Happy Publication Day!


3.5


From the outset, "Darker by Four" is set in present-day China, which is haunted by Revenants — souls afflicted by a supernatural plague that transforms them into monsters. Exorcists, equipped with spiritual energy and special weapons, fight these creatures under the leadership of the Exorcists Guild, with the aspiring exorcists being trained at the Xingshan Academy. Although the plot seems simple, it develops into various subplots that intertwine as the story progresses. In addition to the human world, the story also takes place in the underworld, which is ruled by ten kings whose job it is to maintain the balance between the two worlds. However, this balance is upset when a king disappears, leading to chaos between the two worlds.

The author's storytelling is straightforward and captivating from the start. However, I found it lacked depth at some crucial moments, as some scenes seemed forced instead of flowing naturally. I also feel that some parts could have been developed further to create a more significant impact. Given the numerous subplots, it's understandable that some situations may not receive adequate attention due to the narrative's need to focus on other elements.

The world-building is basic, but the author skillfully manipulates it to her advantage. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot twists in the finale, which enriched the story. The story and world-building, with references to Chinese mythology and numerous adds to anime and kdrama are the strengths of "The Darker by Four." The inclusion of Chinese wordplay could have been more frequent to enhance the story's uniqueness.

However, I found the characters and their relationships unconvincing. Perhaps it's just my impression, but despite their distinct goals, fears, and different situations, I didn't feel connected to any of them. Maybe Zizi is the only exception. It seemed like the characters needed more development and hadn't reached their full potential yet. Even though Rui is portrayed as the heroine seeking revenge for her mother, she still seems far from her goal. It’s like she’s overwhelmed by the situations that present themselves without being able to prioritize what she wants, including the quest for revenge against her mother. My thoughts are that if Rui knows there’s a Hybrid, but she doesn’t have proof why she didn’t go looking for them in the black market? She could use Zizi’s shophouse as a base so she wouldn’t get caught by the Academy, considering she’s already working with him. I know her goal is to become a captain so she can operate freely, but it would have been nice to see Rui seize every opportunity to obtain advance information to achieve her goals.

I can see that the author wanted to create a found family between Rui, Zizi, and Yiran, but their interactions were so few that I thought a love triangle would form instead, especially since there were more moments where Rui was alone with one of them. However, I didn’t feel the development of the relationship between Rui and Zizi, which is a shame. What I didn't like was the sudden introduction of a second love interest, which felt forced and unprepared. I hope the author delves into this aspect in the next volume because it doesn't make sense at the moment.

The ending was bittersweet due to the events and the final plot twist, which I adored. However, I didn't expect Yiran's negative attitude towards Rui. Why blame her when you knew from the beginning that things would eventually return to normal? I was perplexed by his behavior, especially considering Rui's situation. Yiran loses 100 points of respect from me.

Overall, I've to say that I was pleasantly surprised by my first book by this author. Although the ending and some of the details didn't quite captivate me, the story had potential. This book fits its audience very well, and that might be why some parts of the story didn't quite resonate with me. I hope that in the next book, the author continues to expand the world she has created and have some more scene in the Underworld. I can't wait to read the sequel and see what it brings.


Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s PUB day! A big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an e arc in exchange for an honest review.
Chinese mythology doesn’t hold a big my interest as much but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was a bit on the safe side and slightly predictable. The characters were out of my zone and I couldn’t really connect with them. However I liked the story enough to finish and I will be continuing the series!

Darker by Four was so much more than I expected.
It had action, angst, love, betrayal, and loneliness. It was just so cram packed with emotion.
I knew it was going to be one I would enjoy, but it blew me away.
I loved it, and Zizi is my favourite 😍 he drew me in straight away!
Yiran grew on me as the story unfolded. Rui too, but I felt like she didn't need to as much as Yiran.
I wish we got to know Nikai and Yuki better but hopefully we do in a future book.
I need to know what happens next, and I need to know ASAP.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an early copy of this incredible book ❤️

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!