Take My Hand follows Trina, a guidance counselor in the magical and queer-rich Dark District, as she navigates danger, desire, identity, and the messy, tender work of becoming who she is. The story swings between an attack at a local bar, her growing attraction to a new teacher named Robert, and the deeper, rawer layers of her identity as Timothy. The book blends urban fantasy, queer longing, Filipino culture, and personal history into something that feels both intimate and loud. It’s a story about wanting connection. It’s a story about fear. It’s a story about what happens when desire and truth keep bumping into each other until something finally gives.

The writing feels hungry. Emotional. A little chaotic in the best way. The scenes in the school had me smiling. The quiet moments in Trina’s office hit me harder than I thought they would. And the flashbacks to the orphanage knocked the wind out of me. I felt the ache in her voice. I felt the weight of all those years she kept her real self tucked away. The book swings from funny to sensual to heartbreaking with this almost reckless energy. I loved that the author just lets the story breathe and swell without trying to make everything neat.

There were moments that made me squirm because they felt too real. The longing for Robert. The guilt. The shame. The humor she hides behind. All of it felt familiar. The writing is loose and bold. Sometimes messy. Sometimes sharp. And the queer representation, especially around desire and gender and the body, felt honest in a way that isn’t common. I liked how the magic sits in the background. Never overwhelming. Just shaping the world the way emotions shape a person from the inside.

By the end, I felt protective of Trina. I wanted her to win. I wanted her to love someone who actually sees her. I wanted her to stop tearing herself apart just to fit into a skin she didn’t choose. The book made me feel a lot, and I liked that. I didn’t want it to be safe. I wanted it to stay exactly as wild and vulnerable as it is.

If you enjoy queer urban fantasy with plenty of heat, heart, and personal struggle, this book will hit the spot. If you like stories that mix magic with Manila vibes and real emotional weight, you’ll feel at home here. And if you want a character who is flawed, yearning, dramatic, funny, and painfully human, Trina is a character you’ll remember.

Although Take My Hand works perfectly well as a stand-alone story, it’s actually the second book in an ongoing series set in the Dark District. Readers who want the full experience can follow the chronology starting with Take Me Now, and even go further back with its prequel Sojourn. Both earlier works were previously compiled as a duology in the Dark District Primer, so new readers can choose to jump in here or enjoy the series in order for a richer sense of the world.

Pages: 400 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DJ7JTG4S