FantasyHoard's Book Journey

TL;DR: A dark, gripping read with creepy Void creatures, great character motivations, clever foreshadowing, and an ending that left me stunned and desperate for the sequel.

Just wow! I was definitely excited to get into a darker book and this absolutely delivered.

The plot kept me engaged the entire time—I was always eager to find out what was going to happen next and where all the clues and hints were going to lead. The characters were also really well written, and I felt genuinely connected to them. I was invested in what would happen to them, which doesn’t always happen with side characters. Often they fall to the wayside or exist only to serve the main character’s development, but both Flint and Jade had their own motivations and felt like fully realized characters.

The creatures from the Void were genuinely unsettling. We were given just enough description to form a clear image without over explaining them. Personally, I think creepy creatures are even more disturbing when some details are left to the imagination—our minds tend to fill in the gaps in the worst ways possible—and the author balanced that perfectly.

The only thing I wish we had gotten more of was worldbuilding, especially a deeper look into the history of the Void. That said, I absolutely loved getting pieces of the world through epigraphs. I’m a total sucker for epigraphs when they’re done well, and these added so much flavor and intrigue. Another aspect I really enjoyed was how the book planted small hints leading up to the big reveal later on. I wasn’t completely surprised by it, but the hints didn’t make the twist feel cheap. Instead, they felt natural and organic, and when the reveal finally happened it was satisfying to realize how many clues had been there all along.

But the ending—wow. I finished the book and just sat there for a few minutes processing that it ended there. I really hope we get a sequel sooner rather than later because I have questions. I’m honestly equal parts mad at myself for not seeing that coming and impressed with how well the ending landed. If you’re into darker books with creepy, unsettling creatures and don’t mind some graphic descriptions—especially in a dangerous world beneath the surface—I’d definitely recommend this one.