Shattered Darkness” is a Paranormal Romance that drags one right in, headfirst, into urban fantasy and forbidden desires. Shadow City is an unknown metropolis ruled by shifters and vampires, forbidding the human race. This story unfolds with Livia, a businesswoman who has get-up-and-go running in her blood, wanting to be able to prove herself. Then there is Gavin, an introverted wolf shifter with the feet of escape on his mind.

A Gripping Introduction: The action gets going right from the start, dropping Livia into danger and leaving her with no one else to turn to but enigmatic Gavin. This provides a fast-paced opening that carries right on through the setup at the beginning of this book into the subsequent action.

A World Shrouded in Mystery: Generally, “Shattered Darkness” exudes extraordinary world-building, especially in regard to its dark past and power play between the shifter and vampire factions. Shadow City itself seems to suckle in danger and mystery, furthering curiosity greatly.

An Independent Heroine to the Rescue: Refreshingly, Livia takes much away from the damsel-in-distress theme. Resourceful and independent, she stands up for herself in hostile surroundings. This journey is basically self-discovery combined with class struggle to survive in a dangerous city.

A Stoic Hero with a Hidden Agenda: Gavin, the wolf shifter, is an enigmatic character. Add to this the depth which comes from inner turmoil—duty fighting desire.

A Sizzling but Brief Romance: Livia and Gavin shared undeniable chemistry that fortunately assisted in giving their forbidden attraction a simmer throughout the story.

This one was the perfect introduction to the series: “Shattered Darkness” is a fast read, with great groundwork laid for the “Wolves of Shadows” series. In itself, it’s pretty interesting, having a really cool female lead and some simmering romance that hints toward what is to come.

Recommendation This novella hit the spot when I was in the mood to zip through a sexy paranormal romance with an urban fantasy bend. Readers who are fans of Lara Adrian or Kresley Cole will easily get caught up in Shadow City and all its characters. Any reader looking for more depth in world or character development might find themselves hungering for a little more.

The Manipulator
I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don’t affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He’s always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.
The Shadow
I didn’t mean to fall in love.
But now that I have, I can’t stay away.
I’m mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.
The way she undresses…
I’ll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.
And once she is, I’ll never let her go.
Not even when she begs me to.

I am Lady Ramillia Winmoore, daughter of the very late Earl of Brooksberry, or I was lifetimes ago. I am an immortal, and this is my story. Do what you will with it, but I must warn this tale is not for the faint of heart. Highborn Victorian Lady that I was, my life was one of violence and cruelty.

Lady Ramillia Winmoore has suffered gaps in her memory her entire life. This darkness has proven to be a blessing until the day she awakens strapped to an examination table at the West Freeman Asylum for Lunatics. Imprisoned for the gruesome murder of her parents, she is forced to endure years of torture until salvation arrives in the form of a benefactor named Sir Julian Lawrence. Betrothed to her through an arranged marriage, Julian helps her gain freedom.

But appearances are deceiving and soon Ramillia learns the cost she must pay. The horrors she encounters in his household are far worse than the asylum. When he inducts her into a society of bloodthirsty, cruel immortals, she is forced to join them and accept their way of life.

Armed with talents she doesn’t know she has, Ramillia must break free of a prison she cannot see, kill an enemy who cannot die, and find a daughter who she cannot remember—all with the help of an ally she does not know.

In this chilling gaslight-era Gothic horror novel where paranormal powers are bred and collected, friends and foes are not always what they seem when immortality is at stake.

A Masterful Blend of History, Horror, and Humanity: The Last Immortal Earns 5 Out of 5 Stars

It is precisely at this juncture—where history, horror, and humanity blend to perfection—

The Last Immortal” is a sweeping historical epic Gothic horror tale of powerful exploration into what it means to be human by Natalie Gibson. Join Ramillia on a very deep dive in a Victorian asylum and sinister aristocracy, caged in an endless cycle of violence and immortality, as retold in the story of a woman.
A Charismatic, Unreliable Heroine: Ramillia isn’t much of a heroine compared to those one might have ever seen. She stands as one of those gray heroines shadowed by memory gaps in her mind and haunted by a past stricken with violence, wrestling with monstrous abilities, dealing with immortality. Gibson deftly weaves in first person from Ramillia right into the last moments, so the reader never knows whether to doubt her memories or her intentions—actually, a very interesting story of unreliability.

A chilling setting steeped in history: The Victorian asylum, Blackwood Manor, done to death in all its opulence, itself becomes a character. Perfectly underscoring the black undercurrents of a narrative, atmosphere steeped in details of history has fans of Gothic horror drawn to it.

The plot keeps one on tenterhooks with all the turns that no one foresaw. The pacing, in fact, is really spot-on for this story, knowing when to balance all that action with beats of introspection. Mystery swirls a great deal around Ramillia’s past and the secrets the Blackwood family holds within itself.

Through “The Last Immortal”, an action plot deepens into an exploration of humanity’s dark side and slides into violence and musings on the nature of good and evil and identity. The thought-provoking and emotionally poignant struggle with immortality and extremities one could possibly go to in search of a connection is explored through Ramillia.

This will greatly appeal to readers of dark fiction, most especially those dealing with dark historical fiction, Gothic horror, or stories with a really high degree of intricacy and morally gray characters. If you enjoy Anne Rice or Sarah J. Maas, “The Last Immortal” will haunt you long after that final page is turned.

A Final Word: “The Last Immortal” is, without a doubt, one of the great novels; its mesmerizing tugs and pulls on the plot, memorable characters, and thematically enriching storyline—all these no less give a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars to charm, horrify, and finally move you to this unforgettable tale.

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.