Dark Heir

Written by C. S. Pacat

Narrated by Christian Coulson

* Instant New York Times Bestseller * Indie Bestseller *

In this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel Dark Rise, Will and his allies have survived the Dark’s first assault, but at a terrible cost.

A new threat from the past is rising, and only a handful of heroes remain to fight. Pursued by dark forces, Will and his allies must leave the safety of the Hall and travel to the heart of the ancient world, making new and dangerous alliances and revealing the shocking secrets of the past.

But Will is carrying a dark secret of his own—his true identity. Drawn to the beautiful and deadly James St. Clair, Will is pulled ever deeper into the web of the past and finds himself tempted by the darkness within. As the ancient world threatens to return, can Will and his friends fight their fate? Or will the truths they learn tear their world apart?

Dark Heir is the explosive and highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dark Rise, from global phenomenon C. S. Pacat.

“I simply couldn’t put it down.” —V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, on Dark Rise

“Beautiful, classical, and deliciously dark.” —Jay Kristoff, New York Times bestselling author of Empire of the Vampire, on Dark Rise

“A story rendered with devastatingly brilliant detail. You won’t be able to look away.” —Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights, on Dark Rise

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9780063340251

C. S. Pacat

C. S. Pacat is the bestselling author of the Captive Prince trilogy and the graphic novel series Fence. She lives in Melbourne, Australia. Find her online at cspacat.com.

Reviews for Dark Heir

[catalinapilar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can't wait for the third book, this was so good!!! Like I actually cried at one point. Also, protect James at all cost. My baby needs a happy ending, please!!

[Billie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dark Heir
by C.S. Pacat
YA Fantasy High
Scribd Audio
Ages 15+


Trying to pick up the pieces after the devastating attack from the Dark, Will and his friends, along with an enemy now ally, are sent to Italy to find a lost Steward because he may be the one who can defend against the Dark King. But upon leaving, the destroyed hall is invaded and a few of his friends are captured. With hundreds of miles of distance between them, Will and those with him continue with their quest, believing those missing friends will escape.

But in Italy, they discover the Dark King's castle was unearthed, and within its depth lies the Army who will kill all to bring back their past.

While I didn't have as long of a wait as others who read this, I still felt as if it took forever to get this book. (Maybe because after I read the first, I found out how long others had been waiting)!

It was a great story, though it did feel a little stretched, so to create pages and leave room for another book. Yes, I like where it's going, even though this book could have wrapped the story up in different ways, (though they are still options). Will is great as is James and their interactions, Violet I didn't care much for her in this story and Elizabeth's trip didn't really have much to do with the plot so it was just word count.

Not overly violent or romantic, but there are scenes that I don't think are suitable for readers under 15.

Something that does stand out, and a reason I like this series. is that I feel there could be multiple 'themes': one's definition of good and evil, whose version of events do you believe, and does a person just stop trying and live up to what everyone wants to believe you are because of your/family's past mistakes or wrongdoings/beliefs. The last one I can relate with because friends aren't supposed to believe the worst or the rumors, let alone spread and encourage them.

Partly because of the wait time between books and the worry over how many years before the next, but mostly because of the major cliffhanger and rambling to make pages, I have to take a star away...

3 Stars

[Fam Rojas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s everything I hoped for in a sequel. I loved the expansion on all the characters and their motivations especially Will’s. The plot has made so much progress in this installment it’s really engaging. The ending left me crushed and I don’t think I’ll recover until then next book is released…