The Rot Below

by Sierrah M. Strange

Where the secrets run deep.

While the land weeps.

They all bleed.

Atarah Nefarin survived the Above in the wake of her mother’s disappearance with a wrathful stepfather whose violence and depravity became her new normal. Now in the Below, Atarah is grappling with the truth while salvaging a court where the dead outnumber the living. Saving the Silver Moon Court from a wild, ravaging rot marks a new beginning for Atarah. Deceit and madness follow a corrupt king whose magic is nearly as depleted as the dying land around him, signaling that his reign is coming to a bloody end. The devastating rot is spreading, infecting the minds of Belowens of the court and draining what little magic remains. As she wields her dark magic to feed the land, Atarah embraces her dual roles of being a princess and Chosen by the dark god. While a mounting war is brewing on the horizon amongst the other four courts, they fear the rot will soon encroach their lands.

          From a reign built on lies, Atarah uncovers bit by bit the truth she’s been dying to learn. Facing her fears and seeking answers, Atarah unravels before she begins to piece together the truth with her friends aiding her along the way. With death knocking on Silver Moon’s door, Atarah is left to heal a broken land while also healing herself.

Dive back into Sierrah M. Strange's lush, enchanting new adult epic fantasy set in the magical realm of the Below. This is the second book in The Belowen Series. Perfect for fans of immersive world-building with swoon-worthy romance and journey of growth amidst the rot.

Please note: This is new adult fantasy series with darker elements that may be triggering, including trauma, violence, adult language, and explicit romance. Take care while reading.

Genres: Romantasy

484 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2023

About the author

Sierrah is a fantasy romance author who dreamt of writing stories full of magic and whimsical characters since she was a young girl. During her undergraduate studies, she listened to her childhood dream, and published her fantasy romance debut, The Reign Below. Now with a BS in Psychology, she works hoping to make a difference in others' lives. She loves to read new adult fantasy romance books all the while drinking a can of Dr. Pepper. When she's not reading or writing, you can find her watching true crime documentaries and listening to investigative podcasts.

Reviews

[Taylor Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to preface this review by saying the world-building in this book is entirely unlike any other book, and the author did an outstanding job of making it easy for the reader to follow. However, although the world was easy to understand, I found it nearly impossible to understand all the side character's purposes in the story. Therefore, I recommend anyone about to read this book to do a reread of the first book before starting this one. At the same time, the end of the first book does not connect to the beginning of the second, so it might not be helpful.

Diving into the characters, 99% of them had identical personalities, and I could not tell them apart. Also, having 10+ side characters that do not aid the plot made certain book sections hard to read.

Speaking of plot, this book strayed far, far, far, and farther away from the plot, and then the last 30 pages or so circled back. Again, this goes back to having too many side-character chapters and lengthy monologues.

The last 30% of the book was entertaining when the plot was moved forward.

I received this ARC from the author in return for an honest review.

[Jillsbooknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ✨ ✨

"I can't have myself falling for you, dark flame. Above knows I have a thing for murderous, wonderfully violent women."

The Rot Below is the second instalment in the NA Fantasy Romance series, The Belowen following the best friends Atarah and Norin as they unravel secrets about their lives while in the legendary Below, a realm for fae and other creatures - a realm that is dying and the answer to saving it lies in both of their hands. Both must embrace their new powers, dark and light, to discovery the age of lies that are threatening to destroy their world and, through this, learn to find their place among the chaos after being lost for so long...

Atarah and Norin have really changed in the journey and I felt the approach to friendship hear was nuanced and well done. It highlights that friendships change but it doesn't mean they are over. Atarah confronts quite a few secrets hidden from her life while also grappling with dark powers meant to heal the world and I loved this idea of darkness actually being a method of good. Norin gets hit with quite a few revelations as well that change his entire view on his past and future. I liked the build up to this new power to him. Both these characters are on journeys that take them away from each other but there are moments when they are together that are poignant and show how powerful friendship can be.

Now...Raythe. I completely was not expecting him. I went into this thinking Atarah and Norin were the goals and Sierrah completed changed my world (for the better). Raythe is the kind of character who sneaks up onto you. His trail of bred crumbs makes you soften towards him and the BAM you realize he is incredibly and you're wondering why it took you so long to see. His backstory is fascinating and heart-pulling and I love how Atarah seeks Raythe for who he is. He is the light to Atarah's darkness and they fit so well together. While their relationships is just beginning with this book I cannot wait to see their journey forward.

The side characters in the novel are also really fun to explore from the ones who snuck up on us, the ones that betrayed, and the ones that provide Norin and Atarah with the stability in amongst the chaos. I felt with the romance quite light throughout the novel for now that these characters helped move the story in ways that stuck with me...until Raythe became my focus, that is...

This book does contain spice. I would say 1.5 peppers out of 5 because it is only one scene and its not until the last 10 percent of this book. This means you are getting a delicious slow burn and this was needed for these two characters. I found the scene well done and well placed.

As I shed a tear, I realize I'm not alone.
I've found my light.

In terms of plot, I would say the last 50% had me hooked but the first 50% had me lost. The first 50% had a lot going on but I wasn't really able to keep track with the multi POV changes and I definitely needed a refresher for this book. I feel the first part is more focused on Norin and Atarah facing themselves and revelations about them but we also get more characters than I bargained for as it also flashes back and forth in the timeline. The second half, though, we definitely see more more defined journey that helped me better understand the focus of the world as it gave us lore and intrigue around the gods and Chosen and the secrets of the Rot. We also get some amazing twists and turns that helped build tension towards a really great finale. As a romance girly, Raythe had the best slow burn progression and I loved the unveiling of his character and motivation. I was left feeling really good about the book and definitely interested in diving into the next one once it releases.

Overall, if you are interested in a NA fantasy series with political intrigue, strong friendship, and some big twists this is definitely a series to check out!

The first book is available on KU!

Thank you to Sierrah M. Strange for the ARC!

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

The narration and POV switches culminated in a bad reading experience IMO. Lots of back and forth with ‘two weeks earlier’ type of stuff to add context and there had to be a better way to write those which would have become a smoother read. Furthermore there were random chapters with POV to someone not central to the story or in the main character group so the author could add context to what was happening behind the scenes and try to flesh the story out more. There are 3 characters who can disappear into shadow, a psychic soothsayer, and a GOD, but not one of them could have overheard the meeting and shared with MC/main group? BFFR.

The strongest relationships of the MC have some devolution here. She doesn’t prioritize the twins she is a surrogate mother for consistently. Periodically she remembers she cares for them and it just left MC characterization seeming weak/inconsistent. Things that happen with her and romantic interest of first book are….not believeable according to the characterization and portrayal of the relationship of the first book.

The development of MC relationship with second love interest is well done. This and the characterization of the father are the best written things in this book. Honestly even a bunch of the events are just: no lead-in, no transitions, this happens this happens this happens. Meh.

[Jess Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Sierrah for the ARC! After finishing book 2 all I can say is WOW! This book was incredible from start to finish. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. The character development in this book was amazing and I was so happy to get to know some of my favourite characters from book 1 better!

The word of the Below and all of the mythos that Sierrah has created is incredible. I cannot wait for book 3 to see what Atarah does next!

[Madyyyyy (madyslibrary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an arc for an honest review and I can say that this series gets better and better! I absolutely loved the newest installment in the Belowen series. The character development, the RELATIONSHIPS, and all the new aspects of the fantasy world that are introduced are MIND BLOWING. I am so in love and so excited to see what else our lovely author has in store for us reader!

[CristoC · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a disappointment even though I did not expect much from it to begin with. I had read the first book pretty fast, it was that kind of addicting eye candy read that doesn’t have to offer much except from pretty dresses and a horny main character; an effortless and fun read overall. That’s why I thought this second book would be the same kind of read, maybe disclosing some of the few open plot points left from the first book. Oh boy, was I wrong. This book reads like a poorly written first draft, in every aspect. Not only it’s a mess, but it’s a boring mess, filled with inconsistencies, terribly written characters and behaviours, and no plot.

The first incomprehensible thing that I noticed (ignoring the prologue…) was how the end of the first book does not connect with the beginning of the second: Zunair appears at the end of the first book just to disappear at the beginning of the second, set just moments after.

Almost every character is…badly written. Atarah is not a main character anymore, she does absolutely nothing in this book out of her own will except a few things that actually get her in trouble. There’s always someone who gets her out of that trouble though, making her all the more spineless and hollow. Atarah’s twin brothers have the exact same role they had in the first book: two living plot devices whose existence functions solely for the main character to thrive. The author must have noticed the same thing because at the very end of the book Oralie suddenly does something. Other secondary characters have the same treatment: their purpose is to gush about the main character’s strength and power and endurance through her terrible life etcetc. or to make incomprehensible decisions. The only character I actually liked is Isen, his interactions with Atarah were nice.

Atarah turns out to be insufferable despite her inactiveness: she’s always described as inexperienced but somehow manages to immediately grasp never seen before types of magic that she’s conveniently heard or read about somewhere; she does absolutely nothing but is too busy to decipher the riddle/prophecy, so she conveniently dumps the responsibility on her brothers; she reacts dramatically to a betrayal of a character she has talked to like 4 times and made out with once, but gives no fucks about every other person she actually cares about lying to her. But this is not just a poorly written character, it’s the motif of inconsistence which permeates every aspect of the book, like the magic system: Atarah can hear a feeble heartbeat from meters away thanks to her ‘fae hearing’, but not a whisper. Where's the logic in that?

Another aspect in common between the first and second book is the amount of unnecessary characters: so many characters are introduced, described in meticulous detail just to vanish for the rest of the book or be brought up again after so much time that you forget who they are. I thankfully kept my own glossary or I would have been more confused than what I ended up to be.

The descriptions…oh God. There’s these useless and excessively long descriptions of people’s looks, the way they’re dressed and how their clothes complement their skin, or their hair…there’s a constant repetition of the formula “Person X wears Y which complements their Z”. On top of that there are some descriptions and behaviours at the beginning of the book that are almost completely copied word by word from the first book, and I don’t understand why the author thought it wouldn’t be noticeable; or that it wouldn’t be bothering to read the same thing more than once, like Atarah’s fight in the arena (which is described three freaking times from three different points of view) with those dumb creatures, that instead of killing her when they could have they decide to show everyone the illusion they trapped her in. Why? Apparently to make them admire Atarah…as if they didn’t do that enough already. The impression that this reads like a non edited draft is enhanced by the excessive amount of flashbacks that provide no useful information whatsoever, like Vorlath’s flashback of an old friend’s death.

As for the whole ‘horny’ aspect…what the hell happened? There’s one sex scene at the beginning of the book, one at the very end, and the whole middle part is a mess; it’s as if the author randomly remembered the book was supposed to be NA and inserted sudden horny thoughts in the characters’ flows of consciousness, making them look like creeps. The dirty talk is absolutely hideous. Who the hell talks that much and that way while having sex? (Also, Norin BITES her NIPPLE? Draws blood from it?? I would have killed him, what the actual fuck??).

The non existent plot is what made the book boring. As I said Atarah does nothing of importance, and every scene she’s goes like this: she sees the rot spreading through the land and its people; she wants to help; how can she help? She doesn’t know. And then at the end of the book she suddenly knows, but without any kind of new information that helped her discover what she can actually do to help. The fact that this was dragged through the whole book and I just kept reading...I really wish I had DNF’d.


I received an eARC of the book from the author and this represents my honest opinion.

[Antonieta Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is amazing. What a great journey for Atarah! I love the way the story has been developed . Every chapter discovering a little more from Silver Moon and the past!
Excellent work Sierrah, I can’t wait for The Ravaged!

[Autumn Work · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Sierra M Strange for the ARC copy!
I had a hard time with the first few chapters but it picked up I really enjoyed reading this book! I love the character development and can’t wait for the next one!

[Southernbookdragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I was very shocked by the turn of events in this 2nd story! Atarah, Norin, Adrian, Wraith, and the twins, so much growing and new discoveries! I cannot wait for the next book!

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG THIS BOOK DESERVES ALL THE STARS 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
What a sequel! I immediately started this one after discovering book one, and I’m so glad I did! I’m OBSESSED with the Below, and Atarah! The growth and development that Atarah goes through in this book is amazing, and refreshing. Her magic 🪄 is dark, lustrous, and captivating as she learned how to use both her fire and darkness. I’m blown away, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!!! If you like books with tons of characters and little side stories that all tie together in the end, this one is for you!! I felt like I was tying everything together in my head, and it was so fun! I felt like a detective, ngl 🕵️‍♀️
The ROMANCE also stepped up with the first book giving friends-to-lovers with Norin. We also get a little taste of them together before the two part ways and develop their own stories. Then we have Rayth 🥵 and his POVs about his past, and his traumatic childhood?!? The character development in this one is ✨divine✨ the fact that he doesn’t want to want her, because he feels unworthy and hates himself is just sooo good. Each time Atarah was in trouble, I was just waiting for the hot sexy fae to come save the day, not like Atarah needs any saving, but it plays into that trope that’s so popular in the fantasy genre, and Strange does it wonderfully. I cannot rave about this book enough!
“𝑰 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝑹𝒂𝒚𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔, 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒎. 𝑰𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒄𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒕𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.
This quote had me screaming even though the chaos that surrounded them. And don’t even get me started on the night flower scene 🥵

Also, the parallels with the problems that Atarah struggled with and how we got some resolution was also GOLDEN. The fact that her mother is *surprise* not dead had me sitting on the edge of my seat. This book has TWIST AND TURNS THAT NEVER DISAPPOINTED 🥹

I could go on and on about the rot, but I’ll let my highlights speak for themselves. Desperately need to get a physical copy so I can mark it with my lil tabs and annotate it. CAN’T wait to see what the author has in store for us in The Ravaged Below!! 🖤

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Sierrah M. Strange for sending me an ARC! I’m leaving my honest review.

3.75 Stars. Dark and intriguing with a uniquely written storyline!

As with the first book, I love the characters, and even the side characters are fascinating and well-developed. The worldbuilding is quite complex, and I would love if there was a glossary/character guide.

I feel like the beginning (and a few parts of the middle) had a somewhat awkward start/pace, with very fast shifts in events and tone that were disorienting and, at times, felt a bit flat. The ending, however, had me immediately wishing I already had the next book.

Sierrah truly does a wonderful job writing lovable characters who make everything more captivating, and I look forward to reading more about them!

Note: Original review posted Dec 2022, edited later