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Daughters of Light #3
Darkness Rising: Daughters of Light
The Final Battle is coming. Are the Seers ready?
Sixteen-year-old twins Jasmine and Jade and the rest of the Seers are not only divided between Toronto and London, they’re internationally wanted fugitives. While away in the Place-In-Between trying to return Solomon’s Ring, the girls became the prime suspects in a deadly terrorist attack in Toronto.
The Seers, their Protectors, and a handful of others know the truth: they innocent, the world is dying, demons are around every corner, and the Darkness is taking over. As the only hope in the coming apocalyptic battle, the Seers will have to work together to save the world from the brink of destruction.
Sixteen-year-old twins Jasmine and Jade and the rest of the Seers are not only divided between Toronto and London, they’re internationally wanted fugitives. While away in the Place-In-Between trying to return Solomon’s Ring, the girls became the prime suspects in a deadly terrorist attack in Toronto.
The Seers, their Protectors, and a handful of others know the truth: they innocent, the world is dying, demons are around every corner, and the Darkness is taking over. As the only hope in the coming apocalyptic battle, the Seers will have to work together to save the world from the brink of destruction.
- GenresFantasy
312 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2019
About the author
Mary Jennifer Payne
11 books24 followersMary Jennifer Payne's writing has been published in journals, anthologies, and magazines both in Canada and abroad, and she is the author of several YA graphic novels. Since You've Been Gone is her first YA novel. She teaches with the Toronto District School Board and lives in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 14, 2019
This book is somewhat like the final Hobbit movie in that it's almost like one long battle scene. The Seers spend most of the book on the run from the authorities who think they're terrorists until the climactic Final Battle.
I like that the author began the book with a quick summary of the trilogy to date, as it helped remind me of the events so far, but I still found myself struggling to keep up with all the characters. There are so many Seers that apart from the lead twins Jasmine and Jade, and from Eva who has a tragic backstory (in an earlier book, she watched her twin being tortured and killed), it was hard to keep the other Seers distinct, and so really care much about their parts in the Final Battle.
The story also felt long, much longer than 200 pages, and I think it's because the chapters ended up feeling the same throughout -- the Seers find a new hiding place, new baddies appear, there's more talk about climate change and corrupt politicians, etc.
Now, I love a good environmentalist story, so I really wanted to love this story with its commentary on corrupt and greedy politicians, unjust immigration and refugee policies, racism in social views of terrorism, and so on. The trilogy tackles a LOT of important subjects and with a fantastical spin tailored for young adults.
But it all feels a tad too convoluted. The various themes don't quite mesh, and the fantasy elements feel less like a fully realized world and more like a vehicle created and manipulated for the themes. For example, late in the book, Jasmine thinks about how the Seers got their powers from the earth, so they can save the planet. Great concept, but not at all the mythology I got from the trilogy. Possibly I missed it, but it mostly felt like the Seers were super powered teenage girls who can fight demons and happened to live in a time when the big bads were using demons to defend their planet-killing activities. There's also a big reveal at the end about the Toronto mayor Sandra Smith's motivations, and it's suitably horrific, but also there was no lead up to it, no "aha" moment as I remembered all the clues that pointed to that being her goal. Instead it just felt random, and so when Jasmine called it "evil beyond Hitler", the horror felt unearned. Side characters like love interests Raphael and Sam (? the guy who flirted with Jade?) show up near the end but again because they weren't really interwoven through the story, their significance in the Final Battle feels unearned.
And for all the build up, the Final Battle wasn't as epic as I'd hoped, and seemed to be resolved really quickly.
It was also much gorier than I expected, but that will possibly appeal to some readers.
And finally, the kitten near the end felt random, but I liked it. :-)
TL;DR Lots of great and important messages, but the story (book and trilogy overall) felt messy.
+
Thanks to Dundurn for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like that the author began the book with a quick summary of the trilogy to date, as it helped remind me of the events so far, but I still found myself struggling to keep up with all the characters. There are so many Seers that apart from the lead twins Jasmine and Jade, and from Eva who has a tragic backstory (in an earlier book, she watched her twin being tortured and killed), it was hard to keep the other Seers distinct, and so really care much about their parts in the Final Battle.
The story also felt long, much longer than 200 pages, and I think it's because the chapters ended up feeling the same throughout -- the Seers find a new hiding place, new baddies appear, there's more talk about climate change and corrupt politicians, etc.
Now, I love a good environmentalist story, so I really wanted to love this story with its commentary on corrupt and greedy politicians, unjust immigration and refugee policies, racism in social views of terrorism, and so on. The trilogy tackles a LOT of important subjects and with a fantastical spin tailored for young adults.
But it all feels a tad too convoluted. The various themes don't quite mesh, and the fantasy elements feel less like a fully realized world and more like a vehicle created and manipulated for the themes. For example, late in the book, Jasmine thinks about how the Seers got their powers from the earth, so they can save the planet. Great concept, but not at all the mythology I got from the trilogy. Possibly I missed it, but it mostly felt like the Seers were super powered teenage girls who can fight demons and happened to live in a time when the big bads were using demons to defend their planet-killing activities. There's also a big reveal at the end about the Toronto mayor Sandra Smith's motivations, and it's suitably horrific, but also there was no lead up to it, no "aha" moment as I remembered all the clues that pointed to that being her goal. Instead it just felt random, and so when Jasmine called it "evil beyond Hitler", the horror felt unearned. Side characters like love interests Raphael and Sam (? the guy who flirted with Jade?) show up near the end but again because they weren't really interwoven through the story, their significance in the Final Battle feels unearned.
And for all the build up, the Final Battle wasn't as epic as I'd hoped, and seemed to be resolved really quickly.
It was also much gorier than I expected, but that will possibly appeal to some readers.
And finally, the kitten near the end felt random, but I liked it. :-)
TL;DR Lots of great and important messages, but the story (book and trilogy overall) felt messy.
+
Thanks to Dundurn for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 7, 2019
If you loved book one and two this one will hit it out of the park for you. This one was a little shorter than book two but longer than book one. It did well with telling the entire thing. The characters were all amazing and I loved how this ended. It felt very real and had all the feels. I can not wait to check out other titles by this author as she does fantasy blends so well. I thought I knew how it was going to end but I was so wrong. After the events of book two this one hit for me!
September 27, 2021
Darkness Rising is the first book I have read from this author. I believe it has potential, however, it was missing something.
The story is about - Sixteen-year-old twins Jasmine and Jade and the rest of the Seers who are not only divided between Toronto and London but are wanted as international fugitives. While away the girls become the prime suspects in a deadly terrorist attack in Toronto.
The story is about - Sixteen-year-old twins Jasmine and Jade and the rest of the Seers who are not only divided between Toronto and London but are wanted as international fugitives. While away the girls become the prime suspects in a deadly terrorist attack in Toronto.
September 4, 2025
Darkness Rising is a gripping and intense continuation of the Seers’ saga. With Jasmine and Jade caught between worlds, hunted as fugitives, and racing against the spread of Darkness, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The mix of action, suspense, and supernatural danger kept me hooked from start to finish. A thrilling read that perfectly sets the stage for the final battle.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews