Darker by Four
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Description
- Star-crossed lovers- Forbidden romance- Slow burn- Enemies to lovers (and yes, they do want to kill each other)- Grumpy x sunshine- M/m situationship- Are we fighting or flirting? - "Who did this to you?"
Perfect for fans of This Savage Song and Only a Monster, Darker by Four will pull readers into a world of love, desperation, and revenge—a world where every deal has a catch, no secret stays buried, and no one is exactly who they say they are.
Book Information
Posts
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
It was alright
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).
Review - 4 ⭐ - Urban Fantasy (Chinese Underworld)
📑 Eyes closed, Nikai prayed for a smooth journey and recited the incantation that would send them all to hell. 📑 An inauspicious chill in the air heralded an early winter. As light receded, an ominous pall fell over the city, and the days were getting darker by four. Let me sum-up this book in one sentence: Be careful what you wish for. 📑 "True revenge is surviving." The writing style was easy and enjoyable, the plot gripping, the characters felt realistic and likeable, well distinguishable from one another and the dialogue flows naturally and effortlessly. the writing style, dialogue, plot (so far) and the setting definitely are. And I somehow really like all the characters. 📑 "With all that spiritual energy, Mochi's spirit core should've burned out, but it didn't. Look at him, he's perfectly fine." Zizi seemed a little disappointed. The set-up wild! There is the Chinese underworld with its immortal (?) human-esque beings (multiple kings & Reapers), then there is the queer-normative modern world with humans (some have magic, others don't) and there is an academy for demon-hunters (because yes, there are demons as well: Revenants). One of the kings disappears in the beginning and now the world is falling apart ... 📑 "We need to talk about what happend last night," she said. Everyone in the room knew her statement translated to We should all agree to tell the same story to anyone who asks. The characters are all queer (bi and lesbian from what I've gathered, as well as non binary chars). 📑 "I'm taking a break from dating boys, girls, and anyone in between." Zizi gave her a peculiar look. It was brief, but for some reason it made her remember that he was also a boy and, thus, on her do-not-date list. There are three pov characters: Rui, Yiran and sometimes Nikai. 📑 How many hours had she logged in this training facility? She didn't strike Yiran as someone with a social life. I liked Yiran immediately. He is one of my favourites. But whom I loved even more - and I wish we would have gotten his pov as well - was Zizi. He is so adorable, quirky and funny, and with that a very different, refreshing love-interest! 📑 Zizi flip-flopped into the room. 📑 "How are you so loud and so wrong?" If it were a different story, it would be the most obvious love-triangle (Zizi-Rui-Yiran). The childhood best friend who doesn't stand a chance (Zizi) and the brooding newbie (Yiran), who is now tied by fait to Rui. And obviously, the latter would be endgame. 📑 As he lifted his shirt to wipe his face and chest, he caught Rui glancing briefly at his bare torso. Yiran grinned. "On second thought, I think I'll do this shirtless." Rui rolled her eyes. "A Revenant's not going to ogle at your abs." "Good thing I'm not fighting a Revenant today." "Trying to distract me because you can't think of a better way to beat me? That's pathetic." "So you admit you are distracted?" Her smile turned dangerously sweet. "Let's find out." But this is not another story. Here, the quirky friend will get the girl and Yiran isn't even a love interest but follows his own love story later on with a guy, whom we will most likely see more of in the conclusion to this duology. I appreciated this freshly, different take! 📑 Beaming, Zizi spread out his arms. Rui ignored him. "No hug?" "We don't hug." Zizi swiveled in front of her. "Did I agree to that?" I liked Rui and Zizi together. They are so sweet, calm and loving and healthy. 📑 Zizi came to her again, getting down on his knees as if he were proposing or begging for forgiveness. Rui had an inkling it was the latter. Some romantic aspects came out of a sudden, especially when it comes to Yiran. I don't know how I feel about the execution, but surprisingly I felt something. 📑 Yuki patted the spot next to him. "Now stop pretending that either of us is going to attack the other and come sit with me." There were some parts of the writing that didn't click with me. Some over-used lines (if you want to use "who did this to you" there needs to be anger, tension and ferocity) or too-convenient situations (a Revenant not attacking while Rui transferred and explained her magic to Yiran - what was it doing the whole time?) The humour is great at times and not quite hitting at others, but the fun-moments outweighed. Certain elements were a little bit too much "in your face", as if the author wouldn't trust the reader to pick up or remember details. Like, I got that the girl in Zizi's sketchbook is Rui. You didn't need to tell me that. Or that time, when it took Rui two attempts to break the spell to unlock a door. It required her to say her own nickname. Yet, supposedly, "He hadn't meant for her to ever see this room or his drawings. He didn't know that she'd come looking, or that she'd figure out how to break the spell." really? And what happened to leaving the reader on the edge for a bit? Within the same chapter, Rui discovered the locked door, decided what's hidden behind it will remain a secret a little while longer - just to come back to it and crack it open about two pages later. And when Zizi got missing, Rui was unrealistically unbothered by his disappearances. Yeah, sure, meet Yiran's grandfather over dinner while your best friend becomes yet another missing mage. There was also unrealistic behaviour, like the time where Yiran is assigned to a field mission alongside the top-students, despite him only enrolling into the academy a few months (?) ago. Or when a Hybrid suddenly appears in front of his window - why the hell would he open it?? Yiran, you okay? 📑 "Am I interrupting something?" she said. "No," said two voices with varying degrees of conviction. This book reads on the younger side of YA, with characters being 18-ish, including some stupid fights and rivalries between Zizi and Yiran, still, I very much enjoyed it. 📑 There was a cut on [Yiran's] lip, the abrasion spreading to the side of his mouth. Rui suddenly had an idea of how Zizi got that bruise on his cheekbone. 📑 He swallowed thickly and pulled out his phone. "I guess this is where we exchange numbers." (haha - loved this detail!) There is just the right amount of feeding you with information and keeping you in the dark that makes you want to turn the page! 📑 That was the problem with keeping secrets. Sometimes, you had to tell a lie. To cover that up you told another lie, and then another, until the lies became the secret itself. There are some hints throughout the book on "where" the missing King might be, yet, the way it outfolded in the end might have surprised me, if I hadn't made the mistake and read the annotated chapter first ... Shout-out to Ten, who probably had the best lines! 📑 Ten cut in, thoroughly unimpressed. "Why are you interested in such mundane things, Reaper? It is unbecoming." "Your Majesty, it was the boy who killed the Revenant. What's more, he is human without magic." "Why did you not start with that? I adore plot twists." 📑 "The correct response to my esteemed presence is to grovel at my feet and address me as Your Majesty. I will also accept My King or My Lord, and if you wish to worship me by adulating the magnificence of my physical attributes, you may go ahead." (That settled it for me. If it weren't for Zizi, Ten would have been my favourite after this.) 📑 "I blame the despicable mortal who had the audacity to try to draw us. And now everyone thinks we look like grumpy old men wearing ugly wing-tipped hats." The ending was brutal. From 📑 Finally there was some hope in sight. But first, she had to hunt down a god. To 📑 And then she watched the boy she loved doom the world she had sworn to protect. Im speechless. The last few chapters haunt me and I'm glad I'll have the sequel to this duology in my hands soon!
Description
- Star-crossed lovers- Forbidden romance- Slow burn- Enemies to lovers (and yes, they do want to kill each other)- Grumpy x sunshine- M/m situationship- Are we fighting or flirting? - "Who did this to you?"
Perfect for fans of This Savage Song and Only a Monster, Darker by Four will pull readers into a world of love, desperation, and revenge—a world where every deal has a catch, no secret stays buried, and no one is exactly who they say they are.
Book Information
Posts
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
It was alright
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).
Review - 4 ⭐ - Urban Fantasy (Chinese Underworld)
📑 Eyes closed, Nikai prayed for a smooth journey and recited the incantation that would send them all to hell. 📑 An inauspicious chill in the air heralded an early winter. As light receded, an ominous pall fell over the city, and the days were getting darker by four. Let me sum-up this book in one sentence: Be careful what you wish for. 📑 "True revenge is surviving." The writing style was easy and enjoyable, the plot gripping, the characters felt realistic and likeable, well distinguishable from one another and the dialogue flows naturally and effortlessly. the writing style, dialogue, plot (so far) and the setting definitely are. And I somehow really like all the characters. 📑 "With all that spiritual energy, Mochi's spirit core should've burned out, but it didn't. Look at him, he's perfectly fine." Zizi seemed a little disappointed. The set-up wild! There is the Chinese underworld with its immortal (?) human-esque beings (multiple kings & Reapers), then there is the queer-normative modern world with humans (some have magic, others don't) and there is an academy for demon-hunters (because yes, there are demons as well: Revenants). One of the kings disappears in the beginning and now the world is falling apart ... 📑 "We need to talk about what happend last night," she said. Everyone in the room knew her statement translated to We should all agree to tell the same story to anyone who asks. The characters are all queer (bi and lesbian from what I've gathered, as well as non binary chars). 📑 "I'm taking a break from dating boys, girls, and anyone in between." Zizi gave her a peculiar look. It was brief, but for some reason it made her remember that he was also a boy and, thus, on her do-not-date list. There are three pov characters: Rui, Yiran and sometimes Nikai. 📑 How many hours had she logged in this training facility? She didn't strike Yiran as someone with a social life. I liked Yiran immediately. He is one of my favourites. But whom I loved even more - and I wish we would have gotten his pov as well - was Zizi. He is so adorable, quirky and funny, and with that a very different, refreshing love-interest! 📑 Zizi flip-flopped into the room. 📑 "How are you so loud and so wrong?" If it were a different story, it would be the most obvious love-triangle (Zizi-Rui-Yiran). The childhood best friend who doesn't stand a chance (Zizi) and the brooding newbie (Yiran), who is now tied by fait to Rui. And obviously, the latter would be endgame. 📑 As he lifted his shirt to wipe his face and chest, he caught Rui glancing briefly at his bare torso. Yiran grinned. "On second thought, I think I'll do this shirtless." Rui rolled her eyes. "A Revenant's not going to ogle at your abs." "Good thing I'm not fighting a Revenant today." "Trying to distract me because you can't think of a better way to beat me? That's pathetic." "So you admit you are distracted?" Her smile turned dangerously sweet. "Let's find out." But this is not another story. Here, the quirky friend will get the girl and Yiran isn't even a love interest but follows his own love story later on with a guy, whom we will most likely see more of in the conclusion to this duology. I appreciated this freshly, different take! 📑 Beaming, Zizi spread out his arms. Rui ignored him. "No hug?" "We don't hug." Zizi swiveled in front of her. "Did I agree to that?" I liked Rui and Zizi together. They are so sweet, calm and loving and healthy. 📑 Zizi came to her again, getting down on his knees as if he were proposing or begging for forgiveness. Rui had an inkling it was the latter. Some romantic aspects came out of a sudden, especially when it comes to Yiran. I don't know how I feel about the execution, but surprisingly I felt something. 📑 Yuki patted the spot next to him. "Now stop pretending that either of us is going to attack the other and come sit with me." There were some parts of the writing that didn't click with me. Some over-used lines (if you want to use "who did this to you" there needs to be anger, tension and ferocity) or too-convenient situations (a Revenant not attacking while Rui transferred and explained her magic to Yiran - what was it doing the whole time?) The humour is great at times and not quite hitting at others, but the fun-moments outweighed. Certain elements were a little bit too much "in your face", as if the author wouldn't trust the reader to pick up or remember details. Like, I got that the girl in Zizi's sketchbook is Rui. You didn't need to tell me that. Or that time, when it took Rui two attempts to break the spell to unlock a door. It required her to say her own nickname. Yet, supposedly, "He hadn't meant for her to ever see this room or his drawings. He didn't know that she'd come looking, or that she'd figure out how to break the spell." really? And what happened to leaving the reader on the edge for a bit? Within the same chapter, Rui discovered the locked door, decided what's hidden behind it will remain a secret a little while longer - just to come back to it and crack it open about two pages later. And when Zizi got missing, Rui was unrealistically unbothered by his disappearances. Yeah, sure, meet Yiran's grandfather over dinner while your best friend becomes yet another missing mage. There was also unrealistic behaviour, like the time where Yiran is assigned to a field mission alongside the top-students, despite him only enrolling into the academy a few months (?) ago. Or when a Hybrid suddenly appears in front of his window - why the hell would he open it?? Yiran, you okay? 📑 "Am I interrupting something?" she said. "No," said two voices with varying degrees of conviction. This book reads on the younger side of YA, with characters being 18-ish, including some stupid fights and rivalries between Zizi and Yiran, still, I very much enjoyed it. 📑 There was a cut on [Yiran's] lip, the abrasion spreading to the side of his mouth. Rui suddenly had an idea of how Zizi got that bruise on his cheekbone. 📑 He swallowed thickly and pulled out his phone. "I guess this is where we exchange numbers." (haha - loved this detail!) There is just the right amount of feeding you with information and keeping you in the dark that makes you want to turn the page! 📑 That was the problem with keeping secrets. Sometimes, you had to tell a lie. To cover that up you told another lie, and then another, until the lies became the secret itself. There are some hints throughout the book on "where" the missing King might be, yet, the way it outfolded in the end might have surprised me, if I hadn't made the mistake and read the annotated chapter first ... Shout-out to Ten, who probably had the best lines! 📑 Ten cut in, thoroughly unimpressed. "Why are you interested in such mundane things, Reaper? It is unbecoming." "Your Majesty, it was the boy who killed the Revenant. What's more, he is human without magic." "Why did you not start with that? I adore plot twists." 📑 "The correct response to my esteemed presence is to grovel at my feet and address me as Your Majesty. I will also accept My King or My Lord, and if you wish to worship me by adulating the magnificence of my physical attributes, you may go ahead." (That settled it for me. If it weren't for Zizi, Ten would have been my favourite after this.) 📑 "I blame the despicable mortal who had the audacity to try to draw us. And now everyone thinks we look like grumpy old men wearing ugly wing-tipped hats." The ending was brutal. From 📑 Finally there was some hope in sight. But first, she had to hunt down a god. To 📑 And then she watched the boy she loved doom the world she had sworn to protect. Im speechless. The last few chapters haunt me and I'm glad I'll have the sequel to this duology in my hands soon!