Are you impressed with all the new book releases this year? Because the book team at THP sure is! Only three months in, and we’ve gotten incredible fantasies, contemporary romances, and thrillers to indulge ourselves.
We’ve opted for a YA urban fantasy today: Darker by Four, June CL Tan’s newest novel. Darker by Four follows Rui Lin, a talented exorcist-in-training, and Yiran Song, the black sheep of a prominent family known for its magic users.
June CL Tan’s Darker by Four is the first book in a duology, so prepare yourself for an open ending. In the meantime, we’ll tell you four of our favorite things about Darker by Four!
Book Overview
Content Warnings: death, parental death (flashbacks), fantasy violence, torture, child abuse (implied), panic attacks and anxiety, alcohol consumption and alcoholism
Summary: A vengeful girl. A hollow boy. A missing god.
Rui has one goal in mind—honing her magic to avenge her mother’s death.
Yiran is the black sheep of an illustrious family. The world would be at his feet—had he been born with magic.
Nikai is a Reaper, serving the Fourth King of Hell. When his master disappears, the underworld begins to crumble…and the human world will be next if the King is not found.
When an accident causes Rui’s power to transfer to Yiran, everything turns upside down. Without her magic, Rui has no tool for vengeance. With it, Yiran finally feels like he belongs. That is, until Rui discovers she might hold the key to the missing death god and strikes a dangerous bargain with another King.
As darkness takes over, three paths intersect in the shadows. And three lives bound by fate must rise against destiny before the barrier between worlds falls and all Hell breaks loose—literally.
It Weaves In Chinese Culture
Darker by Four does a phenomenal job of including elements of Chinese folklore in Rui and Yiran’s world. There’s Diyu and The Ten Courts of Hell. There’s also the number four, which sounds similar to the words “death” or “die” in various Chinese languages. Four is thus considered an unlucky number. And it’s the Fourth King of Hell who triggers the imbalance between the two worlds, allowing the Blight, a supernatural virus in the human world, to grow.
The Mystery Of Four’s Disappearance
Next, Darker by Four contains a mystery that Rui and us readers must try to solve before it’s too late. The Fourth King disappeared 18 years ago with a stolen artifact and this cryptic message to Nikai: “I am going to see the stars, my friend.” Fast forward to the present, when Rui makes a deal with Ten to find the Fourth King, she asks the mages across the city for any clues. But readers know something that Rui doesn’t, so we have to figure out where (and who) Four could be.
It Features Multiple Perspectives
You already know we’re suckers for alternating points of view! We get to experience the events of Darker by Four through Rui, Yiran, and Nikai’s perspectives. Rui lives to save innocent humans from the Revenants, or creatures who feed on mortals’ spirit energy. Yiran would do anything to keep his newfound magic. And Nikai must find his king before Hell descends into chaos. Each character has a different goal, but their fated connections to one another bring them together in multiple ways.
The Action Sequences
Another thing we love about Darker by Four is how well each fight plays out. From Rui and Yiran’s first real-life fight with a Revenant to them facing two Hybrids targeting Rui’s close friend, Zizi. Rui’s the top cadet at Xingshan Academy, and her strength is a marvel! She doesn’t let her lack of magic weigh her down. We also loved seeing Yiran grow into his defense magic. Rui doesn’t stop fighting even when there are gods against her, and we admire her even more for it!
June CL Tan’s Darker by Four takes us to the intersection of this world and the underworld, delivering a powerful, modern twist to Chinese folklore!
Darker by Four by June CL Tan is available April 2nd, and you can preorder a copy of it here!
What do you think of June CL Tan’s new book, Darker by Four? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JUNE CL TAN:
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