If madness overcomes me, so be it. The air was thick with ashes and dust as I searched desperately through the crumbling ruins of the castle. It is her gravity that centers me, and in her absence, I spin without atmosphere. If she is lost from this world, then I wish nothing more than to be lost with her. -Markos Bellerose
With the last of his lies shattered, Eric struggles to reconcile his true identity and is caught balancing his existence between Fae, human, and Vanir. As his equilibrium slips, he’s plunged into the darkness of his past and breaking at the seams. If he can’t learn to trust in others again and accept the help he needs, he will only fall further into ruin.
Enemies seize the opportunity to attack when Leúchtend is at its most vulnerable, and Miss Walsh is caught in the crossfire. Proving she is tougher than she looks, Claire fights for the sake of her unborn child. But with new dangers closing in on all sides, her life dangles by a thread, as does the future of the fae.
Book Four in the Dark Fantasy Horror Series Eric Linnaeus.
Kikito Lynn is the creator behind the Eric Linnaeus novels, webcomic, and animations. She is an unconventional author who began writing horror fiction on r/nosleep, and many of her older stories can be found narrated on YouTube or in horror Podcasts.
Nowadays, Kikito writes dark fantasy, slow-burning, enemies-to-lovers romances filled with morally complex characters and a touch of drama. Her stories weave together layered mysteries, unreliable narrators, and leave subtle clues for readers to unravel.
Based in Australia, she is accompanied by a very loud, opinionated siren of a cat and enjoys daydreaming about new plots, long walks, and reading.
It's so gooood!!! I have already reread it like four times which is not good for my sleep schedule but whateverrrr... The story is so captivating and the character relationships are so perfecttt. I desperately want more- I even downloaded Kindle so I could read the Alternate book so safe to say I've fallen in love with these characters. I love the twins so much. I'm a sucker for sibling relationships in any media lol.
First off — I need to breathe because I stopped halfway through book 2 🤣
This series was so well constructed and thoughtful—the writing style took me some time to get used to but one I got the hang of it, I fell IN LOVE!!! The switch between different POVs from primary characters to background and informative was so satisfying! Kikito’s world-building abilities are INSANE! From people to personalities and environment, it was like a MOVIE😭!
You really start to get a feel for the whole situation in around book 3, possibly near the end of book 2! The first bit of reading is filled to the brim with information that MAY seem irrelevant and random at first, but is SO IMPORTANT AND BEAUTIFUL once you read further in!
The romance and TENSION between Eiríkr (Eric) and Nathaniel is SO GOOD💕 I have never loved a couple more😭 I simultaneously want to be them AND be the officiant at their future wedding (because I’ll be damned if they don’t get FREAKING MARRIED)😭
Trust me, if you’re having second thoughts, DON’T. READ THIS SERIES/BOOK!!!!!!! It has a slightly descriptive style of (🍋) that still dances around the edges of it so it’s not SUPER descriptive but definitely THERE. So it’s absolutely okay if that’s not for you, but if it is…DIVE IN POOKIEEEE💕
Seriously, I cannot thank Kikito’s mind ENOUGH for creating this positively juicy MASTERPIECE of a BL dark fantasy🗡️🖤⚔️
I hope everyone has a wonderful day and time reading this book, admiring the STUNNING cover art, and kicking their feet at imaginary gay men 🥰
✨Couldn’t put this book down, it had me hooked throughout ✨Tragic, beautiful a fantastic way to wrap up the storyline ✨Descriptions of scenery and fight sequences were vivid ✨World building was expanded in such an interesting way ✨Emotional, gut wrenching, but worth it for the happy ending ✨Loved the use of … in the dialogue, helps you feel the awkwardness and tension of moments
I'm so completely in love with these books - I've been well & truly branded. SO damn thankful I stumbled across Kikito's tiktok (praise b 2 the algorithm).
I now need to buy the paperbacks asap.
Loved everything about book 4, it was brilliant, breathtaking - pure perfection. I didn't want it to end.
I LITERALLY couldn’t put this book down, I read it in a day. I enjoyed the previous books of the series but I think all the threads of the story finally came together in this book. The characters were interesting and diverse, especially liked Charles, Eric and Nathaniel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Oh my god ahhhh!! I’m squealing and kicking my feet right now. I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next two books. I’m glad this one didn’t end on a cliff hanger so I’m dying a little less inside waiting. These books have been the best I have ever read. They’re so well written, the characters are so well developed and the romance is so beautifully done and balanced with the bigger plot. The last sentence made me actually squeal out loud. Best ending.
This is unfortunately a little hasty written so I apologise beforehand for my unstructured rambling.
This book is exactly what I expected of the series when I first picked it up. The dynamic between the different relationships, the political stance, the twisted but weirdly balanced personal issues, and even the strange finality between certain characters – every book that took us here has led up to this moment and despite this, I wasn't ready when I closed the book for one last time (until I reread it, that is).
I also had some issues with the writing on the previous two books, not in any critical way but just based on personal preferences. I am glad to say that the writing in this one hooked me immediately and took me back to the wonderful execution of the first book. I felt like the flow and the balance between events and surroundings were more equal and that brought out the magical places without taking us from the situation. Definitely an execution worthy of the final of the big battle.
Lastly, one strong point this book series has always had is the characters, and I, who am a sucker for good characters, really enjoyed the different character arcs that the different characters went through. I look forward to the alternate series that is about to be released because what says "interesting character insights" louder than an alternate universe? If I'm not completely wrong, there should be a continuation for the original plot as well, so it'll be interesting to see how the plot branches. However, if anyone could lend me endless material on Eric and Nathaniel's relationship, I'll be forever grateful.
Also, I feel bad for Achaicus, but Molly's death was long overdue. I think that out of all the characters in the serie, Achaicus feels a little overlooked. But I hope to see some development in the books that are to be.
..good ending to everything. . to be honest I was away from the series cause I couldn't find the book for sometime, I was feeling maybe I wouldn't be as much in the mood and world and remember. . BUT I was worried for nothing the writing and characters take you right back in I finished this one soo fast like the others. . characters are as always charming even Themoty that I know wouldn't around for so long was entertaining and behold he wasn't random to introduce other characters; he was a base. . I love these subtle yet important touches in the writing and plot making. . A Lot of back story of Eric and his family that was unravelled both for the plot And his character. . I would have loved to see Kàri more since I had grown to like him ALOT in the last book. . I was neutral toward achaicus in the first book then he grew on me and in this book he was everything and deserved everything easily became one of my top favourites of the series . Claire got her a bit too late reality check, the girl was a walking giving the reader heart attack for being clueless. . Nathaniel is an amazing character. writing wise I love that a writer doesn't weaken the strong character in favour of the story and Nathaniel is a great example. he is smart, diplomatic, strong, self-aware and while has his issues is not ignorant and yet he doesn't need the opposite for his story to go on. . Charles is way more stronger which I was happy to see. as I said before wrongly I started this series rooting for him and Eric but I like his end story. .... the only things that I thought was that I was waiting for the prodigy Mercury to be the last enemy but his and his father story was already over that left some scattered enemy at the end, which in its way was an original new path taken.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a page turner for sure. You have fighting, kidnapping, escaping, love, betrayal; you have it all! The story unfolds more. Tensions run high and emotions are all over the place. The ending to this series should be quite interesting.
What a nice conclusion to the story, can’t wait to read the extra content in book 5!
I loved finally getting multiple chapters from Eric’s POV, finally showing his view on past events and learning even more about him as a person. I admit I would have liked him and Nathaniel to make up a lot earlier in the book, and there was a lot of pain after he was brought back to the castle, but I loved seeing how their relationship evolved in the 3 epilogue at the end of the book.
It was also nice to see Nathaniel doing everything in his power to protect his people and get Eric back. I also liked Achaicus’s final confrontation with Molly.
Finally, it was nice to see how Claire and Calla bonded and how their whole baby plot ended, thought i didn’t like how Marco behaved towards both Nathanial and Eric (but that’s just because they are my favorite characters so I don’t like other characters being mean to them 😅🤣).
Charles was nice and entertaining like in all the previous books. I love his friendship with Eric.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
First, I want to thank the author for her exceptional and beautiful writing throughout all four books. I truly hope the fifth book will be released as soon as possible because I feel so hollow after finishing them.
And as always, ***SPOILERS***
⭐ War is finally over – and so is the wait for the L word! ⭐
At last, Nathaniel and Eric talked! Like actual normal people, with honesty and vulnerability! Eric went through a complete 360 – from cold and closed-off to suddenly clingy and emotionally open with Nathaniel. Sure, it’s not the healthiest transition, but honestly? I’m just so happy it happened.
Claire and Calla’s conversation about the fae world was another highlight. It gave so much context for why Eric and Calla turned out the way they did. Their little “meeting” with Charles, deciding whether to forgive Eric or not, felt so mature and well-handled. And then the scene where Claire and Calla escaped together and Calla protected her? Incredible.
Charles is now traveling with Achaicus, Neither of them needs a romance right now, but after everything with Molly, I can’t help but wonder if something might spark between them. Wishful thinking, maybe…
Marcus and Claire are absolutely precious. I really felt for Marcus when he believed his family was gone. The softer side of him that Claire brought out across the books was portrayed so beautifully.
The twins’ mother… complicated feelings there. She did love them as babies, but fear of their father paralyzed her. The scene where Nathaniel begged her not to leave because his abuser was threatening him—and she still walked away—completely broke me. Even if she didn’t know the full truth, her child was begging her. I just hope Nathaniel can one day trust Eric and his brother enough to share this with them, and finally heal.
On the flip side, Eric’s grandfather saving Nathaniel and his Achaicus, from death I really hope that truth comes out later. And while we’re on family—how did Eric’s parents turn out so toxic and unfeeling when they came from grandparents like that?
Meeting Nathaniel’s grandfather was another surprise. He’s actually on their side! Even he thought Lazarus was a psychopath, which says a lot.
💡 Honorable mention: Nathaniel throwing Eric a birthday party. Sure, it’s a human tradition, but it was ridiculously sweet.
And then there’s the “Sweden cover story.” I died.
“He told me I was saving them, and that they sent them to Sweden. It was such a stupid cover.”
I can literally picture the whole exchange:
Nathaniel: I don’t know what to tell him about the orphans. Marcus: Just lie. Nathaniel: And say what? Marcus: I don’t know… tell him you sent them somewhere. Nathaniel: Where?? Marcus: …Sweden? Nathaniel: Sweden? Who would believe that?!
Eric: Nathaniel, where are all the kids being sent? Nathaniel (panicking): Uhh… Sweden. Eric: Sweden? Nathaniel: Yeah, what’s wrong with Sweden? Nature, culture, high standard of living… Eric: Oh, okay then.
It’s the dumbest, funniest thing I’ve ever read.
And finally – why did no one tell me this series isn’t over? Apparently books 6 and 7 are still coming, set in an alternate universe with more romance between the couple. Which is amazing, but… why didn’t we get that romance in the main storyline too?!
In short, I’m not very good at writing reviews—my thoughts get all jumbled, I forget half the things I wanted to say, and I never have a clear beginning, middle, and end. But what I *can* say is that this series is truly amazing, and I’m so glad I didn’t give up on it.
I'm not gonna lie I picked up this series after seeing the author's YouTube and facebook page and I honestly loved the first three books but this one... I don't know what to say, there was so much potential and tension that was built up in the previous book yet the plot in this one felt like it was falling apart and the characters were not properly utilized, Kàri for instance, he had so much going for him and his story could have been molded in so many ways but in the end he decided to go back?! What the hell! And Eric never fully learning how to be comfortable with his abilities, we already saw in the last book how powerful he was when he revenented and how well he and Nathanial faught together but in this book it was completely ignored, he didn't even revenent in the final battle which was extremely disappointing ,for the hype built up about how strong the vanir were, how it ended for them was pathetic, silvius died just like that!? The action sences weren't half as good as the previous books and Eric's character got frustrating to read, for majority of the series he valued being able to make decisions for himself and would often challenge Nathanial on his views but seeing his character moving in a completely backward direction when everyone else was progressing further, eh!? A lot of loopholes were left in the plot and I wasn't really satisfied with the ending.