When Darkness Becomes You

by Emily Chabot

I couldn’t live with myself knowing she was no longer here because of me. Sacrifice, selfish cruelty—call it what you will. I couldn’t let them win.

Damian Cauldera lived a simple, albeit miserable life. When his life is left in tatters, Damian is forced to seek sanctuary in Paris. Before he knows it everything he has ever known has suddenly, dangerously changed. He finds himself held captive by a group that calls themselves Hunters and, at first, Damian laughs at their outrageous take on the world. But not everything is as crazy as it may seem.

As he sinks further and further into his new life, a strange and dangerous power begins to unravel within him. With a threatening darkness looming on the horizon, Damian is forced to find the meaning behind his unnatural existence and reckon with both the man he is meant to be and the man he desperately wants to become. As he works to conquer his demons and quell the darkness fighting for control, he must remember to have faith in his own strength…or risk casting the world in Shadows.

293 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

EMILY CHABOT spent her childhood cooking up stories and telling the tales of her dad’s many endeavors, adventures, and “projects” that didn’t always end well. She lives in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, where she spends her free time writing, rock climbing, hiking, and spending time with those she loves most. She has a compelling love for art, and has made many drawings and paintings. Her inspiration comes from the lush greenery of her outdoor adventures, and her passion lies in protecting the natural environment (#boycottplastic).

Reviews

[Brittany Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book’s plot originally hooked me and I was super enthusiastic to read it. It seemed really well thought out-complicated enough to keep me guessing and original. Unfortunately it stumbled around a third of the way through.

I found that it was quite slow on some places but then so quick in others that I felt like I missed out on important details. The characters switched around quite quickly during the apex and end that I really couldn’t settle to appreciate them.

The details were stunning and the author clearly put major thought and research into it. I truly could visualise the streets of Paris but everything else went a bit flat. I hate to dissuade the reader from reading but I feel like the book needs a bit more looking into by the author-smooth it out and expand a bit.

[Bran Stoker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish that I could give this a rating between a 3 and a 4. It has great description and can transport you to location just by words alone, but unfortunately that made the characters pale in comparison at times. It is a slow burn novel in my eyes , so I think for someone who constantly devours books it held me back a little bit. On the other hand I know exactly who I could recommend this book to and know that they would love every element of the story telling.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital arc in exchange for an honest review. This is simply my opinion on the book and is not influenced by any external factor.

Trigger warnings: strong language, abusive parents, domestic violence, death of a loved one.

Damian isn’t your average eighteen year old boy. He suffers abuse from his father every day. He does not go to school, he has only one friend, and lives in the middle of nowhere. That all changes one fateful night, and Damien is forced to seek sanctuary in Paris, France. Here he starts to discover a dark and dangerous power growing inside of him.

Here’s what you can expect while reading ‘When Darkness Becomes You’:
• The world building was amazing and vivid.
• The start of the story was a bit slow, but goes to show how bleak Damien’s existence was prior to the event that changed his life. Things pick up once he arrives in Paris.
• There is violence and murder in the story. As mentioned above, there are multiple instances of strong curse words, this may not be best for younger readers.
• There is a romantic element in the story, more of a slow-burn, however, all romantic interaction is clean.
• Throughout the story itself, you will come to understand the symbolism of the title.

Overall, a great read, one that I will definitely re-read in the future. This is a unique fantasy that all YA fantasy lovers should read at least once in their lifetime.

[Sally Maxwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book, I found it really hard to get into, and a little confusing at times, it seemed to go off at different tangents at some points and I kept having to go back and re read the last page to see if I had missed something, which I hadn’t.