3.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

Evie remembers nothing of the fantastical world she was born in. Not its whimsical beauty that inspired the paintings she studies as an art history student. Not Alicrat, the astonishing ability to manipulate threads of existence. And not her mother, who disappeared after securing her daughter’s safety. But when a mysterious stranger, Charlie, reunites Evie with her family heirloom — an ancient book written in the indecipherable Alterra Lingua — she remembers him. Burgeoned by the hope of finding her mother and tempted by the mystery of decoding the book with Charlie, Evie returns to the sister world of her birth.

What I liked: Evie was a great main character to follow. I found her a little naive at times and annoying, but she went head first into any task and I admire that. I really loved Charlie and his love for his family and Evie herself. The two of them had a soft potential romance until (redacted).
The cover is absolutely beautiful and gives us that hint to the parallel worlds in the novel.

What I didn't like: The pacing was all over the place. It would spend pages going over moments in the story but then speedrun through weeks of information with little warning. Memories and glimpses into the past would also be sprinkled throughout with barely a hint that it was coming. The story gets bogged down with world-building to the point where the middle just slowed down so much. Several bricks of text of history and exposition was put in about 60 or 70% in when it could have been put in various parts throughout the story.

All told, it was a great story and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here. There's no hint that it's the beginning of a series, but the way it ended was on a kind-of cliffhanger and can and should be continued. If it's not, then Bisbach is going to upset a lot of readers.

Born into the Night is Emily Bisbach’s debut novel. It’s fantasy with a parallel universe setting which is really well written. Beginning in Edinburgh, the main character finds herself on a quest to decode an ancient language in the fantasy world which has a unique and original magic system. There’s a political element to the story as the characters try to stop the dark magic cult from expanding into the other realms. I enjoyed the art history theme and how this tied in with the story.

The descriptions of the Northlands were amazing and I would love to see a map of the world - hope the hardback comes with one in it.

Thanks NetGalley and Victory Editing for the advanced copy. My review will appear on Goodreads.

This novel was so unique and had such a robust magic system that took me a little time to fully comprehend, but it was really intriguing and not too quickly introduced where things would slowly be explained over time, so just have patience! I enjoyed Evie's character a lot although I didn't love the other main characters as much. I found myself losing interest when reading other POVs at times. Otherwise, I enjoyed the pacing and the unique storyline so much!

The writing in this book was absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the story concept. If you love dark academia then you'll probably really enjoy this

In this dark academia, parallel universe fantasy, we follow Evie, an art history student in Edinburg, who discovers that she comes from a parallel universe with a form of magic known as Alicrat that allows magenu (magic wielders) to manipulate the threads of existence. Reunited with a family heirloom — an ancient book written in the indecipherable Alterra Lingua language —, she teams up with the Rutherford brothers to discover the secrets behind her mother's disappearance and the dark threat looming over both worlds.

I loved the premise, and the world-building was top notch. There are lots of references to scholarly lore as well as artefacts and artists (such as the Voynich Manuscript and Hieronymus Bosch). However, I struggled to connect with the characters and found that the middle part of the book dragged a bit. The pace picked up towards the end and the story wraps up satisfactorily while preparing us for the second book (I appreciated that it didn't end on a cliffhanger!).

A recommended read for fans of A Discovery of Witches and the Da Vinci Code.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sungrazer Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
arc review

I loved this! I can’t believe it’s a debut - Born into the Night follows Evie; who has forgotten her past in a magic filled world parallel to the this one we know, and the people she left behind; and Charlie, who reunites Evie with a particular mysterious family heirloom from the other world. And hence, the story begins there.

The world building was easy to follow yet intricate, Bisbach has designed a magic system wonderfully unique. Alongside this, the character development was very well done, and I even found myself attached the certain side characters who maybe said three words the whole book.

That being said, the romance could’ve used a bit more time, especially the tension in a particular love triangle - however, this did not take away from the experience at all.

I’m very grateful to have read this before release, and would recommend this book to anyone with a penchant for magic worlds, mythical creatures, and the use of real-life art pieces and religious motifs to explore many mysteries.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion 🥰

When this was compared to A Discovery of Witches I was immediately drawn in. And I have to say, it did not disappoint; it was very reminiscent while still being unique. This was such an enthralling read and I would absolutely give it more than 5 stars. This world that Emily has created is so massive and the magic system blew me away (you can really tell how much research was put into every tiny detail of the magic which was a little tricky to understand at first but so cool). Reading this book really sucked me in and completely immersed me in this other dimension. It is by no means a quick read; this book demands your attention and rewards you with such beautiful imagery.
The main characters Evie and Charlie balance each other out so well and Charlie’s devotion to her definitely had me swooning. There’s romance, there’s danger, and there’s mystery that is so worth unraveling page by page. This is the beginning of something big and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

I love the writing, I loved the story and I loved the characters, I truly say this was an incredible surprise with an amazing story that I wasn't expecting, the book mysteries and the connections.. I simply loved it.. Charlie was an amazing character and I love her development

„born into the night“ is a dark academia fantasy novel with an interesting magic system and multiple dimensions.

i really enjoyed the writing style in this. in a world of booktok sensations, it’s nice to read a fantasy book whose author understands the oxford comma. the magic system was intriguing.

however, this book was extremely dense in world building. it begins with a heap of information about art history, followed by a heap of information about different worlds and the magic system in which everything has a specific name, followed by geographical information and character names.. followed by information on creation mythology. somehow, it read a bit like the silmarillion. sadly, that made me put it down multiple times as that apparently just isn’t my cup of tea. i started really enjoying the book around the 40% mark.

i also couldn‘t really connect to evie, and the love triangle with the constant flirting seemed out of place. really liked blair though :)

if you enjoy complex worlds and alternative history, this book might be for you!

thank you to sungrazer publishing and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

In Born Into The Night, Bisbach’s talent for prose truly shines, but the “dark academia” theme seems to fall short. While the academic setting and references to higher education are touched on, the atmosphere doesn’t quite capture the immersive, moody essence typical of the genre. Instead, the story leans more into art, art history, and cultural references, which would perhaps serve as a more fitting focus for the blurb and marketing.

Discovery of Witches might have been a vibe, but there are more applicable comp titles out there. Somewhere between the Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Cory Barker, a sprinkling of Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, and some side servings of War of the Flowers by Tad Williams, Neverwhere or Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

The central relationship between Evie and Charlie felt somewhat underdeveloped. Their attraction comes across as a bit forced, especially with Evie’s initial pull towards Charlie based on a hazy memory. Unfortunately, their chemistry doesn’t quite convince, and their interactions felt too superficial. The decision-making by both characters often comes across as immature, and at times, I had to double-check the blurb to make sure I wasn’t reading a YA novel.

That said, reworking the characters’ ages to fit within a YA framework could actually enhance the story. Leaning into the youthful, impulsive nature of Evie and Charlie would feel more natural and could add depth to their motivations.

Where Born Into The Night truly excels, though, is in its prose. Bisbach has a natural gift for poetic language, with beautiful metaphors, similes, and symbolism woven throughout. The writing is so stunning, I found myself wanting more, to the point of wondering if some gems had been taken out during editing.

The sentence structure is varied and fresh, and both the magic system and world-building lay strong foundations that could easily be expanded upon in future standalones or spin-offs. There’s undeniable potential here, and with a few adjustments, this book could fully realize its strengths.

Born into night is a dark academia novel, with a wonderful magic system and interesting characters.

The writing style is wonderful, but the plot is incredibly fast paced. Sometimes it feels it’s too fast. I would have also loved a glossary for characters, places, terminology of the world Emily Bisbach created.

I really enjoyed the book and am increasingly thankful to Emily, Netgally and the publisher, for a chance to read the ARC.

I am very curious to see where the rest of the story takes us as the readers.

Rating: 4/5

Summary:
A dark academia, parallel universe fantasy that will appeal to fans of A Discovery of Witches and The Da Vinci Code.

Evie remembers nothing of the fantastical world she was born into—not the whimsical beauty that inspires her art history studies, not Alicrat, the ability to manipulate threads of existence, and not her mother, who disappeared to secure Evie’s safety. But when a mysterious stranger, Charlie, returns a family heirloom—a book written in the indecipherable Alterra Lingua—Evie starts to remember.

Drawn by the hope of finding her mother and decoding the book with Charlie, she returns to her birth world. There, she navigates centuries-old clues from a legendary Renaissance artist, explores a crumbling castle archive, and meets an oracle in exile. As the danger that hunted her mother resurfaces, Evie must make a choice with implications for both worlds.

Plot & Pacing:
The plot is packed with intriguing threads, from ancient prophecies to parallel worlds, making it easy to get pulled into the story. While I found the pacing a bit uneven at times—sometimes speeding through moments that could have used more depth and slowing down where it could have picked up—the overall narrative kept me engaged. The dual-world setup added a compelling twist, and I enjoyed the mystery elements woven throughout.

The magic system was original and had a lot of potential. I would have loved to see it explored in more depth, particularly in how it was visually represented. Some of the names in the magic system weren’t quite to my taste, but that’s a minor personal quibble. I’m excited to see how the magic will develop further, as it has a lot of room to grow.

Writing Style:
The writing is beautiful, with a lyrical quality that suits the story’s dark, academic tone. However, the occasional mention of something very modern pulled me out of the fantasy setting a bit. I understand it’s part of the dual-world concept, but it felt a little jarring at times. For someone with dyslexia, the language was occasionally challenging, but the style was engaging and well-crafted.

Characters:
The characters were enjoyable, though I sometimes found their decisions puzzling. I feel there’s still a lot to learn about them, especially the main character, Evie. I wanted a bit more depth to fully connect with her on an emotional level. That said, the two brothers, Blair, and some of the side characters really stood out, and I’m hoping to see more development in the next book. There’s definite potential here for these relationships to deepen, which would add a richer layer to the story.

World-Building:
The world-building was fun, with a solid mix of prophecy, history, and dark magic that gave the setting an interesting edge. I appreciated the way the story didn’t shy away from showing the darker side of its magic. Something I also try to do in my own writing. Some real-world elements felt a bit sudden and out of place for me, but I’m curious to see how they’ll tie in as the series continues.

Cover Design:
The cover is beautiful and subtle, with an intriguing title that complements it perfectly. Together, they draw you in and set the tone for the story wonderfully.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, this was an engaging read with some really unique elements. The characters have a lot of potential, and I feel like we’re only just beginning to scratch the surface with them. I’m hopeful that future instalments will flesh out these relationships and the magic system even further.

While the writing was a bit challenging for me due to my dyslexia, it was beautifully done, and I enjoyed the overall style. I’m excited to see where the story goes next—there’s so much potential here for deeper emotional connections and an even more immersive experience.

This book is a solid start to what could be a fascinating series, and I’m eager to see how it develops!

I had the wonderful opportunity to read this book as an ARC reader through NetGalley, for which I want to express my gratitude! This review is my honest and voluntary opinion, and I am thrilled to share my thoughts.

The review is up on Goodreads on my account meltriestowriteastory
The review will also be placed on TikTok on my account meltriestowriteastory on Wednesday October 16th

Thank you to NetGalley and Sungrazer Publishing for the e-ARC of Born Into Night!

“Dedicated to myself, because I did this for me.”

Born Into Night is a dark academia straddling two worlds - one like ours, one with inexplicable magic - in a style reminiscent of His Dark Materials but with an older audience. Overall, I enjoyed reading it, but I was occasionally thrown by the frequency of constructed words for concepts and magic in the “other” world. Some of them felt natural, but too many of them felt clunky.

The magic system was interesting, the worldbuilding was sufficient, and most of the characters were likable. I liked the protagonist and a secondary character named Blair, but often felt like the characters acted immaturely in ways that didn’t seem appropriate for their age or character. One character was frequently flirty in a way that felt trite instead of attractive.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Sungrazer Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Dark Academia meets fantasy and I was here for it! This was a great read, I enjoyed getting to know the characters. The magic system was pretty unique, and the two worlds were something you don't see much in today's fantasy!

There were a lot of characters, so buckle up for that. I do wish there was maybe a map, or a glossary for a lot of the magic/world that was introduced was extremely intricate and this book was under 400 pages long.

Overall I did enjoy it and can't wait to read more from Emily Bisbach!

I absolutely loved this book. The magic system is really interesting and original, and I really enjoyed the ties with original artworks and world religions, which shows true dedication from the author.

The characters are well written, both main and side characters are quite vivid which help you get invested into the story quite early on.

I honestly cannot wait to see where this series is going.

I am honestly obsessed with this book. I love it. It's such an interesting magic system and gorgeous writing style, plus the story itself and the character development! Incredible!

I struggled a little bit with the first quarter of the book or so, but I got the feeling that it would pick up. And it did, very quickly. Once it really got moving, it never stopped long.

Just overall a gorgeous story that I really enjoyed!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC!

This book is beautifully written with a complex magic system. I however could just not get into it. By the time I hit 20% I realized I was skimming pages without retaining any information as a lot of the language was complex and just going completely over my head. I really wish my brain would cooperate, but I did unfortunately DNF. I hope to come back to this in the future!

3 stars for the writing and the originality as it is beautifully written, it just isn’t the book for me!

I really enjoyed this book, once I started reading it, it was hard to put it back down, I was so eager to find out what would happen next.

Emily Bisbach does a great job in writing a dark academia element, it had that overall feel that worked in the world. I enjoyed getting to know Evie and the rest of the characters. I thought the clue element worked and was enjoying the overall concept of this world. I thought the art element was great and enjoyed the overall feel of this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the arc!
Hmm, I don’t think this book is for me. Unfortunately, I had to DNF pretty early on. Here’s why:

The pace is way too fast. There is no room to breathe, or to get to know the characters. Things just keep on happening, and we have no time to linger on details, and especially details that could help make everything more comprehensible. Reading this book is like being yanked offstage with one of those wooden poles from Looney Tunes.

Because there’s no room to breathe, I don’t care about the characters at all. I don’t care about what happens to them at all. I don’t care about the plot at all. I saw on instagram that the author cut the word count for this novel in half. Maybe she shouldn’t have.

As far as I was able to read, I still found the world building to be muddled 20% in. Yes, I threw in the towel early, but I’m a fantasy reader. World building is my shit. Usually, in a better written book, I would have some semblance of the world by now. I don’t here. It’s a confusing book for sure, but not in a good way.

So, in sum, the towel has been thrown in, and I have given up. I really wish I had more positive things to say about this book, but unfortunately I don’t. I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt in my rating, as I didn’t read beyond 21%. Still, there were just too many issues I couldn’t look past. -2.5 stars rounded up.