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Lady of Darkness #1
Lady of Darkness
A CAGE.
Owned by a ruthless Assassin Lord, Scarlett Monrhoe and her two sisters have been trained since they were children to torture and take life. They are the most feared trio on the continent, but they are also wild and unpredictable. A tragic night has Scarlett finding herself locked away in a noble's household, trapped and forgotten, until she's ready to fall into line.
A CHOICE.
Until the day she is presented with a job. If she completes the assignment, her payment will be something she has coveted for ten years. Revenge against the Fae Fire Prince who brutally killed her mother ten years ago. Is she willing to sacrifice her ideals for retribution?
A MYSTERY.
But when children begin disappearing from her home, all her plans are put on hold as she races to save the most innocent. With the help of old friends, a jilted lover, and a mysterious newcomer who claims the magic of the Fae is possible in the mortal lands, Scarlett delves into the darkest corners of the world. Forgotten secrets will come to light, and she will discover the darkness extends far beyond her own kingdom.
Lady of Darkness is a new adult, fantasy, enemies-to-lovers romance and adventure novel that will appeal to lovers of possessive Fae, wicked Witches, sexy Shifters, and arrogant Vampires. It may have triggers of love-hate themes, sexual scenes (both consensual and non), violence, and jealous/possessive themes.
Owned by a ruthless Assassin Lord, Scarlett Monrhoe and her two sisters have been trained since they were children to torture and take life. They are the most feared trio on the continent, but they are also wild and unpredictable. A tragic night has Scarlett finding herself locked away in a noble's household, trapped and forgotten, until she's ready to fall into line.
A CHOICE.
Until the day she is presented with a job. If she completes the assignment, her payment will be something she has coveted for ten years. Revenge against the Fae Fire Prince who brutally killed her mother ten years ago. Is she willing to sacrifice her ideals for retribution?
A MYSTERY.
But when children begin disappearing from her home, all her plans are put on hold as she races to save the most innocent. With the help of old friends, a jilted lover, and a mysterious newcomer who claims the magic of the Fae is possible in the mortal lands, Scarlett delves into the darkest corners of the world. Forgotten secrets will come to light, and she will discover the darkness extends far beyond her own kingdom.
Lady of Darkness is a new adult, fantasy, enemies-to-lovers romance and adventure novel that will appeal to lovers of possessive Fae, wicked Witches, sexy Shifters, and arrogant Vampires. It may have triggers of love-hate themes, sexual scenes (both consensual and non), violence, and jealous/possessive themes.
458 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2020
About the author
Melissa K. Roehrich
14 books2,573 followersMelissa is a dark fantasy romance author who loves coffee, dragons, and constantly rearranging her bookshelves. She spends her time writing, reading, and homeschooling her three boys in the Middle-of-Nowhere, North Dakota, where she lives with her boys, husband, dogs, multiple barn cats, and chickens on a small farmstead. She is constantly trying to convince her husband they need to add goats and ducks to the mix, and one day, she'll succeed.
She's not here much, so if you're looking to connect, check out the following:
*Facebook Reader Group: Melissa's Dragon Cave
*Discord: https://discord.gg/GTY757MCXF
*Instagram: @melissa_k_roehrich
*TikTok: @authormelissakroehrich
She's not here much, so if you're looking to connect, check out the following:
*Facebook Reader Group: Melissa's Dragon Cave
*Discord: https://discord.gg/GTY757MCXF
*Instagram: @melissa_k_roehrich
*TikTok: @authormelissakroehrich
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,834 reviews
February 28, 2023
This was…so bad.
This feels like ACOTAR and FBAA hooked up and created a monstrosity of literature.
I’m flabbergasted by the amount of good reviews. The story was weak, the writing was bad and the chemistry between characters even worse. Scarlett is the least likable main character I’ve ever read. For someone who is Death’s Maiden she sure as shit can’t defend herself. Being raised by the Assassin Lord didn’t do her much good.
Also the author loves making the character croon things at each other with sarcastic sweetness in their voices. The story did not flow well at all. Too much was trying to happen in this.
It was just not good. Plain and simple. I would not recommend.
This feels like ACOTAR and FBAA hooked up and created a monstrosity of literature.
I’m flabbergasted by the amount of good reviews. The story was weak, the writing was bad and the chemistry between characters even worse. Scarlett is the least likable main character I’ve ever read. For someone who is Death’s Maiden she sure as shit can’t defend herself. Being raised by the Assassin Lord didn’t do her much good.
Also the author loves making the character croon things at each other with sarcastic sweetness in their voices. The story did not flow well at all. Too much was trying to happen in this.
It was just not good. Plain and simple. I would not recommend.
October 18, 2024
After reading Melissa’s legacy series and it becoming one of my new favorites I had to jump into this one as they’re in the same universe!
To be completely honest this book has been on my TBR forever and I’ve been so skeptical because of all the mixed reviews. The biggest critique I see of this book is that it’s ripping off very popular series like throne of glass and ACOTAR and personally I think that’s a reach. This book definitely has very popular romantasy tropes and you can tell it pulls inspiration from some other series but for me it stopped there. Was it predictable and not the most unique? Yes, as is the case with so many fantasy romance books nowadays however it did a lot of things right that had me enjoying it regardless.
Is our FMC an assassin? Yes. Is there fated mates? Yes. Is there Fae? Yes. Is there hidden identity? Yes. If you are sick of these tropes and feel like they are overdone then this is definitely not the series for you and THATS OKAY! But personally I really and enjoy Melissa’s writing. I especially love how she writes complex, character driven stories so im so excited to see where this series goes!
The world building was phenomenal and like the legacy’s series, the magic system has me so intrigued! It definitely was a bit of a slower start though.
Like I said Melissa is a mastermind when it comes to complex characters. For me there’s a fine line between loving a character that frustrates the hell out of me and hating a character that frustrates the hell out of me and makes me want to rip my hair out. I can’t speak for the rest of the series but as for book 1, our FMC seems like she’s going to be one of those frustrating characters I end up loving. She has a lot of demons and trauma and Melissa truly captures mental illness so perfectly in the way she has her characters act in response to their trauma. Being able to relate to Scarlett I think makes me not as infuriated with her when she lashes out or goes silent/struggles to communicate. But I can see her being a character that some would find insufferable so fair warning there…
I already love our MMC Sorin, at first I didn’t really feel their chemistry but by the end of the big it hit and it hit me HARD. They are MESSSSSYYYYYY.
I love our side characters and I can’t wait to get more of them in book 2! Except for Callan…. He’s giving tamlin energy.
I genuinely have so many questions at this point. I did have good time and was able to ignore how predictable the plot was because of my investment in the characters, THIS IS VERY CHARACTER DRIVEN! However I feel like book two will go one of two ways for me… either I’ll end up getting so emotionally invested in the characters and their journey that nothing else will matter and I’ll be hooked…. OR I’ll find the overall plot lacking and the characters not being enough to make up for it. Regardless I immediately dove into book 2.
All that being said I do understand why the reviews are such a mixed bag, this definitely won’t be for everyone and absolutely has its flaws but personally I still liked it!
To be completely honest this book has been on my TBR forever and I’ve been so skeptical because of all the mixed reviews. The biggest critique I see of this book is that it’s ripping off very popular series like throne of glass and ACOTAR and personally I think that’s a reach. This book definitely has very popular romantasy tropes and you can tell it pulls inspiration from some other series but for me it stopped there. Was it predictable and not the most unique? Yes, as is the case with so many fantasy romance books nowadays however it did a lot of things right that had me enjoying it regardless.
Is our FMC an assassin? Yes. Is there fated mates? Yes. Is there Fae? Yes. Is there hidden identity? Yes. If you are sick of these tropes and feel like they are overdone then this is definitely not the series for you and THATS OKAY! But personally I really and enjoy Melissa’s writing. I especially love how she writes complex, character driven stories so im so excited to see where this series goes!
The world building was phenomenal and like the legacy’s series, the magic system has me so intrigued! It definitely was a bit of a slower start though.
Like I said Melissa is a mastermind when it comes to complex characters. For me there’s a fine line between loving a character that frustrates the hell out of me and hating a character that frustrates the hell out of me and makes me want to rip my hair out. I can’t speak for the rest of the series but as for book 1, our FMC seems like she’s going to be one of those frustrating characters I end up loving. She has a lot of demons and trauma and Melissa truly captures mental illness so perfectly in the way she has her characters act in response to their trauma. Being able to relate to Scarlett I think makes me not as infuriated with her when she lashes out or goes silent/struggles to communicate. But I can see her being a character that some would find insufferable so fair warning there…
I already love our MMC Sorin, at first I didn’t really feel their chemistry but by the end of the big it hit and it hit me HARD. They are MESSSSSYYYYYY.
I love our side characters and I can’t wait to get more of them in book 2! Except for Callan…. He’s giving tamlin energy.
I genuinely have so many questions at this point. I did have good time and was able to ignore how predictable the plot was because of my investment in the characters, THIS IS VERY CHARACTER DRIVEN! However I feel like book two will go one of two ways for me… either I’ll end up getting so emotionally invested in the characters and their journey that nothing else will matter and I’ll be hooked…. OR I’ll find the overall plot lacking and the characters not being enough to make up for it. Regardless I immediately dove into book 2.
All that being said I do understand why the reviews are such a mixed bag, this definitely won’t be for everyone and absolutely has its flaws but personally I still liked it!
March 23, 2023
1⭑ Scarlett is undeniably the worst main character I have ever read. She is the reason I DNF’d at 63%. I would not recommend this, unless you want to make a drinking game out of every time Scarlett says “I am darkness”.
November 4, 2024
conflicting feelings here and more to come in my upcoming romantasy vlog
but... i think i liked it? definitely the closest to SJM level fanro that i've read, especially via KU. but i wish character emotions had been a little more nuanced. like sure, Celaena is annoying as fuck but she's been thru some shit and i found her reactions to things interesting. Scarlett on the other hand was just angry all the time.
and like, she has the right to be mad. girl was assaulted multiple times. but lashing out at people trying to help her was kind of exhausting to read.
i enjoyed the story, i like the direction that things are heading for sure. but i think this got a little laggy in the middle and again, wanted a lil more nuance of emotion. overall, not bad.
but... i think i liked it? definitely the closest to SJM level fanro that i've read, especially via KU. but i wish character emotions had been a little more nuanced. like sure, Celaena is annoying as fuck but she's been thru some shit and i found her reactions to things interesting. Scarlett on the other hand was just angry all the time.
and like, she has the right to be mad. girl was assaulted multiple times. but lashing out at people trying to help her was kind of exhausting to read.
i enjoyed the story, i like the direction that things are heading for sure. but i think this got a little laggy in the middle and again, wanted a lil more nuance of emotion. overall, not bad.
February 18, 2023
5⭐
1.5🌶
Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Narration, Single - 5⭐
TW: Rape, Violence
▪︎
Quick Synop:
A woman who is a lady by day and assassin by night. Scarlet is under everyone's control but her own. She is tasked with a mission, the reward are the answers she's been wanting her whole life. Before she can complete her task, the children of the city start going missing. With the help of the new captain of the guard 😏, they must work together to find them.
▪︎
I'm sorry......did this book just become my new obsession? The answer is yes.
Let me say, if an author can make me cry......well done. I want to feel every emotion when I read. This book absolutely did that. It was dark in a way that I very much love. It felt very real and raw.
▪︎
Listen. Scarlet is one of those characters that is pretty hard to like. I would even compare her to Nesta in some ways. She is very broken and guarded and angry, but once you understand why she is the way she is....you will be able to connect to her. I certainly did.
So although I think the plot is great in this book, I would still consider this character driven. And it is slowwwwww. You need to be in the right mood for this to enjoy it. For me, it was exactly what I needed and I could not put it down., and I was so mad when it ended on a cliffy because I need more!
▪︎
I thought, though slow, it moved forward in a very natural way. The pacing really gives room for us to feel deeply for the characters which I loved.
▪︎
The romance. Almighty on high. This was soooooooo good. They compliment each other beautifully. He is everything I love an MMC to be. I would say its a medium burn romance, that was done exceptionally well. They have a push and pull relationship. They have a hard time trusting each other, but keep coming back for more. Ugh. I love them.
▪︎
Do i recommend this?
Ummmm YES. Please read this. I cannot wait to get to book 2!!
1.5🌶
Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Narration, Single - 5⭐
TW: Rape, Violence
▪︎
Quick Synop:
A woman who is a lady by day and assassin by night. Scarlet is under everyone's control but her own. She is tasked with a mission, the reward are the answers she's been wanting her whole life. Before she can complete her task, the children of the city start going missing. With the help of the new captain of the guard 😏, they must work together to find them.
▪︎
I'm sorry......did this book just become my new obsession? The answer is yes.
Let me say, if an author can make me cry......well done. I want to feel every emotion when I read. This book absolutely did that. It was dark in a way that I very much love. It felt very real and raw.
▪︎
Listen. Scarlet is one of those characters that is pretty hard to like. I would even compare her to Nesta in some ways. She is very broken and guarded and angry, but once you understand why she is the way she is....you will be able to connect to her. I certainly did.
So although I think the plot is great in this book, I would still consider this character driven. And it is slowwwwww. You need to be in the right mood for this to enjoy it. For me, it was exactly what I needed and I could not put it down., and I was so mad when it ended on a cliffy because I need more!
▪︎
I thought, though slow, it moved forward in a very natural way. The pacing really gives room for us to feel deeply for the characters which I loved.
▪︎
The romance. Almighty on high. This was soooooooo good. They compliment each other beautifully. He is everything I love an MMC to be. I would say its a medium burn romance, that was done exceptionally well. They have a push and pull relationship. They have a hard time trusting each other, but keep coming back for more. Ugh. I love them.
▪︎
Do i recommend this?
Ummmm YES. Please read this. I cannot wait to get to book 2!!
September 21, 2024
[EDIT: bumping up to 5 stars because I still think about this regularly and miss it dearly]
Oh it hurts
Oh it hurts
June 19, 2022
At first, I thought this may be a five star read. I consumed the first ten chapters like wild fire.
Then, I realized that Scarlett was in a love square, where everyone man she encounters is in love with her. The men in her life are constantly saving her from herself.
Phrases about ‘finding stars’ appeared so often I began to CRINGE. I also noticed many parallels between FBAA, TOG, and ACOTAR. While I love all of those books, this book almost read like a fan fic.
It became repetitive, and I found myself scanning through the pages without any real interest.
It had a good basis. I was interested to learn more, but this story fell short for me.
Then, I realized that Scarlett was in a love square, where everyone man she encounters is in love with her. The men in her life are constantly saving her from herself.
Phrases about ‘finding stars’ appeared so often I began to CRINGE. I also noticed many parallels between FBAA, TOG, and ACOTAR. While I love all of those books, this book almost read like a fan fic.
It became repetitive, and I found myself scanning through the pages without any real interest.
It had a good basis. I was interested to learn more, but this story fell short for me.
January 20, 2023
Ok so im roughly halfway through and what I really dislike about her is how impulsive she is. She has slapped Sorin countless times just because he won't tell her the name of a lady she thinks is suppperrrr important. And sure it is. But that doesn't warrant you slapping someone and stomping your foot in anger or shouting at them every time they refuse to answer. Like, why can't she do something more witty or clever or unexpected that somehow jolts the answer out of him? Obviously her way of interrogation is not working, so she should change it up a bit. I would regard her as more smart if she did so. But she just seems like a robot programmed to do the exact same thing each time, which is frustrating.
Secondly, I'm feeling whiplash from her. She is kissing Callan and having sex with him passionately two pages ago, and then the next page she is snogging Sorin vigorously. I thought she had some sort of feelings left for Callan, and the fact that she turns from that so quickly, or is romantically involved with two males at the same time doesn't sit well with me. Monogamy is engrained in me, sorry....?
Thirdly, she is like such a special snowflake because she's beautiful, she fights like a badass Sarah J maas mc, and she has all these bois lining up to snog her. Not just Callan or Sorin, but also Cassius and Mikail! Wow........ o.O Unbelievable and honestly frustrating because love squares I prefer to leave those in the past....
Fourthly, I think something needs to change with the "Dark vs Light" dichotomy that is so prevalent in YA novels. Like people are finer shades of gray too...you know...example excerpt below:
She leaned forward and brushed a kiss to his lips, barely touching them with her own. “I gave much of myself to Callan,” she whispered, “but he doesn’t understand that sometimes the darkness is more comforting than the light. When I play, it comes from the part of me that grew in the darkness. Callan is all light. There is no room for my darkness.”
I'm officially done with this book. DNF. Another episode of her seducing Callan whilst Sorin is on the other side of the door. And I'm out.
So disappointing. Started out 4 stars, I even had the second book marked. Then my distaste for her just grew and grew. And right after Callan accuses Sorin of murdering children, her blades go swinging at Sorin YET AGAIN. Without PAUSING TO THINK ABOUT HIS CLAIM OR TRUSTING SORIN FOR A SECOND. and WHY DOES EVERay MALE LOVE THIS PSYCHO? tHERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TORTURED, DARK HEROINE, AND THIS NUTCASE WHO NEVER PROCESSES INFORMATION BEFORE ZOOMING INTO ANOTHER BREAKDOWN FOR NO REASON.
Some additional thoughts below regarding the following quote:
"Will you be the woman I’ve been training? The sacrificing lover? Death’s Maiden let out of her cage?”
“I shall be whomever I need to be to get information from him,” Scarlett answered darkly. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Considering you all are commandeering my apartment to sneak the Crowned Prince into it, it most certainly is my business,” Sorin retorted. Scarlett pursed her lips, crossing her arms. He had a point. Then he asked, his tone a touch softer, “Have I not yet earned your trust?”
“It is not that I do not trust you, Sorin,” Scarlett said after a beat of silence. “It is that I have done some atrocious things, so much worse than allowing a prince to fall in love with me. And I fear… I fear how you will look at me when you hear that story.”
Somehow it doesn't feel that way to me. Somehow, it feels like Scarlett fell in love with the prince as well, and that her outburst and shaking afterward was because of her emotional pain after reliving all the love she had for him after visiting him. So why is she writing it off as just "using" him? As putting on some "mask" that he falls in love with?
Secondly, I'm feeling whiplash from her. She is kissing Callan and having sex with him passionately two pages ago, and then the next page she is snogging Sorin vigorously. I thought she had some sort of feelings left for Callan, and the fact that she turns from that so quickly, or is romantically involved with two males at the same time doesn't sit well with me. Monogamy is engrained in me, sorry....?
Thirdly, she is like such a special snowflake because she's beautiful, she fights like a badass Sarah J maas mc, and she has all these bois lining up to snog her. Not just Callan or Sorin, but also Cassius and Mikail! Wow........ o.O Unbelievable and honestly frustrating because love squares I prefer to leave those in the past....
Fourthly, I think something needs to change with the "Dark vs Light" dichotomy that is so prevalent in YA novels. Like people are finer shades of gray too...you know...example excerpt below:
She leaned forward and brushed a kiss to his lips, barely touching them with her own. “I gave much of myself to Callan,” she whispered, “but he doesn’t understand that sometimes the darkness is more comforting than the light. When I play, it comes from the part of me that grew in the darkness. Callan is all light. There is no room for my darkness.”
I'm officially done with this book. DNF. Another episode of her seducing Callan whilst Sorin is on the other side of the door. And I'm out.
So disappointing. Started out 4 stars, I even had the second book marked. Then my distaste for her just grew and grew. And right after Callan accuses Sorin of murdering children, her blades go swinging at Sorin YET AGAIN. Without PAUSING TO THINK ABOUT HIS CLAIM OR TRUSTING SORIN FOR A SECOND. and WHY DOES EVERay MALE LOVE THIS PSYCHO? tHERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TORTURED, DARK HEROINE, AND THIS NUTCASE WHO NEVER PROCESSES INFORMATION BEFORE ZOOMING INTO ANOTHER BREAKDOWN FOR NO REASON.
Some additional thoughts below regarding the following quote:
"Will you be the woman I’ve been training? The sacrificing lover? Death’s Maiden let out of her cage?”
“I shall be whomever I need to be to get information from him,” Scarlett answered darkly. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Considering you all are commandeering my apartment to sneak the Crowned Prince into it, it most certainly is my business,” Sorin retorted. Scarlett pursed her lips, crossing her arms. He had a point. Then he asked, his tone a touch softer, “Have I not yet earned your trust?”
“It is not that I do not trust you, Sorin,” Scarlett said after a beat of silence. “It is that I have done some atrocious things, so much worse than allowing a prince to fall in love with me. And I fear… I fear how you will look at me when you hear that story.”
Somehow it doesn't feel that way to me. Somehow, it feels like Scarlett fell in love with the prince as well, and that her outburst and shaking afterward was because of her emotional pain after reliving all the love she had for him after visiting him. So why is she writing it off as just "using" him? As putting on some "mask" that he falls in love with?
September 30, 2023
There wasn’t an original thought in this book unfortunately. I’m growing more concerned with booktok authors lately and their blatant character/plot copying from successful authors. There have been more and more lately using things that worked well in other viral books and just copy pasting them into their own for a selling point. You can use tropes that are in other books, hell you can even have some character similarities but something has to be unique about your story for me to want to read it.
After reading a good portion of this and getting major ick from the annoying as f*ck FMC that’s basically a wishdotcom Aelin, I decided to look at reviews for it to make sure I wasn’t crazy, and then stumbled down the rabbit hole that are the book 2 reviews. Some are calling it flat out plagiarism… glad I’m stopping here. I will not support an author riding off the success of others.
DNF and will never continue anything the author puts out.
After reading a good portion of this and getting major ick from the annoying as f*ck FMC that’s basically a wishdotcom Aelin, I decided to look at reviews for it to make sure I wasn’t crazy, and then stumbled down the rabbit hole that are the book 2 reviews. Some are calling it flat out plagiarism… glad I’m stopping here. I will not support an author riding off the success of others.
DNF and will never continue anything the author puts out.
March 10, 2022
I absolutely love this book! It had a lot of from blood to ash vibes but I loved that book and this was awesome too! Very well written. Can’t wait to pick up the second book.
March 15, 2023
4.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
“Much of what made me what I am today was forged in darkness, and it is a darkness I do not entirely wish to leave.”
“You would stay in the dark?”
“I would stay where I can see the stars,” she replied.
This is the start of a very promising series and such books remind me why I love fantasy romance so much.
Lady of Darkness won me over instantly and I took my sweet time devouring every page of it. It's a perfect read for readers who are looking for a story that is reminiscent of Throne of Glass and From Blood and Ash.
What to expect?
— New Adult Fantasy Romance
— Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers
— Slowburn Romance
— Found Family
— Trainer x Trainee
— FMC is a 19-year-old ruthless assassin
— Mortal and Fae Kingdoms and Courts
— Fae, Witches, Shifters, and more
— Secret identity and powers
Scarlett Monrhoe is one of the Wraiths of Death— a trio of ruthless female assassins. They were Death's Maiden, Death Incarnate, and Scarlett is Death's Shadow, their deadliest assassin.
Scarlett has known nothing but loneliness and misery, especially since her mother was killed at the hands of the Fae Fire Prince. Everything she had done is in the name of retribution for her mother's death.
Scarlett eventually puts all her plans aside to investigate the disappearance of children, mostly orphans and street children, from her home, also known as the Black Syndicate.
And unbeknownst to her, there could be a dangerous power that lies dormant within her blood.
With the help of her found family, love-struck prince, ans the maddening captain, all secrets and truths will reveal themselves in time for her. They will either break her or unleash her.
“Because sometimes we just need someone to sit with us in the darkness in the middle of the mess”
I'm intrigued by the world-building, the magic system, and the court politics which I'm excited to see more of in the next book!
What I adore about Scarlett is her vulnerable side. Under that deadly assassin you can almost see that tender heart of girl who fate had not treated kindly.
And the romance took it's time to develop but I wish certain things were resolved earlier.
I'm looking forward to more action and magic because I liked what I have seen so far.
In terms of spice since I get readers have priorities, I would say it's at 1.5/5 for now. There was a fade to black scene but also explicit making out sessions.
I would say that the miscommunication trope and the going back and forth with "I hate you" "I know" annoyed me so I hope we'll get less of that in the next time.
This was definitely a solid read for anyone in a slump or craving a good fantasy romance book.
Trigger Warnings: mention of off-page sexual assault, violence, death, grief, torture, chronic illness, PTSD,
“Much of what made me what I am today was forged in darkness, and it is a darkness I do not entirely wish to leave.”
“You would stay in the dark?”
“I would stay where I can see the stars,” she replied.
This is the start of a very promising series and such books remind me why I love fantasy romance so much.
Lady of Darkness won me over instantly and I took my sweet time devouring every page of it. It's a perfect read for readers who are looking for a story that is reminiscent of Throne of Glass and From Blood and Ash.
What to expect?
— New Adult Fantasy Romance
— Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers
— Slowburn Romance
— Found Family
— Trainer x Trainee
— FMC is a 19-year-old ruthless assassin
— Mortal and Fae Kingdoms and Courts
— Fae, Witches, Shifters, and more
— Secret identity and powers
Scarlett Monrhoe is one of the Wraiths of Death— a trio of ruthless female assassins. They were Death's Maiden, Death Incarnate, and Scarlett is Death's Shadow, their deadliest assassin.
Scarlett has known nothing but loneliness and misery, especially since her mother was killed at the hands of the Fae Fire Prince. Everything she had done is in the name of retribution for her mother's death.
Scarlett eventually puts all her plans aside to investigate the disappearance of children, mostly orphans and street children, from her home, also known as the Black Syndicate.
And unbeknownst to her, there could be a dangerous power that lies dormant within her blood.
With the help of her found family, love-struck prince, ans the maddening captain, all secrets and truths will reveal themselves in time for her. They will either break her or unleash her.
“Because sometimes we just need someone to sit with us in the darkness in the middle of the mess”
I'm intrigued by the world-building, the magic system, and the court politics which I'm excited to see more of in the next book!
What I adore about Scarlett is her vulnerable side. Under that deadly assassin you can almost see that tender heart of girl who fate had not treated kindly.
And the romance took it's time to develop but I wish certain things were resolved earlier.
I'm looking forward to more action and magic because I liked what I have seen so far.
In terms of spice since I get readers have priorities, I would say it's at 1.5/5 for now. There was a fade to black scene but also explicit making out sessions.
I would say that the miscommunication trope and the going back and forth with "I hate you" "I know" annoyed me so I hope we'll get less of that in the next time.
This was definitely a solid read for anyone in a slump or craving a good fantasy romance book.
Trigger Warnings: mention of off-page sexual assault, violence, death, grief, torture, chronic illness, PTSD,
August 12, 2024
The first half of this book was not good (like, I almost chose to DNF). I started this book in April and just finished it in June. However, the last half of this book was really, really good. And now...damn it all to hell...I think I have to keep reading this series (tbd).
I still hate all of the purring and seductive tones that legit every character seems to speak in, but it got really good and action-packed once we hit the ~50/60%. I did not like the FMC, Scarlett, for most of the book. However, once her full story and the horrors of her past trauma is explained, I started to feel for her a bit more and understand her. That said, all other characters are really well done, and Scarlett is the only one who behaves inconsistently for 500 pages. She's supposed to be this badass assassin who has been infamous since she was a teenager (Ok, Throne of Glass copycat), but her emotions are insanely volatile. She overreacts to everything and changes her emotions way too abruptly. Half the time I didn't even know what she was mad about, and then suddenly she would be purring seductively again. I understand she went through a ton of trauma and is a victim of really horrible acts, so I recognize that how she copes with that trauma might explain a lot of her behaviors. However, I think it was less of her trauma and more of the author writing her inconsistently as a character. It was like the author could not decide how she wanted Scarlett to act, and she would change Scarlett's attitude and reactions way too quickly. Scarlett would believe literally everything anyone told her and fly off the deep-end immediately. It was a bit exhausting, especially because the readers knew the full truth about who she and Sorin are for most of the book. These 2 did not communicate until legit the very end of the book. I especially got annoyed with Scarlett in the first 40% of the book when she was demanding all of these answers from Sorin and was legit slapping him across the face because he wouldn't answer her questions (unclear why she NEEDED to know who the woman was that he was speaking to), but she was offering literally no answers about herself to him. Reading those chapters were painful. I was stalled at the 31% mark for about 2 months (and I'm a fast reader). But, again, the book got SO much better after the midway point. Scarlett is still a little bit of a caricature in how she acts, and she's pretty stupid for someone who is supposed to be so cunning and smart, but the rest of the characters and the storyline are so well crafted. The world-building is just OK so far.
I've seen some people say that this is on par with how good ACOTAR is, but I would not agree with that. It's good, but not great so far. Scarlett is just too inconsistent and a bit unlikable. She's very cocky for someone who does not seem to have a lot to show for it. It is unclear to me how all of these powerful supernatural immortals seem to be consistently overpowered by 1 human man or why they couldn't just communicate about what was going on, but OK. There are also a few elements of this book that are complete copycats of Throne of Glass.
Please check triggers before starting this because there are heavy ones (murder of parents, violence, kidnapping, rape of FMC, death of children/orphans, torture, imprisonment, etc.)
I still hate all of the purring and seductive tones that legit every character seems to speak in, but it got really good and action-packed once we hit the ~50/60%. I did not like the FMC, Scarlett, for most of the book. However, once her full story and the horrors of her past trauma is explained, I started to feel for her a bit more and understand her. That said, all other characters are really well done, and Scarlett is the only one who behaves inconsistently for 500 pages. She's supposed to be this badass assassin who has been infamous since she was a teenager (Ok, Throne of Glass copycat), but her emotions are insanely volatile. She overreacts to everything and changes her emotions way too abruptly. Half the time I didn't even know what she was mad about, and then suddenly she would be purring seductively again. I understand she went through a ton of trauma and is a victim of really horrible acts, so I recognize that how she copes with that trauma might explain a lot of her behaviors. However, I think it was less of her trauma and more of the author writing her inconsistently as a character. It was like the author could not decide how she wanted Scarlett to act, and she would change Scarlett's attitude and reactions way too quickly. Scarlett would believe literally everything anyone told her and fly off the deep-end immediately. It was a bit exhausting, especially because the readers knew the full truth about who she and Sorin are for most of the book. These 2 did not communicate until legit the very end of the book. I especially got annoyed with Scarlett in the first 40% of the book when she was demanding all of these answers from Sorin and was legit slapping him across the face because he wouldn't answer her questions (unclear why she NEEDED to know who the woman was that he was speaking to), but she was offering literally no answers about herself to him. Reading those chapters were painful. I was stalled at the 31% mark for about 2 months (and I'm a fast reader). But, again, the book got SO much better after the midway point. Scarlett is still a little bit of a caricature in how she acts, and she's pretty stupid for someone who is supposed to be so cunning and smart, but the rest of the characters and the storyline are so well crafted. The world-building is just OK so far.
I've seen some people say that this is on par with how good ACOTAR is, but I would not agree with that. It's good, but not great so far. Scarlett is just too inconsistent and a bit unlikable. She's very cocky for someone who does not seem to have a lot to show for it. It is unclear to me how all of these powerful supernatural immortals seem to be consistently overpowered by 1 human man or why they couldn't just communicate about what was going on, but OK. There are also a few elements of this book that are complete copycats of Throne of Glass.
Please check triggers before starting this because there are heavy ones (murder of parents, violence, kidnapping, rape of FMC, death of children/orphans, torture, imprisonment, etc.)
April 4, 2024
I would have liked this better if everybody hated Scarlett instead of treating her like a coddled child the whole time.
Scarlett basically demands that Ryker train her and then punches him until he agrees. Then they bargain with each other so that they each give a truth at the end of each sparring session because they need to get to know each other??? I don't really know. I would have liked it better if they just trained and didn't talk but whatever. So Ryker gives her a bunch of details about his life (too many details sometimes I was like bro what are you doing shut up) and she lies about her favorite color 😂
Usually I'm okay with main characters being bitchy and not giving men anything but Scarlett had this habit of becoming enraged when Ryker refused to give her all the details that she begged for immediately. It started really pissing me off. If you're going to be secretive and vindictive, then you should afford that same grace to those around you instead of acting like an entitled brat.
And good lord, did everybody worship the ground this girl walked on. Even the guy that we were supposed to hate was absolutely obsessed with her. There were four other people within the manor that Scarlett was "trapped" in (how can I feel bad for someone that complains about being booked in a luxury hotel and can go anywhere she wants whenever she wants) and every last one of them acted like a single tear from her baby blues was the end of the world. And hey maybe that's the abandoned child in me crying out but I thought that Scarlett should go cry by herself for one night. Sue me.
Scarlett basically demands that Ryker train her and then punches him until he agrees. Then they bargain with each other so that they each give a truth at the end of each sparring session because they need to get to know each other??? I don't really know. I would have liked it better if they just trained and didn't talk but whatever. So Ryker gives her a bunch of details about his life (too many details sometimes I was like bro what are you doing shut up) and she lies about her favorite color 😂
Usually I'm okay with main characters being bitchy and not giving men anything but Scarlett had this habit of becoming enraged when Ryker refused to give her all the details that she begged for immediately. It started really pissing me off. If you're going to be secretive and vindictive, then you should afford that same grace to those around you instead of acting like an entitled brat.
And good lord, did everybody worship the ground this girl walked on. Even the guy that we were supposed to hate was absolutely obsessed with her. There were four other people within the manor that Scarlett was "trapped" in (how can I feel bad for someone that complains about being booked in a luxury hotel and can go anywhere she wants whenever she wants) and every last one of them acted like a single tear from her baby blues was the end of the world. And hey maybe that's the abandoned child in me crying out but I thought that Scarlett should go cry by herself for one night. Sue me.
January 17, 2022
This book was definitely something. I think it started out strong. We meet the MC Scarlett, she has an interesting mysterious past, and she is a strong character (Assassin, talks back, etc.). All things I love in a fantasy/romance novel. I'm a sucker for Mentor/mentee flirting and relationships... and then the book takes a turn for the worst and falls not flat but off a cliff...
All of a sudden this strong character falls apart. She is whining and demanding secrets from people that they can't give, yet will not tell any of her secrets or explain herself. She is hooking up with other characters and wonders why the H doesn't want to tell her everything.
She is supposed to be strong and take no shit, yet lets the Assassin leader beat her...? Her loved ones are threatened and instead of being strong, building a plan and getting herself out, she walks herself to a cage and cries about it. Her friends are the one who do all the rescuing and saving.
Then at the end idk she has a literal psychotic break because Sorin has not had the chance to tell her every single thing about his past. If she trusts him so much she won't kill him, give the man the damn chance to explains things in time without the dramatics.
I feel like if this could have been written the way I wanted it: When Sorin can't tell her the lady's name, why don't you ask why? Why don't you give a little on your end. Then when he lets some secrets out that are daunting, ok be mad, but don't become catatonic and unable to deal. Scream, vent, and put him in the dog house but don't cry about being betrayed. He literally was figuring things out as he went, its not like he knew from the beginning.
I honestly skimmed the last 40% because this book was too long and the last part was too much. I hope if Melissa R. is writing book 2, she give Scarlett a backbone because this chick is not an assassin, shes a 15 year old teenager who cries about everything, mopes around, and someone people still like her...
January 28, 2022
Honestly. Not a huge fan of Scarlet. She's not particularly likable, but not in the fun way that people don't like a villain or a raging bitch, in the way that people don't like sniveling adolescent boys.
May 24, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this because on one hand, was it entertaining? Yes definitely. On the other hand, were their times where the character motives were so questionable and the story lost some believability? Also yes.
The big character dynamic is interesting. I like how things were revealed. There was so much suspense. Scarlett’s trauma manifesting was so deep and visceral and her pain was felt through the page, but as one of the best assassins ever how did Mikale just bamboozle everyone? Why did the assassin lord just not care to protect his most important asset when he knew who she was the entire time? The plot holes were so confusing. And the magic was a little too convenient at times.
The big character dynamic is interesting. I like how things were revealed. There was so much suspense. Scarlett’s trauma manifesting was so deep and visceral and her pain was felt through the page, but as one of the best assassins ever how did Mikale just bamboozle everyone? Why did the assassin lord just not care to protect his most important asset when he knew who she was the entire time? The plot holes were so confusing. And the magic was a little too convenient at times.
March 31, 2023
3.5⭐️ sounds about right for me
Let me start by saying even though I’ve given this 3.5⭐️ the story was still enjoyable and the series has so much potential. Im just hoping it’s up from here. I will be continuing to book 2
Let’s start with the positives, I liked the world building, the stories of the different realms and how they all ended up sequestered, the fae queens and the different magical lands etc it was all very intriguing.
I liked Sorin and how level headed he was, I loved Nuri, she seemed like a baddie I wish we got more of her. Cassius was cool and Callan was sweet even though I felt bad for him. Character wise it was solid apart from 1…
I liked the idea of a strong assassin FMC with untold magic but unfortunately Scarlett was not a likeable character, she spent majority of the book crying out for Cassius, she also repeatedly said the lines “make it stop�� & “don’t call me that” every other page.
Nuri was right about her being coddled by all the men in her life, everyone of them falling head over heels in love with her.
Then her being so dramatic about Sorin keeping things from her when she to kept a lot hidden from him majority of the book.
And for someone that claims to love her sisters and want to keep them safe, she sure does try to kill Nuri a lot.
There’s so much wrong with her character I could write examples for dayss. I just wish she was smarter, stronger and didn’t rely so heavily on the men around her.
I’m praying for character growth throughout the series because if book 2 is filled with “It hurts, make it stop Cassius/Sorin/Callan” I might not continue the series
It definitely felt like the beginning of a series rather than a whole book in itself and for the length of the book I really wish there was more going on because it ended up being really repetitive and dragged in the middle.
The first half of the book did feel like you were dropped in the middle of the story and you have so many questions and it feels like the characters all know something you don’t which I didn’t mind, I like mysteries and you do eventually get some answers so just stick it out.
Let me start by saying even though I’ve given this 3.5⭐️ the story was still enjoyable and the series has so much potential. Im just hoping it’s up from here. I will be continuing to book 2
Let’s start with the positives, I liked the world building, the stories of the different realms and how they all ended up sequestered, the fae queens and the different magical lands etc it was all very intriguing.
I liked Sorin and how level headed he was, I loved Nuri, she seemed like a baddie I wish we got more of her. Cassius was cool and Callan was sweet even though I felt bad for him. Character wise it was solid apart from 1…
I liked the idea of a strong assassin FMC with untold magic but unfortunately Scarlett was not a likeable character, she spent majority of the book crying out for Cassius, she also repeatedly said the lines “make it stop�� & “don’t call me that” every other page.
Nuri was right about her being coddled by all the men in her life, everyone of them falling head over heels in love with her.
Then her being so dramatic about Sorin keeping things from her when she to kept a lot hidden from him majority of the book.
And for someone that claims to love her sisters and want to keep them safe, she sure does try to kill Nuri a lot.
There’s so much wrong with her character I could write examples for dayss. I just wish she was smarter, stronger and didn’t rely so heavily on the men around her.
I’m praying for character growth throughout the series because if book 2 is filled with “It hurts, make it stop Cassius/Sorin/Callan” I might not continue the series
It definitely felt like the beginning of a series rather than a whole book in itself and for the length of the book I really wish there was more going on because it ended up being really repetitive and dragged in the middle.
The first half of the book did feel like you were dropped in the middle of the story and you have so many questions and it feels like the characters all know something you don’t which I didn’t mind, I like mysteries and you do eventually get some answers so just stick it out.
December 18, 2023
3.87!
Okay maybe comparing it to tog and having my expectations high wasn't really the best part because don't get me wrong this is one solid debut but it had some problems.
The writing? Amazing, delicious, immersive.
The plot? Confusing, somewhat developed, long.
The romance? WEIRD, Hot?? But also swoony.
The action? Minimal, robbed.
Okay yes considering the main character was an assassin I had hoped we got some more action!!
The concept was really great and luckily didn't fall short to the problems that most book fall into which is almost writing a book which is completely similar to an sjm book.
The romance between Scarlett and sorin was very weird because I don't see romances like this inost fantasies but it was hate to love where she hate fucks sorin but also callan the prince who she has no feelings for. I wasn't a fan of it to begin with but I grew into it after it developed and one solid relationship was formed.
The characters can be better their arcs are in shape. They just need execution which is understandable because there are like 5 books. I just hope she handles the romance well. I felt like it was very hard for me to like scarlet but also I loved how on depth her character was and the reason she was the way she was. I just need that for the other characters as well.
The problems that I had with this book was the plot and the length which co related because this book consists of 604 pages which i felt like was ALOT the plot didn't move exactly in sync with the length and the slow pacing didn't help. Some parts were dragged and some were info dumped. I also wanted some plot twists because it would've been so good the reveals were wowing which leads me to my final problem. There was nothing groundbreaking.
Buttttt some stuff are planned and in place just waiting to be executed book after book which may make this series a five star series because the writing is good and the overall plot, story and characters have immense potential because we know most of the problems are gonna go by book 2.
I would recommend it though it was a good experience.
~~~
I heard this is like throne of glass but adult and i love throne of glass so THIS BETTER LIVE UPTO IT..
Okay maybe comparing it to tog and having my expectations high wasn't really the best part because don't get me wrong this is one solid debut but it had some problems.
The writing? Amazing, delicious, immersive.
The plot? Confusing, somewhat developed, long.
The romance? WEIRD, Hot?? But also swoony.
The action? Minimal, robbed.
Okay yes considering the main character was an assassin I had hoped we got some more action!!
The concept was really great and luckily didn't fall short to the problems that most book fall into which is almost writing a book which is completely similar to an sjm book.
The romance between Scarlett and sorin was very weird because I don't see romances like this inost fantasies but it was hate to love where she hate fucks sorin but also callan the prince who she has no feelings for. I wasn't a fan of it to begin with but I grew into it after it developed and one solid relationship was formed.
The characters can be better their arcs are in shape. They just need execution which is understandable because there are like 5 books. I just hope she handles the romance well. I felt like it was very hard for me to like scarlet but also I loved how on depth her character was and the reason she was the way she was. I just need that for the other characters as well.
The problems that I had with this book was the plot and the length which co related because this book consists of 604 pages which i felt like was ALOT the plot didn't move exactly in sync with the length and the slow pacing didn't help. Some parts were dragged and some were info dumped. I also wanted some plot twists because it would've been so good the reveals were wowing which leads me to my final problem. There was nothing groundbreaking.
Buttttt some stuff are planned and in place just waiting to be executed book after book which may make this series a five star series because the writing is good and the overall plot, story and characters have immense potential because we know most of the problems are gonna go by book 2.
I would recommend it though it was a good experience.
~~~
I heard this is like throne of glass but adult and i love throne of glass so THIS BETTER LIVE UPTO IT..
April 18, 2024
Urgh, I'm confused with my feelings on this. Did I have a good time? Yes. Do I feel like this is a bit of a copy and paste of ACOTAR? Also, yes. I mean, come on, Cassias (Cassian) and Ryker was literally Rhys and you can not convince me otherwise.
It was long, the plot was a little messy, as was Scarlett, especially with the love interests.
Overall, though, I did enjoy it (once I'd stopped putting it down and resisting picking it back up again), and I am intrigued enough to continue. I just don't see myself binging the series.
It was long, the plot was a little messy, as was Scarlett, especially with the love interests.
Overall, though, I did enjoy it (once I'd stopped putting it down and resisting picking it back up again), and I am intrigued enough to continue. I just don't see myself binging the series.
January 27, 2022
I have read 3 good series back to back and I wonder if my good fortune is going to run out. I imagine the world will try to balance it out by making my next 5 books awful.
This book was amazing! Our heroine is one vicious criminal who is trying to find who killed her mother. Unfortunately, in the process of doing so, she loses someone really important to her which makes her retreat into herself. Then a new lead appears and she decides to be done with it once and for all but all is not as it should be.
She meets the General of the kings army and he agrees to train her in his fighting style, then she discovers he is from another kingdom, a kingdom that veiled and locked so no one gets in and out. She is curious about why he is here but her focus is on her new lead. She is trying to find the people stealing young children from her syndicate and her lead is the crown prince but she has been warned not to contact him again if not she will lose more of the people that are important to her like she did that last time.
Scarlett, our heroine, is stuck. Every time she tries to make her own choices she is chained by others, she suffers in her despair and even though she is among the best killers in her syndicate she cannot find her way out of the darkness. As she trains with the General, she starts to rely on him more and more and he promises to help her find those responsible for killing her mother.
As I said I enjoyed this book, I saw a review that compared it to ACOTAR but I wouldn't know because I tried reading the first book of that series and was so bored I had to stop. I'll admit this book was a bit repetitive but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
This book was amazing! Our heroine is one vicious criminal who is trying to find who killed her mother. Unfortunately, in the process of doing so, she loses someone really important to her which makes her retreat into herself. Then a new lead appears and she decides to be done with it once and for all but all is not as it should be.
She meets the General of the kings army and he agrees to train her in his fighting style, then she discovers he is from another kingdom, a kingdom that veiled and locked so no one gets in and out. She is curious about why he is here but her focus is on her new lead. She is trying to find the people stealing young children from her syndicate and her lead is the crown prince but she has been warned not to contact him again if not she will lose more of the people that are important to her like she did that last time.
Scarlett, our heroine, is stuck. Every time she tries to make her own choices she is chained by others, she suffers in her despair and even though she is among the best killers in her syndicate she cannot find her way out of the darkness. As she trains with the General, she starts to rely on him more and more and he promises to help her find those responsible for killing her mother.
As I said I enjoyed this book, I saw a review that compared it to ACOTAR but I wouldn't know because I tried reading the first book of that series and was so bored I had to stop. I'll admit this book was a bit repetitive but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
December 6, 2021
Had to update my rating… This is an enjoyable book to read, but the more I think on it the more I see that the base is quite literally just the plot to Throne of Glass, and the sequel is basically A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Good read if you want to read something you’ve read before, I suppose.
Good read if you want to read something you’ve read before, I suppose.
Read
October 21, 2023I don't know what to say. I'm excited to read this as I'm reading it along watching the Witcher to boost my fun in getting back to magical high-fantasy world.
But this book seriously read like a ToG series! 😭 If it was inspired or got few vibes from that, and make it better on it own, I might enjoy it. BUT it even got the things that I don't like in ToG as a main! The hero trains the heroine, that vibes of Rowan/Aelin and Chaol/Celaena romance which I'm not fan of! 😢 Seriously,I don't like this type of romance/couple since Rose/Drimitri from VA! lol
Sure, there is a crown prince and they exhange/talking about books together! 📚 Ahhhh my fave Dorian/Celaena romance here. BUT She use him! Fool the prince to love her so she can get the information from him. Ahhhh my fave is ruined here. *reduce my fun, thanks*
They is also the mention of fae mate and described super similar like in Heir of Fire. The resembles are too much! At first I think I'm crazy, but after reading others'reviews and opinions, I think I'm not alone on this. I'm saddd. 😭😭😭
But this book seriously read like a ToG series! 😭 If it was inspired or got few vibes from that, and make it better on it own, I might enjoy it. BUT it even got the things that I don't like in ToG as a main! The hero trains the heroine, that vibes of Rowan/Aelin and Chaol/Celaena romance which I'm not fan of! 😢 Seriously,
Sure, there is a crown prince and they exhange/talking about books together! 📚 Ahhhh my fave Dorian/Celaena romance here. BUT She use him! Fool the prince to love her so she can get the information from him. Ahhhh my fave is ruined here. *reduce my fun, thanks*
They is also the mention of fae mate and described super similar like in Heir of Fire. The resembles are too much! At first I think I'm crazy, but after reading others'reviews and opinions, I think I'm not alone on this. I'm saddd. 😭😭😭
September 27, 2023
My original review disappeared? That’s weird…anyways. I hated the FMC. She was mean to everyone, just to be mean. There was nothing likeable about her. She even slaps people across the face multiple times. Her friends don’t even call her out on it. Just coddle her to death. Also, this felt like a copy/paste of a very popular series. I know there can be similarities in fantasy romance, but the similarities were glaringly obvious. I’m baffled that so many people loved this to be honest 🥴
Read
July 10, 2024DNF @30%. Not my thing.
August 20, 2023
basically the exact plot of throne of glass, but terrible
April 27, 2023
I'm really not sure how I feel... no wait, maybe I do and I'm just confused by the great ratings and reviews that this book has. Tik Tok told me that this book series would be perfect to read when coming off of TOG. So I was excited. My hopes were high. The book has good reviews and great ratings. And I was perpetually annoyed throughout my read of it.
- The main character's name is Scarlet and she frequently "sees red" when she is angry. Really??
- The main character's best friend is named Cassius. And there was mention of someone named Azriel. These characters were introduced super early in the book and from that moment on this entire book read like a mashup up of ACOCAR and TOG but less interesting dialogue.
- the. dialogue. was. so. boring. If I had the patience to read it again I would go back through and count how many conversations were repeated just because the author thought that this banter/inside joke was amusing. It was not.
- The revelation that was delivered to the main character in the last pages of the book was obvious from the get-go and I don't know if that makes the main character stupid or the author lazy.
I'm sure more grievances will present themselves in my mind as the day goes on.
- The main character's name is Scarlet and she frequently "sees red" when she is angry. Really??
- The main character's best friend is named Cassius. And there was mention of someone named Azriel. These characters were introduced super early in the book and from that moment on this entire book read like a mashup up of ACOCAR and TOG but less interesting dialogue.
- the. dialogue. was. so. boring. If I had the patience to read it again I would go back through and count how many conversations were repeated just because the author thought that this banter/inside joke was amusing. It was not.
- The revelation that was delivered to the main character in the last pages of the book was obvious from the get-go and I don't know if that makes the main character stupid or the author lazy.
I'm sure more grievances will present themselves in my mind as the day goes on.
March 25, 2024
Late review ( I read this in sept last year). Not really a review actually just a bit of a warning cause I don’t want to mislead people with my 5 ⭐️ rating.
Book 1 was excellent and started off so strong. But I have to confess the series DRAGGED for me. There was little character development and a LOT of repetition. We don’t get full answers and there are several mysteries/twists that prolong the story unnecessarily. And it’s quite a disappointing end.
It’s a 5 book series with increasing page length going up to almost 800 pages in the final, so I just really wanted to pop this note on my first review so I give people fair warning hahah.
It’s one of those stories I forced myself to read because I dedicated so much time to the first two books but looking back I probably should have stopped and not pressured myself to finish a series just because you know? Don’t want others to feel that way!
Book 1 was excellent and started off so strong. But I have to confess the series DRAGGED for me. There was little character development and a LOT of repetition. We don’t get full answers and there are several mysteries/twists that prolong the story unnecessarily. And it’s quite a disappointing end.
It’s a 5 book series with increasing page length going up to almost 800 pages in the final, so I just really wanted to pop this note on my first review so I give people fair warning hahah.
It’s one of those stories I forced myself to read because I dedicated so much time to the first two books but looking back I probably should have stopped and not pressured myself to finish a series just because you know? Don’t want others to feel that way!
December 31, 2023
maybe a 3.5*
this was a reread for me and I’m really glad I gave this book a second try! I enjoyed it much more the second time. It’s not perfect but it’s a solid start to a fantasy romance series with a lot of potential! I will definitely continue on with this series in 2024!
this was a reread for me and I’m really glad I gave this book a second try! I enjoyed it much more the second time. It’s not perfect but it’s a solid start to a fantasy romance series with a lot of potential! I will definitely continue on with this series in 2024!
March 22, 2024
This was a decent book. I liked it. I think I would have liked it even more if I hadn’t already read “Queen of Roses” by Briar Boleyn that had a lot of identical plot points. This book was published first and I highly doubt either author ripped off the other, but the bottom line is, I simply liked Queen of Roses more and I couldn’t help but compare the two.
I also felt a few major details were not explained well enough which had a negative impact on my overall opinion of the book. All the details she shared about her mother and her past were pretty fuzzy and I would have liked to have been given more clear reasoning for why she took her tonic daily, how her mother died, why her mother left, etc. I also needed a better explanation for why the assassin Lord and the King would be interested in her but not tell her what they knew about her, etc. It seemed like too many people were circling her and biding their time, but for what? Why wait and what was their plan in the long run?
She also has a relationship with a former lover that I felt was kind of just dropped on us. She is clearly interested in our MMC but she is still wrapped up in the idea of the other guy (even though she adamantly states they have no future together). This did bother me a bit since the rest of the book implies that her and the MMC are essentially “mates,” but what bothered me more was that I didn’t get any real glimpses or detailing of her relationship with the other guy to understand why she was so drawn to him. If the FMC shared some memories or flashbacks or gave the reader some reasoning for why he was hard for her to let go of, the entire plot would have been a lot more solid.
She has experienced some trauma and there is a point in the book where she starts spiraling and repeating the same thoughts over and over. I understood why the author did this, but I think she milked it a little too much. I was sick of reading those words by the end of the book. I saw the end coming and I’m sure it will all be explained in book two, but as a rule, I don’t love lies and betrayal, so he better have a really good reason for keeping those details from her. The whole formula of this book was pretty obvious to me. Nothing really made it stand out as unique in my opinion. I would probably read the second book if I stumble onto it, but I also won’t go out of my way or be upset if I never find out what’s next for these characters. 🤷🏼♀️
I also felt a few major details were not explained well enough which had a negative impact on my overall opinion of the book. All the details she shared about her mother and her past were pretty fuzzy and I would have liked to have been given more clear reasoning for why she took her tonic daily, how her mother died, why her mother left, etc. I also needed a better explanation for why the assassin Lord and the King would be interested in her but not tell her what they knew about her, etc. It seemed like too many people were circling her and biding their time, but for what? Why wait and what was their plan in the long run?
She also has a relationship with a former lover that I felt was kind of just dropped on us. She is clearly interested in our MMC but she is still wrapped up in the idea of the other guy (even though she adamantly states they have no future together). This did bother me a bit since the rest of the book implies that her and the MMC are essentially “mates,” but what bothered me more was that I didn’t get any real glimpses or detailing of her relationship with the other guy to understand why she was so drawn to him. If the FMC shared some memories or flashbacks or gave the reader some reasoning for why he was hard for her to let go of, the entire plot would have been a lot more solid.
She has experienced some trauma and there is a point in the book where she starts spiraling and repeating the same thoughts over and over. I understood why the author did this, but I think she milked it a little too much. I was sick of reading those words by the end of the book. I saw the end coming and I’m sure it will all be explained in book two, but as a rule, I don’t love lies and betrayal, so he better have a really good reason for keeping those details from her. The whole formula of this book was pretty obvious to me. Nothing really made it stand out as unique in my opinion. I would probably read the second book if I stumble onto it, but I also won’t go out of my way or be upset if I never find out what’s next for these characters. 🤷🏼♀️
August 14, 2024
The indie book with Throne of Glass comparisons overtaking booktok!
Apparently, this gave everyone else major Throne of Glass vibes. Apart from a few similarities, I didn’t really see it.
Scarlett is a part of a trio of infamous assassins raised by the cold Assassin Lord dealing with some trauma in the house of a lord she is friends with.
Then children begin to go missing and Scarlett is determined to track down those responsible which might mean allying with Sorin - a secretive Commander who is training her and seems to be hiding a lot.
”You think he broke you, and maybe he did. But look at what rose from those ashes. Look at the strength, at the power, at the beauty of those shadows and that darkness on your soul.”
Even though this is supposed to be a romantasy, the character work is developed a lot more than the romance, with it only becoming more prominent after 60%.
There was good banter between them, sharing secrets, sharing one horse, training montages…. Basically, it’s a troupe hotlist.
Admittedly, it’s fairly predictable. Perhaps this is why I never felt hooked or why none of the characters felt ones I could latch on to.
I couldn’t help but role my eyes at the dramatic and over-the-top angst and theatrics. It was just too much for me. Too cliched.
Not to mention, Sorin barely calls her Scarlett - it is love or darling or princess.
I am gutted this didn’t work for me as I know so many people are binging through this series.
Thank you to Harper Collins for providing an arc in exchange for a review.
Bookstagram
Apparently, this gave everyone else major Throne of Glass vibes. Apart from a few similarities, I didn’t really see it.
Scarlett is a part of a trio of infamous assassins raised by the cold Assassin Lord dealing with some trauma in the house of a lord she is friends with.
Then children begin to go missing and Scarlett is determined to track down those responsible which might mean allying with Sorin - a secretive Commander who is training her and seems to be hiding a lot.
”You think he broke you, and maybe he did. But look at what rose from those ashes. Look at the strength, at the power, at the beauty of those shadows and that darkness on your soul.”
Even though this is supposed to be a romantasy, the character work is developed a lot more than the romance, with it only becoming more prominent after 60%.
There was good banter between them, sharing secrets, sharing one horse, training montages…. Basically, it’s a troupe hotlist.
Admittedly, it’s fairly predictable. Perhaps this is why I never felt hooked or why none of the characters felt ones I could latch on to.
I couldn’t help but role my eyes at the dramatic and over-the-top angst and theatrics. It was just too much for me. Too cliched.
Not to mention, Sorin barely calls her Scarlett - it is love or darling or princess.
I am gutted this didn’t work for me as I know so many people are binging through this series.
Thank you to Harper Collins for providing an arc in exchange for a review.
Bookstagram
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