Brighter Than Nine

Darker by Four #2

by June C.L. Tan

The world has moved on. With the missing death god restored to the underworld, it appears that equilibrium has been regained. But the Nothing continues to threaten the underworld - and the mortal realm.

Trapped in Hell, Zizi fights the takeover of his soul by Four's. As he begins to access Four's memories, he discovers a tragic love story that could be the key to keeping the mortal realm safe. Now, Zizi must defy his fate and escape Hell once more.

On the surface, Rui's life has changed as she is hailed a hero by the Exorcist Guild. But she soon discovers the spell Zizi was forced to create is transforming innocent humans into vicious Hybrid Revenants. With the help of the other cadets, she vows to stop them.

Now magicless, Yiran watches, hungrier than ever, until he begins a dangerous dalliance with Yuki, hoping the Hybrid will recover Yiran's magic. And when he discovers a dark family secret, he must decide what he stands for - before it's too late.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Audiobook, Young Adult Fantasy

400 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2026

About the author

June CL Tan is the critically acclaimed and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Darker By Four duology and Jade Fire Gold. Her Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection books have garnered multiple starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and BCCB, and she was also one of PW’s Flying Starts in 2021. A Singaporean raised on a diet of teh tarik, classic books, and wuxia movies, she enjoys telling stories that draw on both the traditional and modern to create something fresh to the eye, but familiar to the heart.

Reviews

[iris ᵕ̈]

i'm seated. the theater employees are scared and asking me to leave because it doesn't even have a title ok fine blurb release date yet. but i'm simply too seated.

[rina · Rating 3 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ੭୧‎ ‎ 3 stars‎ ‎ . ۫

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “ in all the worlds and all lifetimes, our souls are bound together. wherever you go, to the ends of this world or the next, i will follow. ”

when he says he loves me, but zizi searched for rui's soul, found her again after reincarnating, and chose her in every single lifetime, even when it cost him everything ☹

a solid sequel! loved it a little less than its predecessor, but loved it nevertheless!

thank you to the author and publisher for the arc!

CW: death, violence

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

finished: 01/31/26

pre read: 01/29/26
cannot wait to return to my comfort characters 🤭

[maria ₊˚ෆ]

was I absolutely disappointed by the first book? Yes 💔 will I eat this up when it comes out? YES 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ march 2026 come faster 🙏🏼🙏🏼 I am going to read anything that gives K-pop demon hunters vibes 🥰🥰

[carthi ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

.☘︎ ݁˖ “We were so naive when we met. Your father wanted to change the world. What he didn’t know was that, sometimes, the world doesn’t want to change.”
If the past were a game, it was repeating itself with the players reversed.

⋆˙⟡ 5 stars ˙⊹

first off thank you so much to storytide for sending me an arc through edelweiss! this does not affect my thoughts about the book in any way. out now! check out my post, to see some edits i made for the book :) brighter than nine book edits

such a stunning sequel to darker by four, with all of the atmospheric and enthralling worldbuilding, interesting characters and more of them, and anime like action scenes! miss june pls pat yourself on the back, cause this was everything i ever wanted!! i hope u have the best life ever (even if u made everyone cry a lot T-T) but also expect a very simple therapy bill from me, and a mile long one from your characters lol.

to be honest i cannot believe that this duology is over. wdym this is goodbye? nahh these are my kids and i need to see them often (i guess rereading is the only option :')) anyways i hope u all give this duology a try! its kpop demon hunters + chinese myth + xianxia dramas + urban fantasy,,, and if you have been watching pursuit of jade, one of the couples have the same vibes as them <333 so run to your nearest library, bookstore or audiobook website(?) and read it today!!

⋆˙⟡ — worldbuilding +culture ˙⊹

in brighter than nine, we pick up right where we were left in darker by four. miss june gives a deeper delve into the world, and how it functions. book 1, showed us the tip of the iceberg of this absolutely mesmerizing world, and here we finally get to see the inner workings of it. the politics, the factions, the precarious balance that is threatened by the never-ending revenants. a city that's ever-evolving just like our own, a mesh of the past and the future. and that's just the human world. include the magic and its soo vibrant i want a ticket asap (a two way ticket pls, i fear for my life ^^)

and the journey to the underworld has got to be my favorite, especially because we get a much better insight into how it functions and all the people within it. based off of the Chinese myth, there is the ten courts of hell, or the ten kingdoms, each headed by its king, and the very structural hierarchy within it all. the reapers, the managers, basically hell is a corporate office lol. each of the king stands as their own person, and the lore gets crazier cause we meet the immortals' elders. the dynamics and secrets within it all!

we also get a hint to the existence of the celestial realm and I want more!! dear publisher, if you see this let miss june write us a novella or something!! I want more of these three worlds <333 and the use of numbers in the novel is absolute genius! tbh im still waiting for the secret page to open up to marvel her genius wordplay. miss june's world is very reminiscent of a lot of anime and mangas (also has easter eggs for fans :)) with its vivid imagery and striking exuberance. I also have to applaud her brain for the way the past characters and the present characters fate all intertwined, especially with our main trio. that was insanely well written!

⋆˙⟡ — characters ˙⊹

the og cast has been through a horrible breakup at the end of book 1 and are on their own at the beginning. and to be honest it was painful to see the three of them suffer through this tragedy. but as the book progresses we see them grow and become such amazing people! their character arcs are soo well written. and when they got back together? oh my god, I was soo happy 🥹 family reunion after an eternity!!!

— rui ˙⊹ And it hurt more because after everything, a boy she’d once had a connection with was no longer speaking to her, and the other boy... well...

oh rui, I hope life treats you well after this lol. you've suffered enough for two lifetimes books. we see her learn to lean on people and ask for help when needed. she's every bit passionate as always and ahh I missed her energy <3

— zizi ˙⊹ He wasn’t here with her. He wasn’t here anymore.

zizi, my fav fictional man, you had to be suffering the worst in a way because his entire life is a lie... (miss june a novella about his ENTIRE life history would also be a cool idea hehe) he has to now adjust to life in this new world while also grappling with all these memories and emotions that's his, but also not his? not gonna say anything much but oh he is THE loverboy, and I hope u live a beautiful life <3

— yiran ˙⊹ “You know, I thought you were running away from your problems, but maybe what you’re doing is running toward them.”

my twin, yiran is suffering as always ^^ I mean when was he not? what with his messed up familial relationships, losing magic and friends? oof that bubble burst and hurt like hell (haha). and in bt9 we see him continue to grapple with his wants and the greater good. and in typical yiran fashion, he finds a way to have both (yass) but all the revelations he learned this time around must have been enough for three years of therapy TT

— ash ˙⊹

and then we have ash, this man has not had a day of rest since he turned 12 and the horrors just keep on persisting. he needs a five year vacation, but I don't think anyone will let him TT it was such a delight to finally get his perspective as well. in db4 he came off as annoying and almost a villain? but now im like, hello kindred spirit ^^ really shows you how characters can be pretty unreliable narrators. i got to see his inner turmoil of wanting to protect these kids under him, but also being stuck in a system that functions purely because it takes advantage of these young exorcists. and the stress of having it hold it all together, not just for his students but also for the world (quite literally) and the dysfunctional family issues continue...

— while db4 only showed us some of the kings, we finally got to meet all ten of them, and i love them!! in book 1, i saw almost all of them as a threat to my babies because they were always messing things up, but now i understand that it wasn't a threat. it was their concern and them trying to help. and to be fair they're also stuck in a system that traps them :(

⋆˙⟡ — writing ˙⊹

miss june's writing is powerful and vivid. it’s like a lucid dream. she transports you into her enthralling world, with all these interesting characters, makes you feel a roller-coaster of emotions and then not so gently leaves you back in the middle of your bedroom. yeah that's the best way I can describe the experience that is darker by four duology.

as someone who read jade fire gold as well, there is something very uniquely miss june, it’s her atmospheric worlds and action-intensive scenes. im someone who hates fight scenes cause im like how am I supposed to understand whats going on?? but miss june writes them in a way that u can visualize it like an anime scene <3 I read almost the entire second half in a few hours straight because of how entrancing it all was. she had me at the edge of my bed with every page. I needed to know these three and everyone else made it out safe!

⋆˙⟡ — romance ˙⊹

oh the romance in bt9 is next level, because while we have one of our two couples separated, it still felt like the greatest love story ever. zizi and rui went through almost all the stages of grief, and I was right there with them. every scene with them together, I was like awww my babies <333

then we have our yuki and yiran. my god these two are the most precious ever, but ughh why is fate (miss june....) soo cruel to them, always on opposite sides of the fight?? but also that one scene had the 'will you come to my cottage?' vibes and i’m like yup, this is universal.

idk how but miss june managed to use almost every single classic trope and still gave me a relishing feast?! I adore them all soo much. and the ending I will shut up about cause yeah,,, im in denial (gimme the extended epilogue ending pls pls pls, do u want my soul?)

one of the main driving force of this book may be the romance, but the friendship is what really saves the day. the bond between all of them, be it my trio, the exorcists from xingshan academy, ash and his colleagues or nikai and the kings. they're all trying to save the world for each other and its such a beautiful thing <3

⋆˙⟡ — post-read: WOAH THIS WAS INSANE!!! full rtc <3

⋆˙⟡ — pre-read: i have the arc. I HAVE THE ARC?!?! THANK YOU HARPER COLLINS GODS AND EDELWEISS FOR MAKING THIS DREAM COME TRUE 🥹🥹😭 going to buddy read with harkiti soon hehe <3
AKSCJDCKDJCSSLSKDKLKJHNM we finally have a release date!!! MARCH 10, 2026!! only 257 days to go ₍₍⚞(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⚟⁾⁾ thank you miss june for finally putting us all out of our misery 🥹 the cover is absolutely gorgeous ahhhhhhhhhhhhh (also shout out to nico for telling me the hot deets from miss june's book event at singapore last year hehe) now all i need is someone to drop an arc into my hands (๑>ᴗ<๑) and then i'll die in peace <3

[Mim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first one very much (5 stars) and I think if I had read the sequel immediately after my rating could have been different (better).
I just couldn't catch the same feeling I got in the first book. Around 20% the story did get more interesting but somehow I was not impressed. I did liked all the twists and the lore was pretty solid. But I think the stakes weren't as high or it was shifted in away I wasn't totally on board. I don't know.. this just wasn't as hood as the first 🥲 but still solid good YA and wrapped the story well (But I wasn't fan of the ending!Zizi should get more freedom! Or be a real boy 😁)

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for allowing me to read / finish out the duology.

A lot of the feelings I had about characters (Four/Zizi) ended up being right. I rather liked his backstory and his reasons for doing what he did.

Unfortunately, this second book / conclusion felt muddled, too much going on and the fluidity was lost. The narrative and the looming threat of the blight and the creatures were explained but it felt so cheapened.

I can't point my finger on it all, but I think my issues come with the blight and the Four/Zizi story not really mixing together well and that both of them could be different books / different stories with adequate / proper time spent to link the two together the way the author wanted.

The other issue I have is that due to this, the world building suffers outside of the blight / supernatural aspect of it. I couldn't paint you a picture of the world because everything seemed to have a bland, grey background in my head as I pictured it. The only thing that had some sort of detail was the underworld (but not by much, that was pretty bleak too).

For a first book I enjoyed so heavily, to put this at a 3 was rather upsetting. Glad it was concluded but I wish it gave me more feeling when finished.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The final part of this duology left me feeling a little cold. I really liked the first book and enjoyed this one for the same reasons, such as the world, the magic system and the relationships between the characters. However, I think many things remain unexplained, such as what happened to the kidnapped exorcists and what Rui's father was doing throughout the story. I was waiting for something to happen with him. I also felt that the evolution of Rui's feelings towards Zizi regressed in this book because of the plot. I really liked how she gradually realised that it was more than just friendship, so I was disappointed that it ended so quickly just because, in my opinion.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and the author's writing style.

[yoon._.hee reads]

the cover is so pretty

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

This book was everything! I originally picked up the first book in this duology last year when I was trying to fill the void left behind by Kpop Demon Hunters. I loved Darker By Four so much that I was counting down the days until the second book released.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book!

Let me start by saying that this had a very satisfying conclusion. My heart felt so full and even with a couple of things remaining a mystery I feel hopeful and so happy with where it all landed. The first book in this duology was about the magic and the monsters, but the second book was about the romance.

These characters are the type you feel deeply connected to. You root for them from the very beginning. And the relationships, both friendship and otherwise, are so beautiful 🥹 Rui and Zizi have my entire heart. Their lore is rooted in heartbreak yet holds so much hope and light. I could literally melt over how much I love them and their story. Another relationship that I could read a whole separate book about (I’m look at you June CL Tan) is Yuki and Yiran. Ahhh I loved how uncertain, slightly awkward yet wholesome their blossoming romance was and how they just understood one another on such a deep level.

I truly cannot say enough good things about this duology. It’s steeped in heavy folklore, high stakes, spirit magic, found family vibes with a romance that’ll sweep you off your feet. Please please PLEASE pick up this series and this book. I promise you won’t regret it.

[anni !]

PLEASE GIVE US AT LEAST A RELEASE DATE

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 star

I’m really glad to see how much the lore expanded in this installment. We get a deeper look into the underworld, and I loved seeing how Four’s power—and his role as the Death God—fully comes into play. It adds a lot more weight to the story and the stakes.

I’m always a sucker for past lives and reincarnation, and I think this book handled that aspect really well. Watching how Rui, Zizi, and Yiran’s lives were intertwined across different lifetimes—and how their past choices continue to shape their present—was one of my favorite parts of the story.

And the romance… oh my god. I love a good forbidden romance, and June CL Tan really said let me hurt you emotionally with Zizi and Rui. Their love story was so intense and tragic in a way that just hits.

I also have to mention how cleverly the author plays with Chinese words and numbers—especially in the title and chapter titles. It’s such a thoughtful detail, and I always appreciate when cultural elements are woven into the story like that.

That said, I did find some of the dialogue a bit jarring at times. I understand that Zizi/Four is technically a young adult, but he’s also an immortal Death God… so some of the phrases he used felt a little too juvenile and didn’t quite match who he is.

The twist, though? Actually insane. I genuinely did not see it coming, but I really liked the direction the story took and how everything came full circle in the end—especially in how it impacted all three main characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I will say I personally preferred the first one a bit more, but this was still a satisfying continuation and a solid conclusion. Not perfect, but definitely good enough for me.

[Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I squeal when I got this early thanks to Netgalley the author and the publisher, yes! Did I stay up all night and forfeit sleep to finish this? Also a yes. Love an epic love story and a happy ending and this does not disappoint. Loved getting Zizi/fours back story and I am obsessed

[zai · Rating 5 out of 5]

i experienced like 500 emotions in the span of last few chapters

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am deceased

[Elena Espinosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm torn. I love tension and dramatic stories, I love high stakes, but this ending felt so unsatisfactory, even though I can see why it was needed. The book took me a bit to get into because there was an obvious tonal shift (again, understandable, but tone was a huge reason why I loved the first book, and not having Zizi sound like himself until the second half and everyone else towards the third act damaged my love for it). Still, the plot was really strong and I enjoyed every little revelation we got; I found myself more invested in Yiran's side of the story this time around, actually, which surprised me. And by the end, I was obsessed with the book, I loved the story and the full arc... but then we got to the actual ending. She says in the acknowledgements she wanted to leave it on a hopeful note, and I'm like, is that what it is? It doesn't feel hopeful to me, it feels doomed, to be honest. And I get it, but I wish it were different. It breaks my heart, really. The last few chapters felt traumatising. I know not every story can have a perfect happy ending, but I guess I cared enough about these kids that I wanted them to have it. Still, I really, really loved the duology, and there's a high chance once I come to terms with the ending and I reread the story my opinion will change.

[Cyd’s Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.25 stars.

I actually missed these characters and this world, I find the dynamics so easy to enjoy and the multi POV is exactly what I look for in a fantasy read.

In book 2 we kick off with things quite out of sorts with the realms, the hybrids and the characters themselves. Rui is dealing with her loss and grief like a champ if I do say so myself, she does become a little focused on the weird events happening to people so her grief seems minimised by her goals. There are new characters that raise some questions and truths in this story and try to lead certain characters on darker paths. I love that we get more interaction in the underworld so we expand on that realm and it’s rules, it has not survived unscathed by the events of book 1.

Now, my fav part of this book is Rui and four/Zizzi like my heart breaks for all that they’ve gone through and I’m a sucker for love that drives its characters. I will miss them not being on my page as the ending to book 2 seemed to conclude the story rather perfectly for me, but I wouldn’t say no to a spin off or novela, maybe a 10th king redemption arc who knows.

[tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this sequel adequately wrapped up the duology. Similar to the first book, the first half of Brighter Than Nine was a lot of set up so that the story could pick up in the final half. Rui has always been the character I cared about the most in this duology. I think her love story with Zizi was sweet and I like their trio friendship with Yiran — especially since he acknowledged his bratty ways, had less of a self-pitying narrative, and got more of backstory in this one. If you remember my angry rant about Yiran from the last book, I guess he has been forgiven. Overall, I was happy with the conclusion to their character arcs. I still have the same complaint that the side characters are so unremarkable to me, the only exception being Nikai, but he was mostly absent in this book.

I’m not normally a fan of flashbacks to previous lifetimes, but I thought it worked well here and added to the story.

Once again, I was a big fan of the audiobook narrator, she’s such a personal favourite of mine.

Thank you very kindly to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Evita · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Thank you netgalley and hodder& stoughton for letting me read this book early!

After reading and LOVING Darker By Four last year I was so excited to pick up this sequel.

However, it did take me a while to get settled back into this world. For the first two thirds of the book it felt like I was reading something completely different and I just couldn’t find my groove with it. It made sense for the story, I just found myself missing the style of the first book.

Then something happened and the last third was exactly what I needed this book to be. Action packed, exciting and with all the characters engaging with each other and working together.

I think this duology is super unique and interesting and I’d recommend reading this series if you’re into:
✨Chinese underworld mythology
✨Urban fantasy
✨Friendships and love
✨Queer rep
✨Family dynamics

Brighter Than Nine is out March 12th 2026.

[cami · Rating 3 out of 5]

writing bad
plot excellent

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC!

Brighter Than Nine kicks off shortly after the eventful end of Darker by Four. Zizi and Rui are realms apart, facing their own individual challenges while trying to get back to each other. Yiran is navigating complex family dynamics along his feelings for Yuki. Ash is trying to keep his fellow exorcists alive and protect society from the increased threat of Hybrids.

This book is filled with action, suspense, and a side of romance. There is solid world-building and compelling character development. The additional POV of Zizi and Ash really round-out the storytelling. The queer representation is also lovely, I appreciate how normalized it is in this world. The plot wraps up nicely while leaving some things open for interpretation, which I liked. Overall this is a great duology and I look forward to reading more books by June C.L. Tan!

[Ati ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc. ♡

One of my favorite mythological concepts is the red string of fate that binds lovers for lifetimes. I also particularly enjoy when immortals get punished with either mortality or some form of servitude or imprisonment. I eat it up alwayyyyyys. June CL Tan created a perfect lush world of mortals and immortals that I thoroughly enjoyed. My adoration for Rui and Zizi increased in book 2, I LOVE them so much! All in all this was, to me, a near perfect conclusion to this duology. I spent much of this book theorizing different possibilities, and managed to guess so much which to me is a testament to how well the bread crumbs were laid throughout both books. (Although, a prior knowledge of Chinese mythology may have also played a hand.)
The side characters and their arcs were also engaging and at no point did I find myself bored of other POVs. Did I still want to slap Yiran? Yes, but only in the beginning. Even in the last book I understood why he acted the way he did but this book went more into depth with his story and relationships and omg??? UGH, I was so sad for him.

As for the ENDING????? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? THATS IT? YOU’RE JOKING??????

Now what? There was a moment at the very and that made me think there is a possibility of at least one spin-off.

[Christina ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brighter than Nine follows the aftermath of the events in the first book, Darker by Four. Zizi has disappeared, Rui becomes the hero for foiling the hybrid’s plans, and Yiran returns back to his powerless life. The book portrays the perspective of these three characters along with Ash’s POV. So we see that Zizi has been trapped in the underworld in order to restore him to his immortal/kingly self. Rui knows the true threat of hybrids are out there despite the exorcist guild’s determination to keep it hidden from the public. However, things take a turn for the worst when a hybrid takes the talisman that will allow them to turn any normal human into one of them. Unfortunately, it does not work how it should, so mutated bodies have been appearing throughout the city. And the only person Rui needs to help her destroy the talisman is stuck in the underworld. She decided to embark on a dangerous journey to rescue Zizi and save the world. Yiran no longer has powers but is desperate to get any kind of power back. He reconnects with the hybrid Yuki, which leads to him learning more about himself as well as discovering a huge secret.

I love that this book is based on Chinese folklore! The author does an amazing job with making it modern, and I found it easy to follow along. I also really enjoyed reading all the different POVs and seeing the different paths they had to take in order to all come back together to help restore the balance back to the world. I loved the friendship and the romance in this book; I found it so wholesome. This was a great young adult fantasy book, and I would highly recommend everyone to read it! Thank you to Epic Reads, June CL Tan, and Storygram Tours for the arc of Brighter Than Nine ✨

Christinas.Chapter
TikTok | blog

[Tova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zizi, my beloved boy 🥹 That's it, that's the review...jk. This was a very solid conclusion, though there were so many storylines and things going on that at times it felt kind of clunky and hard to follow. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time back with Ruru, Zizi, Yiren, Yuki, Nikai, and Ash...definitely not Four, though. I acknowledge that I was reading this book during a very difficult time for me emotionally, mentally, and physically, so that might have played into some of my feelings about it being clunky. Still a great trilogy, though the first one is definitely stronger. 3.75 stars, rounded up for Goodreads.

[Amanda Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 Stars

[Ambrine O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐️

I liked it less than book 1 but still a lot

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Alyce Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid duology.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC! This was one of my extremely anticipated releases this year, and it was an overall satisfying conclusion to the duology despite falling a bit short of expectations.

I wish this would've been a trilogy, because I feel like there was a lot of telling over showing done to tie up all the plot threads. I feel like these could've been fleshed out fully with more time, and I would have enjoyed going a bit deeper into some of the mythology. I also missed our trio's interactions together, since they're separated for about the first half of the book.

The plot was definitely slower in the first half, but then quickly picked up and towards the last 10-20% it felt like we were at breakneck speed getting to the conclusion. I still enjoyed the world and characters, and really liked the short chapters (~10 pages). Some of the plot twists were a bit predictable, but I was still surprised by others. Overall, a solid conclusion if a bit rushed.

[Smugreadsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the wait

When I tell you I was counting down the days to this books release...and have been so obsessed with knowing what happens to these characters... June CL Tan does it again with a wonderful sequel to an amazing series. I'm going to try and keep this spoiler free but when I tell you I couldn't put it down it was that good! They're witty, and funny and so human its amazing! Plus knowing the best boy *cough* (Nikai) *cough* was okay made the read so much sweeter!! This book will make you laugh, cry and crave oh so much more! Truly an amazing book and honestly worth 10 million stars. Everyone should read this duology!

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brighter Than Nine

“What is fate, if not the universe conspiring?”

I remember the first book in this duology being sort of difficult to follow along so I was a little nervous going into this one, but I do really like the world and the story! This book picks up after the events of book one. Rui has returned to the Exorcist Guild with her magic back and has been hailed a hero for saving the city, but the wider public doesn’t know yet about the existence of the hybrid revenant monsters who appear human. Meanwhile Zizi is trapped in the underworld and his mortal body is returning back into Four. He’s getting his memories as well, which includes visions of this girl who looks like Rui, and Rui is getting those dreams as well. And Yiran has lost magic once again, having returned to Rui. But he’s in touch with Yuki, one of the hybrid revenants and he’s plotting something. He promises Yiran he will help get his magic back if Yiran will spend time with him. But then Yuki kind of betrays him when he knocks him out and Yiran wakes up in this like council of hybrids. And they put him in this simulation to fight another human boy — they are using magic that they took from Zizi to turn humans into these tools. Rui gives up a memory to try to get in touch with Zizi and tells him to stay alive. Zizi finally wakes up and the others hope that this means that since Four is back, this will put everything into balance again and the Nothing, which is this void that basically eats souls and makes them lost, will retreat. But Four isn’t really back because Zizi is resisting it. Zizi talks to One and finds out that he may have inadvertently made a promise that created a deal with Rui that their souls would always find each other that created their love thread. And the reason why Zizi can do things like this that the other kings can’t is because he’s actually from a third celestial realm. Rui wants to save Zizi and decides she’s going to sacrifice even more memories to do so. This was super annoying to me because I hate the lost memories trope. But she does it and goes back into the underworld. She and Zizi are able to reunite, and Rui is relieved that Zizi is still himself for now. But then she’s chased from his room and into the Forest of Remembrance, and will be trapped there if she can’t find her way out. Zizi is unable to help her and gets tricked into playing a game to try to win her freedom. Yiran finds out that his father is the one running the Hybrids, which is a shock, and he finds out that he may have actually been able to wield power, but these scars on his hands are an indication of an old spell to take it away. He avoids his grandfather and brother Ash and finds help to n Yuki, relying on him despite his betrayal. He eventually agrees to meet his father, and it seems like there could be a way for Yiran to get his peers back. But then Yiran’s grandfather dies suddenly and both Ash and Yiran witness it, but to Ash it looks like maybe Yiran had a hand in it, even though he didn’t. And the exorcist council is now after him. While in the forest Rui gets her memories back about her past life and how Four is Zizi. She also sees a man who looks like Yiran is the one who killed her in her past life. Zizi manages to win a game and free Rui and together they make it back to the mortal world. But there is still a cost: Rui seems to have lost her memories, and doesn’t remember him. (Again… I hate this trope haha.) ash finds out that Yiran didnt kill their grandfather through video footage but now has to try to prove to the guild that he’s innocent. Turns out when grandfather died, it released the magic that he’d taken away from Yiran and given it back to him. Yiran is actually an amplifier of magic, which is very dangerous to the guild and others have been “taken care of.” So we can assume that Yiran’s grandfather was actually protecting him by taking his magic away. Yiran meets up with Rui and Zizi, and together they all try to figure out what to do next. Zizi secretly tells Yiran that his body is failing and he thinks he can destroy the talisman that the hybrids have but that it might kill him in the process. Ash shows up and him and Yiran sort of make up. They come up with a plan and it first involves Yiran getting in touch with Yuki, who takes him to his father. The others, meanwhile, follow. It takes them to this old seaport, where Yiran tries to trick his father into being on his side now. His father has exorcists tied up but now that Yiran is an amplifier he’s very interested in him. His father is also having a subset of his followers rebel, though. They turn the fight against Yiran’s dad and chaos breaks out right at Rui and the others arrive. Yiran uses Rui’s magic to amplify it and manages to kill some of the rebelling hybrids. Unfortunately it also fatally injures Yuki, which nearly destroys Yiran. They do manage to get the talisman back, though, and Zizi takes it to destroy. But Zizi destroys himself; his body gives out, and he dies. In the aftermath, Yiran and Ash don’t kill their father, instead having him stripped of his magic and imprisoned. The other hybrids flee and are picked off. Rui returns to the place where she agreed to make a sacrifice to visit Zizi in the underworld and I’m not entirely sure how it happens but her memories return, which is really sad. In the ending scene we’re at a masquerade ball held by the school, and Rui is there and runs into a masked boy who turns out to be Zizi. We find out that by destroying his mortal body, he fulfilled the oath he made of a “life for a life” in protecting Rui, and kings don’t really die, so here he is. But technically he does have to live in the underworld as a king, and so he can only really visit her once a month. But Rui will take that, obviously. I’m glad the whole memory loss thing was fixed, and it’s a happy ending but sort of bittersweet at the same time. We did have a casualty with Yuki, which was sad times. I did like this book, but for some reason I felt a little disconnected from the characters. It was a good wrap up of the duology, but nothing about it really blew my mind.