The Mourning Star

by Ryen Santana

After a war between gods tears reality apart, the entire city is sealed inside a prison of void and shadow—cut off from time, history, and hope itself. Within the dome, the streets twist into nightmare landscapes where monsters roam freely and the laws of nature no longer apply.

Calum, the God of Nightmares, rules the ruined city like a king in a broken kingdom, shaping darkness into something far worse. Alistair—the brother who condemned London—must live with the cost of his choice, knowing millions are trapped because of him.

But the city is not empty.

Vampires, witches, mortals, and monsters cling to survival beneath the darkened sky as reality itself begins to unravel.

Because London was never meant to exist here.

And some prisons aren’t built to keep monsters out.

They’re built to keep them in.

Paperback

First published April 21, 2026

About the author

Ryen Santana is an author who has spent her life weaving stories—first in the world of fanfiction and now in dark, emotionally charged novels. A mother of two, she balances the chaos of parenthood with the equally chaotic process of crafting narratives filled with morally grey characters, deep betrayals, and enough trauma to keep her readers up at night.

Her love for storytelling began in her early teens, where she honed her skills writing sprawling, 500k+ word fanfics inspired by Twilight, The Hunger Games, Divergent, and, of course, One Direction. If a fandom existed, she either wrote for it or devoured every story it had to offer.

When she’s not writing, she can be found indulging in her other passions—reading (obviously), rock climbing, spending all of the money she earns from books on commissioning art of her characters, and consuming unhealthy amounts of caffeine. She also enjoys rotting in bed whenever life allows, though with two small children, those moments are rare and precious.

Now, with her original works, she continues to explore the themes that first captivated her: love, power, revenge, and the darker sides of human nature. But this time, the stakes are higher, the characters more twisted, and the endings never quite what you expect.

Reviews

[Ashlyn Tickle]

Thank you Ryen for this book, for Ravens, for BTRF, for all of your books, and for being such a wonderful human! Your books are heartbreaking and heart-mending all at once. This does not affect my honest review.

This is not for the feint of heart. This book does discuss themes like political intrigue, familial strain, GRIEF, depression, self-sabotage, loss of a loved one, and war. These elements were all necessary to create this devastatingly beautiful story.

I loved that the world building centered around world war 2 era London but incorporates so many fantastical elements. It created this epic work of historical fantasy but maintained core moral topics that are actively being discussed in our society.

I also cannot get over the symbolism of loneliness and misunderstanding represented in these corporeal beings that felt like the manifestation of Calum’s greatest fears. Throughout the series Ryen they morph from something objectively beautiful (shadow butterflies - feeling misunderstood) to something objectively terrifying (a spider dog who is actually so cute - loneliness).

Wow I am not okay and definitely cried multiple times but holy crap this book (and series was so good)!!

"No one was there. It was me. And this godsdamned void. So don't presume to understand what I need or what I've lost. I have lost everything I have ever loved.”

"I'm ready," I whispered, though there was no one to hear except the darkness and my own fading divinity.

"I'm offering the truth, …. What we do with it is the only choice either of us has left. I love you Calum. I’m sorry."

I love you, Tilly. I love you, Mary. I forgive you, Alistair, I hope you now, forgive me.

[Morgan Taylor]

I was so lucky enough to have gotten an early, early copy of this book and I just love Ryen's writing so this was just a lovely and devastating read.

The world is in devastation, the players are in motion, choices have to be made. This is the devastating conclusion to the Ravens Duology. Just so much emotional trauma, so many bad decisions made out of pain and grief.

Calum is slowly descending into madness, his shadows are growing chaotic and out of his control and memories from his past come out to haunt him. You definitely get the arrogance from him at the beginning as he believes he's the victim and wants everyone to know it but as the story progresses, you see the change happening and you see the pain of a broken slowly deranged god manifesting into reality.

Alistair also makes decisions, with good intentions, but they fuel Calum's madness. His pain of losing Lena also broke something in him. He is on his own path of understanding. As the 'fixer' of his family, he feels the need to save the world, most notably, London, from Calum's growing shadows.

The other players in the story are trying to save London before it succumbs to Calum's anger or Alistair's attempt at channeling chaos. Stuck between two impossible decisions, Fenris, Ruby, Isabella, and Johnathon have to do what they think is best for their survival. And of course they are all trying to survive from their own individual trauma from the actions of others. Isabella in particular. 

I really love the introduction of new players in the game and it opens up possibilities for exploring the characters further (in more bonus chapters perhaps), especially Ruby. She has a lot of decisions that she made throughout this book behind the scenes that could affect more than just London. I just love that you are left with the realization that the world really just never stops no matter what is going on.

The ending of this book definitely made me cry. There's a moment where Calum is thinking about his past and you can just feel the innocence from it and it makes it even more sad because that was lost along the way to him becoming who he is in this series.

Alistair also had a moment (two actually) where I was sobbing...his pain is just right there for all to see. You could feel just the devastation...and then in the second moment, the relief. He has just been my favorite character in this duology and it just made me cry when he was made to witness terrible things.

Ryen, of course, doesn't leave you in the dark in the end. There are epilogues. Of who? Well you definitely would have to read to find out. All I have to say is. The ending line before the epilogues is IMMACULATE, and just encompasses this entire duology perfectly.

[Kaitlyn Corbin]

The Mourning Star picks up where The Ravens of London ends. Calum is following through on his promise to destroy everything and in response, Alistair seals London off from the rest of the world and puts the entire city into the Void. Now it’s just two gods, the people of London (supernatural and mortal), and the terrifying nightmares that Calum has unleashed.

This book is like a Greek tragedy. The gods are trying to kill each other and the humans are the ones that are suffering because of it. The entire story is Calum’s descent into madness. The beginning starts at a high level of intensity and the emotions and stakes stay high all the way until the end. Everyone is literally fighting for their lives for 500 pages. Do they all make it? You’ll have to read to find out, but just know that Ryen Santana is basically George R. R. Martin, so you’re taking a risk feeling any type of way for these characters.

Unlike the first book, The Mourning Star doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, which I was thankful for. But is it a happy ending? Also not going to say, because it really depends which on which characters you were rooting for. All I will say is that when I finished the book, I felt like I had just ran a marathon.

The Mourning Star is out today and if you’re looking for a new series that will emotionally destroy you, it’s this one.

[Brittni]

✨ He was never meant for peace. ✨

Hey so this book is one of those books where, you don't finish the book, the book finishes you. I'm talking, left staring at the wall. I'm talking *Bella swan sitting in front of her bedroom window depressive episode montage*. I.... will never recover.

This was such a devastating book and since I thrive on emotional damage, I ate this book up in under 24 hrs. 🔥

The final book in this Peaky Blunders inspired dark historical fantasy duology was everything it needed to be. I'm devastated and left reeling. Calum's descent into complete and utter madness. Alistair in shambles trying to right his wrongs while drowning in grief. Everyone fighting to survive in a world that has been irrevocably altered. The small details that hold SUCH an impact. There's scenes that literally had me stuck on them because the power behind them was absolutely hurting my feelings. The action in this book was also so incredibly fun, exciting and immersive.

Absolute 5 star duology (plus the novella) and I highly recommend getting into it, but it is dark so check your triggers 💕

[Nova Brock]

Oh, my heart ....

The final book in the Ravens duology, and let me tell you- this one packs a punch! I was already feeling for all the characters from the first book, and then to get closer to Otillie and the origins of them made it feel worse. Now this ...

That being said, I absolutely loved this book. The chaos that was around in the world felt real, and the blending of new characters and support felt true to not only the writing style but also the events being plot/portayed.

While the ending had me heartbroken, and as a reader one usually wishes for a happier ending, there was no better way to finalize this duology!

If you love emotional ruin, gods and monsters, sibling rivalry, and forbidden love- you NEED to check out this book series!!!

[Alaa El Daly]

If you thought you were done with the Ravenscrofts, you are mistaken.
I did not finish this book, this book has finished me.
I absolutely loved this book and everything that unfolded within it. You are pulled into this tug of war between two brothers from the very first second you start the book. Every single character is trying to find its footing within this altered reality.
The multiple Povs is a treat because you get to see how each character is going through their own turmoil. it makes the plot more intense and keeps you invested more.

I’m grateful that I had the chance to read this early, because this duology is easily one of my top reads of the year. It’s definitely one of those stories that will forever stick with me. I don’t think I’ll be moving on from it anytime soon.

[Claire Rouse]

I am so grateful to have been able to read this early! I could not stop reading, making my only possible complaint that this book wrecked my sleep. Ryen's writing style made me feel fully immersed not only in the world, but the emotional journeys all the characters are going through. There are several chapters I cannot stop thinking about and have re-read because they were so impactful and beautifully written. Did I cry? A lot. Did I smile? Yes, with tears in my eyes. I love the story, the complexity of each character, the emotional turmoil I felt, and the closure we get for this world Ryen has shared with us.

[Flora]

I would say I was very surprised that there were new characters being introduced in this book. I was a bit taken aback since these characters, according to my memory, were not talked about in the first book of the series. Although I get what each character’s purpose was, it could have been more focused on the main characters from the first book, as I felt a little overwhelmed by the new introductions.

With that said, I did enjoy the book due to the overall plot structure, even though I felt there could be more of a consistent pace, so I would give it 3.5 stars for the conclusion of the series. Thank you to Ryen for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Liz Ranne]

I loved this! It's the conclusion to Calum's story & it was devastating. We see his descent into madness & his anger; there's a war going on & he's at the center of it. There's a lot of new characters introduced & Alistair was heartbroken about so many choices he had to make; everyone is in danger.
There's a lot that happens here, choices made & the consequences of them, they're all just trying to survive. Recommend this duet & author!

[Sarah Albrecht]

This is an easy 5 stars. I was so lucky to get an early copy, and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a more powerful, gut‑punch of a conclusion to this duology. There’s so much happening between these characters - all the different POVs, the timelines weaving together - and every layer just hits deeper than the last.

By the end, I was completely undone. The emotional damage this story delivers is no joke. I was full‑on ugly crying, the kind where you have to put the book down and just breathe because it hurts in that strangely beautiful way only a great story can manage.

I can’t believe this series is actually over, and I’m already hoping we get spinoffs with other character perspectives. This world still has so much left to sort through and rebuild, and I’m definitely not ready to let it go.

[Tay (Read With Tay)]

What a hit it out of the park conclusion from Ryen Santana. This book makes you feel things and answers all of the questions that you had from the first book. It’s sad—it’s meant to be soul-crushing—but that’s what I loved about it. The emotionality.

[D.L. Houpt]

Anything Ryen writes is a 5 star read for me

[Nay Dodd]

was fortunate to receive a copy of this book and the story is captivating, the characters arcs are brilliant