The Rise of Magicks (Chronicles of the One, #3)

by Nora Roberts

'On the shield, one of seven forged in the timeless past to hold back the dark, fell a single drop of blood. So the shield weakened, and the dark, spider-patient, waited as the decades passed, and the wound spread under the grass and ground.'

The brilliant conclusion to the Chronicles of the One trilogy - an epic story of love, war, family and magic.

Fallon Swift has spent all her life preparing for this moment. No longer can she stand by whilst her fellow Magicks are hunted by the fanatical Purity Warriors or rounded up and experimented on by the government.

Fallon must follow her destiny to restore the magical shield that once protected them all. But she can't do it alone. It is time to build her army, to take on her nemesis and take down the enemy.

She has learned to fight, now she must restore the light and banish the dark forever. The final battle has begun...


Series praise:

'A match for end-of-the-world classics like Stephen King's The Stand' - New York Times Review of Books

'Breathtaking' - Heat

• ISBN10: 0349415013
• ISBN13: 9780349415017
• Publish Date: 26 November 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 5 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Piatkus Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[Stephanie]

This review was originally posted on Once Upon a Chapter



I don't know that reading a book about how people live after a global pandemic during a global pandemic was my brightest move but what can you do? I picked up The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts because I wanted to conclude the series and hadn't meant to let it go as long as I did.

I wasn't disappointed and while it might not have been my brightest idea, this book did give me hope. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. The end papers were gorgeous but gave me a little bit of anxiety. Truthfully I found a book about people surviving despite very difficult circumstances to be a good choice! Not everyone will respond to this type of story that way though.

We're finally seeing the end of a story that started in book one and 20 years in the past. At points it did seem to drag a tiny bit for me but it was made up for with fantastical story telling and characters you could really root for.

I know this review is very vague but it is the end of a series and giving away too much will surely spoil the first two books. Also under current circumstances I can't suggest you run out and buy this book right now. I would 100% recommend adding this book to your list to read once things have settled down a bit.

[Melanie]

4.5 stars.

Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.

This is the third and final book in The Chronicles of The One trilogy. This is a series you must read in order to follow the storyline. So this follows Fallon Swift, who was born in an apocalyptic world where the Doom has wiped out a large portion of the population of the planet. Then you have the people who survived, many of them become supernatural creatures, shifters, fairies, elves, witches and more. There are also people who stay strictly human.

Fallon is destined to lead the light, people who want to see happiness for all. She must help protect these people from those who seek to just harm. There are the Dark Uncannies, supernaturals who use their new powers just to take what others have, the Purity Warriors, who are humans who use religion to demonize anyone with supernatural powers and then raiders who are sometimes a mixed group and just take from the weak because they can.

After reading all three books, I have to say I just fell in love with all the characters in these stories. This is my first time reading Roberts and I love how she creates characters. I really feel an intense love and sometimes an intense dislike for the characters she developed with these stories. I really rooted for them to win each fight and I mourned the loss of the ones who didn’t make it, just like the characters did. I like watching Fallon, Dillion, Mick and the others grow from children to warriors.

Ending a series can be extremely difficult. I’ve read some I loved and many that really disappointed me. I can strongly say this series falls into the first category. I thought Roberts did a great job bringing the story to a great ending. I’m sure it will not be the last series I read by Nora Roberts.

Narration:
Julia Whelan does an amazing job with the narration of this series. It has a very large cast of diverse characters, from children to an extremely old Malik. She really made you feel all the different emotions of the characters from anger to sadness to joy. I really feel that she brought something extra to make this story come alive in her telling of it.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Because of the way the story unfolds listeners and readers should begin at the beginning Year One and now that the trilogy is complete it’s the perfect time to binge!

The Rise of Magicks brings growth as Fallon Swift forms armies and takes back the light by reclaiming cities and towns ruled by dark. It is not without loss, and she will suffer. One cannot help but admire young Fallon who has been tasked since birth with such responsibilities. Her training, family, mentors and friends aid her and she seeks their guidance and those of the gods.

The magical elements, supernatural creatures, talents and abilities of the people added to the tale giving us healers and travelers.

The prophecy and prophecies spoken gave me chills. Julia Whelan was the perfect narrator for this trilogy. Not only did she capture Fallon, but she gave voice to so many characters we met along the way. She enhanced the magical elements, the prophecies and the battle scenes.

The world building was well done, but it’s the characters who drove the story and held me captive. I got to know these characters and when they hurt I hurt. I rooted for them, laughed with them and oh lord when we lost one I cried for them. That is the magic of this trilogy.

Roberts did a great job of bringing the story full circle and giving listeners and readers a satisfying ending to the trilogy. She tied up threads, gave us some happily ever afters and a glimpse into the future…. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer