The Shadowhunter Chronicles meets Chinese diaspora folklore in Darker by Four, the first in an epic contemporary fantasy duology from Jade Fire Gold author June Tan. A vengeful girl. A hollow boy. A missing god. Rui has one goal in mind--honing her magic to avenge her mother's death. Yiran is the black sheep of an illustrious family. The world would be at his feet--had he been born with magic. Nikai is a Reaper, serving the Fourth King of Hell. When his master disappears, the underworld begins to crumble...and the human world will be next if the King is not found. When an accident causes Rui's power to transfer to Yiran, everything turns upside down. Without her magic, Rui has no tool for vengeance. With it, Yiran finally feels like he belongs. That is, until Rui discovers she might hold the key to the missing death god and strikes a dangerous bargain with another King. As darkness takes over, three paths intersect in the shadows. And three lives bound by fate must rise against destiny before the barrier between worlds falls and all Hell breaks loose--literally. Perfect for fans of This Savage Song and Only a Monster, Darker by Four will pull readers into a world of love and desperation and revenge--a world where every deal has a catch, no secret stays buried, and no one is exactly who they say they are.
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Darker By Four is a very well-written and easy to read book. The characters are easy to like, despite their obvious flaws, and throw in a bunch of monster-fighting and magic, and it creates a familiar yet loved theme. There are multiple POVs, which didn't feel confusing as it is clear and detailed on what is happening and who it is following. There is a solid world-building, where there are good guys (Exorcists) and bad guys (Revenants).
The ending left some questions, as expected. I'm looking forward to this release and the following book(s).
