Madness Behind the Mask

Book of Shadows #0.5

by Miranda Grant

As a woman of the Shadow Family, my only worth is in my ability to breed. Wanting me to create the next generation of soldiers to fight the werewolves and vampires of St Augustine, my father marries me off to a powerful witch called Caden Davenport.

But on our wedding day, we're attacked by the werewolves, and I'm kidnapped by the alpha for killing his mate. After stabbing my hands to a tree, he begins to punish me...

By the time I'm rescued, I've been beaten into a coma.

But my husband still wants the soldiers he was promised...

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Horror

368 pages, Hardcover

Published September 23, 2023

About the author

Miranda Grant is not a serial killer.

As an author of fantasy and paranormal romance, she just needs to know some things, like how many dead babies can fit in a bathtub (34, 52.5 if blended), what human meat tastes like (dry pork), how to get away with murder (it’s really hard to tell the difference between a drowning accident and a drowning murder, just saying), etc.

This non-serial killer lady lives with her partner, who often drags her outside, claiming ‘sunlight is necessary’ and ‘social interactions are a good thing’. Given her questionable search history, she goes along with it, thinking it’ll be better to have less ‘aloof serial killer vibes’ should the police ever knock on her door…

Reviews

[Michaela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Update: AUTHOR DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO STAY OUT OF READER SPACES AND WILL PUT YOU ON BLAST ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM IF YOU CRITICIZE THEIR BOOK.

**Since my review is still getting attention months later I'd like to add that the post the author posted of my friend's post from their IG with his username and picture is STILL up (despite repeatedly asking her to remove it because it puts all his info on display for her fans to attack if they so choose) along with many other negative reviews she has posted on social media since. I am changing my profile to only friends allowed to comment, because I’m tired of this old ass argument and have no interest in what you have to say**



I wish I could lobotomize myself to erase this disgusting “book” from my mind.

Take my 1 star as actually negative 1000 stars

I started reading this kind of as a joke. I read a lot of dark romance with a lot of dark stuff, but this isn’t a dark romance. It’s just snuff porn.


‼️‼️‼️ TRIGGER WARNING‼️‼️‼️

The part that sent me over the edge is the detailed description of a TWO MONTH OLD BABY being molested, raped, and murdered and stuffed into a toilet.
The first rape scene we are given the 12 year old FMC is cut open at her pelvis, while simultaneously being raped through the mouth. We THANKFULLY don’t get to the part insinuating the other to rape her through a hole cut open on her breast. OR the others with sticks for “dildos”
The compounding rape scenes afterward coupled with the random torture/violence with no plot was evident of the author just trying to garner shock value and no actual talent for writing or building a story.

This book is marketed as a romance but there is minimal romance to be seen despite being marketed as dark romance and should be marketed as splatterpunk horror instead.

writing is god awful in general, no plot exists, literally just torture porn/snuff porn.

The author just throws in the most extreme things they can think of for shock value, and adding in their author bio about dead babies in a bathtub? It's giving wannabe edgy 12 year old saying whatever they can to get attention.


‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
This is a second trigger warning for in depth detail of the baby scene if you are wanting to know but this is a HUGE warning that it is VERY graphic.






The lead up shows the FMC walking up on the uncle molesting the baby vaginally. Mentioning the baby’s red face screaming.
Later the mmc is rightfully torturing said uncle and uncle mentions how when he would do diaper changes he would “stick his finger up her cunt until she screamed”
We then see the mmc entering the bathroom and notices blood on the sink and follows the trail to the toilet. Where he opens it and finds the baby, mentioning the baby’s prolapsed anus, red thighs, and broken back and then shoved down into the toilet.

[KrystleReads · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF after R**e of 3 month old baby.. I’m all dark & pitch black but I draw a line especially with the description. If this got into wrong hands= dirty pedos would have j off material.. I’m sorry it’s vile.

[LitLush · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my what did I just read? Like you know when you read a TW list and its large you have an understanding that this book will have trauma’s, but I don’t think I understood the pandoras box I opened when I started reading this book…. This book is a walking talking traumatised person who should have been committed a long time ago. Every time you think you’ve evolved and moved on from some event that happened and found some sense of solace for the FMC, you know what people call a piece of happiness. The author throws it right in your face like some overlording ruler and says get stuffed you deserve no happiness. I never thought I’d write a review like this in my life but here we are discovering there is a line, and I will happily never cross it again. I hope I have learned this lesson so you don’t have to sometimes a dark romance book is truly a horror movie that is this book. Also even the ending you are left what you’d think could be some sort of happy ending resolution NO! No happy ending I don’t think this author knows happiness for her characters.

[•mikaela• :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of shaming readers for liking dark content, maybe do some research into why some SA and r*pe victims read books like this.
Not all victims read dark stuff, and that is perfectly fine. But for us that do, it’s a way to cope with all the emotions swirling inside us.
Let us heal the way we want to. 🫶🏻

It could be darker, just saying. 🤷🏻‍♀️😈

[kt · Rating 1 out of 5]

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS AUTHOR.

if you want a good overview (HUGE TRIGGER WARNING) read michaela’s review. she did a beautiful job and summing it up, as well as pointing out the many flaws about the author and the “book”.

[Lillian Carranza · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 40% Spoilers*******


Way to much incest and rape all involving little kids while trying to have a a fantasy spin on it with witches, vampires and werewolves.
No thanks

The MFC was in a coma for 30 years who got raped multiple times by her "husband" and others and before her coma when she was a child, her father and uncle would beat her and just do nasty vile things to her at 10 years old and younger. This book goes into way to much fucked up details about that.

I'm all about trigger warnings but this, this is not a good one at all.

[KW · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a book.

[Kailynn (slump 😔)]

note:

What the hell kind of person writes a book where a three month old baby is r**ed!!

This is disgusting.

Here is an update: It’s not on page, but it’s very detailed and is mentioned to a point I cannot read. With how detailed and graphic it is I consider it to be on-page.

Y’all can have your own opinions. I’ve said what I needed to say, so please leave me out of it if you don’t agree.

For more information you should look at Michaela’s review.

[bookishbellexoxo · Rating 1 out of 5]

i genuinely don't know how you are categorising this as dark romance and just a note to authors, not fully disclosing FULL trigger warnings is not it. if you're brave enough to write something like this, own up to it. im just really confused as to why you would go into detail in a scene like this.

[Ivana · Rating 1 out of 5]

My review 75% into the book sums it all-

WHY THE FUCK AM I READING ZHIS SHIT

I SWEAR thr only People that can say they like zhis book, are the bishes that read like 25 books in 24 hours, and dont know what to read anymore, see 2 almost coherent sentences plus it being a dark romance and "edgy" can again, say that this is a gpod book. this. THIS IS GOOD??!??HUHHHH???

like F you for makung me believe this was the darkest most brutally delicious book ever written and to the author, what ghe fuck?? it's bad, so bad that I'm FUMINGGG

I can't believe I got myself to the end of this book.
I-I have no more words.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to rate this 5 bc of the pure depravity in this. (There is a soft and a hard edition and I did read the hard edition.)
This book is not a "dark romance" it's just dark. People, including myself, have said "this book isn't dark, it's pitch black" about books that this one makes look like an episode of Friends.
Miranda Grant said "if you think it can't get worse, it can" and girl it didddd. The trauma, the anger, the sadness this book instills. This book is graphic, gory, had me questioning life. Fr.
The intro song to law and order SVU played in my head while reading this book.

I do not recommend this book to anyone that doesn't shop by trigger warnings. And even then.. you have been warned. Lol.

🖤🖤

[Throwaway · Rating 1 out of 5]

I figured I'd give my full review on this ‘book’. I take my reading seriously, of course, but imagine my disappointment seeing the other 1-star reviews and that the author posts them to further market these books, to trick others into thinking they have written masterpieces and that it's all just a hate campaign against them and what they write.. when in reality what they have written is as bad as others have said and they just cant handle when theyre called out on their problematic behaviour. yikes

Reviews are for readers, not for authors. AMEN

Anyway, just a few things (No hate)

10/10 wouldn't recommend to my worst enemy, and trust me that girl deserves the worst.

The book was advertised in a dark romance kindle group, which I then added to my TBR, so me being me at the time assumed this was right up my alley, oh boy was I naïve. Trigger warnings have never been an issue, but you know when someone writes something just for the fun of it to push the boundaries, and then blames the said people for reading it because they found it distasteful and don't agree with how the author handled the topics? Yeah this book was it. Instead of taking responsibility they blame the readers for not being able to handle this type of content, instead of going ‘yeah maybe i crossed a massive line here’ ‘or maybe i need to listen and not advertise this as a dark romance’ the author would rather play the blame game instead of doing the correct work.

Their hard drive needs to be checked, I'm pretty sure this is on the borderline for CSAM as this is all this novel had, that and more abuse... it had every single kind the author could get their hands on and yet no actual plot... there's nothing pilot wise to be found on any of the pages, I'm confused on how you manage to write a book but somehow forget that it needs a plot. The FMC is nothing but a punching bag, a piece of equipment for people to assault, abuse and control. She isn't even a woman, so why are we treating her as such? Its categorised in the dark romance genre, so it passes the vibe check when it should be categorised in the ‘please show this to my therapist’ genre, this book isn't even a thriller, there's no romance involved, the object is constantly abused by her so called ‘husband’ treated like slop and then forced to give birth to millions of kids, only to then have her son assault her. Just say you hate women and go? Writing an entire book to then repeatedly kick the point into the ground was not necessary, like it was buried. The point was proven, you didn't need to then bind it into a 448-page monstrosity and sell it for profit.

The cover is adult themed, only to then backtrack and the female character have the mental age of 9, but because she has tits and is described as an adult woman it equals legal, (yaknow if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it must be a duck) so there's no issue here but in reality she's a child, acts like a child, breathes like a child, and has the mental capacity of a child. (Basically, she is a child just without the full disclosure) The male main character is the creepiest POS I've ever had the displeasure of meeting, marries a child, and then assaults said ‘wife’ and I say wife loosely as even he treats her like a slab of meat, to then force her to carry children while she's in a coma? I had to research what the dark romance genre meant because damn have we fallen and gotten lost, there was no overcoming trauma, there was no realisation, it was just abuse on top of abuse, on top of r@pe, on top of MORE abuse then to make it seem sexy added in sex scenes to sell the authenticity of it being a dark romance novel. I'm fully inclined to believe the author has no idea what dark romance is, hence why we have all of this. There is nothing else I can say that is worth noting, the plot? Where? The paranormal element? Mentioned twice, Romance? Search elsewhere. (I won't even mention the r@pe and murder of a baby, RIP baby who died just for the shock factor, you added nothing to the story, but I'm sure the author writing it got a real good kick out of your star-studded role)

But hey, let's say this was the author's first novel, so mistakes are easy to make, right?

No, no, no..

This was indeed not their first novel, or in cowboy terms, not their first rodeo, yet somehow their writing has not once improved throughout this shining career they have, instead they genuinely believe that describing abuse and non consensual sex scenes are the epitome of ‘INCREDIBLE WRITING’, in their own words 'My writing is THAT descriptive' I'm half tempted to feed in to this level of delusion the author carries and the confidence they give but when youre blasting one star reviewers for literally calling out this mess for what it is, maybe its time to take a seat and take onboard the criticisms. Entering a reader's space to then tell said readers they are wrong for rating their book that way, if you can't take criticism, then being an author and selling books isn't the job role for you.

The book itself already has 5 star reviews (in my opinion paid for), and i say paid without any evidence because i find it hard to believe that people sat there and enjoyed this story as if it was on par with other books in their reading list, like it is genuinely incomprehensible to me that you sat there and thought this was a powerful story of overcoming abuse and trauma. As if they truly felt healed by it, felt seen. All this author has done is profit from a fictional character's abuse and then labelled it as if they are helping. It's done the exact opposite and has shown that they find it rather entertaining, and instead of taking said criticism and correctly handling these topics, has further gone and made another 2 BOOKS, containing the same material, which stunningly people are lapping up… I'm lost.

I'm far beyond baffled at this point, and considering I just know the next books will be the same regurgitated nonsense with further shock value, and probably the murder of poor unsuspecting babies.

Anyway, if you've made it this far, I won't be reading again, just in case that wasn't clear, and in future will be reading reviews before having a blind date with a book.

If you read it, go for it; if not, don't feel like you're missing out. There are other books out there waiting.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱]

Note to self: 📢 AVOID.AVOID.AVOID 🚨🚨🚨

[KZ · Rating 1 out of 5]

No thank you. I’m going to try and erase this book from my mind. I DNFd the book and it was the best decision I made.

[Laura (lady_h_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for the Hard Version of Madness Behind the Mask
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️½
Antonio does not own her. He is not her husband. He might have left his mark on her, but I will wash him from her memories, give her new ones to sleep to, to find comfort in rather than pain.

I am obsessed with this book! The level of darkness is no joke. I thought I’d been jaded reading so many dark books recently, but I FELT this one. I found it even better than the first book in the series! This is DARK DARK. Please check TWs before reading. Unless you have none, then dive right in!

I have so much compassion for the FMC, Sau. She is a tragic character who has gained and lost so much. My feelings towards the other MCs are so convoluted. I can't tease out if I hate them or not.

It's a fast-burn MF romance though there are additional players who have noncon engagements with Sau. There is a mixture of con, noncon, dubcon, and punishment scenes.

It has a non-traditional HEA (I would classify it closer to a bittersweet HFN). You could conceivably read this as a standalone, though it is part of an interconnected series and occurs chronologically before the rest of the series.

⚠️ Significant triggers. Please visit the author’s website https://mirandagrant.com/madness-behi... for an extensive list. ⚠️

Genre: Dark Paranormal Mafia Romance
Tropes/Features: VERY dark elements, mafia, arranged marriage, witch FMC, witch MMC, werewolf, vampire, virgin FMC, con/noncon/dubcon, revenge
Narrator: Multiple 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: MF (scenes where F is taken), fast burn, spicy (kinks)
Book Type/Ending: Prequel novel in Book of Shadows series, can be read as a standalone, non-traditional HEA
TW/CW: Extensive list available on author’s website https://mirandagrant.com/madness-behi..., soft version does not contain several of the triggering elements.

[Melissa Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was this a good book? Yeah. Did I like it? No. This review is based on the book overall, not whether it suited my personal tastes. I have read countless "dark" romances and skipped the trigger warnings because of it. I bought the hard edit from the author's website directly. Read the TW.
The plot was good, the spice was moderate in volume but almost none of it is consentual and some of it is bloody and gruesome and noncon. I was able to read the whole thing and I'm no worse for the ware. I did learn I do, in fact, need to read the TW. This is not a feel-good book at any point in time but the story makes sense and almost every part plays a big role in the plot. I could have done without the infant rape and death. The soft edit may be more my speed but I can't unknow what I know.
If you like dark dark dark twisted messed up gruesome "romance", this is for you and is exactly what the TW says. That's why I'm giving a book I didn't really like 5 stars. The author shouldn't suffer for my negligence.

[Stevie Killeen-McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW,

This book is everything you could possibly think of, it’s dark from the get go, has possessive alpha vibes, sexual themes though out, war, death, and that’s the tip of the iceberg.

This book can be difficult to read at times, but the story drags you in, Sau as the lead Female, quickly became my favourite character, all the heartache and pain she’s gone though, made me feel so protective of her, but seeing how strong and how much of a fighter she is, made me want to read on and hope for her HEA.

Book of Shadow series has quickly become one of my favourite series of all time and I can’t wait to see what happens to the family in the next books, to say I didn’t enjoy this book would be a massive lie, and I’m excited to read on as the books come out, the author has really outdone herself with this series.

[katia ✩˚｡⋆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is genuinely the most wild book i’ve ever read? i really wasn’t expecting any sort of romance from this because i know from online recommendations that this book was basically trauma porn. i don’t personally have triggers that i’ve read in any books so i decided to read it but for the love of christ y’all 😭 pls don’t if you’re not strong enough. the girls weren’t lying when they said this is DARK. it’s a wild, crazy, sadistic book. this main character knows no happiness, just trauma. the only reason i kept reading was because i really wanted to know how it would end because i went in so blind, and if things would get better for the fmc 🥲

[Lisa Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sau

Sau has had a very rough life. When you think things might get better, they don't. The author warns about this though so we shouldn't be surprised. This book is dark, very dark. I still loved every second of it. There's a good story and a good mixture of action, spice, etc. I recommend this if you can handle the triggers.

[sageeee]

graphic child sa and author can’t stay out of review spaces

[Gie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know without a doubt if Aleric had molested her daughter Olivia ,FMC would still pretend to hate him, try to kill him and still would enjoy boning him. Here there is no line not crossed ,the men are no different from her uncle David(another paedophile)and in this world its a thriving place for paedophiles even if they ll pretend like it's unforgivable. They don't love their kids just pretend to and enjoy boning people who do terrible things to there babies. I do understand it's dark but I just don't get why tried acting like ,they have lines they won't cross . Pretending to get angry "oh you killed my babies I ll show him" and go do sth opposite ,I don't even know why they pretend to get mad or heart broken in the first place. They are no better than uncle David I think it's unfair they pretend like what he did was worse when they are no better, they are all just the same. Oh and I doubt all the FMC babies are all Cadens since Leon (her own son) did rape her (I don't even know if that word means in this world ) anyway so maybe one of those babies is his since they dont use protection in this world. And why did all the babies turned out to be Cadens and he is not even her lifemate and also not the only one intimate with her .

[Sybil · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. It’s too much, all at once. I felt like I was just reading through a list of traumas. No building of the characters. There isn’t much to Sau other than she is a victim. I don’t understand how Caden is the devoted husband he is, like she was gone for 30 years, where did you build up this all consuming love her. It’s quite ridiculous. I liked Caden better than Sau. (Even though he violated her a million times) I read up to chapter 31, I can’t really tolerate the fact that she is suddenly dripping wet for a vampire who was just trying to kill her entire family. I’m not interested in finding her falling for the vamp Alaric and making it into a weird love triangle. I’m just going to pretend they all died, the end.
I’m pretty sure I read the hard edition.

[RatReads · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I read both versions but am leaving the review for both here because I can’t find the hard version to review*

I picked this book up after seeing an infographic marketing it as dark romance, so I went into it knowing the trigger warnings and that there would be content containing abuse. However, I feel like the topics were not appropriately handled and much of it seemed more like shock value than development of the character. It also just didn’t read like a dark romance to me, which is what I thought I was getting into.

[Jessica Thorne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is absolutely fucking insane. It is literally a book about some poor soul being raped continuously and it is graphic. There is 0 plot, just the authors blatant obsession with a woman getting raped.

[Kyla Sixkiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly gripping story. It’s dark, and stays dark throughout the entire things. Things don’t “just get better” in this story. You get to read about some real truths and darkness too (which the author notates and the end, even though this is fiction- she touches base on real life issues that happen in our world.) Sau is both an incredibly strong women, and very much a human as well. She makes mistakes, has feelings, acts impulsively and wants to protect her children. She loses everything, and nearly herself many times. You will have to check the trigger warnings for this book because it checks every single one on the list. The hot scenes almost make up for the dark- but many of them are filled with darkness too. I’m not shocked by anything I’ve read in this book- but it’s written very well that I couldn’t put it down without thinking about it again. Overall a really good read if you need something that is intense and emotionally taunting.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off if you decide to read this book, please read the trigger warnings.
There are 2 versions of this book, a dark one and a pitch black one..
as a girl that love dark romance and has no triggers, I went for the pitch black one and my god was it that, but in the best possible way..
the story starts with a young Sau who has her life turned up side down on her wedding day.
My heart break for the character started then and continued throughout the book..
so many twists and turns and so many dark MMCs that I fell in love with this book so much!

I love how the author made you feel with the characters and the world building was so good I felt like I was there..
I’m a lover is PNR and even more so when they are dark and darker than dark.. so I will definitely be reading more from the author!

Beautiful written

[S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I get dark romance books, I even read dark romance books. However, there is a very find line between dark romance and t0rt*re p**n.
The trigger warning that I found on the author website does not truly reflect the contents of this book.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific read, well written and delivers exactly what it warns of.
If you are shocked to find triggers after reading the innumerable trigger warnings Miranda has put in the titles, the descriptions and the first few pages, perhaps work on your reading comprehension?

[Nicole Rodriguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

All the triggers. But why. I did not enjoy and honestly only finished because how could it get worse... but of course.

[Nikki Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy fuck what a ride. If you're looking for a HEA, this is not the book for you. But if you're looking for a book that's going to make you question yourself, then this is it. From the first to the last page, this book was dark, but damn it was good.