Beyond the Cobbled Road: Darkness Falls
Once a servant, he is now the first human mage in the Six Realms. But earning a place among those who wield magic is very different from being welcomed by them.
As old prejudices tighten around him, Kye and his mentor Arden are drawn into a mystery no spell seems able to explain. Deadly curses are appearing without warning. Ancient artifacts are vanishing. And hidden among the histories of the Six Realms are whispers of creation stones, relics said to hold power older than the realms themselves.
Someone is searching for them.
The deeper Kye and Arden follow the trail, the stranger the world becomes. Forgotten histories begin to contradict everything Kye has been taught. Trusted allies harbor dangerous secrets. And the necromancer moving in the shadows seems to know far more about the stones, and about humanity, than he should.
For Kye, the search becomes more than a hunt for a powerful enemy. It is a journey into the buried origins of the Six Realms, where the truth about magic, humanity, and the forces that shaped their world has been waiting for centuries.
Some secrets were buried for a reason.
And some doors, once opened, can never be closed again.
Reader Reviews
5 ratings
Meranie L.
I absolutely loved Beyond the Cobbled Road: Darkness Fall by Stacey Bureker.
After Fading Light, I was already completely invested in this world and these characters, but somehow, this book made me even more attached to them.
One of my favorite things about this book was getting to explore the relationships even more. Watching these characters grow closer, support each other, and become this little found family was honestly something I enjoyed. I love when a book makes you care not only about the main characters, but about the bonds they build with each other.
And the little journey with Riley? I absolutely loved it. Getting to spend more time with him and seeing his birth realm was such a nice addition. It gave us more of the world, more character development, and, of course, more Riley.
This book also felt a little darker than the first one, and I really enjoyed that. There was a heavier feeling throughout the story, and it made the emotional moments hit even harder.
And that ending…
I'M SORRY... WAIT ?! !! WHAT?!!!
That ending threw me to the ground.
I finished the book and just stared at my Kindle like… okay, what am I supposed to do while I wait for book 3 FOR ANSWERS ! !!
Alisha .
This was received as an arc, thank you so much to Stacey for trusting me with an early copy of your book!
I absolutely loved this book, I adored Arden and Kye and loved getting back into their story and how they're going to defeat Orin.
This story was absolutely incredible, I loved that things we saw in book 1 were brought back in this book with further clarification/information we maybe didn't already know/have.
Also seeing the friendship between Kye and Saiyah and Kye and Riley grow was so so cute, I absolutely adore them all 😭😭
I am however, mad at you for that ending Stacey Bureker, we will need words 😭😭😭
Ed W.
Kye's studies of magic have continued, but so have Orin's search for the creation stones. Follow Kye and Arden as they continue their quest to keep Orin from finding them.
The action steps up a notch from book one and kept me on the edge of my seat. And the emotions really push this one to the top.
Sara-Jane K.
Well, someone pass me a tissue please because I haven’t stopped crying yet. Stacey, you have broke me!
I fell in love with Arden & Kye in the first book of the series, Beyond The Cobbled Road: Fading Light and I was so happy to be reunited with them again. They are in my opinion an iconic duo and I love them. This book picks up a couple of years after the events in Fading Light, so it’s highly recommended that you read that one first. In this book, we join Arden and Kye as they continue their search for the remaining creation stones and try to stop Orin from regaining power.
Stacey has created an epic high fantasy series with rich world building, loveable characters and a high stakes quest to stop the evil villain. This book was action packed, tense and emotional. I’m still reeling from the events and that cliffhanger has definitely got me begging for the final instalment of the series.
I enjoyed learning more about Orin in this book, which I was really hoping that we would after his introduction in Fading Light. He is a great villain and after what happened, I’m scared to see what he’s going to do next.
Overall, I rate this 5⭐️ and recommend to everyone to looking for a new fantasy series to start.
Beckie B.
I am not an avid reader of high fantasy, but when I do read them it's because I'm drawn in by something unique. "Lord of the Rings" is one of my all-time favorites because of the world-building and the memorable characters. I will say that the "Beyond the Cobbled Road" belongs in the same conversation as being a truly unique fantasy experience. I commend Stacey on a work that in my mind rivals Tolkien. She has created a truly unique and vivid world.
The main character, Kye, is the first human mage. However, his status is not widely accepted, and he is still viewed as little more than a slave even though he is the acolyte to Arden who is one of the most powerful elf-mages alive. Even with the world against him, he finds solace with his friends Riley (a shifter), and Saiyah (an elf). I adore the banter with Riley and the comfort found with Saiyah. To paraphrase Kye, I is the moments shared that make life worth living. These little moments warmed my heart.
Kye and Arden are continuing their quest to stop an evil necromancer named Orin from regaining power and destroying the Six Realms. The journey is arduous and takes its toll on them. I won't go into details because I don't want to spoil it, but what is a quest to save the world as we know it without betrayal or a shocking twist of events that turns everythingon is head? I was completely caught off guard, and I am not easily surprised. I am absolutely at a loss for words. That cliffhanger was absolutely brutal, and I am going to remain in a state of bewilderment until book 3.