Feathers So Vicious

Court of Ravens #1

by Liv Zander, Shaina Summerville (Narrator), Tor Thom (Narrator)

More treacherous than war... are the battles within a heart.

Perched between branches and shadows,
We watch, we scheme,
Fighting for a kingdom forgotten and forlorn.

Until we rip her away with our claws,
Our prisoner, our pawn, our plaything.

She’s innocent and pure,
Fragile and helpless…
…but oh so guilty by blood.

She calls us beasts,
Wicked and evil,
Vicious and cruel.

We are all that and worse.

One of us offers her shelter beneath his wings,
Whispering promises of pleasure,
Seeking redemption.

The other longs to shatter her into a million pieces,
Whispering promises of pain,
Seeking revenge.

Caught between our feathers,
She endures our deranged desires,
Our secrets, our lies,
Our twisted plans.

Will she surrender to our darkness,
or fight for a destiny growing ever elusive?

Welcome to the Court of Ravens, little white dove.

Feathers so Vicious is a full-length dark fantasy romance novel, and book one in the Court of Ravens duet. The two-part story features two morally gray raven shifters, a young woman at the mercy of their shadows, and a HEA. This world contains dark elements, violence, and themes some may find disturbing. Readers can find more detailed information on the author's website. What this book doesn't contain is a hero - because villains do it better. And two do it better than one…

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Romantasy, Dark, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Spicy

14 pages, Audiobook

First published August 24, 2023

Reviews

[val · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is with this author and making characters who "enjoy" being raped? I'm not talking dubcon or cnc, I'm talking full-on SA. Look, it's true that some victims of SA experience complicated reactions to the assault. But damn. I'm seeing a pattern here. Yes, I was warned with trigger statements at the beginning. I find it very odd when rape (and the enjoyment of it) is such a key facet to an author's works, and used as a way to show "wounded" characters or justify their evilness. As a victim and survivor myself, I find it infuriating and gross.

[Marianna Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need to go rinse my eyeballs out with bleach.

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fear I ate this up

[Kate V · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars!

I could bang Malyr and Sebian like a screen door ‘till next Tuesday.

But honestly that’s not all I got from this viciously vibrant and hauntingly horrifying dark romance. Feathers So Vicious was a spellbinding story about a very broken soul traversing through life wreaking havoc, pain, and revenge. As well as soul trying to make amends for the mistakes he’s made and finally a soul desperate for real love and affection. Three souls who have no idea how to process their trauma and don’t realize the key to their salvation may just be in each other.

Malyr was vengeful, sadistic and full of rage. Sebian was the opposite and wanted to protect. Galantia was naive and kind with a dark streak that matched the men who held her captive. The problem is neither of these men recognized the beauty and special nature of Galantia until it was too late.

So many secrets and twists and sad backstories were weaved through this tale. Feathers So Vicious burned a place into my soul and kept me on the knifes edge of turned on and broken. I hated Malyr but also loved his volatile nature because beneath all the hate you can tell there’s more. Sebian may have been the softer of the two but he too carried demons that could threaten everything he truly wants in life.

Galantia…she was such a unique character. Both hopeful and solemn. She burned bright until the end when all the stitches holding her together tore and she became someone or rather something new.

”From the wreckage of my being, something primal emerged. A force so powerful, so raw, it thrummed with the rhythm of my shattering soul, vibrating through every vein, every nerve, every fiber of my being. The force exploded outwards, a silent, blinding storm of white feathers and plumes that eclipsed my conscience and enlightened it at the same time.”

This story was heavy but within its pages rang a sense of pride and grace. Because sometimes it takes losing to discover not only yourself but what’s at stake if you don’t evolve. Feathers So Vicious ended on a dart to the heart cliffhanger but I can’t wait to read how Malyr, Sebian and Galantia move forward from the pain of their pasts. Well done Liv.

[afy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was gaslighting tf outta me more than any gaslighter has ever gaslighted.

Also STOP🗣️NORMALISING🗣️SEXUAL🗣️ASSAULT🗣️AS 🗣️“DARK kinky ROMANCE”🗣️

[Victoria Werngreen · Rating 1 out of 5]

how this has an average rating of 4.1 stars is beyond my comprehension!! I’m about to rant.. so buckle up..

I'll mention the one thing I did like, but the rest will not be postive 😐 I did really like the magic system. it's really cool they're raven shifters and how their magic works! super unique! now to the bad parts:

first off, the trigger warning says dub-con, but I would consider the first half of this book very much non-con! some TW are def missing and other falsely advertised! I usually don't really care much for trigger warnings, but I don't want to read a 'romance' build on rape (soo many scenes include rape)! I don't care her body reacts to it in a 😉 way - she is telling them to stop multiple times! body and mind won't necessarily react in a way that makes sense, so this was NOT it! most of the spice is like that.. so not sexy at all but just nauseating🤢 the author was trying to make SA a sexy thing and basically normalizing it🫨 did the fmc even agree to the mmc's sharing her? I dont't think she did🤡

I tried reading a few 5 star reviews while reading this book, because I was not enjoying it and was hoping this would make me see why people love it, but I don't agree with a single review I saw.. people are blown away by the plot twists, but I literally guessed every single😐 they love the possessiveness of Malyr?! he treats her like shit!

Malyr (one of the mmc's) is acting like a piece of trash, but it's kinda 'justified' by his past (which is very traumatic I'll admit) but it didn't justify anthing to me. the fmc is so starved of touch, love and attention she (imo) confuses pain with love and craves the cruelty as a form of love. Malyr literally scars her whole chest and humiliates her in front of everyone every chance he gets - no gracias!✋🏼

the other mmc Sebian did have some qualities I liked: he was trying his best to keep the fmc safe and protect her. but he also wanted sexy time in exchange for letting her stay in his room when she was scared. he 'justified' it by saying it would make her feel good - which it did ig - but who tf demands that when someone comes scared to your room looking for safety?! 🤦🏼‍♀️

sorry for yapping, I usually don't post long negative reviews, but I couldn't help myself when this book has such a high rating🤯

I guess if you like really dark romance or the 'romance' in The Sinner / the first half of Haunting Adeline then you'd like this book🤷🏼‍♀️

[Momma Eureka · Rating 5 out of 5]

My poor heart …… 😭😫


I want to kill Malyr !
I want to kill Malyr !
I want to kill Malyr !
I want to kill Malyr !
I want to kill Malyr !
I want to kill Malyr !

But I also LOVE HIM and want him to be with Galantia so bad 😭😫😭😫

I love Sebian !
I love Sebian !
I love Sebian !
I love Sebian !
I love Sebian !

And I also want him to be with Galantia so bad 😭😫😭😫

I am heartbroken and angry. I want Galantia to have her revenge against all who wronged her.

[Shamina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it about 20% into the audiobook and felt dirty and grossed out. This is some demented shite. This is not a “dark fantasy romance”. It’s torture porn. I’m glad I quit reading when I did because other reviews mention children and that’s beyond vile. No stars, negative 5 stars.

[Bailee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

This was a 3.5 ⭐️ until the ending,so we’re settling on a 3.75 ⭐️ because WHAT WAS THAT? I saw part of it coming but the other part did in fact shock me. This was dark and i liked it! Probably going straight into part two!

[Andy ( slow) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

First 20% of this book had me CONFUSED 😅
I genuinely thought it was connected to another series I hadn’t read because the world felt messy and not fully explained at first. But once I pushed past that part, it definitely got better.

I still wish we had more background on the world — that’s something I personally love in romantasy , and it would’ve made the story feel more grounded.

Characters though? 👀
Sebian is morally grey but with major golden retriever energy — protective, loyal, emotional.
Malyr… yeah, he’s DARK dark. Like super morally-black, no-sunshine territory.

In terms of darkness, it’s definitely dark — but not the darkest I’ve ever read.
What it does deliver on is spice 🌶️ and honestly… the spice scenes were top tier 👌🔥

I also loved the focus on trauma healing and emotional bonding — that part hit emotionally.
One thing I really wish we got more of was the backstory between Malyr and Sebian. Their friendship feels important, but there isn’t much explanation about how it became so strong.

And the ending???
Absolutely DIABOLICAL.
It was an okay read BUT my TBR is overflowing and I don’t feel the need to continue with this series.

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok where do i start?! this was DARK, a lot of heavy themes and scenes that were at times hard to read so please check your TWs. this was addictive, intriguing, jaw dropping and SPICY.

the love triangle has been done so well, making you fall for both potential love interest and making for a character dynamic that i couldn’t get enough of. the characters in this book are all deeply broken from awful and traumatic experiences which pulls really complex feelings from you as a reader. where Malyr was volatile, vengeful and full of rage, Sebian was softer with an urge to protect Galantia which spoke to his trauma.

be warned this ends on a cliff hanger that will make you want to pick up book two IMMEDIATELY!!

[EJ MACK · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wtf

I never knew I could hate someone so much. Wtf. Seriously will never read anything else from this person. 😒

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

listen…hear me out okay.

I just want to preface this by saying I like them mean, what can I say 🤷‍♀️

—dark fantasy romance
—non/con-con
—ravens
—cliffhanger ending

There were several parts I really did not care for, not going to lie. I’m looking at you hymen scene 👀
but there were a lot of parts I did enjoy, like the cliff, the writing, Sebian.
And I finished this so fast, I had to read it. And I had to read it fast because I couldn’t get enough.
Was it a bit much at times? Absolutely.
But overall, I devoured this. Just like Sebian did. lol

Also, I love Paris. That’s all.

CHECK TW BEFORE STARTING THIS IS A DARK FANTASY!!!

[Kaila.Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY THE GOODREADS COVER. I REPEAT. DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY THE NON DISCREET COVER.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, this book about morally gray (morally black?) bird-shifting men had no business being this intense and this good. Before you dive into Feathers So Vicious, make sure to check the trigger warnings - because there are plenty. This book is dark, spicy, and has me questioning my feelings about bird men.

[dawn ౨ৎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf. The feathers were so vicious they scraped away all my brain cells.

[Kara Harte (KattitudeReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I liked ‘Feathers so Vicious’ by Liv Zander, especially the multi-cast audiobook, but I had one major problem, even with the trigger warnings (which I cannot stress enough to pay attention to): the gratuitous SA scenes. Dark romance can get pretty twisted, and I’ve read some wild shit, but dark romance does NOT automatically equal copious amounts of non-consensual SA—especially of younger characters, which I think bothered me the most. I’m not shaming kinks, but in even the darkest romance I’ve read, there’s at least an allusion to consent. And that’s what was missing from a lot of scenes here. The darkest romances still lean on dubcon/CNC to keep the "romance" element alive, but when there’s absolutely no consent—and I firmly believe that “body betrayal” is not a substitute for it—it stops feeling like Romance and starts feeling like Dark Fantasy with Non-Con, maybe even a bit Grimdark with a very tiny dash of splatterpunk. Which is fine if that’s what you’re into, but it’s not what this was advertised as, nor what the trigger warnings specified. They didn’t warn of non-con between the MCs, nor of such young characters (which made me really uncomfortable). I would have avoided this as "just not for me" had that been clear.

How violent and graphic those SA scenes were was just not necessary. They weren’t sexy. In dark romance, even the barest shred of consent is what makes a scene hot, but the outright, violent, and explicit SA of characters who did not consent does not. The excessive way these scenes were presented made them feel like a spectacle, even a little exploitative. This includes the prison scenes; I understand they weren't meant to be "sexy," but they still didn't need to be as sensory or descriptive as they were, particularly given the age of the characters. And framing a male lead’s penchant for violent sex as a direct result of childhood assault is a poor and oversimplified way to explain his preferences. Galantia’s reactions to her own assaults even felt glossed over. Regardless of the plot reason, fetishizing survivor’s trauma like that is just not it.

These moments—especially the prison scenes—almost made me DNF several times. Dark spice can be great, but not like that. I eventually just started skipping them; I never would have been able to finish this book otherwise.

With those scenes skipped, ‘Feathers So Vicious’ wasn’t a bad dark romance at all (which makes the inclusion of those scenes all the more frustrating). The politics were high stakes, the characters were multifaceted and their complicated entanglements emotional, hot, and twisty. The world building was atmospheric, the magic system was very unique and interesting, the ‘why choose’ element was well executed, and the angst was on glorious point. The constant game of chess between the three MC’s was thrilling and frustrating (in a good way), and that cliffhanger! Whew, that cliffhanger. How can something be thrilling and gut wrenching at the same time? It had me leaping out of my seat in excitement AND yelling at the book. 😂

I cannot wait to see what the next book holds—yes, I will be reading it and hoping there isn’t a repeat of all those SA scenes—and have high hopes for some groveling and some major character growth for all the MC’s, especially Galantia. That girl really deserves a sense of security and self love/empowerment. Did I mention the hopes for groveling? It’s no less than Galantia deserves, and I hope she makes Malyr and Sebian work for it. They really need to after the way they treated her. I wanted to fistfight them so many times, haha.

The audio was what kept me going when I was about to DNF from those scenes. It really was a fantastic audiobook. I loved that each MC got their own voice, and the narrators—Shaina Summerville, Tor Thom, and Tommy Fuller—gave knockout performances. The audiobook was AMAZING.

If you’re going to read this, CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS and proceed with caution. Aside from the problematic scenes I mentioned, this book really was good. And the audiobook will have you firmly in its grip.

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘺 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 (𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬-𝘺𝘰𝘶!). 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

(Note: Review updated in 2026 to more accurately reflect my thoughts on genre labeling and content warnings.)

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark & steamy!

Galantia was taken captive by a group of Ravens, who are humans with the ability to shapeshift, as an act of retribution for the cruel treatment that her father inflicted upon their kind. Malyr, the leader of the Ravens, entrusted Sebian with Galantia's care while he deliberated on her ultimate fate. During her time under Sebian's guardianship, Galantia had the opportunity to explore the city and experience intimacy for the first time.

Although I found the MCs to be well-developed, I think it could have added more depth to the story if they interacted more with the secondary characters. Also, I believe that some additional world-building would have made the reading experience even more immersive. Besides that, it was an entertaining read that I didn't want to put down!

Highly recommend for fans of darker romances and the captor/captive trope.

*Make sure to read all the warnings before diving into this novel. This is not for everyone.*

*** Thank you to NetGalley, Liv Zander, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

[Alma · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I’ve read in a long time. Had nothing to do with the very disturbing “kinks” but the writing and story itself was all over the place! Nothing made any sense. The scenes where all 3 were “involved “ just confused me so much because they made absolutely no sense and they came out of the blue. The only part I enjoyed a little was when Sebian was out of the picture and Malyr and Galantia were getting close. I find it hard to believe this is the same author of King of Flesh and Bone. This was so bad and that ending was like ummm okay, one more thing that makes no sense at all. This book lacked all the foreplay that I enjoy in these books and just left me feeling gross.

[Jace · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 16%
I'm not sure if this book is simply too dark for me or if it's just not my kind of darkness but I found it pretty off putting.

There is a lot of rape. Both of the potential 'heroes ' either turn their heads as the rape happens or do it themselves.
When I threw the towel in Malyr was essentially violating her, promising to keep her virginity intact as to not diminish her value and would be raping her anally.
She struggles to get away, scared, trying to use a weapon, this women who is completely sheltered and hasn't experienced anything.
He enjoys inflicting pain, gets off on it.

It's sadistic and not my cup of tea at all, so this book is an absolute no from me.

[Amanda H · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @70%. No plot, no character development, no chemistry, incredibly cringey, and if I have to read the word “sweetheart” again, I’m going to drag my eyes through glass.

[purlpur · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
такий собі бенкет з похмурої жорстокості у світі людей і воронів. війни, викрадення, тортури, і все це приправлено токсичною любовною лінією з пекельним потягом гг один до одного. тригери тут не для галочки, це було справді ж.о.р.с.т.о.к.о. для тих же, кого темні сюжети не відлякують, може сподобатись 👌

шо по тропах:
🪶 темне роментезі з атмосферою середньовіччя
🪶 війна між людьми та воронами
🪶 ворони-перевертні з магічними дарами
🪶 політичні інтриги
🪶 помста
🪶 шлюб за домовленістю
🪶 від ворогів до закоханих
🪶 лиходії отримують дівчину/mfm

якихось серйозних баталій та епіку тут не очікуйте. можливо, їх приберегли для другої частина. сюжет першої вертиться навколо головного тріо персонажів, їх любовної лінії, травматичного минулого, а фоном розкривають історію цього світу, як все функціонує, причини війни, і як родзинка - палацові та політичні інтриги.

головні персонажі, в більшості, сподобались. питання залишаються тільки до жгг, тому з неї і почнемо 😅
галантія - тендітна дівчина, єдина донька лорда, яку батьки не любили, усе життя тримали в замку, усе забороняли і виховували звичайно що для укладання політичного шлюбу. і ніби можна зрозуміти, чому вона така, яка є, але хотілося побачити більше інших її думок, окрім як: шлюб-секс-кохання. сподіваюсь в 2 книзі її розвиток буде кращим. тут є потенціал і запал. "він хотів бачити її сльози, а отримав добряче гостренький язик" - це про галантію 😏

малір - принц воронів. за холодного, суворого і надмірно жорстокого мена відповідає він. розкриття цього персонажу найбільше сподобалось. розділи з його флешбеками.. просто ❤️‍🩹 а ще саме таким я хотіла бачити безжального shadow daddy і я це отримала 😈

себіан - ворон-слідопит. теж з травматичним минулим і своєю драмою. але тут він відпові��ає за ніжність, турботу і за постачання гарного настрою зі смішними жартами 🤭

між цими двома я б теж не обирала. як то взагалі можна зробити. ну так, один добрий захисник, а другий жорстокий гівнюк зі зрозумілою мотивацією до ненависті жгг. але нічого не поробиш, люблю таких персонажів в дарках, і тут не встояла 🌚

ох, а які тут спайсі сцени, аж обпікають. це тріо точно знає як розважатися в ліжку. неслухняні тіні і бдсм? заверніть 🥵
ладно, ті, хто прочитають книгу, щось страшне про мене подумають. так, деякі сцени засуджую, але більшість.. ну просто мьоод 🫠

фінал. обожнюю подібне завершення в книгах. це саме той випадок, де на вас скинуть бомбу емоційних одкровень 😮‍💨
не буду спойлерити, але хочеться сказати "а могло бути інакше?" враховуючи усі події минулого і мотивацію, цього повороту потрібно було очікувати. уф, але як я люблю цю драааму 😎 тепер ще з більшим завзяттям хочу прочитати 2 частину.

із мінусів: зняла пів бала за трохи поверхневе розкриття галантії та переобтяжений текст. конструкції речень тут часто ускладнюються для більшої поетичності, але разом з цим важко вловити суть написаного. або хтось просто погано знає інгліш, тому й читалось моментами важкувато 😅
під кінець від цих витіюватих поворотів я втомилось, хоч і звучало це гарно.

[Poppy Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

I don’t know what I was expecting going into this, but it wasn’t this storyline but I definitely found it gripping

Galantia is a human girl bethrothed to a prince, bought up believing the conflict between the humans & ravens, and that the ravens are nasty things etc
There’s an ongoing war with the ravens, and the ravens home is under a curse of shadows which means they can’t return

Whilst Galantia is travelling to the guy she’s supposed to marry, the ravens intercept and take her captive and she finds herself captive in the court of ravens where she meets Sebian & Malyr 👀

I really liked the world and the magic system, the ravens are shifters who shift into 5 different ravens one of the ravens holds their power, and there’s different powers some rarer than others, deathweavers, pathfinders, voids, fates etc

Malyr is the strongest deathweaver for centuries (meaning he can manipulate and control shadows) and Sebian is a pathfinder. Malyr is AWFUL to Galantia (be aware of triggers because consent is not in Malyr’s dictionary) and Sebian is much softer with her, and she falls for them both

This is book is SPICYYYY oh my god, I wasn’t expecting the spice either haha, however for me at this point Malyr is not redeemable so we’ll see in book 2 😩

[Talya · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, aggressively mid

the sex scenes promoted unsafe bdsm practices such as choking to the point of near unconsciousness with no prior discussion of consent or safety measures (this can literally kill you) and back door action with no lube (not as fun as it sounds and can cause serious health problems). also described the main character’s wetness as “frothy” (???!!!!) and referred to her clit as a “throbbing pebble.” the characters never used contractions but at one point someone mentioned “snail trails”

also really needed an editor. see the following…unique…quotations:
“I best heeded it”
“if I wouldn’t know better”
“many a ladies”

I guess it wasn’t all bad though?

[Saraya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨ genuinely don’t know how to feel about that ending, it was tragic & hard to read but I also couldn’t put it down! Anyway I don’t know why I’ve been on a train of borderline pitch black romances atm but I am loving every second, here have another rounded up 5✨

[Tahls · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Could there be love in pain? ... How far would I go to find out? To feel loved?"

Okay okay okay.. this wasn't as messed up as I was expecting, however, it definitely had some moments that were so intense it took me out of it. But that aside, DAMN, can Liv Zander write a captivating fantasy and heart-breaking romance. This left me in an absolute state, just speechless, scrabbling to get to the next book.

The world-building and magic is incredibly cool, and I was just eating up all of the lore and tension between the characters—oof, does it get messy. It was also really refreshing to read something that gave a different take on the copy-paste fantasy plots and tropes out there. I mean yes, it is enemies to lovers, but it is actual enemies to lovers and there’s so many layers to it, ahhh, I can’t get into it without spoiling.

The writing's very vivid and emotional, and I really couldn't tell where it was going so I was continually surprised and enticed by the storyline. It’s just so so good. I honestly didn’t expect to get so invested in this story. The author does an excellent job at pulling you in and effortlessly building emotional investment for characters you've just met.

This was totally a case of feeling uneasy but unable to look away—yes, there are some fucked up scenes that made me uncomfortable but the storytelling was just way too addictive, and I think my threshold is higher than I expected. 🤷‍♀️ Oh and the jabs to the heart throughout this got me every. freaking. time. Emotional damage seems to be guaranteed in a Liv Zander book.

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Wtf was that ending? Hellooo?? I need to start book 2 immediately.  

[Nattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish the book. I read 47% and decided that was enough. The glorification of sexual asaault was too much. It's OK for her to be coerced into a sexual act because she secretly likes it? No. Just no.

[Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn't for the faint of Heart!!! If you thought Enosh from King of Flesh and bones was a villainous prick wait till you meet Malyr in Feathers So Vicious!!!! He is the most depraved fucking pricks I've ever read!!! I truly hate this bastard!!! I don't think this villian deserves redemption! Its one thing to treat a enemies daughter like a whore and do and say sick shit because daddy dear not only raped him and beat him repeatedly and hand a hand in the death of his brother and tried to steal his dark shadow powers but he went to far!!!! This is the first book that I wanted to smash my kindle in a million pieces! And he isn't the only bastard of this tale! Sebian might have given Galantia pleasure and comfort and played good cop to Malyr's bad but he used her just as much! I hope she makes both of these assholes crawl to her and fucks with their heads like they did to her! I did figure out early in the book what Galantia truly was but the the reveal on the cliffhanger still blew my mind! I loved Galantia she is a strong female and hides the pain of being rejected by both her parents and as her back story was told it broke my heart. All three of the main players Malyr, Serbian and Galantia have been through hell and the scars are their to prove it. Malyr is dark and dangerous but I thought I saw moments of what he could have been if things had gone different but no matter how much Galantia gave it was never enough! I totally get what her father did to him and the other ravens but she was a innocent child when this all happened! If he had continued to treat her like shit and his personal whore that would have been one thing but to make her believe that maybe he was seeing beyond what her father did to him and maybe even be falling in love and even going to the extent to have mating ceremony only to be so fucking cruel ! That was a total dick move!!! And fucking unforgivable!! Book 2 Shadows So Cruel just came out and I can't wait to see Galantia's revenge!!! Liv Zander has a way of getting under my skin with her hardcore writing and storytelling and her villains are dark and depraved as fuck! All their back stories leave my heart breaking one minute and having me what to slit their fucking throats the next! I don't know what to expect in Shadows So Cruel but I hope Zander makes both Malyr and Sebians life hell !! Thank you Liv Zander for ripping my heart out and leaving me torn open! Your fabulous storytelling never ceases to amaze me! But just so you know..... You really pissed me off with how this book ended!😂Until next time Luv's💕💋

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Fear and desire are so often the same thing.”

Okay… I was not prepared for how feral this book was going to make me feel.

This is dark fantasy romance turned all the way up, like, morally grey? Try morally black. We’re dropped into a brutal world of power, captivity, and shifting loyalties, where nothing is soft and everything feels a little dangerous. And honestly? I ate it up.

The dynamic between the characters is intense. There’s that slow shift from fear to something… else, and it’s messy in a way that feels completely intentional. No clean lines, no easy emotions, just tension, survival, and a connection that builds in the shadows.

Also, can we talk about the atmosphere?? It’s heavy, gothic, and dripping with dread. The ravens, the violence, the sense that something is always watching, it all wraps around you like a storm you can’t quite escape.

This is definitely one of those books where you need to check your triggers, because it does not hold back. But if you love your romance dark, complicated, and a little bit twisted… this one delivers.

Dark, addictive, and deliciously unsettling, this book had me hooked and slightly concerned about my own taste.

I Highly Recommend.

[Reina Lectura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-read:

Finally got to this book... I saw it everywhere.


How does one even recover from such a heart-wrenching read? 😭😭😭

First and foremost, I am absolutely in love with Galantia's character. Despite her fragile circumstances, she's so strong and hard-willed. However, even her hard resolve couldn't digest the pain Malyr gave her, nor the non-acceptance from Sebain. The cliffhanger had a beauty in itself. I am in awe and proud of Galantia. She did not fall but rose above and flew.

Rn, I hate Malyr and kind of pissed off with Sebain....the plot even made me a fool that I even couldn't expect this...this...HURT. 😤 🙃

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was one of the most recommended to me, so it was about time I finally jumped in and I can confirm, the hype is real.

The story isn’t just dark in plot, it has a genuinely dark vibe and atmosphere, especially with the crow Shifters 🐦‍⬛I was completely fascinated by the magic system it’s so unique and so well thought out. While pieces of fantasy are always gonna feel repetitive,I felt like there was enough in the story that made it stand out and feel fresh.

It kicks off with one of my favorite tropes: a little grab-and-go, a tiny kidnapping, if you will. Our FMC is the enemy’s daughter, which automatically sets up tension because these two absolutely shouldn’t be feeling anything for each other.

Galantia is such a fantastic dark fantasy romance FMC. She has just the right amount of bite, strong-willed, determined, a little stubborn which makes the push-and-pull between her and Malyr FIRE. I loved their banter they were really testing each other and then you had Sabian putting out the fire before they exploded😂
I loved her dynamic with both MMCs. Each brought something different to the story, but of course, I fell for the tortured soul no surprises there.

This is the kind of story that sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the last page. I was fully invested in the world, the characters, and all the drama. It’s dark, twisty, and everything I look for in a dark fantasy romance. I don’t want to spoil anything, but trust me so many moments will take you by surprise. And with the way book one ended? I immediately cracked open book two. LOVED IT. New kink unlocked - crow shifters