Before the story even begins, author Jade Daimao offers readers a content warning covering graphic violence, strong language, drug use, panic attacks, sexual themes, death, and familial abuse. It’s a considerate gesture, and one that sets the tone for what follows: a dark, propulsive YA-leaning supernatural thriller that doesn’t shy away from the uglier sides of its world. It’s a book that feels like a lost relic from the era of Divergent and The Hunger Games, when every mildly popular YA book was being snapped up by Hollywood.
The book follows Nyx Valentino, a socially isolated high school senior living in a society that hunts and disappears people who develop supernatural abilities. When a violent attack at school triggers a dormant power in Nyx, she finds herself thrust from the margins of teenage life into a world of government agents, underground networks, and imprisonment, with only her best friend Nate by her side. After being captured and separated from Nate, Nyx is imprisoned in a facility where Gifted individuals are forced to fight for the entertainment of spectators. What follows is a chase story, a prison story, and a coming-of-age story all rolled into one.
The world-building of this alternative version of Earth is lean and efficient, dropping the reader into the setting’s rules without ever feeling like an information dump. The prose is simple and easy to read, which works entirely in the book’s favour. Daimao keeps things moving without overcomplicating the language, and the chapters are a satisfying length—easy to get through, difficult to put down. The book itself is on the shorter side, but given that this is the first entry in a planned series, that feels appropriate rather than incomplete. If anything, the brisk pacing leaves you wanting more, which is exactly where a series opener should leave its reader.
One of the novel’s strengths is its dialogue. Writing teenagers who sound like actual teenagers is notoriously difficult to get right, and Daimao largely nails it. The banter between Nyx, Nate, and Alex in the early lunch scene feels natural, and seeing their bond develop is fun to read, even though Nyx and Nate are seperated for a portion of the novel. Nyx herself is a great main character, self-deprecating, kind and interesting to follow. The supporting cast, particularly Nate, Soul, Nerissa, and Danny, are all likeable and distinct enough to carry their own scenes. Each character feels like they have an inner life beyond their function in the plot, which is no small achievement.
Another of the highlights of the book is seeing the relationship between Nyx and Nate develop. The telepathic communication the two share once Nate’s own abilities are revealed adds a clever intimacy to their scenes together. Their romance is never fully declared by the book’s end, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s obviously the emotional thread that will carry through the sequel, and I imagine this book will successfully get readers invested. The two have a really loveable bond, “Nyx, I’ve known you for a while now. I know when you’re trying to hide what you’re really thinking.”
In terms of criticism, there is little to fault. There are occasional minor grammar errors, most notably the use of a full stop instead of a comma before dialogue tags, a small but recurring technical slip. The paragraphs are sometimes a bit long. And as mentioned, some readers may find the length slightly brief and the premise lacking in an original hook in modern society’s barrage of superpower-themed media. These are minor complaints against an otherwise confident debut, and the kind of issues that tend to iron themselves out as a writer finds their rhythm across a longer series.
Underneath the action and romance, the book carries a clear moral about the fear and rejection of those who are different, and for the most part it earns it. The persecution of Odd Ones maps neatly onto real-world anxieties about otherness, and Nyx’s internal struggle with whether she deserves to be hunted will be relatable to many I imagine. However, older readers may find the social commentary a bit on the nose at points, “You are all here…because you are all freaks, and you have been removed from society to not ruin it.”
In sum, Violet Eyes feels like the first work of a talented writer who has a strong instinct for character, pacing, and emotional payoff. The author has built a world with real room to grow, populated it with characters worth following, and told a story that moves. There is a clear sense of confidence in the action sequences and an emotional sincerity at the heart of the book that makes it easily recommendable for YA fans.
Final verdict: For fans of Cassandra Clare, Veronica Roth, and Holly Black, Violet Eyes is a confident, entertaining, and emotionally engaging debut that announces Daimao as a writer with genuine instincts for character and story. It is fun to read, easy to fly through, and anchored by a protagonist and central relationship compelling enough to carry a series.
You can get your copy of Violet Eyes here!
