Beautiful Reckoning

by S.C. Muir

A sapphic dark paranormal romance short story

Nova Fay refuses to be powerless. When the man who shattered her walks free, she does what any self-respecting witch would—she calls upon the dark.

Lamia emerges from the smoke and shadows, a demon of revenge and chaos. But she doesn’t ask for her soul. She doesn’t demand a price. Lamia simply looks at Nova—at the fury in her eyes, at the scars she carries—and asks, You wish to seek revenge?

Bound by nothing but shared wrath, Nova and Lamia seek retribution. But as vengeance ignites something far more dangerous between them, Nova must ask herself: When the blood is spilled and the dust settles, what will be left of her… and of the demon who helped her burn the world?

Unknown Binding

Published September 1, 2025

About the author

S. C. Muir (she/they) is a queer scientist and writer from New York. She has a B.S. in Chemistry from Binghamton University and is pursuing her M.S. in Chemistry. When they can tear themself from a book, S. C. enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and watching TV shows like Schitt's Creek and Our Flag Means Death.

Currently, S. C. is working on marketing the first two books in The Dual Mage Series and writing the third, and final, book. They hope to spend much of 2024 writing new stories.

Reviews

[Tasha W · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks so much!

QUICK, ENTERTAINING AND OH, SO SATISFYING. 🖤🔪

I had such a blast reading this revenge-filled novella! Nova did not QUIT until justice was served. And Lamia, well— what’s not to love about a pretty demon ready to fight for the one she craves most.🔥🖤🫠 It’s dark, gritty, satisfying and FUUck, is it hot as hell.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I wanted to say thank you for the ARC of this book :)
This is a short, spicy, and mad book (mad in an amazing way). As a person who's gone through something similar as the FMC I really (like really) fricking liked the revenge part and it might have given me an idea of what to do with my sa' er, so thank you so much for that. The romance was fast-burn, and in this book, it wasn't so bad (I usually don't like fast-burn), and overall, this was a good little novella ;)

[Ghosty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bite sized novella (40ish pages) full of feminine rage, revenge, and acceptance, with a hint of spice at the end. Loved every moment!!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
Beautiful Reckoning by S.C.Muir

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶.5

This was a nice little saphic paranormal/fantasy novella. I, as someone who has been SA'd and in a DV relationship this novella was so rewarding. I don't really know what word I'm looking for lol but this book just showed a woman taking back what her abuser tried to take from her. Nova being able to get revenge when the court system didn't punish the abuser was what I'm sure a lot of people who have been abused wish they could do. It was a nice revenge story but also a journey for Nova to find herself again and what she wanted. This book wasn't super spicy. There was one spicy scene at the end, but the spicy scene was about Nova taking back herself and doing what she wanted without the worry of other people's judgment. Now I only gave this book 4 ⭐️s because personally for me I just don't rate novellas higher than that since it's not a full-length book. I don't know. I'm weird that way.

[Gil-Lana Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to express my gratitude for the ARC of this book. This novella is a brief yet exhilarating read, filled with intense emotions and a captivating storyline. As someone who has experienced similar challenges as the female main character, I found the revenge aspect particularly resonant and even inspiring. The romance, while fast-paced, surprisingly worked well for me, despite my usual preference for slower developments. Overall, this novella was an enjoyable experience, packed with thrilling moments. Nova's relentless pursuit of justice and Lamia's fierce loyalty as a striking demon made for a compelling narrative. The dark and gritty elements, combined with the undeniable heat, created a truly satisfying read.

[Sympra02 · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I even start this review off. Oh my goodness. So to say the least I went through some very dark times and this book as it was a short story, this book I related too so well. I absolutely ate up the strength nova found to confront her offender. And namira being more of a guide and helping was refreshing to read when it comes to a demon. In a world where people like that do get let go more often than they should, this book was absolutely amazing. I wish it were longer if I am being honest. Because this book was definitely a 5 star read. I will definitely be adding this book to my collection.

[Caitlin Saville · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so lucky to get this as an ARC.

This novella had me hooked right from the start and I couldn’t put it down. It’s sharp, intense, and unapologetically dark in all the best ways. Nova’s determination had me rooting for her every step of the way. She doesn’t hold back and I love that. As for Lamia, she was perfection: dangerous, magnetic, and exactly the kind of person you would want at your side.

The revenge arc was so satisfying, the romance came in hot and fast and the whole story left me wanting more. Quick, gritty, and deliciously fierce. This book is one hell of a ride.

[Keyonireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wished you could call upon the supernatural to get revenge? Yeah no me neither.... 🙈

This beautiful short story by @scmir.author is full of feminine rage and an overwhelming theme of giving into your deepest desires. In this 55 page short story we follow Nova on her journey to get revenge against her abusive ex husband. Although this is a short and steamy read S.C. Muir does a wonderful job of fleshing out the main characters and their motivations for revenge. Overall I loved Lamina and Nova and would’ve read 700 more pages of them! 😍

[Ally]

I don't truthfully believe it's right for me to rate or review this, as although the story itself didn't connect to me, I can understand why this story would be incredibly impactful, liberating, and meaningful to someone else.

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of something I can tell was an outpouring of yourself and ultimately a love letter to people who didn't get the closure they deserved.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this short story and found it to be a pagee turner. The main character is taking back her life that was stolen from her by her ex. Nova seeks revenge when her ex get off multiple charges of abuse and rape. She seeks revenge. She enlist the help of a dark spirit to help her get her revenge. The lines between her dark spirit and herself get blurred when Nova finds herself wanting more from the dark spirit beside her revenge. This was a great read and I wanted more when it ended.

[Vickyy.readss · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/𝟻
🌶️/𝟻
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍. 𝙸 𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔, 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝. 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚛. 𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙻𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚊 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC review***

I support women’s rights and wrongs. And this short story is that EXACTLY.

This was such a fun little read. I couldn’t put it down. I do love a good story full of female rage. Mix that with sapphic vibes and I’m good to go.

This was giving Carmilla but, paranormal. There are demons, sex, murder. This honestly had it all. I loved the authors tone as well. I will absolutely be reaching for more titles by this author.

[Kira Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the book! It was a nice, short read. It does have dark themes so I suggest reading the trigger warnings. However, I thought it was written well. The FMCs were strong and empowering.

I found this book to be healing in a way.

It was for us girls that didn’t get justice where justice was needed.

I recommend this book. Especially if you want something short and quick. But also, spicy.

[Katie Dennis 📖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*was provided and ARC for an honest review*

4/5

FF
Touch her and die
Revenge

To be honest, FF is not usually my cup of tea, which is why it’s a 4/5…. Skimmed through the ending with the pleasure scenes.

I liked this novella overall, it makes me happy to read a female getting justice over something that happened to her.

[Meghan Romeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story of a woman getting revenge on the man that wronged her.
This story really resonates with me, and I’m sure a lot of other women who have been through similar situations.
Very well written. Could easily be adapted to a full length book.
*Edited to say that I was given this as an ARC to review.

[Katherine Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and definitely not sweet, which is exactly what I was expecting after reading the list of trigger warning for this short story
A tale of revenge and demonic spicy times told in so few pages, this ain’t slow burn dark romance.
This is rage fuelled, divine feminine darkest horror romance
This was exactly what I expected from this story and I had a wild time reading it

[Kali Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ 2.5 🌶️

Demon revenge, but make it sapphic. My goodness I loved this story. It broke my heart what Nova went through, but the way her and Lumia “righted” that wrong was dark, twisted and absolutely amazing. This was short and took me just about 45 minutes to read which made it the perfect return to darkness while I’m in my current small town era.

I really loved how SC wrote Lumia, she had an amazing monster form and mind spoke with Nova. She was a bad a m fer but was so sweet with Nova, exactly what she needed after her trauma.

I’m excited to see what comes next from SC!

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall: I loved it and wanted more! The premise was clear and the interactions between Nova and Lamia were so fun. I loved how the tension between them still had time to build despite how short this story was. The spice was just right, and the vengeance plotline tied into the small character growth arc nicely. A fun sapphic short story (say that 10 times fast)~

[SkySpiritHuggingYou Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even being a short story it carried a lot of meaning to it for people who have been abused and could relate to the situation. Very well written and I hope to read other books by author S.C. Muir.

[Katie Mateo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this the book was very well done. I love that Nova stood up for herself and demanded to get revenge on her ex! She was a badass FMC that ends up falling for the demon that helped her have revenge on him!

[Leslie Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.5 ⭐️ Read 2🌶️Level

Well where to start. This was a very quick read that is full of rage and vengeance, but fully satisfying. Well written book. I enjoyed that the FMC took her power back and had a happy ending.

No woman should be made to feel like she is a possession.

[Nipzmitbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me. It’s so short but so much happens. It’s very intense and immersive. I really enjoyed S.C. Muir’s writing style. It flowed so beautifully. Revenge-filled—and in revenge, some find comfort. This was a nice quick read that I enjoyed very much. :D

[Spencer Cirrincione · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC READER REVIEW* Yes. YES. YES! A perfect quick little novella filled with rage, revenge, and spice. The entirety of this novella is filled with emotion you find yourself feeling and rooting for Nova. And hello Lamia… absolutely love this beautiful demon.

[Randi’s Reading Realm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick read to add to your fall tbr! This is a sapphic revenge story that you do not want to miss. If you’re looking g for a quick read, an FMC who gets her revenge against her abusive ex and some really good spice, then look no further! This book will give you everything you want in about 40 pages

[Donna Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a short story about getting revenge on someone who wronged you in so many ways. This is the story for you. The author takes the time to make sure you really understand the events leading up to the decision to take revenge. The writing is well done and the story is engaging.

[CissasBookEnds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was so well written and raw that I couldn't put it down. I read it all in one go! I also loved the way the FMCs came together. I really wish there was more to the story as I kept wanting to read one more chapter of this book!

Definitely a must read.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great story. It was the perfect length. The author pulled me into the world with in a few sentences. I would recommend this to any one who likes dark romance

[Magen Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written. For an author to be able to pull you into an experience with less than five chapters is absolutely amazing. You can FEEL the rage and despair.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

great short read - beautifully written. love the satisfying ending. I want more!

[Makayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW : a great story about feminine rage with a well deserved revenge & the perfect amount of spice at the end.