Review: A Darkness at the Door by Intisar Khanani

 

Amraeya ni Ansarim has been snatched. Teetering on the precipice of discovering how deep the corruption truly runs, Rae has been abducted into the very system she set out to destroy: the child slave trade, in which the children are trapped by a magical curse that will steal their minds should they manage to escape. In a world of powerful Mages and Fae sorcerers who deal in lives and debts, Rae sets out to end the unscrupulous system with the help of a band of thieves, one of whom she is beginning to like as more than an ally.

Rae exists at the intersection of patriarchal and ableist oppression. The text illustrates her triumphs while displaying the realities of her struggles, both the physical difficulties she faces with her club foot, and in the sense of her relationship with her body. This offers a display of genuine and realistic disability representation, depicting a character that is strong and capable with a disability, instead of strong and capable despite her disability. 

Justice is a strong theme that permeates this novel. The protagonist Rae is challenged with navigating the ethical minefield of necessary evils and vigilante justice, and bringing the most powerful to account when the institutions of the land are themselves corrupt to the core.

I recommend reading the Dauntless Path trilogy, of which this novel is the final installment, in chronological order, as I struggled to keep up with the complex undercurrents of the characters’ relationships and the intricately woven structure of the society, though this is less a drawback than a testament to the expansive worldbuilding that enriches this novel.

Although not astonishingly exhilarating or unpredictable, this book is worth a read for fans of action and resolved, satisfying conclusions.

Faebian Gogarty, 15