Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Aghhhhh I’m in pain. June whyyyyyyy. You cruel human 😭😭😭 I finished this and basically sat and stared at the end blankly. The fact that this is an arc 😭 I need book 2 nowwww. The world building of this was so beautiful. I was so immersed in the story. The characters were amazing and I was attached to all of them. Zizi is basically a more chaotic Howl and I’m in love with him. I’d like to marry him please. Rui was so strong willed but also trying to find herself and she was so relatable. Yiran was so chaotic and I felt so bad for him. He must be protected at all costs. The magic system 😍 I am obsessed with it. I’m so glad I preordered this so I can get all the character art. I want my babies plastered everywhere!! Also the way every side character is so cool like? What? June you have a talent.

In the author's acknowledgement section, Tan says this was an indulgent story to write because she wrote it for herself - but I'd like to add "and for me!!!" to that sentiment. I've never felt so in conversation with an author who clearly enjoys the same media as I do. There was a scene that took me back to when I first watched Bleach, and then familiar similarities to Jujutsu Kaisen, and the overall character relationships featured that reminded me of dynamics I love from my favorite animes, k-dramas, and c-dramas! There's even an inside joke that's funnier if you know about BTS Jin's Tuna song lol.

The unfolding mystery took some time to get to, and I'd say a lot of this book is setting up the next one, but once I hit the halfway point I was whizzing through to find out what happened! Not to mention all the internal squealing and kicking of feet over Rui and Zizi. Hehe, I adore this duo although there's a bit of a mystery behind their relationship as well that I hope the next book clarifies. The minute we're introduced to Zizi and his quirks I was in love. I can't resist an eccentric character! I'm also very invested in finding out what happens with Yiran's character arc (and what happens with Yuki???)!

So while this book may not be for everyone, and it is more of a setup for the next book, I am so excited it exists and cannot wait for it to find its fans!

Book Name: Darker By Four
Author:  *June CL Tan

ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and **HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperTeen** for an ARC of Darker by Four by June CL Tan

Stars: 1 (DNF)

Thoughts
- Pacing Issues
- Slow to NO Character Development
- Not What I Thought It Was Going to Be
- Told Not Shown
- FMC wasn’t Likeable

This can be boiled down to the fact that I thought Darker by Four was underwhelming and I expected more. I expected a Contemporary Sci-Fi Book with a Hardened FMC and possible love triangle…. and I got what I will call an action manga with a SLOW friends to lovers and queer romance. also, I got next to no Character Development so I didn't care about any of them. I wanted to like this book. The Marketing for this book put it perfectly in my TBR but it just didn’t hit for me. I think the Marketing may have misled me slightly. Overall this feels like it is a personal taste issue therefore I will refrain from posting this review.

Due to the Negative Nature of this review, I will not be posting it to Goodreads or retail sites with respect to the publisher and author.

Though this is clearly setting the series up, this book was fast-paced, filled with goofy banter, and characters you genuinely root for. I'm so excited to continue this series!

This book is... fine. It was underwhelming and I expected more out of the world and the characters. I feel like this book did a lot of setting up for the next book but because of that, I just couldn't get invested in the story. I love that the author included different perspectives but the characters were so bland that I didn't really get to know any of them. There were barely any interactions between the characters and I think it would have been stronger if the story was more fast-paced. Though we spend so much time in Rui's perspective, I feel like I don't know anything about her character and I just didn't think the characterization in this book was strong enough to hold my interest. I'm not even sure we get much interaction between Rui and Yiran, which is weird considering their connection. Though the idea of the plot is definitely interesting to me, I'm not sure about continuing the series. My favorite character was Zizi and I wanted so much more of him. He was one of the only characters that had a personality. Though I would love to know what happens in the sequel, I don't think I was invested enough in this book. Overall, this book wasn't for me but it was okay; it was just simple.

I want to thank to June CL Tan, Harper Teen, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading "Darker by Four" ahead of its highly anticipated release. Having adored "Jade Fire Gold," my expectations were sky-high for this book, and I'm thrilled to say it exceeded them all.

Tan has a remarkable ability to connect with her readers, effortlessly sharing her passion for anime and K-dramas in a way that even casual fans can appreciate. I have very strong feelings about this book. I found myself unable to put this down, particularly in the second half, where the narrative propelled me towards its conclusion. The exploration of the ten kings of hell left me captivated, constantly questioning whether I could trust them. And despite not being one of the main points of view, Zizi's story captured my heart completely.<3 Yiran's struggle to reconcile his differences with his family resonated deeply with me, while Rui emerged as my favorite—a spirited, guarded soul protecting herself with her little gremlin-like antics.

"Darker by Four" is a tale of self-discovery and revelation, navigating the complexities of love and loss with raw emotion. It's about the redemption of a city and its inhabitants, even when they may not seem deserving. Filled with mysteries, deception, action-packed sequences, and tender moments, this story is a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

I'll be obsessing about this book for quite some time. Queue going look at all of the art and reels posted on Tan's Instragram page. Tan has not only torn out my heart but also run it over—twice. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel with bated breath.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this! The magic system and world building were really cool and it felt very unique. It was mostly dual pov with a third thrown in sporadically and I really enjoyed the main characters and how interconnected everything was. My one gripe is it did feel like it took a while to really get going and there are still things within the world that I feel like could have been expanded on, but I loved how it all came together at the end and can’t wait to see where this series goes!

Thank you NetGalley for a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just so much fun! Each chapter keeps you wanting more and I CAN'T WAIT to read book 2. I seriously haven't been this excited about a YA book in ages - HarperTeen if you're reading this, my first born for an early copy of 2 please!!!!!! This has been the queer Asian YA book series I've been dying for. 🙏

All the characters are just so endearing. I wasn't as enamored with Nikai at first so the beginning was a little hard to get into but as you get to know him more, you can't help but love him. Also, I would die for Rui/Zizi/Yiran (and *redacted*!!!!!) and I can't wait for more of these three in book 2. Their dynamic is just so good, the banter, their friendship, ugh. The action is perfect for fans of shounen anime and people looking for something to keep them on the edge of their seats! I did this as a buddy read with a friend and one of our sections ended on a cliff hanger - I think I nearly had a heart attack. I don't think I'll stop talking about this book for a long time!!

Pick up for:
Queer Asian found family and characters that will make you fall in love
Vengeance! Monsters! Secrets 👀
Shounen-anime vibe heart pounding action
Scenes that will make you SOB
Engaging and fast paced writing

I seriously can't wait for book 2!! Thanks so much for the chance to read this one early!

This YA novel had me (27) giggling like a child and scared for my new found babies (Rui, Yiran, Zizi, Ada, Teshin, even Ash). Give me a break pls @ June CL Tan (jk, please give me the sequel right now!).

Darker by Four is a first book in a duology and you will be left with a cliff hanger. If you cant read books of an unfinished series, wait until book 2 is published because this cliff hanger got me MAD.

This book is being pitched as "the Shadowhunter Chronicles meets the chinese underworld" but don't worry, this doesn't read like a CC novel. Darker by Four reads more like if Jujutsu Kaisen were a novel. You will find that the cast is diverse and the pronouns they/them are used by some charcters. Queerness in this world seems to be part of the ordinary :).

June CL Tan says this book is for you if you like Noragami (idk what this is but I'll have to check it out), JJK, Alchemy of Souls, My Demon and Goblin (these I also don't know, you see I've got to take some lessons in pop culture)

What I love most about this story is that most of the characters have so much personality. Especially our chaotic trio of Rui, Yiran and Zizi gets so many moments that make them pop out of the pages like real flawed humans. Even Captain Song aka Ash, a side character with a couple appearances, comes alive as someone who eats overnight oats (because of course he eats overnight oats! what a role model!).
Yiran on the other hand will pour the cereal straight into his mouth und add the milk right after that. Some characters felt petty and a tad dramatic (cough) Ten (cough) and I appreciate that. I love this as a character trait.

When humans die, their souls are usually collected by Reapers from the underworld who will guide them and place them in one of ten courts, depending on how good or bad they were during their lifetime. When souls aren't collected in time, Blight will infect them with a virus and they turn into Revenants who kill and feast on humans. Exorcists are humans with high spirit power (Qi) who can defeat Revenants using weapons that their Qi is attuned to. Rui believes that her mother was killed by a Hybrid Revenant, a human who was infected but is still perfectly capable of critical thinking and planning. Hybrids are a myth among the people in this world.
This is the setting that we start off with. When Rui comes to face a dangerous Revenant, she casts a spell made by Zizi, which ends in complete and utter chaos. There is also the problem that one King of Hell (Four) has disappeared from the underworld, destabilising both worlds as a consequence. The plots intertwine and other kings of hell get involved.
We also follow Nikai's POV, he's a Reaper (he prefers to call himself an Usher) from the Fourth Court of Hell. Nikai is hinted at to have had a dark past when he was alive.

I don't want to get into the plot here, as I fear it might spoil it. But trust me when I say that this is worth preordering. Becuse the characters felt so human and so much detail was used in crafting them, Darker by Four exceeds my expectations. I do have some questions like "Why is their affinity to a spirit weapon limited?" and some that would spoil the plot a bit, but I am giving this book five stars and I will wait, if impatiently, for the sequel in hopes that it will answer some of my questions.

I received a digital review copy via June CL Tan and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

(4.5⭐)
"I would give up this entire world for a single breath to leave your lips again."

AUTHOR WHY HAVE YOU HURT ME LIKE THIS??? give my children a break😭 is this a trilogy or duology because otherwise im scared i need happiness for them all ASAP (mostly rui and zizi but also yiran i just need to warm up to him a little more to be willing to lay down my life for him)

this was book was literally MADE for the readers who have always wanted an anime turned into a book because truly this is how i felt and loved every single second of it. i've of course always been able to visualize scenes while reading (as im sure many others do), but there was just something so fun and different in my experience reading DBF because not only did it give me the jjk and noragami vibes that i wanted but i was literally just running anime scenes in my head during specific scenes and it made the reading experience so much more fun??? if there's any book that would work so well adapted as an anime, it's this one.

but moving on, i literally adored every single part of this book from beginning to end, it was so addicting i could stop (until forced to and even then i couldnt stop thinking about DBF omg). the characters were spectacularly written and theyre my babies who need to be protected at all costs i love them so much!! (well except maybe yiran i dont care too much about him BUT to be fair any sneaky plan he had against rui was like a personal attack against me because i love her LOL🙈 he did grow on me by the end! so now im half-half on caring about him, but he does deserve so much love especially after dealing with *that* horrible person)

RUI AND ZIZI MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITES THOUGH. him and rui <3333 is it any surprise i loved them so much considering the friends-to-lovers trope happening right there??? theyre absolutely so adorable and wholesome their scenes had me with silly grins on my face i love them your honor!! zizi being the goofy, sweet sunshine and rui as the grumpy one (but also secretly a teddy bear, especially when it comes to zizi🤭) ajsdjgsj the love they have for each other AND THE QUOTES. zizi being the romantic one please🥹 i have SO many scenes highlighted featuring those two. literally them <3

i love how distinct the voices were for each pov chapter and honestly every one of them was so interesting, im dying to know more about the underworld and the kings and i suspect book 2 will feature lots more of that!!👀 super excited for that omg i need answers.

honestly i really had fun reading DBF and the only reason why its not a 5 star is because, yes this may be a weird reason, but it just didnt give me that "5 star feeling" i get after reading a book?? a wise person my sister once told me that if i have to debate whether a book is 4.5 or 5 star, then it's not a 5 star and its something that actually really helps in deciding🙈 i really enjoyed myself though and highly recommend DBF if you want to have a really fun time!! (and especially for the anime fans, *ahem* jjk fans if you need further convincing: THE CAFE👀)


Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!

Darker by Four is an ambitious YA urban fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology. Though I was intrigued by many aspects of the story, I found the story a bit underwhelming and failed to connect with the characters.

I loved the urban fantasy world of demons, demon hunters, kings of hell, and a magic academy. I am particularly intrigued by the unique approach to the underworld and the strange problems that plague both worlds. Darker by Four is both simple and overcomplicated. The actual plot is quite straightforward, however, there are a lot of plot threads that are introduced at the same time. Most of these are left to be addressed in the sequel which made the story feel unsatisfying and rushed.

The biggest obstacle to my enjoyment was my apathy towards the characters. We are told a lot about them but it felt like they had no personality. Rui felt particularly distant. In an attempt to make her seem badass and aloof, she came across as flat. Yiran’s story often felt disconnected from the main plot, especially, toward the end. Zizi was definitely my favorite character, but he was underutilized. All three of the main characters rarely interact at the same time which killed the promised found family vibes.

Admittedly the romance was a major draw for the book for me. I do feel like the way it has been advertised is a bit misleading as it emphasizes very, very minor plot points. I liked one of the relationships but there wasn't quite enough tension leading up to it. The other relationship was frankly ridiculous and I couldn't take it seriously.

Maybe it's just me and my tendency to question everything I am told while reading, but I found the plot twist almost painfully predictable. Because I called it so early on, I spent the whole book waiting for the twist to be revealed. This really killed the pacing and made the story drag for me.

Darker by Four weaves together a lot of interesting concepts, but too many of these elements are underdeveloped making it a rather forgettable experience.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this arc copy! WOW! Okay I need to know what happens next! The moment I started reading it I just couldn’t put this book down. The fantasy and world building was amazing ! I’m a big fan of both fantasy and anime and I felt like I got the best of both worlds. It reminded me of the anime show “Bleach” but BETTER. And I ship rui and zizi so much!!! I can go on and on about this book ! It was truly an amazing read and I am excited to see what happens next. Highly recommend this book!!!

An accident causes Rui’s power to transfer to Yiran, and everything turns into turmoil. Rui feels hollow and has no tool for her vengeance. Yiran finally feels like he belongs. That is, until Rui discovers she might hold the key to the missing death god and strikes a dangerous bargain with Ten, another king.

Rui: A vengeful girl.
For me Rui is fearless as defined by Taylor Swift “Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again… even though every time you've tried before, you've lost”. Rui’s longing for her magic, her feelings guilty for what she did to Yiran, all shapes her into a great protagonist.
Yiran: Black sheep of an illustration family.
Yiran is filled with longing of being wanted. His love and envy for his stepbrother is something I believe many readers can relate too. Him and Rui are two sides of the same coin.
Zizi: A powerful mage.
Everything about Zizi is mysterious and he also has a cute cat 🫶. Zizi is also a really good coffee maker!

I LOVED DARKER BY FOUR.
All the characters were well fleshed out and the plot always keeps you on your toes. Zizi was my favourite character even though I loved everyone. I also love how the story takes place in an Igbtqa+ normative world. One of my favourite things was how the author had sneaked in blue orangeade and super tuna references in the book . I enjoyed this one a lot and I will be patiently waiting for the sequel.

I really enjoyed this one!! This book starts out strong, and I was hooked immediately. The prologue does a great job setting up the main mystery that we follow throughout the book and also gives a little bit of insight into the courts of Hell.

For most of the book we follow Rui, an exorcist in training, and her friends Zizi, a unsanctioned mage, and Yiran, the only magicless person in the Song family. I really loved the complicated dynamic these three had and I am *invested* in them. I am lowkey worried about what'll happen with them in the next book, but really enjoyed their banter and growth that we've gotten so far.

There are multiple mysteries being solved throughout the book, and it kept me interested the entire time. I wouldn't say that any parts of this book are slow, but towards last half of the book it really gains momentum and I was STRESSED as we neared the end.

We also get some POVs of non-humans, and I loved learning about the courts of Hell, the Kings of said courts, and Nikai (a reaper in the Fourth court, who also has a mysterious background). This book left me with so many questions about the underworld (and the "regular" world tbh), and I wish we had spent more time in some of those POVs, but I think that we'll definitely get more information with the next book.

Overall a really strong first book in a series, and it's one I will definitely reread before the next book comes out.

Thank you to HarperTeen for this ARC!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this arc!
Brief disclaimer, this is more of a 4.25 in my opinion.
I expected to like this book because the summary and cover art were appealing, but I ended up liking it even more than I thought I would! This book has likable characters (I’m partial to Yiran but everyone else is also great), an engaging plot and well written action scenes. Actually, all of the writing is good. The prose is well written and the pacing is excellent. It never drags but it also never feels like it’s rushing. I also like the setting, combing Xianxia with modern fantasy is definitely something I would like to see more of in books written in English. I’m already looking forward to the sequel :)

Thank you HarperTeen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A very exciting new fantasy series! Nakai is a reaper for the underworld, working for the Fourth King, who’s gone missing. Nakai is determined to find him and asks for the Tenth King’s help. Meanwhile in the earthly realm Rui is an exorcist in training, they fight the revenant monsters with magic in efforts to keep normies (people without magic) safe. That’s how her mother died, by a hybrid (revenants that still maintain most of their human qualities) though everyone tells her they aren’t real. She knows what she saw and is determined to get her revenge. Yiran comes from a magically gifted family unfortunately he is a normie, and his life sucks as a result. Rui is given a spell to try out by her friend ZiZi, a mage, she has to use it on a revenant. She crosses paths with Yiran along the way and her powers end up being transferred to him. Now they have to find a way to fix it. But does Yiran want to lose what he’s yearned for all his life? What if ZiZi can’t fix it? How will Rui get her revenge without her powers? And how are these three connected to Nakai and his search for the Fourth King? This book is such a thrill! I kept changing my mind on who the Fourth king was! Plus I loved Yiran, ZiZi, and Rui so much! June Cl Tan will have readers consuming this new adventure! With two connecting stories that could possibly connect more in the sequel! The ending will definitely leave you wanting more! Plus you’ll get a little slow burn and forbidden romances as well! Also it’s super queer with many of the characters being part of the LGBTQIAP+ community! Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperTeen for the advanced copy. This one blew me away. DARKER BY FOUR has everything I could ever want in a fantasy- three compelling POVs, a slow burn soulmate romance, hell gods causing chaos in the mortal realm, and so much magic. I can't wait for the sequel to see where the author takes Rui, Yiran, and Zizi next. A must read!

Wow, okay, this one blew me out of the water.

This is an incredibly well-crafted and unique fantasy that's manages to be both urban and secondary world fantasy at the same time and is framed with a fascinating system of magic, deities, and more. The magic system, while not defined completely, is still sturdy enough to feel like it has rules without bogging you down with unnecessary explanations. Plus, the character descriptions are so vibrant and interesting and I want this story to be an anime so bad.

I found the romantic subplots to be actually really engaging, the main romance feels inevitable but without being in your face, with the build up feeling believable and based on a foundation of mutual trust. There is a secondary romantic thread that pops up late in the story and would almost feel out of place if it didn't seem to slot so neatly into the characters' story, and I found myself longing for just a little bit more out of their relationship than the little crumbs I was given to start with - hopefully a set up for the second book!

The mystery of the story also does itself well. It lays in just enough red herrings for you to second guess the answer; while I had suspected the answer early on, there were hints and shifts that made me second guess myself, and wonder if I was right - and more importantly, making me slowly not want to be right.

If there was any one thing that I wish the story would have done differently, I would have liked to see Rui and Yiran's relationship feel a bit more...entwined, if that makes sense. While I loved them both individually, and the Rui/Yiran/Zizi dynamic was a delight, there was a sense that Rui and Yiran were both experiencing totally separate storylines that only sometimes intersected, due to both of them getting involved with plots that required them to keep secrets. I would have liked to see them somehow be more involved with each other's stories, and I'm hoping we'll get more of that in a second book.

All in all, though, this was an excellent read and I'm almost sad I'm reading this as an ARC because it means I have to wait that much longer for a continuation. Really recommend this one!

I loved June CL Tan's first book and after this one, she has become my auto-buy author.

Darker By Four is an urban fantasy that calls back to 2010s books such as The Mortal Instruments and blends Asian storytelling tropes and aeathetics (had a strong sense of Guardian within the first few pages!). It's fast paced while never sacrificing the fun character dynamics. I'm very excited to continue this series.

Do you ever go into a book not knowing much and then it becomes one of your favorite books ever? Yeah, that's me and DARKER BY FOUR.

I remember when June would talk about this story from time-to-time when she was drafting, and I can't believe it's finally here!! If you love characters who don't quite know how to deal with their feelings (and so they push it all down, creating a tough "I don't really care"/"cross me and you're dead" exterior, but they really are such a cinnamon roll inside); laugh-out-loud banter between one of the best trios in YA; and unique worldbuilding (*gentle cough* Hell), then please read DARKER BY FOUR!

Also, as a word/language nerd, I still can't get over the wordplay (mostly in Chinese) and its significance. There's just so much to think about! June absolutely is a rising star you want to watch!!