Darksong Rising by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
Series: The Spellsong Cycle, #3, #3
Published by Macmillan on April 1, 2010
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Fantasy / Epic
Pages: 512
Format: eBook
Source: Amazon
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Darksong Rising, the third book in New York Times bestselling author L. E. Modesitt, Jr.'s epic fantasy series the Spellsong Cycle about a singer and music instructor at Iowa State University who gets far more than she expected when she is magically transported to the world of Erde.

Anna, regent of Defalk, faces enemies foreign and domestic who wish to crush her for weilding too much power as well as being a woman. Even within her own realm she faces the threat of civil war. The solutions to all of these challenges is magical, but Anna has learned that powerful magic comes at a high cost.

The Spellsong Cycle
The Soprano Sorceress
The Spellsong War
Darksong Rising
The Shadow Sorceress
Shadowsinger

Other series by this author:
The Imager Portfolio
The Saga of Recluce
The Corean Chronicles
The Ghost Books
The Ecolitan Matter

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Darksong Rising

Series: The Spellsong Cycle (#3)

Author: L.E. Modesitt Jr.

Genre: Fantasy, Political Fantasy, Music Magic

Publisher: Tor Books

Amazon: Buy on Amazon

THE STORY

In Darksong Rising, we return to the complex and musically magical world of Erde, where Anna Marshall—a former singer and now the powerful sorceress Regent of Defalk—struggles to stabilize her realm amidst rising tensions, encroaching enemies, and the constant threat of betrayal.

Anna faces the impossible balance between war and peace, magic and diplomacy, power and compassion. The stakes are undeniably high, the world richly built, and the themes as relevant as ever—especially for readers who enjoy cerebral, slow-burn political fantasy.

THE CHARACTERS

Anna continues to be a compelling protagonist—strong, intelligent, and morally conflicted. Her growth across the series is undeniable, and her struggles with wielding massive political and magical power make her an engaging character to follow.

However, in this installment, the supporting characters felt more distant than in previous books, and the slower pacing made it harder to connect with them as deeply as I hoped.

STEAMOMETER

🔥 – Clean, with mild romantic and emotional tension. This one’s focused on strategy and power rather than personal relationships.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ – This one was a tough read—not because it’s bad, but because it’s slow.

As a longtime fan of L.E. Modesitt Jr., I truly wanted to love Darksong Rising. His prose is always thoughtful, and his characters are layered and human. But this entry didn’t grab me the way others in the series (or his other works) have. The pacing felt sluggish, and while the political maneuvering was intellectually interesting, it lacked the emotional pull I was craving.

That said, the writing is still solid, and if you’re already invested in the series, it’s worth reading to see Anna’s journey continue. It just wasn’t the standout I hoped for.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

L.E. Modesitt Jr. is the acclaimed author of over 75 novels across multiple fantasy and science fiction series, including The Saga of Recluce, The Imager Portfolio, and The Spellsong Cycle. Known for blending philosophy, politics, and richly imagined worlds, Modesitt is a master of thoughtful speculative fiction.