Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Hodder and Stoughton for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: death, implied child abuse, panic attacks, alcoholism, violence


“Darker By Four” is such a fun book, almost a mixture of anime, religion and urban fantasy in a fast-paced, high-stakes world. I was a huge fan of the author’s first book, “Jade Fire Gold” so I was delighted to get to read this one early. Set in the Chinese underworld and adapting aspects of diaspora mythology, Rui wants nothing more than to take revenge on the demonic Revenant that killed her mother- and to do that, she needs to hone her magic as a trainee Exorcist. She works endlessly, taking advice and spells from a mysterious underground magic dealer named Zizi, to achieve this goal in the hope that she’ll one day find her mother’s murderer. Nikai, a Reaper, was at the scene of a traffic accident when Rui was born. He serves the Fourth King of Hell, but after his master disappears and the underworld begins to fall apart without him, Nikai is driven back to the human world- seeking that same girl from years ago. At the same time, Yiran is the black sheep of a glamorous, powerful family operating at the top of society and a constant source of shame for his grandfather because of his lack of magic. After an accident leads to Rui’s abilities transferring to Yiran, he has everything he wants and Rui is left without what guarantees her vengeance. Rui soon discovers that she might be the secret to finding the missing Fourth King, and that to get her magic back, she makes a deadly deal with another god of death. As the collapse of the underworld begins to affect the human world, Nikai, Rui, Zizi and Yiran end up on a collision course in their attempts to protect their destinies before Hell can rise, taking everyone- and everything- they love with it.

I enjoyed this book so much, it was fast-paced and always exciting from the first page. I loved Nikai, Rui and Zizi so much, and while I took a bit longer to warm up to Yiran, I liked all of the characters. Every scene with Zizi lit up the page, I would read an entire book about him if I could. The combination of the underworld (featuring multiple Kings of Hell and reapers) with a modern-day, urban environment worked so well and the stakes felt incredibly high the further into the book I got. One aspect I liked a lot is the magical system and the ongoing battle by the Exorcists against the Revenants because the fight scenes were so quick and intense. The combination of soulmates, magic, gods and demons was brilliant and an excellent start to what I hope will be a longer series.

I totally saw Zizi = Four coming, but Rui = Fours power ????? the ending ???? ******* YIRAN???? i liked him kinda but seriously??

Darker by Four is a magical academy story like no other. I didn't really know what to expect going into it, and I really enjoyed it.
The characters were full, likeable (one VERY likeable! *wink*), and the story was interesting, pacey and the ending was incredible.
I attended an event with the author and she said that she wanted the fight scenes to be like Manga but in written form, and I can't think of a better way to describe them. There were also gods of hell, monsters and incredible banter between some of the characters. The multiple narrators worked excellently and, while I found the beginning confusing, I'm glad I persevered because it all started to make sense.
I really enjoyed this and can't wait for the sequel.

This was such a fun book! An urban fantasy with demons and a magic academy, June CL Tan has crafted a dark and adventurous read that keeps you hooked. There are secrets and twists that build to an explosive ending, and I have to say, I was genuinely shocked at one of the reveals. I would say, the only downside for me was that at times I felt there were too many elements going on which meant we didn't linger on moments I thought could've used a bit more developing. Overall though, it's a solid read and one to add to your TBR.

3.5 stars

This was good-like seriously good!!! I was quite liking the first half of the book, but by the second half, my heart was hammering and I could not put this book down! It's a mash up of mortal instruments and Chinese mythology. There are strange demons from Hell threatening mankind, evil and surreal Gods and a school for demon hunters. What more do you need??? The world building in this book was just superb. It was like reading an anime!
I just adored the wide rage of characters who appeared in this novel. Obviously it centres around Rui and her fight to be the best. I thought Yiran was a brilliant character and I can't wait to see how his journey is going to continue into book 2, but Zizi just stole my little heart. I loved everything about him as a character and a love interest.
The book was seriously fast paced and I loved the short chapters, each ending in a way that had me turning the page and devouring the next chapter.
I honestly wish I'd picked this up sooner. This is a seriously brilliant YA novel, cleverly written, brilliant characters, unique world building and exciting twists (even when you have an idea what's happening!)
This is a must for all YA fantasy fans. I cannot wait for book 2!!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

Diving into Darker by Four with no prior knowledge, I placed my full trust in June C.L. Tan’s masterful storytelling and world-building skills. After being captivated by her debut, Jade Fire Gold, and learning that she’s a fellow Singaporean, I knew I had to wholeheartedly support her. There’s something truly fascinating about reading books inspired by tales and history that have been part of my upbringing since childhood. Darker by Four draws inspiration from Haw Par Villa, a place that holds a special, albeit daunting, significance in Singapore. This cultural park, with its depictions of Asian beliefs and Hell in Chinese lore, is a place I visited once and never dared to return.

The concept of Hell has been a popular theme in fantasy novels in recent years, and Darker by Four explores it through the lens of Chinese philosophical and spiritual beliefs. In this world, the Kings of Hell are numbered, and the disappearance of Four 18 years ago has plunged the courts of Hell into chaos, allowing the blight of Nothing to spread and Revenants to surge into the mortal realm. Nikai, Four’s loyal servant and a Reaper of Hell, is determined to uncover the truth behind Four’s disappearance before it’s too late.

Meanwhile, Rui is driven by a single-minded desire for vengeance. Since the day of her birth, her life has been overshadowed by tragedy, with her mother’s death at the hands of a Revenant. Fueled by this tragedy, Rui has honed her skills and magic to track down the Revenant responsible. However, a twist of fate leads to her powers being transferred to Yiran, a seemingly ordinary human. Yiran, overshadowed by his brother’s powers, seizes the opportunity to prove himself, but his selfish motivations and treatment of Rui’s magic left me with mixed feelings about his character.

As a Chinese reader, I deeply appreciated June C.L. Tan’s skillful use of the tonal nature of the language, cleverly playing with the combination of words to evoke multiple meanings. With a slight change, si can be pronounced as Four (四) or Death (死) which is incredibly fitting for Darker by Four. The incorporation of xianxia/wuxia elements added another layer of intrigue to the story, especially during the exhilarating battles between Exorcists and mages fueled by qi cultivation.


Overall, it was an absolutely wild ride with Yiran, Rui, Zizi, and Nikai. I’m hoping for more Nikai so maybe we’ll be going into the Underworld in the next book? There seemed to be so much more to be explored and discovered that a duology isn’t enough.

P.S. Almost like everyone else, I’m with Zizi. He has my heart through and through. That ending killed me.

Let me start by saying I did like this book. But it either wasn’t for me or I’m entering a reading slump bc I did not enjoy it as much as I probably would have. I didn’t connect to any of the characters, they felt flat to me and the plot was very predictable. I didn’t even like the main characters that much and the romance in the book kinda felt forced (all instances of romance not only the main one ) I don’t think I enjoyed the authors writing that much and the book kept fluctuating between 2 and 4 stars for me.

What I did like about it was Zizi and his relationship with Rui(for half the book), I liked the cat and I did find the world interesting but not intriguing enough. I adored Ruis best friend even tho her moments were few. I liked that the world was queernormative even tho it did feel kind of forced instead of the nice natural flow queernormativity normally has for me, but honestly I’m not that against the writer because honestly good job, it might just have been the feeling because it’s a ya book.

Overal a 3 star.

Ok – I just need to say that I went into my reading of Darker By Four thinking (hoping?) that it was a standalone – I am very much not mad that there will be more – but I’m going to need it now – please and thank you!
This was one of my highly anticipated 2024 releases, with the shadow hunter vibes and the richly imagined world, I have been savouring it all, the longing, the characters, the intrigue and the twists and turns. But now I am finished I am a little hollow, wondering if the next thing I pick up will fill the Rui/Zizi/Yiran sized hole I have in my reading life. As sad as this may seem, it is no bad thing – these characters and their story will stay with me for a very long time – I just need others to read it so I can talk about them!
I am not one for lengthy, spoiler filled reviews, so I am just going to say that the pacing was pretty much perfect, the information was leached out to us in a flowing, need to know, basis and the characters have depth, layers, and a beautiful interconnectedness even if they are in smaller roles.
Darker By Four is truly wonderful and you need to be picking it up and reading it because I have feelings and thoughts that need discussion!
A solid 5 stars

Thank you to the author/publisher/NetGalley for the e-Arc
(links to follow)

4,5⭐️

[Scroll down for the English review]

🇪🇸Menuda montaña rusa de libro, lleno de emociones y escenas excelentes de acción. El misterio no se queda atrás, a pesar de ser un libro bastante centrado en los personajes, la trama está llena de incógnitas y plot-twist sorprendentes.

La construcción del mundo está muy bien hecha. Aunque es un libro de fantasía urbana el mundo y la magia son bastante complejos.

Me han encantado los personajes, todos son bastante moralmente grises y toman muchas decisiones cuestionables. Un desastre completamente, pero su caos parecía el menor de los problemas si tenías en cuenta TODO lo que estaba pasando a su alrededor.

Mi favorito es Zizi, aunque sea el único de los protagonistas que no tiene capítulos desde su perspectiva, su personalidad arrolladora y bromista me ganó por completo. Eso sin hablar de su romance. De las mejores partes del libro, siempre presente pero pocas veces el foco de la escena. Aun así, me robó el corazón.

Hay otra trama de romance que se introduce casi al final del libro. Me pareció bastante repentina, pero sé que dará mucho juego en el segundo libro así que tampoco me quejo.

Este libro es adictivo, interesante y emocionalmente devastador. Todo junto hace que sea un libro que no puedes dejar de leer y del que necesitas la segunda parte en cuanto lo terminas.

¡Gracias a Netgalley y la editorial por el ARC!

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

🇺🇲What a rollercoaster of a book, filled with emotions and amazing action scenes. The mystery is not far behind, even though it’s a character-driven book, the argument was full of enigmas and shocking plot-twists.

The world building was well done. Although it’s an urban fantasy the world and magic are very complex.

I loved the characters; they are all morally grey and make questionable decisions. They were a disaster, but their chaos seemed like a minor problem if you had EVERYTHING that was happening in mind.

My favorite was Zizi, even if he is the only main character without a POV, his funny and cocky personality won me over. And that’s without talking about his romance. One of the best parts of the book, it is always present but rarely the center of the scene. Despite that, it stole my heart.

There is another paring that is introduced later in the book, it was too fast for my liking but I’m curious of how their relationship will develop in the next book.

This book is addictive, interesting and emotionally devastating. When you put all that together it makes the book impossible to put down!

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!

The actual plot is quite straightforward, however, there are a lot of plot threads that are introduced at the same time. Most of these are left to be addressed in the sequel which made the story feel unsatisfying and rushed. Overall I think it was just a very fun book and I'm interested to read the sequel to tie up those lose threads.

Oh how my heart hurts finishing this book.

This was so, so good and I cannot wait to read the second book and I really hope we are going to get certain things - otherwise I’ll die.

I found this to be quite boring. It was mainly down to the characters being bland and I didn't like their interactions or the way different situations were handled. The MC seemed to have such dumb decisions and the main leads were both just annoying. I could see the c-drama comparison, but it just felt surface level. The stakes weren't high enough and the idea of the different kings and too many subplots felt like the author was trying to push a lot of themes into the book, which didn't make sense. It was definitely overdone in the first 50% , and the plot twist was very obvious.

I would recommend to new YA fantasy readers, but this just wasn't for me! Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

I loved this book and all its cool concepts of Exorcist hunters steeped with magic and based on Chinese culture. What makes it even more special is that it’s based on the Ten Courts of Hell and Has Par Villa in Singapore. I really enjoyed the magical aspects of it, together with the characters, Rui, Yiran and Zizi (my fave)

The world building is interesting and a mix of Shadowhunters with Chinese Mythology. Plot-wise, it was engaging, action-packed and I enjoyed every bit of it. The reveals were kinda obvious, but will blew me away.

Can’t wait for book 2!

First of all, a huge thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Aaaand say hello to one of my favourite reads of 2024!

Darker by Four is a young adult fantasy book and the first instalment in a duology in which we follow Rui – a vengeful girl –, Yiran – the black sheep of a notorious family–, and Nikai – a grim reaper–, three distinct characters whose paths intersect so that together, they can save the world from Hell.

When I saw this book on NetGalley, I knew that I had to request it because it ticked all the boxes for me: Asian-inspired urban fantasy, a cartoon cover, a compelling synopsis, and an author I wanted to discover. And let me tell you: disappointment was not a part of my reading journey.
The universe and magic system are sensational. I felt transported into an anime series from the first pages, the fight scenes are insane and I bet this book would be awesome if it were to be turned into an anime. The book feels heavily Asian-/Chinese-inspired, and I was here for that! The bubble teas, the ten courts of Hell, the manga/anime influence… There is a whole section on June CL Tan's website dedicated to the explanation of the inspiration and the influence, as well as the story setting and magical beings present in the book, and it is very interesting to read. There is also a section dedicated to the characters, that I absolutely loved! Each one has their own traits, and have you seen the character arts? Stunning. And did I mention that the characters are queer? Absolutely amazing. One of them reminds me of Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle, and I couldn’t ask for more.

I would recommend this book to everyone, especially if you are a fan of the Shadowhunters universe, a queer-normative world, slow burn, romantic and platonic relationships, funny banter, anime fight scenes and Asian-inspired story settings!

Rui is on her way to becoming an Exorcist and fighting the Revenants, a result of the supernatural virus called blight, when she loses her power. An accident transfers it to magic-less Yiran, the 'disappointment' of a prominent family. This fateful as it seems event is witnessed by Nikai, the head reaper of the Fourth King of Hell who went missing years ago. He continues to look for him while Four's absence is causing the Underworld to crumble. Rui finds out she holds the key to the missing Four and makes a bargain with another King of Hell. All three must play their part and stop the barrier from falling or all Hell will break loose — literally.

From the prologue, I could feel this was going to be special. Captivating from the very first page, the narrative flows beautifully, a pace that lets the story breathe but keeps you invested, taking your attention hostage. I loved this world inspired by Chinese folklore and built upon the author's obvious creativity.

Wonderfully written, fleshed-out characters (you will adore Zizi). The author's mastery in conveying the protagonists' thoughts, emotions and actions will summon your empathy, making it hard to pick a favorite. Rui is simultaneously badass and vulnerable, also grumpy and bossy as Zizi says. Yiran on the surface seems spoiled and reckless but is basically simmering with hurt at being treated less than by his family. Zizi is capricious, eccentric, so much fun and a fierce ally. Nikai is loyal to a fault and seems like a kind soul. They are all joined in their different brands of pain and grief.

The figurative speech presents quirky, imaginative accents, brushstrokes of originality, while the descriptions showcase inspired details that bring the storytelling alive, so much so you feel you can touch it. There are many chuckles to be had (mainly due to Zizi), gasps escaping "o" shaped mouths from the incredulity of things that just happened and marvelous action scenes where I caught my heart racing quite a bit. You know a book is amazing when things get crazy and you have the burning desire to scream at it. And I did, often.

This book is about belonging and meeting expectations. About finding and fulfilling your purpose. Toying with the idea of fate this is a story of revenge, dangerous deals, the promise of greatness and a magical underworld you'll be dying to visit.

Darker By Four is a YA urban fantasy set in a city overrun by dangerous monsters. I was hooked from the beginning and quickly became invested in all the different threads of the narrative. There is plenty of action, an accidental transfer of magic, slow-burn romance, a magical market, and a whole host of CDrama, K-pop, anime and mythology thrown into the mix.

The banter between the characters it top tier - I laughed at Yiran and Zizi's nicknames for each other, enjoyed the mint chocolate chip ice-cream reference, and would happily spend a night out on the town singing karaoke with this group. The characters are all flawed in their own way, and they feel all the more real and relatable because of it.
I also absolutely loved the world building in this novel: from the Underworld and the night sky it shares with our realm to the magical night market, from the Academy set on an island to the hidden hotel, the various locations easily came to life in my imagination.

The ending definitely left me wanting more! I will be looking out for the sequel and can't wait to find out what happens next!

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC! Review is posted voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

DNF at 15%. I absolutely loved Tan's debut so I really hoped this would also be a win. However, straight from the start it felt as if we were constantly at nighttime. It felt very Gotham and Shadowhunter-esque which I did not enjoy and decided to leave it and seek light.

This was amazing!
I read the author's debut, which I liked, so I was very much looking forward to this book. It didn't disappoint. This story is told from multiple points of view, I'm glad for that, I think it's always better. The characters are well developed and interesting. Their motivations and relationships keep you engaged. I really liked the romantic line (and I'm really glad that there was no love triangle). Even though some of the twists and turns are predictable, it didn't detract from the story. I highly recommend this book, the author's first book was good, but this one is in a different league. Don't hesitate to read and hurry!

From the first page I was instantly hooked and loved the world that had been created. It’s not often an urban fantasy can grip me from the start as usually it takes a while to get into the world building but I didn’t find that with this book as it was so easy to understand.

I loved the three different POVs we are given, usually more character POVs we have you sometimes feel like you don’t connect with the characters but I didn’t find that the case and really enjoyed each one.

I really liked the writing style and the way it is detailed enough in a simple and direct way that keeps you engaged to keep turning the page. I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s to come next after the reveals at the end!

I will admit that I don't pick up as many Chinese or Asian inspired fantasies, and that's to my detriment really. I really enjoyed this one, having not been a huge fan of Jade, Fire, Gold by the same author. I will be looking forward to the sequel!