Amazon Description:
In the aftermath of the Battle of the Elven Woods, the two legends of Marithian prophecy are both dangerously close to the dark grip of death as Marithia suffers under the powers of the Blood Red Moon. Vartan, prophesised to save Marithia, lays spellbound under the protection of the mythical dragons. The vampire sorceress Kassina, prophesised to bring about their Armageddon has been moved to the underworld by the demon lord himself, Shindar. A seed of the gods has grown and their greatest gift to Marithians, Anakari, makes her fated journey to discover her purpose. A former shining jewel of Marithian peace, castle Greenhaven, remains in ruins after its defeat under Kassina’s forces and the elves rebuild their war torn city of Veldrenn. Talonsphere must be found before Marithia merges with the Underworld and Shindar brings about the world’s end.

Opinions:
Darkness Rising is the second book of the Legends of Marithia series. The book begins where the first leaves off. If you never read the first book, this review might contain spoilers. You have been warned! Now back to the review. After the attack in the Elven Woods, both sides are nursing their wounds. Vartan was left near dead, but eventually heals to be reunited with Helenia and the Marithians. Kassina was in a similar fate as Vartan. Both sides need to boost up their armies and prep for another war, but a few things happen along the way. There is betrayal, magic, and gods/goddesses.

The story is written in third person, following multiple characters with opening chapter quotes like the first book. Old characters are reintroduced. If you haven’t read the first book in while, you should be fine. There is usually a brief summary of who (and what happened) from the first book to jog your memory. There are also some new characters to meet. Compared to the first book, the second one provides more background to the characters. It helps the reader to relate better to the characters and what drives them. I would, however, liked to see a little more background with Vartan and Helenia’s relationship.

The story moved along well. The book does contain violence, sexual content, nudity, and blood, so this is for an older audience. There was a lot of prep for the ending battle of the book – such as training and securing resources. The dragons are still my favorite “species” (if this is PC for these groups) in the book. There are a few surprises along the way and a twist on what might happen in upcoming books.

If you like fantasy novels with vampires, dragons, and elves, then you might want to read this book. (But, I suggest reading book 1: Prophecies Awakening first.) ( )