The Shadow Heir: A Standalone Fantasy Romance

Secrets of the Fae #2

by C.F.E. Black

He’s the prince of shadows, bound to do the will of his court. She’s about to shatter the darkness.On Zara’s twentieth birthday, she expected to be married to the love of her life, not stolen by the Shadow Prince and hurled into a world where death awaits her at every turn. For one year she will be forced to endure dangerous trials intended to entertain the fae.

Determined to do whatever it takes to survive and return to her home, Zara seeks an escape, but what she never expects is to find herself indebted to the Shadow Prince himself.

As Zara teams up with the one person she never wanted to trust, she quickly realizes that there’s more danger in the fae court than she first knew, and her life isn’t the only one on the line. As her opinion of the fae prince begins to change, Zara must make a trust her enemy or let darkness win.

She has vowed to survive the trials meant to kill her, but who will save her heart from an unexpected love that threatens to break her?

The Shadow Heir is a standalone fantasy romance perfect for readers who enjoy swoony romance without the spice, dual POV forbidden love, and super slow burn enemies to lovers with banter that will make you squeal. It’s based on a gender-swapped version of the Spanish fairytale, “The Prince Fernando" and will delight readers who enjoyed Once Upon a Broken Heart and Prince of the Doomed City.

The Secrets of the Fae series contains standalone fantasy romance novels that can be read in any order. Events in The Shadow Heir take place right after the events in The Starlit Prince , but you can start with either book. Each book promises a hard-won happily ever after.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Book Club, Dragons, Young Adult

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2024

Reviews

[Paris (parismaereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Quick Takes:
- 4.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
- Language 🤐 none
- Spice ❤️‍🔥 kisses only
- Content Considerations 🤔 violence, death
- Reader Age 🎟️ teen+

If you’re looking for a clean romantasy, look no further! The Shadow Heir is a clean fantasy with a romance subplot and I’m here for it 👏🏼 with no language and kisses only it makes a great read for teens and young adults too!

The Shadow Heir has all the best tropes! We are talking enemies to lovers, villain redemptive arc, Spanish fairytale and more. It’s set in a cold, icy shadow realm with powerful fae, ancient curses, and dragons, need I say more?!

Even though it is part of the Secrets of the Fae “series”, it can be read as a standalone. I have not yet read the first book, The Starlit Prince, but plan to read it too👌🏼

[Hannah Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off, this book is absolutely amazing!

I read The Starlit Prince a couple months ago and instantly fell in love with this world of fae. The Shadow Heir brings you back to this world but in a different amazing way. The FMC, Zara, who goes to the beat of her own drum and does not give up is thrown into a dark, shadowy kingdom where she must survive at the hands of the dark, handsome fae heir, Cas. The heir may be there to kill her but of course you can’t help falling in love with him. Let’s just say another fictional crush has been added to my list 🤭

The enemies to lovers trope in this romantasy is wonderfully done and is no spice😆. The growing relationship between Cas and Zara constantly makes you smile, swoon, giggle and say “Oh come on already, admit it.” Also, there are dance scenes which I absolutely love!😍

I could not put this book down! And yes, I did stay up late to finish this book and do not regret it. You will not be disappointed in this beautifully written romantasy by C.F.E. Black. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time again!

[Sharon Loves to Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this standalone romantasy! I enjoyed the first in the series, The Starlit Prince, but despite liking the characters in TSP a bit more, I think I enjoyed this story a little more. For one thing, the romance took longer to develop and felt more authentic. I also found the ending to be more surprising and than TSP. I mean, I knew a certain element, but I didn’t see how it would come about.

CW—non-gratuitous violence, evil fae participating in non-descriptive debauchery, romantic desire moderately described, kissing moderately described.

This is enemies to lovers, and I honestly hated the MMC at first. Black had some work to do to make him worthy in my eyes, but she succeeded 🛑🛑spoiler warning🛑🛑in building a believable redemption arc for him since she revealed he had already been doing some good before he met our FMC.🟢🟢End Spoiler🟢🟢 Furthermore, this book spanned a much greater amount of time than TSP, so it felt more believable.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ✨

Clean Fantasy Romance

“Fear is the greatest form of control.”

The Shadow Heir was a fun ride! I really enjoyed the first in the series (The Starlit Prince) and wasn’t sure how this one would relate, but it did effortlessly. Both are stand-alone although, I would recommend reading them both- in order just my opinion though! Black did a great job keeping me invested throughout the story. The enemies to lovers was believable and I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the book. If you like books about the fae, trials, dragons, binding curses, and forbidden love- look no further. The best part - it was swoon worthy and squeaky clean!

Content ⚠️
- poisoning, death, mild violence
- kissing

[✨Ruthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*drumroll* ... And a wonderful 4 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌶️Spice: 2/10 - Only a few kisses, kinda described, but other vulgar things the fae did without explaining them
🧙Characters: 8/10 - Zara and Cas were so cute!!! (And all the others were nice too)
🤓Plot: 8/10 - Nice! Well thought out, and progressed smoothly
🫢Language: 1/10 - one d*mn but in another language, other than that, really nothing

Overall, really nice stand-alone Romantasy, the enemies-to-lovers is well developed without it being too rushed, and a happy ending! 💖

I did feel, though, that the Fae King just... kinda died... like, it was good, but he just died to suddenly I was left reeling

Will be reading more from the author!💜

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH. MY. GOODNESS. 😍

This was masterful! Don’t get me wrong, The Starlit Prince was incredible, but this standalone sequel was a masterpiece.

In my mind, the best part about this story was its redemption arc of the morally grey MMC—it might actually be one of the best I’ve read for a morally grey character, period. Without giving spoilers, I hated Cas from the beginning and wondered how Black could possible redeem him, but WOW. By the end, I was so impressed by how layered he was as a character and how he was redeemable.

Zara is fire and light and all around wonderful. I love her passion, her zeal, and her kindness.

If you’re looking for a high-stakes, spice free YA romantasy with dragons, shadow fae, and dancing that feels like a mash-up between The Hunger Games and Once Upon a Broken Heart—READ THIS! 😍

Content: no language; kissing only; moderate violence; fae acts of debauchery are hinted at without giving details or being glorified in any way

[Kim Zamolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it so much, and couldn’t put it down!! If you love fae court drama, hunger games, dragons, and forbidden love tropes, you are in for a real treat! Fantasy romance readers, rejoice! 🤩🙌🏻

Zara and Cas’ romance is true enemies to lovers, and also incredibly sweet (no spice!). The intrigue plot is well done, I loved how it felt like you were unraveling the mysteries with Zara as she explored this new world she found herself in. I loved the Spanish vibes, strong independent and fierce FMC, and a hard exterior but gooey interior MMC.

[thelilcloseddoorbookgal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried so hard to get into this story, and I just couldn’t. It didn’t feel like it had any originality. I read books with cliché elements all the time, but the stories still come to life through the engaging narrative, interesting characters, dialogue, or fresh worldbuilding. This story was stale to me. I do appreciate that it’s a romantasy without spice or strong language, and I see many other people have enjoyed the book. It just didn’t stand out to me in any way.

[bookgirlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC. GIMME FOUR OF THEM RIGHT NOW.


No seriously, this was SO GOOD. I need another book like it. ASAP.

4.5*

[ashley thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF*

[vxmpslibrary [hiatus exams] · Rating 4 out of 5]

- 4.5 stars

✩♬ ₊˚.🎶 review ⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Of course C.F.E's writing enchantingly and easily drawns me again to her another book, and I am surprised to see that this didn't disappoint me as I did came with mild expectations.

I thought I really was going into a reading slump and then boom, I found this book, read it and fell in love with it, the pacing was amazingly done for me, and I really really enjoyed reading it with all the twists.

Zara : her fierce personality is really amazing to read about, I love how she cared about other participants, she and her friendship with Ivy? I loved it, she was an amazing lead to follow and since I actually read the first book in secrets of fae series, I knew there HAS to be a book of her. Though it's sad to watch that she looking for her true love didn't really work out as they only wanted a grasp of fortune they would inherit.

Cas : our dark broody mmc, who picks our Zara to go into the Faerie realm when she turns twenty as the bargain suggested, and he also hates almost everyone and is intrigued by her, normal right? Then boom we get to know he's cursed, and now he seeks helps from Zara in exchange for information relating Talia to get to know who's poisoning the mortals which he has to heal.

“I can’t be the king of darkness,” he said, briefly resting his forehead against mine. “Not after loving you and your light.”

I obviously wanted to see Zara and Talia reunited which we didn't get to see and I WAS really hoping so bad that we get to see it but sadly we don't.

There were trials, fae's and dragons and it was all nice.

Alba : Cas's sister, yes I still do love you, and you were an amazing character to read about <33

Overall this was a perfect read for me and I enjoyed it amazingly and would definitely recommend to read this🫶

[Bethany Aich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: this book is standalone, though there are few minor name cameos from book one in the series. They can be read in any order.

I started reading a few pages while I was waking up in the morning. The next thing I knew, I was reading while making breakfast and brushing my hair. I had to put it down halfway through chapter 6 in order to get out the door. Riveting from the first pages, The Shadow Heir is a wild ride, and such a fun enemies-to-lovers book. (And we are talking REAL enemies, not just ones with “Oh, you’re so perfect that I hate you” vibes.)

Romance: I was immersed from the get go, but you won’t find me recommending this to a teen. While it is still within the parameters of “clean,” there is a bit more description when it comes to physical appearance and a bit more heated kissing than I would like. (There is not a lot of kissing, mind you, but what is there is warmer than I prefer.) It is not enough to turn me away from reading the book, and I’ll recommend it to most people I know who read fantasy, but—as I said—not young people.

Violence: well, our MC is definitely grey and is Prince of a wicked fae court. So, yep. I wouldn’t call it gory, but don’t read if you are squeamish.

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

[4.5 stars]
This book is significantly darker than book 1. The MC is enslaved by a fae bargain and forced to entertain a court of reveling fae through deadly trials designed to kill her and her fellow human “entertainers”. The story is dark and intense, but still well written and captivating.

The romance might have been a little sudden in the flip from enemy to lover, and there was one thing at the end that seemed corny to me, but overall the book was quite good.

Content:
Though there is no foul language and the romance is very clean, the book is actually quite dark. Despite not going into excessive detail, the debauchary of the fae court is portrayed quite prominently throughout. There is magic and violence. There is an in-world religion where they worship the sun and stars, but this book starts to imply that religion is false and that there is a single god who answers prayers. I definitely would not call it Christian.

[Tawni Suchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a TRUE enemies to lovers. There’s no two ways about it. These two despise each other…and I mean Casimiro is out to unalive Zara…but love. The development between these two was packed full of edge of your seat action, nail biting moments, and best of all swoony lines via our beloved heir. “You are the stars. Constant, fixed, ever burning. It is by your light I see…” I mean come on! 🫠 Absolutely stunning book.
If you’re looking for a romantasy…you got a great one in The Shadow Heir. I also loved the nods to our Creator “The First and Last” throughout the pages.

Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💋
16+
Small allegorical faith woven through

*I received an advance copy of this book but was not required to leave a review and all opinions are my own.

[Samantha (samantha’s_book_nook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you CFE Black for the opportunity to read The Shadow Heir prior to the release. I loved this book! This reminded me of The Cruel Prince without all the bullying and spice. Don’t let “no spice” fool you, this book had all the good, romantic feels you want in a romantasy, deadly trials, and dragons.

Tropes:

Enemies to lovers
Shadow daddy
Villain redemption arc
Dragons
Fae with Spanish vibes

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

trial

I think I don’t care for the fae and their superior attitude. Whoever thought half truths weren’t lies were lying to themselves.

[Rachel White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loooooooved this!!! Love the way she writes and pulls you into the story!! And I kept trying to figure out how it would end and it still totally surprised me! Great book!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of the second standalone book in the secrets of the Fae series. First off I devoured this book in 2 days. I was drawn in by Zara and how feisty she is. If you enjoy pet names, villains that are set to unalive our main character turned touch her and ☠️ mixed with suspense this right here is for you. It is a clean romantacy that’s swoon worthy. I am so so sad it over. I just loved the ending and I’m hoping for more from some of the other characters.

[Brianna Gilmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything CFE Black writes is entertaining, heartfelt, and unique. I loved that I could enjoy a fae romance story without fearing explicit content.

[Camille Mosemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous Clean Romantsy! 😍

This book swept me away! I read this in almost one sitting, unable to put down this enticing story of shadows, dragons, and light. Black has once again entwined the sweeping fantasy of the fae lands with the meaningful theme of light shining through the darkness. This is a must read for all fantasy lovers!

Update:
This was so much more fun the second time around! The first time I read it, I devoured it in one day because I had to know what happened. But this time I slowed down and savored the swoony romance and thrilling action that the Shadow Heir is made up of. Cas and Zara have my heart and I wish that they had another story so we could find out how they plan to rebuild the Shadow Court!! 1,000/10 recommend for fans of clean high fae fantasy and dragons!!

[funkelbunt.liest · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shadow Heir is the first book I’ve read by Catherine Black, but it definitely won’t be the last!

This is the enemies to lovers trope in the most literal sense and I was more than curious to find out how this would play out, since Cas was the one orchestrating Zara’s death.

The fae court was… disgusting, appalling, cruel… all of that and more and I wasn’t so sure if I could like one or more of the faes, since they are all so indifferent towards human lives. It definitely had Hunger Games vibes, even though the human entertainers weren’t fighting against each other.

“I couldn’t hate them any more than I hated them in that moment. Our death was their sport. Our pain was their thrill.”

Zara is a fighter and I loved that she isn’t too easily swayed by Cas’s good looks. But there is something between them from the beginning, when she was still pretty clueless what her fate should look like.

Cas is definitely not as evil as he seemed in the beginning - and wants others to believe he is - but he also changes through Zara. He starts to care for her in a kind of confusing way, since he does not have a solution that could save the human entertainers.

“Stars, Valencia, you could have died.”

This comment seemed almost cruel, if he wouldn’t have been so sincere. So to say Zara was confused, not knowing what to believe or who to trust is kind of an understatement.

But we see glimpses of what Cas is dealing with and there is more going on than “just” deadly games.

The only thing I would have wished for would have been to see more of the other entertainers, to get to know them better and to see them work together. Even though they are all trying to help each other or at least are not standing in each other's ways it always seemed like Zara was the one with a brilliant idea or the one with some sort of trick that saved her from the death threat of the tests. I don’t completely know why she is so special to beat more of the dangers and also to get Cas’s attention or change his mind when nobody before her could, especially considering his way longer lifespan as a fae.

But like I said, there is obvious chemistry between Cas and Zara and I loved how the ice between them melted. I’m not always a fan of nicknames because they often seem cheesy or even belittling, but I have to say I swooned a little every time Cas called Zara “little spark”.

“I’m not afraid of him, Zara. I’m afraid that the light I’ve come to see will go out, and I will be left alone in the dark.”
“What are you talk-”
“You, little spark.” He pushed my chin with his thumb until I met his gaze. “You.”

The ending and solution for everything that was going on was a bit quick and I feel that we could have used a few more details about why and who but I still thought everything was wrapped up nicely and I just want to dive into the Starlit Prince, since I haven’t read the first book of the series yet.

I absolutely recommend this book to lovers of clean romantasy - and a slow burn enemies to lovers trope done well!

As a side note - as a Christian I also appreciated the hints to the one true God, but they are pretty subtle and rare, so I don’t think a non Christian reader would mind them.

* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.

[Lucy Anne Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lose yourself in a world of magic and romance as you follow the story of Zara and Cas through a court of shadows and corruption.

First of all, I need to apologize to the author. I received an early copy of this book with the full intention of finishing it before the release date. Unfortunately, life and work became suddenly overwhelming and I had hardly a spare second to read for enjoyment. Despite this, I did enjoy this book. Black’s writing style is one of my favourites among the indie authors I have read. I've only read her first book so for me, it was really exciting to see how she has grown as a writer since publishing that book. She is, without a doubt, a very talented writer, and I'm so thankful that she is sharing this gift through her books.

I haven't read The Starlit Prince, and I think I missed out on a bit of the world-building and whatnot because of that. However, this book can definitely be read on its own. You don't need to read the first book in the series to fully enjoy the story. Black is careful to add enough world-building details to help everything make sense and to pull the reader in. I am very intrigued by this world that she has created and am interested in reading the first book.

In simplicity, this book is a fantasy romance. It gave me flavours of Sara J Maas books, but without the spice and profanity which was much appreciated. If you're into fiery heroines and handsome love interests but want to skip the spice then this book is for you. There is also the obvious and prominent trope of “enemies to lovers”. The main characters really have no reason to like each other at the beginning of the book, and yet a sweet and beautiful relationship grows between them. Personally, I wanted to see a few more quality moments between the two main characters a bit sooner. The enemies part of the trope was pretty strong until about 50% or 60% into the book. Even then, the lovers part was gradual, and when the two characters professed their love, I wasn't quite as convinced as I wanted to be. I think I simply wanted a bit more quality time between the two main characters. Throughout the book, they don't really spend a huge amount of time together. I know that this might not bother some readers, but to me (who is perhaps a little bit too realistic in some cases), I wanted to see a bit more wholesome growth. I did appreciate the other relationships throughout the book. For example, Zara’s relationships with the other humans and Cas’s relationship with his sister. I think I would have liked a bit more description when it came to some of the other characters (especially some of the other entertainers). About 70% through the book, I realized that I didn't really have a clear picture of what some of the other characters looked like.

Overall, I got the sense that the process of writing this book was slightly rushed. Most readers will probably not pick up on this, but I felt that there were just a few small things that could have used some more development.

I look forward to Black’s next book! She really is an indie author to add to your to-read list if you love clean fantasy romance.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read, not as good as book 1.

The Shadow Heir is the second book in the “Secrets of the Fae” series by CFE Black. This story focuses on Zara, who was briefly mentioned in Book 1 as the FMC’s best friend.

Black did a great job creating very likable characters. I liked the FMC and MMC, as well as the different side characters (Ivy, Ariana, Alba). I would have loved to have known what happened to those characters in the end.

While she creates likable characters, her villains on the other hand are easy to hate. The fae in this series, both books 1 & 2, are just horrible. They’re so incredibly power hungry and spend their immortality finding fulfillment in sex, torture of others, gluttony, etc.

Casimir - “All I wanted before I died was to find something worth dying for.” He looked up at me now. “We feed ourselves with pleasure, with entertainment, with anything that can shock us from our numb, endless existence. Magic has its charms, but even its thrill dulls over time. You were right—what you said about us, about me. All this time, I’ve been searching for someone who could wake me up. I was numb, unable to feel the world around me or the life inside me, until I met you.”

Allow me to give a content warning with a little context:
Zara is brought to the Shadow court after her father struck a deal with the fae Shadow king. Zara gets to choose either a lifetime of servitude or 1 year as an “entertainer” for the fae. However, entertainers never make it to the year mark, as they always die in the mortal trials. The servants are treated horribly and live in horrible conditions. While the entertainers are given some luxuries, but they are used by the fae. The fae will help them survive the next mortal trial, but at a steep cost… and it’s implied that the cost is often paid by being a spy for the fae or through sexual favors. Black never goes into detail, but it’s definitely implied. This isn’t necessary a pro or con of the book, it just took me by surprise as it was so much darker than Book 1.

The slow burn romance in this book was fine. I wish I had seen more of the MMC, Casimir’s, feelings develop for Zara throughout the story. They felt a bit sudden at the end. And all of the sudden, Casimir is saying all of these poetic things to Zara about how she’s the light he’s drawn to - which is nice, but just felt out of character compared to the rest of his POV.

Black does a really great job with world building and describing the settings and scenery in her book.

I did like the final battle of Book 2 more than I did in Book 1. It still could have been a bit more drawn out and developed, but I enjoyed this book’s conclusion better.

While I did genuinely enjoy this book and it had so much potential, I just don’t think it’s one of CFE’s best.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: heated kisses
Language: none
Content: implied sexual assault of side characters, violence, enslavement

Book 1 could be appropriate for teens, but not sure about book 2.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

so who was gonna tell me that Cas is literally Jacks from once upon a broken heart?! like:
both princes. both evil (at first). both cursed. and both with veryyy similar nicknames for their girl. “little fox” and “little spark” LIKE COME ON IT’S TOO PERFECT , how was i not gonna fall for him?! and it’s also just one reason i love this book!! 🖤🐉🪽🔥

. • ☆ . ° .• ♡
this is true enemies to lovers fantasy (romantasy?) ! the hatred was pure hatred, they were true enemies, and the slow burn was actually a slow burn. no one does slow burn enemies to lovers like a fantasy book it’s just not possible !! 👏🏼 you can’t get that kind of hatred and angst in a 21st century office romcom lol.
the world building was great, the magic and world is fascinating. the Wild Hunt, Shadow Court and Nightsong, plus the Trials; all of it was so interesting! didn’t know what to expect of the trials but safe to say it exceeded anything i could have thought of! we get some EPIC battle scenes, not to mention um dragons and hellhounds?! the shadow fae are actually really cool creatures, I love that they have wings and can detach their shadows from themselves.

I loved our fmc, Zara:) her strength and determination, the way she never gave up and how much she cared about people. I do wish we got a little more backstory for her though, in the very beginning they made it seem like she had been assaulted but then never brought it up again.
Our mmc, Casimiro the Shadow Prince, I loveee🤭 he tries to kill her at first, designs the trials to do so. but when we get that first “where is she” moment after she gets hurt 👀 and then “no one touches her” had me kicking my feet ! mwauh, Cas you no longer wanna kill her just admit it <3 and we can’t forget the fact he spent his entire 151 years trying to save his sister 🫶🏼

the beginning felt different than the rest of the story. I think it definitely got better about halfway in. they also purposefully kept dropping little hints but never fully explaining anything til the end, and I think they could’ve given us some answers sooner so it wasn’t quite so much all at once. but at the same time it kept me on the edge of my seat wanting answers so they did good:)

❗️no harsh language.
🌶️clean romance
❗️TW: death and alludes to sexual affairs/possibly rape, sexual arrangements in return for help or one of the forms of “entertainment” . but nothing is specified or detailed

[Jessica Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my word this book. *stares in shock* This was such a consuming read, I couldn’t put it down for the life of me. I loved this book so much!! The best part was the world and the Spanish influence was so well incorporated into the story, it felt so real.
Finishing this book feels like waking up from a dream you really don’t want to wake up from. The start was slow but it was worth the wait, the world, the characters, the relationships, everything was so entrancing.
My only complaint is that I wanted more Cas. Which probably is connected to the fact that I thought to much information on him and what was happening to him and Alba was withheld for to long. It is very much so a mystery for awhile. I also just wanted to know more about his motives because I found it hard to figure out why he was doing what he was doing *me trying to keep this spoiler free* and root for him. He was just so much of a mystery himself, even being inside his head was trying to decode everything he thought and felt. It was all very tangled up and I think he himself really didnt know what was going on either.
Zara on the other hand, I loved her a mc, she was so fierce and protective of the people she cared about. The ending suited her so well I was squealing by the time I turned the last page because all the trauma was worth it!! (I definitely did not cry) She was also so smart and the way she had been betrayed so many times but still chose to be kind and loving, especially in her situation. She deserves the world.
The secondary characters, like Alba and Ivy, whom I both love for they are both so sweet, are all also extremely fleshed out and have their own motives as well as feelings. (I’ve had a hard time finding books like that recently) I would love to see what happened to all the mortals in the court and their stories of how they got there.
The world building had me in absolute awe. The magic and the history behind it all felt really thought out and it was all so interesting. I could read a whole book on the myth alone, much less how the shadow court was formed.
In a sentence, this was an enchanting, beautiful book that I will be recommending for a long time. Please just give it a chance and read it, it is so worth it!!

[Belinda Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humans are caught in a deadly game orchestrated by a mysterious fae court, where survival is anything but guaranteed, and betrayal lurks around every corner. 🏹

Zara was such an exciting character! Fierce, strong, and relentless in her mission, she was definitely someone I enjoyed following throughout the story. While some of her decisions had me questioning her thought process 🤔, especially given the high stakes, she still held her ground as a character worth rooting for.

Cas, on the other hand, was a mystery—there was so much surrounding him and his court. He was trying his best to stand apart from his father’s legacy and the brutal system he was born into. While he didn’t always succeed, I appreciated his effort.

The court itself was bizarre, though—the way they treated humans and orchestrated the survival games didn’t quite make sense to me. The premise of hunting humans and the whole dealmaking system felt confusing, especially when it came to how Zara was brought into the fold. Her father’s deal didn’t line up with how others made theirs, leaving me puzzled by the end. 😕

However, the enemies to lovers romance? I’m always here for it! ❤️ The tension between Zara and Cas was palpable. The way they hated each other, fought against their attraction, and tried so hard to resist their feelings kept me on the edge. I just wish there had been a more defined moment when they truly fell for each other—something felt like it was missing in that transition. Still, the chemistry was there and the romantic tension was solid.

The ending wrapped everything up nicely, though it felt a little rushed. But overall, I was satisfied with how things turned out and appreciated the way the story tied together by the conclusion.

Perfect for fans of:
🏹 Enemies to Lovers
🏰 Court Politics
🐉 Magical Creatures & Dragons
🌿 Fae Lore
🎯 Hunger GamesStyle Matches to the Death
😈 Shadow Daddy
🖤 Villain Redemption Arc

If you’re looking for a high stakes fantasy with a sizzling romance and plenty of court intrigue, this is for you! A big thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this ARC!

[Kayla Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Fantasy. Magic! I LOVED this read! I could not handle how well this story flowed and the Shadow Court became a place I actually worried about. Not really, but it became a real place in my head to get lost in.

What a curiously detailed world full of evil fae, curses, mystical creatures, and life threatening trials. If you love fantasy you will absolutely devour this read, and if you don’t usually go for fantasy this book may just change your mind.

As you can probably guess this story has a darker vibe, with death, hatred, and poisonings. But I can safely say it did not go too far and was overshadowed by the goodness of the FMC! The stark contrast was refreshing! Showed how even born to darkness, one can rise above.

Zara has been taken to The Shadow Court to pay her father’s debt. She is thrown into a ruthless world and is determined to escape. She learns what weakens fae, but does she have the strength to withstand trials designed to kill her? Becoming a spy for the Shadow Heir gives her a leg up while also complicating things.

Casimiro or Cas is the Shadow Heir and has always known his destiny and that of his sister, but he hopes Zara, whom he has a strange fascination of can help him change his sister’s fate. He was the epitome of Broody, grumpy, and scary…all to hide his true feelings.

I adored his nickname for Zara! The ways they each rose to challenges and how their distrust for one another changed.

✨Favorite Quote: “Aren’t you weaker in the sunlight?”
His mouth pressed to a hard line. “I am. But it makes you stronger.”

I wish I could read this story for the first time all over again. Loved this clean and closed door read.

[Shawna Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here we find out what became of Zara, Talia’s best friend from The Starlit Prince.

Zara’s friend Talia hasn’t been seen since she married a handsome fae a month ago, but what became of Talia isn’t her only concern. Zara’s father made a bargain 20 years ago to a fae who promised a child would be born to the barren couple, but it’s only after the deal is struck that he finds out the horrible cost: on Zara’s 20th birthday she will be taken by the Shadow fae, never to be seen again. If she refuses to go it is her father who will die.

Trained to defend herself, Zara handles both knife and bow well, but her true love is to dance, especially the flamenco. When the son of the Shadow King comes for her on the eve of her 20th birthday she argues that as the hour of her birth has yet to arrive that she still has nearly a day left in the mortal realm. To her surprise, her would-be jailer agrees.

For Casimiro, Heir of the Shadow King, Zara is just another mortal who will either choose servitude or entertainment in his father’s court. Either way she will break like all of the others before her… until he returns that night to collect her and sees her dance. Such a vibrant and defiant little spark will not survive long in his world, but to his surprise she not only chooses a year as entertainment rather than a lifetime of service, but she survives her first challenge with fire and a determination that will ignite his heart.

The reason for 3 stars rather than 4…. The ending (very clever spin I hadn’t seen coming) was too rushed. I get there is a lot going on, but it seems like it builds too quickly and is gone in a flash rather than the raging inferno we were moving towards.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danger, action and a fight for her life.
C.F.E. Black delivers another engrossing portal fantasy romance.
Zara was a wonderful character. I admired her courage under pressure, her creativity in a foreign world, and her ability to stay true to her identity in a realm not her own.
The trials for her life will have you riveted to the pages, and the court drama has plenty of twists.
Cas definitely could be considered a morally gray type, at least at first (wink). Once you begin to learn more about him, you come to realize there is more going on then you first realize!
The relationship between Cas and Zara is definitely what I would call a slow burn. I loved it when they were on the page together and wished I could have seen more of it. That's probably my only complaint about this story. That being said I was definitely entertained with the whole story and love the way this author helps you look past the glamorous life of these fictional fae and see how mortals have a power all our own.
We don't have to be immortal on this earth to be courageous.
I really enjoy the unique style of Fae Fantasy from this author and will definitely be reading more from her!
I recieved a complementary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are honest and completely my own.

[Allyson Wilkins (Get It Write) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved The Cruel Prince, you’ll love this one! This dark fantasy romance is all about redemption and righting the wrongs. The author did a wonderful job, like she did with The Starlit Prince, in creating a gorgeous world. I really felt immersed in the story, and could feel the hatred towards the fae, or their selfish court. It really pulls you in! I also love that Zara is a flamenco dancer, since I enjoy dancing myself. It’s always fun when you have a connection with the character. Her arc is different from the MMC, Cas, since she’s trying to survive the Shadow Court and eventually help overthrow the king. Cas has a redemption arc, whereas Zara has a flat arc, but one that changes her surroundings. It’s a good combo.
Their relationship works, and the slow-burn romance kept me coming back to read. I wanted to see a couple more scenes where they interacted more, just to help the love develop. It’s a tricky thing to bring a murderer back to be redeemed, even if he was compelled to do it. But overall, the author did a really good job with it, and I found myself rooting for both Cas and Zara.
This book is perfect for this Halloween season, so I highly suggest it!

Spice level: no open-door scenes or explicit language.
**I received an ARC copy of the book in exchange for my review.