Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Beyond the Black Door

A slow start to the story including introducing characters and plot developments but picks up less than half way through the book. A plot reveal near the end of the book was predictable.

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aqulia's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I loved the world building in Beyond the Black Door. Everything I saw of the world was intriguing and immersive. However, I would have liked to see more of the different aspect of the gods and the darkness, along with more specifics of Ranta and the king's bond. I liked most of the characters, and I really appreciate an ace protagonist, and that she's alloromantic. However, I would have liked to see more of Agrir, the king and

uncorrupted Razim

, because their characters felt under used. I also wasn't a fan of Kamai and Vehyn's dynamic, but that may just be preference. In summary, Beyond the Black Door is a book with phenomenal world building and great characters we don't see quite enough of.

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nutmegandpumpkin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

If I’m being honest, I had a hard time deciding what to rate this book. There were quite a few things that weren’t great but my enjoyment outweighed most of those. If I was reviewing it strictly on writing quality and technicalities my rating would be less high. But I’d feel ingenious rating it lower because it was the prefect book I needed at the time I read it. So my review is just going to be a simple pros and cons list so you can decide for yourself (i was able to thoroughly enjoy it despite the cons)

Pros:
- diverse cast (both LGBTQ+ and skin color)
—> main character is on the asexual spectrum which was refreshing
—> secondary character is trans
—> multiple side characters are gay, bisexual, etc.
-interesting plot revolving around dreams and souls and sleep
- tension and suspense is done really well
- fictional pantheon that I found interesting
- likable main character
- light and fun read

Cons:
- sometimes things happen and it feels very much like they happen for plot reasons (they don’t feel as natural and it can pull you out of immersion a bit)
- some of the descriptions of buildings felt like they went on a little longer than necessary
- quite a few cliches
- felt rushed in some places
- left me wanting a bit more immersion and depth when it came to the worldbuilding (more about how the world works!)

neutral:
- toxic relationship (sometimes it feels like it’s romanticized and sometimes it feels like its not, it wasn’t clear so it might depend on how you read it)

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foreverinastory's review

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a dark fantasy I didn't know my soul needed.

Rep: demi-biromantic asexual female MC, trans male asexual side character, gay Black male side character, elderly Black female side character, queer supporting characters, queer-norm world.

CWs: alcohol consumption, blood, death, death of parents, fire/fire injury, gaslighting/manipulation, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, toxic relationship, violence. Moderate: suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt (does not go through with it), attempted kidnapping, drug use (consensual and non-consensual). Minor: infidelity.

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shadereads's review

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dark emotional hopeful 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

3.5

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booksthatburn's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Beyond the Black Door is a magical journey of introspection and buried secrets in the wake of tragic loss, where the kingdom's fate depends on what's been hidden in several souls.

I appreciate that this book which is called “beyond the black door”, and begins with the MC talking about how they’re not allowed to open said door, doesn’t let the story drag on before the door is opened and exploration begins. There’s enough of a lead-up to build anticipation for the door opening, but the book doesn’t tease about whether or not it will indeed be opened. It has an inevitability and a poignancy without taking too long.

Around halfway through some information about a character was revealed which confirmed something about their identity that I’d been wondering since they first showed up. It was well done, especially since from the start they were behaving in ways that first made me guess at the information, then their actions made me dare to hope I was right, then it was confirmed. It felt like getting a glimpse into someone else's story, besides the MC, I mean. I'm writing this about a very specific thing, but it could actually apply to several things because of how good this book is at foreshadowing.

The pacing felt a little uneven but I think it ultimately works. The first third or so passed very quickly then around the halfway mark the story slowed to a crawl as a lot of information was conveyed through various conversations which were mostly infodumps and revelations. It then picked back up again as it became time to do something about all that information the MC had been given. I do like how when information we already had was discussed, the book tended to refer to the information rather than saying the details all over again. At least partly due to the first-person narration it's a very introspective book. We stay locked in on what's happening in the MC's head, and while she's pretty good about telling us what's going on around her, the focus is definitely internal for much of the time. It works well, especially since the ability to travel inside people's soul rooms allows for a kind of magical mind reading that isn't as direct as the more conventional depictions of it, while narratively allowing for some of the same mischief as the typical kind permits.

The world-building is great and the characterization is really well done. I love the way the antagonists are handled. You could argue for several different people to be the true villain, but there are definitely several antagonists who all get their own resolutions. The thing I love so much about it is that even if that resolution is that they weren't as evil or nefarious as the MC originally thought, there are still consequences for their actions in a way that doesn't lock the MC into requiring a particular kind of vengeance, if any. Attempting to say it simply: this book explicitly leaves space for everyone's actions to be understandable without requiring that they also be forgivable. It's such a vital distinction, and the way it plays out across the whole book was fantastic to read.

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