This book was longer than I expected. One of those stories where, halfway through you check to see how far you are, thinking they must resolve something soon, only to see that you have most of the book left to go yet. How can Patrick Carr possibly keep up the suspense and intrigue for the rest of the book?But he does.
In a court fraught with jealous nobles and deathly politics, Willet Dura is the least of them. Raised to his position by the king himself, he has the title of Lord but no land or wealth to go with it. Only his reputation of death does him any credit - and that credit often does more harm than good.
As the king's reeve, he seeks to investigate murders in the city and bring the guilty to justice. He is observant, and fierce, and his prowess in his task brings him to the king's attention. But that same prowess pits him against the nobles that scorn him. "He brings death with him everywhere he goes"; and upon acquiring a rare and strange gift, that accusation is only brought against him more often.
Carr manages a twisting, turning plot and a cast of fascinating characters with notable development. Willet, perhaps the most changed of them all, is assigned a capable and infallible guard whose loyalties lie first with the Vigil - the secret sect that Willet stumbles into because of his strange gift. I found this guard, Bolt's, character one of the most interesting to follow. Very little trust is placed in him or found in the Vigil, and with his newfound gift and several more murders to contend with, Willet must navigate secrecy and danger at great cost to himself.
Very mysterious, very dark, and very twisted at every chapter break. I had a hard time putting this one down. But it's not the end - this is only book one in the Darkwater Saga.
--Elise--
For more information on The Shock of Night by Patrick Carr, visit our website here.
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