Darkest Hour

Age of Misrule #2

by Mark Chadbourn

The Eternal Conflict between the Light and the Dark once again blackens the skies and blights the land. On one the Tuatha De Danaan, golden-skinned and beautiful, filled with the might of the angels. On the the Fomorii, monstrous devils hellbent on destroying all human existence. In the five Brothers and Sisters of Dragons, determined to use the strange power that binds them to the land in a last, desperate attempt to save the human race.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Mythology, Adventure, Horror, Low Fantasy

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

A two-time winner of the prestigious British Fantasy Award, Mark has published his epic, imaginative novels in many countries around the world. He grew up in the mining community of the English Midlands, and was the first person in his family to go to university. After studying Economic History at Leeds, he became a successful journalist, writing for several of the UK's renowned national newspapers as well as contributing to magazines and TV.

When his first short story won Fear magazine's Best New Author award, he was snapped up by an agent and subsequently published his first novel, Underground, a supernatural thriller set in the coalfields of his youth. Quitting journalism to become a full-time author, he has written stories which have transcended genre boundaries, but is perhaps best known in the fantasy field.

Mark has also forged a parallel career as a screenwriter with many hours of produced work for British television. He is a writer for BBC Drama, and is also developing new shows for the UK and US.

An expert on British folklore and mythology, he has held several varied and colourful jobs, including independent record company boss, band manager, production line worker, engineer's 'mate', and media consultant.

Having travelled extensively around the world, he has now settled in a rambling house in the middle of a forest not far from where he was born.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I re-read the first book in this series earlier this year, I was slightly disappointed to find I didn’t enjoy quite as much as I did the first time I read it, and dropped it from five stars to four. Still a very high rating, mind you.

I’m happy to say I didn’t find it to be the case when rereading this second volume. This remains the same coal-dark urban fantasy I loved the first time around. Bleak and bloody, this almost qualifies as grimdark. Great stuff!

[Annji · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing second book of the Age of Misrule trilogy. Characterisation so flat it almost became concave. I still love the idea of myth taking over our age of reason but this second book really dips into lazy execution. Some neat details and a few truly frightening moments but mediocre enough to make me not need to rush headlong into the third book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re read this book. Still fantastic. One of the greatest series on myth and faerie ever.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a huge slog! More violent than the first book, more depressing. I did like the random little bits of history and folklore that pepper the book still but I wish there had been more about Maponus, Dian Cecht, Ceridwen, and the Caoineag. I really like how Cernunnos is used in this story, he is the most approachable of the Golden Ones, the most relate-able since he is a nature spirit, but he is also the most upfront with what is expected when he appears, i.e. that a sacrifice must be made for his help.

There was also this weird dichotomy between describing the group as close-knit, beyond friendship, and how they had all transformed since the first book, but still bringing up the hatred between Laura and Veitch, the jealously between Laura and Ruth. It seemed odd, are they friends or aren't they? I'm pretty sure even frenemies don't go around threatening each other with death if they don't agree.

I'm hoping that the third book in this series is not as heavy as this one was.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the middle book of a trilogy, Darkest Hour manages to avoid a lot of things we see in many of those volumes. We do a lot more here than just move the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons around on the board, and get some real character development and consequences. Chadbourn really likes his "victories until you look closer" and manages to throw a couple in here. All in all, a good set for the last book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm re-reading the whole of Mark's Age of Misrule nonology to remind myself how great all three series were. I'm enjoying them just as much this time around as I did the first time.

It is a fantasy series where the real world collides with the otherworld and incredibly well written.

Two down, 7 to go!

[Stefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darkest Hour is the second book in Mark Chadbourn's AGE OF MISRULE trilogy. As often is the case, the middle book in the trilogy is the darkest one, and if the title didn't give it away, Darkest Hour is no exception. Thankfully, the novel contains enough excitement to make it a thrilling read that should please fans of the first book.

At the conclusion of World's End, the return of the Tuatha dé Danann turns out to be a bittersweet victory. Even though they have been typically been cast as the "forces of good" in the legends, they turn out to be so powerful and alien that they treat normal humans as pets at best and have no problem using and manipulating them. It quickly becomes clear that Church, Ruth, Laura, Shavi and Veith — the five Brothers and Sisters of Dragons — cannot count on their help in ridding England of the Fomorii, the hellish monsters that are wreaking havoc across the land. The Fomorii are trying to revive Balor, the Heart of Shadows, who is the ultimate evil god and will bring the End of Everything. The five heroes are forced into a guerrilla war against the overwhelming forces opposing them, while all around them life as they know it is falling apart...

Darkest Hour is a fine continuation of the AGE OF MISRULE trilogy. The five main characters continue to grow throughout the novel, slowly taking on more individual roles as they become familiar with their own specific abilities. Mark Chadbourn does a great job portraying these everyday people who are thrust into very un-everyday situations. While World's End was an exciting read because it showed the heroes gradually discovering the nature of the new age, Darkest Hour is different: it's less of "what the hell is happening?" and more of "how can we do something about it?"

My favorite part of Darkest Hour was the portrayal of the Tuatha Dé Danann. While the Fomorii are portrayed as a more stereotypical and mostly homogeneous force of evil, the Golden Ones are much more nuanced and varied. While some of them seem almost human-like, others are closer to gods or forces of nature, and Mark Chadbourn makes the reader appreciate how truly unknowable these beings are. The basic disdain they feel for us "Fragile Creatures" is one of the most chilling aspects of this novel.

Darkest Hour works on many levels, ranging from pure action to mysticism to horror to romance. Once again, the route of the five protagonists is described in detail, including which highways they take, and some of these more mundane travelogue details really highlight the surreal nature of the challenges they face. This contrast is again beautifully interpreted in a gorgeous cover by John Picacio, showing the tiny heroes dwarfed by a huge, terrifying nightmare creature.

Some parts of Darkest Hour are so action-packed that they read like an Indiana Jones movie on acid, with surreal and hallucinatory battles and journeys, both in this realm and the Other Lands, alternating with utter and unbridled mayhem as the normal world is torn apart by legendary creatures. This leads to some stunning and spectacular descriptions of the clash of the supernatural with the mundane, but on the flip side, the novel contains so much action that it becomes a bit tedious towards the end, alternating battles with moments of quiet in a steady pattern.

Aside from that minor complaint, Darkest Hour is another solid contemporary fantasy novel with realistic characters facing some very surreal challenges. The novel is often dark, at times genuinely scary, and almost always entertaining. The end effectively sets up what should be a spectacular finish of the AGE OF MISRULE trilogy in Always Forever.

(This review was also published on the Fantasy Literature website - www.fantasyliterature.com. Come check us out!)

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise from the first book remains the same, as does the plot, basically. Oh no, they will raise the most evil Balor! The five infused with the spirit of the land must stop them! Internal conflicts threaten the group's ability, and Ruth has been kidnapped! Laura hides her insecurity behind snarky commentary while Jack doesn't know if he is strong enough to be leader, and....
I'm being a little dismissive, but this was all right, nevertheless. I Like the old myths having basis in an ancient history involving beings we can't understand and I enjoy the references to the foundation of those myth within Chadbourn's own myth-making.
It is just too long and re-hashes many of the same conflicts form the first book.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

How did we end up here

After I sent my review of the first in the series to the publisher they offered up the next two in the series and I greedily accepted. It took me a little bit to get to book two but here I am.

Okay, book. You've got 50 pages. Go!

Well, half of those fifty pages was recap so at least I didn’t have to re-read the last book. I got the not-so-Cliff Notes version right at the beginning of number 2. And then it led into an offshoot POV that ultimately had no bearing on the story and it just depicted random events going on throughout the country as a result of the fantasy becoming reality. It kept the action on its toes but it was disingenuous to the greater story and the advancement of the plot. Once it finally gets to the plot where the first book left off it picks up immediately from the end scene and we’re back at it.

Fifty pages wasn’t a good sample beginning on this one since the story didn’t really start picking up until around page 100 and quite frankly by then I was willing it to move a little faster. The story’s basically about nomads wandering around the British countryside trying to avoid the Big Bad that’s after them. Like the bulk of DEATHLY HALLOWS, there’s a whole hell of a lot of camping bookended by some minor action. Still, I kept reading because I wanted to see where it was going.

What worked . . .

The world building. I love how much detail Chadbourn put into bringing back the darkness and how horrifying he made it. There were some parts where I was uncomfortable reading for how disturbing and painful the plot was to the characters and it’s ultimately this that kept me reading. I just love this world so much, how it’s unraveling the known world and remaking it in its own image. I like how even the nicer, more allied beings have undertones of sadism and darkness, making them all untrustworthy.

I liked how Chadbourn was wholly unforgiving with his characters and none of them escaped the brutality of what was going on around them. And he was unapologetic about it as well. It wasn’t just physical or mental testing he was putting them through but Chadbourn dug down to the very souls of his characters and tore them off piece by piece, losing some in the process and gluing the rest back together in this Picasso-looking painting of pain. As bleak and unforgiving as it all was it made the story real to me. I believed it because, in reality, if this were to ever happen it would be just as disastrous as this.

What didn't work . . .

The pacing. It was such a slog to get through. So much so that I whine to myself about reading the third book in the series because I don’t know if I can take it. The book’s as much a character-driven narrative as it is plot-driven at this point and a lot of their time is spent wandering around the countryside, trying to find someplace safe to sleep coupled with an intense amount of soul-searching and coming to grips with what was going on around them along with what was going on with themselves. The book is bordering on something that really isn’t for me and if it wasn’t for the world-building I mentioned above I would have stopped reading.

I got tired of the drugs Shavi had to keep taking in order to tap into his powers. I was tired of Jack’s incessant whining about being the unwitting leader. I was tired of Laura being an irredeemable bitch. Ruth was still my favorite and it pained me to see her go through what she did. Veitch grew on me as well, for all his shoot first, ask questions later attitude. He ended up being a knight in shining armor and really rose above the rest by the end. Tom was kind of meh. He inserts information when it’s absolutely necessary and then is just a pain the rest of the time. If I weren’t so bored with the book I would have laughed at the similar comments the characters made about him. But I was bored. I was trying to will the book to end and for the love of everything that was holy IT JUST WOULDN’T END. It just kept meandering on and on and I wanted to put it down but the world kept dragging me back in and it was just enough to keep me reading. Barely.

Did I mention Laura’s an irredeemable bitch? She just didn’t let up and I really don’t understand why Chadbourn wrote her the way she did. There really seems to be a Madonna/Whore situation going on between her and Ruth and it bothers me. Instead of having two rather level-headed women we get polar opposite archetypes. Sure they’re both strong but at what cost? I didn’t find them this polarizing in the last book and they really branched out from each other in DARKEST HOUR. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be explained away with the situation or they’re both just so damaged and this is how they’re dealing with it or what but it just didn’t sit right. And where Laura’s story went, for all I didn’t like her I didn’t like where Chadbourn took it. I have a feeling it’s not where it was obviously made to go but it was just so sudden and by the time it happened everyone around her was so fed up with her that their reactions were barely registering at all. A whole of of, ‘huh, oh wells” going on and it sucks all around. I feel bad that this fictional character has basically been crapped on her entire fictional life and then she doesn’t even get a decent send-off.

And in the end . . .

I have the third one in the series and I will give it my all when I try to read it but unless something spectacular happens and the plot focuses more on plot-like things instead of internal naval-gazing I’m giving up on it. It’s just too heavy-handed for me. There are aspects of it that I really do like but it’s not enough to hold my interest and I can’t force myself through another book. I’m trying. I really am. But it’s taking a turn down the more character-driven path and that’s really not my bag. I need more and if I don’t get it I’ll have to tap out.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

More fine roller-coaster fantasy nonsense in the second part of "The Age of Misrule" trilogy.

As with the first book, the action rattles along at a good pace, with interesting characters and an involving plot. Yes, much of it requires a rather hefty dose of "disbelief suspension", and knowing Edinburgh very well did make me think "really?" on a few occasions, but it's a very enjoyable read and I will most definitely complete the series. I have no idea how certain storylines will resolve themselves, and that is also part of the appeal

It's well researched too, and the links to Celtic myths add a nice dimension, literally. There are bits of it which read a bit like a traffic report as characters take the A9 between Perth and Inverness, the A7 into the Scottish Borders etc. but this just adds to the slightly bonkers feel to the whole undertaking.

What I must say, is that reading this was like watching a mid-budget Netflix series. Definitely not bad, not great, but you binge nonetheless with your brain blissfully in neutral and a smile on your face.

[Roger Swab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the first, which was riveting.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is fantastic.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this middle book in the Age of Misrule trilogy.

The action picks up, we get to know our cast of characters and there are twist & turns aplenty!

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me begin with the good things. The series takes place in the UK, so your entire world view is England, Wales, and Scotland. Which is interesting in its isolation. The handling of the Celtic deities and mythological creatures is fascinating. The "higher" powers, the beings from Otherworld, humans cannot focus on them well. It's a unique angle on the unknowable. On the other hand, I still didn't care about the six main heroes, Church, Shavi, Ruth, Laura, Veich, and Tom (True Thomas, or Thomas the Rhymer, from Scottish mythology). Their emotions and feelings are 'told' and repeated in the same words, which gets annoying, not 'shown' in actions or dialogue. Nor do I care about their predicaments or their inner flaws. No one seems interested in doing any research on Celtic deities or mythology to try and figure out what to do or what exactly they are up against. Tom's cryptic answers and questions just seem annoying, instead of urging them on to discover their own inner answers.

**SPOILER ALERT**
With Ruth "carrying" Balor, she accepts it way too easily, as if she's carrying Church's kid instead of the leader of the Formorii. She is supposedly chosen because she is the "strongest," but that is never shown, either. Laura's sacrifice seems pointless (I won't further explain!), but I'm glad she wont' be around to be the character to only add glib and sarcastic comments, as she puts it to Church near the end.
**END ALERT**

Yes, I will still read #3 because I want to know how it will end. My prediction is that if the "dark side" does win, the book will feel unfinished, like nothing was really accomplished. And if the "good guys" win, it will feel like a happily ever after fairy tale.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit, it took me a while to get into this one but I think it's because of the long gap between books. I refered to the ending of World's End before starting so I could familiarise myself with the plotline. That aside, the one thing that I liked about the book was the characterisation. Now that we are able to get a look into the psyche of the characters, I'm able to determine which of the characters I like/dislike. For example, I'm not the biggest fan of Ruth. I don't want to give anything away, but she really irritated me in this book. Laura was starting to become a bit of a drag as well. Meanwhile, I'm loving the characters of Veitch and Shavi; they are both so contrasting but brilliant in their own way.

The thing that really got to me was the constant jumping between characters within the chapters. I don't mind third person shifting point-of-view, but I prefer to have it change in seperate chapters, like Robert Jordan does in the Wheel of Time series. It's very easy to get quite lost. I start to get really into a characters point-of-view, only to have it dramatically change on me.

The plot itself has been really well thought out. Something that Chadbourn does really well is that all of his characters has a purpose to the story. All of the "mechanical" characters shed some shining light on either the story or the characters.

All in all, a good sequel and I'll be reading the final book soon :)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I am not a huge fan of the fantasy genre (But let's take a moment to remember Anne Mcaffrey and her dragons, she was a saint!). However, I thought this book was fantastic (is that redundant?). Particularly as the second book in a trilogy--a bridge. Every story has a beginning, middle, and an end, and I thought as a mid-point tale this was well executed, at least in the last third of the book. The first two-thirds of the novel were much the same as World's End. But here Church is becoming more of an antihero and Ryan more a hero; and--thankfully-- Laura is slightly less obnoxious. Mark Chadbourn does a great favor to the reader by weaving Celtic fable and myth into a coherent and progressive storyline that doesn't involve unicorns (so far, though there be dragons here) but does require thought.
Two-and-a-half thumbs up!

[Joel Flank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things get even darker for humanity as gods and faeries of ancient myth are now free in the world, governments can't cope with the new reality, and technology continues to fail intermittently. The 5 chosen by the Pendragon Spirit continue seeking ways to stop the darkest of the foes from resurrecting their god and ending all human life, but they need to go to great lengths just to find out what they might be able to do to stop the catastrophe. When their allies often have a big enough price they must question if the trade off is worth it, they have to call up deep reserves of strength they didn't know they had, and learn to use their newfound abilities to try to stave off disaster. A lot more dark fantasy, and harrowing emotional journeys make this a complicated read, compared to more traditional epic fantasy stories.

[amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed the sequel, there's still some aspects to the story that keep me from rating it higher. I really love the plot, first of all, & Veitch grew into a character that I really like, whereas I feel Shavi sort of faded into the background in this one. Laura is still unlikable, no matter what she does, & I expected more change from her, honestly. At least a cutback on the "witty" & sarcastic remarks because they're just unbearable. The other characters were fine, but still, aside from Veitch & Ruth, I felt like I got nothing new from them. They seem to be talking about the same things they were talking about in the first book. Still very excited to read the last book, as it has been a very intriguing & fun read as a whole, nonetheless.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I loved the first book and I thought it was one of the best books of 09 I'd read (US release). This book is even better then the first. Its got a lot less traveling so the plot is more focused. Also Chadbourn seems to explain things a little easier in this book then the first. At times I'd get lost in the first book but this was just wonderful.

There are still landmarks in the book but they aren't as prodominant instead it's more about the characters and seeing them grow in their magic.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely liked this book better than the first in the series, but I'll be hornswaggled if I can tell you why. For some reason, I had the hardest time getting into the first book. I still had a hard time getting into this one, but I made it about half-way through. The action is usually pretty fast-paced and the story line is very interesting. I guess a good deal of my issues may arise from the characters. It's just been very difficult for me to connect to them. Again, I couldn't tell you why. It took me some time, but I'm still interested to see where the rest of this series leads.

[Siobhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In short, neither the writing or the plot was good enough to be worth the cliff-hanger ending. It did flow better than the first, but the characters still don't have any depth or grow much, and frankly just aren't that likeable. I gave this a shot hoping it would improve from the first book, and it did... slightly, but not enough to make me reach for the third.

I really wanted to like this series (the premise being that the old Celtic gods have returned to rule the land) but it's just not that good.

[Briton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like my last review, i will say Mark is a brilliant writer, creating excellent characters and uses mythology that i just absolutely love.

However, unlike the last one, i felt a bit disappointed. He wrapped it up nicely, but i expecting something better. The final battle in this book seemed detailed, but on the brink of too detailed.

Still, a great book, only for mature readers like the last one. Ends in a way that you can't go on a single day without reading the next one to know what happens next.

[Christopher Bashforth · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK but the book has is too "New Age" for me, in that there is a lot of getting back to nature and taking drugs. I would have preferred more emphasis on the end of rationality and materialism and the effect that it had on ordinary people. The book follows the main characters too much Perhaps in the third book, which I will still read because I like my "end of the world" books but I know I'm probably going to end up disappointed.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

...I thought World’s End was a decent read, Darkest Hour is better. Chadbourn maintains his fast pace and deep mythological connection to the land but lowers the D&D content. Being the second book in the trilogy, it does of course leave you hanging, so I'm trying to get my hands on the third book...

Full Random Comments review

[Jesslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a book goes in a direction that I do t want it to, I try not to let it color my judgement. Thisbook/series has done so, but I'm hoping some of the characters make it out alright. That said, the storyline finally picked up enough for me to grab #3.

I'm hoping it keeps it moving. The writer has a tendency to pause for long philosophical discussions in the middle of all the action.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good follow up to World's End, though still a bit short on details and without characters to truly enjoy. Laura in particular is still annoying as all hell; though she certainly has reason to be damaged, that doesn't excuse that fact that she's one of the most miserable women I've ever been inflected with. I definitely want to see how the story ends.

[Curt Hopkins Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really smart, sideways approach to the Arthurian mythos (sort of - not really - totally) combined with my favorite- technological apocalypse and the rebirth of something you could call magic. Written by someone who really loves the land and landscapes of Britain.

[Nicole Acheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book. I enjoyed reading it. It was hard to put this book down while I was reading it. The characters were well developed and they actually seem like real people and I could actually imagine the events that took place in the book actually happening in real life.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually 3.5 stars. I wish goodreads had a more elaborate rating system. Much better than the first. This is a great series with a unique (to me) perspective. Quite enjoyable. I can't say I regretted a certain character's departure though...

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first volume in this series was interesting enough in concept to read through. Got to within 100 pages in this one and gave up. I didn't care. The idea is great, but the characters do not live, they do not engage me emotionally at all. In fact, some of them are downright irritating.