Growing up, it was well known that there were horse girls and there was everyone else. Readers will be pleased to note that Kalyn Josephson, well known for her MG work, has included both types of people in her new YA fantasy This Dark Descent. Plus, the horse in question is a golem named Atara. Yes, that's right, the horse is magical and is featured on the stunning cover.

Our horse girl, Mikira Russel, has been forced to compete in a dangerous magical horse race by the ruling nobility who take what they please, when they please, no matter what is costs anyone else. Mikira's father has been set up by one such noble and his only chance at escape is Mikira winning the Illinor, a four part horse race in which many of the horses and riders do not survive. Win and her father walks free. Lose and not only does her father remain in captivity, Mikira will also lose the family ranch. As if that wasn't enough, the deal comes with a catch. While the other riders will be mounted on enchanted horses, Mikira must win on a magic-free horse.

Enter Arielle, a creator of Golems. Arielle is Kinnish, which in this second world is definitely coded for Jewish, and by using forbidden Kinnish magic she can create a Golem-horse with superior strength and various enchantments that will be undetectable by regular enchanters who are unfamiliar with Kinnism and Kinnish magic. There's another catch though. Arielle and Mikira are brought together by Lord Damien Adair, a member of the ruling class that put Mikira in this position in the first place. Damien has his own stake in this race and while Mikira is forced to work with him it is unclear if the two will ever fully trust each other.

Since it is a second world fantasy the Judasim in this book is not necssarily what you might recognize from real life. In second worlds with Jewish coded characters I'm never looking for exact repollicas of real world Judaism. Instead I'm seeking that intangible flavor of Judaism that is so hard to quantify but is easily recognized. You will find many Jewish magical creatures in these pages - golems, Dybuks- but that isn't what it made the story feel so Jewish to me. Arielle is very clearly a Jew in diaspora. Her homeland has been destroyed, there is no knowledge of when it may be habitable again. Much about the ancestral practice of kinnish magic has been lost due to colonizing invaders and Arielle herself is deemed suspect and even illegal where she lives. Damien helps her transition from being afraid of her power to embracing it, and in this there is a reflection of the struggle between the warring practices of flying under the radar and aggressively seeking to protect and defend ones own. This debate, of how a proper Jew should act to avoid persecution, is about as old as the diaspora itself and so, so real.

The opening is a little slow and in true horse girls fashion it is the horse race chapters that really jump out and keep the pace going. Possibly why the last section of the book is addictively readable - it is the final leg of the race and oof. This is good stuff. I'm very curious to see how the sequel is paced without the race to push things along. It's possible Josephson will com up with a similar device or the intricately laid relationships from book one will now bear fruit in book two as former friends find themselves on opposite sides of political and spiritual struggles.

Which brings me to my one issue. It's been a while since I read a YA and I had forgotten how very often in this genre, duology or series books are not required to stand alone. In fact, they often seem actively encouraged to end on cliffhangers and sequel fodder. There is an end to the horse race but most of the issues brought up at the beginning are rather compounded instead of solved at the end of the book. There is a sequel coming, but I personally often hold on books like that until I can buy both at once to avoid being left in the staet I am currently in - namely, DYING to know what happens next. This is really different behavior than when I was a teen and didn't care if I had to wait, so perhaps I'm just showing my age. Either way, I'm clearly committed to reading the next one.

The book contains some romance, including a character that I felt was very demisexual and some excellent bisexual rep. The world is queer norm and readers seeking this kind of representation will be pleased to find it here. There are no on the page sex scenes but there is a fair amount of violence to horses. This is to be expected - it's a dangerous magical horse race with known fatalities, but the horse girls among us may want to mentally fortify before going in.

I was not a horse girl in high school. I did not have the money or proper living situation for that. However I WAS a magic girl. I loved all things fantasy and pretty and with a touch of danger. This book has that spades. So really, there's something for everyone.

3.5 stars rounded to 4. I really enjoyed Kalyn Josephson’s book THE STORM CROW (and its anxiety/depression rep!) so I was really excited when I heard she was releasing a new fantasy book. Thank you to to the publisher for my early copy!⁣
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THIS DARK DESCENT follows the oldest daughter of a renowned horse-breeding family on the brink of ruin and a rogue enchanter on the run who join together with an ambitious noble to try to win a magical horse race. ⁣
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This was a fun and enjoyable introduction to a new YA fantasy series! I really appreciated the way the author brought in Jewish culture to her fantasy world. I will always be here for magical animals, so I wish there was just a little more emphasis on the golems and horses! ⁣
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Ari and Mikira were both interesting narrators. The romance was pretty subtle and overall it felt more like a story about personal growth than any particular relationship. All the characters felt at the very least morally gray and the story was a bit darker than I expected… THIS DARK DESCENT is really just the beginning of these characters’ journeys and I’m excited to see what happens next!

ꕥ ARC Review: This Dark Descent ꕥ

Rating: ✨4/5✨
Spice: 🌶
Triggers: abuse, animal death, torture
Special mention: Jewish folklore 🎉
- Think Peaky Blinders and Scorpio Races had a YA offspring

Overall Thoughts: This was a good book. I really liked how unique the plot was. It definitely is something I never read before with horse racing and magic. I'll definitely recommend it and I'll pick up the next book.

The great news for you is that the book drops today. Go pick it up and let me know what you think! ♥️

‼️Spoilers below this point‼️

ꕥ Mikira: she's my favorite. I was rooting her. Her love for her family and willingness to put them above everything else is something I admired about her. She was put in a really bad situation and had to make lemonade out of lemons. I genuinely don't know who she'll end up with: Reid or Tal. I don't like how Talyana betrayed her and threw her under the bus "for the greater good." Reid is a sweet sugar plum who is a a tea loving, cat man. My vote goes there.

ꕥ Arielle: I really don't like her. At first I felt for her, but she's definitely leaning into her darkness and Damien is encouraging it. Power changes her, but I do wonder how much is Damien and the voice? In want to know about her family too.

ꕥ Damien is the worst to me. I can't stand him. I hope Reid and Arielle see him for the snake he is. I hope Shari is part of the resistance and we see more of her. I liked her.

ꕥ Thanks to Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press for an ARC.

Favorite Quote: "If [REDACTED] wanted to make her his enemy, then his enemy she would be." 🗡

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This Dark Descent is the first novel in the series of the same name. The story takes place in the kingdom of Enderlain. There are two POVs in the story. Mikira Rusel, who is the daughter in a family in Enderlain famed for breeding enchanted horses, and Arielle Kadar, a Kinnish (based on Jewish culture) unregistered enchanter. Mikira enters the Illinir, which is a deadly competitive horse race. Damien Adair, the lord of one of the horse houses, agrees to sponsor Mikira and extends the deal to Arielle. Mikira is introduced as a girl who loves her family and wants to help her father. She is the type to speak first and think later. Arielle is trying to hide the fact that she can perform Kinnish magic.

There is a lot happening in this story. The world-building and magic system were interesting, however, I felt they needed a little more development. I found myself still with questions about each by the end. Compared to the characters, however, the world-building was built up more. I believe just general exploration for everything could have improved my reading experience. As for the writing, it does blend the high fantasy world with historical realism very well and was one of the main reasons I wanted to read this story. As I enjoyed The Scorpio Races, I was excited to read about the horse race. The different elements of the race were very interesting, and I loved how it was integrated into each character’s journey.

As for the romance in the book, I did not connect to it. Arielle is represented as demisexual, although it does not always become apparent to the reader, at least for me. While there is romance for her, I wish it was spread out more as it seemed to go from zero to one hundred. Some readers may be okay with this set-up, however, for me, I need a greater slow burn. This is the same situation for Mikira where readers are told about her romantic journey compared to it being fully explored. Since this is the beginning of a series, there are a lot of directions their stories can go, so it is difficult to fully judge everything yet. This was a unique and interesting idea, and I cannot wait to see what the sequel will hold. Overall, this was a great introduction to the author, and I can’t wait to read the sequel when it is released next year.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Roaring Brook Press, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

Filled with magic, political intrigue, romance, and high stakes, This Dark Descent is a brilliant YA fantasy novel that will take your breath away and have you on the edge of your seat.

This was just absolutely brilliant! At first, I was actually a little afraid I wouldn’t connect to this book because it’s about horse racing. But damn, how wrong was I. All throughout the book, I was rooting for the characters, I was getting swept up by the romance, I was so interested in the magic and the world-building, and I kept getting hit unexpectedly by plot twists. In other words, this captured my attention, and I was invested from start to finish!

The world-building was complex and enchanting. From the whole fictional world to the magic system, the royal houses and the elites, I loved it! It was also steeped in Jewish folklore/mythology and I loved reading all about the little details. I just hoped it had a glossary or dramatis personae (I’m hoping the final copy has some). It could get a little confusing (especially in the first few chapters) just trying to keep up with all the characters, the names, the countries, and more. That said, this was truly a complex world-building and it was easy to get lost in it.

The characters were all compelling, too. I know I love good world-building. But if the story has characters with good chemistry, characters that move and make you root for them? That’s even better. This Dark Descent delivered on this part. I loved Mikira and Arielle as the main characters. Reading the story from their dual POVs was just thrilling and captivating. Their backstories were written so well, and they just continually developed throughout the book. Seeing them grow with confidence in their own ways was just amazing. And though some of Mikira’s decisions didn’t sit right with me, I couldn’t really hate her because I understood her character and motivations.

I also have to point out that I loved the ace and bi rep in this story! Arielle felt like a demisexual/demiromantic character to me, and in my head, Mikira was pan, before I got the confirmation that she is, in fact, bi. I always love seeing queer characters in fantasy novels, and this book was no exception.

Apart from Mikira and Arielle, we also have Damien and Reid. I loved that the author also focused on them. They have their own backstories, and I just loved getting to know more about them on every page.

The plot was carefully woven and definitely stress-inducing as well! And I mean that in a good way. I was holding my breath all throughout the book, and I just loved that the plot twists always managed to surprise me. Like I never really knew what was going to happen next (despite my thinking that I had a good grasp of the plot). The political intrigue was suspenseful, too. The addition of it into the story made everything even more dangerous and high stakes. All the bargains, secrets, threats, and attacks showed how intricate and risky their whole situation was. And yes, the dangerous horse racing competition was intriguing for me. Despite my initial doubts, I ended up enjoying watching Mikira in the competition.

At the end of the book, I can say that This Dark Descent was more than just the horse racing. It was about the bad and ugly sides of humanity, the immense power that the elites hold, about your own desires, about growing in confidence, and coming to terms with your own power. I have nothing else to say except that this was just brilliant, riveting, and breathtaking.

I think anyone looking for pulse-pounding action and adventure, as well as compelling characters, will really love this book. As for me? I can’t wait for the sequel.

A high stakes horse racing competition, forbidden magic, political games, and betrayals await as two girls find their fates forever changed when their paths cross and they join forces with each other and an ambitious heir. Mikira Rusel is the daughter of a renowned enchanted horse breeding family. Yet despite her family's prestige, they have debts to pay and in order to save her family's ranch she is forced to enter and win the Illinir, a deadly horserace where raiders normally finish maimed or murdered. The prize money is amazing and the prestige won would be unparalleled. Yet in order to win she needs the help of Damien Adair, a dashing and deadly lord in a succession battle for the title of heir and Arielle Kadar, a illicit enchanter who has only begun to scratch the depths of her power. Damien and Arielle both have their own revenge plans and blood feuds and agree to help Ari. Yet winning was never easy and with so many people out to get them, can they trust each other or will betrayal destroy them? Mikira wants to atone for all the things she's done and the situations she's gotten her family in, yet she just keeps messing up. Damien is ruthless and wants the title of the house, yet he finds himself falling for Arielle. The lengths he'll go to to protect her and those he holds close is ruthless, yet so is the anger he has for anyone who betrays him. Arielle has spent her life an outcast, and wants nothing more than to get an official license to do her magic, yet she is beginning to hear a voice in her head and losing time, as well as the fact that her magic is growing as well as her blood lust. I loved Damien and Arielle and had a lot of fun with their story, the weak part of the story for me was Mikira, I just couldn't connect with her and found her to be so annoying by the end. I really didn't care that much about her story and was more interested in what Damien, Arielle and Reid ( Damien's friend/servant who works with magic and has a cat and is a bit grumpy) were up to. This is the first book in the series and I am curious to see where the next book goes. If you enjoy horse racing/magic/succession politics, then give this book a go!

*Spoiler: Mikira enters into a race to win a bet against Rezeh, the rich lord who wants her farm and is holding her father hostage, and in order to do so she needs Damien's sponsor and Arielle to make her a magic horse. She loses but Rezeh makes a counter offer, she spy on Damien and get him some evidence to get rid of Damien and then she'll be given another chance to race again in another bet. Reid finds out and tells Damien and Arielle. Mikira is angry at them all and says that they are her enemy now (girl look at what you did, you literally betrayed them all and didnt say or do anything, they have a right to be mad at you and the fact that you act so self righteous when you lie, cheat, and betray people too?? get over yourself). Damien does kill people and does end up winning the title to the succession but he finds out that Mikira was the one to have evidence of him killing the two men who had attacked Arielle. Arielle begins hearing a voice in her head egging her on and stealing her body, she later discovers it is a spirit taking over her body as her powers grow. Rezeh was sent to jail but the book ends with Arielle visiting him (only because the spirit in her body is controlling her). Damien and Arielle get together as a couple, while Mikara is hinted at being bisexual (but it really doesn't feel like she has any love interests which is completely fine). *

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

This Dark Descent is a wonderfully exciting YA Fantasy that gave me Six of Crows and Mario Kart vibes. It has Jewish representation, bisexual representation, non-stop action, enchanted horse races, high stakes and complex characters whom you’ll never be sure if you should root for or against. I kept turning the pages and yearning to pick it back up whenever life so rudely interrupted my reading. And when it ended, I shut my book (figuratively, I read a digital copy) with wide eyes and exclaimed “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!” (literally).

As a Jewish reviewer, I want to specifically note that the Jewish representation brought me such JOY and is one of the most unique uses of golems I’ve ever read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My only complaint is that I have to wait for the sequel!!! 😭

Thank you so much to Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

This Dark Descent is out TODAY!!! Don’t miss it!

Kalyn Josephson has written an exceptional story. Following two female main character who are both backed into a corner. Do they choose to fight or flee? The Illinir is a hazardous race through different territories. Danger lurks within every shadow. Enchanted animals, unlicensed use of magic, unrest in the lower class communities, all under the thumb of the brutal crown.

This book was a rollercoaster I didn't want to end. I could not put it down once it had its talons in me. The magic drawing me in. The thrill of the races. The spark of romance between a few of the characters. I loved the unique part of the magic in this story. The golums are a spectacular touch. I can not wait for the next book in this series.

This Dark Descent is a tightly woven tale, alternating viewpoints between the two female main characters, Mikira and Arielle, each of whom is in dire straits, for totally different reasons, when they encounter Damien Adair, who offers each of them the thing they want most in exchange for helping him reach for the thing he wants most. In a society built on deals and intrigue, the deals Damien offers each woman goes well beyond the normal for their society, both because each deal demonstrates greater empathy and compassion than any other lord would bother with, and because he knew, without being told, where to find each one and what she wanted - or needed - the most.

In their world, there are multiple types of magic - but some types are forbidden, because they were practiced by the citizens of a defeated country, and the victors banned it; regardless of type, unregistered use of magic is forbidden, ostensibly because unregistered magic users cannot be properly regulated and taxed - and the penalty is, at best, virtual enslavement; at worst, summary execution. Arielle is just such a magic user, practicing unlicensed, and practicing a forbidden type of magic as well. Mikira's father is an unregistered user, although he uses an accepted type of magic, and both must be saved from the attentions of Damien's chief rival, Rezek Kelbra - but will Damien ultimately be better or worse? Recommended for teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.25 (rounded to 2 stars)

This Dark Descent is pitched as Peaky Blinders meets The Scorpio Races but it really missed the mark for me.

Mikira Rusel is from a family of breeding enchanted horses and helps her family's ranch after their fall from grace. They are threatened increasingly by Kelbra house, which they owe their debts to. Mikira is backed into a corner in order to protect her father and farm, and enters into the dangerous Illinir, a horse race with enchanted horses but she isn't allowed to race with an enchanted horse. Mikira has to work with Damien Adair, another lesser house lord. She meets Arielle through Damien, a black market enchanter, who is to help Mikira win the race. All have their hidden reasons for working together.

We follow two different POVs throughout this book, Mikira and Arielle. Damien and Reid, a servant of Damien, are also two main characters we follow through the plot. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to really connect with them. We are told about the characters and their characteristics, like Mikira is different from others girls and comes off prickly, rather than being immersed in the story and seeing it through her actions. As a whole, I had a truly hard time connecting with them and didn't really care for them as a whole. This also translated into the romance. I do think the romance aspects were well written and there was LGBTQ+ representation, but due to my lack of connection with the characters I just couldn't connect with the romance well.

The plot takes off so quickly, like within the first three chapters so much has happened and sets it up for the rest of the book, but then the middle slogs so so much until you get to the last 20%. Essentially huge changes happen in the character's lives before we really meet them so it lacks any emotional connection. The world-building was there, but it was lacking. It talks about a huge war and all these different regions but there was no map for me to follow along. It has a large ancestry chart of the royals which truly was not needed as we only meet the King and his two children, but maybe for the sequels? I will say the Kinnish people are based on Jewish people, with their religion, anti-seminitism, and history, and this was very fleshed out and in depth. Another question I had was why horses? Why did they use enchantments on animals and why was that the most used function of it when they could also use it for pretty much everything else in their life such as household items and inanimate objects?

For a book that is pitched about horses and centers around them so much, I was really hoping the author would apply an extensive knowledge of breeding, riding, and temperament of horses. Instead it felt it was written the same as when any horses are included in fantasy. When discussing breeding, it's relatively only in regards to the magic. I might have just been giving myself higher expectations, but I was hoping that a lot more of the scenes with horses would include more depth of knowledge of the animal. Additionally, this is comped with Peaky Blinders and I was really looking forward to that side of the story. And yes there is violence, betrayal, and gangs, but the actual writing leans extremely younger YA and each character does not seem mature enough in those settings. It was just a weird combination of the setting and writing that did not jive with me.

The last 20% did actually hook me a bit more. The plot finally came together in a way, whereas before there were SO many different plot lines that we had to follow. There is betrayal and some things I didn't see coming and it leaves on a cliffhanger that definitely wants you to pick up the next book.

However, this book just didn't really work for me, but I do think I am in the minority. I do plan to read other books by this author, but I will not be continuing this series.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Book Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so confused. I read the first chapter three times and was still lost. I loved the premise but the dialogue and narrative style was incredible convoluted.

Inventive, original, and compelling.

I appreciated the diversity portrayed, dual POVs not based around a romance, as well as the complicated arcs of each character.

The pacing lagged occasionally, particularly in the beginning, and there were times that worldbuilding could have been woven in more organically.

However, overall this was an enjoyable read that I think would appeal to fans of upper YA with historical feeling settings.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. There was a lot going on in this one and I still feel like I was left needing to know more about the story.

I enjoyed the dual POVs. We follow Mikira, daughter of an enchanted-horse breeder, and Arielle, an enchanter whose magic is illegal. I thought both characters were interesting but we don't really get a lot of backstory on either, it was just touched upon. I would have loved more, especially about Arielle's Kinnish magic.

Damien, the person who ties Mikira and Arielle together, is also an important character in the book and I think he and his background needed to be fleshed out more.

I think for me, this book needed to be longer in order to have the information that I wanted. It was a good read and interesting, which is why I gave it 3 stars, but I just didn't think it was as informative as I wanted it to be.

That ending though.. Interested to see what happens next!

Thank you Netgalley and Roaring Book Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Mystical, suspenseful, and intense. It was a wild and crazy ride.

Our story has a dual POV which made for an interesting set up with two very different perspectives and sets of secrets between our two FMCs, Mikita and Arielle.

I loved the magic system with enchantments . I also enjoyed the kinnish magic system and culture which was based on Judaism. We have some possession related themes as well .

The horse race section seemed like it would be more front and center but later on became more of a side theme compared to what else was happening which was somewhat different than where I expected the story to go. I felt like Mikira’s challenges were certainly not as focused on as Arielle’s for sure because of this.

It has some romance but it is not truly the main aspect of the story and it is slow burn. Definitely a more YA type romance.

Overall it was an enjoyable story and any fan of the hunger games type story will definitely enjoy this one.

DNF at 25%

While I did very much appreciate the world building and setting that was Jewish-inspired, the portion that I read felt very much closer to a Historical novel with a heavy hand on equestrianism. And as a personal preference, I tend to stray away from Historical and novels that have a regency feel because they don't peak my interest.

Objectively, for the first 25% that I read, I feel like the exposition into who these characters were before diving in to scenes that started moving the plot were lacking. I didn't get to feel invested into the main character's story and the reasons for why she acted the way she did.

With the magic, I wished for more to reel me in but I didnt get much more than a general feeling that magic existed in this world and that was it.

So, unfortunately it was for me but it might be for others. I might try to read this book in the future but for the moment, it just didn't work for me.

An absolutely glorious story that’s 100% Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows.

I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book that’s deserved the SoC comp like this one—I’ve always been chasing the feeling SoC gave me on first read, and this came so close. I LOVED the magic system with its enchantments and golems, the horse races and the character of the creatures, the mismatched found-family-with-tensions vibe of the characters. I loved each of them in their own ways, for hwo different they were from each other and how beautifully they contrasted one another.

And this cover, like everything else Katt Phatt touches, is perfection.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a hardcover. So grateful to Netgalley, the publisher, and Kalyn Josephson for blowing me away with this one!

Kalyn Josephson is a second-chance author for me. While I enjoyed the concept of Storm Crow, I found the world building lacking and the character relationships tenuous at best. While This Dark Descent showed a lot of improvement in Kalyn's writing, I still found it to be slightly deficient in these areas.

This Dark Descent is told from two POVs: Mikira, a generational horse breeder who makes a dangerous deal to save her father, and Arielle, a Kinnish enchanter whose cultural magic has been outlawed by those currently wresting for power. I did enjoy both POVs for different reasons - Mikira's pushed the plot more, while Arielle's POV contributed more to world building.

So, let's talk about plot and world building. The trigger event that gets the ball rolling on the plot is Mikira's dad being taken away. Similar to Storm Crow, I thought this was too early. I didn't get to know her father, I didn't know much of their plights, and I didn't have a strong grasp of their world, so I didn't feel much emotion when he was indentured by the Kelbras in the first chapter. The idea of horse breeding and enchantments never felt fully fleshed out, even by the end of the story and the world's fight for verillion felt like there was little foundation. I'm still left wondering what people use verillion for, outside of what we see Arielle use it for (which is forbidden magic). I didn't fully get the stakes, I guess.

That being said, Arielle is Kinnish, a people inspired by Jewish culture and myths. You could see how much love and care Kalyn Josephson fed into building up the Kinnish people and their culture. It was definitely a love letter to her own culture and it paid off. That side of the world was extremely lush and well formed, and if there's anything I'll take away from this book, it's that. I really enjoyed learning more about the magic and mythology of Kinnism and then tenants of her magic. It was great seeing her character develop with her powers and I really liked that aspect of the story.

In terms of relationships, I appreciated that we had a demi MC, even if the discussion around it was very textbook. I found that her relationship was also kind of founded on an invisible foundation as I didn't see the relationship develop. We're told it did, but there are few interactions between Arielle and her LI that are actually played out on page in a way that I can be like, "ah yes, there's the emotional connection." Same with Mikira. There's an implication that she's bisexual and there are two love interests for her, but we don't see a lot of the connection. It's all kind of skimmed over and I wish we were able to get into the intimate interactions and see the connections more.

As a whole, I found the story fast-paced with the races and the looming deadlines. There was a lot of distrust and mystery that also lent itself to intrigue that kept the plot and the characters constantly moving. This was definitely more of a tell rather than show story, and it didn't gel with my tastes as much as I wish it did. That being said, if you liked The Shadows Between Us and Storm Crows, this is definitely in that same vein! I'm curious to see what's next as the setup for book 2 implies a totally different story than book one, which is intriguing in and of itself!

Rep: bisexual MC, demisexual MC, Jewish folklore

TW: death, blood, violence, injury detail, poverty, torture; mentions death of an animal (not dog)

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

eARC and finished copy gifted by Fierce Reads via Colored Pages Book Tours in exchanged for an honest review.

🖤 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽 🖤

YA fantasy with Jewish folklore

🖤 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼
Mikira's family has been struggling financially with their ranch of enchant horses. When her father is taken as an indentured servant rather than hanged for being an unlicensed enchanter, Mikira enters a bargain with a Lord: win the Illinir with a non-enchant horse and get her father back, or lose the ranch and everything they own.

Arielle is still running away from her past. With Kinnish magic being punishable by death, she hides her skills by selling golems that pass as pets for the wealthy. Everything changes when Damien, Lord Adair, stops a violent attack on her. Having heard of her skills with golems, Damien enlists Ari's help with his own bargain: Ari must make him a golem horse to win the Illinir with Mikira as its jockey.

🖤 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
OH. MY. GOD. I was skeptical seeing it compared to Six of Crows, but the violence and found family vibes are all there in addition to royally screwing over the wealthy.

I think this book is marketed more towards Mikira's story, but Arielle's story is just as important and is just as much at the forefront of the novel. Ari is trying to understand not only her magic, but her roots. Damien gives Ari the space to learn and also finally feel safe and at home, which is something she hasn't had before.

The ending of Mikira's story here feels very reminiscent of Katniss Everdeen, and I will never say no to that. I do, however, feel like Ari & Damien's story was more impactful.

I am 100% looking forward to the sequel. If you are thinking about picking up This Dark Descent, also consider looking at owlcrate's YA October 2023 box for a special edition!

A high stakes political fantasy and romance with Lords competing for family status, dangerous horse races, Jewish folklore, and mobsters. If you liked Six of Crows or Peaky Blinders, or maybe you're a fantasy loving horse girl, or better yet maybe you like unique world building. This is all of those things!

I found this to be an entirely unique and interestingly woven story, and kept wanting to see what was going to happen next. I'm looking forward to what plays out next in the continuation!

I received complimentary advanced digital and audio copies of this book from the publisher. All the opinions in this review are my own.

I requested this book for the Peaky Blinders vibes, but walked away with so much more. The premise was very unique. There were enchanted horses competing in a series of races and forbidden magic. As well as rivaling noble houses and a fantasy world steeped in Jewish folklore.

With a dual POV you will follow both Mikira and Arielle. After Mikira's father is accused of practicing forbidden enchantments she makes a deal with house Kelbra. She must either win the annual horse races with an unenchanted horse or lose and risk the livelihood of her family. Arielle is tasked with using Kinnish magic to build a horse from clay (golem) for Mikira, which is forbidden. Every time Arielle performs an enchantment the battle with the voice inside her head becomes more evident.

There are high stakes, competitive horse racing, enchanted animals, political intrigue, and blossoming romance between more than one couple. This Dark Descent is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat with its fast pace and dark twists around every corner. A few of the twists made my jaw drop. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was for the lack of connection with most of the characters, but I'm hopeful that in the next book that will change.

I will be looking forward to the next book in this series! Highly recommend if you like morally grey characters, slow burn romance, political intrigue, animals, competition with high stakes, and a distinctive magic system.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC