Author David Towsey's “Equinox” is set in a world where everyone has a double, except the double shares the same body. To accomplish this, one person inhabits the body during the day, the other during the night. They each tend to live quite different lives, having different relationships, jobs and personalities.

Special Inspector Christopher Morden is a night inhabitant; he works for the crown and hunts witches. His day brother is Alexander, a naive musician. Both are somewhat aware of the other's activities, though on Morden's latest deadly assignment, Alexander proves to be a bit of a hindrance.

Morden is sent to the town of Drakenford; it seems someone has likely been practicing dark magic, after a Drakenford native turns up in Morden's town, mutilated. Morden is quickly dispatched to Drakenford, and gets to know the night inhabitants, asking questions, and slowly understanding who is causing trouble, and how, if they are not stopped, their actions could lead to war with the southern tribes. Meanwhile, Alexander becomes involved with the daytime individuals who are Morden's suspects, and Alexander takes it upon himself to insert himself into Morden's investigation, muddling Morden's efforts, but also leading to a better understanding between the two brothers.

Towsey slowly teases out the nature of the dark magic practiced by the antagonist, who commits atrocities several times (e.g., poor Tabitha!), and tension builds with each new, terrible act perpetrated.

Towsey's world is fascinating, and had me wondering at the complexity of existence in his world, and the relationships that are so segregated by day and night. For example, two day people could be married, but their night counterparts could live very separate lives, and have relationships with others.

The atmosphere is suitably dark, and I quite liked the style of writing. The pacing is slow, with the narrative taking a while to get going, but I liked the innovativeness of the way Towsey had two distinct people sharing the same body. And though I found the story meandered a little, I still found it intriguing.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Head of Zeus for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Review posted on blog. I’d like to see what Towsey publishes next as I felt he really gripped me in the first half.

This book came highly recommended from a friend and while it didn’t work quite as well for me, I still think it was a great recommendation because I’m convinced it was just the right book at the wrong time for me.

The world and concept of the book were fantastic. I loved the setup and the way it was presented, especially the change in narration later on. While that made so much sense, it didn’t even occur to me that it could happen before it did. I really liked that.

Something prevented me from really connecting to the story and being able to keep up with it for much of it. Since it has come out already, I was able to get the audiobook through the library. I really enjoyed the narrator and thought he fit the MCs well. But I just wasn’t able to stay on top of all the details like I needed to be for this story to have the impact it needed to have. I think I’m going to give it some time and then reread it again in ebook or print form and then come back for an updated review. I really do think this could be a really good book for me so it deserves another chance.

"Equinox" by David Towsey is a novel that presents an intriguing and unique concept, where two distinct personalities share a single human body—one residing during the day, the other at night. This extraordinary premise sets the stage for a thrilling story filled with dark magic, witch hunts, and suspense, but it leaves readers with mixed feelings as it navigates its intricate narrative.

The novel introduces us to the day-born musician and hedonist, Alexander, and the night-born Special Inspector Christophor Morden. The two personalities occupying the same body lead contrasting lives, with differing careers and personalities. They are abruptly drawn into a witch hunt, a mission that threatens to spark a devastating conflict or even war. The story unfolds in the small town of Drakenford, and as they investigate the mysteries surrounding them, the clashing lifestyles of the Brothers become evident.

The concept of two beings inhabiting the same body is indeed fascinating, and Towsey explores this peculiar existence with great depth. The dark and dangerous magic that lurks within the narrative is gradually revealed, adding an element of fascination to the story. The author's world-building seamlessly integrates with the narrative, and while there are some info dumps, they do not significantly detract from the overall reading experience.

The book presents a distinctive world filled with engaging elements, but the mixed reviews reflect a sense of disappointment among some readers. The story is divided into two distinct halves, with the first part primarily focused on the day-born and night-born personas, their clashing lives, and their unique perspectives. The latter part of the book delves into the witch hunt investigation, and it is during this phase that the story picks up momentum and becomes action-packed.

The narrative occasionally drags, particularly when the focus is on the interactions between the characters and their interactions with the townsfolk, leading to some readers losing their investment in the story. Towsey's skill in creating complex and compelling characters is noteworthy, and the dual perspectives provide depth and an additional layer to the narrative.

While the concept and world-building are commendable, some readers express disappointment with the pacing, as the climax appears rushed in comparison to the extensive build-up. Towsey's storytelling style, which balances dark elements and atmospheric storytelling, creates a suspenseful atmosphere throughout the novel. However, the ending may leave readers craving more resolution and a more satisfying conclusion.

In summary, "Equinox" is a novel with a captivating and inventive concept, showcasing an intriguing world filled with dark magic and mystery. Despite its mixed reviews, the book presents a story that, while compelling, leaves room for improvement in terms of pacing and conclusion. Towsey's unique world-building and character development contribute to an engaging narrative that may benefit from further exploration in future installments or adaptations.

I ended up listening to the audiobook of this. I found that I just wasn't really retaining anything. By the time I had finished the book I had no real thoughts other than the writing style reminded me of older fantasy novels. Which can be hit and miss for me.

Firstly I loved the premise of this book. That the MC has a day and night version of himself, witches and magic.

Intrigued to read it on the whole I did enjoy the story, however I found it rather slow paced at times and I spent quite a bit of the book wanting something more to happen.

The writing style was interesting and I did connect with the MC generally, it would have been nice to have a bit more depth and insight though at times.

A good read on the whole and interesting enough to be enjoyed

strong and vivid concept that's generally let down by its weak execution. pacing was weak and inconsistent and worldbuilding was tedious to me. sorry

Stars: 3 out of 5

There is a fascinating premise in this book. What if all humans have two souls inhabiting one body? One has the reigns during the day, the other one during the night? And those are completely different people. They have different names and personalities. They want different things in life. They have different professions. Heck, most of them are even married to different people either night or day. Or married at night but single during the day. Or the night-brother had committed a crime and stays in prison during the night, but their day-brother is released to live their life every morning because it's not fair to punish both souls for the mistakes of just one. 

Some people are lucky enough to live harmoniously with their night or day sibling. Some even hold the same profession on both sides of the ettienne. Others are not so lucky. In fact, it seems like a horrible way to live, if you think about it. You wake up every morning/night next to a stranger that your day/night sibling is married to. How awkward is that? It also seems like one sibling will be more dominant over the other.

Like in the case of our protagonist. The night brother is a special inspector, so his job takes precedence over his day brother who is a musician. When the inspector has to leave town on an investigation, the day brother has no choice but to follow, no matter how inconvenient that is for his professional and personal life. 

I would have loved to explore this fascinating world a bit more. Like what happens to the children of those married couples? If the night sister is the mother of the children, but the day sister is unmarried and leads a completely different life, who takes care of the children during the day? Especially when they are babies? Does the day sister have a choice in the matter or is she forced to care for them no matter what? Wouldn't that create resentment between the siblings? Wouldn't the children suffer because of that?

The mystery itself is rather complex and progresses at a very leisury pace. In fact almost half the book is setup, and even though the story picks up in the second half, it can still be a slog. There are also some leaps of logic that I found hard to follow. And some plot holes that were rather glaring. Like we are expressly told that the father packed up his family and left town after his wife was arrested. Yet, both the oldest and the youngest children are conveniently present to be sacrificed for the ritual. How did that happen? Also, where is the middle sister and the father? Also, this horrible murder of children isn't even mentioned or addressed in any way afterwards. And the mother doesn't express a single ounce of grief or regret over it. And that is the night-sister that gave birth and raised those children. 

All in all, it was interesting mostly for the unique concept and worldbuilding, but I wasn't totally onboard for the story itself. And while I liked both Christophor and Alexander, I wasn't as thrilled with the other characters in this book. And I would have loved a few more answers to the day-to-day conundrum that having two souls in one body represents, because from where I stand, this is the definition of hell.

PS: I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was an okay read. It was definitely an interesting concept and I think it was well executed. I just didn't feel that invested in the story and I didn't really care for the characters. It wasn't bad I just never really felt that I got into it. It took some time to understand where the plot was going and I felt confused for almost the entire first half of the book. The second half of the book was great and I liked the ending.
Overall an okay book. I would definitely try more of David Towseys books.

Couldn’t get into the book and the main character wasn't someone I could root for. The writing took me out of the setting several times

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Although I enjoyed the book it isn't something I would go back and read again so this is how I landed on a 3 star.

Body-swapping and sorcery!

Imagine a world where two beings share a human body: One inhabits it during the day, the other at night. Both lead different lives, have different careers and personalities. In our case, we explore the life of the day-born musician and hedonist Alexander and the night-born Special Inspector Christophor Morden. Then, add some pretty dark witchcraft, the threat of war and you have a unique and mysterious story.

A paranormal story with an interesting twist!

An interesting read following dual perspectives. It was slow to start, but ramped up towards the end. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to an e-arc.

Towsey has created an intriguing concept of a day and night version of one’s self. Living in a past timeline these ‘brothers’ must battle the evils out to tear them apart and all around them.

Beautifully written, dark and foreboding.

The premise of this book drew me in and it did not disappoint. In a world where everyone has a day self and night self who can interact if necessary but with difficulty travelling to hunt a killer is an ambitious objective.

I loved the world building of this book and it was always very clear whose story we were following. I did at times struggle with who the counterpart of day and night was for the other characters but a quick list sorted that out.

The immersive storytelling had me staying up late to finish the book and I would love to see more set in this world.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I read 100 pages of this book back in April and have been debating whether to leave feedback since. Unfortunately this book didn't work for me. After those 100 pages, I had no attachment to the characters, story or world, nor did I feel like there was any drive to continue with it. I can't quite pinpoint it, but the book felt like there was an emotional layer missing, and was a very dry experience.

It’s now been far too long since I actually read this book, and this post has been sitting unwritten in my drafts since May. I enjoyed reading this book, but I found myself at the end struggling to say much about it… the stand out thing is still what drew me to the story in the first place, which is the fact that it’s set in a world in which every body hosts two separate personalities: their day self and their night self. Some lead similar lives on both sides of the sunrise, but many are wildly different, and the main characters Christophor and Alexsander definitely fit into this category. Christophor is one of the king’s Special Inspectors; stern, by the book, and used to dealing with difficult and unpleasant situations. His day-brother Alexsander is a free spirit, a musician who knows how to navigate the levels of society and charm his way anywhere.

When Christophor is called to investigate a particularly gruesome crime believed to be cause by magic, it’s impossible to keep Alexsander completely separate from the unfolding events, and the two will have to work together in spite of their disagreements if they want to make it through. The earlier chapters are all told from Christophor’s perspective, and the only hints of his day-brother are in the faded thoughts and feelings he wakes up with at sunset. Then, things shift and we start seeing things from Alexsander’s point of view as well, which adds an extra layer to the narrative.

I have to say that, after the first part of the investigation which involved a lot more action and some death, it seemed to just become about the brothers interacting with the townsfolk and being constantly suspicious. It did begin to drag… and I will also admit to having skimmed the final chapters, where all the action occurred, because by that point I was no longer invested in the build up, and it all happened a little too suddenly. So, in short, it was an excellent premise with some very good vibes, but the story itself left me disappointed.

This fantasy novel is based in a world where everybody is actually two people - a day and a night version.

Christopher Morden is one of the King’s witch hunters and he is called to investigate the death of a young prisoner. His investigation takes him to a village on the edge of the kingdom where paranormal incidents are increasing, resulting in more deaths.

The premise was exciting - one person living two separate lives with two completely different personalities. However, the characters were boring, the plot line was slightly confusing for the first part of the book.

Was an interesting read, but I don’t think I would bother with a follow up novel.