Blood of Desiderium by Ali Stuebbe—dark fantasy, court intrigue, and forbidden lust. A young fae princess, quite literally cloistered inside the palace of her father, has had the magic stripped away and replaced in her heart with freedom. Emma’s life turns into a mystery where real facts seem to raise a question mark over the security of her kingdom.

Interesting Beginning: The novel begins with a very exciting encounter. It even extends to the point of exposing what is underneath the suffocating atmosphere of Emma’s enclosure. Thus, it was this strong beginning that held the reader in suspense for the scene of exciting happenings.

A World Rife with Secrets and Shadows: Stuebbe summons a complete world, full of magic, political upheaval, and whispers of some nameless evil that managed to make its presence felt within the torn Fae realm. It is full and complex enough to be interesting without overwhelming the reader with minutiae.

Complex protagonist: Emma. A heroine, definitely not your cookie-cutter damsel in distress. At the same time, with that kind of raising, she won’t turn her back on a fight or justice. Neither will there not be emotional scars from having been through that trauma. The decisions she makes with new powers and fresh emotional scars about what to do—that is the coming-of-age journey.

A Web of Intrigue: The even pace of most settings is very well maintained with the unexpected twists and turns that the author treats readers to. Add to it the dirty linen of politics, forbidden love, and thrilling encounters between some dimly lit silhouettes-it positively has the feel of a tale of intrigue. Others, however, feel that at times the pacing is uneven within the middle part of the book.

A Touch of Darkness: “Blood of Desiderium” is strictly for mature audiences. It is certainly going to give one the feel that it dwells on mature themes, some of which are violence, abuse, or dark desires, tinging it with the greatness of their polemic inclusion to everyone’s taste.