Matthew Ward (1)

The Darkness Before Them is a fantastic start to Ward’s new trilogy. While it wasn’t quite what I expected after loving his Legacy trilogy, it shows a great deal of promise and just as much of a twisting story as I suppose I should come to expect from him. Whenever I think I know where a story is going, Ward always twists things around so I never know what, exactly, to expect. Whenever I think I know what to expect in the next book, I’m inevitably proven wrong. So I can’t wait to see how the rest of this trilogy unfolds. Kat, Damant, and Vallant were all fantastic to get to know, and so many of the other characters were just wonderful. I loved the focus on family and friendship over romance, and I really look forward to understanding more of this world.… (more)

4.25⭐

Well-built magic system. Political intrigue. Good character work and morally grey characters.

I should preface this review by saying I am writing it more than a month after I had finished the book, so I might forget to mention some things, yet it also showed me that this book passed the test of time, and as I was reading my notes, I remembered the book with great fondness.

Welcome to Khalad. A kingdom where the rich build on top of the old buildings creating cities with great spires that tower over the shadowy slums. A kingdom taxed down to the last penny by the noble houses. A kingdom where you cannot escape your debts even in death.

Kat might have once lived where the sun shines, but now she is just another thief of the Undertown. What sets her apart from the others is her ability that allows her to tamper with all soul-powered devices. Her abilities are key in a big heist that would clear her family's debt and set her up for life.

The first thing that really stood out for me in this book is its soul-based magic system. It is used in different ways, yet also manages to stay cohesive. It is simple to grasp the basics, but it leaves room for more complexity. I think the book also did a good job of introducing it, as well as the rest of the lore, bit by bit without causing confusion or resorting to info dumping.

The setting is also quite well worked out. We have interesting cities where the slum building might actually be an old mansion or a prison that just got buried beneath the newer layers. The atmosphere of the world is quite bleak, especially when we learn that it's all surrounded by the Veil that consumes anything living it touches and all that keeps it away are sacred fires. The religion is a bit confusing which is definitely done on purpose. On one hand, we have a two-faced goddess of justice and mercy, and on the other, an immortal king. There were even some small things that made the setting more unique and the world more alive, such as the widely spread usage of sign language. The only thing I really missed when it came to the setting and lore was a map.

We are introduced to a wide plethora of characters, with neither of them being white or black. Kat might be our hero, yet while she draws the line earlier than some others, she still does some morally questionable things in the name of survival and revenge. I enjoyed the moral conversation as there were characters with different views and motives. One of my favorite characters was Rîma. Without spoiling anything, I can only say she has a very interesting personality and code of honor. She reminded me of a certain archetype of an anime character, in a good way.

In the other camp, we observe the political intrigue among the noble houses through the eyes of Castellan Ihsan Damant. While I was initially less interested in his part of the story, it definitely also had some strong characters and, in the end, it pleasantly surprised me.

All that being said, this book might not be for everyone, as it is quite slow-paced and probably longer than necessary. It also had some moments where the writing was a bit weaker. Despite that, I personally enjoyed it and can't wait for the sequels.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.… (more)