Brighter Than Nine

Darker by Four #2

by June C.L. Tan

The Shadowhunter Chronicles meets the Chinese underworld, drawing inspiration from diaspora folklore, in this epic, sweeping contemporary fantasy duology from Jade Fire Gold author June CL Tan.

Rui has her life back together—or so it seems. Hailed as a hero, she’s finally on her way to becoming an important member of the Exorcist Guild. But she knows the Hybrid Revenants are still out there, and they’re planning something big. Something evil.

Zizi is trapped in the underworld. As his mortal body deteriorates, he realizes he can access the Fourth King’s memories, which may be the key to keeping the mortal realm safe. To save the girl he loves, he must defy fate—and escape Hell.

Yiran watches from the shadows, magicless once more. When he discovers a dark family secret that changes everything he thought he knew, his hunger for power tempts him toward a possible betrayal. And he must decide what he truly stands for—before it’s too late.

As the consequences of the past wreak havoc on the present, three lives bound by the threads of fate must weave a new destiny for themselves—and the realms.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, 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 (hiatus) · 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 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭

pre read: 01/29/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
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

[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.

[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 😁)

[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.

[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.

[eve._.lyn reads]

the cover is so pretty

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when a book is worth the wait and this was most definitely worth the wait.

Darker By Four is one of my favourite YA fantasies, so I couldn't have been more excited for this and it was everything I'd hoped it would be. I adore everything about this world and its lore. The characters are all wonderful to follow and the short chapters make it impossible to put down. It's fast paced, gritty, emotional, action packed and a dream to read.

This is a duology I will certainly be reading again and again.

what to expect:

- urban fantasy
- slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance
- demons vs humans vs gods
- zizi (he deserves the world and his own shoutout)
- big time family drama

[anni !]

PLEASE GIVE US AT LEAST A RELEASE DATE

[Bibliothecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Em for joining me for this buddy read!

Rui is dealing with being perceived as the saviour whilst struggling to keep all the lies to herself. She is caught between wanting to find a way to thwart the Hybrids, missing Zizi, and her anger towards those who have been keeping secrets. Yiran also finds himself more isolated; estranged from his friends, stuck in an unloving home, and developing a growing interest in the Hybrid Yuki. Meanwhile, Zizi is stuck in the underworld, trying to piece past and present events together to find a way to stop the Nothing and the Blight, which are still both spreading.

I loved book one and this was one of my most anticipated sequels. Despite a large cast and a fairly complex and interwoven plot, it was easy for me to jump straight back into this world, which definitely didn't take long to get going; much like book one, this is a really fast-paced book, full of action, mysteries, and a four-character POV narrative that keeps you turning the pages. It keeps the same fun and fast-paced momentum as the first book and really takes you on a ride.

I enjoyed the additional POVs, and there wasn't a single one I was less invested in. I think having a likeable cast — all of whom are flawed — is also one of this series' strongest points. I do think that both romance arcs — Rui's and Yiran's respectively — could have had a wee bit more of a spark. But by and large, despite being a central part of the plot, the action and mysteries are a far stronger point, and I liked the characters, so I was ultimately just happy to see them together.

I was a little concerned when I had less than a hundred pages left to go — it felt like there was still a lot to unpack. I'd argue that there were no loose ends, but I do think this world and these characters offered enough material to warrant it either being longer or even a trilogy. So while this doesn't leave an open ending or any major loose threads, I would have more than happily read more, and it did make it the lesser volume in this otherwise fantastic duology.

[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

[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.

[Dacil Perera · Rating 5 out of 5]

No soy objetiva ni pretendo serlo
Esta bilogia se ha ganado un huequito en mi corazón
Puedo entender a quien no le ha gustado, pero no me interesa saberlo
🥹Zizi te adorooooo🫰🏻

[H&#x1f52e; · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am deceased

[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.

[Alyssa Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect conclusion to everything.

The mortal world now faced a new danger. Hybrid revenants. Created by the talisman from the last book. The only way to prevent such danger is to destroy the talisman and the only one who knows how to do that is Zizi. Zizi, the Fourth King. One who is imprisoned so that he can be returned to be Four in order to save his world from the Nothing. With no other solution to destroy the talisman, Rui embarks on an adventure to obtain information from Zizi to help destroy the talisman.

I still love Zizi and Rui as much as the first book. I love their bantering. It is so heartbreaking to see Zizi and Rui apart. It hurts that the solution that Zizi comes up with to destroy the talisman is to ensure that anything between him and Rui is cut off. That they can't be together since he is a King. He can't stay in the mortal realm. So I savor the times they do see each other. I just want them to kiss. I teared up when Rui got her memory back. I was afraid it would be lost forever and that the connection between the two would have to rebuilt. The ending between the two is bittersweet, but it's better than nothing. I really wish it was more than once a month, but I'll take it.

Other than Zizi and Rui, we get Yiran's perspective. Nobody knows where he's at. He's on his own adventure, trying to cope with his lost of Rui's power. And one of his coping technique is to be around Yuki, even though he doesn't want to. But I know secretly he does like it. I love those two together. I just wish there was more to be honest. We learn that Yiran's father is actually alive and is the leader of the Hybrids. And Yiran sticks around because he doesn't really have anywhere else to go. Plus, he wants to get to know about his father more since he never had the chance. I wanted their relationship to improve. I wanted it to be good since his grandfather treated him so harshly. He needed someone to look up to. It made me happy when they went out and saw his mother. His dad clearly still loved her. They had a moment and it made me happy for Yiran. But sadly, it was never meant to last. However, despite all the bad things that have happened to him, he has magic. He's an Amplifier. His whole life, he was missing something crucial and it was due to his grandfather's experiment, but now he has it. I am happy about that for him. I just wish Yuki could be there as well. I'm hoping that with that ending, he's alive, just hidden away.

What I love about this book is that there are everything comes connecting together. You would think something is just a throwaway sentence, but it is not. When it is revealed that Four is actually from Celestial, I was shocked. And it connected back to when Rui was talking about the ten stars that watched over the mortal realm, and how one sacrificed itself to become light for the humans since the others turned their backs on them. That sacrifice was Four. He's the connection between all three realms.

I absolutely love this book. I love all the pieces coming together. But what I love the most are the characters. Their personality and their bond with one another is so beautifully written. I love every single one of them. But I love Zizi the most. His teasing nature around Rui. His fun personality around the other Kings. He's the life of the party. I'm gonna miss this world and the characters.

[ali ☆]

"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."

I wished that I loved this but sadly, brighter than nine was such a disappointing sequel :( the individual plot lines felt too disjointed and the writing was a LOT weaker than the first. I also did not care about the characters nearly as much as in the first book.

🌟 the positives: 🌟

– I thought certain character dynamics and reveals were interesting, especially, regarding the main three!! however, it took them TOO LONG to get reconnected.

– there were lots of pretty lines about love and fate. I thought that the past lives storyline was really intriguing too!

– I have mixed thoughts about how the Four/Zizi plotline was handled but overall it was a welcome break from whatever bs Yiran was doing LMAO.

– the final chapter was SO GOOD and I did in fact get emotional 🥹 (finally)

💔 the negatives: 💔

– I wanted to love Rui and Zizi's relationship as much as I did in the first book but it fell flat for me. maybe because Zizi's single-minded devotion felt disconnected from Rui's varied, changing emotions? the choice made with Rui around the ~70% mark felt out of place and didn't contribute much to the overall plot, except for adding odd, half-baked tension.

– the writing really was not good. it felt very amateur and dull, which is such a contrast from darker by four. a lot of the dialogue and phrases were cringey (see my final point) and out of place with the environment. this duology takes place in a fictional city (to my knowledge, it is not our own world). because of this, there were many colloquialisms that didn't fit because they were phrases that only gained popularity in the past few years in real life, which drew me out of the story.

– the worldbuilding was so much richer in darker by four. there are attempts at it here—we see more of hell and more of the city—but the descriptions simply fell flat. the description that *tried* to be flowery came across as contrived.

– there were a few random meme references that I could not look past and drew me out of the story 😵‍💫. why did we bring up the "would you still love me if I was a worm" meme...you cannot be serious.
"you're giving literal meaning to the phrase she woke up and chose violence." BE SO FOR REAL. these random internet phrases will surely age poorly—and this is coming from someone who enjoyed the anime/kpop references in the first book, probably because they were less 'in-your-face' about it.

darker by four will always hold a special place in my heart, but I'm sad to say the sequel was simple unengaging and I will pretend it doesn't exist LOL.

[periwinkleprose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly do not remember the first book very well so I can’t comment on the continuity of character arcs and relationships. It took me awhile to regain my ground and remember who most of the characters were but I also knew I would never read the sequel if rereading the first went on to my magical mystical ‘I will do that one day when my ADHD removes itself from the equation’ list. So there was a lot of wait was this a plot line that was developed in the first book? Is my memory really that bad?

I don’t remember the first novel having quite so much “telling”. It felt like most of the book was just information or revelations being dumped on the reader without giving any of it time to simmer. I was being led towards realisations with the subtlety of a hammer.

“Had she seen something similar on someone else?”

Don’t leave me with the clues to pick up on Yiran’s magic being repressed. Instead bash me over the head with obvious leading lines from Rui and Yiran’s father. The writing was too on the nose and it irritated me because I remembered really enjoying the first book. I don’t mind predictability but I prefer not to feel like I’m being force-fed the confirmation when the foreshadowing is barely even subtle to begin with.

The one thing I remembered with perfect clarity was that Rui and Ada dated (ahem obviously I may have biased reasons for that). Throughout the first book I remember being so frustrated that there wasn’t more to their dynamic. Ada just seemed like an old friend but I had wanted to see more of that awkwardness that comes with trying to fit back into the friend mould with an ex. I finally got that conversation in this book and it was such a lacklustre “tell don’t show” moment. It was so unemotional the way Ada addressed the reason for their breakup and having Rui go “well that gives me closure” was infuriating. Because what closure? You’ve barely addressed your past relationship and you’ve never given any indication that the break up worried you overly much.

The whole last portion with Rui forgetting Zizi was incredibly unnecessary and added nothing of substance to the third act. At least it was wrapped up in the saddest quickest fizzle of an ending.

On a side note, the series should actually have been called “Zizi: Guess how much more he can level up his special backstory in the next instalment”. Once again, my dissatisfaction stems from the book needing way more time to sit with each revelation before introducing the next.

Also, what is it with gay couples in books featuring a central male/female couple that always has a weird rushed relationship? I was ready for some good enemies to lovers tension between Yuki and Yiran. That was not what I got. However, never fear because a random tertiary character is waiting in the wings for Yiran.

[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
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[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Band 1 hatte mir richtig gut gefallen, dass ich mich so auf Band 2 gefreut habe. Tja letztlich war es leider eine Enttäuschung für mich.

Die Charaktere konnten mich nicht mehr so richtig begeistern, vor allem weil jeder sein eigenes Süppchen gekocht hat und diese tolle Dynamik von Band 1 komplett verloren gegangen ist. Die Nebencharaktere waren quasi irrelevant in dieser Geschichte. Die Pace war sehr sehr langsam und es hat sich sehr gezogen, bis die Geschichte mal Fahrt angenommen hat. Und der Plot hat mir leider überhaupt nicht gefallen. Bis ca. 80% hab ich den roten Faden gesucht und mich gefragt, was eigentlich passiert und wofür das alles relevant ist. Diese ganze Vergangenheits, Reinkarnations und Schicksalsgeschichte fand ich leider total schlecht und nervig. Und plötzlich war auch jeder super special und hatte irgendeine geheime crazy Vergangenheit.
Das Ende war dann nochmal richtig enttäuschend. Es ging alles so schnell und war extrem unbefriedigend. Für mich bleiben extrem viele Dinge offen und umabgeschlossen.
Oh and don't get me started with the memory loss plot. I hate it with all my heart und ich finde das hat der Beziehungen und der Dynamik der Charaktere nur noch mehr geschadet. Es war absolut unnötig für die Geschichte.

Leider ein schlechter Abschluss..

[Meg V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had SO MUCH going on. I loved Rui and Zizi having past lives together. Yiran getting thrown in seemed a bit much and didn’t really go anywhere. Yiran’s dad being alive and the leader of the Hybrids really gave his side of the plot a lot more weight though. Ash standing by him was fantastic. I was sad about Yuki. A lot of other pieces ended up feeling like too much chaos, like Zizi being a Celestial and the gods being involved and really the whole super fast escalation of the exorcist/hybrid war. I would have enjoyed more Ada and Nikai…I feel like they were such solid characters in book 1 but there just wasn’t time for them in book 2. Then the end seemed to happen very abruptly, though I did love the final bit where Rui and Zizi are reunited. It was just…so much going on.