Thrilling, unpredictable, and brimming with action.
Rui, Zizi, and Yiran explore their past lives and entwined fates and the unraveling motives of their friends and families in the conclusion to this Asian folklore–inspired duology.
A strong recollection of the events of Darker by Four (2024) will ease readers into this fast-paced sequel. The carefully interwoven plot toggles among multiple viewpoints: Rui dreams of the underworld’s Fourth King and his lover, a woman named Lei Ying; Zizi is left imprisoned in the Obsidian Cavern in the underworld while Kings and Gods hope he remembers his identity in order to stabilize the mortal and celestial realms; and Yiran, who has isolated himself from loved ones, is desperate to recover his magic (he even contemplates working with Hybrid Revenants, humanoid monsters that feed off humans’ life force). While the three struggle, conflict escalates between Hybrids and Exorcists. The murders the Hybrids carry out are getting stranger, and there seems to be a mole within the Guild. As Yiran’s involvement with Hybrids deepens, unsavory truths around his father’s death and his grandfather’s tampering with Yiran’s spiritual powers emerge. The trio’s complex situations converge in a compelling showdown with plenty of twists. A few lingering questions remain, but the story is entertaining enough to keep readers turning pages. Tan has woven an intricate, deftly layered dark fantasy, skillfully balancing plot twists, character arcs, and themes and allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in an alluring world.
Thrilling, unpredictable, and brimming with action. (content note, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9780063283893
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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