Cursed. Hunted. Coveted… Caught in the spotlight this week is the dark fantasy CURSE OF THE MOONFLOWER by Sam Dorsett. Let’s read on!
Curse of the Moonflower (Scars of Somnium #1)
Release Date: April 21, 2026
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Featuring ⬇ ⦁ Werewolves, Witches, Vampires & Demons ⦁ Multiple POVs ⦁ Traumatized FMC & MMC ⦁ Fated Mates (Multiple perhaps?) ⦁ Found Family ⦁ Reluctant Allies to Lovers ⦁ Touch her and d!e An ancient curse runs through Vessa Lemaire's veins—the gods have destined her to wed the banished vampire ruler of the Underworld, who will stop at nothing to seize his betrothed. She discovers this only days after the horrific death of her mother, forcing her to leave her shattered life behind.
For three years, she lives under the protection of a werewolf and his mate, an oracle. Until one day, a vision befalls the seer—a chance for her to find permanent asylum, right alongside the man who despises vampires most.
Axe Skornokovy is a soldier of vengeance, hell-bent on eliminating vampires and the powerful demigod from which they were sired. As Vessa tries to find her place among his pack of feuding wolves, she must keep her secrets close. She must come to terms with the fact that Axe is more than capable of turning on her, even as it grows difficult to ignore the tantalizing force which conspires to bring them together. For if they give into it, they will spark a war destined to bleed into the realm below.
Sam has been obsessed with wolves since she was eight. Growing up in Missouri, when she wasn’t sketching them in her notebooks, she was weaving stories in her mind where bold heroines would run alongside them. Nowadays, when she isn’t writing, listening to metal music, or picking flowers, she devotes herself to a menagerie of ten animals (and counting).
Follow Sam and her books on IG: @authorsamdorsett, and TIKTOK @sam_dorsett
Releasing today, THE GIRL WHO DREAMED IN THORNS by Rebecca L. Garcia and Dawn Darling is in the spotlight! A lovers-to-enemies Peter-Pan-inspired bully romance, set against the grim, death-filled backdrop of Never, where wickedness lurks beneath every fairy-dusted leaf, innocence demands sacrifice, and a broken heart can kill you.
The Girl Who Dreamed in Thorns: And So She Withers (The Never After Duet Book 1)
Release Date: May 21, 2026
Genre: Dark Romance/ Bully Romance/ Dark Fairytale
Featuring ⦁ Bully Romance ⦁ Dark Fairytale ⦁ Lovers to Enemies ⦁ Peter Pan Reimagining ⦁ Villain gets the Girl ⦁ Unhinged MMC ⦁ Found Family to Enemies
One year ago, Holly returned home with no memories, a bloody scar, and a torrent of nightmares. On the night of her debut into society, a mysterious stranger offers her the answer to the question that has haunted her since her return: What happened to Wendy Darling? Desperate to find her sister, she goes with him to the thorny island from her dreams. Except, Never has changed. The forest is rotting. The faeries are dying. And Kit, the handsome, brutal Wyard who she once loved, hasn’t forgotten her betrayal.
Caught between the boy who wants to punish her and the pirate begging to save her, Holly begins to suspect that the most dangerous thing on the island was never the magic or the one who controlled it. It was the moment she allowed him to feel anything at all. Because very few lived long enough to break the heart of a Wyard, and none survived it.
CW: This book contains dark themes and is intended for adults 18 and over, including murder, death of a character, kidnapping, bullying, degradation, torture, death of a child (off-page, mentioned), graphic violence, orgasm denial, profanity, breath play via drowning, and sexual content.
Follow on Instagram: @dawndarlingauthor @rebeccagarciabooks
I am back with another Book Spotlight Thursday! Shining this Thursday is Chasm of Dreams, a dark fantasy romance by Dakoda Mazzii! Chasm of Dreams takes place in a primitive world where only brute strength, cunning, and cruelty have enabled its humans to survive. Let’s read on!
Chasm Of Dreams (The Fate of Astaran Series Book 1)
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Release Date: March 3, 2026
Features
✨Touch her and die ✨One horse ✨” Who did this to you?” ✨ FMC goes from reluctant hero to BAMF ✨Hurt/Comfort/Consent ✨Mysterious mind link between MCs ✨ Strangers to lovers ✨Yearningggg
More than a thousand years ago, the humans of Astaranwere conquered by a vengeful Fallen Angel named Chemosh a.k.a “The Sovereign”. Through the deception of Hel’s general---the mighty black wolf and demi-God, SkÖll---she betrays the Gods of Lyrath to declare war on a race of humans with powerful psychic abilities. The Gods then exile her to Astaran and sever her black wings. With the help of her acolytes, The Anakaii, she takes control of Astaran. AIDA is an orphan and nomad whose parents vanished when she was seven. Her gift of Dream Walking allows her to project into anyone’s mind and plant a suggestion that will compel them to comply. When her power leads to deadly consequences, she vows to never use the gift on anyone again. During her time in the wilderness, Aida’s relationships are sparce, except for the mysterious presence that has been linked to her consciousness for as long as she can remember… When an Astaran Guard and tracker named TYRAN is tasked with finding an escaped prisoner, he finds Aida after she has been captured by four vicious servants of The Sovereign. Upon saving her from a brutal assault, the pair flee into the dangerous depths of The Furian wood, far from the reach of The Sovereign’s stronghold in Opeth city. As they travel to the bounds of their known world and approach the towering Vazaketh mountain range, they encounter ancient beasts, discover a hidden race of exiles, learn the answers to the secrets of their past and future, and a solidify a soul-bond that may be the key to the liberation of their entire realm.
Dakoda Mazzii is an author-in-bloom from the great state of Texas. Always a lover of creative writing and fiction novels, she received her Arts degree from Florida Keys Community College in 2014. Her debut Romantasy novel, CHASM OF DREAMS, was crafted to satisfy her craving for a gut-wrenching, bone-crunching, and swoon-worthy story with a supernatural twist. When not reading or writing, you can find her enjoying a coffee at the park with her daughter and husband.
Follow Mazzi on INSTAGRAM @dakodamazziiauthor TIKTOK: @dakodamazziiauthor
It’s my birthday, and I am back spotlighting THE SKELETON FAERIE by A.P. Mobley! The cover caught my eye! It’s fantastic as Faerie folklore meets a nuclear post-apocalypse in this dark mythological fantasy woven with secrets, treachery, and star-crossed lovers!
Let’s dive in deeper!
The Skeleton Faerie (Children of the Death Gods Book 1)
Release Date: November 8, 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Features
⦁ star-crossed lovers ⦁ emotional scars ⦁ different worlds ⦁ hidden identity ⦁ postapocalyptic settings ⦁ magical powers ⦁ mythology and folklore ⦁ faeries and monsters ⦁ portals to the otherworld Ninety-nine years after the Nuclear War of 1989, twenty-one-year-old Gus Brandon should only be interested in the survival of humanity and the expansion of his compound. But he’s obsessed with legends from the distant past, superstitions of an expired people. While searching forbidden ruins for the scraps of stories lost to time, he stumbles upon a mysterious young woman covered in scars. Her name is Saoirse, and their meeting sets off a bloody chain of events—one in which Gus discovers that the folklore he loves just might be real, and that it’s tied to mankind in ways he could have never imagined. Soon the lines between myth and reality blur, as do the lines between realms. Gus will have to rely on his knowledge—and Saoirse—to survive the horrors awaiting him… in this world and the next.
A. P. Mobley is the Halloween-loving, rock-music-obsessed author of dark fantasy inspired by mythology. She doesn’t only write about her favorite myths, folktales, and fairy tales in books, though; she discusses them on her podcast, Myths (& Folktales & Fairy tales), as well as on her blog and newsletter. She grew up in Wyoming and Nebraska and currently lives in South Dakota, and when she’s not up to her elbows in research for her next project, she can be found consuming dangerous amounts of coffee, reading speculative fiction, or rewatching The Good Place.
To learn more about A.P. and her books, follow her on Instagram @author_apmobley
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! In the spotlight on this special Thursday is a book you might want on your holiday wish list! The Shadowless (At the Corner of Eden and Darkness Book One) by R.J. Garcia. Let’s check it out!
The Shadowless (At the corner of Eden and Darkness Book One)
Release Date: November 26, 2025
Genre: Dark Romantasy
Features 🥀 Modern faery tale vs real-life suspense 🥀 White and black magic 🥀 Family dysfunction 🥀 Hidden realms 🥀 He falls first 🥀 Twists and turns
Mae Dawson returns to her family’s cabin to look for her missing sister. One night, she goes to sleep only to awaken in the depths of the woods surrounded by eerie and indiscernible voices, which lead her to her sister’s grave. Trying to piece her life back together, Mae juggles college and a romance with her best friend-turned-boyfriend, Benji. Yet, everything unravels when strange late-night calls come from beyond, and a malevolent force begins to invade her friends. Adding to her unease is the presence of a mysterious stranger, Brandon Sills, who seems to lurk in the shadows, watching her every move. Despite the warning bells ringing in her mind, Mae feels an inexplicable attraction to him. As mortal and magical forces conspire against her, Mae must trust Brandon to uncover the secrets of the fae—secrets that could change her life forever, if she is able to survive.
R.J. Garcia is a wife and proud mom of two smart kids. She earned her MSW and worked with foster children and as a school social worker. Writing has been her other great love. She has been writing short stories for as long as she can remember. To her amazement, those short stories became novels!
It’s October! So be on the lookout for Spooky Book Spotlights all month long! Starting with THE MONSTERS THEY MADE US by Frank J. Camacho! “The Monsters They Made Us” is a haunting debut that blends dark fantasy, supernatural horror, and dark academia on the rocky coast of Massachusetts.
The Monsters They Made Us (The Heirs of Driftmoor Book 1)
Release Date: October 1, 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror/ Dark Academia
Featuring ⦁ Supernatural coming-of-age ⦁ Found family vs. bloodline ⦁ Monsters as a metaphor ⦁ Character-driven plot ⦁ Coastal decay ⦁ Generational trauma ⦁ Small-town lore ⦁ Faustian bargains
Some monsters are born. Others are made. But the worst are inherited. Long before Driftmoor was a town, it was a threshold where the veil between the natural and supernatural ran thin. Where wicked bargains were struck in the dark. Bargains that cursed four bloodlines forever.
Dorothy arrives at Driftmoor Academy hoping to leave her past behind and become someone new. But after a car crash leaves her teetering between life and death, dark abilities awaken inside her. Whispers through the halls. Nightmares claw at her sleep. And death follows wherever she goes.
As Dorothy is pulled into the gilded world of Driftmoor’s elite, pieces of a forgotten legacy begin to surface—along with a power she doesn’t understand and a past someone tried to erase. And she’s not the only one marked by what came before.
There’s the boy touched by the sea, who’s drawn to a song no one else can hear. The socialite carved from gold and expectation, clinging to perfection before it shatters. And the son born in shadows, raised by a family that never intended to keep him. Linked by the bargains of their ancestors, the heirs of Driftmoor must each decide: will they surrender to their curses, harness the power they’ve inherited, or let it destroy them?
Frank J. Camacho was born and raised in New Jersey. He grew up immersed in CW shows and fantasy books, which sparked his love for emotionally tangled characters, small-town secrets, and supernatural drama. When he’s not writing, he’s making overly specific Spotify playlists or redecorating a room he swore he was done with. The Monsters They Made Us is his first novel and the first book in The Heirs of Driftmoor series.
Today I’m spotlighting the interesting FLAME IN THE SILVER STORM by Rocio Carranza. A dark fantasy gothic this is book 2 in The Eternal Curse series. How Far Would You Go To Save the Ones You Love? Let’s dive deeper to find out!
Flame in the Silver Storm (The Eternal Curse Book 2)
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Gothic
Tropes: Witches & Pirates Forced Proximity Political Intrigue Feminine Rage Found Family
There is a darkness encroaching the lands of Serit. From the Givensmir kingdoms to the Blackthorn coven, bitter rivalries threaten the lives of magic and mortalkind alike.
With the truth of her mother’s demise fresh in her heart, Eve has fled her life of comfort to escape the clutches of Givensmir’s new and vengeful king. Stowing away on a pirate ship bound for destinations unknown, Eve and her familiars must place their trust in its captain. A man with a dark past and a proclivity for secrets.
But no matter how far she runs, the Blood of the Blackthorn continues to haunt her dreams, beckoning her to fulfill its fatal prophecy, and soon Eve is forced to choose her fate.
To risk the lives of those she loves or let the magic consume her.
Rocio Carranza, a multi-genre writer, spent most of her youth with a book in her hand, consuming stories of fantasy and horror as if her life depended on it.
This naturally led into a love of writing stories as an excellent way to get lost in worlds of her own making—fighting epic battles, undoing curses (or casting them), and confronting the things that go bump in the night.
When she isn’t typing frivolously at her computer, you can find Rocio galivanting about Austin, TX with her husband and two kids or with her nose in at least five different books she likes to read at a time.
Curious to know more?
You can find Rocio on social media on IG/Threads/TT @rociocarranzawrites and Bluesky @rociocarranza.
Starring in the spotlight today is INNISFALLEN ACCURSED, a dark fantasy fae story, which is book 1 in ‘The Innisfallen Prophecies.’ Let’s read on for more!
Innisfallen Accursed (The Innisfallen Prophecies Book 1)
Release Date: September 30th, 2025 (Hard cover)
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Fae Features
Dark fantasy Powerful artifacts Magical creatures - fae, monsters, shapeshifters Good vs evil Heir to the throne Strong female lead
Some powers are buried. Others refuse to be forgotten. And one wants revenge.
The land of Innisfallen is under attack, besieged by shadow beasts under control of a dark power. For four endless years, winter has gripped the fae world—crops have withered, villages stand silent, and the magic that once thrived has vanished, along with all memory of it.
Reagan, an 18-year-old fae, has spent those years trapped in an elite court training program, forbidden from returning home. When she discovers she may never be allowed to see her little sister again, Reagan makes a desperate escape. But her plan is shattered by the arrival of strangers from another kingdom carrying an ancient artifact tied to a forgotten power. The brothers, each more beautiful than the other, ignite passions in Reagan she has never before experienced.
Drawn into the brothers’ mission to break the curse over their world, Reagan faces an army of dark creatures, willing to do whatever it takes to save her sister and all the kidnapped fae. An artifact stirs something in Reagan, awakening a power she never knew she had—a power that could hold the key to Innisfallen’s salvation. Or destroy everything in her path.
Jenny Simard LaBranche is an award-winning author of supernatural, fantasy, horror, and paranormal thrillers. A former IT Specialist and retired Firefighter/EMT, her path to becoming a full-time writer has been anything but ordinary.
Despite a lifelong struggle with dyslexia, Jenny held onto her dream of writing fiction. On August 26, 2021, she left the IT field for good and became a writer, finally embracing her passion. Her debut novel has already earned two literary awards and marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her creative journey.
Jenny has been married to Paul LaBranche for 27 years, and together they share their home with their adorable chihuahua, Mojo. When she’s not conjuring chilling tales and fantastical worlds, she enjoys the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and getting lost in a great book.
Follow LaBranche and her books on IG: @jennysimardlabranche/ TikTok: jennysimardlabranche
In our spotlight today is the first book in ‘The Wrath of Chaos series’, NEMESIS.
Nemesis (The Wrath of Chaos Book 1)
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Genre: Dark Romantasy
Features
• Morally Grey Shadow Mommy • A Fae King who Yearns • One Horse Trope — But it’s a Dragon • Delicious Banter and Tension • Dragons x Dragon Riders
The Asherian War has ushered Earth and its population into a new age. Humankind has gone, giving rise to a tenuous society of other races once confined largely to shadows and stories. The new paradigm is overseen by the Celestials, whose terrestrial ambassadors, the Legacies, wield a potent and manifold elemental magic—one ruled by the astrological sign one is born under. They were instrumental in banishing the dragons—ravenous and mindless beasts—to the gloomier land of a place known as the Outer Edge. Astraea, the powerful general of the Legacy Legion, cannot stand by when two massive dragons descend on the Legacy Compound and abduct her younger sisters. Leaping on one of their great scaly backs, becoming a willing captive to the darker margins of their world, she and her siblings undertake a shocking and revealing journey, one where prior deceptions are lifted, where alliances fall and former enemies become allies and where new, unexpected dangers are born. Dragons, Astraea learns, are hardly the mindless creatures she knew them to be—they are, as one named Nemesis tells her, thoughtful seekers of peace, with a wholly different perspective on the Asherian War, and their banishment to the Outer Edge. As Astraea and her sisters reconcile themselves to this new reality, the fae king, Asher—so named for the war, and who is very much in love with Astraea—pursues them to the Outer Edge. Though he can be pompous and presumptuous, there is no doubt Astraea herself is drawn to him. Now, as she cautiously opens her heart, and arms herself with new understanding, she and the others must also prepare to confront those who stand in the way of peace.
Known to many as “Shania Fillmore” of YTV’s THE NEXT STAR SEASON 4 and THE NEXT STAR: SUPERGROUP, this small-town girl from New Brunswick, Canada, has taken a turn from singing on television to pursuing her writing dreams.
Music, visual arts, reading, and writing are what she lives and breathes. The art world is her truest passion.
Settled back in her hometown, Shania Scichilone has spent her time as Musical Director during show season, and the rest of her time has been filled with writing and learning digital arts.
Her debut series, FATES DIVINE, begins her new career as an author.
A bit of a change this Thursday. As I bring you a book review!
ABSOLUTELY MIND-BENDING!
The Afterlife Experiment (The Altered Planes Book 1)
Published: October 10, 2023
Genre: Dark fantasy/Sci-fi- horror/ American horror
Pages: 310 pages
Reality ends where madness begins.
Atra Hart’s shadow has grown teeth. It moves on its own and whispers her name. She calls it Dread, and it threatens to devour her mind.
When a fire breaks out at the asylum where she’s locked up, Atra seizes the chance for freedom, only to witness an electric-purple rift split the sky open. Like Dread, the rift is visible only to her.
Then, she awakens back in the asylum, unharmed, as if the fire, the escape, and the rift never happened. But everything feels wrong. No one remembers her old life. Her family, her friends—even her past—have vanished. The doctors insist she’s delusional, but the messages scribbled on the mirrors suggest otherwise. The darkness beneath her bed whispers secrets. And the black cat that watches from where the veils thin? It doesn’t belong here.
As Atra ventures deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a chilling truth: this isn’t an asylum. It’s a trap woven between broken realities. The rift isn’t a vision. It’s a crack in the barrier between worlds, and something is trying to come through. Dread isn’t a hallucination. It’s a harbinger, connected to something ancient that moves between realities like a parasite, searching for a perfect host.
If Atra can’t sever her connection to Dread, she won’t just lose her grip on sanity—she’ll become the vessel that lets the horror in. She’ll open the door to something that could end reality itself.
As I prepared to receive my ARC for the upcoming book, “In the House of Root and Rot” (book two in the Altered Planes Trilogy), I had to read book one, which the author had kindly gifted me as well. This book mind *ucked me and I liked it!
We are introduced to Atra, who has spent most of her life in an asylum. She sees a dark shadow companion whom she calls Dread, which no one else can see. We also meet Tom, her father, who had abandoned Atra, leaving her for dead after a sinister experiment went wrong.
A rift has opened in the fabric of time, and only Atra, Tom, and some others can see it. An ancient evil wants to break through. Atra has the final piece it needs.
Think Stranger Things meets Sliders meets The Travellers or Fringe. I don’t know! This book makes you question the very reality you are reading! This is the very first book where I couldn’t predict what would happen next! THE VERY FIRST! I was reading for my sanity, so there was that. These characters become you.
I love unreliable characters, and Weiss delivers cause this whole book is full of them. The ending leaves you craving what is next. What horrors and madness await us in the next book? Stay tuned, as I’m set to read the second book “In the House of Root and Rot” soon!
My overall rating is 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5 stars. This book gave me a trip, no drugs needed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sam was named after a dog, a fact her mother disputes to this day.
While she’s terrible at writing “About Me”s about her, she’s been told she’s great at writing about what fictional people do. The more miserable she can make them, the better.
Her love of horror films from the 80s, sci-fi shows from the 90s, and alternative music from the 00s have inspired her to write what she’s calling “Dark Science Fantasy” although she’s kind of making that up as she goes along.
When she’s not ready to pull her hair out after discovering another plot hole she’s created, she goes camping with her husband as far away from society as possible. So far, this tactic has been mostly successful and she’s only had to physically converse with a grand total of nine people this year. Next year, she hopes to get that number down to six.
Freelance Writer Janny(Jan Marie)C 