Book Spotlight: The Rising (Darkness Rising #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Salutations, Beardies!

Ahhhhhhh! It’s over…now what do I do?

Thankfully, The Rising arrived by post in a timely fashion, and I set fast upon it. Mostly I just lounged on the couch, and my sister sat in her chair while we read. (She is currently reading Skulduggery Pleasant. No words describe the awesomeness of that series. Check it out!) I may have startled her a few times. There was much book violence, by which I mean: hitting the object in question against a pillow whilst making noises of frustration or excitement, depending on what part of the book I was reading. And when the last page was turned, I clutched the book to my heart and implored my sister to read this trilogy next. I seriously don’t know how she puts up with me.

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Premise:
Cabals—corporations consisting of supernaturals—continue to hunt Maya and her friends. These Cabals told the world that Maya and her friends died in a helicopter crash near Vancouver Island. The Calling left off with Maya, Daniel, and Corey fleeing to the city of Vancouver, desperate to find help and to let their parents know that they are alive. They have to figure out why the Cabals want them so badly and why their supernatural powers seem to be going out of control. They have the name of a contact who may give them some answers, but when Maya's brother, Ash, appears on the scene, getting answers becomes complicated. In this final installment of the trilogy, all conflict and characters come to a head, creating an explosion of an ending and closure.

Watch Trailer:

Gems for Writers:
Community of Supernatural. I suppose "community" is not the best word for the Cabals: rival groups staffed with witches, sorcerers, and others with supernatural abilities. The Cabals give them a community and job security. They give off a feel like the Mafia; one can even be punished severely for treason against one's Cabal. The Edison Group performed experiments in the genetics of fetuses to enhance or activate their supernatural abilities. The two experiments were Project Genesis and Project Phoenix; Project Phoenix worked to activate extinct genetic supernatural abilities on Maya and her friends, while Project Genesis worked to enhance supernatural abilities in a separate group about which Maya and her friends know. The Cabals "created" Maya and her friends, providing them with the best of life on Vancouver Island, with the intent to employ them in the future. That's how it works: they own you from the beginning. Hence, Maya and her friends are on the run.

Characterization. There were many characters to work with here. At first, there is just Maya, Daniel, and Corey, but once action starts happening, especially near the end, there are too many for the scenes. Side characters are lost in the chaos. While unfortunate, it is reasonable since the story is from Maya’s point of view and she’s not with all of the other characters all the time. Still it would be interesting to get into the other characters’ minds. They were all memorable and loveable; yes, even the crazy girl character that tries to kill Maya. Even though she’s an insane freak, I felt sorry for her. Getting a reader to sympathize with the “evil” characters is a gift and should be used whenever possible, with dashes of reminders why the reader hates the “evil” character, too. Everything in perspective.

Rating:

Conclusion:
This was a best conclusion to a trilogy. Fast-paced action, splashes of romance, and fight scenes. However, I suggest reading Kelley Armstrong’s Darkest Powers Trilogy as well, possibly even beforehand. If you don’t, well, that’s definitely what you are going to want to read next!


Ciao, Beardies!


***The Rising (Darkness Rising #3) (2013) by Kelley Armstrong, is published and copyright HarperCollins New York. It is available in stores, online (see above), and at your local public library.