Title: She Waits for You Beyond the Dark
Series: Death Games #2
Previous book in this series: Find Him Where You Left Him Dead
Author: Kristen Simmons
Genre: YA, horror, Japanese mythology
Publication date: March 11th 2025
Published by: Tor Teen
Source: eARC for review from publishers via Netgalley
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Book Outlet | Thrift Books
Synopsis: "Death is not an ending, it’s simply the next chapter. Do not be afraid to turn the page..."
It’s been one month since Ian’s reunited friends escaped the hellish game of Meido and saved him. The survivors may have sealed the gate to the world of the dead shut and destroyed Empress Izanami, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still reeling over the challenges they endured. Trying to relax back in the world of the living, they take solace in the fact that they rescued Ian from the nightmare that tried to steal him away. But there’s just one problem—Ian didn’t come home alone.
The empress—now possessing Ian's heart—hitched a ride into their world and the only way to free Ian from her grasp is to find three artifacts for her, sacred objects which have been hidden across many realms. Unwilling to leave Ian behind a second time, his friends dive into a new deadly game, with terrifying challenges that not only test their mettle, but demand sacrifices—including their very lives.
If they don’t retrieve the empress’s artifacts, Ian will be lost forever, but if they do, it could be the end of their world as they know it.
I have been looking forward to reading this book since I finished the previous book (that cliffhanger!), but my mood was not cooperating. Hence why we are here now, almost a year after I got this book 😅 But I enjoyed it... once I got to it. Lol.
This book is a continuation of the events that happened in the last book, much to the misfortune of the characters. Lol. The books in this doology each have a self-contained story (and game), but Find Him Where You Left Him Dead ends with us finding out that while the characters may have saved Ian, they didn't defeat Izanami. In fact, Izanami is now residing INSIDE of Ian.
So in this book, we have the characters trying to save poor Ian (again) while trying to beat another game that they got sucked into. Like the last book, I really enjoyed the mix of horror and Japanese mythology. It was just so interesting and also kind of sad because we got to see Izanami and Izanagi's story from a different perspective. We also learn a bit about Dax and his dad and what happened the day of the fire. I was quite surprised by what actually happened.
I also liked the game itself—it's such a fun aspect of the book! And I enjoyed the complex relationships between the characters. Even if things were rocky at times, their friendship was strong and they really cared about one another. The ending was so sweet, I literally almost cried. But it was good! Solid duology overall!
So in this book, we have the characters trying to save poor Ian (again) while trying to beat another game that they got sucked into. Like the last book, I really enjoyed the mix of horror and Japanese mythology. It was just so interesting and also kind of sad because we got to see Izanami and Izanagi's story from a different perspective. We also learn a bit about Dax and his dad and what happened the day of the fire. I was quite surprised by what actually happened.
I also liked the game itself—it's such a fun aspect of the book! And I enjoyed the complex relationships between the characters. Even if things were rocky at times, their friendship was strong and they really cared about one another. The ending was so sweet, I literally almost cried. But it was good! Solid duology overall!
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