Hello book lovelies!
I had the pleasure to work with Rae @raeelse on a tour for this book and I had an amazing time. She provided all hosts with a physical copy for the tour and it's needless to say we all fell IN LOVE with the gorgeous cover! I had high expectations for this book, as the reviews I'd read before picking it up had nothing but good things to say.
So thank you to Rae for this beautiful addition to my collection and for our collaboration via @rbn_tours!
This review is spoiler free! ;)
About the book:
When Romulus killed Remus, the wolf clans swore enmity to one another ever after.
Seventeen-year-old Jess has survived an upbringing in care. Diagnosed with rage blackouts, people look at her with pity and fear. The solution? Brutal workouts, Art—oh—and staying the hell away from others. Easily done in backwater Maine.
Yet one night, she wakes to find herself by a lake, her clothes covered in blood, with no memory of what happened. Soon the water is aflame and a portal opens. Transported to the Triodia Penitentiary, she discovers she's a shifter, a type of para. She's accused of murder and locked up.
Desperate to find a way out, she turns to her fellow inmates for help. Yet as they mount an escape, the enemies circling her increase. Will Jess survive unlocking the dangerous Heights and Depths of the para world and those within herself?
CW: murder, mentions of torture, misdiagnoses of mental health issues
Rating: 4/5
Author: Rae Else
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Supernatural
Pages: 258
Jess is only months away from the safe haven of Portland, its art school a dream about to come true. Her entire life has been a series of unfortunate events, from her rage blackouts to the misdiagnoses of her mental health issues and the dozens of foster homes she's been to over the years. That safe haven is her only hope to get life into her own hands. All would go as planned, if not for her latest blackout, her blood-covered clothes and the men dragging her into the depths of a lake.
Jess is thrown into a world of shifters, faes, witches and vampires, where she is accused of a crime she swears she didn't commit. The penitentiary she's locked in is governed by a witch, who is far from willing to read more into her case. The walls seem to be closing in, as a devasting penalty is held over her head. Her only option is to escape. But to do that, she must get help from her fellow inmates.
The world of the paras unravels as the story proceeds. We discover each race along with Jess, as represented by one of her fellow inmates; their legends and myths, the ways of their people, and the reasons behind their imprisonment. The first half of the book might be considered an info dump by some but I enjoyed getting to know this world so early on. The plot drags a little, as it gives way for the worldbuilding but it did not hinder my reading experience one bit.
It took only 6 chapters for the author to lay out the basis upon which she build her world. In the span of 69 pages, we get to really know the mentality and life of our Main Character, Jess, up to the point of her imprisonment, as well as the secondary characters, the lore of their races and how the cogs turn in their heads. It is evident that there is more than meets the eye in those creatures but we have enough material in our hands to decide if we rule for them or not.
In those same chapters, we unravel the lore of the paras little by little, while witnessing the challenges Jess faces in the penitentiary. The descriptions are well placed within the story, emphasizing the plot or character and adding another dimension to the subject of interest.
Throughout the book, I became very interested in 2 characters from the cast, a fae named Astra and a witch named Theo. Astra is not taking much of the spotlight in this book, but I love how the questions left unanswered about her promise to give her more time in the next one. I love how straightforward she is and the way she seems to pick a side, while in truth, she has her own agenda (that's mere speculation on my part and I do hope it plays out in the next book!). As for Theo, I am simply in love with that power-hungry witch. He is laid back and extremely confident of his powers. At the end of the book, we get a sneak peek of the second installment in The Dark Between series, as the author graces us with the 1st chapter of Nox. And that chapter only cemented Theo into my ever-growing list of favourite fictional characters.
There is, however, one thing I didn't really fancy. While our MC is confronting the Big Bad of this book, it is clear to us readers where the scales tip. She is an inexperienced fighter, who marched into the battle without a plan or a way to see the fight through. She is driven by pure rage and, in a way, it is beneficial for her. Given the entire situation and the backstory of the two opposing sides, the fight was way too short and the outcome quite unrealistic. I would have liked to see our MC struggle more or make a very calculated move to defeat the Big Bad. Or, even better, I'd love a longer scene where we can dive a little deeper into the Big Bad's head they allowed their arrogance and narcissism to spell their doom.
Yet by no means does that mean the book is not worth your time! I am really looking forward to revisiting this amazing world in Nox and I hope that you guys will give this beautifully written book a chance!
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