ARC Review: Below by Alexandria Warwick

Title: Below
Author: Alexandria Warwick
Series: Below #1
Publication: February 4th 2020 by Wolf Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Purchase it on: TBA
Rating: 3.5/5★

From the author of The Demon Race comes a dark YA fantasy series inspired by Inuit mythology.

In the heart of the frigid North, there lives a demon known as the Face Stealer. Eyes, nose, mouth—nothing and no one is safe. Once he returns to his lair, or wherever it is he dwells, no one ever sees those faces again.

When tragedy strikes, Apaay embarks on a perilous journey to find her sister's face—yet becomes trapped in a labyrinth ruled by a sinister girl named Yuki. The girl offers Apaay a deal: find her sister's face hidden within the labyrinth, and she will be set free. But the labyrinth, and those who inhabit it, is not as it seems. Especially Numiak: darkly beautiful, powerful, whose motives are not yet clear.

With time slipping, Apaay is determined to escape the deadly labyrinth with her sister's face in hand. But in Yuki's harsh world, Apaay will need all her strength to survive.

Yuki only plays the games she wins.

Wow, this book was certainly something. I do have to admit that the start was sort of slow for me, which is why I couldn't give it a full four star rating because I struggled a little to get really into it but once I reached the 50% mark in the story it was pretty hard to put down. The fact that the story was inspired by Inuit mythology is something I absolutely loved because it isn't something I've come across yet in any of the books I've read.

Below featured the very complex but fascinating world of the North with Apaay as its main character. When a demon who is known as the Face Stealer steals the face of her sister, Apaay is determined to find it and kill the demon for all the suffering he has caused to so many others before but instead she becomes trapped in a labyrinthine place by a cruel girl named Yuki where nothing really is what it seems.

I loved Apaay! I really do think she's one of the best main characters I've ever come across and I'm not saying this lightly. She was so determined in everything she did, especially in the search for her sister's face. She would simply not give up no matter what was thrown at her or how much they made her suffer. Her strenght was inspiring to say the least.

The writing style was probably one of my favorite things about this book as well. I'm a sucker for beautiful prose. It wasn't just a beautifully writting book but it was action packed as well. A lot happened in the story, it was actually funny at times but also very tragic and made me want to cry at one point. I'm pretty sure anyone else who has read the book will know what I mean. 

Overall, Below by Alexandria Warwick is an epic dark YA fantasy adventure about family, friendship, loss and determination. Inspired by Inuit mythology, it's quite the page turner that'll keep you hooked and make you root for Apaay to succeed in her mission.  

About the author:
Alexandria Warwick is the #1 fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is the author of The Demon Race and the upcoming North series.
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