Ascending Into Light

Descending #2

by Alainna MacPherson

After being kidnapped, the race to unlock Jess’ powers is even more dire. She crosses into the Unseelie world in order to tap into them, while Fallon stays behind, planning. He must also learn to trust the Unseelie queen with his mate’s life and find a way to infiltrate the Seelie king’s castle.

Each has a job to do, and none can do it alone, some will even have to make sacrifices. Fallon tries to keep his focus on the mission but finds it difficult when part of him is with Jess in another world.

321 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2019

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a standalone book and you should definitely read the previous book before this one. First of all, I loved this book and it is highly recommended. The characters were well developed and you get to see the deepening relationship between Fallon and Jessandra. Throughout the book you find out more of this world, with lots of drama, suspense, action, and new and compelling characters. Jessandra is trying to tap into her powers and asks the unseelie queen for assistance. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between Fallon and Jessandra. I love Fallon as a character, especially the way he acts towards Jessandra. Within this book we see them trying to figure out the best way to be together as mates.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shayay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and fun read! Cool premise and an interesting Fae setting; liked the bit of action and intrigue. This is book 2, so I’d recommend reading book 1 before this one. There’s an evil Seelie king causing problems, so Jessandra and Fallon are trying to find the best way to deal with him. They are gathering more allies, hoping to increase Jess’ magical abilities, and figuring the best way to be together romantically. They are mates, but are still trying to keep it on the down low; they have a sweet connection! Excited to read the next book!

[Andra Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ascending Into Light is Book 2 in the Descending Series. These books are not standalone in that one generally ends where the next one picks up. In Book 2, Fallon and Jessandra's relationship deepens, and we see some surprises occur for Jess as she makes a decision that could put her newfound world in jeopardy or set it free. Her sister, Alyss, has a surprise as well. The sisters meet a new family member, and their place in the world of the Unseelie and Seelie is solidified. We also find out more about some of the other Fomorians and Seelies. The characters and their relationships with one another keep you engaged. The world that Alainna MacPherson creates in these books is compelling and believable. With a lot of drama and suspense, Ascending Into Light is an easy read. You will not want to put it down. You will be ready to pick up Book 3 as soon as you read the last page.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rose Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-pounding excitement
“Ascending into Light” is the second installment in the “Descending” trilogy. Jess is still trying to tap into her powers and seeks the unseelie queen to help. In addition to the action, and drama, this is a spiritual journey for Jess and she has to make that journey alone. This was an amazing installment and I highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series and follows on from where the previous one finished. I enjoyed this book, however I did find it quite complex and difficult to follow at times. It has a storyline that is imaginative and different, full of great characters. There are a lot of different characters and occasionally I had to flip backwards to remind myself of something. I am invested in the characters and storyline now and intend on reading the next book.

[Sam Everard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ascending into Light picked up right where Descending left us.

Jess and Fallon found themselves needing to extend their reach to other allies in order for them to succeed in their quest against the king of the Seelie Court - Jess, in needing to blossom her untapped Seelie powers, and Fallon, in needing eyes and ears within the traitorous king's court.

A good chunk of this novel was spent in building the overall story. We met a lot of new characters without really delving into them much, likely because they will be developed and relied on in the next book. We also got a glimpse at the Unseelie court as Jess traveled there in the hopes that she could learn to work with her powers and to further solidify the treaty she made between her and the Queen. We also saw more of the ugliness that the king - and his court - allow to fester in the Seelie Court, and why the need to remove him is so great. (Trigger warning here: while there isn't any rape per se, there is most definitely forced consent.)

As a standalone novel, I wouldn't have rated this as highly. However, seeing as it's an obvious bridge between the first book and what comes next, I felt like it did a decent job in continuing to build on this world that the author has given us. We learned more about the customs of each court, saw the struggle between Jess and Fallon as they desperately tried to ignore their obvious bond to one another, and watched as more pieces were set in the overall game against the king.

The story left off with a bit of excitement (and a cliffhanger!), so I'm eager to see what the next one brings.