries covered in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and I will always be extremely attached to Nancy Drew mysteries since they were my childhood faves.

The Lady Rogue was released on September 3, 2019 by Simon Pulse.

I received an e-galley via NetGalley from the publisher for review.