Darker by Four

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

Ah first this book had me really interested and sucked into the story, at the beginning I had the feeling this was absolutely being a 5 star read. But this book lost me along the way, and I can’t really explain why. Maybe because i didn’t really connect to anyone hence I didn’t really care. The plot itself, would I explain it to you is very cool I must say. Maybe it was the writing style or some boring moments in the middle. Try it for yourself

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).