I really like how A Door in the Dark is marketed as One of Us Lying meets A Deadly Education. I personally have not read One of Us Lying (even though I own it) but I have read A Deadly Education and can say without a doubt that it gives off the dark academia, the school is out to get me vibes.

Do note that if you are looking for a protagonist trying to survive the school, you will not really find that with this book because our main character, Ren is out for revenge.

The world building is done well as well as the character arcs. I really like how this feels like a villain origin story and how everyone has to wade through the gray areas to act out the revenge but on the flipside having to find ways to stay true to those around them.

A Door in the Dark is definitely a unique story that has nod to other books in the genre, but it finds ways to make its own. Be prepared for a lot of twists and turns as well as wanting the sequel right away.

If fantasy, thrillers, or dark academia is your vibe, then I think you'll enjoy this book.

I loved the premise and how we're thrust into the action right from the start, trying to figure out the secrets everyone is keeping and how the protagonist is eventually going to seek her revenge. There are tropes here, but they're well-executed without being tired, like the love interest of the privileged bad boy who isn't all he seems and the overall conceit of a school for magic where things go awry. Reintgen doesn't pull any punches with the characters -- brutally so -- and it works for keeping the fast pace going. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

The writing style is fluid and engaging, making for a smooth reading experience. The author has a knack for creating beautiful prose and memorable lines that resonate with the reader. There is, however, a minor inconsistency in the narrative voice that may occasionally pull you out of the story.

I could not put this book down. I really enjoyed the storytelling especially since it started with the crime, went back a bit in time and then caught up to that opening scene. I also really enjoyed the mystery element and trying to figure out who the villain was. This was also spookier than I was expecting but I still enjoyed it.

I read and rated this before I knew there was going to be a sequel so one of the reasons I gave this 4 stars was the ending. I really enjoyed the story but didn’t love the ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. I enjoyed this fast paced, dark academia, adventure/ survival story. The magic system was interesting as was the world the story takes place in. The story draws you in and keeps you guessing. Scott Reintgen is the master of action packed, edge of your seat stories. I can't wait to recommend this book to my students. I highly recommend it.

Are you looking for a YA book that gives dark academia vibes with some horror and magic thrown in? Then I think this one may be right up your alley. It definitely has the worldbuilding atmosphere of the Shadowhunter Chronicles with a similar feel to Naomi Novik's Scholomance books. There are magical teens, deadly creatures, and even deadlier secrets.

Ren, our main character, is the know-it-all of the group, and I'm not using that term derogatorily. She really is the one who knows it all. She's like Hermione Granger with a dark side. Then there is Timmons, her best friend; Cora, the medic; Avy, the tough guy; Clyde, the drug-dealer/bad boy; and Theo, the son of Ren's enemy. It's quite a cast of characters thrown together in a situation that quickly goes from bad to worse when they all get thrown miles away from their home and into a wilderness filled with a lot of magical boogeymen

I will say, the worldbuilding in this story is what is intriguing. Once the story starts to pick up about fifty pages in, there were crazy things going down every other chapter. There were wyverns, kobolds, dragons, and very evil humans. Even when the spellwork was explained and things got a little too technical, none of it took away from the actual events in the story. I could believe that characters had magical objects hiding on their person and that creepy monsters were haunting the group. Honestly, it was a good thriller/adventure story. I was constantly wondering how everyone would get out of the situation in one piece.

The weakness of this book lies with the characters, however. They just never quite clicked and they came across as rather dry. In my opinion, they needed more personality and to interact with their peers more on the page. Maybe if the book had been longer and added some conversations between the characters, it could have gained some of that development within the story. As is, it's just really hard to get attached. However, it was shocking when bad things would happen to them. But, unfortunately, after the initial "Oh no!" reaction, I didn't feel anything more. Maybe I'm heartless, but I wasn't feeling it. This is definitely not a character-driven book, it's a plot-driven one. So if you like scary-esque plots where kids are trapped in the woods with monsters, and you also like magic and dragons, then this story could 100% be for you.

Overall, I think this book could be popular for teens looking for the next series to pick up after Harry Potter or Shadowhunters. It could easily fill those gaps. However, if you're looking for something where you fall in love with the characters, I don't think this book is that. It has more of a '90s thriller vibe set in a fantasy world. It was an entertaining read, just not something I fell in love with. Though, I'm not a huge horror fan, so that could explain why.

3 stars

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

It sounded great but I could not get into the story. I was confused at first and the book had a slower start than I was expecting. I will probably go back and give it another shot at a later date

I really enjoyed this. I haven't read a Reintgen book since Nyxia (but I own that trilogy and the 2 Ashlords books!) so reading this brought him back on my radar. This was similar to The Magicians but in my opinion, so much better (I liked the Magicians TV show better than the books). The world-building was really cool, the magic system was really creative, it got really dark. And there are some twists! Definitely want a book 2!! But also the third Ashlords book.

Ren and five other students are accidentally transported deep in the wilderness when a fight breaks out in a transportation portal called a waxway. Brilliant Ren, must use all of her magical skills and knowledge to get the group back to civilization. The wilderness is brutal and unforgiving, and the group is being hunted by a dangerous and powerful creature.

In this world magic is mined and controlled by the ultra-wealthy founding families, and the lower classes all work for scraps. Ren, although top of her class, has limited opportunities due to her place in the societal ladder. She is filled with hate and wants to get to the top to bring the whole system down!

I loved the way the prologue opens with the consequences of a spell gone wrong. That style of writing always makes me want to know how the characters got from point A to point B.

This story is many things – and I like that. It begins with students who are on the verge of graduation and are interviewing for jobs. Soon it turns into a kind of locked room murder, then a survival story, all set against a background of magic. Ren is a scholarship student at Balmerick University. She’s worked hard over the past four years and is now the top of her class with exemplary grades – but she watches on the sidelines as mediocre students in her graduating class are placed in top houses while she still waits for her first interview. Ren may have the intelligence and talent, but when it comes to social interactions she tends to come across as superior – kind of a “know-it-all”.

On the last day of school before break, Ren, her best friend, two other scholarship students, and two students from wealthy houses board a travel portal. When a spell malfunctions, five of them are left stranded in the wilderness – and one of them is already dead. The remaining five distinctive characters then struggle to survive as they make their way home while trying to keep ahead of what’s chasing them. Not all of them make it. They’re not equipped with many supplies but can rely on their magic. I liked the magic system – each character has a limited amount. It’s very clear that it’s distributed unevenly between the upper and lower classes.

Ren wasn’t my favorite person throughout most of the story. She’s the kind of person you might roll your eyes at during class when she corrects other students. Throughout the story, she hints several times at a secret she carries. When the twist at the end reveals it, Ren immediately became a more intriguing character to me. I’m interested to see how this plays out in the sequel.

This is an exciting, tense read with an unusual blend of fantasy, a murder mystery, and survival story, and I’d recommend it to fans of those genres. The sequel is absolutely going on my list of anticipated reads.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I tried so hard but could not get into this story. It dragged out for WAY longer than my attention span could go, and sadly, It was a DNF for me. I love the cover, and the plot, but it just fell short.

A magical school but magic use is governed by having ockleys to create the spell but in this society there is the 5 houses that have the most and if you are not in one of those 5 then you are part of the have nots. Six students are sent to the wrong place in a portal when they were trying to get home on a holiday break from their magical school and now they have to make their way back home, but not everyone will make it back alive. This starts out pretty slow and then takes off.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Balmerick University offers a great magical education, particularly for students with a gift. Ren Monroe is one such student, but she has often wondered about the class distinction that hinders her own abilities. Nearing the end of her time at Balmerick, Ren hopes to get recruited by one of the major houses. It would help her and her mother survive. As the holidays arrive, Ren enters the campus waxway portal, a way for less wealthy students to travel. However, Theo Brood, an entitled heir to one of the houses, recently pulled a prank that forces him to use the waxway portal too. When a fight breaks out between several of the students in the portal room, the magic goes awry and strands Ren, Theo, and four other classmates in the middle of the unmapped and very dangerous wilderness.

Having read several of Scott Reintgen’s other novels, I shouldn’t have been surprised by some of the choices he makes. For example, Reintgen isn’t afraid to put characters in mortal peril. Without spoilers, just know that, similar to his other novels, not everyone makes it back to Balmerick alive. Because of reading many of Reintgen’s other books, I was also willing to stick with the story and trust the writer and narrator, Ren, even when it seemed like there wasn’t much that was occurring. This patience paid off since the plot speeds up about midway through.

I really appreciated the magic system in A Door In the Dark. Unlike many other magic systems, an individual could have a great deal of knowledge, but with magic doled out based on class, it wouldn’t matter whether the person was the best magic wielder in the kingdom if they didn’t have enough ockleys to cast the spell. Tying magic the amount granted to each individual based on social class worked well. When the six individuals get stranded in the woods, it quickly becomes clear how a taboo subject like ockley count could impact the ability of everyone to survive.

In terms of the characters, Ren was an interesting narrator. Determined to prove herself, Ren reminded me a lot of students I have encountered who feel that they are always right. She hasn’t matured enough to move beyond her narrow self-view. The journey through the woods and mountains pushes her to do some self-reflection and it was delightful to watch her grow and change. Though Theo also starts in a similar framework, the reader also gets to see him broaden his own horizons. It’s revealed that he’s already done this in some respects, but he’s still somewhat naive in others. The rest of the crew who round out the cast is also worth mentioning: Avy, Clyde, and especially Timmons and Cora.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Stick with it until the end because there’s a BIG reveal that throws everything the reader knows into question. With this reveal, Reintgen potentially opens up the possibility of returning to this world in the future. However, I appreciated that this was a great story of an ambitious student that could also stand on its own.

A Door in the Dark, by author Scott Reintgen, is the first installment in the authors Waxway's series. The series is set in a fictitious world known as Kathor. In this world, the entire city's magical supply comes from underground. Unfortunately, the city's supply of magic is nearly depleted and society is on the brink of collapsing even though the 5 major Houses refuse to acknowledge the impending doom of their society. The story is told in the first person narrative by Ren Monroe.

Ren, who comes from the lower class, has been attempting to gain access to one of the 5 Houses. She's spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited. After Theo Blood's failed and disastrous party trick, Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids. Which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

A fight breaks out in what's called the Waxway, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students (Timmons Devine, Theo Blood, Avy Williams, Cora Marrin, Clyde Winters and Ren Monroe) are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival. One who will eventually come back to haunt the remaining survivors. If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren.

She’s been in survival mode her entire life because of her upbringing and her scholarship status. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods. Ren is torn between her ultimate revenge plan and her staying true to herself and her best friend Timmons who has the unique ability of enhancing a person's magic. The world building and magic system were both explained thoroughly without making the pace drag at any point of the story. The characters are easily separated even though we meet most of them all at once.

As this is the initial installment in this series, there's plenty more to come. Ren has to do some serious soul searching, and she has to make sure that the Houses don't step on her hopes and her dreams before she can get revenge for what happened to her father, and her mother.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Have you ever wanted to go back in time to not read a book as if that would prevent the events in the book from happening? As if not reading it would change the events of the story somehow? Honestly, I don't ever remember feeling that way, before this book. When I finished A Door in the Dark, I immediately wanted to go back in time and not read it, so that things could happen differently (because that's the way fiction works). And it's not that I regret reading the book, because I loved the book; I just want better for the characters.

This was a pretty standard class warfare dystopian story. The elites have situated themselves over the peasants, quite literally with their part of the city hovering above where the peasants live. There are other facets of society where the elites have very clear advantages and protections that the peasants can't even hope to achieve for themselves. Ren is determined to better her situation though, and studies so hard (almost Hermione like) to achieve her goals.

It was very obvious that this is the first book of a series before we even reached the end of this story. There just was way too much more that clearly needs to happen before the entire story will be finished. But even with the obvious lead in to another book, this story felt completely finished. Although it's worth noting that I don't have personal objections to cliff-hangers either.

Overall I give A Door in the Dark 4.53 out of 5 stars.

This is a story about opportunities.

I wasn’t expecting this book at all! It is a book about a magical school, but more than that it’s a book about a quest, revenge and power. This was SO good!! It was a scathing indictment of capitalism and corruption, with a unique magical system… I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel I hope we’ll be getting soon!

Thank you so much @netgalley & Margaret K. McElderry Books for the e Arc!

I read A Door in the Dark because everyone in my library seems to be a fan of the Nyxia series by Reintgen. I think they'll be taken by surprise with A Door in the Dark because it's a completely different path that might cause a few of my more casual readers away. However, I also think the new topics explored will open the door to some of my readers who aren't interested in the details of Nyxia but will be intrigued by the idea of magic. Overall, A Door in the Dark isn't my favorite, but I do think it'll find an audience in my library.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advance copy of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

Reintgen is a huge author in my school library. My kids love his Nyxia series and they also enjoy Ashlords. I have been wanting to start a new fantasy series and this did not disappoint. The ending leaves a CLEAR opening for continuing the series, and if he doesn't (since Goodreads doesn't have it listed as #1. . . I'm a bit concerned) he is missing out. Word of warning though-this is a typical first book in a fantasy series. There is quite a bit of world-building involved and you have to be able to wait for all of that to play out to really understand the setting and situations. The pacing really picks up about halfway through the book, which means that the first half is a little dull at times.

Ren is not a typical student at Balmerick University. There, she is a scholarship student amidst students from the wealthiest houses in the land. These students don't have to work as hard as her and they will still end up with better positions and offers after school. But she has to find a way to get a position. Because the vow she made to her father after he died depends on it.

On the day before break, Ren takes the public waywax system with her normal companions: Timmons, Cora, and Avy. But on that day, two others join them: Theo and Clyde, the heirs to two of the wealthiest houses. And when they set out, something goes wrong. The six of them end up way off base, days away from the city, across the mountain range, and deep in the dark parts of the Dires, a place uninhabited and wild. And when they come to, they realize that Clyde is dead. And one of them did the spell that killed him.

Highly recommend.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Door in the Dark

Author: Scott Reintgen

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Diversity: POC coded characters

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, thriller, survival horror, dark fantasy, magic

Publication Date: March 28, 2023

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 16+ (death, parental death, classism, grief, romance, alcohol consumption, child abuse, drugs, drug use, religion, gore, cursing, torture, violence)

Explanation of Above: There is some violence and blood gore shown in this book. There is death and parental death shown and mentioned along with grief. There is one scene with torture shown. There are discussions of classism and prejudice. There are drugs mentioned and shown, some slight drug use, and alcohol consumption by the main cast of characters. There is some romance shown. Religion is mentioned. There is some cursing.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 368

Synopsis: Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses. Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell. After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays—Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids. Which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.

If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren. She’s been in survival mode her entire life. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods…

Review: Overall, I thought this was an interesting read. The book revolves around our MC who is a student at this school and there is some classism at play, especially since she’s a lower class. During an event in which her and a handful of other students are in a classroom, a big burst of magic happens and they’re sent through a portal to the wilderness. The book focuses primarily on their struggles to survive. Throughout the book I compared this to Lord of the Flies or Hatchet but with magic and in a way I was right. We see characters fall to this being that is inhabiting another dead body of a student and their fight to survive in this harsh wilderness. The book even shows the outcome of the events and what the survivors are dealt by the end. Overall, I thought this was a interesting take and I loved how the author used D&D like magic instead of regular literature magic, meaning they kinda have “spell slots” and so much magic they can use instead of just unlimited abilities. I also liked how this was very different than other magical fantasy books I’ve read. In my opinion, this would be an excellent HP alternative read.

However, I did feel like the book was really hard to get into. There’s a bit of an info dump in the beginning and it’s a little difficult to understand at first. I also felt like the pacing was a bit too slow in places and the ending was a bit too long for my liking.

Verdict: It was very interesting and different than other fantasy reads.

A trip through portal transportation goes away, and a group of school friends find themselves alone in the woods and far from their intended destination. One of them is dead, and the only conclusion is that one of them is the murderer.
On a quest to get back to their city, these classmates must band together and merge their resources in order to get back.

This was such a fun and engrossing adventure story. Quests can be pretty hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed they way this one was handled. I had no idea where the story was going, but I was absolutely enjoying the ride. I'm already looking forward to the next installment!

If you like a little bit of fantasy, a bit of dark academia, a touch of survival, and a bit of horror all whilst trying to solve a mystery, you might be in for a treat.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.