When a King goes missing, the Underworld begins to devolve, unleashing a supernatural virus called the Blight that throws the human City into chaos. The Blight creates Revenants, vampiric creatures who want nothing more than to devour human’s spiritual energy. Without the missing god of Death, Exorcists have their work cut out for them. They protect the normies around them—whether or not they want it—and are determined to keep the world safe. When academy student Rui loses her powers in battle and they are gained by outcast Yiran, the two of them must team up with mage Zizi to try and reverse the spell. But when Rui discovers she may hold the key to finding the missing god of Death and strikes a deal with the Tenth King of Hell, their three paths become a knot that cannot be unravelled. Will they be able to get ahead of their destiny, or will they be pulled under when all hell breaks loose?
I first caught wind of this book through June CL Tan’s incredible social media game. Seriously, if you want to see more of this book and catch the vibes before reading, you’ll want to check out their socials. As soon as one of the fun infographics popped up, showing me the cover and little arrows pointing to tropes/themes found inside, I was sold. I mean, “enemies to lovers but gayyyyyyy”, “family: lost, found messy,” “unhinged villains,” “are we fighting or flirting,” topped off with “if you like Jujutsu Kaisen”—what was I supposed to do? NOT read this book?? If you were a classic BLEACH fan who desperately wants more disaster characters trying their best to protect the world of the living from their own society’s corrupted nonsense, this book is going to be a treat.
You will have a favorite character you would die for by the end of Darker by Four. Maybe it’ll be Rui, our cynical academy student poised to graduate with top honors and join the Exorcist Guild. Her one-track minded focus to track down and destroy the hybrid who killed her mother is pulled off course by the other disasters she meets along the way. Her feelings for my favorite boy Zizi (who I hope June CL Tan will give a happily ever after because I love him, dear reader) may be the only thing rivalling her desire for revenge. Zizi is our anti-Exorcist Guild, charismatically obnoxious mage-of-all-trades who harbors feelings for both Rui and his personal freedom. It’s his work with the magical underground that leads Rui to lose her powers, only for them to end up with the burnt cinnamon roll of a boy, Yiran. While Yiran seems to have it all to the outside eye, all he’s ever wanted was approval from his famous magical family, which is difficult to get if you’re born without powers. Together, these three need to find a way to restore Rui’s powers before the Guild finds out they’re gone and discovers where Yiran’s came from.
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Darker by Four
This beginning plot throws us into the beautiful world building by June CL Tan. We start in the Human World while learning about all that inhabits the Underworld: the Ten Kings of Hell, grim reapers, minor gods, and other mysteries. It’s a lot of information, but it never becomes overwhelming. Tan is able to balance the world she’s built in a way that feels natural and lived in. Part of this comes from having a strong surrounding cast of characters, and perhaps one of them will become your favorite. Ash, Yiran’s overprotective half-brother, is exciting to get to know. Nikai, the anxious grim reaper looking for one of the Kings of Hell, will intrigue you with his mysterious and traumatic past. The entire cast of Kings—the unraveling Ten, the missing Four, and the adorably baffling Seven—keep you anchored to the underworld, and the introduction of Yuki keeps you wanting to understand more of the mysteries Tan has in store.
Knowing that Darker by Four is a duology as I began reading helped with my stress levels. Tan does quick work with making you care about our three protagonists—Rui, Zizi, and Yiran—so every single plot beat hits. What’s particularly impressive is the way that Tan has taken the shounen supernatural anime story structure and made it work on the page. The book’s mini-arcs keep you invested, each ending with a solid plot twist that destroys the comfort you felt building for the characters. As you get to the end of the book, if you don’t know it’s a duology, you’ll find yourself wondering how Tan will possibly wrap it all up and create a satisfying ending right before dropping the biggest plot twist yet. The end of the book’s energy is exactly like the energy of those anime episodes that skip the opening song and play the ending song and credits over the final scene, rather than breaking away from the action. You know something has just gone down, and you are ravenous for the next part.
I would have guessed that Tan was a huge anime fan without knowing anything about her. There are easter eggs sprinkled throughout the book that will delight folks from different anime fandoms. My personal favorite was Gojo’s Cafe and its orange haired barista. With great whisk comes great reward: Tan’s moments of fandom do not distract from the story. Fear not, if you aren’t familiar with anime, you will not be taken out of the narrative by the homage. It is fast paced, with action choreographed so well that your mind’s eye has no room to be distracted. The banter between characters makes you laugh while their trauma and fears slide between your ribs like the sharpest knife, giving you no choice but to root for them.
Darker by Four is a rich tapestry that cannot be put down. I laughed, I cried, I cursed June CL Tan for making me this invested in a new group of characters. Her narrative artistry pulls together a story that could easily have too many moving pieces, and she does it like it’s easy. The sequel is far away, and I cannot wait to see how Rui, Yiran, and Zizi get out of this chaos. Until then, I’ll just have to comfort myself with an immediate re-read, some bubble tea, and the tidbits she shares online to keep me going.
Darker by Four is published by HarperTeen.
