The Shadow Rises
A review of The Shadow Rises, Book 1 of the Witch-Hunter Trilogy by K S Marsden. First published back in 2013. I picked this up after speaking with the Author at a local Comic Con back end of 2021. No lie, but I was drawn to it by the similarities in the title to my first book (The Darkness Rising) – hopefully mine will pick up similar reviews!
I read this book before I read any of the reviews, because that is how I roll – no prior conceptions or prejudices. And I loved every chapter of it.
Catching up with the reviews afterwards I find that I wasn’t the only one. I can see where some readers were going with the Buffy similarity though – with the hunter element – but to me, this stands separate, to one side and slightly in front of the ‘Slayer’.
That’s right. Hunter Astley is above the Bufster despite the inclusion of Ms Rosenberg in the later.
Why? I can’t say exactly but it’s synergy in motion.
The Malleus Maleficarum Council, a secret society of Witch Hunters and their companions, fights in the darkness to suppress the evil and dark magic of the witches. Hunting them down and eradicating them, or binding their powers, the Council has kept the world safe for centuries. Now a new power arises to threaten the sanctity, a Shadow Witch, an all powerful witch hell bent on destroying the world.
Only Hunter Astley, a 7th generation Hunter stands in her way.
The story flows wonderfully with even the small talk between the characters seeming meaningful and realistic. The basis of the back story is played out in the first couple of chapters and the Author wastes no time in pushing the story and action along. Being an Intrusion Fantasy (I prefer ‘Intrusion’ to ‘Low’) and set primarily in England helps as there is no need to set the scene and explain the physics of the world, other than the first chapters. Fast paced and easy to read, I managed to complete in a few sittings.
When the danger hits, I can sense the tenseness and worry that Hunter and his companions feel. Do they all make it? Well, I’m no party pooper when it comes to spoilers, so you will just have to dive in and find out.
This was the Author’s first book and she has gone on to write a number of series.