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Fae of Brytwilde #1
Castle of Dusk and Shadows
She'll do anything to save her family-even marry a fae and face the dead.
Years ago, Elle Blackford's parents made a desperate deal with the fae kingdom of Ashwood. While her mother and sisters reconciled themselves to a future among dangerous immortals, Elle and her father studied forbidden magic, hoping to find a loophole.
Until Elle's father dies, forcing Elle's sister to marry Prince Fitz, heir of Ashwood.
But Elle has a plan to change their fate. For she knows that ghosts wander Ashwood Forest until the royal family sends them into the afterlife. Ghosts that can be returned to life. And she's determined to save her father from his premature death.
All she needs is powerful magic-magic Prince Fitz possesses.
Taking her sister's place, Elle marries Prince Fitz to steal his power. But in a world of bloodthirsty fae and vengeful ghosts, being a mortal comes with constant risks. As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family.
And the key to her salvation might be her arrogant, cold husband-the one she'd planned to rob and abandon. If only she can trust him.
Years ago, Elle Blackford's parents made a desperate deal with the fae kingdom of Ashwood. While her mother and sisters reconciled themselves to a future among dangerous immortals, Elle and her father studied forbidden magic, hoping to find a loophole.
Until Elle's father dies, forcing Elle's sister to marry Prince Fitz, heir of Ashwood.
But Elle has a plan to change their fate. For she knows that ghosts wander Ashwood Forest until the royal family sends them into the afterlife. Ghosts that can be returned to life. And she's determined to save her father from his premature death.
All she needs is powerful magic-magic Prince Fitz possesses.
Taking her sister's place, Elle marries Prince Fitz to steal his power. But in a world of bloodthirsty fae and vengeful ghosts, being a mortal comes with constant risks. As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family.
And the key to her salvation might be her arrogant, cold husband-the one she'd planned to rob and abandon. If only she can trust him.
292 pages, Hardcover
Published April 21, 2023
440 people are currently reading
8257 people want to read
About the author
Rachel L. Schade
15 books508 followersRachel L. Schade was born on the first day of summer in a small town in Michigan, only to end up in another small town in Ohio. She attended The Ohio State University to learn how to write obnoxiously long papers, cite people who use big words, and discuss her passion: books. She has a great love for the color blue, sunshine, chocolate, and not folding her laundry. Currently she lives with her husband and surrounds herself with coffee and books on a regular basis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews
January 2, 2023
I absolutely cannot wait to share this book with you. <3
January 30, 2026
meh
Right off the bat, I noticed a pattern:
1. Fitz tells her not to do something dangerous
2. She does said dangerous thing 2 seconds later and accomplishes NOTHING
3. She almost pointlessly dies
4. Fitz saves her
5. She is healed and spends time in Fitz’s room flirting while saying she hates him
6. Rinse lather and repeat steps 1 - 5 every other chapter for the entire book
Pros:
- Fitz was an angel and I’m in awe of his patience when he is the real victim here
- Fitz’s love confessions were beautiful
Cons:
- Elle was damsel in distress, generally useless, and dumber than a box of rocks
- Fitz claims he was cruel when he never was
- There was minimal character growth if any at all
- The characters were very 2D
- This is weak sauce enemies to lovers
- The story is ridiculously repetitive in so many ways. Felt like the author was trying to hit the word count on an essay.
- These fae are supposed to be evil, cruel, and tricky but always honest. All I saw were teddy bears who didn’t appreciate being lied to by Elle.
Right off the bat, I noticed a pattern:
1. Fitz tells her not to do something dangerous
2. She does said dangerous thing 2 seconds later and accomplishes NOTHING
3. She almost pointlessly dies
4. Fitz saves her
5. She is healed and spends time in Fitz’s room flirting while saying she hates him
6. Rinse lather and repeat steps 1 - 5 every other chapter for the entire book
Pros:
- Fitz was an angel and I’m in awe of his patience when he is the real victim here
- Fitz’s love confessions were beautiful
Cons:
- Elle was damsel in distress, generally useless, and dumber than a box of rocks
- Fitz claims he was cruel when he never was
- There was minimal character growth if any at all
- The characters were very 2D
- This is weak sauce enemies to lovers
- The story is ridiculously repetitive in so many ways. Felt like the author was trying to hit the word count on an essay.
- These fae are supposed to be evil, cruel, and tricky but always honest. All I saw were teddy bears who didn’t appreciate being lied to by Elle.
April 28, 2023
This book is advertised as a no spice but swoony fantasy romance retelling of Pride & Prejudice meets Gothic romance complete with ghosts and an arranged marriage. And, boy, did it deliver!
I read this in a single day, and this book did NOT disappoint! I wasn't sure I was going to like Fitz at first (he showed a few red flag tendencies that are not my favorite), but luckily he redeemed himself and the romance turned very lovely and sweet, even with all the ghosts and necromancy and stuff that I normally don't read (but ended up loving how it was handled in this book!). This book has no on page spice, but don't let that fool you into thinking that it isn't deliciously swoony! I'm definitely going to be reading more of this book in the future!
I read this in a single day, and this book did NOT disappoint! I wasn't sure I was going to like Fitz at first (he showed a few red flag tendencies that are not my favorite), but luckily he redeemed himself and the romance turned very lovely and sweet, even with all the ghosts and necromancy and stuff that I normally don't read (but ended up loving how it was handled in this book!). This book has no on page spice, but don't let that fool you into thinking that it isn't deliciously swoony! I'm definitely going to be reading more of this book in the future!
May 1, 2023
You invade my every thought and dream
When I tell you I devoured this book, I devoured it! Castle of Dusk and Shadows is not my normal fae fantasy read where all the "dark and dangerous" fae are actually...dark and dangerous. This book, however, was different. Although we definitely do have some very good fae, there are others that want nothing more than to kill. I knew going into this book that it was a loose Pride and Prejudice retelling but I forgot until I was halfway through the book which caused me to get a little impatient with the pace of Elle's thinking...that was until I realized that this followed the storyline of P&P very loosely. Silly me, totally my fault...
I honestly have realized that I am someone who loves the tension of slow burn but hates the wait, again I am impatient, but the wait is so worth it. I loved seeing the tension and build-up of Fitz and Elle's relationship. I loved seeing them get to know one another in a different light than their prejudices prevented them from seeing in the beginning. There were many swoon-worthy moments throughout this book. There were many heart-pounding, nail-biting moments. There were many 'I just want to slap some sense into this character' moments as well. This book definitely lived up to the expectations that I created after watching all of Rachel's marketing reels (if you do not follow her on Instagram, please do). The things Fitz would say to Elle would have me melting in a puddle, I understand her hesitation, but if a man said half the things to me that he did to her, I would forever be swooning.
I truly loved everything about this book! It was very refreshing not to have to worry about smut. It was so refreshing to read a clean fae romance. This book did have ghosts and spirits in it, but it was done in a way that was spooky without being weird. I may have to give this book a reread in the fall to truly feel like I am in Ashwood with the autumn fae. If you enjoy clean, slow-burn, enemies-to-lover romances, then I highly recommend this book! It releases in 18 days so preorder your copy while you still can!! You do not want to wait to get your hands on this book!
*FTC: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions. All thoughts are my own. I was NOT required to write a positive review.*
When I tell you I devoured this book, I devoured it! Castle of Dusk and Shadows is not my normal fae fantasy read where all the "dark and dangerous" fae are actually...dark and dangerous. This book, however, was different. Although we definitely do have some very good fae, there are others that want nothing more than to kill. I knew going into this book that it was a loose Pride and Prejudice retelling but I forgot until I was halfway through the book which caused me to get a little impatient with the pace of Elle's thinking...that was until I realized that this followed the storyline of P&P very loosely. Silly me, totally my fault...
I honestly have realized that I am someone who loves the tension of slow burn but hates the wait, again I am impatient, but the wait is so worth it. I loved seeing the tension and build-up of Fitz and Elle's relationship. I loved seeing them get to know one another in a different light than their prejudices prevented them from seeing in the beginning. There were many swoon-worthy moments throughout this book. There were many heart-pounding, nail-biting moments. There were many 'I just want to slap some sense into this character' moments as well. This book definitely lived up to the expectations that I created after watching all of Rachel's marketing reels (if you do not follow her on Instagram, please do). The things Fitz would say to Elle would have me melting in a puddle, I understand her hesitation, but if a man said half the things to me that he did to her, I would forever be swooning.
I truly loved everything about this book! It was very refreshing not to have to worry about smut. It was so refreshing to read a clean fae romance. This book did have ghosts and spirits in it, but it was done in a way that was spooky without being weird. I may have to give this book a reread in the fall to truly feel like I am in Ashwood with the autumn fae. If you enjoy clean, slow-burn, enemies-to-lover romances, then I highly recommend this book! It releases in 18 days so preorder your copy while you still can!! You do not want to wait to get your hands on this book!
*FTC: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions. All thoughts are my own. I was NOT required to write a positive review.*
April 21, 2023
A deliciously twisty romance with themes of trusting and letting go. Highly recommend for fans of Kenley Davidson and Kathryn Purdie.
April 22, 2023
This book was a fun twist in Pride and Prejudice! Filled with fae deals and ghosts haunting the halls, there were quite a few twists that deviated from the original story that surprised me.
That said, it is VERY much a fantasy retelling of P&P. A lot of the story follows the source material, making the pacing a little predictable—especially in the beginning.
However, Fitz and Holden are amazing and I loved them a lot. Elle got to be a touch … much at time, especially with her anger and distrust of Fitz.
But the end left a smile on my face and I greatly enjoyed this book!
That said, it is VERY much a fantasy retelling of P&P. A lot of the story follows the source material, making the pacing a little predictable—especially in the beginning.
However, Fitz and Holden are amazing and I loved them a lot. Elle got to be a touch … much at time, especially with her anger and distrust of Fitz.
But the end left a smile on my face and I greatly enjoyed this book!
August 11, 2023
hummm… issues…
3.2 / 5.0 This retelling of Pride & Prejudice with a dash of mystery, is an interesting approach to “retelling” a classic. The plot, aside from the murders, was more of a direct retelling than an “inspired-by” story. I was hoping for more original content, more like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies or To Travel the Stars, but this mostly just dresses the original characters in new clothes and slightly different names/circumstances, and then literally retells the original plot… (well, the movie adaptation plot at least).
The characters are not terribly well done either. Elle and Fitz are our Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy, and they rely too much on a reader knowing the characters of Pride & Prejudice. There is no development to them. Separated from the background established by saying this is a retelling, they have no depth. Some are just in the story because they are in Pride & Prejudice and serve no function to this story. If Schade is going to go to the trouble of including them into her book, at least give them a task to fulfill. She does add original characters that function in the plot, they are necessary, so Schade does know that she can manipulate the original story and make it her own, I just wish she’d done it more.
Overall, the writing is good enough. There is a lot of Elle’s internal angst that isn’t very poignant and so comes across repetitive and dull. This FMC is a truly distasteful person, in both her behavior and character, and combined with the single-sided POV, the writing was hard to stay focused on. I found myself reading chunks of this, making myself get to the next 10% mark so I could get through it on schedule. It was not a sit-down-and-binge-read book.
I have the next book on my TBR but I don’t know if I will get to it right at release. The next one is a Mansfield Park retelling (if I remember correctly) and so already not one of my favorite JA books. For this one, if you’re a fan of Pride & Prejudice and just want to read all the retelling and adaptations and fandom, then it is worth it.
Until Next Time
MC
3.2 / 5.0 This retelling of Pride & Prejudice with a dash of mystery, is an interesting approach to “retelling” a classic. The plot, aside from the murders, was more of a direct retelling than an “inspired-by” story. I was hoping for more original content, more like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies or To Travel the Stars, but this mostly just dresses the original characters in new clothes and slightly different names/circumstances, and then literally retells the original plot… (well, the movie adaptation plot at least).
The characters are not terribly well done either. Elle and Fitz are our Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy, and they rely too much on a reader knowing the characters of Pride & Prejudice. There is no development to them. Separated from the background established by saying this is a retelling, they have no depth. Some are just in the story because they are in Pride & Prejudice and serve no function to this story. If Schade is going to go to the trouble of including them into her book, at least give them a task to fulfill. She does add original characters that function in the plot, they are necessary, so Schade does know that she can manipulate the original story and make it her own, I just wish she’d done it more.
Overall, the writing is good enough. There is a lot of Elle’s internal angst that isn’t very poignant and so comes across repetitive and dull. This FMC is a truly distasteful person, in both her behavior and character, and combined with the single-sided POV, the writing was hard to stay focused on. I found myself reading chunks of this, making myself get to the next 10% mark so I could get through it on schedule. It was not a sit-down-and-binge-read book.
I have the next book on my TBR but I don’t know if I will get to it right at release. The next one is a Mansfield Park retelling (if I remember correctly) and so already not one of my favorite JA books. For this one, if you’re a fan of Pride & Prejudice and just want to read all the retelling and adaptations and fandom, then it is worth it.
Until Next Time
MC
May 14, 2023
SUCH a fun read!! i absolutely loved this loose retelling of pride and prejudice. the love interest and was 10/10 and the main character was written so well.
i came across this author randomly on instagram and she markets her books as “no spice” so i had to give it a go. it had everything i loved about the cruel prince and everything i look for in a fantasy romance but with no spice and i loved it.
def would recommend!!
i came across this author randomly on instagram and she markets her books as “no spice” so i had to give it a go. it had everything i loved about the cruel prince and everything i look for in a fantasy romance but with no spice and i loved it.
def would recommend!!
November 17, 2025
I liked it! This was my first time reading a book by Ms. Schade and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the Pride & Prejudice story woven into a Fae fantasy setting.
Content
Clean romance, kissing.
No language
Some fae violence, talk of murder and people getting killed
Content
Clean romance, kissing.
No language
Some fae violence, talk of murder and people getting killed
January 14, 2024
More please I'm begging you 🫠🥰
Read if you like ...
🥀 Pride & Prejudice
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
🦇Gothic novels
✨️ Fae fantasy
❤️ He falls first
🍷Jane Austen
Read if you like ...
🥀 Pride & Prejudice
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
🦇Gothic novels
✨️ Fae fantasy
❤️ He falls first
🍷Jane Austen
March 31, 2023
You can feel the gothic vibes from the very first few pages!! This was a really fun book to read because it had all of the classic pride and prejudice era vibes with the clothes and the world, but it also had brutal fae. Rachel did not hold back with these fae either— some of them are downright monstrous!! Which I personally am a big fan of because a lot of fae in books are very civilized and nice (not that I don’t enjoy that as well) but it was great to see the more brutal/savage side of the fae.
The romance is very slow burn (which Rachel excels at 😆) and there is plenty of tension and glances when they don’t think the other is looking 😂 I’ll include a list of tropes below but Fitz is the kind of fae to maim and ask questions later.. especially when it comes to his bride!!
This would be a great book to read in the fall because it has all of the spooky vibes with the haunted forest and castle, but of course any time is a good time for spooky-ness!! I cannot wait to see what else Rachel pulls from this world! It is just so interesting and I know there are so many more amazing stories to tell with these brutal fae and scrappy heroines 😆
Tropes:
One bed
Who did this to you?
Literally kills for her
Touch her and die
Broody prince
Regency vibes
Strong sisterhood
He falls first
Deadly ghosts
Murder conspiracy
Brutal fae
Court politics
Pretend to be in love
Dark spooky vibes
The romance is very slow burn (which Rachel excels at 😆) and there is plenty of tension and glances when they don’t think the other is looking 😂 I’ll include a list of tropes below but Fitz is the kind of fae to maim and ask questions later.. especially when it comes to his bride!!
This would be a great book to read in the fall because it has all of the spooky vibes with the haunted forest and castle, but of course any time is a good time for spooky-ness!! I cannot wait to see what else Rachel pulls from this world! It is just so interesting and I know there are so many more amazing stories to tell with these brutal fae and scrappy heroines 😆
Tropes:
One bed
Who did this to you?
Literally kills for her
Touch her and die
Broody prince
Regency vibes
Strong sisterhood
He falls first
Deadly ghosts
Murder conspiracy
Brutal fae
Court politics
Pretend to be in love
Dark spooky vibes
January 27, 2024
If you’re going to write a clean romance and claim that it’s a Romantasy then you need to have a ton of romance in said book. I would argue that there is really no romance whatsoever in this book. It’s mostly plot. The h barely even thinks about the H, she’s so consumed with her mission of finding her father and then the whole thing with Cordelia. When you don’t have any on page, even FTB, sex scenes to show us how the H and h feel about each other and connect physically and emotionally then you have got to work that in in other ways and the author didn’t here. This isn’t a romance. This is fantasy book that has some romantic elements and those elements are really only there to further the plot. There is no chemistry or intimacy between the characters.
The nods to Pride and Prejudice didn’t work for me here either bc the MCs get married super early in. It just felt like the h was rejecting the H over and over again and it didn’t hit anywhere like Elizabeth rejecting Darcy felt. They are already married here!! It was cringe seeing this dude ask if they can actually try and she’s just like “fuck off”. She’s truly awful. She attempts to slap the H, pulls a knife on him, and hurt him with her new magical powers all the while he is just running around saving her from herself as she has no respect or care for anything other than her “mission”. I really hated her. Gah. So annoying.
The nods to Pride and Prejudice didn’t work for me here either bc the MCs get married super early in. It just felt like the h was rejecting the H over and over again and it didn’t hit anywhere like Elizabeth rejecting Darcy felt. They are already married here!! It was cringe seeing this dude ask if they can actually try and she’s just like “fuck off”. She’s truly awful. She attempts to slap the H, pulls a knife on him, and hurt him with her new magical powers all the while he is just running around saving her from herself as she has no respect or care for anything other than her “mission”. I really hated her. Gah. So annoying.
April 3, 2023
When I first heard of Castle of Dusk and Shadow, I was fully on board, a loose retelling of my favorite Pride and Prejudice… Sign me up!
When I first started the book, it felt almost like a carbon copy and not loose, and I was worried for how the magic system would come into play. But once we entered Brytwilde I understood the reasons why Schade started the story the way she did.
The tension between Fitz and Elle was great, and in true PnP fashion he falls first and fights it, and she despises what he stands for, or rather what she THINKS he stands for. I love the magic system in this book. It was unique and explained in a way that helped you to understand how this world works.
This is a slow burn clean romance, but the tropes are endless! One bed, he falls first, Touch her and die (Literally!), marriage of convenience.
When I first started the book, it felt almost like a carbon copy and not loose, and I was worried for how the magic system would come into play. But once we entered Brytwilde I understood the reasons why Schade started the story the way she did.
The tension between Fitz and Elle was great, and in true PnP fashion he falls first and fights it, and she despises what he stands for, or rather what she THINKS he stands for. I love the magic system in this book. It was unique and explained in a way that helped you to understand how this world works.
This is a slow burn clean romance, but the tropes are endless! One bed, he falls first, Touch her and die (Literally!), marriage of convenience.
March 21, 2023
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This a loose retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and the author does a good job of being faithful to that story. I just wished that she had brought something a little bit more unique to the story. Everything felt a bit bland and predictable. I also didn’t like our female protagonist Elle. Fitz was great, but I wished we got to know more about him.
If you love Pride and Prejudice, you will definitely want to check this book out, but I think it missed the mark for me as I wasn’t in the right mood for it.
This a loose retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and the author does a good job of being faithful to that story. I just wished that she had brought something a little bit more unique to the story. Everything felt a bit bland and predictable. I also didn’t like our female protagonist Elle. Fitz was great, but I wished we got to know more about him.
If you love Pride and Prejudice, you will definitely want to check this book out, but I think it missed the mark for me as I wasn’t in the right mood for it.
February 9, 2023
For fans of The Shadows Between Us.
After her father dies suddenly, Elle’s family is forced to make good on their arranged marriage with the Prince and heir to the throne.
Told in first person, Elle navigates the treacherous world of Fae and ghosts, replete with dangerous political intrigue.
The nods to Austen’s classic are delightful & include everything from language choice, silly younger sisters and a broody heir.
All the angst and none of the spice, this story is suitable for romance lovers 14+
After her father dies suddenly, Elle’s family is forced to make good on their arranged marriage with the Prince and heir to the throne.
Told in first person, Elle navigates the treacherous world of Fae and ghosts, replete with dangerous political intrigue.
The nods to Austen’s classic are delightful & include everything from language choice, silly younger sisters and a broody heir.
All the angst and none of the spice, this story is suitable for romance lovers 14+
February 22, 2023
Schade does it again! This book is brilliant. It takes the Fae that we all know and love but gives it a fresh twist and adds in creepy ghosts which just take it to another level!
The romance: *chef's kiss*
The banter: *CHEF'S KISS* oh my gosh
Action: *chef's kiss*
Plot twist: *chefs kiss*
Mystery & suspense: *chef's kiss*
And for all you P&P lovers out there, I'm positive you'll love this story.
This book is amazing. You'll definitely want to add it to your shelf!
The romance: *chef's kiss*
The banter: *CHEF'S KISS* oh my gosh
Action: *chef's kiss*
Plot twist: *chefs kiss*
Mystery & suspense: *chef's kiss*
And for all you P&P lovers out there, I'm positive you'll love this story.
This book is amazing. You'll definitely want to add it to your shelf!
December 29, 2025
I think this book was so disappointing because it was advertised as a gothic retelling of Pride and Prejudice with fae, but it’s really not. Are there fae? Yes. Is it gothic? Eh. But how is it a P&P retelling? I did not see that at all and I was looking for it with a magnifying glass.
What this book actually is, is a story about a mortal girl who secretly takes her sister’s place to wed a fae prince because of a contract between the two families. Throughout the novel, the male lead is trying to figure out who murdered his sister, and the two of them are slowly learning to like each other after being forced to marry. The literal only similarity to Pride and Prejudice that I can see is the male love interest seems dark and brooding at first but actually kindhearted by the end. But the entire plot structure between the two novels is different.
So I think if you have the right expectations going in, this book won’t be so bad, but I was disappointed that it wasn’t what I was advertised in the synopsis, which sounded like it would have been a good story. Alas, I will never know. One bright spot, however, is that the romance and general content of the story is clean, so that was nice.
What this book actually is, is a story about a mortal girl who secretly takes her sister’s place to wed a fae prince because of a contract between the two families. Throughout the novel, the male lead is trying to figure out who murdered his sister, and the two of them are slowly learning to like each other after being forced to marry. The literal only similarity to Pride and Prejudice that I can see is the male love interest seems dark and brooding at first but actually kindhearted by the end. But the entire plot structure between the two novels is different.
So I think if you have the right expectations going in, this book won’t be so bad, but I was disappointed that it wasn’t what I was advertised in the synopsis, which sounded like it would have been a good story. Alas, I will never know. One bright spot, however, is that the romance and general content of the story is clean, so that was nice.
August 30, 2023
Overall: 4 stars
This was a fun, engaging fantasy with a romantic subplot. To be clear, the writing wasn't perfect, the characterization wasn't novel or in-depth, but nevertheless, the book held my attention and was so engrossing that I devoured it in a couple days.
I think my enjoyment of this book is down to the author's excellent plotting skills. The plot had some nice twists and revelations, and even if I saw a couple coming, the emotion of those scenes was engaging. The pacing in this book is great with a good balance between action and character-driven scenes as well, which is hard to pull off, honestly.
I didn't much care for the heroine, as I found her straight out of YA Heroine Central Casting with her uncontrollable rage, impulsivity, and inability to not crack wise when in dangerous situations. Nevertheless, this didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the book, since those are very common character traits - it just didn't add to them either.
The author also did a great job creating a novel take on how the fae and their kingdoms work. Since there are approximately 9 zillion fae-themed fantasies nowadays, even a couple new twists on familiar mythology and tropes is nice.
As a side note: this book's blurb sells it as a "Pride and Prejudice-inspired" story, and honestly, the book has very, very little in common with P&P: there's a bunch of sisters who need to marry because they're poor and the cousin might take over their home.....the hero is named Fitz...yeah, that's it. This book is not a P&P retelling with fae accents, just FYI.
I'm definitely going to read the next book in this series when it comes out.
This was a fun, engaging fantasy with a romantic subplot. To be clear, the writing wasn't perfect, the characterization wasn't novel or in-depth, but nevertheless, the book held my attention and was so engrossing that I devoured it in a couple days.
I think my enjoyment of this book is down to the author's excellent plotting skills. The plot had some nice twists and revelations, and even if I saw a couple coming, the emotion of those scenes was engaging. The pacing in this book is great with a good balance between action and character-driven scenes as well, which is hard to pull off, honestly.
I didn't much care for the heroine, as I found her straight out of YA Heroine Central Casting with her uncontrollable rage, impulsivity, and inability to not crack wise when in dangerous situations. Nevertheless, this didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the book, since those are very common character traits - it just didn't add to them either.
The author also did a great job creating a novel take on how the fae and their kingdoms work. Since there are approximately 9 zillion fae-themed fantasies nowadays, even a couple new twists on familiar mythology and tropes is nice.
As a side note: this book's blurb sells it as a "Pride and Prejudice-inspired" story, and honestly, the book has very, very little in common with P&P: there's a bunch of sisters who need to marry because they're poor and the cousin might take over their home.....the hero is named Fitz...yeah, that's it. This book is not a P&P retelling with fae accents, just FYI.
I'm definitely going to read the next book in this series when it comes out.
May 30, 2023
4 ⭐️ STARS
0 🌶️ SPICE
1 ⚔️ STABBY-NESS
This is such a clever and unique Pride and Prejudice retelling! P&P fans will definitely love the nostalgia of it and it’s a great no spice gothic fae tale for non P&P fans too.
0 🌶️ SPICE
1 ⚔️ STABBY-NESS
This is such a clever and unique Pride and Prejudice retelling! P&P fans will definitely love the nostalgia of it and it’s a great no spice gothic fae tale for non P&P fans too.
September 24, 2023
Ich habe dieses Buch am „stuff your Kindle day“ kostenlos runtergeladen, da ein gothic pride and predjudice retelling genau mein Herbst-Geschmack ist. Ich bin momentan in einer Fantasy/Romantasy Phase und dieses Buch war sehr heartfelt und ein easy read. Obwohl mir gegen Ende des Buches bei den Thematiken Trauer und der Akzeptanz des Todes ein wenig die Tränen kamen, war das Buch im allgemeinen sehr einnehmend und herzerwärmend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2023
3,75⭐️
September 14, 2024
good but not a lot happened tbh
July 17, 2025
3.75 stars
January 4, 2026
I really did enjoy this. What a great retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The only issue I had was with the FMC making a lot of assumptions without any real evidence and put herself into danger numerous times. She just was so naive. Wish the FMC had more common sense.
April 29, 2023
Couldn't put it down!
Read it in one sitting, I really enjoyed this! Can't wait to read more from the author, this was great.
Read it in one sitting, I really enjoyed this! Can't wait to read more from the author, this was great.
June 20, 2023
I appreciate that there is no spice in it, but it's way to trope-y for me. Every trope possible was represented in this book.
April 4, 2024
(4.25)
Came for the P&P retelling, stayed for the character work and worldbuilding (I wanna live in oakfell so bad!).
As a retelling I really enjoyed it! I feel like the characters were written very faithfully to their Austen counterparts, though little attention was given to anyone who wasn't Darcy, Lizzie, Jane, Bingley, Wickham or Darcys little sister, which is a bit of a shame but ultimately a good choice I think. It left room for the author to really make this story their own. I really like the decision to make Darcy and Bingley brothers, though I do wish we got to see more of the Queen character she was very interesting. I also really liked how the author had the Mr Bennet character pass away recently before the events at the start of the book, it certainly made for an emotionally impactful conclusion.
Came for the P&P retelling, stayed for the character work and worldbuilding (I wanna live in oakfell so bad!).
As a retelling I really enjoyed it! I feel like the characters were written very faithfully to their Austen counterparts, though little attention was given to anyone who wasn't Darcy, Lizzie, Jane, Bingley, Wickham or Darcys little sister, which is a bit of a shame but ultimately a good choice I think. It left room for the author to really make this story their own. I really like the decision to make Darcy and Bingley brothers, though I do wish we got to see more of the Queen character she was very interesting. I also really liked how the author had the Mr Bennet character pass away recently before the events at the start of the book, it certainly made for an emotionally impactful conclusion.
August 3, 2025
Such a fun reimagining and the audiobook was great!
June 5, 2023
This was my first time reading a book by Rachel L. Schade and when I saw it described as a "loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice in a Gothic Fae setting", I thought that this sounded like it would be a perfect read for someone like me that loves both the world of fantasy and all things Austen-inspired. I was not disappointed!
Castle of Dusk and Shadows is the first book in Schade's Fae of Brytwilde series and in it she weaves a dark and dangerous world of royal fae politics that is upturned when Elle Blackford, a human woman determined to save her family, goes against the Queen's bargain and marries the Ashwood heir, Prince Fitz, much to his surprise and initial disappointment.
From that moment on, Elle finds herself thrust into the Kingdom's dark secrets, including an unsolved murder among the closest of the Ashwood family. As time passes, Elle, much to her own frustration, finds herself unable to fight the growing attraction she has for her brooding and mysterious husband, whom she only wanted to use as a means to an end for her own family's salvation.
As any good character inspired by Darcy should be, Fitz is equal parts broody and devotedly fierce to the ones he loves. I enjoyed going on the journey with these two as they slowly started to tear down the barriers placed around their hearts. Of course, the only question is, can their newly established feelings for each other survive the onslaught of doubt and pressure from those who would seek to tear them apart? You will have to just have to read and find out!
I read across the 'spice' continuum and while this book is a 'no spice' rating there is plenty of fantastic banter, conflict and tension between our main couple. Fitz is absolutely murderous, both figuratively and literally, when it comes to protecting those he cares about, including his new wife and soon to be queen. I also really enjoyed seeing how Elle grapples with being accepted by the land to wield the power Fitz has bestowed on her.
If you like any and all of the below, then definitely give this book a read:
*Banter and tension
*Broody fae prince
*Touch her and die
*Morally grey characters
*Romance without spice
*Dangerous fae
*Arranged marriage
*One bed
*Ghosts
I look forward to checking out book 2 in this series coming out later this year!
Castle of Dusk and Shadows is the first book in Schade's Fae of Brytwilde series and in it she weaves a dark and dangerous world of royal fae politics that is upturned when Elle Blackford, a human woman determined to save her family, goes against the Queen's bargain and marries the Ashwood heir, Prince Fitz, much to his surprise and initial disappointment.
From that moment on, Elle finds herself thrust into the Kingdom's dark secrets, including an unsolved murder among the closest of the Ashwood family. As time passes, Elle, much to her own frustration, finds herself unable to fight the growing attraction she has for her brooding and mysterious husband, whom she only wanted to use as a means to an end for her own family's salvation.
As any good character inspired by Darcy should be, Fitz is equal parts broody and devotedly fierce to the ones he loves. I enjoyed going on the journey with these two as they slowly started to tear down the barriers placed around their hearts. Of course, the only question is, can their newly established feelings for each other survive the onslaught of doubt and pressure from those who would seek to tear them apart? You will have to just have to read and find out!
I read across the 'spice' continuum and while this book is a 'no spice' rating there is plenty of fantastic banter, conflict and tension between our main couple. Fitz is absolutely murderous, both figuratively and literally, when it comes to protecting those he cares about, including his new wife and soon to be queen. I also really enjoyed seeing how Elle grapples with being accepted by the land to wield the power Fitz has bestowed on her.
If you like any and all of the below, then definitely give this book a read:
*Banter and tension
*Broody fae prince
*Touch her and die
*Morally grey characters
*Romance without spice
*Dangerous fae
*Arranged marriage
*One bed
*Ghosts
I look forward to checking out book 2 in this series coming out later this year!
March 18, 2023
I have no words. Rachel is a master of words. This is definitely a different vibe from her previous works, and that is not a bad thing! Rachel is so very talented and this book is no different. You really can't go wrong with any of her books. But back to CoDaS. If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice*, Gothic vibes, some mystery, royals, fae and swoon worthy men, then you really need to read this! I was captured and entranced from the first chapter. I could not put this down. The characters that Rachel wrote and brought to life are so lovable and you can't help but fall in love with them. I absolutely adored Elle and Fitz and their dynamic. I just can't put into words how much I enjoyed reading this and I am so excited to see what other stories we get to enjoy from this world.
*friendly reminder: this is loosely based off of P&P.
*friendly reminder: this is loosely based off of P&P.
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