Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Palace #2

The Palace of Spires and Darkness

Rate this book
“They all looked at me as I stood, ready to sit me back down again.

Not this time.

Never again.”

The Bloodless are after something, and Allorie is the key to all of it.

Teetering on the edge of losing her mind, Princess Allorie is at the mercy of the Bloodless who stole her from the Malaran Palace, starvation and torture breaking her soul day by day.

While she is forced to train in order to build her strength and magic, Ezraan pushing her to the limit for his own twisted plan, Allorie is silently working towards her own agenda.

One which will see her become the Siren she was born to be.




**Content Trigger Warnings**

Blood, torture, slavery, imprisonment, consensual sex scenes, starvation, war, violence, animal death, physical abuse, trauma, hallucinations.

516 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2024

5 people are currently reading
43 people want to read

About the author

Stephanie Fernandez

3 books24 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
37 (69%)
4 stars
13 (24%)
3 stars
3 (5%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Olivia Alatorre.
31 reviews4 followers
October 7, 2025
If I could give this series 10 out of 5 stars I would!! UGH indie authors are the just the absolute best! I read this front to back in 8 hours, devouring every detail. What an incredible journey, I cannot recommend these books enough, I am half way through the final book and I am hanging on the edge of my seat. I have also discovered a new trope I am now obsessed with- the Romeo & Juliet trope. Star crossed lovers with families that hate each-other, I am just clinging onto hope this doesn’t end like Romeo & Juliet!!
Profile Image for Rose Gomez.
93 reviews
June 2, 2025
Loved this book but why you leave me hanging?
Profile Image for Tori.
996 reviews8 followers
September 3, 2024
Rating: 5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This is book two of The Palace Series and let me tell you, I loved the first book, but Stephanie took this book to a whole new level. There was so much hurt and sadness, but then so much strength and joy that this book has surpassed the first one for me. I am honestly still having a hard time writing down how wonderful this book was. I cried; my heart broke and then the happiness and the adventures in this book made me laugh and I found myself rooting for Allorie.

This book will take you to a place where Allorie never thought she would be, a place she never thought she would never escape from, and a place that still haunts her awake and asleep, but you will watch her crawl her way back from this darkness and fight to remain there with her family and friends. You will see how strong Allorie really is not just physically but mentally as well. I know that I have found another favorite female baddie with her. You will see the journey that everyone told her wasn’t for her, even after everything that she fought to come from. You will see who real friends/family are and the ones that she would have never thought to be on her side.

I loved this plot, like even though it destroyed me to read the first part, to be there for the second part was amazing. Stephanies way with words really helps with vivid details to what was happening in the story to the point where you could close your eyes and see the scene playing out. You will be there with Allorie through the hardships, but you will also be there with her at the joyful moments. I found the pace of the book to be great, it was slow for the build up and for all the dark parts (when you read the book you will understand), but even though it was slower it still was fast paced. You will find action, love, strength, joy, and adventures. I found the book to be easy to read and the characters to be easy to connect with.

I loved Allorie in the first book, but to see what she goes through in this book and to see the strength that it took for her to crawl her way out of the darkness was something else. I would seriously compare it to a Sarah J. Maas book, it was that great. I found her story to be hard to read because the author gets you to understand what darkness she was in but no worries you will see the light and watch this amazing MFC come back from there to be something more. She still has her moments of doubt, but I found that to be human, and really helped me to connect with her more. I loved that no matter what she held on to hope, even when the darkness was closing in on her she still tried. The growth with this character alone was the best. With Maxus, you can see the true love with these characters, no matter what they go through. You will see him have a hard time with what Allorie went through but he is still there by her side, and he isn’t going anywhere. He is her support through all of this, and he helps to build her back up. I loved that no matter he was there supporting her through all her choices that she made and was there for her even when it put herself in harm's way. He is really a great MMC for Allorie, I really couldn’t put her with someone better. Oh, and their spicy scenes were done well, just the right amount of sexy.

I really need book 3, I said it in my review for book 1 but now I need book 3 after this emotional roller coaster. I have to know what is next. If you love books with fae, royals, magic, sirens, touch her and die, baddie females and great supportive males you need to read this romantasy series and now.

I want to thank Stephanie Ferandez for the opportunity to review this book.
Profile Image for Grace Vakatini.
60 reviews
October 1, 2025
This series is so underhyped, and I need more people to read it!

Well, that was a whooole journey.

We pick up right where we left off: Allorie is taken from her palace in Malara by the bloodless, forced to train her magic in order to survive, and sets out on a quest to discover what they wanted with her in the first place.

Book one was good, but book two... Book two took it to a whole new level. This gave me the same feelings I had when I first read the Throne of Glass series. The emotional depth here was insane, everything Allorie goes through had me ✨️emotionally damaged✨️, tears were streaming down my face at points, but then I was also giggling at the banter between characters. Some moments I just sat there thinking.. god can this girl catch a bloody break....

Allorie’s growth was incredible. From the quieter, anxious, smaller version of herself in book one to the Allorie who now speaks out and demands respect and is finding her confidence, a princess who doesn’t cower behind her mate, but leans into her power and fights for what she wants. She’s gone through so much to let it all be for nothing, and I adored that strength, mentally and physically, and I know she has more to come in book 3.

Even though she’s forced to develop her powers, I still feel like we haven’t seen Allorie in all her glory yet, and that makes me ridiculously excited for book three.

The found family aspect continues to be one of my favourite parts of this series. Katsia, Lilly and Aston are my favourites but now Sira has joined my list of faves too. I adored them!

And oh my god, Larrsa, she is now another fav. She was giving Mannon from TOG energy, and I was living for it. I just know she’s coming back in book three, I can feel it in my soul. NINAA... don’t even get me started. I absolutely cannot. 😭

I also really loved how Allorie’s trauma responses were handled. One of my biggest pet peeves in books is when a character goes through something horrific and then just… moves on like nothing happened. That doesn’t happen here. We get raw emotions, lingering aftershocks, and genuine healing moments that felt so valid and real.

Now, the ending..... not at all what I was expecting! Thank the book gods, the stars, the universe! that I finished on September 30th and book three is releasing the very next day, because how could I survive waiting after that just happened. I almost feel bad for those who have had to wait so long!

✨ Some of what I HAD to HIGHLIGHT! ✨

"I would find you in the dark. In the light. At the end of this world. In another life."

"Even when you and I are gone from this place. Decay into dust and become the air. No matter what we turn into—stars, fireflies, or souls that wander. I will always find you."

"And I will always bring you back home to me."

"Like a little murderous pixie."

"Your eyes are the colour of mud."

"Empty-veined fuckers."

"You think I'm pretty, then." "Pretty damn Stupid."

Happy release day for book three The palace of War and Waves, Stephanie Fernandez 🫶🏻 I am diving straight in!

Comparisons: This gave me the same vibes as Shield of Sparrows, Direbound, and SJM’s Throne of Glass — which happen to be some of my all time favourites!

This series deserves way more hype.

What to Expect:
✨️Found Family
✨️Sirens x Fae
✨️Romantasy
✨️Forbidden Love
✨️War
✨️Strong FMC
Profile Image for espookymami.
59 reviews7 followers
August 22, 2024
📕EspookyMami’s ARC REVIEW 📕

Book rating: 5 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


I am at a loss for words to describe how astounded I am that Stephanie surpassed herself after the brilliance of Book 1. Book 2 is a masterful work, with a romance that captivates the heart and a female protagonist who evolves into a truly inspiring warrior. Allorie's journey demonstrates that no matter where life takes us, or the challenges we face, we alone hold the power to shape our destiny. The love between Max and Allorie is so profound and unwavering that they would literally tear the worlds apart to find one another. I was particularly moved by how Book 2 focused on Allorie's growth, with her character development being nothing short of breathtaking.

However, I must admit I hold a bit of a grudge against Stephanie because the loss in this book left me utterly wrecked and haunted. It plunged me into a book slump, unable to find anything that could evoke the same intensity of emotion as her writing. I found myself rereading both Book 1 and Book 2, simply because nothing else could compare. So much transpires in this story, yet it is beautifully woven together, with subtle nods to events from the first book and a perfect balance of mystery and revelation.

It's truly astonishing that this is her debut series. Stephanie's ability to evoke such a wide range of emotions: laughter, excitement, anger, and deep sorrow. In short is nothing short of extraordinary. Last year, I declared Book 1 one of my favorite reads, and now, in 2024, Book 2 has firmly taken its place as one of my all-time favorites. I need book 3 out ASAP 😭🫶🏻

Received as an arc and all opinions are truthful and solely my own. Thank you for the opportunity 🖤

With love,
Espooky Mami 🦇

Profile Image for Tempest Reign.
Author 4 books29 followers
September 11, 2024
𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5)
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 🌶🌶🌶

I was so excited to get back into this story after book one, and it did not disappoint!

I felt so much for Allorie, the half-fae half-siren FMC, both during her imprisonment and afterwards in some of the scenes with her father and 'mate'. I got a little teary a few times, but oftentimes found myself cheering for her, especially when she felt like she was able to stand up for herself against the patriarchy!

I adored getting some POV chapters from Maxus, the enemy fae MMC, as they really gave an extra dimension to the story. I also just completely love him as a character, and may have swooned a few times.

There were so many things that came back into play from the first book, and so many new things happening, that I struggled to put this book down.

The cliffhanger ending though? Ughh, I need the next book please!


𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑰 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕: she'll k!ll to get back to him, he'll tear down the world to get her back, found family, female friendships, healing after trauma, steamy fantasy romance, feminine rage and standing up to the patriarchy, siren magic, gay rep


☆ I received an ARC of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own honest opinions.☆
Profile Image for Paige.
221 reviews6 followers
August 25, 2024
The Palace of Spires and Darkness is book 2 in The Palace series, a fantasy romance trilogy with Fae, sirens, fantasy creatures, and strong found family 🤍

This book picks up right where book 1 left off and we start in a really dark place. It was beautifully written but tough to read (check the TWs). I loved the new members of the found family that emerged in the first part of the book. I cried on a number of occasions, Stephanie really wasn’t afraid to pull punches with the heartbreak 🥺

It isn’t all heartbreak though, as we see Allorie and Maxus’s relationship get stronger and also get some spicy scenes 😏 The wild adventures continue and I loved seeing Allorie’s bonds get stronger with some of my book 1 favourite characters along the way. I could NOT believe that ending! It was a crazy twist and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for book 3, which will conclude the Palace trilogy 🤍

I really recommend giving this series a read, it’s one that I’ve really enjoyed. Stephanie is so sweet, she sent out a little package of goodies to ARC readers that included some art, a bookmark, and the most beautiful vial of “seawater” - you’ll know the significance of this when you read.

Thank you so much to Stephanie for the advanced reading copy, thoughts and reviews are my own 🤍
Profile Image for Jennifer Z.
2 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2024
I was one of the lucky ones chosen for an Arc copy of The Palace of Spires and Darkness.

I absolutely devoured this book, it was so freaking good, I read it in one sitting. The beginning of this book is dark (check the content warnings) and everything Allorie went through kept me tense and stressed. Now, Allorie isn't your typical sword wielding badass fmc that you see in other books, but she is a badass. Watching her come into her own with her powers and her strong will was a treat to read.
The romance is there and I love Maxus and Allorie together. Maxus is one of my top five book boyfriends. He never gave up on finding Allorie and would burn the world down for her. I can't wait to experience more of them together. I love most of the side characters and cannot stand a few others. iykyk. I have a feeling that we'll get a side character love story...or two! This book made me feel a whirlwind of emotions and I cannot wait for book 3!!
If you like romantasy books and you haven't read this series, you need to read this ASAP!
Profile Image for Kristy Mullins.
48 reviews7 followers
August 10, 2024
lOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book- this series has became one of my favorites. If you like romantasy, this is a must read! If you like fae,royals, magic, sirens, touch her and 💀, -this is also a must read! Stephanie has spun such an amazing story! I love how there were little things in book one that were brought out in book two that i had forgotten! The characters are amazing! It was fun seeing Allorie grow into herself! Maxus… I love him!!! There are characters that you love and some you despise ( especially one in particular🙃)but they are all written so well!. Both books in this series will grab you from the beginning- it doesn’t take chapter after chapter to catch you interest. You would never know this series was Stephanie’s debut! Please check your trigger warnings and go read this book!!!!
Profile Image for Rae.
16 reviews
October 22, 2024
The GRIP this author has had on me the last week has been damn near all consuming. I’ve read hundreds of books, most of them fantasy and I’m used to being able to guess what a story is headed, but I am surprised to say that I didn’t see the curves this story had. This author paints such a beautiful picture, and came up with some really amazing concepts in the world. The FMC doesn’t make me want to pull my hair out (most of the time) the MMC is everything you want. Even the spicy scenes, which I usually skip in most other books were worth a read and made me look at my own man like oooh honey let’s go upstairs.

All in all, I can’t wait for the next one and any other piece of literature she writes.

Thanks Stephanie for the journey, I loved every second.

not generally a review writer, but I had to come here.
Profile Image for Alissa .
864 reviews10 followers
September 9, 2024
An absolutely outstanding series! This is will be living in my head for at least a couple of months, and I know I will be doing a re read of both of these stories. I honestly don't know what to even do now, and I will be in a book slump for a bit. The pace, the world building, the twist and turns really make these two books ones that you can't put down. I am so happy I waited to read the first one once the second came out because the cliffhanger in the first had me running to download this book.
Profile Image for Charmi Zielinski.
187 reviews16 followers
July 31, 2024
I love how Stephanie pulled things from the first book, that you think are insignificant but end up not being so.

Her writing was amazing and I was pulled into this world, hanging on her every word waiting for the next mystery to be uncovered. There are new characters introduced this book that I really am loving (Sira MVP) and some old ones I hope die (Xavier, Xander idk his name because his not worthy of me remembering)

There is no doubt that the next book in this series will be amazing.
Profile Image for Jade bigalla.
187 reviews52 followers
August 20, 2024
“We could be a family. One giant, mismatched, broken one. With many pieces within all of us to make us whole.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨

Ahhh obsessed with Maxus and Allorie! This book picks up right where we left off from the cliff hanger that was book 1!

I was hooked from beginning to end, really enjoyed watching Allorie discover herself and her power and watch her navigate through all of the hurdles!! Also a moment for Maxus, ugh my beautiful Maxus, who never once gave up on his ‘I’ll burn the world down for you’ search for Allorie! 🥹

I don’t want to say much because I don’t want to spoil anything but 🤯 so excited for book 3!!

Thank you Steph for my arc copy!! You’ve done such a great job at creating this world and continuing this incredible story!
6 reviews
September 16, 2024
So juicy, couldn’t put this down. Kept me guessing and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. This was so magic and so much happened in this book! Allorie and Maxus for ever!!! Cant wait for book 3!!
2 reviews
December 4, 2024
I'm absolutely in love with this series and can't wait for the final book to come out! This gives me all the happy/giddy/stressed/scared/mad feelings and makes me feel like I'm living in Ally's shoes...what an epic ending as well 👀
Profile Image for Felicity Abel.
159 reviews1 follower
September 1, 2025
i still had a few questions at the end of this one and by the looks of how the next one will go i’m not sure i’ll ever get the answer? maybe i will who knows. i did quite like this book tho, although the whole oh no i have to return to my old life and i dont want to is starting to feel repetitive
2 reviews
September 6, 2025
This book was such an incredible read. Just WOW. It was such an emotional rollercoaster and I was glued to the page! I really felt like I went on this journey with the characters. It was truly amazing and I cannot wait to read the third book!
Profile Image for Grace Ruston.
13 reviews
November 23, 2025
Just finished this romantasy series my friend hyped up, and OMG it totally blew my mind! 🤯

I was hooked from the first page! The characters and their world? Absolute vibes!

Now I’m just over here counting down the days until the last book drops... it’s gonna be torture! 😩
Profile Image for Jennifer Carter.
Author 72 books49 followers
August 5, 2024
Omg this book was crazy and the cliff hanger 🫠 I loved seeing ally grow through this story. Absolutely stunning work and can’t wait to see what happens next
Profile Image for Tristen Willis.
Author 9 books81 followers
August 26, 2024
This is the second book in “The Palace” series and it did not disappoint!

It has a main character who is misunderstood and has amazing powers, fated mates, enemies who became lovers, amazing character growth, and a stunning, complex fantasy universe—it has all of this and more.

The world-building is incredibly detailed and well-crafted. I am so attached to Allorie’s character and loved seeing how she developed in book two.

Allorie’s story in book two is a powerful depiction of the darkness she faced and the inspiring growth she experienced after the cliffhanger in book one. The author has once again captured our hearts with her amazing side characters.

I’m completely enamored with the writing style and world-building in The Palace series, and I’m so excited to see what unfolds for the characters in the next book.

This is a must-read for those who love fantasy, romance, and enemies to lovers.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.