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A Darkness at the Door

the thrilling sequel to The Theft of Sunlight!

Intisar Khanani author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Hot Key Books

Published:21st Jul '22

Should be back in stock very soon

A Darkness at the Door cover

The riveting sequel to THE THEFT OF SUNLIGHT by the author of THORN ('The best YA fantasy book I have read this year!' - Never Judge a Book by its Cover)

THE THRILLING SEQUEL TO THE THEFT OF SUNLIGHT, THE EPIC FANTASY ADVENTURE.

"A fairytale that goes beyond the happily-ever-after" Kirkus starred review

"Full of action, magic and intrigue" Foreword starred review

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.

Follow the DAUNTLESS PATH novels!

Praise for THORN

'A dark, Middle-Eastern influenced retelling [...] dangerous secrets, false identities, delicious court intrigue and justice.' Culture Fly


'THE BEST YA FANTASY BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR!' neverjudgeabookbyitscover.co.uk

Praise for THE THEFT OF SUNLIGHT

'A beautifully written, fantastical page-turner' Kirkus Reviews

'Fresh, bold and unique' The National

A fairytale that goes beyond happily-ever-after, exploring the will and vigilance needed to achieve justice and equity . . . A fulfilling addition to a fantastical series. * Kirkus starred review *
A firecracker of a finale that left my heart racing yet completely satisfied * SA Chakraborty, author of City of Brass *
Full of action, magic and intrigue, setting up a story that is complex and exciting . . . Following an admirable heroine as she fights nefarious forces, the diverse fantasy novel A Darkness at the Door is full of adventure and fun. * Foreword starred 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.

-- Natasha Leighton * Artfully Bookish *

ISBN: 9781471411311

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 28mm

Weight: 371g

528 pages