Happy Thursday literati!!
I’m so happy to announce that I was selected to participate in Caffeine Book Tours event for T.R. Tells Her Dark Sins which is a new teen fantasy novel that is out for your reading pleasure now!
What happens when an ominous phenomenon forces people’s negativity to manifest into demonic creatures called Umbra Shades that spread Apathy Syndrome to its victims?In a violent and corrupted world ruled by negative intentions, a seventeen-year-old girl with the ability to purge these demons wants nothing more than a better tomorrow… But will she be able to protect her loved ones and save humanity with it?
Read on below to see what I thought of this beautiful book, see some (hopefully) cool graphics, and check out the rest of the tour! So grab your latest cup of cozy and let’s hop to it!
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Her Dark Sins by T.R. Tells
Genre(s): Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover Artist: Hana
Release Date: May 31, 2020
Obtained: I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from the publisher and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in their tour.
Purchase Links: Bookshop | Book Depository
Representation: Author of Color (Black), BIPOC Representation (Black main characters + side characters), LGBTQIAP+ Representation (not specified)
Recommended For: Teens + Young Adults
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Content Warnings: On-Page Violence, mentions of terrorism, on-page hate speech, racism, depictions of depression, mentions of parental abuse, cults,
Overall Review
Ya’ll, this book is a total powerhouse. High Fantasy novels, in my opinion, the easiest way to explore tough topics such as sexual identity, apathy, justice, etc and I haven’t read many Urban Fantasy novels that can do those topics justice. T.R. Tells definitely kicked some major booty with this one. Her Dark Sins follows Hira Night, your semi-average high schooler after a freak accident leaves her boyfriend in a coma and gives her the freak ability to be able to see the emotional clouds hanging over her peers. We all know mental health is a bitch to deal with, but in Hira’s world, apathy manifests as a physical, if invisible, entity that poisons the mind of its host and physically harm others.
I loved this book. The author does a fantastic job of balancing Hira’s “normal” high school life with the stupid amount of weird shit going on and even deals with Hira’s own emotions regarding what is happening. This is super refreshing to read, especially in a book aimed at teens and young adults since often there aren’t relatable consequences to magical events. Even in the “mundane” parts of Hira’s life, I found myself incredibly invested in her thoughts and actions.
Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fresh urban fantasy, and especially for anyone needing a book that tackles mental health in a real way.
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About the Author
T.R. Tells chose the pen name created as a play on words “T.R “TELLS a story”. She lives in upstate New York with her Bachelors from Southern New Hampshire University in Fiction and Creative writing. When she isn’t writing novels, ideas, short stories, or finished with her classes; she’s usually scrolling through one of her streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Funimation etc). She’s a fan of Anime, RPG, and JRPG games; anything historical or fantasy (books or T.V. shows) – she can go on for hours talking about it or really anything that she is passionate about.
T.R. Tells feels a passion towards it and hopes that (even if it’s just one person) feels the amount of effort, love, and determination that is expressed in her writing.
