Review: Darkest Hour (Age of Misrule Book 2)

Back Cover
The eternal conflict between the Light and Dark once again blackens the skies and blights the land. On one side stand the Tuatha de Danaan, golden-skinned and beautiful, filled with all the might of angels. On the other are the Fomorii, monstrous devils hell-bent on destroying all human existence. And in the middle are the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons, determined to use the strange power that binds them to the land in a last, desperate attempt to save the human race. Church, Ruth, Ryan, Laura and Shavi have joined forces with Tom, a hero from the mists of time, to wage a guerrilla war against the iron rule of the gods. But they didn't count on things going from bad to worse ...this is the stunning continuation of a powerful fantasy saga by one of Britain's most acclaimed young writers.

Ok, I’ll admit it, as glowing as my review for World’s End was I was not sure if I would be able to get through the second or third books in the series, but after reading its successor Darkest Hour, I can now invariably say that I am hooked on this trilogy and will probably end up reading this series from beginning to end a second time.


The Good
Maybe it’s because I’m an emotional sap, maybe it’s because I read it in the middle of the night when the moon was full, or maybe it’s just because Mark Chadbourn is a great writer; whatever the case this book was filled with just so much emotion and descriptive language that it was almost painful to read at some points. There are several points in the book where I was actually scared for the characters, the raw feeling that Chadbourn is able to portray and the skill that he has at doing this is incredible. Dark corridors, claustrophobic spaces, and an increasing sense of dread are just some of the things that you’ll encounter when you read this book.

Besides that I really started to care for the characters, (even that bi*ch Laura) and I started to feel that, like the Tuatha De Danaan, that I had known these characters for my entire life. They became as real and as relatable as my best friends. In a way, I guess, they did become my best friends while I read this book. But that’s enough sentimentality out of me, on to the bad.

The Bad
Oh wait, there was none! Apart from the fact that the main character, Church, didn’t feel like he was as powerful as his compatriots, There were no flaws to find in this book besides the fact that it had to end.

My conclusion
Obviously I found Darkest Hour to be a great book! Rife with Celtic mythology and mysticism my previous gripe about there not being enough "magic" in the story was completely washed away by this tidal wave of a book, everything that I disliked about the previous installment was rectified by this fantastic continuation. If you haven't picked up the first in the series, World's End, then you're really missing out on a great book and a great writer. I know that I'll be looking for other books by Mark Chadbourn in the future.

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