Of Nightmares & Fire

by Blake Gallows

The darkness is eternal; the vast expanse of unexplainable umbra swallows me whole. It’s how they always start. The nightmares that have haunted me for as long as I can remember—they don’t relent. They chase me into the shadows of sleep, and when I’m awake, a new kind of nightmare lives.

I want nothing more than to run away from it all, but in a kingdom like Eathian, the nightmares lurk in every corner. When something I thought I would never feel sparks an ember of hope in my chest, I reconsider my path. I think I have a plan, but that same spark of hope also sparks doubt as I find that 𝘩𝘦 has another plan entirely.

Not all nightmares are what they seem.

Will the ember die of ash or burst aflame and burn everything in its wake?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Romance, Dark, Fantasy Romance, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers

640 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2025

About the author

Blake lives in the Pacific Northwest and while she's not writing or reading she's typically living the lavish life of a domestic goddess. Caring for her energy leeches aka her three children, husband, and two Rottweilers.

Blake loves nature, camping, riding dirt bikes with the family, and all forms of art. She dabbles in photography, watercolor painting, and loves music.

2024 has been a whirlwind of a debut year with three books and a short story being published. What comes next? Blake has plans for 2025, stick around to find out what she is up to.

Reviews

[Smutty Little Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just... I don't... I don't know what to say or think. This book has my emotions and mind in a whirlpool. The ending of this book is WILDDDD.

The build up between Astraea and Kyros is a tension filled slow burn that leaves you yearning for more. You can't help but fall in love with them both and hope they can finally find peace. This book is BEAUTIFUL, and I am sick to my stomach right now not knowing what is going to happen with that ending.

This is a must read, must buy, MUST EXPERIENCE! Ugh, my poor black heart. 🖤

[Linz_loves_books (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

MINDBLOWN 🤯🤯🤯
This was my first book by this author and now I need to go back and read every book she has ever written. This book was amazing, grabbing my attention from the very first page and sucked me into this world that I did not want to leave. Of Nightmares & Fire is a dark fantasy romance with all the vibes you could want and so much more. Dark and delicious with so much tension and yearning you could feel it through the pages. The plot kept you hooked, the world building was amazing, the magic was unique, the tension was perfection, and you fall in love with the characters and let's not even get into the ending...I need the next one like yesterday.

What to Expect
🖤Sandman x Freddy Kruger inspired magic
🖤Dune Pirates
🖤Political Intrigue
🖤Mythical Creatures
🖤Witchy Elements
🖤Shadow Daddy
🖤Trials
🖤Forbidden love
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤Arranged Marriage
🖤Touch her and ☠️

You absolutely need to read this one! Perfection! Blake Gallows please hurry and read book two because I need answers and I need more of this unique world and amazing characters. Do yourself a favor and read this one!

[sam | sammylou.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say this is my favorite Blake Gallows book??! If you're a dark romantasy fan, you need to read this!! 😮‍💨

Of Nightmares & Fire really sucks you in and doesn't let go! I didn't wanna put this bb down once I started!! The world & magic is *chef's kiss* 🤌🏻

Our MMC, Kyros, is a broody shadow daddy who can enter your nightmares 👀 & our FMC, Astraea, is a princess who has been stuck under her tyrant father's thumb her whole life. The side characters are also written so well (hello Mavros 😏) One thing about Blake is she always does the found family trope exceptionally well. As well as vile villains 🙄🖕but I expect nothing less from her at this point 😂

That ending - Blake, babe. How's book 2 coming along?? 😭

What to expect:
- Sandman/Freddy Krueger inspired magic
- Forbidden love
- Mythical creatures
- Dune pirates
- Political Intrigue
- Slow burn

[Tia Toro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blake never disappoints.

I was obsessed with the vibes of this book the moment I read chapter one at the end of MRR. The rest of the story is no different.

This is such a unique dark romantasy with a shadow daddy (ayeee) and a magic system that is unique.

We have a runaway princess. Trials to the death to win the princess’s hand. A grumpy, broody and sexy af MMC with a happy, go lucky and chipper twin brother.

I felt so bad for Astraea throughout the story. All she wants is to live a life out from under her father’s thumb, a life of freedom and void of death. She wants to right her father’s wrongs but she is haunted by these mysterious and realistic nightmares.

Her writing, poetic as ever with quotes making it easy for the reader to relate to.

The cliffhanger, as always, is brutal so please give me book two now 😊

[Priya | fablesandstarlight · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD. This book utterly consumed me. I read this in less than one day... I started after getting home from a work meeting, and now here I am writing this review at 4:30AM....

This was my first Blake Gallows book and I assure you, this will not be my last because my experience with this book has made her an immediate auto-buy author for me. I cannot wait to dive into her backlist!

Of Nightmares & Fire is a masterclass in developing a dark world that is so immersive and addictive, with characters that you are immediately captivated by and want to root for, that you just lose all sense of time while you're flying through the pages. Even after just 10% of the way into the book, you could not pry this book from my hands. And let me tell you, Blake can craft a villain that you just love to hate (and maybe want to throw your kindle at the wall whenever they're on page). Man... it's been a minute since I've truly seen red due to a fictional character.

This story is told in dual POV with perspectives from both the FMC and MMC which I absolutely LOVE in fantasy romances/romantasies. Astraea... oh goodness. I absolutely love her but she has been put through the wringer by her abusive and vile father- a man who stole the crown of a kingdom by force and has been meticulously plotting the trajectory of her life for his gain and using violent means to make sure she stays in line. I love the theme that constantly comes up throughout the book surrounding "choice" when it comes to Astraea. For someone who was forced to be a shell of herself by her father, I loved the moments we get to see her resolve when she "chooses herself", effectively throwing wrenches into her father's plans despite knowing she'd pay for the mistake later. I feel like in this story, these situations were carefully done as each moment served to strengthen the reader's understanding of Astraea's plight and character.

"If I'm going to pay the price, I may as well earn the prize" - she's an absolute legend.

Then we have our MMC Kyros... a possessive, "touch her x die" shadow daddy whose methodical and brooding demeanor just goes absolutely haywire when it comes to our FMC. I love their dynamic and all of their moments together! I was highlighting like crazy every time the two of them were on the page together! But gahhh I just know that the secrets remaining between them will come to a head in the next book... I can't wait to see the resolution and GET SOME ANSWERS!

"I told you, I will end anyone who aims harm at those I claim as mine" - #SWOON

The entire story was a wild ride and that ending was crazy! I can't wait for the next installment but it looks like I will have other works from Blake to tide me over in the meantime!

This story has so many elements to love including:
- Sandman/Freddy Kruger-inspired magic
- Trials (but the men are the ones competing!)
- Forbidden Love
- Political Intrigue
- Warring factions
- Mythical creatures
- Arranged marriage
- Touch her and die
- Who hurt you?

[Dee | myliteraryera · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩—𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞.”

I’ve read Blake’s writing before and absolutely loved it. So when the announcement came for this dark fantasy, I ran.

Adding another to my fantasy streak. This definitely has brilliant bones, tension with the FMC & MMC, shadow magick and a very interesting sandman-like premise.

I really liked the MMC and his brother. The two of them together are hilarious and truly represent IRL sibling banter/rivalry/tough love. I also love that there is a badass female as a fighter, rather than a poor maiden! Give me some more of that feminine feistiness 🙂‍↕️

The FMC is difficult to place for me. Whilst I know that we barely get to grasp her past and everything eluding to her, I hope we get to see her really come out of her shell.

Definitely intrigued to see how book two plays out, especially with that ending!
Thank you for the ebook Blake 🖤🖤



[ ✩ 3.5 ]

[April Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely fantastic even though many of my questions are never answered by the end. I was hooked. this is a great epic romantasy, its not too dark, the Freddy Krueger nightmare magic was there, the shadow daddy was a little unique and the heroine is layered in her struggles. I will definitely be continuing.

[Kyle Modschiedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been in a romantasy slump for quite some time now and this was definitely what I needed to help me start getting out of it! I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to see how the series progresses overall!

[Priyanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Nightmares and Fire by Blake Gallows, the first book in the Elusive Umbra duet, is a dark fantasy romance that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go. Set in a richly imagined world where nightmares bleed into reality and magic is both a weapon and a curse, the story follows Astraea, the daughter of the ruthless king who took over the empire of Eathian, and Kyros, son of the erstwhile rightful king, who are caught in a web of political tension, ancient prophecy, and forbidden desire. It sets the stage for a saga that promises emotional depth, high stakes, and a love story forged in fire.

Reading this book felt like stepping into a dream I wasn’t sure I wanted to wake up from. The author builds a world whose atmosphere is thick with dread and longing. The kingdom of Eathian is layered with history, danger, and secrets, and every corner of it feels alive. I especially loved how the magic system was tied to dreams and fear; it added a psychological edge that made the stakes feel personal.

The romance was a slow burn in the best way. There’s a tension between the leads that simmers beneath every interaction, and when it finally ignites, it’s both cathartic and devastating. I’m a sucker for the “touch her and die” trope, and the author delivers it with nuance and emotional weight. The love story isn’t just about passion - it’s about survival, trust, and the terrifying vulnerability of being truly seen.

What surprised me most was how emotionally resonant the book became. Beneath the monsters and magic, there’s a story about trauma, identity, and reclaiming power. The author doesn’t offer easy answers, but she does seamlessly integrate hope in both the prose and the character's journey.

If you’re drawn to stories that are as lyrical as they are brutal, with characters who feel like they’ve clawed their way out of the dark, Of Nightmares and Fire is worth every page. And with that brutal cliffhanger and so many unanswered questions, I’m not just counting down the days until the sequel but also hoping for additional spin-offs in this world.

[Erin | the.gremlin.reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Nightmares & Fire by indie author Blake Gallows is book one in the Elusive Umbra duet. This dark fantasy romance is set in a kingdom where magic is forbidden and our FMC, the usurper king’s daughter, is plagued by nightmares that begin bleeding into the fabric of reality.

I love the idea of a Freddy Krueger meets The Sandman inspired magic system set in a dark macabre fantasy world with elements of horror woven through a slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance. The story itself was a lyrical and atmospheric vibe read. I was completely absorbed in the first third of the book but ultimately needed more emotional & psychological depth to justify the story’s pacing.

Book two in the Elusive Umbra duet is slated to be released in 2026. Fantasy romance fans of atmospheric dark/horror vibes, lyrical writing, enemies-to-lovers, brooding & mysterious MMCs, twin flames, secrets & betrayals and uncovering history that’s been rewritten by the victors should definitely check this out!

[LT Rosado · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT AN ENDING!!!! After spending the last two days reading this, the ending had me feeling enraged, stunned & breathless. The ending felt like EDGING! Sorry, for the reference but that's literally how I feel. I was built up to have the best climax & then ghosted while miss Blake Gallows laughs while saying "not yet". THANKS ALOT! lol.

Of Nightmares & Fire was otherworldly. This book took you to another place that you did not want to leave. I fell in love with every character & wasn't ready for the story to end.

Blake Gallows did an astounding job. Everything in the story made sense, everything was described well, all the pieces fell together in a beautiful way. I felt like I was taken on the adventure of a lifetime.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥

🤗 This was just what I needed! I was hooked from the very beginning because this world and characters were some of my favs I’ve read in a while! It was the perfect amount of world building, dark magic, monsters, romance, and found family. There’s even some great humor! I immediately loved the FMC and the MMC! They’re the best. The romance was 🔥🙌😍The side characters are also seriously amazing. I’m obsessed with all of them. I loved how this story, the lore, and the secrets were all slowly revealed. The nightmares were truly terrifying. Ahhh I loved it! There is a cliffhanger and I’m SO excited for the next book 😍🖤

[Megan Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blake Gallows has done it again! Another 5 star read!!! I am so blessed to have been along the journey as a Beta reader and then ARC reader, and I get to call her my friend. This story has it all, an FMC who has been raised under then harsh rule of her father and wants nothing more than to just live life free of expectations. Kyros is the brooding and badass MMC. Then you have his brother Mavros and their friend Zinya who bring a bit of comedic relief. There are nightmarish monsters, magic, war and so much more in this epic romantasy and I cannot wait to have this on my shelf and to do a re-read!!! I could brag about this book for days but don’t want to spoil any of it. Do yourself a favor and read this book ⭐️

[Anna CHB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Nightmares & Fire pulled me in with its vivid world-building and dark, haunting atmosphere. Astraea’s strength in standing up to her abusive father made her a heroine worth rooting for, and I loved the protective edge Kyros brought, even if he fought it. Listen though, in a real life situation, I probably would have gone for the brother. 👀 I love a jokester with a dirty mouth. 🥵

Astraea’s friendship with Colette was another highlight, a refreshing bit of light in all the chaos. The story ends on a gnarly cliffhanger that left me eager (and a little frustrated) for the next book.

Overall, a gripping start to a series I’ll definitely keep reading!
❤️‍🔥

[Sarah Rassool · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing set up to this enchanting series. Blake has a created a new world of magick and politics that stem from the awakening of the FMC’s origin story. So many fun characters, unknowns occur, and so many questions left at the end. Kyros is the perfect shadow daddy and Astrea is enthralled by him!

Dune pirates, arranged marriage, and amazing cultural references that grappled me throughout the book and did not let go! Can’t wait for the sequel to see what’s next!

[Gosia · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Of Nightmares & Fire” is the first book in a new series by Blake Gallows, with a magic system inspired by The Sandman and Freddy Krueger. The story follows a young princess trapped in a nightmare who desperately wants to escape. Along her journey to freedom, she encounters a mysterious trio of travelers whose lives become intertwined with hers. The book is told from two POVs.

I had very high hopes for this one, but honestly—it didn’t deliver. I loved the first third of the book, but after that, it just went downhill. The strongest element here is definitely worldbuilding. It’s REALLY well done. The rest? Mixed feelings.

Sometimes I loved the writing style, especially the poetic, haunting passages—they were stunning. But other times, it just didn’t work for me at all.

At first, I enjoyed the dynamic between the main characters, but the more I read, the more I disliked it. The MMC took advantage of the FMC’s naivety, hiding it behind big words about love, destiny, and purpose. I’ve never hated the “you’re mine” trope as much as I did here. I was prepared for the many trigger/content warnings in this book, but not for how toxic the MCs’ relationship would feel. If this is meant to be the start of a deeper character arc, it wasn’t well-executed—or maybe I just missed the message. But knowing what I know now, I would’ve skipped this book.

The beginning promised a fascinating morally-gray adventure about a 21-year-old woman discovering her inner strength and owning her power. What I got instead was the story of an abused, terrified girl who trusts too quickly, too easily, and ends up surrounded by people who immediately project greatness onto her while ignoring what’s truly going on inside her. I might excuse some of her choices by chalking them up to youth and naivety, but the rest of the characters? I couldn’t stand them.

And that’s the real tragedy here. The psychological depth could have elevated this story, but it was underdeveloped. Which is a shame, because the overall vibe was captivating. The descriptions of nightmares and dunes felt truly unique—I’ve never read anything quite like them. The darker atmosphere has huge potential, but if a book leans into the morally-black side of things, it needs to be crafted with precision. Here, it just fell flat.

🆃🆁🅾🅿🅴🆂

🌞 dune pirates
☠️ Sandman/Freddy Kruger inspired magick
🌞 forced proximity
☠️ political intrigue
🌞 mythical creatures
☠️ touch her and ☠️
🌞 morally grey/black world
☠️ long list of TW/CW

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ✨
3/5 🌶️

This book had me trapped from start to finish. It had so many elements, all of them circling each other and creating a delicious kind of tension from the start that had me flipping the pages nonstop. Especially all the secrets, lies, and mystery surrounding Kyros and his crew. I was dying to know what he was hiding, because I knew there was more to the story than we were given, even with his POV chapters.

Blake relented enough to give us some emotional headway with Kyros and Astraea, but even then I was on edge, waiting to see what would happen when Astraea figured out his secrets. And just when you think things are starting to come together, she says “sorry, not sorry” and stomps all over your feelings with that cliffhanger. Did we get some information and more clues? Well, yes, but now I have to wait to see what’s happening in the next book. Suffice it to say, there’s next to nothing that will stop me from picking up book two as soon as I can.

Not only was the romance wonderful in this read, but there was also such a unique magic system that played a strong part in the plot, on top of the political chaos on both sides with Kyros and Astraea. The magic system definitely had those Freddy Krueger nightmare vibes, but the Sandman also comes to mind. Looking back, I realize the author actually had both of those things listed in the tropes, but I went in kind of blind after just reading the blurb. It ended up being a surprise I wouldn’t have missed if I’d checked the trope list first. Everything was so amazing and unique, and you could tell that it all had a specific purpose, whether you were privy to that reason or not. I just couldn’t get enough of it.

𝕿𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊 𝕷𝖎𝖘𝖙:
🏵️Sandman/Freddy Krueger inspired magic
🐦‍⬛Hidden Magic
🏵️Forbidden Love
🐦‍⬛Political Intrigue
🏵️Mythical Creatures
🐦‍⬛Dune Pirates
🏵️Touch her & 💀
🐦‍⬛Forced Proximity
🏵️Arranged Marriage
🐦‍⬛High Stakes Trials
🏵️Witchy Elements
🐦‍⬛Slow burn

[Bernadette Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SOOOO good. I was pulled in from the VERY first pages I don’t know how I could feel tension between two characters from their very first interaction but that happened in this book. The pull between the two of them was unbearable and the way they evolved throughout was just spectacular. This story follows a princess- Astraea as she is trying to escape her fate and prison imposed by her father only to be pulled into an elaborate scheme to overthrow the kingdom (unbeknownst to her) She is met by twin brothers, Kyros and Mavros along with their badass chick team member, Zinya. One thing after another goes awry and while the twins and Astraea try to figure out what to do, they all realize that nothing is as it seems and there are are
more factors in play with the whole scenario. No one is who they seem and it makes things complicated- not to mention the undeniable pull between Kyros and Astraea. There’s TONS is secret keeping, denial, stubbornness, mistrust and to an extent betrayal with this story and there is still SO much to unpack that I hope will be revealed in book two. Secret identities, nightmare manifestation, hidden magic, games and trials, political intrigue, unknown prophecies, fated mates? More lies, secrets and betrayals. I am here for ALL of it.

This story was so well done. I was instantly in love with all of the characters- Kyros was a broody morally grey grumpy character that was also the epitome of touch her and die in the most perfect way. Mavros the brother who fit that role in such a way that the story would not be the same without him. The charisma and the kindness was so much appreciated. Of course we needed a badass supporting female character and we got TWO in Zinya and Colette. Badass in very different ways but I loved them both. And Astraea. Talk about a bad deal. All decisions made for her or about her her whole life. Told to remain silent by EVERYONE. Will she be able to find enough strength to finally stand on her own and make her own choices? You gotta read to find out. This book is FULL of plot, world building, prophecies, familiars, SLOW burn, enemies to reluctant allies to enemies to lovers to enemies? One horse, one bed, hidden identity, hidden powers, found family- all the things and all done in a very tasteful unique way. The cliffhanger is a doozy too. I loved this book!

[Alisha Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books I felt like I fell into with my whole soul. It grabbed hold of my attention early on and refused to let go until I was reading the last line of “to be continued…” And now I’m left in limbo waiting for questions to all the answers these 560 pages left me with.

Of Nightmares & Fire is a dark fantasy romance full of mystery and mayhem. There is no shortage of plot, complete with mind boggling twists and turns. There’s hella yearning, unlimited denial of all the feelings from both the FMC & MMC and lots of anticipation that they will both get with program to ignite the flame that has been slow burning for what feels like 84 years. When that finally happens, it is ohhhhh, so satisfying!

The author did an amazing job, both with the storyline and the character development. Everything about this book flows so smoothly. It’s full of all the best tropes and the little bits of mystery throughout made this a book I couldn’t put down. I love that that’s there’s a pronunciation guide in the front that makes reading the names of people and places easier as well.

Although I had more questions than answers when I finished, I can’t wait for the next book to see where this story goes and how everything comes together in the end.

Thank you to Crowns & Chaos PR and Blake Gallows for the free ebook and for allowing me to read this story in its ARC form.

Tropes in this book include:

🔥 Sandman/Freddy Kruger inspired magick
⚔️ Hidden Magick
⏳️ Forbidden Love
🔥 Political Intrigue
⚔️ Mythical Creatures
⏳️ Dune Pirates
🔥 Touch her & 💀
⚔️ Forced Proximity
⏳️ Arranged Marriage
🔥 High Stakes Trials
⚔️ Witchy Elements
⏳️ Slow-burn open door 🌶

[Linda Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Nightmares & Fire is in my Top 5 reads of 2025! The writing in this dark fantasy romance was exceptional and the way I was invested with the characters was criminal!

I don't want to spoil a moment of this book for you. The brilliance of this book is in the way Blake writes these characters and the plot to perfection so the story just keeps unfolding with secret after secret.

Standout is the ridiculously delicious slow buuuuuurn between FMC Astraea and MMC Kyros. The yearning will eat you alive and you will be going crazy waiting and hoping that they will finally give in to what they both so desperately want.

We get dual POV between Astraea and Kyros so as the reader we get to learn both of their secrets and their inner demons. It also elevates the spice scenes to god tier ❤️‍🔥

The world building? Absolutely amazing. It isn't only the physical world but also the dreamscape that is expertly crafted. I literally felt like I was in a horror movie dream, the description is so real and vivid. The shadows consume me again, and the sound of deep, rumbling laughter follows me into the dark. Nothing else is there, no one but me and the echoing darkness. It's laugh taunting me with a wicked peal. It gives me actual goosebumps 🥶

Ok I have no chill so I have to share my two favourite quotes.
I've fallen for the enemy's daughter. I hold her gaze and watch her lips part in that delicious way I've come to crave.

"I have run from demon's my entire life. You are the one I want to be caught by." Her voice is husky. Thick with both emotion and lust. Her eyes are heavy as they flick back and forth between mine, churning like a storm I want to get lost in.

You will enjoy this book if you love:
🪄Hidden magick
😴 Dreamscape Sandman/Freddy Kruger inspired magick
❤️‍🔥 Forbidden love
👑 Political intrigue / game of thrones
𐂅 Mythical creatures
🏴‍☠️ Dune pirates
🖤 Shadow daddy
🔪 Touch her and die
💍 Arranged marriage games
🔮 Witchy elements
🛌 Forced proximity
⚔️ High stakes trials
🌶️ Slow buuuuuuurn open door

This book is outstanding. I can't recommend it more highly. The characters and story telling captured my whole heart and yes, Book 1 ends on a rather insane cliff that I feel was inevitable, but it has made me all the more desperate to read book 2 in this duology.

Thanks to Blake and Crowns and Chaos for the ultimate privilege of reading this ARC and this is my honest review.

[Paige Ridler · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚔️Of Nightmares & Fire by Blake Gallows 🔥

“He knew that the more I saw, the more defiant I might become, and the one thing he hates worse than women is a woman with an opinion” - yes yes this made my blood boil too

Everything in me is telling me to say, “Fuck it.”

Um excuse me? Ok ok I knew that cliffhanger was coming but it still doesn’t help 😩. What do I do now?! Well I guess I should review it for you right? Well first off go read it, add it to your cart, borrow it whatever you do, do that cuz like god damn she’s done it again!!!

A runaway princess who is ✨traumatised✨ but she doesn’t let that stop her at all! A moody, broody, shadow daddy and a unique magic system (why are you still here and not reading it? DAYUM hard to please are we?🤣)

Ok ok, so we got trials to the death for our FMC’s hand in marriage, emotional turmoil to the next fucking level (including secrets 🤭), a huge slow burn that’ll have you screaming in the best way 😘, and so much more that I could be going on and on for days.

The depth, world building and plot building through this book was awesome, as someone who isn’t the best with fantasy (brain wonders) this was so easy to follow but so detailed and just AHHHH amazing and I want book two 🥹.

Lastly before tropes and ratings, thank you Blake for another fabulous book and I cannot wait to read more ❤️‍🔥

Tropes:
🔥 Sandman/Freddy Kruger inspired magic
⚔️Hidden Magic
⏳️Forbidden Love
🔥Political Intrigue
⚔️Mythical Creatures
⏳️Dune Pirates
🔥Touch her & 💀
⚔️Forced Proximity
⏳️Arranged Marriage
🔥High Stakes Trials
⚔️Witchy Elements
⏳️Slow burn open

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/out of 5
🌶️🌶️/out of 5

[read_by_mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓.”

Astraea is the “princess of ruin and the governess of destruction”. Her father stole their kingdom in cold blood, and Astrae’s new crown feels more like a noose. On the precipice of her 21st birthday, she’s to be married off to form a strong alliance.

Wanting to take matters into her own hands, she runs away. But doesn’t get far. Night one of her escape and she finds herself trapped at an inn with a handsome stranger while they wait out a monsoon. With limited rooms, they’re left having to share. This stranger happens to come with a brooding twin brother, who seems to be drawn to her.

Her escape plan is thwarted, and she’s dragged back to the castle. But the two brothers she met at the inn wind up there too… and our brooding twin joins all the other suitors hoping to win the princesses hand in marriage.

The kicker is, Astraea isn’t just trying to run away from her father…but from her haunting nightmares as well.

-𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
-𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬
-𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜
-𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬
-𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞
-𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬
-𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲
-𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
-𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬
-𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬

The tension between our MMC and FMC AHHHH. A grumpy, broody, protective, shadow daddy MMC, who is just THE BEST. “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐, 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆, 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒂 𝒑𝒖𝒛𝒛𝒍𝒆.” And the things this man SAYS as the book goes on 😍.

This book has me craving more, and I am going to be keeping my eyes PEELED for book 2 announcements because THAT ENDING

[Tiffany Trivette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay Blake.

First of all. WOW. I’m obsessed.
Second, the twins may be my favorite ever. Not one, but TWO shadow daddies?!?! (No there’s no twin tag team, it’s just one twin as the main but the other one is still 🤌🏼) 🥵

𝕺𝖋 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖘 & 𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖊
✨️TROPES✨️

🔥 Sandman/Freddy Kruger inspired magick
⚔️ Hidden Magick
⏳️ Forbidden Love
🔥 Political Intrigue
⚔️ Mythical Creatures
⏳️ Dune Pirates
🔥 Touch her & 💀
⚔️ Forced Proximity
⏳️ Arranged Marriage
🔥Slow burn open door 🌶

⚔️BLURB⚔️

“The darkness is eternal; the vast expanse of unexplainable umbra swallows me whole. It’s how they always start. The nightmares that have haunted me for as long as I can remember—they don’t relent. They chase me into the shadows of sleep, and when I’m awake, a new kind of nightmare lives.

I want nothing more than to run away from it all, but in a kingdom like Eathian, the nightmares lurk in every corner. When something I thought I would never feel sparks an ember of hope in my chest, I reconsider my path. I think I have a plan, but that same spark of hope also sparks doubt as I find that 𝘩𝘦 has another plan entirely.

Not all nightmares are what they seem.

Will the ember die of ash or burst aflame and burn everything in its wake?”

This is book one in the Elusive Umbra duet.
Releases September 4th! 🔥

“If it were me in his place, no one, not even the divine, could save you. But you would not be protesting my touch. You would be begging for it…”

“Their deaths are the exception. I will spill every ounce of their blood in your name, but that blood will only stain my hands, and I will wear it proudly in your honor.”

“I am a falling man, and it’s only you that I want to be there when I finally hit the ground.”

Fuckin divine. There is a cliffy. 🔫
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ashley {_xamountofbooks} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via the author)

4.25 stars

I really enjoyed this! I loved the group that became became Astraea's found family and the grumpy x sunshine vibes of Mavros and Kyros lol. Touch her and die, slow burn, morally grey, and forced proximity? Yes please!

The fire in me was stifled as a child, but I am no child anymore. I am a woman, and I feel the ember wanting to blaze.
I also really enjoyed getting to see Astraea grow as a character as she got out and was able to make decisions for herself.

I had my suspicions based on little clues about how things may go but I did not expect the ending to unravel quite like that! Looking forward the next one.

Favorite quotes
“Sometimes the demons we keep hidden in the deepest parts of ourselves are the ones who can hurt us most when they finally come to the light, but ever so often, even nightmares aren’t all that they seem.”

“I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of things I realize I am willing to do for you.” I say honestly.

“What happens if we are both consumed by the fire?” She asks in a whisper.
“We burn the world—” I press my lips to hers in a chaste kiss, “together.”

You were a wildfire. Reckless and deadly, but like a moth to a flame, I was drawn to you.

[Tara Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moly, Blake really outdid herself with this one.

This slow burn open door dark fantasy was so beautifully written. The world building and character development was outstanding. The details she gives you really helps you in vision the places they go and the world in itself.

I grew attached to all of these characters from the beginning. Not even just the MC’s, but the side characters as well. I’m also invested in their story and their journey.

Astraea, our FMC, and princess, endures so much throughout her life at such a young age. The loss of her mother, her father overtaking the kingdom and wrecking havoc on everything and everyone around him, including her, and thee wretched nightmares that feel more real than anything. We see so much growth from her throughout the entire story. From a Tami’s and scared, yet determined princess, to the strong, will minded warrior she’s becoming

All she ever wants is to finally live, free. Without pain, death and lies.
And she’s hoping to do that with Kyros, our MMC, who’s not just a shadow daddy, but a sexy sandman who can enter her nightmares like Freddy Kruger. 😮‍💨 But he has his own past, with his own pain, that’s sent him on the mission that changed everything he ever knew.

Beware, it sends on a cliffhanger and will have you sitting here begging for book 2.

[Ashy’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me that same all-consuming feeling when reading Acotar & the Plated Prisoner series (yep, THAT good). It is so deeply romantic; It made me fall in love with fantasy all over again 🫶🏼

“𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔, 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏—”

Astraea is beautiful inside & out 🥺 She has a bruised spirit, but a heart of pure gold despite being raised by an evil tyrant & the nightmares that haunt her.

Kyros has that mysterious, dark & broody shadow wielder thing going for him 🫦 With dubious intentions, he liberates her from the false king’s clutches; whisking her away to the unknown. He is a vault of secrets, but the epitome of being the villain 𝘧𝘰𝘳 her, not to her 🥰

“𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖—𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅.”

The unique complexity of the plot becomes increasingly addictive throughout this story & their epic journey is FAR from over!

I cannot wait to see these characters continue to grow both together & individually & how their beautiful story continues - Needing Book 2 yesterday please 😩🖤

TROPES
Sandman/Freddy Kruger inspired magic
Hidden Magic & Identities
Forbidden Love
Possessive MMC
“Who Did This to You?”
Mythical Creatures
Touch her & 💀
Slow Burn
Found Family

[fatedhearts_lorilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this story, and I was really interested in seeing how Astraea’s nightmares would progress.

There is a bit of a found family aspect, especially with Colette, who is a fantastic friend to Astraea. I loved seeing Colette get to be more free as the book went on, and I hope we get to see more of her.

While there were elements of Astraea and Kyros’ relationship that I definitely did like, I was not a huge fan of how many secrets he kept from her. She has been badly traumatized by her father, who only used her for his own gain, and physically abused her when she didn’t live up to whatever expectation he may have had. It was pretty heartbreaking to watch Astraea feel those same feelings again. Especially since it seemed like the reveal towards the end was almost inevitable. And if they are twin flames, why not tell her?

There were some really wonderful descriptions and ideas throughout the book. But there were also some issues with the flow for me, especially when the characters would speak in modern slang or colloquialisms.

I’m definitely going to want to read book two when it comes out — I need to see how this is going to end!

Thank you to Blake Gallows and Crowns & Chaos for the gifted e-arc!

3.5 🌟 rounded up

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall solid 5 stars.

There are so many thoughts in my head from this book. First and foremost is WOW. I need to reread this because I know there have got to be some secrets sprinkled in that I missed.

I have so many things that I wrote down while reading it, and while I’ve never wanted to annotate a book before (literally ever) this book made me want to start.
This is a dark fantasy romance in a world that has multiple kingdoms. One kingdom has essentially outlawed magic after the current king took over the kingdom.

The king is holding trials for courting his daughter, and using her as a political pawn. Women are meant to be seen, and not heard. They definitely aren’t allowed to have an opinion on who they marry, after all, what would the king gain from a marriage of love for his daughter?

This a forced proximity slow burn open door romance. There isn’t a lot of spice in this book, but based on the set up, I anticipate plenty in the next books.

The world is so well written that I can nearly picture it. I can start to see what Kyros tattoos look like, and I can imagine how he looks fighting during the trials.
The friendship between Cole and Astraea is beautiful. I loved seeing Astraea come into herself through the book. It’s emotional, suspenseful, and I’ll be in the edge of my seat waiting to read the next one.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, have I been missing out on Blake Gallow’s books because this, whew. Lemme tell y’all. This was one for the yearners.

I’m just going to say it. Astraea’s life is terrible, she and everyone else live in fear of her father, the King of Eathian. The man is a (no pun intended) nightmare, he’s constantly executing people for minor infractions, like being friends or friendly towards Astraea. He really just wants to marry her off to some prince for political gains and be done with her. In fact, most of the men in this story are garbage. It’s very “women should be seen, not heard” and none of us are about that at all.

As we (the reader) learn more about Astraea, we see she is everything the King isn’t. She is kind and empathetic. But that doesn’t take away from the nightmares in her waking life… and in her dreams. She’s plagued by dreams of fire and a creature. But what does it all mean?

There’s a lot to this story that I wish I could yap about in my review. But spoilers babes! We’ve got a story with forbidden love (THE YEARNING AND PINING), forbidden magic, forced proximity, found family, deadly trials and mythical beasts. I will also say: I will riot if anything happens to Colette.

Thank you Blake for the ARC, I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this story unfolds.

-----------------

YALL

I’m going to need book 2 asap

[Librosentrelazos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blake Gallows is rapidly becoming one of those author that I would insta read everything she publishes. I’ve read her other books, but I knew this series was going to be amazing.

This story is dark and with a moody set up, but its pacing is so good and the characters make you believe that there’s hope for something better. The world and magic system are easy to follow, and can’t wait to understand more of the types of magic in the following books.

The princess, our FMC, is a breath of fresh air, she is vulnerable but so strong and determined to get a better life outside of the horrible circumstances she’s endured all her life. Which made me love even more that she gets to meet the twins, and specifically Kyros. He is so hot and grumpy, I love that he is a goner from the moment he saw her.

The side characters are so good, including the villains! Blake knows how to make you hate a character so well!

I’m so incredibly hurt by that ending, I gasped and my kindle almost flew through my window, but that makes me even more eager for book 2. Thank you for having me as an ARC reader!