Genre: Fantasy Age Range: YA Star Rating: 4 stars Series: yes - final book of trilogy
*SPOILER ALERT: contains SPOILERS for RELIC and RIVEN*
Blurb:
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?
Blurb taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here.
Review:
RISING follows Kaylan as she fights to possess all the relics – and work out how to face them and the enemies in her path.
The relics take on Rennard’s form and talk to her, leading her (and the reader) to question how much is real, and which side the relics are on. They seem to be playing a game of their own, passing information back and forth to the various players, setting up an endgame of their own.
Added to this that talking to a spectre no one else can see makes Kaylan’s friends and allies mistrust her. It fractures some relationships as she is forced to decide between keeping and giving up the relics, their possessive, addictive nature making it hard to put them aside.
There is a cost to this book, with the major battle scene having the most number of heart-breaking moments. It was interesting to read structurally, as the big showdowns and moments I was expecting game in different places to where I’d guessed, leading to different things making up the ending, more personal fights that forced Kaylan to face her fears.
Read my reviews of other books by Bronwyn Eley:
Relic (this series):
Sifa Elizabeth Reads 