Shadow's Kiss


T.M. Hart - 2017
    Unending night . . . Violet Archer is running through the darkness, for her very life. A single spark blazes, calling to her. It is her chance at salvation. It is a connection beyond any she could have ever imagined. And it leads her to a lonely cabin in the woods.But when Violet wakes, she has no memory of how she got there. She is disturbingly ill. And a chilling evil creeps through her veins. Worse still, her host, the tall and powerful Elijah Stone, is intent on killing her. Yet a cataclysmic bond, neither can deny, stays Elijah’s hand. Radiants, immortals of the Light, have been warring with their enemies, the Shadows, for millennia. Now, twisted together by fate, the two adversaries must embark on a journey. One on which their very lives depend. Unfortunately for Violet, she does not know who she can trust, especially when it comes to her guide, Elijah. But it turns out that Violet and Elijah are not alone on their quest. They soon realize they are being hunted along the way. It seems Violet has a dark debt to settle.And someone very dark, indeed, is about to collect his due.

Fortune Favors the Cruel


Kel Carpenter - 2019
    But with her dark powers on the rise and her ascension nearing, Quinn's blood retribution will have to wait in favor of her immediate survival. Lazarus Fierté is a nobleman without equal. He’s as controlling as he is stubborn, and for the last six years he’s been waiting for a woman to appear—but not just any woman. A Maji of great power, capable of terrible things. She could be the key to everything he holds dear. His savior … or his destroyer. The only thing he didn’t predict was that she would become both.

Oath Taker


Audrey Grey - 2019
    Maas and Emily R. King, this first book in a dark and action-packed new series is impossible to put down! Light magic is forbidden.  Dark magic spells death.  Haven has both. ​ After the Prince of Penryth saved her from captivity, seventeen-year-old Haven Ashwood spends her days protecting the kind prince and her nights secretly fighting the monsters outside the castle walls.  When one of those monsters kidnaps Prince Bell, Haven must ally with Archeron Halfbane and his band of immortals to rescue her friend.  Her quest takes her deep into the domain of a warped and vicious queen where the rules are simple: break her curse or die. Lost in a land of twisted magic and fabled creatures, Haven finds herself unprepared, not just for the feelings she develops for Archeron, but for the warring powers raging inside her.  Her rare and forbidden type of magic may be their only hope . . . but mixing light and dark comes with a steep price.  Haven’s soul. Faced with impossible love, heartbreaking betrayals, and a queen intent on destroying the realm, only one thing remains certain.  Haven must shatter the curse or it will devour everything she loves.  Welcome to the Kingdom of Runes where immortals and humans clash, light and dark magic reign, and mythical creatures lurk in the shadows. If you like fierce heroines, enemies-to-lovers romance, wild plot twists, and endearing characters that stay with you long after you reach the end, you need to discover the book readers are calling dark fantasy at its best. Just make sure to clear out some space on your calendar first! **Oath Taker was previously published in the boxed set Shattered Worlds under the name Curse Breaker. This is a revised second edition. The Kingdom of Runes series is upper/mature YA and contains mild cursing and adult situations, including romance.**

The Witch Collector


Charissa WeaksCharissa Weaks - 2021
    I, Raina Bloodgood, have lived in this village for twenty-four years, and for twenty-four years he has passed me by. His mistake. Raina Bloodgood has one desire: kill the Frost King and the Witch Collector who stole her sister. On Collecting Day, she means to exact murderous revenge, but a more sinister threat sets fire to her world. Rising from the ashes is the Collector, Alexus Thibault, the man she vowed to slay and the only person who can help save her sister. Thrust into an age-old story of ice, fire, and ancient gods, Raina must abandon vengeance and aid the Witch Collector in saving the Frost King or let their empire—and her sister—fall into enemy hands. But the lines between good and evil blur, and Raina has more to lose than she imagined. What is she to do when the Witch Collector is no longer the villain who stole her sister, but the hero who’s stealing her heart? The Witch Collector is book one in a thrilling romantic fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, Sarah J. Maas, and Jennifer L. Armentrout. "The Witch Collector is a magical, enchanting, fantasy romance whose pages are filled with threads of love, loss, and healing. Highly, highly recommended for anyone who loves fantasy romance, fantasy with strong female leads, unique magic systems, and beautiful writing." ~ Alexia Chantel/AC Anderson, Goodreads Author of The Mars Strain

His Darkest Craving


Tiffany Roberts - 2018
     But from the moment she arrives, she’s not alone. She glimpses dark shapes from the corner of her eye, feels phantom touches, and her dreams are filled with seductive shadows. What she first mistakes for delusions of her traumatized mind soon prove to be so much more… An ancient, mysterious, dangerous entity lurks in the woods — and it wants Sophie. ---------- **Trigger Warning: This book contains sexual explicit scenes and violence, including a history of domestic abuse.**

The Hollow Gods


A.J. Vrana - 2020
     Black Hollow is a town with a dark secret. For centuries, residents have foretold the return of the Dreamwalker—an ominous figure from local folklore said to lure young women into the woods and possess them. Yet the boundary between fact and fable is blurred by a troubling statistic: occasionally, women do go missing. And after they return, they almost always end up dead. When Kai wakes up next to the lifeless body of a recently missing girl, his memory blank, he struggles to clear his already threadbare conscience. Miya, a floundering university student, experiences signs that she may be the Dreamwalker’s next victim. Can she trust Kai as their paths collide, or does he herald her demise? And after losing a young patient, crestfallen oncologist, Mason, embarks on a quest to debunk the town’s superstitions, only to find his sanity tested. A maelstrom of ancient grudges, forgotten traumas, and deadly secrets loom in the foggy forests of Black Hollow. Can three unlikely heroes put aside their fears and unite to confront a centuries-old evil? Will they uncover the truth behind the fable, or will the cycle repeat?

Flame and Starlight


Dana Isaly - 2021
    Her mother warned her about them, moving them from city to city, always trying to stay one step ahead. But Alys always thought they were merely the ramblings of an eccentric woman and let her guard down once her mother was gone. Left on her own, she’s found, marked, and taken.Asher is tall, dark, and handsome…and Fae. He claims he took Alys from the human world for her own safety but she doesn’t trust him or the dangerous feeling he stirs inside of her. As he pushes, she pulls, refusing to be used as a pawn in whatever game he’s playing.Forced to live under the same roof as her captor, Alys soon learns there’s more to the story, discovering the disturbing truth about her connection to Asher. When the opportunity to leave presents itself, it won’t be easy for her to walk away. Faced with an impossible decision, she’ll have to choose what life she wants to lead, and who she wants to lead it with.

A Shadow in the Ember


Jennifer L. Armentrout - 2021
    Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.   However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot. Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.

A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor


Kathryn Moon - 2021
    Even better, the invitation comes by the hand of the handsome Dr. Underwood, a delicate gentleman with a ferocious alter ego who knows exactly what he wants from Esther.Upon arrival the men and the daily decadence of the manor feel too good to be true for a girl of Esther’s station. There are rules to be followed, expectations to meet, and Esther is afraid she might be too wicked even for a place like Rooksgrave.Temptations lurk around every shadowy corner and Esther has never been a girl able to resist. But the risk of disappointing her new gentlemen isn’t all that’s threatening Esther’s new position. Rooksgrave Manor’s protections for its unusual patrons are failing, the wards are crumbling, and Esther’s new and exquisitely pleasurable life may all come tumbling down.Author's Note: I've returned to Rooksgrave Manor to polish and complete Esther's story (previously published in 2018) and rediscovered a whole world of monsters and devious young women that I absolutely adore!

Master of Crows


Grace Draven - 2009
    In exchange for her freedom, she bargains with her masters, the mage-priests of Conclave, to spy on the renegade sorcerer, Silhara of Neith. The priests want Martise to expose the sorcerer's treachery and turn him over to Conclave justice. A risky endeavor, but one she accepts without hesitation--until she falls in love with her intended target.Silhara of Neith, Master of Crows, is a desperate man. The god called Corruption invades his mind, seducing him with promises of limitless power if he will help it gain dominion over the world. Silhara struggles against Corruption's influence and searches for ways to destroy the god. When Conclave sends Martise as an apprentice to help him, he knows she's a spy. Now he fights a war on two fronts -against the god who would possess him and the apprentice who would betray him.Mage and spy search together for a ritual that will annihilate Corruption, but in doing so, they discover secrets about each other that may damn them both. Silhara must decide if his fate, and the fate of nations, is worth the soul of the woman he has come to love, and Martise must choose continued enslavement or freedom at the cost of a man's life. And love.

Infernal


Linsey Hall - 2020
    The hallowed halls are my haven, until the specter of a dark god begins to haunt my days and nights.When he kidnaps me, the lethally beautiful god gains a name: Hades. That should make me Persephone, but I’m no goddess. So why does he want me?While I'm trapped in his castle, I set out to discover what his deadly plans entail. When I learn what he wants me for, I'll do whatever it takes to escape, including seducing the brooding dark god. Yet there’s more to him than I realized. More to us. Despite the cracks that I put in his armor, he still wants me for a darker purpose--something that would bring about the end of the world.

Lady of Darkness


Melissa K. Roehrich - 2021
    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.

Daughter of No Worlds


Carissa Broadbent - 2020
    Her blood for love. Her soul for vengeance.Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organization of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. Even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both.But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.Even if it means wielding death itself.

Untainted


Lilian T. James - 2021
    Wielding a blade and pretending to be human were two of them. Following the rules and controlling her anger, were not. Raised in the heart of the Matherin Empire, Vera spent most of her life forced to hide what she was and what she could do. Until one day, she foolishly confronts a strange male she spies tailing the Crown Prince. Not only does the altercation not go as planned, but the male claims she possesses a power his people vitally need. He's desperate to return home and refuses to leave without her. Staying would give her a life she never thought she'd have but leaving could provide her with the only chance to learn more about her past. The more answers she uncovers about herself, the more questions arise, and nothing is adding up. Vera must decide what to do, not only with her life, but with the ancient power inside her.

The Sunderlands


Anastasia K. King - 2019
    The mortal counterpart to the God of Death, Keres has the power to stem the tide of bloodshed. As brutal civil war threatens to tear her homeland asunder, she struggles to control her gift without succumbing to a curse of unslakable blood-lust. When her people are attacked, she can no longer hold back. The beast within awakens. Gods know there will be no redemption on the other side of her revenge. Wading deeper into the darkness plaguing her land, unraveling the secrets of her heritage, Keres faces a greater challenge: finding her place in this world or being broken by it. Many seek to tame her and use her as a divine weapon. Including a Knight desiring to claim her body and spirit. As the war between Man and Elf stains the Sunderlands with innocent blood, Keres must make a choice: save her people and damn her cursed soul, or forsake the Gods and her homeland to gain freedom.Note: This story is not suitable for persons under the age of 18.