book

DARK RISE

Name: DARK RISE
Author: C.S. Pacat

C.S. Pacat

Will and Violet train under the Stewards for the coming war with the Dark King. (Ages 14 and up)

Ages 14+Source checked

Why this age? Best suited to teens because of repeated fantasy violence, murder, danger, frightening magic, grief, morally complex choices, and substantial narrative complexity. Sexual content is limited. This is guidance, not a safety guarantee; reading level and family context may differ.

Quick view

At a glance

Recommended age14+

Strongest cautions

Death of a character4/5
Violence4/5
Frightening scenes3/5

Strongest positives

Courage & resilience4/5
Creativity & curiosity4/5
Diverse representation3/5

What’s in it?

Death of a character4/5

Why this rating?

Murder and character deaths are important to the backstory and ongoing conflict, with grief and loss carrying emotional weight.

Graphic injury2/5

Why this rating?

Minor descriptions of injuries, but not gratuitous or excessive.

Strong language2/5

Why this rating?

Occasional moderate language typical of the age category.

LGBTQIA characters3/5

Why this rating?

LGBTQIA identities and relationships are meaningfully represented, including important male-male emotional and romantic dynamics.

Religious themes1/5

Why this rating?

Ancient orders, prophecy, and magical cosmology are prominent, but conventional religious practice is not central.

Romance2/5

Why this rating?

Contains budding romantic subplots standard for the genre.

Frightening scenes3/5

Why this rating?

Dark magic, captivity, pursuit, and a sword killing crewmen create sustained danger and tension. The available excerpt does not show enough horror detail to justify the highest level.

Alcohol or drugs1/5

Why this rating?

Background depictions, not glamorized.

Violence4/5

Why this rating?

Repeated fantasy fights, attacks, killings, imprisonment, and dangerous magic create sustained violent peril.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience4/5

Why this rating?

Facing persecution, magical danger, injustice, and an apparently returning Dark King is central to the protagonists' journeys.

Creativity & curiosity4/5

Why this rating?

The elaborate mythology, magic system, secret societies, alternate history, and inventive worldbuilding strongly stimulate imagination.

Diverse representation3/5

Why this rating?

The cast includes varied identities and backgrounds, including Violet's mixed heritage and LGBTQIA representation, with several having agency.

Educational value1/5

Why this rating?

It offers historical atmosphere and vocabulary around early-19th-century England, but education is not the intent.

Kindness & empathy2/5

Why this rating?

Rescue, friendship, loyalty, and care appear amid a harsh world, though compassion is often tested by conflict.

Positive messages3/5

Why this rating?

It explores power, loyalty, identity, inherited roles, resistance to tyranny, sacrifice, and the danger of repeating history.

Good role models3/5

Why this rating?

Characters show loyalty, courage, and initiative, while also making risky or morally complicated choices.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
Which choice in DARK RISE would you have made differently, and why?
Who changed the most in DARK RISE, and what caused that change?

Discuss this title with other parents

Community reactions