This was giving major Buffy Vibes, which is exactly what brought me to this title! I think it’s the perfect way to describe our “champion” in this story. Demons, hero, and high stakes! I cannot wait for the physical print! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this title!

What a riveting book! I read this book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This has several things quite familiar to the fantasy genre but it’s the lens provided by the main character that makes it feel unique. Our terrified and reluctant main character was forced to take a ‘blessing’ and become a ‘champion’. Exiled to fight demons, only visited once a month by couriers who bring supplies. Their strength to fight the demons, tempered by the constant anxiety they feel. They rely on routines and rituals to help them through challenging experiences. They’ve been horribly neglected by their family and excluded from society, leading a life of isolation, only being allowed to return to town once a year which they have chosen not to do. Ten years of this and their world is rocked when the heir to the kingdom decides to visit to try to convince them to come back for the day of breath.

I really liked this book. I had one tiny issue which is that when the perspectives changed between the champion and the heir, it also jumped between first and third person which I found a bit jarring. But that was one small thing in a book that was otherwise exciting, thrilling and with some great lore.

The Champion was a character I could really root for. She’s so strong despite the challenges she faces and she’s so dedicated to her duty. She’s got a layer of sadness which we delve deeper into and she’s been treated really poorly, by her parents yes, but also by the society that condemns her to constant isolation and danger for their own safety.

This was outstanding. It's final fantasy for the modern age. I loved it and I just need Darby to go on and write more

I absolutely loved this debut novel. The most action packed 24 hrs! Demon slaying, a charming bi boy, everyone is a little anxious and neurodivergent and it doesn’t stop them from fighting like hell against a system built to destroy them. I love Oly she is precious and deserves nothing but goodness. I saw the author was inspired by Buffy, and I totally see season 6 Buffy rep here. Absolutely so so good everyone needs to read this ASAP!

Imagine one woman standing between a kingdom and its ruin, tirelessly holding back hordes of demons, given only one day per year to rest. Oly, chosen ten years ago to serve as the sole Champion of Niawa, is stationed alone at the Edge. Blessed with superhuman strength and healing, she battles demons from the Rive. But one day per year, every year, when the goddess's comet crosses the sky, no demons emerge: a phenomenon known as A Day of Breath.

When this month's supplies arrive, two days before the comet's appearance, the cart also brings a stowaway in the form of the Heir to the kingdom. What follows is a dark young adult fantasy tale that unravels over a 24-hour period. The author explores the nature of duty versus self, as well as how our relationships with those around us sharpen and hone our actions and words.

I wish that the side characters had been given as much depth as the main characters. I also felt that Fallon's relationship with his sibling Abner prior to heading to the Edge could have been fleshed out a bit more. Their actions and the reasons for those actions were more reflective of teenagers than to adults in their mid-20s.

All in all, a solid novel with a good premise, interesting main characters, and a nice dose of Eldritch fantasy!


Note: Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What a great book thanks to Darby Cox. A unique mythra with cults opening rifts to the realm of demons for their personal use is reminiscent of many other novels, but this is done very well.

The story highlights oly, the greatest champion who's power is waning, what happens nexr? Combination of her waning powers and tue day of breath makes this book tense & builds steam as the need to save the world becomes apparent.

A well written book along mythic background lines with a high stakes goal that keeps you engaged by the supporting casts.of unique characters like magical holy beings to add a little tension and fun.

Dark fantasy on a grand scale

3.5 Rounded up.

A Day of Breath was a comforting coming of age fantasy until of course, the body horror ramps all the way up. You are in for a wild ride!

We follow Oly, the longest running champion of Niawa, she has been monitoring the Rive for over a decade, keeping the city safe from any demons who sneak through its dangerous portal. Chosen from a young age, she takes her duties seriously, not even stopping to bathe fully until the Day of Breath each year. On this day, the city celebrates a champion they haven't seen in a decade. Oly never once deeming it necessary to give up her sole day of rest, but all that is about to change.

Within the city of Niawa we follow Fallon, a young heir adjacent to the throne. His curiosities about the Rive and its Champion, coupled with his own ambition lead him to the ultimate, fool proof conclusion, that he will single-handedly convince Oly to join their Day of Breath celebrations. Surely nothing could go wrong right?

Religious conspiracy and dark underpinnings threaten the Day of Breath. Oly and Fallon will have to work together, if they have any chance of saving an entire town from total devastation.

I liked a number of things about Cox's story, from the comforting, familiar feel of the fantasy elements, the experimentation of horror from the demons and above all, the beautifully (sometimes frustratingly) authentic exploration of neurodivergence.

Oly is a chosen one, but she is as far from a Mary-Sue as you can get. This poor young woman gives everything she has to her demon fights, and later to an entire town. She is battered and bruised, she knows she cannot keep this up, but she will die fighting if it means saving her people. I loved the realness of her character, alongside a familiar fantasy setting.

Without going into spoilers, I will say this book lulls you into a false sense of security. Sure, there are demons and battles, but nothing prepares you for the insanity which takes over the second half of this book. In a good way, I promise. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself.

And finally, my favourite part of this book hands down, was how the author has treated Oly's on page neurodivergence with upmost care, while also giving the readers a look at some real life examples of how it can affect our lives from a characters perspective. Oly is anxious, she needs comforts, namely in the colour green and a bowl she has carried with her from her schooling days. I also loved the authenticity of how others interacted with her surrounding her needs. Some looked down upon it (hello mother) and others embraced it and did what they could to make our hero feel not only comfortable, but like they weren't a burden one little bit.

While there was a fair bit I enjoyed about A Day of Breath, there were certainly some scenes I felt like could do with a bit more detail, particularly around the build up of emotional impact as we come into the latter half of the book. It felt like some of the characters had more potential than they were allowed to explore on the page. There was also some slight repetition, which is absolutely a me thing, but I would be remiss not to mention it grated on my experience slightly.

Overall, I had a good time with this one and I am glad I picked it up! Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of A Day of Breath.