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An Empress of Earth & Darkness

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Under the light of the approaching Wolf Moon, Emara Clearwater finds herself torn between her duty as an Empress and the truth that lies in her heart. With no Supreme emerging between the Elemental Covens yet, Emara must take the reins to fight for what she believes in—paving the way for women in a new world. But the darkness in her powers is building and the secret of her bloodline hangs in the balance. Will Viktir Blacksteel be the one to bring down Emara’s new world all around her? Or will she succumb to the name that haunts her, Balan, King of the Underworld?
Being a guard to the Empress of Earth is becoming more difficult as forbidden feelings grow, but they are not the only thing on Gideon Blacksteel’s mind. He finds himself in the middle of a Blacksteel civil war between his brother and father in the inevitable fight for dominance. When given the choice, whose side will he stand on?
Torin Blacksteel’s hope for a future of his own choosing was ripped out from under him in the blink of an eye. Struggling to find his way, he turns to darker hobbies and dangerous interests. But his new lifestyle doesn’t align with what his heart truly wants. Will he step up from his shattered reality and fight for Emara, or will he be too late? As long as his father is commander, will he have a choice?
Breighly Baxgroll is in deeper than she thought. Trying to find her place in the kingdom with witches, her protective pack, and a certain inked Warrior of Thorin, she quickly finds herself overwhelmed. But as the demons of her past swarm around in her head, mixing up her emotions, she will need to hold on to her fierce tongue before she ruins special relationships forever. And with the Wolf Moon—also known as the mating moon to wolves—in the sky, she finds herself in another predicament.
In a race against time to find the stones of the Gods before the Dark Army, the Blacksteel Clan must work together—regardless of their feelings—to figure out where they are. With Kellen Blacksteel’s visions getting stronger, will he be able to keep them a secret, or will he expose himself in the process?
It seems darkness is written in the stars of destiny, and Kellen’s visions spell suffering for Emara and the clan. By the time the Wolf Moon reaches her fullest peak, the earth will be soaked in hunters’ blood, and there isn’t much the Empress of Air can do to fix the impending tragedy.
Or is there…?

372 pages, Paperback, Hardback, Ebook

Published September 1, 2023

1 person is currently reading
113 people want to read

About the author

Noelle Rayne

4 books168 followers
Noelle Rayne is the debut author of An Empress of Air and Chaos. This is book number one in her debut fantasy series. She has a BA Hons Degree in Theatre and lives in Ayrshire, Scotland. When she is not writing, she is binge watching supernatural TV shows, cuddling her fur baby or curling up with a good fantasy book under fairy-lights. Or possibly doing all three at once. She is obsessed with storms, glitter and all things witchy. If you like any of these things, I have a feeling you might like her books…

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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for ruby.
208 reviews73 followers
September 1, 2023
The story shortly after the events in Fire and Steel, and let me tell you, the angst and yearning completely shattered me. The growth of Emara as she embraced her true self was truly awe-inspiring. The development of the characters was skillfully portrayed, their emotions so authentic that I couldn't help but experience both tears and laughter alongside them. Emara is a regal figure who fearlessly vocalizes her determination to bring about change for women everywhere, going to great lengths to make it a reality.

The romance portrayed in this story is absolutely exceptional; Torin's unwavering love for Emara knows no bounds as he steadfastly opposes anyone attempting to separate them. I found myself utterly captivated by their affectionate moments. Torin with his tender words, gentle touch - everything about him just made me swoon! He worshipped Emara like she was a goddess!

Artem and Breighly are an angsty couple that perfectly complements one another. Their connection ignited like an inferno; there was an undeniable intensity between them that kept me hooked throughout. Artem had this remarkable ability to turn serious situations into comedic ones effortlessly while Breighly embodied strength and sassiness like no other.

True to Noelle's signature style, the ending hit hard with its cruelty and brutality - it left me in tears yet again! I'm desperately longing for book 4 so I can find out what fate has in store for my cherished characters once more. It feels incredibly unfair not knowing how things will unfold for them...

If you have not yet read An Empress of Air and Chaos series, why are you hesitating? This SERIES is a revelation that you never knew you needed!
Profile Image for Layne Alexandra.
188 reviews6 followers
August 12, 2023
literally sobbing at my desk i can’t believe this i can’t believe this I CANT BELIEVE THIS. but what an amazing book. i felt every emotion known to man while reading this book. it was amazing to watch the characters grow and come into their own. the story is just crazy and so good and i just am incoherent right now with my freaking emotions
Profile Image for rissys.bookshelf.
176 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2023
Review to come... I am still processing the ending of the book. 😳😮🤯
Profile Image for Kacie Clark.
732 reviews12 followers
August 29, 2023
”Please excuse me. An empress has better things to be doing than tolerating the insults of a man.”

Noelle continues the Empress series with a fantastic installment in book 3! Emara has become such an admirable MFC with amazing character growth over the series progression, it is so easy to fall back into her journey with every book. However, I think I will always be quite partial to Toruń’s POV chapters. His absolute devotion and love towards Emara is just *chefs kiss* - I love the pair of them so much. Noelle really kicked up the sexy times and steamy scenes in this one 🥵🥵 and I was all for it! We also get POV chapters from both Gideon and Breighly in book 3. Gideon has had so much growth as a friend and a brother since book 1 and I’ve really come to enjoy his relationship with the other characters and very intrigued to see where his feelings for Sybil go. Breighly is an amazing female character pairing for Emara as I think the two add so much empowerment for their gender in a male driven world. Breighly is way more complex than what we see on the surface and it’s been great getting to dive more into her thoughts, especially those towards Artem 😉 the last third of the book definitely had me on my toes and Noelle — of course, the evil woman — gives us another brutal cliffhanger to deal with until book 4. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all the way!
Profile Image for KayTheBookLover.
660 reviews125 followers
August 28, 2023
The way Noelle sucks me into this world is addicting!!!!

We are continuing Emaras adventure with her friends! This series has the main characters you can't help but love and side characters you want as your own BFF!

I had so many emotions in this book, and I loved it. I can't wait for the next book.

Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5
Spice 🌶 🌶 🌶. 5/5
Profile Image for Brittany ( BookWyvernLovesTea ).
236 reviews2 followers
August 18, 2023
This is the third book in the series and it has:
Delightful twists and turns ✅️
Swoony steamy moments ✅️
Banter ✅️
Devastating cliffhanger ✅️ ✅️ ✅️
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I love all of the character growth that has occurred thus far in ALL the characters. Emara has grown into a true Empress and I love it. When Rayne writes a queen, she writes a QUEEN. Emara has come through so much that has helped shape her, but in this book she's also turning that around to start shaping the world she wants to see around her!!! And while it seemed for a moment that Torin was having an emotional constipation lapse, he comes past it relatively quickly and will still burn the world down for Emara.
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I'm also loving the growing cast. Artem and Breighley are just so wonderful. They bring much needed levity. I will fight Artem for the spot of president of the Tormara fan club. And Kellen 🥺 I just want to hug that boy.
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And the way the plot continues to go. It's becoming more epic with every book! I need the next one so badly, it's not even funny.
Profile Image for Ashley (alwaysbooksandtea).
374 reviews
October 7, 2023
"Her soul knew his. Her darkness knew his, too."

An Empress of Earth and Darkness has everything that I loved about the first two books in the Empress series, and more! There's so much heartache, grief, love, and passion in this story. It's an emotional rollercoaster, and I loved every bit of it, even when it felt like my heart was being ripped apart.

A quick reminder that the Empress series must be read in order. An Empress of Earth and Darkness, book 3 in the series, picks up a few months after the events of An Empress of Fire and Steel. Emara and Gideon are mandated to be married by Viktir, Torin has been drowning his misery in alcohol and the fighting pits, Breighly is pretending she doesn't have feelings for Artem, and Artem is diligently watching over Emara with sassy one-liners to make her (and me) smile.

Noelle has crafted such a deeply moving story. The stakes for the cast of characters continues to get higher with Emara and Gideon's impending marriage, a new Supreme needing to be found, and the truth of Emara's parentage getting harder to conceal day after day. I love Emara's growth and strength in fighting for the rights of women in her community, for her ability to choose who she marries, and who she loves.

I laughed, I cried, I blushed, and I fell in love these characters all over again! This book is spicier than the last, and is written so well. I need more dirty talking Torin and Artem in my life! Noelle knows how to write an impactful cliffhanger, and friends this one is SO GOOD! By so good, of course I mean that it's emotionally devastating and will leave you begging for book 4!! I am so excited to see what happens next!! I can't recommend this book and series enough!

"There is more light in you than anyone I know. You are a good person, Emara. Your darkness? It might be testing you, but you have five other elements that are strong too, and they are all light."

"I can't look at you because every time I do, I see everything that I ever wanted. I see everything I can't have."
Profile Image for Sarah.
327 reviews61 followers
August 28, 2023
Y’all… I could not put this book down!! There are soooo many swoony Torin moments and I am so here for it. I seriously could not stop highlighting his sweet lines as his love for Emara continues to grow. Emara continues to come into her power and I love seeing her stand on her own in the magical world. Viktir still sucks so much, but I think his character arc fits him well (I won’t say more because, spoilers). I’ve come back around to like Gideon again, and I’m secretly rooting for him and Sybil.

There’s quite a few character lines that are left unresolved, and I think we are in for an amazing book 4. Breighly, Artem, Kellan and Arlo get more page time and I love how much we learn about them. Honestly, Artem provides the best comic relief and I love his relationship with Emara!

The ending is 🤯. You are not ready.

Profile Image for Tara Camille.
45 reviews4 followers
October 9, 2023
I am seriously in awe right now of just how much I love this series!!! It is absolutely so good. The way Noelle has developed all of the characters is phenomenal. I want to live in Torin Blacksteel’s world.

This book has everything a fantasy lover could want: magic, love, spice, pigheaded characters that are their own worst enemies but you love them so much. Dark vs light and so much more.

I read a LOT of books and what’s so absolutely amazing above everything else is that Noelle is self published. She’s done ALL of this on her own and she rivals the SJMs, Jennifer Armentrouts, Twisted Sisters ANY day of the week.

These books should have soooooooo much hype so get out there read it and tell everyone you know to jump on the Blacksteel bandwagon and let’s give Noelle and her books the recognition they both deserve!!

Now give that baby some love and GIVE ME BOOK 4!!!!!
Profile Image for Jen.
412 reviews17 followers
August 29, 2023
This series just keeps getting better and better! I am going to try to do this review without any spoilers so it may be short.

Torin made this book for me! I loved him more than I ever have and his growth throughout was so well written. I felt every emotion with him!

Artem is quickly becoming my favorite character though! His witty remarks, protectiveness and being an underlying softie seriously makes the series.

All of the characters are so great and I can’t wait to continue on this journey with them. It is going to be REALLY hard to wait a whole year after that ending!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Read this if you like:
💨 Elemental Magic
🔥 Soulmates
🍃 Found Family

Thank you Noelle for this ARC, I love being a part of your team!
Profile Image for Michele.
197 reviews5 followers
September 2, 2023
Ahh!! This book is everything! I love this world that Noelle has built! This starts off where the AEOFAS ended! Everything is chaos. Emara and the blacksteel brothers have a lot to figure out! Gideon sings a new tune and honestly I feel bad for him. I want him to have his Hea! Torin is a mess and we see him at his lowest and how he deals with that pain. I mean the plot just keeps getting better. I was not expecting the ending and was like no… I need to wait for the next book. All I know is I need the next book like yesterday.🤣

Check this one out if you like Witchy vibes, brooding men, action, romance, found family and much more! Oh and did I mention the spice! Yes it has it all! 🔥🙌🏼
Profile Image for Becky Gordy.
277 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2023
Wow I was so dang happy to be back in Caledorna again! This book seemed to fill in some gaps/bridge the story all the while keeping fast paced and interesting. I loved getting multiple POVs from all of my favorite characters. The evolution of Emara and Torin’s relationship in the book is definitely swoon-worthy, though there are a few other -ships I am quite interested to see develop. Emara is self-sacrificing as always and I cannot wait to see how Torin and the crew rip the world/s apart to get her back. I’m hoping we get a bit of a new glimpse of a new world in book 4 and even more POVs, from our old favs to maybe some new
Profile Image for Heidi.
612 reviews6 followers
August 19, 2023
Lol, did I beta read this? You bet I did! Am I reading the arc? For sure!! Noelle has this way of writing characters that tug at your heartstrings, that grab on to you and won't let go! I'm so invested in these characters!! She's created this found family that I wish was real so I could hang out with them!

There's romance, magic, kick a$$ girls, angst, shifters, demon hunters, banter, spice, good vs evil, so many emotions! This was a nonstop adventure!! I couldn't put it down - I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it!! The perfect romantasy read!!
Profile Image for Seoidin Quinn.
37 reviews1 follower
September 6, 2023
I devoured this book ! Noelle is just a brilliant writer and in this book she continued to explore the characters and their amazing relationships! I was crying and feeling all the emotions ! And I cannot wait for book 4 to see what happens ! This series for me is on my top tier ! So if you love fantasy romance you need to get on this right now because you are missing out ! Five stars ! 💜💜💜💜💜
180 reviews3 followers
September 18, 2023
WOW!!! I thought this was the last book but apparently NR has more surprises.. I really loved EVERYTHING in this story except for the HUGE cliffhanger and no date for the next book to come out.

Every character is very well written, the plot is interesting, fast paced and full of magic.

NR has become one of my favorite authors!
Profile Image for Reading Rew.
99 reviews
July 13, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is a fantastic continuation of the series, I love all these characters so much.

As with the other books in the series I laughed, I cried and I was terrified for the characters.

Favourite scene - the Hunter, the Wolf and the Vampire in the back alley, I was howling with laughter.
Profile Image for Marie Klaire.
37 reviews
October 4, 2023
I loved this series, but this book did not hit like the two prior books.

Torin was mopey and gave up too easily. The angst was not serving.

I have high hopes for the next book tho. Nothing like a good ol, kidnapped and separated sub plot to manifest REAL angst.
Profile Image for Ashley.
19 reviews1 follower
November 26, 2023
Screaming, crying, throwing up!!!! Oh my gosh I have so many emotions on this book & since i never leave reviews i don’t know how to properly word my feelings. LOL I loved every second of this book. As usual the cliffhanger got me good & I am (impatiently) awaiting the next books release.
Profile Image for Lesley C.
4 reviews
January 1, 2024
As usual, Noelle Rayne has given us another fantastic chapter in the empress series. Lots of twists and turns and another foot stomp inducing ending but I'll say no more! Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Sara .
234 reviews13 followers
March 13, 2024
In this body I will die, but what my heart feels for you will be eternal.

Currently sobbing incontrollably. Tori-boy Ilysfm♥️🩹
Profile Image for Abbey | bookishandme.
317 reviews7 followers
May 5, 2024
I need 5-10 days to gather my thoughts and how I feel about the ending of this book!
Profile Image for J. L. Linn.
187 reviews28 followers
August 31, 2023
“She had looked at him like he was the only star in a sky full of darkness.”

I’m going to keep this spoiler free which means you need to read it!

This book was amazing! It picks up the story from the previous book, and we are thrown into the anguish of making tough choices and not feeling in control of your life. You feel the emotions right along with the characters, and it is beautifully written. It will wreck you and leave you wanting more!

The characters’ growth and the story development continue to build and is expertly woven book to book. I love delving into the additional POVs so you really get to know the characters and understand them. Torin finally steps up and takes over like the baddie he is. Emara is becoming the Empress the world needs and taking it to the patriarchy. She is battling a darkness within that she is trying to hide, but a sinister force recognizes it and is coming for her. This book left me thinking about it for days!

This series is a must read! It’s so good. Read if you like:
✨magic
✨intrigue
✨secrets
✨paranormal
✨twists and turns
✨touch her and die
✨found family
✨banter
✨steamy spice

and more delicious tropes we love in fantasy books!
Profile Image for Jess.
583 reviews31 followers
October 24, 2024
Did I go into this not realising there would be two more books? Yes. Am I excited that there are two more books coming, double YES! 🙌

Torin Blacksteel and Emara Clearwater. These two’s journey has been addictive and I inhaled this book just like the first two. Torin’s unwavering love just shines through and gives all the good vibes!

We get more from Breighly and Artem and their whole will-they-won’t-they romance. The denial from these two is unreal and so angsty! 😅

If you like witches, wolves and demon hunters then this is the series for you, it gets better with each book!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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