Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mature fantasy with complex characters is full of surprises.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THERE WILL COME A DARKNESS, Ephyra and Beru are living in secret in the old prophetic city of Pallas Athos. Ephyra kills the wicked with her Grace of Blood and earns the nickname the Pale Hand because all she leaves on her victims' bodies is a ghostly hand print. The blood she gives to her sister Beru, who is sickly and needs the escha (life essence) to keep her heart beating. The city fears the Pale Hand and her power, almost as much as they fear the Witnesses. These are zealots who want to burn the Graced so there are none left in the world, even the ones who are gifted with special talents of healing and invention. The leader of the Witnesses already conquered the country of Nazirah and the crown prince, Hassan, barely escaped with his life. Hassan is also living in secret in Pallas Athos, but not for long. The Paladin Guard, an order of Graced fighters, is crossing the sea to find him and protect him. They've read the signs and think he's the last prophet, someone with the Grace of Sight who can show the way out of the darkness the last prophets predicted before they vanished from the world 100 years before.
Is It Any Good?
This promising fantasy series start features cool magical powers, an ensemble of complex, often haunted characters, and a dark prophecy that ties them all together. It will remind avid readers of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology, the way it shifts perspective every chapter and the way each character searches for their own redemption in an often wicked world. The best part about There Will Come a Darkness is all the surprises. No one is who you think and nothing ever goes even remotely according to plan. Which makes it rather funny that Jude, the assigned protector of the prophet, thinks he's strayed wildly from his mission when he's really the only one who hasn't.
Newbie author Katy Rose Pool is sure to garner a large following as the series continues, given the right marketing push. Here's hoping she can keep up the momentum and surprise readers many more times through the rest of the saga.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about each of the main characters in There Will Come a Darkness. Who are you rooting for the most? The least? What did each of them learn about themselves along the way?
What do the Witnesses want? What are their tactics to get it? How do their extremist views mimic real-life extremism?
Will you read the next book in the trilogy? What do you think is in store for all the characters?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Henry Holt
- Publication date : September 3, 2019
- Number of pages : 496
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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