Serpents Rising: Eve of Redemption, Book III
By Joe Jackson
I’ve been following this author’s books since the first in the series so I had a pretty good understanding and expectation of what should happen in this next installment. In terms of writing and intrigue, Jackson definitely nailed it but he surprised me with this new adventure.
Readers will get a more mature side of Kari; a character you can’t help but sympathize with. We see her get challenged in every aspect of her life and we watch as she tackles every adventure head on. I was definitely entertained with this book and I greatly appreciated the new and old info as Jackson picked up right where he left off but didn’t leave anyone hanging. I won’t say a newcomer can grab a copy and hold tight but anyone who hasn’t read one of the Eve of Redemption books in a while will feel refreshed with Jackson’s attention to detail.
The character development was real. I thought, in book three of a series, there wouldn’t be much room for growth from our protagonist but this book presented a new set of challenges which required a new attitude and a new set of skills. I loved the demon kings and diving into their world and politics. The underworld has always fascinated me so to have such a raw new realm so deeply and intricately detailed on the pages of this novel earned more than a couple stars from me.
When I said that Kari had grown in this book, I didn’t just mean that she got better at fighting or that she got older. She’s a mother and a woman with responsibilities—her decisions in this book are absolutely vital and the writing does not hide that. Many parts were edge-of-your-seat good, only matched by the intrigue of the new enemies. The thought of leaving a widower and a child behind made the adventures riskier but Kari’s responsibilities were beyond her family and even beyond herself. She had bigger choices to makes with bigger consequences to consider. I kept comparing myself to her throughout the reading, wondering if I would be as strong if I could be in her shoes. The answer is no, probably not. But that’s what made the book better, in my opinion. It’s not often that we see such a headstrong female with so much to gain and lose at the same time. I think this was a book about risk and reward, choice and consequence, described in the most adventurous of ways.
Jackson didn’t go far from his roots with the adventure, action, and religious intrigue. Old characters felt new again and new cast members felt like they’d been there all along. Every page proved to be better than the last and I found myself engulfed in a massive story that clearly took more time and effort than readers will ever appreciate. I’m always up for some dark fantasy so this is one of my number one recommendations for anyone looking to start a new series. Take it from someone three books into the series, Eve of Redemption will not disappoint any readers looking for a strong female lead, evenly paced writing, plot development, and my favorite—excellent world building. There’s enough action to fill anyone’s imagination and the character development is rich throughout the entire series. If you want a fresh new adventure, then I would suggest this set of books.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*