About the Book:
Light. Darkness. Power. Magic. The Children of the Elements are back.
Alexis, Demi, Blaise and Caeli lie in wait as the Haven prepares for the Battle of a fight for light over darkness, good over evil. And Mortem fast approaches, threatening to engulf all in shadow. As the night wears on, secrets are spilled and truths come to light. The world is not all that it seems and there might be a little darkness, lurking just below the surface, within us all . . .
Blurb taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here. Find on Bookshop.org (affiliate link).
About the Author:
Andy Darcy Theo is a British-Greek Cypriot author with an educational and occupational background in clinical psychology and teaching. He is also a BookToker and Bookstagrammer and has been documenting his author journey with his followers. He has millions of views and likes, which is nearly as big as his TBR pile.
Guest Post: Writing a Sequel with Social Media Watching
Writing THE DARK THAT HIDES US, the sequel to my bestselling debut THE LIGHT THAT BLINDS US, has been a journey full of intensity, joy, and more than a little pressure. With the release date around the corner (24th April 2025!!), I find myself reflecting on everything this story means to me – not just as an author, but also a member of the incredible BookTok and Bookstagram communities who have championed my writing from the very beginning.
There’s no denying that writing a sequel comes with heightened expectations. As a proud bookworm, I often note the ‘second book syndrome’ when reading a book series, where the sequel sometimes experiences a deterioration of an integral quality that made the first book so powerful: whether it’s the heart of the story, the characterisation of the protagonists, the attention-grabbing plot, or the writing quality itself. I was petrified I would also fall victim to this. After the response to THE LIGHT THAT BLINDS US — the love for the bickering elemental found family, the obsession with their intimate moments, and the emotional reactions to Alexis’s mental health journey — it was hard not to feel the weight of wanting to deliver something equally powerful, if not more so. Every time someone messaged me to say “I need book two immediately” or “That ending destroyed me”, I felt both deeply grateful and quietly panicked. Could I live up to the hype?
Being chronically online on BookTok and Bookstagram as both a reader and a writer adds an extra layer to this experience. I’ve connected with a community that’s as passionate about storytelling as I am — people who dissect every chapter, theorize between releases, and send me an abundance of memes to showcase their love for the characters and their hatred of me for hurting them. It’s amazing, but also intense! Every time I post an update or a teaser, I feel the collective anticipation rising. There’s nowhere to hide when your followers are as invested in your world as you are, especially as I know that the reception of THE DARK THAT HIDES US may/almost certainly will impact my reputation as a new author and also whether I will even be able to continue writing and publishing a series that’s been a part of me for half of my life.
And yet, through all the nerves, I am so excited for it to be out in the world. Truly. As much as I was with THE LIGHT THAT BLINDS US, if not more, because I’m comforted by having done this all once before! It’s also because I know that THE DARK THAT HIDES US is something special. My writing has grown — in confidence, in complexity, and in emotional depth. This book takes everything readers loved about TLTBU and turns the dial way up. The plot is packed with explosive twists, political intrigue that cuts deeper, and character dynamics that are more raw and magnetic than ever.
At its core, TDTHU leans into what makes this world tick: loyalty tested by power, love tangled with betrayal, and the unbreakable bonds of found family. The relationships between the characters are more intimate and more intense, and I think readers will be hooked from page one as we get to explore more of Blaise, the beautiful and bold son of the flames.
Despite my anxieties — the perfectionist in me still rewrites sentences in my sleep! — I’m proud of what I’ve created. I believe in this book. I believe it delivers the emotional punch, the tension, and the epic scope readers are craving.
So yes, there’s pressure. But there’s also a fire in my chest every time I think about release day. THE DARK THAT HIDES US is almost here — and I can’t wait for readers to descend further into the darkness with me. I apologise in advance for where you may end up…
#UKYASpotlight 
Leave a comment