Dark Dawn

The Exlian Syndrome #2

by Seth Ring

The thrilling sequel to Advent, Dark Dawn is the second book in the action-packed Exlian Syndrome series from Seth Ring.

The mission is reclaim a mine lost to the Exlian Threat. Survival? Unlikely.

Mark’s life has been thrown into turmoil over the last year and he has the nagging feeling it’s about to get worse. A lot worse.

Being assigned to a deployment with New Emery’s Engineering Corps without receiving any of the prerequisite training is bad enough, but when Mark meets the oddball crew he’ll be traveling with he realizes there’s more to this mission than meets the eye.

Mark’s not sure how they’re going to deal with the Exlian Nest that’s made its home in the mine, but at least he’s not entirely alone. Thrown together with a commanding officer who has never set foot outside the city, a pair of brothers whose greatest wish is to die a glorious death, and a genius researcher with dangerous—unstable—ideas, he ventures into the wilderness to reclaim the abandoned manastone mine.

Accompanied by his mysterious pet cat, Mime, Mark will have to leverage everything he’s learned over the last tumultuous year—and maybe even invent a few new tricks—if he’s going to make it back to New Emery in one piece.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Dystopia

414 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had to sum up this book (and perhaps the entire series to date) in as few words as possible it would be: "entertaining but unfocused." Seth Ring is a master of penning fun and enjoyable books that ultimately lack depth. And that is completely fine with me. Sometimes you just want to dive into a world that you can get lost within and without struggling to understand obscure references or recall a character from five books prior who had one line that is now important to the plot. Put differently, this is "beach read" sci-fi/fantasy and sign me up for more.

When I say that I feel like this story is unfocused, what I mean is that I am still not clear what the direction of the book is. At a basic level, the book is about Mark and the strange power that he received from being in the wrong (right?) place at the wrong time. We will clearly need to explore it and this book hinted at some of the background without really answering any questions. But more than all that, I am not sure if this is a book where we are only going to focus on Mark or if this is going to be a book where we focus on Mark and his friends. In book one, a lot of pages were dedicated to developing the side cast of characters. In this book, approximately 95% of the pages were dedicated to Mark without any mention of some of the most important characters in the preceding book. Is this the new norm? Are we no longer going to have character interactions and character building/development? Is this just a one-off? I don't really know. Mark seemed perfectly fine mostly by himself for large swaths of the book. While the ending certainly hints at an inevitable reunion with many of the characters from book one - and most likely what will happen after that reunion - this book was a huge diversion from the flow and method of the first that I no longer know what Ring will prioritize in subsequent installments.

Entertaining but unfocused; a great 'beach read' sci-fi/fantasy/lit-rpg mash-up. Secrets are here to learn driving us forward and Ring also loves to use a main protagonist who is, simply put, a good guy. Whether it was his Nova Terra series, The Tower series, Battle Mage Farmer series, all of these star "good" people who are generally nice. It is hard not to like Mark. He is a good person. He is nice and considerate. He is hard working. He is willing to put his life in jeopardy to save others. This isn't rocket science. It is safe. It is easy. It is much harder to write a story about a main character who is an absolute donkey. Mark Lawrence's Jorg Ancraft comes to mind and how hard it must have been to write a story about someone who is a sociopath and sadistic yet we find ourselves rooting for this evil person. We don't need to worry about those complex emotions here.

For those who may read this review and wonder if this is the right book for you, I should note that despite my frequent comments about Mark being nice and this book being a beach read, there is also quite a lot of violence. If that is not your cup of joe, I would recommend looking elsewhere. Most of the book is set in a world where safety is the exception and death lurking around every corner is the norm. Inevitably, when confronted with a species that seeks your annihilation, there will be blood.

[Brooke ♥booklife4life♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

*A big thanks to NetGalley, and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for this ARC, this in no way affects my honest, and unbiased review*

This sequel does a good job of staying on track with the story from book 1, but we do get a new location and many new characters which I had a hard time keeping track of as the narrator didn't really change up their voice enough to make sure I knew who was talking.

My main issue with book 1 was the showing instead of telling, and while it's slightly less here, I can't fault them too much in this book as it's a brand-new planet and all the aliens are new to us, so we need a detailed description of all that.

I like the main character, not too 'manly' and doesn't have the ick towards other women in the book, iykyk.

I look forward to reading book 3 which I also have an ARC of so look forward to that!

[robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book just didn’t really feel like it advanced the story that much. It had a few pages of minor world building but I would say overall it just felt like filler.

The magic system on display is mildly interesting but that is about it. They also skip over a few instances where they could clearly gain more power so this book doesn’t even work great as a power fantasy.

I normally love reading Seth’s work but this book was just a bit disappointing.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A step up from book one, much of what was set up in book one grows dynamically making for a very gripping read. While there is still so interaction with other characters this book is very largely focused on Mark and his growth.
Watch out, for as just in the last book the ending is a shock. Great book to just enjoy and get swept up in.

[Yari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth Ring is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. In this next installment of the Exilian Syndrome series, Dark Dawn (book cover is in image), Ring, with his deliberate and methodical worldbuilding, further engages the reader in Marks story.

Ending up abandoned in the wilderness, Mark develops his powers while trying to evade those who would see him dead. Ending with a cliffhanger that left me wanting more, I can't wait to get to book 3, Apex.

Thank you, @blackstonepublishing for the opportunity to read the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date: Jun 05 2025
Rating: 5 Stars

#BlackstonePublising
#DarkDawn
#TheExlianSyndrome
#SethRing
#Dystopian
#ScienceFiction
#yarisbooknook
#netgalley

[Nick Pugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

cliffhangers. Wait until a few come out or you'll be pissed.

I hate cliffhangers with months before they resolved. The books good, the story is great.

All I can think about is that I have months to wait until another. I would have waited, had I known. Don't read this until at least one more comes out. It just pisses you off.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m fairly new to LitRPG books but this seems like an excellent example. Unlike the first one in this series —where we got to understand all the alchemy and powers people were born with or could develop, the world building, and relationship between brothers and his mentor— this book is all play. And by play I mean fighting. As the main character travels, he checked his levels. When he finishes a fight, he checks his levels. Sometimes before he enters a fight, he checks his levels. There are some very cool powers I wish I had (not so much the finger blades as the self-healing). And there’s a big mystery: why is he being sent into unwinnable situations without much training? Who is trying to get him killed? Unfortunately that will have to wait for the third book. The gist of this one is that he fights a lot and adds to his powers. And now girls don’t make him as nervous. But he’s not actually dated anyone yet. The hero is a fighter, not a lover. Since I’m the opposite, this book wasn’t my favorite. If you like action and adventure and don’t mind blood and guts, you may like this just fine. There just wasn’t as much novelty here.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BlackstoneAudio, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook of #DarkDawn for review purposes. It is now available.

[GaiusPrimus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story, but it left a bit to be desired

Firstly, I'll start by saying I enjoyed the story. I think a large part of that comes from the fact that book 1 was very good, so a lot of goodwill was built from it and I do want to see where the story goes.

The story does feel rushed. I don't mean the content itself, but the final result. Editing wise, it doesn't read like a Seth Ring novel, and there's a lot of repetition on the prose.

The background baddie also seems very cartoonish, with the pulling behind the scenes part, leading to some discontent anf lack of engagement from the reader.

As someone that has read everything but 2 books from this author, i'll wait to see what book 3 brings out, but I think this needed a couple of weeks more in the incubator.

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark Dawn (The Exlian Syndrome, #2) by Seth Ring

A sequel that trades the ensemble camaraderie and foundational worldbuilding of Advent for relentless survival action and power progression. Dark Dawn is a fast-paced, introspective installment—delivering strong solo character moments and RPG-inspired combat, though at times feeling unfocused, rushed, and reliant on cliffhangers to push the series forward.

Plot Summary:

Mark Fields—once a powerless dishwasher, now superpowered by a mysterious accident—is assigned to deploy with New Emery’s Engineering Corps to reclaim a lost manastone mine from the alien Exlian threat. He is thrust into the role with little training and teams up with a small squad, facing escalating danger, betrayal, and a desperate fight for survival as their mission unravels into political conspiracy and personal stakes.

Key Plot Arcs Include:

A dangerous journey through Exlian-infested wilderness
Multiple brushes with death, including moments of betrayal
Escalating threats leading to a tense battle deep within the mine
Growing awareness that Mark is entangled in hidden agendas and political machinations
A dramatic ending that introduces a major twist and cliffhanger


Comparison with Advent (Book 1):



Element
Advent (Book 1)
Dark Dawn (Book 2)


Pacing
Slower, setup-focused, community-driven
Fast, action-focused, momentum-driven


Cast & Character Focus
Ensemble cast with meaningful development
Mainly Mark’s perspective with temporary supporting cast


Worldbuilding
Established setting and society
Expansion into wilderness with new threats but less depth


Power Progression
Gradual and strategic
Frequent upgrades, boss fights, rapid progression


Plot Structure
Cohesive, focused arc
More chaotic pacing with major twists and a cliffhanger



Strengths:


Fresh character interactions and new environments
Strong action sequences and memorable confrontations
Creative progression system and intriguing companion dynamic
Expanded tone from structured society to wilderness survival
Engaging narration and pacing that works well in audio format


Weaknesses & Critiques:


Occasionally feels unfocused or rushed
Pacing fluctuates between rapid events and slower sections
The protagonist can feel reactive rather than proactive
Supporting cast sometimes lacks depth
Villains and political elements may feel generic
Ends on a major cliffhanger with limited closure


Comparative Context (Genre):


Positive: Delivers leveling systems, boss fights, and high-stakes adventure common in LitRPG and progression fantasy.
Negative: Less emotional payoff and character depth than comparable ensemble-focused series.
Unique: A protagonist defined by optimism and sincerity rather than sarcasm or antihero tropes.


Conclusion:
Dark Dawn is an adrenaline-driven LitRPG sequel that emphasizes progression, combat, and survival over slow-burn character development or emotional resonance. It remains entertaining and fast-moving, especially for readers drawn to solo-survival storylines, rapid skill growth, and action-packed pacing. Fans of the first book will likely continue eagerly—though the ending strongly signals more story to come.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✩✩ (3.0/5) — Exciting and fast-paced, but less emotionally rich and cohesive than the first book.

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action, mystery, thrill, betrayal, relationships and some chaos. Mark really gets into some shit in this book. Great progression of character throughout, it will be interesting to see what’s next for Mark. Mark says it best in this book, “whenever one question seems to be answered, two more come up in its place…”.

Loved the fast-paced read, finished it over just four days. A great addition to the series and I can’t wait to see what the third installment brings. If you love action and thrills this series from Seth Ring is definitely looking to be a killer read throughout.

[Joshua Chadd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic follow-up to an explosive first book. I usually enjoy the first entry in a series the most, but book two doesn’t disappoint! Mark spends much of this installment alone, struggling to survive in the wilderness far from civilization. He faces all kinds of threats in hostile territory, giving this story strong survival vibes—except with the twist that the main character has some seriously badass powers to keep him alive.

The pacing is great, and the last quarter had me on the edge of my seat. And that ending! I knew something big was coming, but I didn’t see that twist at all. I’ve already jumped straight into book three, and I’m blown away by how many distinct themes Seth weaves together in this series. Incredible work. Book three, here we go!

[Caleb Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

TL;DR: Starts enjoyable but rushed, struggles in the middle, and flops at the end, making you glad the book is finally over.

This review contains spoilers and some harsh (and I hope fair) critique.
After the first 15 chapters, the book is a series of promises without delivery. It begins with a series of promises of what the book is going to be about:
1. Travel 500 miles through the wilderness
2. Survive in fights against the Exlian
3. Betrayal set up by Noah's father.
4. Get stronger.

All of this happens in the first 15 chapters, leaving the reader wondering how there could be another 30 chapters in the book. In those 15 chapters, this happens:
1. They make it to the mine
2. They fight Exlians along the way
3. Sergeant R buries Mark alive
4. Mark survives and makes it to C-Rank, gaining new abilities.
All of this would have made for a good standalone novel in the series, even knowing betrayal is coming. If it had been done correctly, it would have been a banger of a novel. Mark could have made friends with his compatriots, showed he was a valuable member of the team, earned the respect of his fellows, then have a "curse your sudden, but inevitable betrayal" moment at the end of the novel, before Mark uses his learned powers in a creative way to survive. We set up the next book. It would all work out. However, we get a somewhat rushed beginning to the story with these first 15 chapters. It feels bizarre as the next part of the story unfolds at a leisurely pace, and the narrative meanders.

I like the author, though, so I finished the book, although I almost wished I hadn't, because nothing significant happened in the last 2/3 of the story.

1. While Mark is surviving on his own, he meets a humanoid Exlian that he knows is dangerous, but it's scared away by Mime. Does anything happen with it? No! No fight later, while Mime can't help. He sees it, tries to communicate, and it gives him a headache. There is no conflict with the monster at all, but rather a tension that remains inadequately unresolved.
2. Mark learns there is an underground laboratory at the mine. It seems like the whole mining operation would interfere with the structural integrity of an underground laboratory, but that's fine. They probably figured it out. There's a huge threat down there with multiple Terror Exlians and a Nest. Cool, let's get out of here, head back to the city, and warn people. Do we go back to the city? No! On his way to the city, Mark meets up with a Ranger force tasked with destroying the laboratory and reopening the mine. So, back to the mine we go, just another broken promise to the reader, but at least the story is going somewhere, and we want to see a fight with the Nest and Terrors anyway.
3. They go down to collapse the lab, hopefully killing the Nest in the process. The two most powerful people have to fight the crab monster at the bottom, because... reasons. They are trying to blow up structural support beams throughout the lab, so that they can collapse it (don't mind the mining operation above). Still, the best healer and the super-powerful telekinetic mage both need to fight the crab at the bottom of the central stairway while everyone else tries to accomplish the mission. Also, why are we splitting the party? Do they not read? Anyway, we have the explosives, but they won't go off until they are all set, but of course, there's interference with the signal, and the bombs won't go off until the Nest is destroyed. There we go. Destroy the Nest, which is going to be our boss battle, then Mark can go home, and we'll resolve most of the story, but still have a cliffhanger at the end. Sounds good, right? Right? Wrong. There are still 10 chapters left AFTER THE BOSS BATTLE.
4. After the big boss battle, we have no more major fights for Mark. Stuff happens, but unlike other LitRPGs, the author subverts the typical progression storyline. In most stories, the main character gets stronger throughout the story, defeats the big baddie, and then is able to show someone (usually a bully) at the beginning of the story how powerful he is now through talent, hard work, and luck. In this story, however, we just get ten chapters of things happening around and to Mark, while he does absolutely nothing.
- Incoming horde! Does he fight? No! He watches the Exlians get destroyed by cool weapons. Cool scene, but Mark is a passive bystander.
- Incoming humanoid Exlian from point #1. Does he fight it? No! He gets a headache and goes back to camp. Mark is passive.
The last ten chapters or so of the story leave you feeling like Mark got a significant boost to his strength early on in the story, but that he never gets the chance to be awesome after that.
At the very end, when he gets framed for murder, the reader is left feeling as if the MC is along for the ride in his own story.

I will continue reading the series, if only because I enjoy the world-building and the combination of magic and science in the story, which is done pretty well. At this point, it also feels like a sunk cost for me. I'm in two books, and there are two more on the horizon with release dates. I'll read the next one and hope the storytelling in the next book improves.

[Travis Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit better than okay. Just enough to keep my attention and a more than solid enough ending for me to anticipate the next book. 👍🏽

[Julei · Rating 4 out of 5]

LitRPG is new to me but I am finding I like the action and following Mark as he learns. Compared to B1 (5 stars for me) which had a lot of world building and character engagement ..this installment was more just leveling up.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing that ends on a cliff hanger gets more than 2

I started this series because it listed 4 books the first was great and the second was good until the cliffhanger I thought it was not problem there are two books left but the other are not even released yet books should not be listed in a series if they are not already out and I absolutely detest cliff hangars

[Gareth Otton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story falls afoul of a growing trend I have seen in many series like this lately; abandoning most of the story set-up in the first book to instead tell a different story. In this case, it was not so blatant as to massively impact my enjoyment of the overall story and label the series a bait-and-switch, but it was enough to frustrate me.

This book uses a twist of fate to abandon the training academy storyline and take Mark out of the city, away from all the other characters introduced in the first book. This means that rather than expanding on the storylines and relationships from the first book and naturally progressing and developing them, we are instead thrust into a new scenario with new storylines and new characters to get to know. The plot threads introduced in the first book are forgotten enough to feel jarring, and the side characters from the first book are abandoned long enough that when they appear again, there is no emotional impact because they are clearly not important enough for the story to care about not abandoning them for a whole book at a time.

The only real continued forward progression any storyline from the first book gets is the development of Mark's powers, and this was a little frustrating as well. On the one hand, it is good to see them develop at quite a quick pace (the one positive of his being in this new environment). However, on the other hand, it is frustrating that Mark still shows a distinct lack of curiosity about uncovering the mysteries around them. It is the plot that forces Mark to improve with his powers, and not his own agency. You would think, considering the surprising ways that his powers are unfolding, that he might want to explore those mysteries a little more, but once more, they are all but forgotten when the plot needs him to stop caring about them and move on again.

Overall, I still enjoyed this story, but it wasn't nearly so solidly written as the first book in this series. It hasn't done enough wrong to make me want to stop reading, but it did leave more quite frustrated a lot at how this story is developing. I was hoping for a sequel that would explore some of the previously established mysteries and develop the existing plot threads and relationships, but instead, this story pushed most of that aside to head down a different path.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

✧ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ, @BlackstonePublishing #BlackstoneAudiobooks #NetGalley

➤ 𝚂𝚈𝙽𝙾𝙿𝚂𝙸𝚂

In Dark Dawn, the fast-paced sequel to Advent, Mark is sent on a perilous mission to reclaim a manastone mine overtaken by the Exlian threat, despite having no training and a team of misfits by his side. His squad includes a city-bound commander, two warrior brothers eager for a glorious end, and a genius researcher with more dangerous ideas than sense. As the group ventures into the wilderness, Mark must rely on everything he has learned over the past year, plus the odd help of his mysterious cat Mime, to survive the horrors waiting below and make it back to New Emery alive.

➤ 𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂

Seth Ring continues to impress with Dark Dawn, the second entry in the Exilian Syndrome series and a clear level-up from the first. The pacing is tight and the action relentless, yet the book takes a deeper dive into Mark’s development, both in power and personality. With much of the story unfolding in the wilderness, we get a more introspective look at Mark as he grapples with survival, evasion, and his evolving abilities. We also see more of Mime, whose role is growing from mysterious companion to something far more integral and fascinating. The shift away from the familiar setting of New Emery opens the world up in compelling ways, especially through new encounters with the Exlian threat.
Ring’s deliberate worldbuilding is on full display, and while the plot answers some questions, it tosses out even more, keeping the tension high and the pages turning. The ending drops a cliffhanger sharp enough to leave a mark, and like many others, I’m already eager for Apex. If you enjoy action-heavy sci-fi with RPG flavor, sharp character arcs, and just enough mystery to keep you guessing, this series is quickly shaping up to be a must-read. I tore through this one in just a few days and still wasn’t ready to leave.

[Arturo Cofresi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting future for the human race in a world where they ended up on the menu, forcing a new evolution on themselves in order to survive. Enjoyable to read or listen to if a bit predictable, which isn't a bad thing if done right.

The political intrigue in this one is a bit more straightforward and clear. Interesting plot twists that are not too convoluted with ok pacing. Thankfully this series keep the prattling of stats prevalent in LitRPG books to an absolute minimum. The fights are well done and the tension isn't excessive and very well crafted.

There were a few detriments I must list however. There were chapters where the story slogged but my main gripe was the cliffhanger. It's is infuriating, I detests such things and wish the book had ended before it, just like the previous book. Makes me want to dump the series until its fully complete, since I feel it will happen again and again.

I have read another book series with a very similar progression of settings, the character begins in a city, then second book goes to a wilderness that is teeming with monsters and then he gets thrown in prison after falling into a trap laid by political antagonists where his powers are stripped. This is just an observation not really a complaint.

[E.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting next edition to this series!

I enjoyed the book, I did, but I found the pacing to be…interesting? I didn’t so much mind Marks solo adventures and it could just be that I’m not a video game player, but some of this felt like such a slow down from the initial book and action. A lot less characters, a lot less ground coveted (this mostly all happens in a mine), and growth in Mark for sure but not because of what he had to do tangibly but, for lack of better terms, what he ate.

I get it, it’s part of the game aspect of this book so it’s not bad, but I would have loved to connect more with him and what these changes mean to those around him (but no one was around) vs him on his own.

Wasn’t a huge fan of the ending either (again, I get it and it’s a nice cliffhanger!) but it felt a little too pointed and a lot too easy.

While this sounds negative, I did enjoy the book! It’s fun, unique, and I like the super-human aspects of it a lot. I think it’s going to resonate with readers and bring us back for book 3 (I know it has for me) but I wish a few things had been smoothed out emotionally.

Def give this series a try if you like LitRPG - it’s so much fun!

My rating: 3.8*

—-
Thanks to the publisher for this gifted audio copy! All opinions are my own.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Dawn caught me off guard in the best possible way. I didn’t expect the story to head in the direction it did, but the journey was compelling, immersive, and ultimately very satisfying. The pacing struck a great balance—starting at a moderate speed to build context and gradually picking up momentum as the plot unfolded. I love when a story takes the time to lay groundwork early on, then uses that foundation to drive the action in meaningful and exciting ways.

One of the standout aspects for me was the character development, especially of the main character, Mark. The story is told so effectively through his perspective that it feels like you’re experiencing the journey right alongside him. Without giving any spoilers, I’ll just say that watching his powers evolve was a real highlight of the book.

As a sequel to Advent, Dark Dawn is a strong continuation that expands the world in fresh and unexpected ways. The setting may be different, but it complements the first book beautifully and deepens the overarching narrative. I’d highly recommend this to fans of science fiction, litRPG, and anyone who enjoys Seth Ring’s work. I’m already looking forward to the next installment.

[Alex Stane · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I was really interested to see the direction this story was going, I'm sorry to say that my interest in this series was diminished by the time I finished reading this book. The plot line with the protagonist's brother kept my interest until the end, but after the main character was separated from his group due to some nefarious plotting, I was just trying to get to the end of the book.

The events following the mine collapse moved along rather slowly, and that includes any advancement of both the story and Mark's powers. It feels like there will be more moments in future books where the main character is focused on taking down the corruption in the city, which isn't a bad thing in itself until you take into account that he won't accept help from those around him.

The main character also feels a bit... oblivious to me? He doesn't seem to care to go into the specifics of how his powers work, which doesn't seem like the move someone would make when they're trapped alone in a forest surrounded by Exlians. I don't know. Either way, I don't think I'll be continuing this series until much later, when I finish some other series in the queue.

[Carl Blakemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just to note: I'm a fan of Seth Ring's books in general, and I was able to review as an early DRC on NetGalley.


Book 2 kicks things up! After reading through the second book, I can confidently say I'm really enjoying this series so far. Without really going into details / spoilers (hopefully), I will say that the majority of this book focuses on Mark coming to understand more about his powers, and ways for him to grow in strength. There are interactions with other characters (book 1 and new), but largely this is all Mark trying to survive and grow stronger. Likewise, we don't get a lot of world building in this one, there are a few things that we come to learn, but mostly you can see where things are established that will help bring about discoveries that will come later. The end of this book is a bit cliffhanger-ish, it's not bad, but you are definitely left wanting to dive right into book 3 and see what happens next. All-in-all, I found it to be a great read! Can't wait for more!

[Joshua Del Toro · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked book one, you are going to LOVE book two! I think one of the reasons I didn't rate book 1 over 4/5 is because there was a lot of ground it covered and I think it could have used a few more chapters to dive in to it all. That changed in this book, it's still fast pace with a lot going on, but it doesn't feel overwhelming or like it's hard to keep up.

The pacing was perfect, the twists were going in a few directions, and we saw a lot of character development. Yes, I will say I had a feeling a lot of us can guess certain twists, but I think it's intentional. I feel like something is coming in book three and I am excited to find out what, especially with the way book 2 ends.

I feel like this is Lit-RPG but I also feel like it doesn't quite fit into that category. A friend of mine said it's similar to progression fantasy, so now I need to go read more in that genre, because this series is fantastic!

Actual rating: 4.5/5
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book!

[MizzyRed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the frying pan of the city and into the fire of the wilderness, with even more dangers, both of the wild and from mysterious factions of the city who want what Mark is made of. It makes for crazy wild times at the mines but thankfully Mark has a bit more time to figure out his powers (odd though they may be) and to make some advancements (along with the ever helpful and wonderful Mime!) It was nice to see more of the world outside the city walls, even if it brings more questions about how Mark got his powers and what he is actually capable of. I really hope he can beat the forces arrayed against him because they are totally awful, especially when they don't even care whether the innocent people with Mark end up dead, unnoticeable casualties on their way for more power. Be warned, this ends on a humdinger of a cliffhanger which I will say gets Mark out of the fire and into a raging inferno of trouble! I cannot wait for the next book to be released!!!

This is a great series and I happily sped through this second book, even though I now need the third book right away!

[Kaleigh Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Even better than the first! I really appreciated that we got even more insight into Mark’s power and how he’s leveling up his abilities. Also, we see more of Mime and I feel like we’re finally starting to understand more of what she can do, and how she’s related to Mark’s newfound awakening.

This second book definitely has a different tone and setting to the first - Mark actually spends a lot of this book alone in the wilderness so we get some more character development and introspection out of him compared to the first which focused more on his training and building relationships within the camp. This also allowed for us to see what the world is like outside of New Emery and get interactions with different types of Exlian, which for me was a huge plus!

Just when you think you know what’s going on, you’re hit with even more questions that will make you want to keep reading. Warning - we’re definitely left on a cliffhanger and I’m already impatiently waiting on the third book in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

[Will Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first book, and had high hopes for the second one. It's been a bit of a let down as it's felt more of book 1.5 than a true full book, but not enough to stop me from going on to books three.

My two main issues is the MCs wilfull ignorance/lack of interest in his own powers and abilities. Every weird thing is constantly handwaves or "well, that's cool" and we move on. Have a little bit more introspection my guy.

Second issue is an approach I've seen litrpgs take semi-recently, which is MCs who are constantly annoyed by or ignoring system notices. It's not even litrpg-lite, it feels more like authors who are annoyed by the genre they themselves chose to write in. Some times, like this one, it feels more like a straight up fantasy/scifi than litrpg.

Anyway, I'll keep reading; it's just that a scene came up when the MC, yet again, ignored his notices and I got annoyed enough to come write it out and make it your problem (if you read this far).

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for the ALC of Dark Dawn.
As I mentioned in book 1 review, I received this ALC for Dark Dawn before realizing it was book 2 like a dummy. But regardless glad I did, after reading book 1, I jumped right into the ALC.

This is narrated by Pavi Proczko and I feel like they did a good job. At first I didn't notice the small differences between the characters but as I progressed through the story it got easier to notice the different character voices. I really liked book 2 way more than book 1. It's has a much faster pace and there is so much going on - but still easy to follow. Honestly it's just overall a clean series and a fun time. I don't think it takes itself too seriously and I'm intrigued to see how the series continues.


#BlackstoneAudiobooks #NetGalley

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this audio DRC from NetGalley.

It has been a while since reading the first book in this series, but it was pretty easy to jump into this one anyway. I listened to the audiobook this time, and I liked the narrator. The story was fast-paced, and even though it spent a lot of time with Mark being alone (and not really talking much about the characters from the first book), it managed to stay interesting as he is leveling up and learning more about his powers. I think some of my favorite parts involve Mime, and so I would've liked to see more of those interactions. We're also introduced to different, more specific types of exlians, which was also interesting. I liked the diversity in their characteristics - it made the fighting scenes more intriguing. Overall, this was a fun book, and I'll be continuing on with the series.

[Splke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contrived plot that makes the main character seem/he is a complete and utter moron.

I almost stopped reading after he went along with his assignment which was so obviously a trap, the idiocy completely broke my suspension of disbelief. Then after it was a trap, surprise surprise and he survived, he managed to survive a 2nd trap. THEN he goes back to the city like nothing happened, like the people who are trying to get him are just gonna do nothing. THEN he gets arrested by obviously corrupt police and he just goes along with the whole idiotic process and ends up with a life sentence and is basically put into a jailed drug coma without trying to escape as an end to the book. SO DUMB.

This book is an idiot sandwich, the two pieces of bread are SO SO SO DUMB, but the filling of the sandwich is actually pretty good which I actually really enjoyed, so I'm giving it 3 stars.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely a DNF. Couldn't even get past the first couple chapters. There's character development and then there's just sheer stupidity. Sometimes when an author writes a character and the character says stupid crap, you ask yourself, did you not pay attention to what just happened to you in the previous book? Absolutely silly, stupid and ridiculous, cannot continue.

The straw that broke the camel back for me was the conversation between main character and his brother, where main character has very plain and obvious advice given to him by his older brother, and main character responds, attacking the brother, completely ignoring the way the main character is treated in the entire first book by the military's leadership.