Thank you, Kristen Simmons and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

I will definitely say I enjoyed this one better than the first book. The chapters were definitely better as in length, and they didn't drag. The story I really enjoyed as it dealt more with the empress and the emperor, but not only that, the characters are definitely more likable, and I rooted for them the whole time. I had so many emotions reading throughout this book. And the ending was truly spot on. It left me feeling satisfied, and everyone went what they deserved in the end. I also think this book was a lot smoother from chapter to chapter. It was easier to understand what was going on and I do say you will need to read the first book to understand certain friendship dynamics that have happened and to understand certain things that are mentioned in this book.

What's happened since Ian and his friends returned from Meido? Well, a lot, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Things are not as they seem. The Empress is still very much alive and wants to bring her world to ours still. Now Owen and the others are back for another round but for the Emperors game. Will they win and make it out? Will they finally end the empress terror and stop her before it's too late? What's going to happen to our main characters, and what challenges will they face this time? Read and find out.

I truly enjoyed this book. It took me on a roller-coaster of emotions, and I just about cried here and there for our heroes. I had a hard time putting this book down, and when it ended, I was very satisfied with how it ended.

Amazing book will definitely recommend to friends and family love the characters development. Love the plot line

I received a free advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Working on getting through the rest of the advanced books I received.

I loved this one even more than the first book! Warning this one does seem darker in its content. The games aren’t as clear to begin with since the group and cards are split up at first. I found the further look into Izanami’s backstory very interesting. A little sad this is only a duology because I love these characters and the games.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was a fantastic sequel. I felt like I picked up right where I was last dropped off, and I had no issues getting back into the world. I loved that we got to expand more on our characters, and got to see even more insanity that these worlds have to offer them. It felt like I was reading a mix of.... later Teen Wolf seasons (kitsune-era) and Stranger Things, but really in the best way. The sequel might have ended up being even better than the first for me honestly! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release.

This was a great sequel to the first book. It gave Stranger Things season 2 mixed with Japanese mythology vibes. It wasn't too gorey or explicit in the violence.

I was so excited for She Waits for You Beyond the Dark and it did not disappoint! After I read the first one last year I was excited to jump into this strange and wonderful world again. I found the characters to be just as relatable and I like that the author took their time with each one. There is plenty of representation and diversity among the characters that I really appreciate. The world wasn't quite as creepy as the first book but we are visiting it again so there weren't as many surprises. That being said there are new places to explore as well. I really enjoyed the ending. It wrapped everything up with a nice little bow and though I am sad to leave this world, I know its one I'll come back to.

Make sure to read the first book or you’ll be utterly confused. This is a fast paced novel The characters are both likable and hatable. i liked the conclusion of this duo

his had everything I wanted from a sequel! We get to see characters we already love grow, change, and grieve while getting to more heavily and heartily explore the game world Simmons has created. The states were higher, as were the emotional payoffs!
Why am I now a Kuchisake STAN?!
I had to stop at the 90% mark and give myself a day to prepare for leaving this world, as I have SO enjoyed my time. The ending was of course everything I wanted it to be.

Good follow up to the first book. Find Him Where You Left Him Dead is a must read first, because this is a direct continuation. The plot moved just as quickly as the first book and used elements from the first without being repetitive. I wish we could have learned more about Ian, but with the plot the way it was. he did not get much of him, and Owen was just annoying. I felt he did not have much growth in the novels and he stayed a bit static. Emerson had some great growth and plot points. I wish the characters would have interacted more like they did in the first story, but understood the separation for plot purposes. It was a decent wrap up for the ending.

This was a fun read! There are some heavier topics throughout, like anxiety and trauma, but it's also a book featuring a game-world. I would recommend this to fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Garth Nix (like Keys to the Kingdom), and Rick Riordan (with darker undertones).