Title: A Darkness At The Door
Author: Intisar Khanani
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Pages: 528
Release Date: 21 July 2022
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Hello fellow book lovers, today I'm sharing my review of A Darkness At The Door by Intisar Khanani. The action packed and thrilling conclusion to the Dauntless Path series, which continues on from the shocking cliffhanger ending of The Thief of Sunlight.
Synopsis
I've been cursed, betrayed, and sold into slavery – but the truth I carry can't be allowed to die.
Only Rae knows the extent of the corruption at the heart of the kingdom of Menaiya, from the noble lord who betrayed her, to the Circle of Mages whose wards protect the slavers from discovery. Injured and imprisoned on a slave ship, Rae’s options are quickly running out. When a desperate escape attempt goes terribly wrong, she finds herself indebted to a terrifying Fae sorceress.
Now Rae will not rest until she has rescued her fellow prisoners and freed her land from the darkness that has taken hold. To succeed, she’ll need every ally she can find—including Bren, the thief who may have stolen her heart. But Bren is hiding his own bloody secrets, and the curses that encircle Rae have sunk their claws into her mind. With her debts coming due and time running short, all the truths in the world may not be enough to save her kingdom, or herself.
Review
After that jaw droppingly tense cliffhanger in The Thief of Sunlight I was on the edge of my seat desperate to find out what happens next. Fortunately—with thanks to Hot Key Books—I was able to find out just that and can reveal that it didn’t disappoint!
Intisar Khanani’s breathtakingly intriguing fantasy was an absolute pleasure to read through. The world building like her previous works was utterly magical and bursting with vividly lush imagery.
Rae was definitely my favourite character, she’s a strong, determined and resilient young woman who overcomes her own physical limitations and is willing to risk her own life to dismantle the corrupt and unjust system which has allowed people (mostly children) to be sold into slavery.
I also really liked her love interest, the roguishly charming thief Bren and loved how their friendship develops. Rae’s been burned when it comes to trusting people previously, especially given the competitiveness of the royal court but it was really great to see Rae learning to trust Bren, inspite of his chosen occupation.
It’s a clean romance so there’s no explicit content but I was genuinely surprised by how much emotion and longing Intisar Khanani managed to evoke in to every scene Rae and Bren shared & was rooting for them every step of the way.
I enjoyed getting to see some of my favourite characters from Thorn again (Alyrra and Kestrin especially) as well as some newer characters such as Lirika who I really enjoyed getting to know.
I do have to warn that, as it does deal with darker subject material there are scenes that show or allude to violence, death, kidnapping, trafficking, slavery, child abuse, ableism, torture, murder and gore.
Overall, a breathtakingly adventurous fantasy that fans of immersive world building and charming, heist style intrigue definitely need to check out.
Also, a massive thank you to Eleanor Rose and Hot Key Books for this fantastic finished copy.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
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