A Darkness at the Door
Intisar Khanani
Hot Key Books, 2022
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN 9781471411311
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
The book takes you on a journey through all the characters’ points of view, featuring police interviews and news articles. These interviews do become repetitive, but the book pulls you back in with plot twists aplenty. 
As someone unfamiliar with thriller novels and the author’s previous work, this was a surprisingly emotional read, especially in the last sixty or so pages. It was very interesting how the characters’ dynamics and mindsets changed, strengthened and even became dangerously warped as the story went on. There were some incredible twists that I didn’t see coming at all. This book covers heavy topics like grief and death, and has a pretty nasty shock that sets off the second half.
The supporting characters are just as strongly written as the main characters, and have diverse and distinctive personalities, such as the sweet and caring Honey-Belle and serious and assertive Danielle. The dialogue is witty, and the humour is used as a way of 
Alexander tells this story through verse. His masterful use of rhythm, pacing and language creates fluidity and lyricism that draws the reader into the world of Upper Kwanta. While this novel deals with difficult themes and dark parts of our world’s history, Alexander also beautifully illustrates moments of hope, the strength of family and the power of storytelling.
