Rating: 4.5
I loved this book SO much! It was such a hidden gem - I haven’t seen much hype for it yet but I’m excited to see everyone enjoying it when it’s published!

This book really has everything. It’s the first book in a gripping urban duology with monsters, secrets, the underworld, epic fight scenes, bubble tea-drinking kings of hell, anime and kpop references, a beautifully heartbreaking romance, and queer rep!! Genuinely so enjoyable!

Rui is an aspiring exorcist and a badass out for vengeance! She’s on a mission to avenge her mother, honing her powers to be ready to deliver justice to the monster responsible. A spanner is thrown in the works when she loses her powers in a magical accident! I really enjoyed watching her deal with this unfortunate situation and overcome it!

Yiran is a powerless boy in a powerful and prosperous exorcist family with grandaddy issues. He is desperate for his family’s approval but constantly feels like a disappointment. Chaos ensues when he runs into Rui…

I’m obsessed with Zizi. He’s charming, disarming, and permanently in PJs. I literally love him. If Zizi has no fans I am unalived. Think Howl from Howl’s moving castle but with snazzy pyjamas! AND he has a cat.

The pacing was amazing! There were lots of unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing! I truly wasn’t ready for it to end and I haven’t felt that way about a book for a while. I’m unbelievably excited for news on book 2!

*Actual rating is 4.5 stars*

Darker by Four is the kind of book that you want to finish in one sitting, or read back to back. Because the characters and questions of what’s to come lived rent-free in my head when I wasn’t reading.

While it started out a bit slow for me, and there were aspects of the Blight that I never felt got explained, the writing and the charming characters made up for it. The story mainly focuses on the trio of badass exorcists in training Rui, her mage friend Zizi and the magicless family failure Yiran.The chemistry and interactions between the three of them was the real highlight of the book, even if I wasn’t completely sold on the romance.

This is a book full of mysteries, of non-human monsters and gods affecting the lives of the humans. There’s constantly new things that keep things interesting. I don’t read a lot of urban fantasy, or am very familiar with the east asian media that have influenced the story, but I still really enjoyed this book.

"But perhaps the threads of fate are weaving a new tapestry tonight."

DARKER BY FOUR had be me by my throat in the first few chapters, and it refused to let me go after that. Tan breathes life onto the pages in the way she describes the humming pulse of a city filled with equal parts magic and mayhem. There is no lack of both heart-racing action and heart-melting moments, and Tan has done a brilliant job at seamlessly intertwining the two.

"How could there ever be a fair exchange between a mortal and a god?"

With the very much Howl Pendragon coded love interest and the constant bisexual panic, I loved everything about the characters in DBF. Usually, I find myself struggling to connect with voices when there are multiple POVs, especially those that span across different worlds and/or timelines, but that wasn't the case here. The perspectives are diverse enough that I was drawn to each of them for differing reasoning; I wanted to know what they were feeling and thinking, how they were going to approach situations or try to weasel out of hard spots. The MCs all have their flaws. Driven by revenge or a thirst for power, they're selfish and often foolish—but they're also written in a way where it's near impossible to not want to root for them. I adored getting to know them and their homes, the power that flows through their veins and the histories that weigh heavy atop their shoulders.

As someone who grew up on the Mortal Instruments series, and has since realised its many downfalls, finding a story to fill that spot has been a struggle. DBF does it for me. Truly.

"One day, she would bring him to his knees."

Please grab yourself a copy of this book on its release. I'm going to be gnawing at the bars of my enclosure until the next book drops.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

I DNFd this book at 50%.

This had a really interesting premise and a fun mix of characters, but overall I wasn't feeling it. There were so many different aspects to the story, each with its own plot line, and I found that each of them were moving too slow to keep me invested.
I think the style of the book is well written and thought out, but it just wasn't giving me what I needed to feel really invested.

Out of all the books I've read so far this year, this one has bored me the most.

The characters were very surface level, and the prose was very repetitive and didn't capture my attention, whatsoever. Despite the interesting premise - the hero losing her powers rather than gaining it - this didn't feel much different than the average YA urban/school fantasy. I kept staring off to space and daydreaming, which was much more interesting than whenever I forced myself to return back to the story.

There are some small things I don't have the energy to talk about, but I will spare some for one thing in the spoilers: So, Four, one of the Ten Kings of Hell, goes missing, and it's revealed at the end that he co-inhabiting Zizi's, the third main character and Rui's love interest, human body. The reason? He wanted to be with Rui, who he saved when she was still in the womb. He also saved her from a Hybrid Revenant, basically a demon in human form, four years before the plot started, but then he promptly forgot about it because that's apart of the deal he struck to be human. I'm rambling - the proper explanation is extremely convoluted - but the main point is that an immortal god has been chasing after this girl literally her whole life and that's weird. It's implied Zizi believes he and Four are two separate beings, but my point still stands.

I had similar thoughts/feelings when I read Tan's debut all the way back in 2021, and I thought I would find improvements in her sophomore. But I didn't, and I'm always a bit sad whenever that doesn't happen.

Well, June does it again !!! another incredible ya fantasy with adorable characters and a thrilling plot.
This is for everyone who loves their dose of urban fantasy with chaotic yet lovable characters and a story that keeps you on the edge because as soon as I hit that 30% mark I couldn't stop and read it in one sitting. I'm really excited for the sequel.

Oh. My. Freaking. God. This book is absolutely amazing. I adored June C.L. Tan's previous work and I was so excited when this was announced and oh my god, Darker By Four was everything that I had ever dreamed of. It felt like I was watching an anime while I was reading it. The writing is so immersive, that you are immediately sucked into this world. You will find yourself alongside the characters; wondering exactly what is going to happen.

The pacing was incredible; it was just right and the action? It never stops. You think you have a moment of respite and everyone in the book is safe, but nope. Things are crazy and wild and I loved every single second of it. I always enjoy reading fantasy stories set in modern day cities and DB4 is another addition to it. As I said, the world-building was immersive and truly, I could see myself walking the streets with Rui, Zizi and Yiran. The magic system was well-explained and thought out, and honestly pretty cool (I would love a magic like this).

The references in this though? AMAZING. There's a Jujutsu Kaisen reference. There is a reference to BTS' Jin. Plus if you're an anime fan (like I am), you will recognize some other pretty damn cool references.

As for the characters, I loved them all. Whether it be Rui, Zizi or Yiran, I found myself falling in love with each of them. All three have their secrets and their motivations and I loved how clearly defined they were. These three all had a distinct voice and personalities. Plus the character development? Impeccable.

As for the ending? Holy. Crap. That was something. It totally left me reeling and I am desperate to find out what happens next. Seriously, the book ended nothing like I was expecting and ahhh, I need book 2 now!

All in all, Darker by Four was an absolutely incredible read and definitely one of my newest favourite fantasy reads!

thank you netgalley for the chance to read this!!

this was an entertaining story, never boring thats for sure.
i really enjoyed the world, and it was the strongest part of this book for me. so many interesting things!
the charactors werent the strongest, and i felt like they were interesting in the start, many things that i thought were going to be explored more, and werent. i didnt really care about the romance either, but thats just me.
all in all i have much hope for the second, and i look forward to it!!
storygraph rating : 3.5

I was hooked since the first pages and kept reading till the end. A great fantasy inspired by Chines mythology, featuring a cast of interesting characters.
Good world building and storytelling.
Can't wait to read the second part in this duology
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

First of all thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has three POVs throughout, the main one being Rui's. The characters were all interesting and complex. I enjoyed the dynamic between the main three.

The plot was well paced and everything that happened felt right. I would definitely recommend giving this book a read.

This was so good! I loved the different realms, the multi POV and the source of magic was wonderfully unique.

Rui had it hard in this book, she was compassionate & honourable but used at every turn. She deserved way better & I hope there’s a book 2!

I wavered on this one, but ultimately can’t give it more than 3.5 stars.

While I enjoyed the magic system and do really want to know more about it and this underworld specifically, I also can’t help feeling like it was all over the place sometimes. The stakes set at the beginning barely felt like they mattered throughout, not even in the ending itself. And the main antagonistic force seemed to just be a second thought until the very end. The worst bit to me, however, was how the whole mystery plot was handled—beyond being predictable, it worked overtime to convince me I didn’t know what was happening when characters had basically given it away earlier.

As for our main character, Rui really wasn’t doing much towards her goal—she kept getting pulled in different directions and reacting to what was happening. And don’t get me started on Yiran, because that last conversation between him and Rui had me seething in indignation for her, and I didn’t even feel that strong of a connection with her to begin with! I can’t say Yiran rubbed me the right way throughout—I’d hoped it would evolve into anxiety over his wrong decisions because I cared about him and knew he could do better, but nope. The characterization overall was a bit flat. I wanted more tension in the main romance. And the secondary one, well… It could be interesting to see how it develops in future instalments, but it felt jarring in book 1.

All in all, what saved this book for me was the magic, the underworld and the intrigue around Four’s identity and motivations. Brownie points for grandma, Ash, and Yuri—I’d love to see more of them going forward. And I’m a simple woman, I see word-play, I click on it. So, will I read the next book? Of course I will. I have to know what fresh hell Hell will cook up.

This book is for you if you enjoy:
- monster hunting with weapons that can channel magic
- where is waldo? who is waldo? what is waldo?
- oblivious besties to lovers
- everyone flying that bi/pan flag
- multiple easter egg references to other media.

Many thanks to NetGalley, June C.L. Tan and Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read and review this book.

After loving the author's "Jade ,Fire and Gold " I couldn't wait to read her new novel! I loved seeing the Folklore and the Chinese Underworld mix together giving the birth to an original world building! The plot is so captivating and full of action and twists and turns that once you start reading it is almost impossible to stop! I liked all the characters and the slow burn between Zizi of Rui was spectacular.
Needless to say, it was absolutely a 5-star read!

A slightly slow start almost put me off this book - three narrative points, different worlds and a massive time-jump, all within the first three chapters, left me unsure if it was something I could get on board with.
However, it evened out from that point onwards, and by 1/3 of the way through it all made sense!

And I was SO GLAD I continued. This book went from strength to strength. There were plot twists, enemies to friends to lovers, betrayals and disagreements. It turned into an action packed book that would translate so well to screen that I am desperate to see it picked up.

The main three characters - Rui, Yiran and Zizi - are different, yet work well together. The banter and bickering between the three of them is amusing, as they learn to see past the image that is being projected to the real person hiding behind a mask. A big part of the tension is caused by the fact that none of them are really honest about how they feel, and they all make assumptions about the others lifestyles. It's nice to see them getting past that as the story progresses.

Primarily, the story is about the collapse of hell due to the loss of one of its Kings, and how that is impacting the real world as souls are claimed by the 'blight' and turned into Revenants (a sort of Zombie/vampire hybrid, it seems). Rui, Yiran and Zizi are thrown together due to some magic gone wrong, and start to uncover truths about the Revenants, and the missing King. Unfortunately, there are secrets being kept all over the place, and their path to truth doesn't run smoothly.

The book does end with a million questions remaining for book 2, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the story unfolds!

Darker by Four has an intriguing concept / set up - it's rare that I see a book about Reapers / underworld. The plot was interesting and brought up thought provoking questions. I liked the world and how it was built throughout the story.

The fight scenes in particular were really well written, I visualised them like an anime!! I could totally see this being adapted in to an anime.

The star rating dropped for me because I didn't love Yiran and we got a lot of the story from his perspective - always a risk with multiple POVS that you won't personally gel with one of the characters! I did however find myself intrigued b
y Rui and Nikai's perspectives.

This book was such an absorbing adventure right from the start and I adored the characters (the nice ones, obviously) although at times it was difficult to warm to Yiran who is selfish and greedy. I’ll cut him some slack though, because this was ultimately a result of his upbringing and the way he’s treated by his family - especially his grandfather. Rui is a determined character, on the path of revenge, and I loved her. She’s so powerful, and filled with rage, but has built good friendships and has a good head on her shoulders. I was also hooked on her tentative romance and I need so much more of it.

Filled with mysteries, and misdirection, Darker by Four kept me on my toes, second and triple guessing my instincts and the evidence in front of me. I did have some suspicions about what was going on, but I was in no way certain, so it definitely kept things interesting. Pairing that with all of the action, danger, and secrets, this is a fantastic read and I’m going to be eagerly waiting for the next instalment!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

'Darker by Four' was an anticipated read of mine & it was a really good beginning to the duology!

The interwoven myths & lots were fascinating to read about but by far, my favorite aspect of the story were the characters!

I have unpopular favorites, but overall, the characterization, their motives, beliefs were developed enough to get a good grasp of their personality!

The writing style of the author improved & I was enjoying deeply what I was reading! The references the author teased us about, made me smile when I finally came across them!

The only downside of the book, was the pacing. It's a bit slow as a book & I struggled with it!

I will be reading the sequel when the time comes!

I had a lot of mixed feelings about this one and I wasn't sure if I should give it 3 or 4 stars, but eventually went with 4. The story started of a bit slow and I had a hard time getting into the book, after like 40% in, it got more interesting. It had absolutely nothing to do with the writing since that was great and I was really able to picture all the scenes.

I also liked the characters a lot and the different types of "creatures" or people. It was quite interesting to read about how each and everyone of them fit into this world. This book has multiple pov's, which I'm usually not a fan of, but I liked it this time. It mostly followed Rui and Yiran and both were very complex, but likeable characters

I do think this book is worth the read even though it took me a while to get into it.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let's start with a confession: I went into reading this book with kind of conflicted expectations. On one hand, I really really enjoyed June CL Tan's debut novel 'Jade Fire Gold' and I was excited to see what new amazing story she came up with. The book had great, complex characters, a well-executed plot and good writing and I also really wanted to see how Tan has developed as a writer from a craft perspective. On the other hand though, a lot of the marketing of this book focuses on its' inspirations being cdrama shows and kpop, and I have absolutely zero connection to either. Haven't watched a single episode of any beloved cdrama show and the whole kpop industry is, let's say, not my jam (also I just don't like most of the music). So yeah, I was both excited and worried that this might just not vibe with me because clearly I'm not the target audience.

Fast forward to me reading this book in one sitting and having a forking great time. Sigh of utter relief right there.
Now, I'm sure that fans of the aforementioned material will get a lot more out of this book than I did because they would probably notice all the references, but even if you're a complete noob about these subjects you can still very much enjoy your time with "Darker By Four".

My enjoyment of almost any fiction novel mostly hinges on whether I connect with the characters. I don't have to relate to them, but I have to feel for them, care for them in some way. 'Darker by Four' made me care for almost all of the important characters. Rui is our main protagonist really, a girl who almost died before she was even born because her pregnant mother was in a car crash that would have taken her life if not for the interference of two of the ten Kings of Hell, Four and One. They saved her mother's life because, well, Rui is the Chosen One trope incarnate even if we don't know exactly what that entails for now. When she's 14, Rui loses her mother when they are attacked by a Hybrid - a being half human, half Revenant monster - and still blames herself to this day, vowing to find the murderous Hybrid and take her revenge. Now at 18, she's the best student at an academy training new exorcists - people with strong magical capabilities that exist to fight the monstrous Revenants. She's a complex and layered character, even though she's a bit too Special and Chosen and Edgy at times.
The second major pov character is Yiran, who has by far the more interesting personal storyline to begin with. He's the son of the big boss of the exorcist guild, part of a family known to produce the strongest fighters with the strongest powers, yet he himself is what the people call a "normie". He's born without the inherent capacity for power, and he suffers constantly because of it. With low self esteem and a terrible grandfather who looks down on him, his journey takes a sudden turn when he meets Rui and he comes into a power he always desperately wished for. While it took me a little more time to warm up to him, I absolutely adored him by the end of the book and I'm very excited to see where Tan will lead him in the sequel.
The third pov character is Nikai, a reaper that helps the souls of the departed to find their way into the underworld. His chapters are far and inbetween and we don't learn that much about him, so I'm not super invested in him for now, but he might just be playing an important role later on. In this book, he mostly serves as our introduction to the underworld, its mechanisms and the Kings ruling them. When the King Nikai serves, Four, suddenly vanishes and thereby endangers both the underworld and the world of the living, it's Nikai who sets out to find him.
There's also another very important character, though he doesn't get his own pov chapter until the very end: Zizi is a rogue mage who saved Rui when her mother was killed, and the two have shared a close bond since then. She does the odd magical jobs for him, and he's her connection to the magical world beyond the guild of exorcists. He's a fun character, witty and clearly devoted to Rui and if I love one thing about my love interests, it's when they're very obviously simping for their girls. Their romance is pretty perfectly done, deliciously slow burn despite them both already having feelings for each other when we meet them. And well, it only gets better from there.
There are a bunch of side characters, though most of them aren't that interesting or fleshed out. Yiran's brother Ash, the golden child of the family, is intriguing because of his complicated relationship with his little brother, who he clearly loves very much. I thought that Rui's best friend (and ex) Ada would play a larger role, but she kind of disappears into "side character pops up when needed" territory later on. One of the most intriguing side characters gets introduced rather late into the story and I'm already very invested in him and finding out more about him because he offers a new perspective, and there's potential for a great relationship between him and one of the main characters, though I won't mention more because it'd be a spoiler. The Kings we meet are interesting and I hope we get to spend more time with them in the next book.

The plot is a very straightforward one: There are monsters called Revenants, caused by a mysterious Blight taking over the souls of the dead if they're not ushered into the underworld quickly enough. There are those that fight those monsters, the Exorcists. When one of the Kings of the underworld vanishes, more Revenants start to pop up while the underworld slowly but surely falls to a dark void called the Nothing. The solution? To find the missing King and return him to this throne, which will hopefully end the rising threat to both worlds. Only that finding said King is not an easy task. When one of the other Kings offer Rui a deal to give her what she wants (and return something that she lost) in return for finding him, she still agrees to take it on. There's a lot more surrounding this seemingly straightforward quest, but the mystery of the missing King is intriguing and exciting on its own.

The writing is solid, though at times a little clunky. Especially in the beginning there's quite a bit of exposition provided via characters telling other characters things that they already know. Sometimes, the characters don't talk like people would actually talk in order to get some information across. For example, to make sure we understand that both Rui and Yiran are queer, they both on different occasions reply to questions about their romantic life by explicitely stating that right now they're not interested in dating "boys or girls or anyone in between". Rui does so even to a person she just met. Noone would talk like that unless they want to make a point, which neither of them does, especially not in such a queerfriendly world as is shown in this novel. Feels a little like "look!! here's the representation!!", but could also just be clunky writing. There are way better ways to bring this information across, and Tan uses them in the very same novel. Other than that, the writing is perfectly fine and works well with the fast-paced story it tells.

All in all, I just had a really good time reading this book and I'm very invested in the characters. There are many ways the story could develop in the sequel and I'm really excited to find out! A fast-paced, quick fantasy that makes you want to read up on the underlying mythology, which is always a win in my opinion. Easy 4 stars.

DARKER BY FOUR was so much fun from start to finish. It's a YA urban fantasy where Chinese underworld mythology collides with a contemporary world. The plot is action-packed and keeps the reader engaged until the last page due to the many twists, turns, and reveals. The slow-burn romance is beautiful and Zizi is a fantastic character. I loved his interactions with Rui, an Exorcist-in-training on a quest to avenge her mother's death. It reminded me of 2010 YA in the best way possible.