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ashylibrarian's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A unique magical fantasy that takes readers on a grueling adventure from a magic school, through the mountains, and back again. The character dynamics, though sometimes quirky, felt intentional to the plot and brought more than just a name to the page.
The ending *insert shooked face* I will be likely to pick up book two shortly after its release.
The ending *insert shooked face* I will be likely to pick up book two shortly after its release.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Body horror and Confinement
Minor: Animal death
scarlett_f's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Death, Stalking, Bullying, Gore, Grief, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcohol and Confinement
quirkykayleetam's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this book in three days, it gave me nightmares, and now I am recommending it to everyone I know.
This is a worthwhile new, fast-paced YA horror fantasy with a morally gray underdog MC like I've never seen before.
This is a worthwhile new, fast-paced YA horror fantasy with a morally gray underdog MC like I've never seen before.
Ren’s father was murdered. Now she competes against the sons and daughters of the rich and powerful families who killed him at Balmerick, the prestigious magic school that hovers above her city. She has spent four years working four times harder with four times fewer resources to be at the top of her class. Still, all this will be for nothing if she does not catch at least one powerful family’s eye. And Ren is running out of time.
Then, there is an accident. Ren, three of her fellow scholarship students, and two scions of the city’s elite are caught in a portal gone wrong while heading home from Balmerick. This leaves them stranded in the Dires, days away from the city and surrounded by untold dangers. They need all of their combined skills and magic to survive.
One of the students, however, is already dead. Another member of their group killed him during the original turmoil, but no one knows who. Each of them has their own secrets, Ren included. Who will they decide to trust as the road ahead of them gets darker and darker, especially as the group realizes they are being hunted down by something more sinister than they ever imagined?
A Door In The Dark was introduced to me as an addictive young adult fantasy novel for fans of The Hunger Games, I found it to be a horror story that happened to contain magic. While it starts at a school for magic, this is not a novel for those expecting to attend countless classes and learn the art of spell-slinging. A Door In The Dark is a story of survival, desperate choices, and how far people will go for revenge.
Ren was a bright spot in this plot for me. A Door In The Dark is told from her point of view as we understand every hurt she endures, every burst of anger she pushes aside to work with the group, and every bit of guilt she feels over split-second decisions that make the difference between life and death for her and her companions. She is a morally gray underdog, a bookworm constantly calculating possible outcomes, and a grieving child seething with anger over the injustices in her world.
My biggest concern is that the promised sequel to A Door In The Dark will never be able to live up to this first book. It seems to lean more heavily into a romance which was the weakest part of this entry. We understand why this romance feels stilted from Ren’s point of view, but I am afraid this will fall flat unless the series can show that her love interest is just as complex and multi-faceted. If not, this feels way too insta-lovey and trauma-bondy.
Are there dragons? Everyone lives in the ruins of the civilization that dragons left behind. Cool worldbuilding dragons.
Are there dragons? Everyone lives in the ruins of the civilization that dragons left behind. Cool worldbuilding dragons.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Stalking, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Bullying
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