Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing an ARC via NetGalley. This is my honest review featuring quotes from the ARC.

Darker by Four was a wonderful YA fantasy and it will be a hit with the community. Please read this book. You will adore the characters. You will love the humour, the fast-paced action, and the tender emotions. You will savour the all-round feel of being in an anime about teenagers and the underworld.

I really want to tell you that you will love this book. The story has a nice even split of plot and characters, creating intrigue and excitement when the characters interact with one another. I need to say it again, YOU WILL LOVE THE CHARACTERS. They are all charming, even the side characters, even the antagonists. Charm. Charm. Charm. From being gruff to sly dialogue, to tender smiles. They are wonderful and constantly catch each other off guard in the best way.


“Despite being a genius, I’m extremely pathetic when it comes to certain things.”

The plot provides a clear purpose and whilst it won’t blow your socks off, it was enjoyable exploring the trials of being an exorcist-in-training and the problems in the underworld. The reveal wasn’t surprising, but it was more about the emotional reaction than anything else which had a very high impact. Ouch.

The worldbuilding was simple but effective. The urban fantasy setting allows you to easily grasp the world with a kick of magic and the commonality of people using power for their own benefit. I liked how this added nuanced discussions surrounding power.

This was a pure delight to read. Truly and completely delightful. If you enjoy anime or C-dramas, you must pick up this book ASAP.


⋆｡°✩ details about the plot ✩°｡⋆

Set in a world where there are Revenants, souls turned bad, and exorcists who have been trained to use their powerful spirit cores to destroy them. Not everyone has the ability for this power, but one who does is Rui. A young woman who is top of her class at the Exorcist’s Guild and motivated by revenge for her mother’s death.

Yiran is the grandson to the head of the Exorcist’s Guild with no magic to speak of, dismissed as the good-for-nothing child.

Zizi is Rui’s secret friend. Secret because he disdains the Guild and what it stands for. I like how he brought in doubt about the esteemed system and how it made the main characters question it at times. It added an additional layer which heightened the novel a lot. Instead, he is a mage who works in the underground magic system, selling spells to anyone who asks. Sometimes Rui will be the tester of these spells, which is again a secret.

One of these spells goes incredibly wrong, or incredibly right, when Rui transfers her powers to Yiran on their first meeting to save them both from a Revenant attack, unaware there is no way to take back her powers.

This is the initial set-up for the main characters. I found it an interesting way to use power; the loss for someone who relies on them and the gain for someone who has always wanted them. It isn’t what you would normally read about in YA fantasy therefore it brings forth its own new challenges as they adjust. Their personalities fit nicely alongside the gain and loss as you experience what this means for each individual, creating a problem with no perfect solution.

It meant bringing Rui and Yiran into each other’s lives despite coming from different worlds, even if under duress. The no-nonsense fighter and the rich kid. It was great to see their relationship blossom especially under such emotional circumstances. They could connect on multiple levels and reluctantly became good friends. This book values friendship as much as any romantic relationship. Huzzah!

Zizi is the whimsical mage who owns a cat, always wears pyjamas and will soon become everyone’s favourite character. He has the star quality, from the charm, the way he holds himself, the power he possesses, the questions he asks, and the way he simply admires Rui without question. I cannot stress this enough, you will love him. Trying to fix the problem he never meant to create and sort out the other end of the deal for this spell, Zizi is thrown into solving as many problems as possible, but can he do it?


“You want to save the world and the innumerable fools in it, whether they deserve a chance or not. But I-I would give up this entire world for a single breath to leave your lips again.”

I enjoyed seeing the personal stakes as these characters tried to solve their problems, and their dynamic was delicious. They had natural chemistry as they resented being in the room together, but all chose to protect each other (alright, sometimes it was for self-interest). But the scenes with all three of them were top-tier! Honestly, the best! I just want more of them together. Is it too much to ask?

The other side of the plot was honestly mentioned a little too late, like why did we need to reach the halfway book to see it established in the plot? Nonetheless, it was worth the wait. There is a problem with Hell, which has made the revenant problem worse if people were interested.


“Sounds like corruption extends to the afterlife.”

You may be thinking, how can there be a problem in the underworld? Well, one of the ten Kings decided to go on a vacation which means it is unstable. One of the Kings recruits Rui to discover his whereabouts. If you’ve been recruited to help a King of Hell, you may already know they appear arrogant and hardly ask nicely, but there is something very enticing about them all the same.

This interference raises the stakes and leads to a beautifully heartbreaking ending. I can’t wait to get to the sequel. There will be more about the underworld, more romance and more greatness.


----

Buzzwords: reluctant friendships, star-crossed lovers, slow burn, loss of power, the underworld, multiple POV, friendships, feels like a c-drama/anime, Chinese folklore, exorcist in training, bisexual (and queer) rep

I really liked the sound of this one and I wanted to love it, but unfortunately I really struggled to get into it. It took me a really long time to get about two thirds through.

From that point on I did really like it, as the action picked up and things started to come together. I’d definitely be interested in reading the next book now that I’ve connected with the world.,

Darker by Four - June CL Tan 3,25 stars
This was a decent book. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. I liked the characters (especially Zizi, I loved how silly he acted) and felt connected to them, but the plot was lacking at some points. From the blurb we know that Rui's magic will transfer to Yiran, but this doesn't happen until we're already 20% into the book. While it was nice to have some background, it also ment that in the first 20% not much happened. Also from the blurb I was expecting to see a lot of Nikai, Rui and Yiran together, but Nikai didn't appear a lot in the story (there were only 6 from the 57 chapters in his POV, and the rest is divided between Rui and Yiran). I thought it was a bummer that there were no scenes with the three of them together. Btw if I'm correct, the cover shows Yiran, Rui and Zizi (and not Nikai as I was expecting). The writing style was pretty good, but sometimes the word choice was questionable. It felt like the author chose difficult words for the sole purpose of sounding more profound (e.g. [...] he enjoyed her cantankerous company). This interupted my reading flow (note: I am a non-native English speaker). The ending of the book was a bit rushed, but I'm interested in where the story will go in the sequel.

Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it if you're interested in the story.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rating: 4.5

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).

This book is my first 5 star read in months and it has every right to be. It has cured me from my book slump. It was such a fun read from the beginning to the very end. I love it when a book is well paced throughout. Nothing felt too slow or rushed and i was always left wanting to read more. I kept telling myself that i'd, just, read a little bit more before doing my daily tasks or having to sleep because the storyline and characters had me hooked!

It was, definitely, giving off anime vibes which i thought was really cool and it was action-packed throughout. The author did an amazing job of creating this world where humans and creatures from the underworld exist. Thanks to her great storytelling, i was able to play the scenes in my head with ease and didn't have to think too much on them.

I'm really excited for the second book and can't wait to find out what happens next. Thank you to hodder & stoughton and netgalley for allowing me to read an early copy for an honest review.

This book took me by surprise and completely captured me. I'm not familiar with anime or manga, which was clearly an inspiration for this, but it doesn't matter at all for this story. The Chinese mythology of the underworld is intriguing, the characters are so strong, and the story is both tight and kept me at the edge of my seat.
Rui, Zizi and Yiran are connected to each other in ways that are interesting and only partly foreseeable. They live in a world of magic (both institutionalized and chaotic), and that is at the whims of the ten Kings of Hell.
Nikai is a Reaper and the best friend of Four, a King of Hell, who has disappeared and cannot be found.
Revenants are symptoms of chaos, endangering humans and having brought forth the Guild of Exorcists. And there's also Hybrids - half human, half Revenant - which are kept secret and might redefine of what is perceived as 'normal' and 'good'.
This is a story where both the narrative and the characters are equally interesting. There's not a character I didn't like (or liked to hate). Even the sidekicks are fully formed or have enough mystery to them that I need to learn more. And of course there's our trio at the heart of it, navigating trust, friendship, romance, fate and betrayal. Zizi was my fave, this powerful chaotic mage who likes to chill in his PJs.
I was also eager to learn what the title of the book is about, and when it became clear, it was just so clever and multi-layered.
I was delighted to learn there will be a sequel, and I desperately need to know what happens to my lovelies and the world they live in.

5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks for the eARC!

#DarkerByFour #netgalley #bookstagram

𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠: I need a Zizi in my life.

𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠:
Darker by Four was SO GOOD!
June's writing has improved significantly since Jade Fire Gold and I was hooked from the first page. The world-building was really cool, with magic, exorcisms, and Chinese gods all in one place! Although I would have appreciated a bit more explanation about the blight and the revenants' origin, I loved everything about the Ten Courts of Hell, the exorcist academy, the magical shadow community, and the layers of secrets.
And the characters! They were my favourite part of the book, and I enjoyed every single one of them - even though I must admit that I have a soft spot for Zizi.
The mind-blowing reveals towards the end left me eagerly waiting for the second book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I did enjoy this for the most part, I like the characters and their dynamics and the worldbuilding was interesting. The ending did feel rushed to me, and there are many unexplained questions but guess these will be answered in the sequel.

Oh, how I loved this!! And I am not big on YA, mind. But June Tan has gifted readers with a tale that gripped me from the word go - from plot to character, from action to pacing, I was hooked through every page. Imagine a hybrid between K Dramas (Tomorrow and Doom at your Service kept coming to mind) Chinese myths of the Ten Courts of Hell, xianxia and wuxia novels full of lore and excitement, all set in a contemporary scenario, with a worldbuilding that just weaves itself organically, without need for info dumps or excessive explanations. Plus, the writing style, though simple and direct, was - unlike most YA i've read lately - NOT amateurish, lacking the infanto-juvenile flare that seems to be the tone to this genre in recent years. I was so invested in the characters - especially Four - that I could hardly put the book down and kept wanting to return to it. Now, I'm even more invested, especially after those mind-blowing reveals at the end!
Do yourselves a favour and grab a copy of this.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Quick caveat; I feel like I'm not the prime audience for this book (as an older reader!), but I did enjoy it.

The writing is tremendously visual, with the action playing out like an anime adventure in front of my eyes. The characters are fun and well-drawn, I loved the colourful, playful style and incorporating a broad range of relationships and oriental mythology made this truly original.

I know that the younger readers than myself will adore it, and I'll definitely be watching for the anime adaptation that it deserves. I'll be recommending to teenage family members!

A really big shoutout to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review Darker By Four! I really loved it!

Darker By Four By June CL Tan is an urban fantasy that was possibly the most fun I've had reading this year so far. The story follows two realms that intersect. It shows the reader the underworld and the reapers that are in charge of it. One of the higher gods/reapers goes missing one day after an anomaly of fate occurs and this is what starts off the story.

We mainly follow a cadet (Rui) at the military academy that specializes in keeping humans safe from souls that have been corrupted and that have turned into Revenants. Along the way we also meet the two boys that play a large role in her story, Zizi and Yiran.

After a spell from Zizi goes wrong, Rui and Yiran are forced to work together to fix the situation. Along the way other reapers will interfere and more mysteries come to light.

I absolutely want Zizi to come to life. I just want to hug him so so much! In fact, all the characters in this book are deeply flawed but still loveable. I know this book was initially written as just a fun book for the author to distract herself with, but it definitely grew into something amazing. I think a lot of authors write what they think an audience would like to read instead of realizing that they themselves count as well, and we would often love to read what they want to read as well.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of VE Schwab, Only A Monster, Scythe or even anyone playing Love and Deepspace. It's a really solid urban fantasy entry and I really cannot wait for the next installment! I loved June CL Tan's previous book as well, and I am very excited to see what comes next from her pen!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Darker By Four is a celebration of xianxia tropes, Chinese underworld mythology, queer enemies-to-lovers romance, and the coolest fandom references!!! In k-drama talk, this book is Alchemy of Souls meet My Demon meet Goblin, and I AM HERE FOR IT! I'll never shut up about this book!!!!!!!!!

It's told by Rui's and Yiran's perspectives. One of the MAAAAANY things I loved about this book is that it was so clear whose perspective we read that we didn't need it explicitly written. Rui and Yiran may be interconnected but their personalities are clearly distinct.

Rui is our fierce sword-fighting girl, leading all of the glorious xianxia fighting scenes. If you're not aware of the terms or how the magic system of xianxia works, don't worry; the author describes it beautifully and accurately so you will understand and discover this cool worldbuilding. If you're already knees deep into this world, you'll LOVE every second of it. Anyway back to Rui! She's a rare talent that doesn't appear often, a talent that is only rivaled by Rui's need to succeed. She's ambitious and determined and well...quite cranky lmao She has lost her once happy family and had to fend for herself and then she had to make a name of herself in a society that still appreciates long, renowned bloodlines. I loved Rui! She's strong, stubborn, loves fiercely, and yet maintains a strong sense of right and wrong in a world where killing is ordinary.

Yiran is our sweet but scowling guy who comes from one of the most powerful families in the city and yet who has no magic of his own. He's an illegitimate son of a dead hero who is treated like dirt by his own grandfather. No magic, no respect. *cue eye-roll and glaring* Yes, I do want to strangle the grandfather for many reasons, first and foremost for our Yiran!

Zizi....I mean, if you love Magnus Bane and Howl, then meet Zizi, your new obsession!! He's our pan mage extraordinaire who accomplishes the impossible and who definitely needs a hug at the end! He identifies as pan but at the moment as Rui-sexual 😎

I loved how Rui and Yiran have an undeniable connection that is NOT romantic. They're like platonic soulmates, and I don't encounter it as often as I'd like! And I loved how what Rui and what Yiran want are the exact opposite, but they're never jerks about it.

LGBTQIA+ rep: Rui and Yiran are bi, and Zizi is pan. We also have sapphic best friends and a non-binary character who helps one of the characters a lot and yet tells them off when it's needed! As for the romance, we have a f/m and a m/m romance line. No discrimination scenes. This world is queer-normative. The characters just are!

As I said before, the worldbuilding is heavily inspired by Chinese underworld mythology and by xianxia tropes and magic system. It's basically a Chinese-influenced Shadowhunters underworld. The book's underworld is ruled by ten Kings, and we get to meet four of them. Every single one of them is very different from each other, and some you may want to strangle more than others! Yes, Ten, I'm talking about you... If you long for more books that build on spiritual cores and spiritual weapons, then you will absolutely love this one!

The plot is strong, and the pace is excellent. Not too fast, not lagging. The plot keeps you guessing throughout the entire book. I kept guessing who Four really is, and the author made an excellent job at not making it obvious. I was also too busy being in awe and love with everything, as well.

Some may wonder if it's too YA, whatever that means. The characters are teens, and I found the book true to its rightful audience. But it's definitely upper YA, borderline light NA.

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED. IT'S A HOMAGE TO "OUR" FANDOMS AND TO XIANXIA. IT'S UTTER PERFECTION, AND I'LL PROBABLY REREAD THIS BOOK AS MANY TIMES I'VE REREAD PERCY JACKSON AND THE CRUEL PRINCE.

5 STARS AREN'T ENOUGH FOR THE BOOK OF MY HEART AND SOUL. IT'S NOT JUST AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE. IT'S THE BOOK OF MY HEART.


PS
It's the pick for an April monthly box. To Skip Or Not To Skip? HECK NO!!! Don't skip!!!! RENEW, RENEW, RENEW!!!

I have to say that i really like it. I think it’s better than JFG. Rui is a girl who has been touched by death, Nikai is a grim reaper working for a king in the other realm, Yiran is someone who’s always try to belong (but sadly no matter how hard he tried, he doesn’t belong to the Song family) and my dear Zizi, a mage who’s always be there for Rui. The story is fast paced and very well written although i still bit confused about The Blight. It didn’t offer much explanation. Only the soul that’s been touched will become a Revenant, but where is it come from? And also the reason about the disappearance of Four (?) hopefully all that will be answered on the sequel. But please don’t leave it hanging like JFG! Slow burn romance is the best, while you’re guessing which one will end up with Rui 🙈

I’m gonna be real honest here and say that this book will be harder to review than Jade Fire Gold, which is one of my all-time favourite books (and also written by June CL Tan) but, somehow, I loved Darker By Four even more.

First up, I read through this so quickly. It’s the quickest I’ve read through a book in over a year and that’s down to two reasons:

1. June’s mentions of it since the first interviews (things like Jujutsu Kaisen were mentioned, my interest was well and truly at peak levels already)
2. IT’S JUST SO GOOD.

This book is genuinely like all the coolest parts of animes mixed in with some Chinese mythology and then with some very lovely Easter Eggs, an entire cast of endearing main characters you’re rooting for alongside the found family elements that I adored in Jade Fire Gold and… I just really adored this whole package of a book. Figured I would, because of everything I knew about it going in, but my lord.

We have a mix of POVs in this book, three in total, with the most prominent being Rui; a girl who had her life saved as a baby, only to accidentally end up then being linked to the disappearance of one of the Ten Kings of Hell, the titular Four.

I loved all main perspectives, genuinely can’t say I disliked any chapters, but Rui’s character was one of my favourites. If you’re a fan of Bleach, she gave me strong Ichigo / Rukia vibes. If you’re unaware of Bleach then basically Rui is an absolutely kickass young woman but you can absolutely tell it’s because of how big her heart is that she’s like that.

Early in Rui’s chapters we also meet Zizi, her lovable friend usually chilling in PJs, because why not? Upon our second meeting with him, just about a third into the book, he very bluntly says that Rui is everything to him. And he lives up to that throughout. (He’s my absolute favourite character, for several reasons)

Yiran is very different from Rui and Zizi, but another main perspective we encounter. He’s grown up entirely without magic, albeit from a family renown for their magical abilities, and very rich. “Poor little rich boy” as someone calls him though, he just can’t seem to win his grandfather’s approval no matter what the situation is. He’s introduced as a character with a huge wall up, but you definitely warm up to him throughout the story.

An outlying perspective we have is Nikai, a Reaper who kind of has a personality that reminded me of Aziraphale from Good Omens. He can’t even bring himself to call himself a Reaper, using a term far sweeter instead. He just wants to help bring his friend and King back however he can.

Time is, unfortunately of the essence. Because after so long with Hell being unbalanced it’s causing problems there and for humans, with some humans even turning into monsters called Revenants (kind of like vampires, they feed off humans).

Rui herself is a trainee Exorcist, and part of her role as that involves hunting Revenants. When she inexplicably performs a very powerful spell, one of the Kings assigns her to the role of finding Four, on top of everything else she has to deal with.

Romance-wise, we have a lovely dash of friends-to-lovers for one match up and a queer enemies-to-lovers, I’m hoping we’ll get more of both in book two, but book one’s taste of both is definitely enjoyable.

Likewise though, book one low-key ripped my heart out at the end. Have you ever read a book and cared so much for the main characters that you go ‘okay, as long as they’re fine Hell and everything else doesn’t matter’? Because that was me with Darker By Four. I just want these characters to be happy and I’m hoping we see that by the end of book two.

This book was enthralling from the beginning all the way to the end and although it’s only February at the time of my writing, Darker By Four has become my favourite read of the year so far. It’s absolutely everything I want in a fantasy book, but also so much more than I had ever anticipated it to be. Set in a world filled brimming with magic, with the most loveable characters, shadowy creatures, and an achingly slow burn but beautiful and wholesome romance, this book follows Rui, Yiran and Zizi as they strive to regain lost powers, navigate love and unintentionally create both enemies and friendships against the treacherous backdrop of a city besieged by dangerous monsters. Rui's determination to regain her powers drives the plot forward and the narrative promises twists and turns as Rui navigates through shadowy realms and forges alliances with enigmatic characters in her pursuit of a god who remains elusive.

This magical book is poised to captivate a diverse audience, and is the perfect book for fans of Kdramas, Animes, The Mortal Instruments and Asian mythology - basically everything that I never thought I needed but everything I could ever want in a book!! I think this is largely due to its masterful infusion of Asian mythology that provided a unique and enriching layer to the narrative, promising a reading experience that transcends genres, as well as the achingly beautiful slow burn romance that was also incredibly wholesome and swoon worthy, that further deepened my love for this book. The romance was so wonderfully done, and I was squealing, kicking my legs in the air and hiding my face in my pillow because all the emotions were there. Darker by Four is a must-read for those seeking a blend of magic, mystery, and heartfelt connections.

The characters, by far, are literally my favourite cast of characters because I loved every single one of them – there was not a SINGLE character I disliked, and this has never happened to me in all my years of reading. Honestly, they all felt like my babies and they must all be protected at all cost. However, I will dive into my favourite side characters, which consists of Nikai, Ash and Yuki. Nikai is such an interesting and loveable character who literally exemplifies loyalty and I loved his interactions with Rui because it gave us such a wonderful glimpse into his soft nature despite being a Reaper. In terms of Ash, I absolutely adored him because despite being a flawed character he also just had such depth to him that we could understand why he is the way he is – despite holding such a high position that comes with SO MUCH pressure, he remains a dedicated, compassionate (in his own way) and strong leader and I just loved his dynamic with his brother. Lastly, I found Yuki to be an extremely compelling and multifaceted character who just pulled at my heartstrings and his hinted relation to a certain someone was just too adorable, and I look forward to seeing more of this pairing because they had me smiling from ear to ear with their adorable banter and flirting.

Now, onto the main characters and I’ll start with Rui first. Strong, independent and powerful, Rui is a character that reminded me of myself and I really connected with her on so many levels because I felt like she always kept everyone at an arm’s length due to her trauma and conflict within herself, and it honestly made all her interactions with the other characters that much more engaging, heart-wrenching in some cases, and absolutely hilarious in others. She was such a brilliantly fleshed out character with so much breadth and charm.

As for Yiran, I felt like he was the perfect morally grey yet equally soft character and I could really empathise with him, largely due to the excellent writing that really brought Yiran’s many facets to the surface whilst remaining subtle and full of complexities. I think his charm is in the fact that he is a very flawed but very real character who is very reminiscent of a byronic hero – he has so much to offer and the world is not kind to him but deep down, I do believe that he is only a ‘mochi’ as Zizi so eloquently put it. Mochi is the perfect nickname for Yiran.

Okay, now onto my favourite character. Zizi. I have never loved a male character as much as I adore him. Firstly, I would just like to affirm that Zizi reminds me of Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle SO MUCH. Zizi is an elusive, mysterious and wickedly handsome mage who lives alone in a magical house, with an open love for expensive pyjamas and cats and a secret love for romance novels and a certain someone. He is also part of an underground magical society and regularly dabbles in bizzare, highly dangerous and potentially extremely powerful spells. Not only is he such a fascinating and multifaceted character, but he also possesses great wit, charisma and would make the perfect boyfriend due to his protectiveness and capacity for unconditional and wholehearted love. He would literally burn the world down for her and there is no better quote that could describe him except this one – “this boy would go to the ends of the earth for the injured girl” Or maybe this one: “I would give up this entire world for a single breath to leave your lips again”. If I could, I would write a whole dissertation for my love for Zizi.

Overall, Zizi had my whole entire heart, and if he were Howl, I would let him eat my heart and this book was the easiest 5/5 I have given in a long time. Thank you so much to Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read this amazing book and thank you so much June CL Tan for writing such an incredible story with everything I love intricately and adeptly woven into the heart and soul of this book.

The original pitch for this book was apparentlyShadowhunters meets Chinese Mythology and while it's much more than that it has a lot of the features that made the Mortal Instruments series popular: whip smart, weapon wielding teens with family and relationship issues, deadly non-human creatures threatening life as we know it and a great found family dynamic and will they/won't they romance.

The story is told via three different POVs, Rui - an exorcist cadet, marked by family tragedy and insanely good at what she does; Yiran - a member of an illustrious, wealthy and powerful family who lacks the abilities the rest of his family are blessed with and the mysterious Nikai - usherer of souls to the underworld and friends with the Fourth King of Hell.

The story rattles along and is easily finished in two sittings - so relieved to know a sequel is on the way!

Rating - 4.25⭐️

If you haven’t checked out the character fanart of this book yet then you must IMMEDIATELY go on June CL Tan’s Instagram page (@junescribbles) because the stunning fanart was what initially sold the book to me!!!

I really liked the found family dynamic between Rui, Zizi and Yiran. I also especially liked Nikai, he’s my precious reaper🥹 and I wanna see more of him in the sequel🫶🏻.

There’s a M/F slow burn romance and also a M/M enemies to …?👀

The slow burn between Rui and Zizi was so cuteeee!! I kept squealing!!! Just like with Rui, Zizi can also make me giggle and laugh like a fool because I love his humour and flirtatiousness. I could listen to him talk all day because his dialogues are pure gold.

Alsooo, I am so intrigued with whatever is happening between Yiran and another particular character😏. I can’t wait to see more interactions between those two because their first encounter had me laughing so much😂.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher Hodder & Stroughton for the e-arc!

final rating: 4.5/5☆ (so why is it a pseudo 5? because i really really liked this one :)

'darker by four' is such a clever title. after the big turning point in the story where it gets out to the Guild that our main trio knows about hybrids and they've fought one, the sky starts getting darker by four o'clock. and not to mention, the world they lived in with the evolving blight and the Nothing swallowing towns up only turned darker by Four (the king) leaving the underworld and forgetting his life to be a moral. brilliant.

honestly, a modern cultivation story?? sign me up the moment i say this!! i really liked the creavity of the whole setting. it's not just a historical drama but set in reality. it's not cultivation sects and politics and someone practicing demonic cultivation and being shunned by everyone else (if you know what i mean). i love the twist on the setting with am actual school teaching them to use their magic to defeat Revenants (spirits infected by a supernatural virus calles the Blight to become monsters). already, it was shaping up to be a unique story.

the first half of the book was a big of a drag for me. it felt like things were happening too fast, and yet a whole lot of nothing was happening. suddenly bam, Zizi gives Rui the talisman that can move one's spiritual energy, bam, Yiran heads out to nab himself a Revenant. and well........ you know where it's going. for a good while, it felt like a lot of character motivations like Yiran's home life, backstory etc were beong word vomited at me, which did not make me sympathise for him at all, which of course made me like him even less when he started NOT wanting to give Rui's powers back, even when she only transferred it to him to save both their lives.

it's kinda a funny story for Yiran actually. i went from hating him (even if i really did understand wanting to hold on to something good that falls into your lap), to kind of tolerating him and maybe liking him a bit later on in the story, and then back to absolutely disliking him when he got mad at Rui at the end because he lost his magic again when she got it back. Rui feels bad because she now did it twice to him, give him magic and take it away without consent.

but well, it didn't belong to him in the first place, did it? but i really did like his character journey, and morally grey characters written well!! [and the whole thing of Yiran and Yuki (a Hybrid and literally an enemy) being attracted to each other and seeing each other for a chat after a big fight?? a solid idea, and i can't wait to see where this goes, especially after Yuki offered to help get his magic back. (even if it's not even his to begin with!!)]

not gna lie, when i was still early in the book, i was so sure Zizi was the second lead and i'm gna be feeling be bad when Rui ends up with Yiran because that's how such stories always go, and the way their relationship just gets more complex, from a secret more than friends less than lovers situation from the moment Zizi saved Rui, to being ACTUAL lovers, and later on to the ??? did he really love me or was it Four protecting his vessel— (spoiler alert: he did!!) was such a ride.

would 10/10 read this again and i look forward to the next installment to this series :"

(cross posted on goodreads)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Darker by Four' by June CL Tan.

'Darker by Four' is the newest book by author June C.L. Tan and is soon to be a duology - hopefully this time the publishers do give Tan the second book because I haven't forgiven the publishers for the Jade Fire Gold cliffhanger.

From the moment I started this book, I knew I would enjoy it. Perfect pacing for me, interesting characters with an equally interesting magic system made for a really great read. I felt my interest did slowly dwindle at the 89% mark but honestly, that could be purely on me and I'm not gonna dock points off the book for a final 11%. The mini cliffhanger ending was definitely needed for this book and I sure hope the new book in this duology comes soon.

I am really really extremely excited to read this book and positive that I will love all the characters, however, I am unable to read my ARC as the formatting has messed up and chapters are combined together so that it’ll have a half paragraph from one chapter, a different paragraph mid sentence, and then resume that paragraph , the whole way through, which makes attempting to read it difficult. I am still extremely hyped for this book tho !!!!!