Review: Rising by Bronwyn Eley
Rising by Bronwyn Eley
Published by Talem Press
Add on StoryGraph
Buy Online
I received a review copy from the publisher.
Synopsis
Time is running out.
With two Relics now in her possession, Kaylan must claim the final three before rebel leader Bellamy De Winter does. Then she must find a way to destroy the stones, once and for all.
But the magic is different now… and so is Kaylan.
After losing so much, she has forged a new bond with the Relic. It is more than mere magic, more than just a stone. Kaylan sees the dead Lord of Edriast, the man she killed to save herself, standing by her side.
The Relic is the only one who understands her now. But every word it whispers in her ear could be a lie. Every chance she gives it could be her final error.
As Kaylan pits her power against the men who seek to take it from her, she finds herself – and those she cares for – in more danger than ever before. And through it all, the Relic claims to be her ally… But as the perils of magic become clearer, Kaylan begins to wonder: will trusting the Relic lead to victory – or to death?
Rising is the gripping final volume in Bronwyn Eley’s dark YA fantasy series, The Relic Trilogy.
Review
I wrote this subpar review of the excellent book Rising for AusYABloggers last month. I recommend checking out my review of the first two books, Relic and Riven and then reading the series. I also really recommend Bron's fantastic review.
Rising is the third and final book of The Relic Trilogy by Bronwyn Eley. I so desperately wanted to know how the complexities within the story would be resolved that I persevered reading despite feeling horrifically unwell. Reading was a painfully slow struggle but worth the effort because I finally know how all the threads tie together.
Rising is a great conclusion to the trilogy. With fast paced action, a cast of interesting and unique characters and some incredible relationships, Eley has built an incredibly satisfying reading experience across three books. The overall concept underpinning the trilogy is original and compelling: it’s not possible to be: sure exactly how the situation will work out.
Kaylan’s struggles really come to the fore in Rising, as she grapples with the effects of the relic on her, and how she’s changed since she became the Shadow. She’s a fantastic protagonist; I love the juxtaposition of her determination and uncertainty. Throughout, it is unclear exactly how she will do what she knows is right, and doing what is right includes she has to compromise her desire not to hurt people. This contrasts with her strong feelings of wanting vengeance on the person who killed her family, another interesting contradiction that I think makes her very relatable.
Overall a really wonderful conclusion to a series I really enjoyed.
Bronwyn Eley is an Australian author. You can find her online via her website or social media: Instagram or Twitter.