REVIEW: While Darkness Gathers by Philip Chase

Last Updated on July 9, 2025

Philip Chase welcomes us back to Eormenlond in While Darkness Gathers, the sequel to his Edan Trilogy set sixteen years after the conclusion of Return to Edan. For fans of the Edan Trilogy, While Darkness Gathers feels like coming home after a long journey, with quiet nostalgia for a past that has slowly faded away.

While Darkness Gathers introduces us to Riall, a young sorceress with the compassion and altruistic instinct of a healer. Riall is only beginning to discover her powers, which may be key in saving the world from the return of an ancient evil. Although While Darkness Gathers employs a chosen one trope, Chase takes it in a very different and more subdued direction compared to the main Edan Trilogy.

Philip Chase draws inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien with his intricately detailed fantasy world and its complex lore and history. One of the most fascinating features of Eormenlond is its elvish race. Chase diverges dramatically from the noble elvish race of Tolkien’s Middle-earth: the elves of Eormenlond are utterly elusive and in possession of terrifying power. The origin of the elvish race and their supreme power play a pivotal role in Chase’s sequel.

While Darkness Gathers is a slimmer volume and less ambitious in scope compared to the three main novels of the Edan Trilogy. Although it doesn’t have the philosophical depth of The Prophet of Edan or Return to Edan, Chase’s writing is every bit as nuanced and beautiful. While Darkness Gathers shines most brightly in its well-drawn characters and their familial relationships, as Chase explores themes of found family and martyrdom.

Although readers new to Philip Chase’s work could, in principle, begin with While Darkness Gathers, I recommend starting with the first book of the Edan Trilogy, The Way of Edan. One of my favorite characters from the Edan Trilogy, Sequara, features prominently in While Darkness Gathers. My enjoyment of this sequel was greatly enhanced for having already read the main trilogy.

In the end, While Darkness Gathers resonates with a gentle melancholy of lamentation overlaid with an optimism for a brighter future.

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