Happy Monday, Readers!

Hope you had a great weekend. I get my car back today after some extensive repairs, so I’m excited to get out of the house and do things with friends and family this week.

The grad school semester is starting to wrap up, and I’m getting really excited for a long summer break before my final semester. Speaking of which, it’s time for another book review!

This time I read A Door in the Dark (Waxways #1) by Scott Reintgen.

I was unsure of this book at first, but after seeing a review from fellow book blogger and author Teri Polen (her work’s great by the way, check it out!), I knew I had to give it a go. So, how did this book do? Let’s find out!

Blurb

One of Us is Lying meets A Deadly Education in this fantasy thriller that follows six teenage wizards as they fight to make it home alive after a malfunctioning spell leaves them stranded in the wilderness.

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…

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

Ren lives with her mother in a magical city as she attends Balmerick University. Determined to prove her worth to earn a spot with one of the founding houses, her knowledge and aptitude of magic put her at the top of her class. But when a freak incident at one of the public transportation portals thrusts her and five other students into the vast wilderness beyond the magical city they’ll have to join together if they ever want to get back home in one piece.

This novel wasn’t without some faults, but I had a good time.

What I loved most about this book was the setting and premise. The magical system surrounding this world was complex, exciting, and fun to explore. The fantasy element was very strong and ruled this world, and the escapist in me loved the break from reality.

Though becoming familiar with the surroundings may take some time for readers to adjust to in the beginning, the payoff is worth it when the situation turns sour. From there on, the book takes on a more serious tone as the students are forced to fight for their lives to get back to the home they know and love. There was plenty of mystery surrounding the situation, matched well with magical battles and shocking revelations.

The writing was relatively straightforward and didn’t engage in too much purple prose. It kept to the story, and I appreciated that.

However, I had some issues with the main character Ren. She had plenty of depth throughout this novel, but I didn’t quite enjoy the themes of betrayal and manipulation present. Through my numerous book reviews, I’ve learned to become leery of characters with revenge arcs. It lessens the integrity of characters with little payoff, and in this case that holds true. Though Ren has a traumatic past, I don’t think the revenge arc was necessary. To me, it demeans young adults and their resilience. Ren could’ve simply taken the higher road from her past to make things better for the unprivileged and it would have been much easier to root for her.

Despite my qualms, this was still a very enjoyable book filled with magic, secrecy, and suspense. If you like dark academia stories, this one shouldn’t disappoint.

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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