Mio thought that her adventure was over after she finally defeated the monstrous Nekomata using her mysterious ancient katana. But now the katana is growing ever more powerful as it begins to take its hold on her life, personality and feelings.
As if that wasn't enough, evil monsters out to kill her and her friends are roaming the streets of London, infecting everyone they meet with an unknown disease, including her best friend Jack. Now Mio must make a horrific decision to be able to control her increasing powers before it's too late to save anyone she loves.
I'd previously loved The Night Itself, the first book in this trilogy, and after the dramatic (and slightly annoying) ending, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. And, luckily, I wasn't at all disappointed in this fast paced, action packed novel. It's the same brilliant combination of Japanese culture, tense realistic thriller and pure fantasy that I loved before, but with (if it's even possible) an even better plot, which had me gripped from start to finish.
Having said that, that is also my only criticism of Darkness Hidden. It's got a fantastic plot, but not a lot else in the way of literary description. But perhaps that's a good thing, since thrillers masquerading as classic fiction can sometimes get in the way of my enjoyment of the plot, notable exceptions aside.
In this case, I really didn't miss it, since I was too caught up in what was happening. However, this does make it quite hard to describe, since I don't want to give away too much about what happens!
What was really great was the brief recap of the events of The Night Itself at the front, for people like me with a really bad memory. Yes, it did remind me a little of those awful TV programmes where they recap after every break, so half the time is spent telling people what they've just done, but in this case it was a really helpful summary. It's definitely something that other authors of long series' should think about having, as it also means that you really don't have to have read the first book to thoroughly enjoy this one!
Right, I now have a confession to make. I am often guilty of judging a book by its cover. Awful I know, but I guess that's what they're there for! I have to say that this cover is terrible, especially after the original and quirky one on the Night Itself, which I thought was amazing. Now it just looks like pretty much every other teen book published in the last five years. But don't be put off! The story is great!
Overall, a really exciting and enthralling tale with a healthy dose of magic. Perfect for a quick, relaxing read.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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