About the Book

The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy, where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister.

It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.

Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the elusive society of vampires she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. She is obsessively protective, mildly nihilistic, and willing to do anything to save her loved ones. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her—the same vampire bound to her family bloodline, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.

To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University—where students study to inherit their family fortune and select vampire companions. Kidan must study an arcane philosophy, work with four enigmatic students, and survive living with Susenyos—even as he does everything to drive her away. It doesn’t matter that Susenyos’s wickedness speaks to Kidan's own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs. When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat. And June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love—and the blood it requires.

Review

I must applaud the author for the time that she put into developing the world within Immortal Dark. There were a lot of unique and interesting concerts – such as the house rules and concept of what each location of a vampire bite does— that I thought were genius. I loved that the author incorporated parts of her culture within the story. Those things really elevated the story to me and made this fantasy stick out from the rest.

What hinders my rating for this book is the overall story. The concept was there, but the execution was lacking. I had such a hard time understanding what was going on. Readers are thrown into this complicated world, and it’s difficult to understand at first. There’s no time to sit and take in the information. I read multiple passages multiple times and still barely comprehended what was being explained. Even things that I loved about the magic system—such as the house rules—I can’t say I had a complete understanding of how it worked.

As for Kidan, she was a decent main character. At times, she felt like a spectator, rather than someone willing to take action. She had such a hatred for vampires; however, very little did she take the time to find out their weaknesses. I did love the friendships that she found, and there were some high points between her and Susenyos. However, her relationship with her sister, June, wasn’t as effective as it could have been. Kidan’s entire mission started to locate her twin, and the connection between them felt like the weakest relationship within the book. I wish the author had started the plot before June went missing to build that relationship.

Final Thoughts

Although Immortal Dark features interesting concepts and an intense atmosphere, the book suffers from a slow and convoluted plot. This results in forgettable moments, characters, and a disconnected narrative. Furthermore, the main character feels sidelined and uncurious in her mission and story.

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