Member Reviews
Mikira Rusel’s family has lost its prestige but it suffers an even greater blow when her father is taken by Rezek, the son of one of the ruling families, and pressed into servitude. Mikira pleads for her father and makes a deal to try to save him but she is forced to agree to an impossible condition. She must win the annual Illinir horserace with an unenchanted horse competing with riders on magic-infused stallions.
The only person who will sponsor her is from another ruling family. Damien Adair has a plan to win the race and he enlists the help of Arielle Kadar. Reid is Damien’s right-hand man and he is given the task of training Mikira. The four work together, even as their efforts are thwarted at every turn.
The action is intense, the treachery is abundant and there’s a hint of potential romance. Josephson has done a good job at worldbuilding though the introduction of some modern technology distracts and seems a bit out of place. The horserace is actually multiple races and each is filled with obstacles and dangers that imperil even accomplished riders. The competition brings to mind the excellent Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.
The horses are inventive and readers will love them as much as Mikira does. For those who like tales of the underdog set against impossible odds and faced with deceit and trickery, this should have great appeal. The author left the book hanging with a hint of future complications that are sure to make the next book tantalizing.
The audio was nicely narrated and added just the right touch to continue listening and not want to stop.
I received an audio ARC from NetGalley for this book.
I liked a lot of things about this book. I just feel that
If something is compared to The Scorpio Races (my FAVORITE fantasy), I’m going to read it. This book did not disappoint, I loved it so damn much!
We get horse racing, enchantments, intrigue, strong female characters - everything I could want in a book. I’m going to need everyone to read this one. The audio is so good, highly recommend listening if audiobooks are your thing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio-ARC of This Dark Descent.
Overall, I did enjoy this story and I would recommend it.
My favorite part of the whole story was the world-building that centered around the Kinnish history and (Jewish) folklore. I have always found the concept of golems to be fascinating and I thoroughly enjoyed the author's take on this. It is clear that this story is somewhat of a love letter from Kalyn Josephson to her heritage. Her dedication to this portion of the book was wonderful and I truly appreciated it.
The combination of several morally gray characters and the high-stakes nature of the plot contributed to some interesting outcomes/choices. While I don't think that Josephson took it as far as she could have gone, and I was a little disappointed in places because of this, I do hope that she carries some of this momentum into the next book in the series and we end up with some less predictable outcomes.
I have to say that Reid is my favorite character (love me a grumpy goth!) and I hope that we get more of him in the next book.
I found Mikira to be annoying and I had a hard time relating to her. Girl ... if you know your temper gets you in trouble and results in bad things happening, maybe you should, I don't know, work on that?! I also felt like Mikira goes through a personality transplant at the end of the story (and not in a good way; it's not like she's working on her temper). She goes from being brutally honest, straightforward, and in your face to secretive and avoiding everything. This really took me out of it at the end.
I do think the book could have benefitted from fewer plotlines or more time dedicated to these different arcs so that they felt more fleshed out and important.
All that said, I will be picking up the second book when it comes out.
"Monsters rarely look like monsters."
This was a fun action packed read. It fits more along the upper YA lines and definitely made me reminisce about Scorpio Races.
▫️Multiple POVs
▫️Golems
▫️Possession
▫️Bi and demisexial rep
▫️High stakes horse racing
▫️Jewish lore
The strength in this novel for me was in the way the author wraps the beauty of Jewish culture and folklore and feeds it into the narrative. This novel is briming with politics, golmes and darker magic. The characters are a mix of morally grey and unlikable. I even liked how the title of the novel fit each character differently even if Ari was my favorite. Outside of Ari, I didn't connect with many of the others and felt some backstory and buildup was missing in the beginning. The romance felt minimal and when it was present, low on chemistry in most scenes. Can't deny I liked the character traits of Damien and Reid though.
The world building was simplistic leaving room for the narrative, lore and action to grow. There are some convenient plot changes that I've come to expect from the genre but I really enjoyed that this is a bit on the darker side of human nature. I don't know if this was on purpose but I felt like this book was for Mikira's story. With the cliffhanger ending I have my bets on where the focus will be in book two and I'm totally looking forward to that.
I read the ebook and also listened to the audiobook. The audio is read by Laurel Lefkow and Rebecca Norfolk. The novel is beautiful but I cannot deny that the audio was immersive and narrated wonderfully. For audiobook lovers like myself, these are the audios that make you want to purchase the physical shelf trophy!
I have high hopes for the next book in this series and cannot wait to see what the author does. Special thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC! True rating 3.5/5.
Quotables:
“I will never tell you not to be angry. When the world has taken so much from you, sometimes anger is all you have left. But if you do nothing with it, it will consume you..... So be angry, my lion, and let the world tremble in your wake."
A group of outcasts are assembled with the goal of winning a horse race, and there’s something in it for everyone. Interesting take on magic, guided by Jewish mythology.
DNF at 65% - unfortunately this YA fantasy was just not for me :(
I thought the concept was very cool, but I could not get immersed in this world, or in these characters, at all.
Couldn't connect with the characters or story.
This is the second novel I have read by this author, and while I enjoyed The Storm Crow, this one felt underwhelming. I appreciated the unique concept. However, the story lacked depth and character development, making the story less immersive.
Even though this didn't work for me, this novel may be for you if you enjoy horse races and magic.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Kalyn Josephson, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
I hate to say this, but I was much more excited about this when I thought it was a standalone title. At least it didn't fall into all of the pitfalls most of the recent first books in a series have. It completed the largest arc in the story: the big race; and then, it teased things to keep you interested for the next book.
<spoiler>I didn't like the way Damien got, at the very least almost, everything he was aiming for and then used all the power he had over Mikira to hold the money over her head and not help her with her father. If there wasn't a huge power differential, I could understand him being angry and not wanting to help her (even though his only consequence was some time in jail), but with the way things went, he was entirely unreasonable and an aristocratic bully. I was actually coming around to him and now I hate him where I just didn't trust him before.</spoiler>
I really loved all the Jewish folklore. I'm not very well-versed in Jewish tradition so to see it woven in to the story was nice, though I did wonder at times which cultures the other countries were supposed to represent. They didn't seem Middle Eastern, but that could be lack of familiarity on my part. The way the religions in the book tied together spoke more of Europe though.
What really made me pick this up was the horse race. I love horses and I thought enchanted horses would be even better. <spoiler>I wish there hadn't been so much violence towards the horses. It's historically accurate, but my heart hates it.</spoiler>
As for the romance, I thought it was great to have so much variety. I really wanted to enjoy the different relationships. Unfortunately, (although at least the author didn't use the word demisexual) the author defined demisexual in order to explain why Ari was slow to come to be attracted to Damien. Everyone is different, but if you ask me, it was a bit quick to go from "I don't know him well enough to be attracted" to being in his bed. Also, Mikira is bisexual but both her relationships seem to serve as further reasons for her not to trust people. I was trying to get into the flow of her enjoying being with either or both of them and just waiting for the other shoe to fall. It was sad that neither relationship felt like it could be for itself rather than for plot purposes. It's a good thing that I wasn't really reading for romance this time.
There were of course minor characters that spoke of same sex spouses and a character that seemed to be non-binary or just referred to with "They/them" pronouns. The variety of skin tones and hair colors on various characters also made the city seem real.
I did have some audio issues. I'm not sure if it was the audio quality or the narrators, but occasionally tone would change, sometimes during a character change (which was a bit confusing). When Mikira was doing Ari's voice was the biggest problem for this because Ari's voice was slightly deeper but not as deep as the guys' voices. It got a bit muddled.
What an amazing book! FIVE STARS from me. This book is just the type of fantasy I wanted to get lost in after a reading slump. I finished this book a few days ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. I want more of this world; it feels like I am stuck in there until the next book comes back. If you are a fan of The Folk of Air book series and ACOTAR series, this book is for you. Sprinkle a little Hunger Games in there and trust me you are not going to want to miss this book. I am eagerly awaiting the next book. Not to mention the cover is soooooo pretty!
Although I loved the concept, I could not finish it. I thought this would appeal to my horse loving girl heart, but it really fell flat for me. The action took a long time to get going, and the characters were just not interesting to me. I am sorry, but I do think it will appeal to the right audience. I DNFd around 30%.
thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.
Honestly, I thought this was a perfectly fine YA fantasy with a couple of great FMCs to root for. But nothing much really stood out to me to give this a higher rating.
Ari was definitely my favorite character. I loved the Kinnish magic and its folklore. I wished that more (or even all) of the book had to do with the magic instead of the Mikira plot line. (Sorry, Mikira. You were a stereotypical YA fantasy FMC and I was so bored with your POV chapters.) Reading about Ari using her magic as an underground business to survive in a foreign land and how she hones and develops her magical skills was *chef's kiss*
Okay, I won't lie. I'm not even a horse girl, but I was definitely into the golem horse character.
I honestly didn't give a shit about Damien and barely remember his personality.
Anyway, if this had way more Ari and Kinnish magic, then this would definitely have been a more memorable read.
Thank you to Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley for this arc.
This book definitely gave me Scorpio Races vibes with the meeting of mages and necromancy. This was an intricate and detail oriented story. This author always delivers the unexpected and this was no exception.
Six of crows type con : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧A unique YA book filled with horse races, magic, and Jewish mythology. The book is noted to be comparable to Six of Crows and I can definitely understand the similarities in overall atmosphere. It takes a while to connect with the story and become interested but is exciting once it picks up. The audiobook narration is excellent!
Author: Kaylyn Josephson
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Audiobook: Macmillan
🔔Content notes: mild language sporadically throughout, closed door romance, high violence, murder
To save her father and her family's ranch, Mikira Rusel must enter the grueling and dangerous horse race known as the Illinir. The other riders will compete with enchanted horses, but Mikira is banned from using one. Without one, she will most likely lose everything. Meanwhile, Arielle Kadar is struggling to survive. Working as an unlicensed enchanter, and performing illegal magic, she can barely make ends meet.
Damien Adair brings them together in a daring scheme. Arielle will create a golem, its enchantments undetectable, for Mikira to ride. If they win, Arielle will be granted a license, Mikira will get the prize money, and Damien will take control of the Illinir from his archrival. But as the race begins, the stakes skyrocket. Will they be able to make it to the finish line?
I'm obsessed with this book. It is addicting, magical, and action packed. The race scenes kept me on the edge of my seat. The magic system drew from Jewish folklore and it was so dynamic. There are so many layers to this story, and now that I've finished, I'd like to experience this book again to see what I can pick up on this time.
What I loved most about This Dark Descent was how it felt like a heist. The way every character had a stake in the outcome. The way they slowly began to trust each other and work together. The friendships that formed, the romantic attachments the blossomed.
And the ending! I'm so excited for the next book. This Dark Descent wrapped up the major storyline but also left enough open that the journey can continue in the series. I've never read Six of Crows, but I saw this book compared to that series. But if it is anything like this book, I might need to go check it out because I'm obsessed with This Dark Descent!
5 stars! This was a TOTAL vibe. I freaking loved this story so so much. Imagine a fusion of Six of Crows, Peaky Blinders, The Scorpio Races, and The Gilded Wolves! Our tale follows four main characters who have to band together to win a deadly horse race but alliances and loyalties will be tested with violence, blood, and magic.
The audiobook transported me into this world from the first chapter. I listened to it only in a few sittings because I had to know what happened to our group. The found family was *earned* and I honestly loved each character for several reasons. I found myself kind of wishing I could be in the room with them, much like I did with the SOC and The Gilded Wolves books.
The Jewish folkloric elements I thought were really well done. As a horse enthusiast, I so enjoyed the characterization of the horses and their personalities. Atara’s mannerisms had me laughing a lot while listening.
One of my favorite moments: “You are magnificent, Arielle. And I will suffer no contradictions from anyone’s lips, least of all your own.”
You’ll love this one if you like gritty YA fantasy, found family, horse racing, slow burn, demisexual female MC, political maneuvering, gritty worlds, and lots of twists and betrayals!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio arc. This did not affect my review in any way. This quote is from the early audio arc.
"This Dark Descent" is a fun read that combines a high stakes political fantasy with our favorite elements of "games" plots like Hunger Games. The story features 4 main characters: Mikira, Arielle, Reed, and Damien. Mikira is the daughter of a disgraced horse breeder/horse racing champion who finds herself desperate to save her family. Arielle is an immigrant girl living alone and practicing illegal magic just to scrape by. Reed is a studious and mysterious stray who is undyingly loyal to Damien, and Damien is a ruthless lord who will stop at nothing to climb to amass political power. It is Damien who brings the group together in hopes of winning the, Illinir a violent horse race that ends in either victory or death, and they're each desperate enough to agree, despite the stakes.
I loved the dynamic in this group. This book is in the YA genre but each of the characters still held incredible depth and dealt with some serious issues. This book includes:
- found family
- betrayal
- horse racing
- Jewish lore
- unwilling allies
- not exactly enemies but def not friends that become lovers
- love of family
- high stake politics
- magic
This story was engaging and well-written, and I have a feeling it will be a huge hit. I recommend this book to lovers of "The Fourth WIng" who I just know will eat this little group of damaged misfits right up!
I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.
Narrators are great. Sometimes multiple narrators are jarring; this book is done beautifully.
The story is really well developed as are the characters. I’m really enjoying the Judaic mythology incorporated into the story. I did not read the full description before listening, and it was a nice surprise to recognize so much of a culture that many know nothing about.
Diving into "This Dark Descent" by Kalyn Josephson was an intriguing journey. The promise of a "Scorpio Races" vibe initially captured my interest, but I felt it stumbled in places. The abundance of happenings made it a bit hard to keep track.
The dual POV was a great touch, yet one side of the story drew me in more, leaving me craving deeper insights. Knowing it's part of a series gives hope that the world and all its fascinating elements will be explored further.
While it left me wanting more, I'm optimistic the upcoming books will unravel the full potential of this world.
I received an audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.