Name: A Door in the Dark
ISBN: 9781665918695

Scott Reintgen

Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses. Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell. After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays; Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids—which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.

If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren. She’s been in survival mode her entire life. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods…

A Door in the Dark

alexys <3

"Ren Monroe. Tell me something I don't know." 

We're in the Dires," Ren said. "We're lost."

They’d survived junior and senior year by acting as each other's armor. Offering their strength whenever the other felt too weak to go on. 

"We have to keep looking for him," Theo insisted. He deserves a proper burial."

Ren heard the tremor in his voice. He was saying what he thought was the right thing to say and hoping they would disagree. She decided to give him an out.

"I can't stop seeing him," Timmons said. "The way he looked. Burned like that." 

He'd come to her for information. Irusted her to have the answer. It was a starting point.

"Exactly," he said. "Vega only goes where I go." 

This place was bright and beautiful. It was also hunting them.

“Not that it mattered. I was always the more handsome of the two of us. Right, Ren?" He grinned back at her.

“Out here? With nothing else to look at? Sure, you're plenty handsome out here."

All she needed to do was shine. Bright enough that he wouldn't see what lurked beneath. 

“It was nice knowing the smartest per. son in the room had my back." 

"Always. You know, we're going to get home, Timmons. Together"

it’s the way he was the only one to understand her 

"And make the particles solid." Theo actually smiled "That's clever."

 not move," he said quietly. "Do not attempt magic. Do not speak "

her getting onto him in his sleep is so funny 

"What were you going to do?" she whispered to him “Punch the thing?"

"It's settled in permanently, because you always make the same face when you're thinking." She threw him a scowl of her own. He laughed. "Don't worry. It's cute."

she is the funniest person in this book why is ren bland 

All right," Timmons said, nudging a log back into place with her boot. "Time for bed. Put us to sleep, Theo. One dance should do" 

She cried in silence. It was as if a star had been erased from the sky above. No one else would know its light or warmth or beauty ever again.

She shut him up with a kiss. Quieted him with the slightest dig of her nails. Buried him there, slowly but surely. 

Door in the Dark

thought this was a higher lever dramione fanfic. i still have no idea but bonus for the ending cause what ?!?!?

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, thriller, survival horror, dark fantasy, magic

Age Relevance: 16+ (death, parental death, classism, grief, romance, alcohol consumption, child abuse, drugs, drug use, religion, gore, cursing, torture, violence)

Explanation of Above: There is some violence and blood gore shown in this book. There is death and parental death shown and mentioned along with grief. There is one scene with torture shown. There are discussions of classism and prejudice. There are drugs mentioned and shown, some slight drug use, and alcohol consumption by the main cast of characters. There is some romance shown. Religion is mentioned. There is some cursing.

Synopsis: Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses. Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell. After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays—Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids. Which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.

If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren. She’s been in survival mode her entire life. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods…

Review: Overall, I thought this was an interesting read. The book revolves around our MC who is a student at this school and there is some classism at play, especially since she’s a lower class. During an event in which her and a handful of other students are in a classroom, a big burst of magic happens and they’re sent through a portal to the wilderness. The book focuses primarily on their struggles to survive. Throughout the book I compared this to Lord of the Flies or Hatchet but with magic and in a way I was right. We see characters fall to this being that is inhabiting another dead body of a student and their fight to survive in this harsh wilderness. The book even shows the outcome of the events and what the survivors are dealt by the end. Overall, I thought this was a interesting take and I loved how the author used D&D like magic instead of regular literature magic, meaning they kinda have “spell slots” and so much magic they can use instead of just unlimited abilities. I also liked how this was very different than other magical fantasy books I’ve read. In my opinion, this would be an excellent HP alternative read.

However, I did feel like the book was really hard to get into. There’s a bit of an info dump in the beginning and it’s a little difficult to understand at first. I also felt like the pacing was a bit too slow in places and the ending was a bit too long for my liking.

Verdict: It was very interesting and different than other fantasy reads.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

 

Book: A Door in the Dark

 

Author: Scott Reintgen

 

Book Series: Standalone

 

Rating: 3/5

 

Diversity: POC coded characters

 

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, thriller, survival horror, dark fantasy, magic

 

Publication Date: March 28, 2023

 

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

Age Relevance: 16+ (death, parental death, classism, grief, romance, alcohol consumption, child abuse, drugs, drug use, religion, gore, cursing, torture, violence)

 

Explanation of Above: There is some violence and blood gore shown in this book. There is death and parental death shown and mentioned along with grief. There is one scene with torture shown. There are discussions of classism and prejudice. There are drugs mentioned and shown, some slight drug use, and alcohol consumption by the main cast of characters. There is some romance shown. Religion is mentioned. There is some cursing.

 

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

 

Pages: 368

 

Synopsis: Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses. Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell. After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays—Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids. Which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

 

A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.

 

If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren. She’s been in survival mode her entire life. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods…

 

Review: Overall, I thought this was an interesting read. The book revolves around our MC who is a student at this school and there is some classism at play, especially since she’s a lower class. During an event in which her and a handful of other students are in a classroom, a big burst of magic happens and they’re sent through a portal to the wilderness. The book focuses primarily on their struggles to survive. Throughout the book I compared this to Lord of the Flies or Hatchet but with magic and in a way I was right. We see characters fall to this being that is inhabiting another dead body of a student and their fight to survive in this harsh wilderness. The book even shows the outcome of the events and what the survivors are dealt by the end. Overall, I thought this was a interesting take and I loved how the author used D&D like magic instead of regular literature magic, meaning they kinda have “spell slots” and so much magic they can use instead of just unlimited abilities. I also liked how this was very different than other magical fantasy books I’ve read. In my opinion, this would be an excellent HP alternative read.

 

However, I did feel like the book was really hard to get into. There’s a bit of an info dump in the beginning and it’s a little difficult to understand at first. I also felt like the pacing was a bit too slow in places and the ending was a bit too long for my liking.

 

Verdict: It was very interesting and different than other fantasy reads.

 