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RWBY #2
Before the Dawn
A storm is coming...
It's been a few months since Coco, Fox, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi's strange mission in the desert, and they've been working hard to track down Carmine and Bertilak's boss, The Crown, who is snatching up people with powerful semblances. The job should be easier with Team SSSN by their side, but The Crown continues to slip through their fingers. With nowhere else to turn, CFVY and SSSN try to get Theodore, the Headmaster of Shade Academy, involved, but Theodore has plans of his own.
Disturbed by the disasters at Beacon and Haven Academies, and struggling to take in the flood of refugee students, Theodore declares a new initiation for all Shade students-including the formation of new teams. Unsure of whom they can trust, CFVY and SSSN must contend with new teammates and uneasy rivalries, all while The Crown continues to plot their next move.
Don't miss this exclusive, original story straight from award-winning author E.C. Myers and RWBY's head writers, Kerry Shawcross and Miles Luna!
It's been a few months since Coco, Fox, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi's strange mission in the desert, and they've been working hard to track down Carmine and Bertilak's boss, The Crown, who is snatching up people with powerful semblances. The job should be easier with Team SSSN by their side, but The Crown continues to slip through their fingers. With nowhere else to turn, CFVY and SSSN try to get Theodore, the Headmaster of Shade Academy, involved, but Theodore has plans of his own.
Disturbed by the disasters at Beacon and Haven Academies, and struggling to take in the flood of refugee students, Theodore declares a new initiation for all Shade students-including the formation of new teams. Unsure of whom they can trust, CFVY and SSSN must contend with new teammates and uneasy rivalries, all while The Crown continues to plot their next move.
Don't miss this exclusive, original story straight from award-winning author E.C. Myers and RWBY's head writers, Kerry Shawcross and Miles Luna!
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2020
64 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
About the author
E.C. Myers
108 books404 followersE.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised in Yonkers, NY by his mother and the public library. He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of the prolific NYC writing group Altered Fluid. In the rare moments when he isn't writing, he blogs about Star Trek at The Viewscreen, reads constantly, plays video games, watches films and television, sleeps as little as possible, and spends far too much time on the internet. His first novel, FAIR COIN, won the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.
WATTPAD: http://www.wattpad.com/user/ecmyers
WATTPAD: http://www.wattpad.com/user/ecmyers
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July 18, 2020I wrote this!
December 29, 2020
(Warning for very minor spoilers)
A Storm In The Making
Despite its shorter length and lighthearted nature, Before The Dawn was one of my most anticipated books of the year. As a long term fan of the series who also fell in love with everything After The Fall, I can safely say that this book brought all the joy I’ve expected from it to my life and more. Myers has an excellent understanding of the characters which he also executes masterfully through his writing style- The narrative may appear a bit simplistic at first glance but it doesn’t take too much time see how none of the character’s depths or the tone of the story is lost to it, which makes up a pretty immersing and fast-paced read.
I know that logically I should begin with actually happens in the book, but the characterization is the first thing I genuinely want to mention as it is completely blew me away in its prequel. Despite the cover creating a sense that the spotlight is going to shine on team SSSN this time, team CFVY is the heart of the story this time as well and they are charmingly well fleshed out and compelling as you really get to see them as one whole now. Even at the times they’re seperated, their understanding of each other shows their full potential as a team who has truly put in the effort to work things out and to embrace one another family. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t any room for growth left for any of them, however it does place them as a pretty clear contrast to team SSSN and all the other teams we encounter throughout the story who are haven’t figured out how to be more than a group of students put together by the world. Yet even without the narrative purposes of their newly developed teamwork, simply having them together and watching their interactions was a blessing (I could read an entire book about Coco and Fox having late night conversations). In terms of SSSN, we also get a deeper look into Sun and his relationships with people both in and outside of his team as well as the consequences of all the times he made the decision to go off on his own. Even though it felt like these problems were concluded a bit too abruptly in the end, seeing more of the way he thinks about relationships, belonging and community as well as how they are rooted in his upbringing really made him even more genuine to me. For the rest of team, all I can say is that I wish we could have seen more of them: Scarlet got the most spotlight with his righteous anger towards Sun, Neptune was well, Neptune and I think Sage gave a nod once.
In terms of the plot itself, this is where Before The Dawn paled in comparison to After The Fall for me. Some parts feel rushed and out of place- the ending battle seemed too big of an event to have been introduced to and dealt with it on such short notice. Some of the incidents that introduced a lot of potential to explore new dynamics and world building aspects felt wasted such as the whole arrangement of new teams. (Yes there are a lot of more intelligent and coherent narrative aspects I can give as an example for this, yes I’m also simply sad that we didn’t get to see Coco and Scarlet being the gay best friend duo we deserved) But such execution criticisms aside, the overall direction the story had in terms of The Crown was very appealing and a delight of a ride, and in the end that’s how I feel about this book. A character driven story that instantly grasps you and offers some of the best elements of RWBY whether it is its very well established setting and history, nuances of its magic system, the greatly paced adventure and immensely lovable characters. I have officially adopted Team CVFY and I already feel their absence. Whether it be with another sequel or the show itself, I can’t wait to see them again and thank E. C. Myers for bringing them to life.
A Storm In The Making
Despite its shorter length and lighthearted nature, Before The Dawn was one of my most anticipated books of the year. As a long term fan of the series who also fell in love with everything After The Fall, I can safely say that this book brought all the joy I’ve expected from it to my life and more. Myers has an excellent understanding of the characters which he also executes masterfully through his writing style- The narrative may appear a bit simplistic at first glance but it doesn’t take too much time see how none of the character’s depths or the tone of the story is lost to it, which makes up a pretty immersing and fast-paced read.
I know that logically I should begin with actually happens in the book, but the characterization is the first thing I genuinely want to mention as it is completely blew me away in its prequel. Despite the cover creating a sense that the spotlight is going to shine on team SSSN this time, team CFVY is the heart of the story this time as well and they are charmingly well fleshed out and compelling as you really get to see them as one whole now. Even at the times they’re seperated, their understanding of each other shows their full potential as a team who has truly put in the effort to work things out and to embrace one another family. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t any room for growth left for any of them, however it does place them as a pretty clear contrast to team SSSN and all the other teams we encounter throughout the story who are haven’t figured out how to be more than a group of students put together by the world. Yet even without the narrative purposes of their newly developed teamwork, simply having them together and watching their interactions was a blessing (I could read an entire book about Coco and Fox having late night conversations). In terms of SSSN, we also get a deeper look into Sun and his relationships with people both in and outside of his team as well as the consequences of all the times he made the decision to go off on his own. Even though it felt like these problems were concluded a bit too abruptly in the end, seeing more of the way he thinks about relationships, belonging and community as well as how they are rooted in his upbringing really made him even more genuine to me. For the rest of team, all I can say is that I wish we could have seen more of them: Scarlet got the most spotlight with his righteous anger towards Sun, Neptune was well, Neptune and I think Sage gave a nod once.
In terms of the plot itself, this is where Before The Dawn paled in comparison to After The Fall for me. Some parts feel rushed and out of place- the ending battle seemed too big of an event to have been introduced to and dealt with it on such short notice. Some of the incidents that introduced a lot of potential to explore new dynamics and world building aspects felt wasted such as the whole arrangement of new teams. (Yes there are a lot of more intelligent and coherent narrative aspects I can give as an example for this, yes I’m also simply sad that we didn’t get to see Coco and Scarlet being the gay best friend duo we deserved) But such execution criticisms aside, the overall direction the story had in terms of The Crown was very appealing and a delight of a ride, and in the end that’s how I feel about this book. A character driven story that instantly grasps you and offers some of the best elements of RWBY whether it is its very well established setting and history, nuances of its magic system, the greatly paced adventure and immensely lovable characters. I have officially adopted Team CVFY and I already feel their absence. Whether it be with another sequel or the show itself, I can’t wait to see them again and thank E. C. Myers for bringing them to life.
August 17, 2020
First off, stan Fox Alistair. Second, OH MY GOSH THAT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!!! I have so much love and appreciation for Sun (not that I didn't before, but my gosh has it grown), Neptune is a bay who must be protected at all costs, Yatsu is the most precious sweetest cinnamon roll that has ever existed, Velvet is such a sweetheart and I love her. If you love RWBY, do yourself a favor and read this now. Also stan Fox Alistair.
This review is sponsored by the Stan Fox Alistair Association
This review is sponsored by the Stan Fox Alistair Association
July 21, 2020
A very sharp drop compared to After the Fall that failed to innovate or improve on the flaws in the writers' style (his prose, description and fight choreoraphy work all fall flat here). Despite their billing, Team SSSN are treated very poorly and used primarily for weak comic relief.
I found the book very disappointing and would not recommend it.
I found the book very disappointing and would not recommend it.
October 19, 2020
I really liked this book. I liked hearing about what team CFVY and team SSSN were doing. My main problem was just that I really didn’t like Sun’s point of view. But I do feel like I got to know some of the other characters a bit better as well.
September 8, 2025
So, somehow I left this book a Sun-stan…and not even because of how he is characterized in the book. Really don’t know how that happened.
Anyway: this was solidly entertaining for me, even if I’d say that this installment is slightly weaker than the first one. Which is mostly done to the central conflict and issues with opening up the cast of characters a little too wide.
The conflict was a little out of nowhere. Yes, it was an extension of something hinted at in book 1, but in just one book you needed to built up all the lore relevant to the conflict as it wasn’t present in the series before. (I’m not going to spoil it here, just know that it has nothing to do with what is happening in the webseries, I’d say)
About the characters:
I was really excited to learn more about Sun and saw great potential in the conflict between him and his team, but sadly, that got a little left on the wayside in the second half. Instead of now focusing on team SSSN alongside team CVFY, this books suffers a bit from cast bloat. We get a lot of little side characters thrown at us to the point that I didn’t know who to concentrate on. Which then resulted in a lot of characters remaining shallow and unexplored.
Especially because the cover makes you think that team SSSN gets to be a bit more in the center, I was disappointed that that’s not really the case (Sun is more in the center, Scarlet gets his little side story, Neptune is only explored in like one scene and Sage…is like there? But I don’t think I’ve learned anything about him? There was like one line at the end that showed a hint of character but other than that he was basically none-existent to the plot).
I also think the conflict I was most interested in (Sun vs SSN) was not actually resolved, but more sacrificed to the “we want a happy ending so everyone is fine no, fuck actual character development” (seriously, Scarlet going from wanting the best leader to going “well, at least you’re not the worst” was extremely underwhelming). And I’m going to admit: I wanted more angst! There was a lot of potential here! But it was left unexplored!
Overall, I had fun. Was it the best book ever written? No. But fun and fast-paced. I got through it rather quickly because I was invested in plot and characters and even if it has some serious flaws, I still enjoyed myself. So: if you are a fan of the RWBY franchise and liked book 1, you will probably like this one, too.
Anyway: this was solidly entertaining for me, even if I’d say that this installment is slightly weaker than the first one. Which is mostly done to the central conflict and issues with opening up the cast of characters a little too wide.
The conflict was a little out of nowhere. Yes, it was an extension of something hinted at in book 1, but in just one book you needed to built up all the lore relevant to the conflict as it wasn’t present in the series before. (I’m not going to spoil it here, just know that it has nothing to do with what is happening in the webseries, I’d say)
About the characters:
I was really excited to learn more about Sun and saw great potential in the conflict between him and his team, but sadly, that got a little left on the wayside in the second half. Instead of now focusing on team SSSN alongside team CVFY, this books suffers a bit from cast bloat. We get a lot of little side characters thrown at us to the point that I didn’t know who to concentrate on. Which then resulted in a lot of characters remaining shallow and unexplored.
Especially because the cover makes you think that team SSSN gets to be a bit more in the center, I was disappointed that that’s not really the case (Sun is more in the center, Scarlet gets his little side story, Neptune is only explored in like one scene and Sage…is like there? But I don’t think I’ve learned anything about him? There was like one line at the end that showed a hint of character but other than that he was basically none-existent to the plot).
I also think the conflict I was most interested in (Sun vs SSN) was not actually resolved, but more sacrificed to the “we want a happy ending so everyone is fine no, fuck actual character development” (seriously, Scarlet going from wanting the best leader to going “well, at least you’re not the worst” was extremely underwhelming). And I’m going to admit: I wanted more angst! There was a lot of potential here! But it was left unexplored!
Overall, I had fun. Was it the best book ever written? No. But fun and fast-paced. I got through it rather quickly because I was invested in plot and characters and even if it has some serious flaws, I still enjoyed myself. So: if you are a fan of the RWBY franchise and liked book 1, you will probably like this one, too.
July 30, 2020
FIRST PART OF THE REVIEW SPOILER-FREE
Let me start by saying... wow. I thought After the Fall was a bit mediocre, certainly not bad and an enjoyable read, but dragged down by its numerous flaws. Because of that, I kept my expectations in check going into this book. Turns out, I really shouldn't have. Before the Dawn is amazing! It's a massive improvement over After the Fall, and was an absolute joy to read start to finish! It's still not perfect, but I 100% recommend it to any and all RWBY fans. Start with After the Fall though - it's still worth it.
I'll do a breakdown of what I think this book did right and wrong:
THE GOOD
BtD's biggest strength: Characters. They already felt very alive in AtF, with the traditional RWBY-style quippy, wholesome dialogue, but this book gives them a lot more depth. And that's despite its huge main cast. Most characters don't actually get that much screentime, but they do the most with what they're given. Previously established behaviours come back to bite them big time and force them to reexamine their values. Their flaws hit them in the face and force them to grow.
The character arcs are also much more structured than in AtF - set-up in the beginning, payed off at the end. You can tell more or less what growth each character is gonna go through from the first few chapters, and I don't think that's a bad thing - it only makes the journey all the more compelling.
Arguments between characters are incredibly interesting, because Myers manages to see both sides' point of view, making compelling arguments even for the side he thinks is in the wrong. The Beacon Brigade scenes are hands down my favourites.
The plot is also fantastic. The mystery is very engaging, and the reveals are well-spaced so the plot stays fresh. The second half is especially intense, though it has a major flaw that leads us into...
THE BAD
Most of my previous praise applies to the first half. The second half becomes a lot more plot-driven. While gripping, it drops most character arcs, only to then awkwardly resolve them at the end without us having actually seen most of the journey. It's a similar feeling to Weiss' faunus arc in Volume 1: "I've had 12 hours to think about this and I've decided that I learned a lesson". It's not as bad here because the larger time gap helps hide the fact that the development happens offscreen, but it's still frustrating.
It's like the book's 2 halves have thoroughly different strengths and flaws. The first half is a fascinating, fairly slow-paced character piece with amazing development, the second is an intense thriller that neglects its characters.
THE SPOILERS (minor spoilers from here on out)
Sun is the best example of both the best and the worst this book has to offer. His initial conflict is super interesting: His tendency to be a lone wolf, running after Blake in Volume 4, comes back to bite him when his team is just fed up with this attitude. But even though Sun is clearly in the wrong for the most part, we still understand why he feels the way he does, we understand his life philosophy and how it clashes with the others. His arc has one of the best set-ups I've ever seen, definitely the best in the world of RWBY. But in the second half, all of that is thrown into the gutter. We understand why he is the way he is, but we don't understand what makes him change. By the end, the payoff doesn't feel earned. Which is such a shame, because the payoff itself is pretty good for the most part (though not as good as the set-up) - but we're missing the meat in between the two that would've made the arc work.
The finale is way bigger than I expected and epic af, and the way it's resolved is very satisfying. Here though, I think we suffer from the fact that we only get to see very little from the main villains, and only towards the end. The villains themselves are fascinating, with so much potential for depth, but in practice they end up being fairly shallow. The ending in general feels like it was trying to cram in a resolution that shouldn't have happened until book 3.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Despite my problems with the book I still really, really love it. It feels like it's one draft away from being a masterpiece - brilliant writing, brilliant characters, just a few issues that prevent it from achieving its full potential. And of course, it's a blast to read from start to finish. If you're a RWBY fan, then drop everything and go read it right now! It's worth it!
Also, I eagerly await the sequel. I really hope this turns into a full-fledged book series, I'd read the hell out of it.
Let me start by saying... wow. I thought After the Fall was a bit mediocre, certainly not bad and an enjoyable read, but dragged down by its numerous flaws. Because of that, I kept my expectations in check going into this book. Turns out, I really shouldn't have. Before the Dawn is amazing! It's a massive improvement over After the Fall, and was an absolute joy to read start to finish! It's still not perfect, but I 100% recommend it to any and all RWBY fans. Start with After the Fall though - it's still worth it.
I'll do a breakdown of what I think this book did right and wrong:
THE GOOD
BtD's biggest strength: Characters. They already felt very alive in AtF, with the traditional RWBY-style quippy, wholesome dialogue, but this book gives them a lot more depth. And that's despite its huge main cast. Most characters don't actually get that much screentime, but they do the most with what they're given. Previously established behaviours come back to bite them big time and force them to reexamine their values. Their flaws hit them in the face and force them to grow.
The character arcs are also much more structured than in AtF - set-up in the beginning, payed off at the end. You can tell more or less what growth each character is gonna go through from the first few chapters, and I don't think that's a bad thing - it only makes the journey all the more compelling.
Arguments between characters are incredibly interesting, because Myers manages to see both sides' point of view, making compelling arguments even for the side he thinks is in the wrong. The Beacon Brigade scenes are hands down my favourites.
The plot is also fantastic. The mystery is very engaging, and the reveals are well-spaced so the plot stays fresh. The second half is especially intense, though it has a major flaw that leads us into...
THE BAD
Most of my previous praise applies to the first half. The second half becomes a lot more plot-driven. While gripping, it drops most character arcs, only to then awkwardly resolve them at the end without us having actually seen most of the journey. It's a similar feeling to Weiss' faunus arc in Volume 1: "I've had 12 hours to think about this and I've decided that I learned a lesson". It's not as bad here because the larger time gap helps hide the fact that the development happens offscreen, but it's still frustrating.
It's like the book's 2 halves have thoroughly different strengths and flaws. The first half is a fascinating, fairly slow-paced character piece with amazing development, the second is an intense thriller that neglects its characters.
THE SPOILERS (minor spoilers from here on out)
Sun is the best example of both the best and the worst this book has to offer. His initial conflict is super interesting: His tendency to be a lone wolf, running after Blake in Volume 4, comes back to bite him when his team is just fed up with this attitude. But even though Sun is clearly in the wrong for the most part, we still understand why he feels the way he does, we understand his life philosophy and how it clashes with the others. His arc has one of the best set-ups I've ever seen, definitely the best in the world of RWBY. But in the second half, all of that is thrown into the gutter. We understand why he is the way he is, but we don't understand what makes him change. By the end, the payoff doesn't feel earned. Which is such a shame, because the payoff itself is pretty good for the most part (though not as good as the set-up) - but we're missing the meat in between the two that would've made the arc work.
The finale is way bigger than I expected and epic af, and the way it's resolved is very satisfying. Here though, I think we suffer from the fact that we only get to see very little from the main villains, and only towards the end. The villains themselves are fascinating, with so much potential for depth, but in practice they end up being fairly shallow. The ending in general feels like it was trying to cram in a resolution that shouldn't have happened until book 3.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Despite my problems with the book I still really, really love it. It feels like it's one draft away from being a masterpiece - brilliant writing, brilliant characters, just a few issues that prevent it from achieving its full potential. And of course, it's a blast to read from start to finish. If you're a RWBY fan, then drop everything and go read it right now! It's worth it!
Also, I eagerly await the sequel. I really hope this turns into a full-fledged book series, I'd read the hell out of it.
July 15, 2021
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first!!! I think the new environments and the characters made the story a lot more interesting, and I don't think the intrigue faded once while reading it. That I couldn't say for the first, I struggled to pick up After the Fall every time I wanted to read, but with this one, I struggled to put it down.
That said, the writing style is still quite simple. Certain dialogue was stilted and actions were awkward at times, but I'm not here for great literature. I'm just here for my favourite characters, who I definitely can't wait to see more of in Volume 9!!! The character actions were gold, team CFVY and SSSN were always destined to clash in the best way, and the book definitely made it work. I honestly wish it was longer just so I could see more of them all working together, but I suppose there'll be more of that in the core show. The thing I was most excited about going into this was finally getting to know Scarlet and Sage, and it managed to deliver on one of those? Scarlet is a sassy and somewhat bratty character, who's willing to say exactly what he feels. Considering all we knew about him before was that he didn't like sand (ironic they ended up where they are now) this is a vast improvement. I also know he's gay, but I don't think this book did a great job of making that clear. I understand it was awkward timing to set him up with Nolan, and there are scenes where you can see his interest if you know what you're looking for. But unlike Coco in After the Fall, it's never really obvious that he's gay. A shame, I would have loved to see more mlm and wlw solidarity between those two, I think they could be greater friends.
Sage we didn't really see at all, I don't think he does anything throughout the book and I've already forgotten what his semblance is, if we ever found out. He's the one character in both teams who never got a chapter from his perspective and I still don't know what his personality is like. It's a shame because that seemed to be the whole point of these books, wrapping up some loose plot points and getting to know these characters better. It worked for literally everyone else, but I guess I'll just have to hope he has a role in the upcoming season.
Nolan was a surprise, I wasn't expecting to see him at all in this book because he was literally irrelevant in earlier seasons of the show, the only reason I knew who he was was thanks to the phone game that got shut down. I really like where they're headed with his character, he's a lot more complex than the fans ever expected from him and I really hope they keep up this momentum in the show proper because I'm definitely intrigued with how he'll participate.
About Sun's development, I enjoyed it. It was done well enough to see him grow and it worked alongside the plot. It was a bit of a quick turnaround, especially his team's forgiveness of him. But the book was a short one and while I think it was a little rushed, it had to keep up with the plot. Like I said before, I would have loved to see more of the characters interacting because even just the Beacon Brigade could carry a whole book for me, but I'll take what I can get!! I'm curious to see if his team's hurt will still carry onto the show?
I was disappointed in the epilogue with their mentioning a beacon brigade meeting that they didn't actually have in the final chapter, I understand there were restraints but come on!! I just wanted to see the groups interact one more time before the actual ending. I do like how this story concludes though, and all I can really say is that this book makes a great addition to the series and if you want to see more of these characters, definitely check them out!!!
I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first!!! I think the new environments and the characters made the story a lot more interesting, and I don't think the intrigue faded once while reading it. That I couldn't say for the first, I struggled to pick up After the Fall every time I wanted to read, but with this one, I struggled to put it down.
That said, the writing style is still quite simple. Certain dialogue was stilted and actions were awkward at times, but I'm not here for great literature. I'm just here for my favourite characters, who I definitely can't wait to see more of in Volume 9!!! The character actions were gold, team CFVY and SSSN were always destined to clash in the best way, and the book definitely made it work. I honestly wish it was longer just so I could see more of them all working together, but I suppose there'll be more of that in the core show. The thing I was most excited about going into this was finally getting to know Scarlet and Sage, and it managed to deliver on one of those? Scarlet is a sassy and somewhat bratty character, who's willing to say exactly what he feels. Considering all we knew about him before was that he didn't like sand (ironic they ended up where they are now) this is a vast improvement. I also know he's gay, but I don't think this book did a great job of making that clear. I understand it was awkward timing to set him up with Nolan, and there are scenes where you can see his interest if you know what you're looking for. But unlike Coco in After the Fall, it's never really obvious that he's gay. A shame, I would have loved to see more mlm and wlw solidarity between those two, I think they could be greater friends.
Sage we didn't really see at all, I don't think he does anything throughout the book and I've already forgotten what his semblance is, if we ever found out. He's the one character in both teams who never got a chapter from his perspective and I still don't know what his personality is like. It's a shame because that seemed to be the whole point of these books, wrapping up some loose plot points and getting to know these characters better. It worked for literally everyone else, but I guess I'll just have to hope he has a role in the upcoming season.
Nolan was a surprise, I wasn't expecting to see him at all in this book because he was literally irrelevant in earlier seasons of the show, the only reason I knew who he was was thanks to the phone game that got shut down. I really like where they're headed with his character, he's a lot more complex than the fans ever expected from him and I really hope they keep up this momentum in the show proper because I'm definitely intrigued with how he'll participate.
About Sun's development, I enjoyed it. It was done well enough to see him grow and it worked alongside the plot. It was a bit of a quick turnaround, especially his team's forgiveness of him. But the book was a short one and while I think it was a little rushed, it had to keep up with the plot. Like I said before, I would have loved to see more of the characters interacting because even just the Beacon Brigade could carry a whole book for me, but I'll take what I can get!! I'm curious to see if his team's hurt will still carry onto the show?
I was disappointed in the epilogue with their mentioning a beacon brigade meeting that they didn't actually have in the final chapter, I understand there were restraints but come on!! I just wanted to see the groups interact one more time before the actual ending. I do like how this story concludes though, and all I can really say is that this book makes a great addition to the series and if you want to see more of these characters, definitely check them out!!!
July 2, 2021
Rating:5 Stars
I love that in the show we are following Team RWBY and in the books, we are canonically following our favorite side character teams and what's going on in other areas of Remnant. Team CFVY is amazing. I already loved Velvet and Coco from the show but in the first book, we got to know their team a little better. I love the relationship between Yastsu and Velvet and Fox has quickly become one of my favorite characters. In this book, we also feature Team SSSN. Sun is hilarious as always. I liked getting to see Shade Academy and the people of Vacuo. It was interesting meeting new students, professors, and headmasters and seeing what fairy tales they related to. There were some new characters I really enjoyed and others not so much. There were definitely some twists I did not see coming. Some of them threw me for a loop and had me worried. Overall, this was a great story that I enjoyed every minute of reading. I highly recommend both the TV and book series.
Happy Reading my Friends.
I love that in the show we are following Team RWBY and in the books, we are canonically following our favorite side character teams and what's going on in other areas of Remnant. Team CFVY is amazing. I already loved Velvet and Coco from the show but in the first book, we got to know their team a little better. I love the relationship between Yastsu and Velvet and Fox has quickly become one of my favorite characters. In this book, we also feature Team SSSN. Sun is hilarious as always. I liked getting to see Shade Academy and the people of Vacuo. It was interesting meeting new students, professors, and headmasters and seeing what fairy tales they related to. There were some new characters I really enjoyed and others not so much. There were definitely some twists I did not see coming. Some of them threw me for a loop and had me worried. Overall, this was a great story that I enjoyed every minute of reading. I highly recommend both the TV and book series.
Happy Reading my Friends.
August 18, 2020
I thought it was fantastic. It didn't paint Sun in a very flattering light, but then, it wasn't exactly wrong about the way he regularly ditched his team. I'm just surprised they never brought up how he stowed away to Beacon early and without his team; that's a prime example, I think. Not that I dislike him; I just appreciate it when characters are flawed. I enjoyed the character interactions, the little details we got about backstories and such, and the plot in general. I think the Crown are a cool concept for villains in the series, and having antagonists unrelated to Salem in any way makes the place feel more alive, in my opinion. I look forward to any more novels that come out of the World of Remnant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2020
Another good story about the goings on in Vacuo, as Teams CFVY and SSSN adjust to life at Shade Academy and continue their search for the mysterious group known as "The Crown". Shade and the town around it become the central local for the story, so we finally get the look at life there that was missing in the previous book. This includes finally meeting Headmaster Theodore and his much brighter second, Professor Rumpole. Unfortunately, where the previous book got to focus on each member of Team CFVY in detail, adding Team SSSN into the mix makes for too many protagonists, and so once again Scarlet, Neptune, and especially Sage get very little fleshing out.
May 25, 2021
If you like RWBY, you will enjoy the ride
For those who felt CFVY and SSSN were under used in the series, this book very much expands their stories, though Yatsutachi talking takes some getting used to. It was a fun ride and I do look forward to Theodore and Rumple's introduction to the series proper.
For those who felt CFVY and SSSN were under used in the series, this book very much expands their stories, though Yatsutachi talking takes some getting used to. It was a fun ride and I do look forward to Theodore and Rumple's introduction to the series proper.
August 11, 2020
Fun addition to the rwbyverse! Think Sun's "redemption" was a bit unearned and not explored in as much depth as I would have wanted but Myers balances it out with great action AND better CVFY goodness.
May 3, 2024
Thank you for giving us more world building and character developments through team CFVY and SSSN! I’m excited to see more of Vacuo and here’s to hoping that RWBY will get volume 10🥲
July 15, 2021
While Before the Fall has some interesting ideas and story elements, the big number of characters, who all get their own POVs and flashbacks really clutter the book. It is really hard to get into team CFVY’s storyline when we also have to follow team SSSN (note: having three characters whose name start with the same letter work on the same team is a fucking bad idea, especially when there aren’t any visuals to pair with them). This doesn’t account for non-POV characters. who were way too many to keep trach of.
July 25, 2020
RWBY is an AMAZING series, and to know that it has some novels, allowing for more in-depth world-building, as well as explaining some things that happen off-screen, especially including some already-established events. Before The Dawn, which continues to follow Team CFVY (Coffee) over in the Kingdom of Vacuo, as well as some other minor characters, and gives us a little detail about what's going on away from our main heroes! I LOVE this series, because of the MANY different concepts! Aura, for example, is almost like a force-field, protecting people, giving us an example of how these characters can perform such magnificent feats! Heck, the creators, and writers, even went into detail about how Aura works in childbirth!
I'd most DEFINITELY suggest this series, both the animated show, and the books, to get you into the world of Remnant!
I'd most DEFINITELY suggest this series, both the animated show, and the books, to get you into the world of Remnant!
August 29, 2021
I'm gonna miss them all so much! Also.... is this where Volume 9 is gonna pick up with Nora, Ren and Winter???
I don't really know what else to say other than I fucking love having RWBY content in books. I love seeing more of teams CFVY and SSSN and I love that they are giving us more to them and to the story throughout books! Members of both teams are very loved by the fandom so getting to know them and their team mates makes me extremely happy. Plus filling gaps of the story this way feel very fulfilling to me.
Maybe I'm just too biased because I love the show and the characters so much but I had such a blast reading this one too, and now I can't wait for the next one!
I don't really know what else to say other than I fucking love having RWBY content in books. I love seeing more of teams CFVY and SSSN and I love that they are giving us more to them and to the story throughout books! Members of both teams are very loved by the fandom so getting to know them and their team mates makes me extremely happy. Plus filling gaps of the story this way feel very fulfilling to me.
Maybe I'm just too biased because I love the show and the characters so much but I had such a blast reading this one too, and now I can't wait for the next one!
September 30, 2025
This book is so underrated, like why did half of the people dip… this is a big plot upgrade from the last one. The crown was so interesting, I’m glad we got more information on Vacuo and the world of remnant. team CFVY for the win !!! I was just a little sad that they were separated during the book so we didn’t get as much close moments snif and I’m sorry but the team SSSN plot line was so boring help, like I love sun but he was doing too much this book, nice to learn about the other members too yay. Love this book 5 stars
October 16, 2021
As with After the Fall, I was disappointed with E.C. Myers's writing and probably wouldn't recommend this book for any purpose other than RWBY fans wanting more canonical information about Vacuo and such, but I am in that category and so am glad I read it. I really didn't like the disabled-villain-who's-a-villain-because-of-his-disability trope the author pulled, though, and there were some bits of the worldbuilding that seemed inconsistent. (Did Vacuo stop having a monarchy after the Great War (80 years ago) or many centuries back? When did it go from oasis to exploited Dust mine? There seem to be statements that imply both timelines.)
April 9, 2025
As a RWBY fan, I liked this book better than the first one : After the Fall.
The storyline and setting gripped me more and the additions of more characters we've known off but never really met (especially during the Vytal Festival in the RWBY series.) It's interesting to finally learn more about them and their Semblances and weapons / fightingstyles of choice.
Alas, this inclucion made the book a bit chaotic in some parts, not giving enough space to dive even deeper into detail, but with lots of easter eggs.
The overall storyline is interesting and eventfull. Some plotpoints were resolved a bit to fast or too nondescribtive.
What I did love was the worldbuilding of Shade Academy and Vacuo. Giving much needed info going into Volume 10. *fingers crossed*
Meeting headmaster Theodore, the set up of the curiculum and the different way to teaching and living compared to Beacon. And the Beacon Brigade is a good way to dive deeper into the PTSD of the people who faught at the fall of Beacon AND Haven, losing loved ones and entire teams in the process and the way the people of Vacuo think of these refugees.
I laughed way harder at this than I probably should have. This one line discribes his and Blake's relationship to a T.
Sun (and the rest of his team) also got a more expended storyline and some much needed communication with eachother. I was afraid that the book would end up using team SSSN as it's standard comic relief. But luckily, they also had lots of serieus discussions about 'mostly' Sun and his seemingly inability to take responsability as teamcaptain.
All by all, I recommend this book if you are already known with the world of Remnant, otherwise this one might be a bit too non-describtive to truly understand.
The storyline and setting gripped me more and the additions of more characters we've known off but never really met (especially during the Vytal Festival in the RWBY series.) It's interesting to finally learn more about them and their Semblances and weapons / fightingstyles of choice.
Alas, this inclucion made the book a bit chaotic in some parts, not giving enough space to dive even deeper into detail, but with lots of easter eggs.
The overall storyline is interesting and eventfull. Some plotpoints were resolved a bit to fast or too nondescribtive.
What I did love was the worldbuilding of Shade Academy and Vacuo. Giving much needed info going into Volume 10. *fingers crossed*
Meeting headmaster Theodore, the set up of the curiculum and the different way to teaching and living compared to Beacon. And the Beacon Brigade is a good way to dive deeper into the PTSD of the people who faught at the fall of Beacon AND Haven, losing loved ones and entire teams in the process and the way the people of Vacuo think of these refugees.
{{Plus, Sun liked being bossed around by strong women.}}
I laughed way harder at this than I probably should have. This one line discribes his and Blake's relationship to a T.
Sun (and the rest of his team) also got a more expended storyline and some much needed communication with eachother. I was afraid that the book would end up using team SSSN as it's standard comic relief. But luckily, they also had lots of serieus discussions about 'mostly' Sun and his seemingly inability to take responsability as teamcaptain.
All by all, I recommend this book if you are already known with the world of Remnant, otherwise this one might be a bit too non-describtive to truly understand.
December 23, 2020
The first half of this book is a bit of a struggle to get through. It takes a while to get back in the shoes of CFVY despite spending time with them in the previous novel. The introduction of SSSN is well deserved for those boys, but I'd rather they picked one team or the other to really focus on. There's some good introspection of Sun and Neptune, who fans of the World of Remnant and RWBY have spent the most time with, but very little of Scarlet and nothing from Sage. Two characters that would have been interesting to explore more since they're comparably blank slates. The villains are interesting, though they seem to have a lot less of a connection to Salem than I suspected after reading book one. That's not a negative, but if you're looking for a story that ties deeper into the narrative of the show you won't get that. The characters at Shade are currently in their bubble until the writers decide to bring them back into the show. A smart decision that will allow authors like Myers freedom in their narrative.
Team CFVY continues where they left off and while I enjoy that team and I got a tad more about them than After the Fall was able to include it wasn't a lot. Ironically, this reminds me of Volume Two of RWBY. By that I mean it was more about world building and integrating the characters for future adventures than diving fully into the grander mythology and history of the world. There's a ton of places to go from this entry.
Professor Rumbpole and Headmaster Theodore are very interesting huntsmen that operate Shade Academy. Some of the background characters from the series also got a bit of a spotlight. The villains were complicated, but compared to the ones in RWBY feel so much smaller than they try to be.
Team CFVY continues where they left off and while I enjoy that team and I got a tad more about them than After the Fall was able to include it wasn't a lot. Ironically, this reminds me of Volume Two of RWBY. By that I mean it was more about world building and integrating the characters for future adventures than diving fully into the grander mythology and history of the world. There's a ton of places to go from this entry.
Professor Rumbpole and Headmaster Theodore are very interesting huntsmen that operate Shade Academy. Some of the background characters from the series also got a bit of a spotlight. The villains were complicated, but compared to the ones in RWBY feel so much smaller than they try to be.
October 14, 2020
Book Theme Song: Move Along by All American Rejects
Continuing the story of the first book, we now join Team SSSN as well as Team CFVY. The two teams couldn't be more different, and the contrast between them is the heart of the story. Team SSSN is at this point barely a team, as Sun's wanderings have left them leaderless more often than not. Sun has to come to terms with this and reconnect with his team. Meanwhile, people around town are going missing, including Shade students. It's up to these two teams to investigate.
I'm glad we're catching up with more side characters, and even though there are a lot of POV's they're mostly easy to keep straight. Mostly. Sometimes, especially near the end with the battle scene, POVs seem to switch without warning. That makes some of the faster-pace scenes confusing. The ending is also a bit rushed as far as the antagonists' arc. I wish we had been introduced to them a bit sooner so their arc had more time to play out. They're fascinating characters and stand out more to me than Carmine and Bertilak from the previous book.
None of this detracts from the book's message of holding onto the past vs moving on to the future, which is ever-present and explored in a very nuanced way. I'm very glad this was in book form and not animated (although I wouldn't be opposed to an animated adaptation). There's a lot of internal conflict that just would not have hit the same if it had been on a screen. That's one strength of books over television, and I love when spinoff material actually adds to the main story in this way.
Continuing the story of the first book, we now join Team SSSN as well as Team CFVY. The two teams couldn't be more different, and the contrast between them is the heart of the story. Team SSSN is at this point barely a team, as Sun's wanderings have left them leaderless more often than not. Sun has to come to terms with this and reconnect with his team. Meanwhile, people around town are going missing, including Shade students. It's up to these two teams to investigate.
I'm glad we're catching up with more side characters, and even though there are a lot of POV's they're mostly easy to keep straight. Mostly. Sometimes, especially near the end with the battle scene, POVs seem to switch without warning. That makes some of the faster-pace scenes confusing. The ending is also a bit rushed as far as the antagonists' arc. I wish we had been introduced to them a bit sooner so their arc had more time to play out. They're fascinating characters and stand out more to me than Carmine and Bertilak from the previous book.
None of this detracts from the book's message of holding onto the past vs moving on to the future, which is ever-present and explored in a very nuanced way. I'm very glad this was in book form and not animated (although I wouldn't be opposed to an animated adaptation). There's a lot of internal conflict that just would not have hit the same if it had been on a screen. That's one strength of books over television, and I love when spinoff material actually adds to the main story in this way.
August 25, 2021
A step down after the first one. 'After the Fall' was hardly perfect, but the remote location and limited characters kept it relatively coherent and enjoyable. The sequel 'Before the Dawn' was just a mess all around, really.
All of my criticisms of the first book still stand. If anything, they have worsened as Team CVFY still do not feel like the main characters in their own story, and there was no mystery to the plot. Myers' writing still displays the same flaws in its odd sentence structure. I do not want to repeat points, but all of this stands out significantly in this series.
The showrunners, Kerry Shawcross and Miles Luna must have also been more involved in this instalment due to its direct relevance to the future canon as it displays all the flaws found in the show. Do not get me wrong, I love RWBY. It is because I love it that I am so critical at times. 'Before the Dawn,' like the show, also had too large a cast of characters to care about them all. It is hard enough caring for Coco, Velvet, Fox, and Yatsuhashi at times because they are not unique, let alone a dozen more characters like them. Add a story that felt like the writers had rushed it in a month, and I did not enjoy most of this book.
I did like parts, though, and there was the potential for a good story here. Overall, however, I cannot in honesty rate 'Before the Dawn' the same as 'After the Fall.' I would still recommend it to fans of the show, although there are significant spoilers up to the start of Volume Six. I will be reading the third RWBY book when it is published, but I cannot say I have high hopes for it.
All of my criticisms of the first book still stand. If anything, they have worsened as Team CVFY still do not feel like the main characters in their own story, and there was no mystery to the plot. Myers' writing still displays the same flaws in its odd sentence structure. I do not want to repeat points, but all of this stands out significantly in this series.
The showrunners, Kerry Shawcross and Miles Luna must have also been more involved in this instalment due to its direct relevance to the future canon as it displays all the flaws found in the show. Do not get me wrong, I love RWBY. It is because I love it that I am so critical at times. 'Before the Dawn,' like the show, also had too large a cast of characters to care about them all. It is hard enough caring for Coco, Velvet, Fox, and Yatsuhashi at times because they are not unique, let alone a dozen more characters like them. Add a story that felt like the writers had rushed it in a month, and I did not enjoy most of this book.
I did like parts, though, and there was the potential for a good story here. Overall, however, I cannot in honesty rate 'Before the Dawn' the same as 'After the Fall.' I would still recommend it to fans of the show, although there are significant spoilers up to the start of Volume Six. I will be reading the third RWBY book when it is published, but I cannot say I have high hopes for it.
March 18, 2024
3/17/24
It seems like I might be in the minority here, but I enjoyed Before the Dawn more than After the Fall.
I feel like part of it is because I felt like After the Fall relied heavily on Beacon/Team RWBY to draw in readers so it felt like they were being referenced more often than necessary and it kinda took me out of it. But this time, any reference to them felt purposeful and not just because the author needed to meet a “minimum number of times RWBY needs to be mentioned.”
The one thing I’m disappointed about is that we learned next to nothing about team SSSN. I loved getting their POVs, but I’m so sad we never got one from Sage! And really the main backstory we got was Sun, featuring some of Neptune’s.
Also, sometimes Sun really got on my nerves with his way of thinking and callousness😭 at times I was like “is this the same dude who followed his friend across the world???” But, in the end, he definitely learned his lessons. And I still adore him.
I saw some plot points coming(/guessed one thing would happen and it KINDA did, just differently), but this book had me on the edge of my seat!! I genuinely don’t remember the last time I finished a book in a week and felt the NEED to just read all day.
Oh yeah. This book also made me cry multiple times. I love this series so much.
I don’t have much more to say, but if we don’t see more of Teams CFVY and SSSN on the 30th, I will cry.
Also I wanna see these books fight RWBY Chibi over ships with a specific character lol
It seems like I might be in the minority here, but I enjoyed Before the Dawn more than After the Fall.
I feel like part of it is because I felt like After the Fall relied heavily on Beacon/Team RWBY to draw in readers so it felt like they were being referenced more often than necessary and it kinda took me out of it. But this time, any reference to them felt purposeful and not just because the author needed to meet a “minimum number of times RWBY needs to be mentioned.”
The one thing I’m disappointed about is that we learned next to nothing about team SSSN. I loved getting their POVs, but I’m so sad we never got one from Sage! And really the main backstory we got was Sun, featuring some of Neptune’s.
Also, sometimes Sun really got on my nerves with his way of thinking and callousness😭 at times I was like “is this the same dude who followed his friend across the world???” But, in the end, he definitely learned his lessons. And I still adore him.
I saw some plot points coming(/guessed one thing would happen and it KINDA did, just differently), but this book had me on the edge of my seat!! I genuinely don’t remember the last time I finished a book in a week and felt the NEED to just read all day.
Oh yeah. This book also made me cry multiple times. I love this series so much.
I don’t have much more to say, but if we don’t see more of Teams CFVY and SSSN on the 30th, I will cry.
Also I wanna see these books fight RWBY Chibi over ships with a specific character lol
August 9, 2020
I honestly enjoyed this more than the first book. (And I loved the first one.) I was so excited to read it and it did not disappoint me. The only mistake made was reading one of the names wrong until I took a brief listen to the audiobook. Then everything clicked into place. I love the character development, the backstories and explanations of these characters' worlds. So glad I picked these up and now have a window into the Kingdom of Vacuo. I really hope RWBY and co. go to Vacuo in the future and all of them come together before the teams graduate from Shade.
August 27, 2020
This book is a great read for RWBY fans, although I have a couple complaints. There are a few things that confused me because they mentioned them, but didn't explain until halfway through the book. Other than that, it is a great story to get away from the main groups (RWBY and JNPR). Also I would like to mention that this takes place in between seasons 5 and 6 so if you have not finished season 5 of then show, there will be spoilers.
September 3, 2021
I absolutely loved this ARC and have fallen in love more and more with team CFVY. I have to say Ruby will always be my favorite character, however, Velvet is now over the course of After the fall and now Before the dawn my second favorite character. I enjoyed seeing her growth and how strong she can truly be, even though at times she doesn't believe in herself. I can't wait to see what book #3 brings to this journey.
July 22, 2020
A Great Sequel
I'm a big fan of RWBY and have been excited to dee more novels since reading After the Fall. This one takes place shortly after After the Fall and it really was a great continuation. The characters, action, story, and dialogue was great, and I can't wait to see where things go from here. I'd definitely recommend it to any RWBY fan.
I'm a big fan of RWBY and have been excited to dee more novels since reading After the Fall. This one takes place shortly after After the Fall and it really was a great continuation. The characters, action, story, and dialogue was great, and I can't wait to see where things go from here. I'd definitely recommend it to any RWBY fan.
August 7, 2020
I think I liked this one even better than After The Fall! Still following Teams CFVY and SSSN in Vacuo, the teams are once again battling for their school. This time you get to reacquaint yourself with other minor characters from Beacon and Haven while meeting new characters from Shade Academy and Vacuo.
September 23, 2020
It's hard to come up with a lot to say about these books, but I feel like this effort was improved from the first. Adapting a cg anime show (well side story based on it) into a written format just seems like a tough proposition.
Sun stands out as particularly well handled, but the truth is that most of the other characters had so little screen time there just wasn't a lot known about them.
Sun stands out as particularly well handled, but the truth is that most of the other characters had so little screen time there just wasn't a lot known about them.
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