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

Door in the Dark

alexys <3

That was the source of the magic theyd sensed. Just a sad girl attempting a spell that might link her to the memories of her dead friends one last time. 

She'd returned after the funerals, hoping to hold on to that final memory of her best friend. Before they were lost. Before they were hunted through the wilderness by one of their classmates.

The ghost of her best friend watched with those bright, unblinking eyes. Across the room, Cora's and Avy's specters had taken their feet as well. She knew they were all dead, but that didn't take away the guilt of their imagined glares. She Screamed back at them. 

“You weren't supposed to be there. In the forest. It should have just been me, Clyde, and Theo. None of you..none of this was supposed to happen." 

All she knew for sure was that the magic she'd cast had worked. Too well. It had coiled around all six of them. It had bound all their locations. And then Timmons had unintentionally amplified the distances.

this is eating they better be a power couple 

“It's all my fault," she whispered. "It's all my fault.

The song that had started everything. Ren remembered dancing with Timmons before that moment. How alive she'd been. But now there were four empty caskets.

“And that was Timmons. Always lending her strength. Always making everyone else a little better.”

Theo had stopped moving. Ren tightened her grip protectively around him. There was more barking. Closer and closer. Figures were moving up the road that led to the bridge. Ren sat there patiently until the magic of the waxways snatched them both.

Theo breathed sharply in, and then his body went still. Too still. Ren saw that he was almost translucent. Halfway to becoming a ghost. "No. Hold on, Theo." 

"Stay with me," she hissed. "Stay with me, Theo."

Golden hair the color of sunlight. Eyes like speckled forests. As he approached, the shadow at her shoulder fled. 

Her future walked in step beside her-handsome and quiet and utterly unaware.

"Yes," Ren whispered. "A hundred times, yes."

He tightened his grip on her hand. "Breath to breath. What I have, I give you." 

"I see a future between us," he whispered. "If we were back in Kathor, I would never ask this of you so soon. We could walk through the Giver's Gardens. We could go out together and spend time in each other's company. I would never want to…. force your hand. But if we are going to survive this, let’s survive together.”

Ren looked at Theo before unhooking it. "I think we have two options. Put your clothes back on. I'm not going to mess up details because you're being promiscuous. "

Timmons never flinched away from our friendship. Not once. She was steady from very start."

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

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's gone, Ren," Cora whispered. "She's gone." 

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" 

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.

 

A Door in the Dark

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