Equinox

I love a good bit of escapism fantasy, and David Towsey does just that with his book "Equinox". A little reminiscent of what VE Schwab does with A Darker Side of Magic, or how Sarah Mass plays with the veil between the Fae world and the regular world, Towsey explores the idea of two separate worlds (and yet, the same world) - one in the day, and one at night. Every person has their day persona and their night persona (persona is maybe the wrong word, since the two are totally separate), and what happens during the day does not cross over into the night. The plot centers around the tension that occurs when what the day persona and the night persona want are at odds - and it's so fun to watch unfold.

Five stars for characters, pacing, and overall dark magic and fun.

This was such a fascinating book.

The concept of day and night siblings really sparked my interest. What would happen if the day and night siblings wanted different lives? What if they hated sharing the same body? How much of the sibling’s day/night was the other sibling aware of?

Of course, every sibling relationship is different. The reader, however, learns the intricacies of this relationship through siblings Christophor (night) and Alexsander (day).

The night brother is a witch catcher, the day brother is a fun-loving musician with an eye for the ladies and alcohol.

Their lives are forced to change when Christophor is charged with catching a witch in a southern village. A war is brewing too and this village is close to the border. The king wants the witch found quickly – and thus we begin our story.

The story is told through the perspectives of both brothers. One has an uncanny knowledge of the occult. A ritual is beginning – he can sense it. The other is doing as he always does – having fun… that is until he becomes involved with one of the villagers who has a connection to the case. This dilemma is at the heart of the story – and is what held my attention the whole way through.

The dark magic is interesting – and might I add – there are some particularly gruesome scenes. Yes, this is certainly a fantasy/horror mashup. Not for the faint hearted. This witch is evil and the ritual being enacted involves some horrific deaths.

The build up is methodical, clues come thick and fast, and I thought I knew where we were heading, however, the ending did throw up a few twists which I really enjoyed.

I’d certainly recommend this book for those who like dark magic, evil witches, and hardened detectives. Think Sherlock Holmes if he lived in a land where witch craft was actually possible.

I’d also add that this is a stand-alone book. So if you are looking for something pacey, a bit different, and not part of a huge series, this is for you.