Rise of the Darklings (The Invisible Order, #1) by Paul Crilley

Nov 08, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

Ever since their parents disappeared, 12-year-old Emily Snow is the sole supporter for her brother, William. When Emily sees a piskie battle in a London alley, she ends up being an unlikely witness and rescuer of one of the fairies named Corrigan.

Emily soon finds herself pitched between the Seelie and Unseelie courts and their mutual hatred for the Invisible Order, a secret society of humans who hold back the fairies from their dreams of incursion on the hu...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Jennelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall, I felt that the plot was interesting. Things that seemed too contrived in the beginning, but began to make sense as the story progressed. All the different places that Emily finds herself during her journey really adds to enjoyment of the story; it seems like a real adventure. Also, they really have you wondering who can be trusted and what everyone's true motives were.
I have complaints about the story though. The first, is that it seemed rather obvious to me as the story went on, how...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Alan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school, fantasy, urban-fantasy

ATOS Book Level: 4.5
Interest Level: Middle Grades (MG 4-8)
AR Points: 10.0
Word Count: 67777

Emily Snow lives in Victorian London scraping out the best life she can for her and her brother since their parents mysteriously disappeared. It's a hard life but she's protecting William and keeping him fed. All starts to change on early morning while Emily takes a short cut through the alley's of London when she comes upon a fierce battle being fought by creatures who stood no "higher than Emily's knee"....more

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Dec 29, 2010 Karissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. The synopsis of the book sounded wonderful; a young girl in Victorian London stumbles upon another world. I absolutely loved this book. This is the first book in The Invisible Order series by Crilley. The characters and story were very engaging and the atmosphere dark and mysterious. Excellent middle grade fantasy that even adults will get into.

Emily and her brother are orphans trying to scrap buy in the Cheapside part...more I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. The synopsis of the book sounded wonderful; a young girl in Victorian London stumbles upon another world. I absolutely loved this book. This is the first book in The Invisible Order series by Crilley. The characters and story were very engaging and the atmosphere dark and mysterious. Excellent middle grade fantasy that even adults will get into.

Emily and her brother are orphans trying to scrap buy in the Cheapside part of London. Emily sells Watercress at market and tries to make enough money for them to eat. One day on her way to the market she stumbles upon an epic battle happening in the streets on London; but the people fighting it are peculiar and...small. From there Emily finds herself drawn into an adventure under the streets of London, on a quest to save her brother and possibly her parents, dealing with the horribly unpredictable fairy folk.

I loved this book. The whole book has a dark Victorian atmosphere to it and the descriptions pull you right into your surroundings. The plot is full of twists and turns and you never know what you are going to find with each page you turn. Emily is a wonderful character; she is realistic, plucky, takes on a ton of responsibility for her age, has a lot of backbone, and at times is quite witty and sarcastic.

The surrounding characters are all quirky and interesting. I enjoyed the complicated politics between the Fairy King, Fairy Queen, and the Invisible Order. This is a middle grade book that assumes its readers are intelligent people who love a good story. At times this story channels some dark fairy tale-like elements too.

The writing was easy to read and very well done. The pace perfect, I never got bored and never felt overwhelmed. This book was very hard to put down and I read it in record time. The story is well wrapped up, but leaves some open story threads for the next book. I am really looking forward to reading more of this series and so glad I decided to read this book.

Overall a wonderful new book in a great new series. The setting is dark and Victorian, Emily makes a wonderful heroine with a bit of a sense of humor and a strong sense of self. There are unexpected things happening at every page turn and I just loved it. Fans of The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, Percy and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, Cornelia Funke's Reckless, Catherine Fisher's Incarceron, and the Bartimeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud will find a lot in this book to love. Great for all ages of readers.(less)

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Dec 01, 2010 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-100-book-challenge, arcs-i-own, mundie-kids-reviews

The Invisible Order is a fantastic read that weaves faerie lore with historical Victorian London, and engages you in a fast passed, twisty plot, that is witty and suspenseful. Our heroine, Emily Snow may be young, but at 12 years old she's raised her 9 year old brother and herself for the last two years, since her parents death. Her key to survival has been her strength and wit, something she'll rely heavily on as she finds herself in the middle of a war. Both the Unseelie and the Seelie courts...more The Invisible Order is a fantastic read that weaves faerie lore with historical Victorian London, and engages you in a fast passed, twisty plot, that is witty and suspenseful. Our heroine, Emily Snow may be young, but at 12 years old she's raised her 9 year old brother and herself for the last two years, since her parents death. Her key to survival has been her strength and wit, something she'll rely heavily on as she finds herself in the middle of a war. Both the Unseelie and the Seelie courts are about to unleash destruction on the city of London.

Emily, a true seer, gets more than she bargains for when she saves a pesky little piskie named Corrigan. I really like Emily's character. She's tough, educated and the only one who can stop the war that will be the destruction of London. Emily will be tried and tested, as she experiences betrayal more than once, tries to save her kidnapped brother, and she has to learn who she can really trust. In a world of myth and faerie lore, people and things aren't always what they seem. Emily has to decide what the true intentions are of The Invisible Order, the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. The fate of London is in her hands as she is the only one who can uncover the riddles and clues that lead to the key that unlocks the gate to the other world.

I really liked the characters who assist Emily on her quest. Jack, known as Spring-Heeled Jack, is dashing, and brave. I liked their innocent relationship that can easily become something more later in the series. Corrigan, the piskie who's sarcasm and one liners provided the humor, along with Emily's responses back to him. My favorite is Merlin. Yes, I'm talking about the one and only Merlin, who's been around for centuries. Emily learns her parents are live, she knows Merlin, though she has no memory of it and she plays a bigger role in this war she's now apart of, that started back with the Great Fire of 1666.

Engaging, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns, The Invisible Order is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages and it has left me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series to be released.(less)

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Jan 14, 2011 Paula Griffith rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like this book because it fits so well in a reading ladder (Lesesne, 2010) to develop fantasy fans. Those students who discover fantasy in early elementary school through books like Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Treehouse series will move up the ladder with a book such as this in upper elementary/middle school. Rise of the Darklings is the first book in a set of sequels and provides a strong plot developed through action and character dialogue. The chapters are not terribly long, and there is some...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, kids-fantasy

Rise of the Darklings is probably one of my favorite reads so far for 2011. The combination of quick paced adventures, folklore and fairy creatures, and unique in detail characters make this a thrilling read.

The whole story was incredibly fast-paced which made it hard to put the book down. This could've been due to the short chapters but a part of it could've been due to the quick plot movement that the author us uses. There is never too much time spent on one idea. But don't be fooled because...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Jonathan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, 2012

Another fun audio-book for the commute.

I finished listening to this book today on my drive to work. Honestly, it's proving difficult to decide how I feel about it.

Rise of the Darklings is a young adult fantasy about an orphaned 12 year old girl who must protect her brother and the city of London from an ongoing war between two factions of faerie-kind and a small group of humans called the Invisible Order.

I enjoyed the book, but it left much to be desired. On the one hand, I liked the different f...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy

Emily has discovered that fairies, piskies, giants and all kinds of creatures actually do exist, it’s just that most people can’t see them. Emily discovers she CAN see them the day she saves a piskie after a battle that takes place in the middle of a London street.

The piskie Emily saves is Corrigan. He’s a little wiry guy, small enough to sit on her shoulder. He’s also opinionated, sassy and brave…just the sort of person you want on your team. Then there’s Emily pickpocket friend Jack. He’s huma...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Kaitlin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-children-s-books, favorites

I really loved this, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. Emily is such a strong and remarkable character, William reaminds me alot of my little brother, Jack well I just adore Jack, and Corrigan where would we be without a sarcastic little pisky?? I'm aware of the fact this is considered a childrens book, but I think it is a book for all ages. I just absolutely loved it!!

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Sep 25, 2012 Babs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Picked this one up at the library on a whim, since I like juvenile fiction, but it really did read more like a book for a younger age than some others I've tried. I felt barraged by what I think was Irish/UK mythology of the fae in a rushed effort to catch up anyone who didn't grow up with the same folklore (like me). The story was mildly interesting about a child discovering the ongoing hidden war between humans and the hidden population of the fae in Victorian times, and I'm going to pick up t...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Rosemary rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think I've been spoiled by the J.K. Rowlings, Rick Riordans, and Michael Scotts of the world (not to mention C.S. Lewis and Susan Cooper), but I don't expect a Young Adult label on a title to automatically mean the book will seem...childish. Unfortunately, that's how I often felt about this book.

It does have some virtues. The characters are often interesting, there are some well-written action sections, and the author's ability to create comic-relief characters who also display courage and no...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Michele rated it 3 of 5 stars

First of a new middle-grade fantasy series that's set in Victorian London about a girl (hurray, a girl!) who's struggling to keep herself and her younger brother sheltered and fed since her parents disappeared. She's on her way to work early one morning and inadvertently sees a battle among some short, fairy-type people in a dark alley.

One thing I liked about this book is that the action is led by a girl, who's had to take on some heavy responsibility. Setting the book in the realistic past is...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, fiction

I love faery stories, so I was very excited when I started reading Rise of the Darklings and realized that I had, in fact, just dived into a deliciously traditional faery story. This first book in The Invisible Order series, though aimed at fifth to eighth graders, is a deeply satisfying read even for adults, full of twists, turns, and lots of excitement.

Twelve-year-old Emily Snow has a tough life. She has scraped a living for herself and her younger brother William by selling watercress on the...more I love faery stories, so I was very excited when I started reading Rise of the Darklings and realized that I had, in fact, just dived into a deliciously traditional faery story. This first book in The Invisible Order series, though aimed at fifth to eighth graders, is a deeply satisfying read even for adults, full of twists, turns, and lots of excitement.

Twelve-year-old Emily Snow has a tough life. She has scraped a living for herself and her younger brother William by selling watercress on the street ever since their parents disappeared, but their meager-yet-stable existence is threatened when Emily stumbles upon a battle between two fae factions. She quickly learns an important lesson: never trust a faery, and after William is kidnapped, Emily and her thief friend Quick-Heeled Jack must decide who to believe if they want to prevent a faery war that could destroy London.

Author Paul Crilley has created a fascinating world. Emily’s London is cold and dreary, the perfect setting for a story of abandoned children. The setting itself brings to mind Dickensian London, full of lost children and dirty fog, perfectly poised to split apart and reveal hidden worlds that existed long before humans gathered on the banks of the Thames. I was very impressed by Crilley’s parallel worlds, linked together only for those who have the sight–those who can see the fae.

The story takes a little time to really start rolling, but the deliberate pacing at the beginning enhances the feeling of impoverished desperation that Emily has to live with every day. When she stumbles across the faery battle in an abandoned alley, the sudden shift in pace–from slow and hopeless to quick and dangerous–jolts you out of the bleak world Crilley has created and pushes you into the strange world-between-the-worlds along with Emily. The descriptions of the fascinating faery places, from the Seelie Queen’s city within an enormous tree to the Landed Gentry’s–gnomes who desperately want to be like humans–village made of the detritus of human life, are gorgeous and immersive, as is the action. When Emily and Jack have to break into The Invisible Order’s headquarters–a human organization that may or may not want to eradicate the fae–I was on the edge of my seat.

Emily herself is a girl brave and intelligent beyond her twelve years. To a modern audience, the idea that a twelve year old could scrape a living to support herself and her brother is startling if not a bit unbelievable, but Crilley sets it well within Victorian London, and he writes Emily in such a way that you really believe she has been forced to grow up too quickly. She can take care of herself and watch out for others, but at the same time, she’s still a little girl who desperately wishes her parents would come back.

I thoroughly enjoyed Rise of the Darklings as an adult reader, and I think it would be just as satisfying to a young reader as well. It’s intelligently written along the lines of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and it is definitely engrossing. I can’t wait for the next book in the series… especially after the cliffhanger at the end of this one.

(This review originally published at The Discriminating Fangirl.)(less)

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Mar 16, 2011 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: grades 5-8

Shelves: children-fantasy, audio

12-year-old Emily has had to take care of her little brother Will ever since their parents mysteriously disappeared. Living in Victorian London, she’s able to earn a little money by selling watercress. This is what she is doing when she suddenly finds herself in a battle between two groups of faeries—up until then, Emily doesn’t even know that she has the Sight. She ends up rescuing a small piskie named Corrigan after the battle…but by doing this, she is drawn further into the faerie world.

Emily...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Tori [Book Faery] rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, read-in-2010

See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com

I felt that the beginning was the most intriguing part of this novel. It was the unique world Crilley created that had me devour the first half of this story within a few hours the other day. I did not realize, when first requesting this book to review, that The Invisible Order series is based upon the fey. Well, that's a lie. I knew at the time, then conveniently forgot. So, when the fey were introduced, I was pleasantly surp...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com

I felt that the beginning was the most intriguing part of this novel. It was the unique world Crilley created that had me devour the first half of this story within a few hours the other day. I did not realize, when first requesting this book to review, that The Invisible Order series is based upon the fey. Well, that's a lie. I knew at the time, then conveniently forgot. So, when the fey were introduced, I was pleasantly surprised.

Let it be known that this is not your typical fey book. They fey in London are a group who have created their own divisions of the Seelie and Unseelie courts. We do not have the winter and summer courts here, folks. There's actually a jab at Oberon at one point which made me laugh. But aside from Oberon? All of these faeries are unique, original, and intriguing. For once, I actually wanted to learn more about the world of faerie to better understand the creatures lurking about London. It was an entirely new concept, and that is what made RISE OF THE DARKLINGS have such a strong start in my eyes.

While I enjoyed this story, I did have a few problems with it, particularly with the ending. After the first half of the book, I felt the story soon grew rushed. Instead of paying attention to detail (by the way, there's virtually no showing in this book), many of the scenes are skirted over. Or at least, it felt like they were to me. To others, perhaps it was perfect.

I felt that the scenes where Emily succumbed to her emotions were melodramatic. I was unable to relate with her or feel for her throughout these brief interruptions because it grew increasingly more and more difficult to connect with her as a character. In my mind, the story was generally smooth, only to hit turbulence as Emily acknowledged the stresses around her. These moments came out of nowhere and interrupted my enjoyment of the novel.

Now, before people start blaming me for missing anything, or hating on Emily as a character, let me say that I can understand why she did have these moments. It was a step in the right direction when it comes to fleshing a character out. That's not my problem. My problem is that I'm not pleased with the execution of these moments. Why? Because I could not feel sympathetic due to my disconnect with her as a character.

The trials Emily fumbled through were also fairly rushed. For such difficult riddles, I'm still having a hard time understanding why a twelve year old was able to decipher them so quickly. Especially when she had a roughly two-thousand year old faery helping her...

I felt Jack, Corrigan, and a lot of the fae were the most developed in this book. Emily and William disappointed me, much like the ending. Emily is a strong heroine, yet, due to the lack of showing and a lot of seemingly rushed through scenes, she is somewhat more difficult to relate with -- more so because she comes off as snappy and irritable most of the time (a quality that I disliked in this heroine). As for William, well, he barely plays a role in this book, and the role he does play is quite... childish.

If you want to read RISE OF THE DARKLINGS because you think it is a typical faery story, you will be disappointed. If, however, you want a new take on these wonderful creatures, I highly suggest checking this book out. I believe most readers will enjoy this story. Due to me being somewhat unfamiliar with most MG books, I am unsure of whether or not the rushed vibe I felt was typical in these sorts of books, or if it was unique to this book alone. Either way, I enjoyed this story much more than I did other MG books, and I highly suggest checking RISE OF THE DARKLINGS out for the beginning/worldbuilding alone.(less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

Rise of the Darklings is the first book in a series (of at least 2 books). I received a review copy from Amazon Vine and rom a high level, the premise reminded me a bit of the Spiderwick or Fablehaven and other recent books…you have a young girl, Emily, who is able to see the magical world of faerie/fey creatures living among us. And she has a fun adventure because of this gift of sight. There were a few things that differentiated this book from those series…the first being that this book is set...more Rise of the Darklings is the first book in a series (of at least 2 books). I received a review copy from Amazon Vine and rom a high level, the premise reminded me a bit of the Spiderwick or Fablehaven and other recent books…you have a young girl, Emily, who is able to see the magical world of faerie/fey creatures living among us. And she has a fun adventure because of this gift of sight. There were a few things that differentiated this book from those series…the first being that this book is set in Victorian England rather than the present day. Added to that is the fact that Emily is a poverty stricken orphan working by selling watercress on the streets.

For some reason, the writing style and/or language rubbed me wrong for the first couple of chapters. I'm not exactly sure what bothered me…whether it was the sentence structure, the semi-internal monologues of the characters or something else. It was a minor quibble but enough of one that through the first ~30 pages, I found myself not really getting into the story because I was distracted by the "feel" of the writing. However, after a few chapters, it felt natural and I was able to be absorbed by the story.

As I mentioned, the concept of faerie/magic creatures co-existing secretly is something that's been very popular lately. The plot and general story arc are creative and engaging and I quickly set aside my fears that this would be a "cookie cutter" book. Young Emily inadvertently finds herself sucked into a war between factions of fey creatures as well as being shown a mysterious society of humans who are seeking out the creatures for some reason (destruction, knowledge, power, something else)?

I personally really enjoyed the intrigue and mystery of trying to figure out which group (humans, fey group 1, fey group 2, etc) could be trusted. Or, if none of them can be wholly trusted (as seems to be the case), which one is telling enough of the truth to unravel the problem of the story.

As the book went on, I loved the layer upon layer of various subplots and foreshadowing. As I neared the end of the book, it became obvious that not everything was going to be wrapped up in this book. Just from the title, it was obvious that there was going to be a sequel, but the way the book ended somewhat surprised me. The book tied up enough of the loose ends to give a generally satisfying conclusion, but it also ended with a pretty dramatic cliffhanger that makes me want to go check out the second book.

The book felt pretty appropriate for a target audience of ~10-12 year olds. Making the protagonist a girl will potentially help appeal to girl readers…while the adventure and the secondary male characters will help boys relate as well. The writing was simple enough to be accessible to younger readers while still having plenty of heavier vocabulary and historical/geographical/etc information to help readers stretch. The violence was fairly minimal and the language was pretty age appropriate though I think there were one or two instances of mild curse words. Overall, I would feel comfortable letting my kids read this.

I went into this book a bit wary that it was going to be the "same old thing" and I finished with the feeling that this is a refreshing fun take on a popular genre. The young characters sometimes felt old beyond their years, but as a middle-grader book, that's somewhat to be expected. The descriptive storytelling and the intriguing plot drew me in and left me wanting more. I definitely look forward to seeing what happens next.

****
3.5 out of 5 stars(less)

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Oct 14, 2010 Katieb (MundieMoms) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-i-own, 2010-100-book-challenge, mundie-kids-book-reviews, mundie-moms-review

The Invisible Order is a fantastic read that weaves faerie lore with historical Victorian London, and engages you in a fast passed, twisty plot, that is witty and suspenseful. Our heroine, Emily Snow may be young, but at 12 years old she's raised her 9 year old brother and herself for the last two years, since her parents death. Her key to survival has been her strength and wit, something she'll rely heavily on as she finds herself in the middle of a war. Both the Unseelie and the Seelie courts...more The Invisible Order is a fantastic read that weaves faerie lore with historical Victorian London, and engages you in a fast passed, twisty plot, that is witty and suspenseful. Our heroine, Emily Snow may be young, but at 12 years old she's raised her 9 year old brother and herself for the last two years, since her parents death. Her key to survival has been her strength and wit, something she'll rely heavily on as she finds herself in the middle of a war. Both the Unseelie and the Seelie courts are about to unleash destruction on the city of London.

Emily, a true seer, gets more than she bargains for when she saves a pesky little piskie named Corrigan. I really like Emily's character. She's tough, educated and the only one who can stop the war that will be the destruction of London. Emily will be tried and tested, as she experiences betrayal more than once, tries to save her kidnapped brother, and she has to learn who she can really trust. In a world of myth and faerie lore, people and things aren't always what they seem. Emily has to decide what the true intentions are of The Invisible Order, the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. The fate of London is in her hands as she is the only one who can uncover the riddles and clues that lead to the key that unlocks the gate to the other world.

I really liked the characters who assist Emily on her quest. Jack, known as Spring-Heeled Jack, is dashing, and brave. I liked their innocent relationship that can easily become something more later in the series. Corrigan, the piskie who's sarcasm and one liners provided the humor, along with Emily's responses back to him. My favorite is Merlin. Yes, I'm talking about the one and only Merlin, who's been around for centuries. Emily learns her parents are live, she knows Merlin, though she has no memory of it and she plays a bigger role in this war she's now apart of, that started back with the Great Fire of 1666.

Engaging, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns, The Invisible Order is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages and it has left me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series to be released.(less)

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Sep 21, 2011 Sheri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: escape

Audio version. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Although obviously written for children, it was well-imagined and well-plotted. The world created by the author is consistent - there were no major gaps in logic that kicked me out of the story. The characters were a little obvious, with the bad guys being suitably evil and the good guys being pretty much instantly likeable, but I enjoyed Emily's struggles to understand the events around her and to choose between her heart's desire and the moral hi...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Dena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-fiction

This was a new book the library had on the shelf. My library gets very few new books so I figured I'd see if this was any good. It's the first book in a series. I found it pretty boring. All of the scenes were not described in detail and I felt it was lacking depth and emotion. I guess it could be explained away by the fact it is written for 10 year olds or around that age, but I found it in the YA section so I thought it would be a bit better and for older readers. The book doesn't end so if yo...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Andrea J rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a wonderful adventure - well written, easily digestible for young and adult readers, and nicely atmospheric. From the first chapter you're hooked; thrown right into the action as 12 year old Emily Snow, the story's protagonist, encounters a battle between the Seelie and Unseelie - piskies (don't call them faeries) who have abandoned their ages old war with the humans and now are immersed in their own civil war. She'll find herself trapped between the fey and the humans who are dedicated...more This was a wonderful adventure - well written, easily digestible for young and adult readers, and nicely atmospheric. From the first chapter you're hooked; thrown right into the action as 12 year old Emily Snow, the story's protagonist, encounters a battle between the Seelie and Unseelie - piskies (don't call them faeries) who have abandoned their ages old war with the humans and now are immersed in their own civil war. She'll find herself trapped between the fey and the humans who are dedicated to exterminating them: the Invisible Order. Along the way, she will be helped by neighbor Jack and find there is more to her own family's story/involvement with the fey than she realizes. And she will have to learn who to trust and who not to trust as loyalties shift and people are not always what they seem.

The chapters are short and the setting of Victorian England (rather than modern England) makes the story much more interesting (in comparison to similar types of books like Chris Wooding's Malice, in which the modern colloquy and 'hip' kids ruined the magic feel of the story). The story moves quickly and is well paced. There is a broad range of characters to add interest to the story. And although it doesn't have the wit and verve of Eoin Colfer's Artemis stories, or the imagination of Phillip Reeve's Larklight, it does have a tone that is very appropriate for the setting. Most importantly, the conversations felt appropriate and not anachronistic - which is something a lot of YA authors can find difficult. Crilling wrote this in such a way as to be very Victorian England but also not so set in the period as to put off modern readers.

Also important, the author did an excellent job of evoking Dickensian England without needing a lot of wasted space on prose and description. I found The Invisible Order hard to put down once I had started reading. The action is easy to follow and character or scene descriptions brief enough to give me a good idea what was going on in the scenes. I really look forward to reading the next in the series. (less)

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Mar 31, 2011 Kavanand rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Invisible Order is written for a middle-grade audience, but readers of all ages may enjoy it. It tells the story of a 12-year-old girl named Emily in Victorian London. Emily's parents disappeared a few years earlier, and she sells watercress for pennies in the street to support herself and her younger brother. One morning, on her way to buy her day's supply of watercress, she stumbles upon a battle between two groups of fairies. She ends up saving the life of a piskie named Corrigan and quic...more The Invisible Order is written for a middle-grade audience, but readers of all ages may enjoy it. It tells the story of a 12-year-old girl named Emily in Victorian London. Emily's parents disappeared a few years earlier, and she sells watercress for pennies in the street to support herself and her younger brother. One morning, on her way to buy her day's supply of watercress, she stumbles upon a battle between two groups of fairies. She ends up saving the life of a piskie named Corrigan and quickly gets caught in an ancient war involving two opposing fairy courts and a secret society called the Invisible Order, which protects the human world from the fairies.

The book has a lot of the standard fantasy tropes: a normal child with an incredible destiny, absent parents, a secret society, etc., but the elements are put together well, and the story takes some unexpected twists and turns. Crilley doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of Victoria life. Emily and her brother share a room with strangers who sleep on the floor, she sells watercress to keep herself and her brother out of the workhouse, and they often go hungry. But the author also creates a magical and strange other world, populated by many different creatures, some of them quite scary.

For me, the best part of the book is Emily. She's strong, smart, and likable, without being too perfect. Sometimes she resents being on her own and having to take care of her brother, but she just gets on with it and never drifts into self-pity. Even when her involvement in the fairy takes some horrible turns, she never loses hope and she uses her keen intelligence to solve her problems and stay one step ahead of the villains (although who the villains are can change from chapter to chapter, keeping our heroine on her toes).

This book may appeal to fans of the Harry Potter series. I'm not sure how many books there will be in the series, but this one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so there's at least one more. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

(I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine.)(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, children-s-books

Rise of the Darklings was a light read I'd recommend for anyone 8+. It was definately a children's book, not because of writing or anything like that but just because the story was a little young. It still enjoyable though.

All of the characters complimented each other very well, especially Jack and Emily. At times I didn't really feel a connection with Emily, our main character, but Jack was easy to love. He was an awesome character to the story. He and Emily are perfect for each other! :D

I was...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Sarah BT rated it 3 of 5 stars

About the Book: Emily Snow's parents have disappeared and for the past two years she has been in charge of her younger brother and making sure they survive. One morning, Emily encounters a conversation between strange beings and realizes she can see a entire hidden world in London, full of faeries. A war is raging between faeries. As Emily's brother is kidnapped, Emily must do everything she can to save him. But what side is good? What side will not destroy humankind? Emily must find the key to...more

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May 07, 2011 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

On the day she found out about the the fey and the hidden war being waged in Victorian London, twelve-year-old Emily woke up praying for snow. Snow would mean that she could stay home with her brother William instead of running through alleys and side streets to get to Mrs. Hobbs to buy a bunch of watercress to sell for the day.

But there is no snow and Emily does have to venture out. Unfortunately instead of a day spent peddling watercress in the cold, Emily stumbles upon a faerie battle right i...more On the day she found out about the the fey and the hidden war being waged in Victorian London, twelve-year-old Emily woke up praying for snow. Snow would mean that she could stay home with her brother William instead of running through alleys and side streets to get to Mrs. Hobbs to buy a bunch of watercress to sell for the day.

But there is no snow and Emily does have to venture out. Unfortunately instead of a day spent peddling watercress in the cold, Emily stumbles upon a faerie battle right in a London alley.

Emily would love to forget about what she saw and go back to her normal life even if life as an orphan is hard. But the faeries won't let her forget them--not until she gets them something they desperately want. Even if Emily could do that, there's The Invisible Order to contend with. A secret society meant to protect humans from the fey, the Invisible Order wants Emily to work with them instead.

Everything Emily knows is soon turned upside down and she has no idea who to trust besides her friend Jack. But can two children possibly rescue Emily's brother and save London before it's too late? Emily doesn't know that answer yet, but she knows she has to try in Rise of the Darklings (2010) by Paul Crilley.

Rise of the Darklings is the first book in The Invisible Order trilogy.

Crilley combines traditional elements from fairy tales (gnomes, giants, piskies, and even a famous wizard) with a well-realized, completely evocative London setting. The plot is well-written with enough twists to keep readers (and Emily) guessing along with humor and action in spades.

Rise of the Darklings truly has it all: action, adventure and faeries all in the beautifully realized setting of Victorian London. Throw in a determined and clever heroine, fast talking characters like Jack and Corrigan, well-dressed gnomes and you have all the makings of a spirited start to a wonderful trilogy.

Possible Pairings: Gideon the Cutpurse (AKA The Time Travelers) by Linda Buckley-Arhcer, The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede(less)

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Dec 26, 2011 Hallie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, history-project

Very much enjoyed this - will be writing about it with That Was Then (AKA the History Project/Book) in mind, so won't do much here now. Younger than my usual faves, in terms of reading strictly for pleasure, but even thinking just of that, the blend of very traditional Faerie (Seelie and Unseelie Courts, plus some figures I hadn't known from English folklore) in a way rather typical of YA or adult urban fantasy with Victorian London setting worked very well. I also thought it was smart to make E...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Miss Clark rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-bog, historical, paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 29, 2010 Tasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-books

At twelve years old, Emily Snow has been looking after her younger brother since her parents disappeared. She tries to earn enough money to feed them both by selling watercress on the streets of Victorian London. One cold morning on her way to the watercress vendor, Emily encounters several strange small people having a battle. After the battle, two men approach her to ask her what she witnessed. Emily refuses to tell them, but that is not the last she will hear from them or from the piskies she...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Victoria Whipple rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, mystery, thms, tcp, world-of-faerie

Emily's mother and father both disappeared mysteriously in recent years, so her focus has been on feeding and sheltering her brother to avoid a workhouse. That's a lot of responsibility for an 11 year old girl. Then, Emily suddenly finds herself being used as a pawn in a battle between humans and the faerie world, and between 2 branches of Fey people. Crilley spins a yarn so fantistic, but he spins it so believably that one easily believes the events could be happening in London and Underlondon.

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Jan 16, 2011 Beverly rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 10-13 year olds

Recommended to Beverly by: indiebound.org/indie next list

Shelves: good-reads-for-reluctant-readers

Although I am weary of formulaic YA fantasy and would not read another if not for the insistance of my fantasy fanatical students, I did enjoy Rise of the Darklings. It has enough action and mystery to hold the interest of reluctant readers and the quality of the writing is better than most. That said, I won't read the sequel unless the rebellous piskie,Corrigan, or the dashing gnome, Mr.Pemberton, is the protagonist. They were far more interesting, creative and entertaining than the human chara...more

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Rise of the Darklings (The Invisible Order #1)

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