Where Darkness Dwells by Andrea Renae
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Where Darkness Dwells is a lush, beautiful story with a radiant core of hope. It doesn’t shy from darkness, but it also doesn’t revel in it. Instead, it exposes the weak underbelly of that darkness, dwelling on the fact that, no matter how thick the darkness may seem, the Light is always able to overcome it. We might not understand why the darkness has held dominion for so long, or why the Light didn’t reclaim its rightful throne sooner. But we can know that a battle between the two forces is inevitable, and we rest assured of the fact that Light will win.

Some Christian fantasy feels like it merits the label simply because it’s clean and has a deistic worldview. Others seems to fall into that camp through force, by slapping Scripture or mentions or God onto the surface of the story periodically. Not so here. Where Darkness Dwells is rich in theological depth. It’s something of an allegory, especially in its portrayal of light and dark, but without those allegorical tones consuming the story. It’s one of those stories that radiates the presence of God on every page, and I loved the honesty of Renae’s worldview shining through. This was never preachy, yet it presented a world in need of the Gospel—and a world in which the Gospel must be present in some way—beautifully.

The Vale and whatever exists beyond it make for a very unique world. I was reminded just a tad of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone series in terms of the near personification of light and dark, as well as the importance of both to the story. But that’s really the only comparison I drew. I could see some of Renae’s inspiration, be it Biblical or fictional. I felt the presence of Narnia, of Middle Earth, of the cultural impact Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti have made in the hearts and minds of Christian fiction readers for decades. But Renae very much crafted her own world, told her own unique story, that never felt derivative of anything else.

I also came to love many of the characters populating the Vale, especially in terms of perspective characters. Amyrah is a lovely heroine; I loved watching her grow in moral strength and determination. Belwyn is a great romantic lead, with a core of goodness that cements itself over the course of the novel. Téron and Wehna took a little longer to win me over, but they did in the end. The relationships bonding the characters were also lovely, and believable. I have no idea where their stories are going to take them, and I can’t wait to find out.

I had a couple of small issues with this book. First, it’s well written, but oddly formal in tone. The prose is occasionally stiff, but then it will break into rich, poetic loveliness, so it balances out. And while I love big words, there’s a time and a place. Sometimes a smaller word works better in a particular sentence, and can make an entire paragraph stronger. It’s important to use to wording that actually serves the story best, not just the wording that will come across as the most impressive. But honestly, those are pretty minor complaints for an independently published, debut Christian fantasy novel. My only other complaint is that I found this series before the second book released. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

As I just stated, this book was independently published. I was incredibly impressed with the editing, as that’s an area where some indie novels fall short. And then there are the little extras that made the book as a physical object feel special. The first page of each chapter is inverted, white text on a black page that also boasts a scattering of stars and a trio of glowing mushrooms. It really served well to remind readers of the dark world in which the story takes place, but also gently reminds them that light and beauty exist even there. There are lovely poetic stanzas at the beginning of each part of the novel. And then, at the end of the book, Renae included some truly thoughtful appendices, featuring a pronunciation guide to the names, translations of in-world words and phrases, and a list of in-world seasons and days of the week. There’s even a recipe included. And an in-world song, complete with music! The appendix just brought me joy, and I want to make sure other readers are aware of it.

Where Darkness Dwells is everything I look for in Christian fiction. It’s imaginative, original, theologically sound, and well-written. God is not an afterthought in this story, and neither is craftsmanship. I’m so excited to have found Renae in the early days of her writing career, and I can’t wait to see where God takes her and her stories.

“After darkness, Light.”

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