The Dark in Her Veins

by M.K. Lobb

From critically acclaimed, bestselling author MK Lobb comes a noir romantic fantasy set in a world in which sin is a fatal disease, and the rich hire the poor to carry out their basest instincts—until the forbidden romance between a sinner and a mysterious figure threatens to destroy everything.

In Valestadt, everything has a price. Sinning leaves its mark in the form of the Bloodrot, a slow-creeping disease that leads to madness, then death. Most sins are negligible, but murder—committed enough—can be fatal. For the rich, violence is something to be outsourced. For the poor, it's a paycheck that comes with a cost.

Talin Keller is a sinner. Employed by  the holiest man in the city, the Prophet, she gets her hands dirty so his can stay clean. And with her Bloodrot rapidly advancing, Talin knows her next job could be her last. But when a new assignment puts Talin on a collision course with a shadowy figure known as "the Warden," she begins to see a future for herself that doesn't involve a body bag. If she can get close enough to the Warden, she can trade his life for her own freedom. That is, if she can keep her balance on the knife's edge. 

The closer Talin gets to the Warden, though, the more she finds herself falling for his sharp edges and twisted sense of justice. As savior and sinner bleed together, Talin finds the real threat isn't either man – but a conspiracy tied to the past she hoped was dead.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Dark Romance, Adult, Fiction, Dark

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2026

About the author

M. K. Lobb is a fantasy writer with a love of all things dark— be it literature, humour, or general aesthetic. She grew up in small-town Canada and now lives by the lake with her partner and their cats. When not reading or writing, she can be found at the gym or contemplating the harsh realities of existence.

Reviews

[Reads With Rachel]

If you’re an exfundamentalist and bisexual, this book is for you.

[Laura Jane ♡]

dnf @ 34% because i tried to read this book a couple of times, but just kept putting it down, due to it not pulling me in. guess there was a reason why after all. eventually i decided to give it one last try (to be honest, mostly because i had the arc and i really wanted to give it a fair shot & provide fair feedback)

the premise? GREAT! a dark romantasy full of sin & forbidden romance? yes! it is why i applied!! it sounded like bit of me but the execution just fell so flat. not to mention the dialogue & writing felt so off, which made everything feel one dimensional and monotone off the bat. for example, the fmcs (talin) first meeting (veryyyy early on) with the mmc (slade), instantly felt like one of those scenes where i am meant to be like 'oooh so mysterious' but it actually felt really contrived. i don't really know how to fully explain it - but you know when you are reading a book, where you can see what they are trying to do but it just feel so shallow?

BUT my biggest gripe is this being advertised as enemies to lovers. i will put my head through a wall if i read one more book that is advertised as enemies to lovers but he has his hands down her pants a third of the way through!!! please make it stop. 'you hate him' - but you are INSTANTLY thinking about sleeping with him when he pins up against a wall on your first interaction. okay sureeeee. think about screwing him at 10% and orgasms at 31%, sounds convincing. i might not mind if wasn't sold as a forbidden romance.

as for the romance, lust aside - this is a case of a veryyyyy forced dynamic where we are supposed to feel something for this romance but i felt nothing??? no chemistry, no build up, nothing. the 'banter' was just coming across as a taddddd cringe unfortunately. nothing sexy about them or their so called flirting. even him calling her 'little sinner' just felt like a nickname we are meant to be swooning over but everything was giving nothing 😭😭

in general i couldn't get invested in the plot because i couldn't even really tell you why things were happening, or how we got from a to b so quickly - not to mention the pacing was on struggle street. if i cannot connect into the romance and the plot aside isn't strong enough then i am lost. i was hoping this would be a fun time to be honest but alas, i am not forcing myself through anymore. i can probably see how some people might enjoy this as an 'fun' read but these are all issues that for me, personally, i just cannot vibe with.

disclaimer this is obviously just my thoughts on the first 34% & there is plenty of time things to change but not to the point where i want to see it through and find out because i am already too far lost to the first third that has completely put me off.

thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca (via netgalley) for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Liana Gold]

3.5! This was fun, hot, something different but I’m not that crazy about dark romances. They are too insta-lusty and too focused on need, desire, instant gratification.

The concept of this magic system was fresh and cool. I’d still recommend this if you want something mindless and quick.



FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW.


Sin is literary a disease.

When someone sins, they develop Bloodclot, a corruption that begins in their veins that causes madness and death. The wealthy found a way around this: pay the poor to commit their sins and be free from Bloodclot. Our FMC is one of the hired sinners. As she works for the rich, her Bloodclot gets worse and she's short on time. One day she is given an assignment-in exchange for her freedom, she must kill The Warden. As she gets closer to him and gets closer to a connected conspiracy, her assignment grows increasingly attracted towards her.

*CONTENT WARNING*
This is dark. A religious system/cult trauma is one of the books main themes.

This cover is everything. Allurial really stepped up their game with cover jacket designs this month. Hope the story holds up as well.







If you're interested in limited/specialty edition romantasy, use this link to sign up for $10 (includes a morally gray hat!): https://www.allurial.com/refer/g7sai1...
Very easy to sign up & cancel at any time at no additional cost to you. Allurial is part of BOTM but for romantasy/fantasy books only.

[Maeghan 🦋]

I squealed when I got this in my mail a few months ago! HUGE thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc 🥹 you made a girl so happy!
« Fury is a second heartbeat within me, coiled against my ribs like a vital organ. »

Honestly, I’m in awe at how talented this author is with writing rageful women. I was angry with her. I felt every second of her anger in my core and I would give this aspect a million stars.

This dark fantasy (with dark romance) follows the fmc who had a traumatic upbringing in a cult. This world is extremely religious and even if she’s out of the cult now ; the world still felt like a cult. She has darkness in her veins because she sinned a lot… and it comes with a lot of consequences.
Now I don’t normally like dark romance but this one was really well written. I was rooting for the fmc from the start and I just wanted her to succeed and get out of that whole world.
The pacing was flowing at a good pace for the majority of the book but felt more rushed towards the ending. I sincerely wasn’t a fan of said ending but that’s only subjective. I’m really excited to see what happens in the sequel though!

The writing flows really well and I do think this author has a prose that’s emotional ; I could feel every emotion the characters had. I recommend this for dark fantasy & dark romance readers.

[Krysta ꕤ]

”The dark in your veins is just another part of who you are.”

this book started off so strong, the world building & plot really stood out to me. where it falls apart is in the characters and the abrupt ending. Talin, the fmc is someone who portrays herself as not needing anyone, ruthless to a fault. i don’t have any issues with this.. until she started throwing all of that to the side for the mmc. it honestly made her look like a clown, the amount of stupid decisions she started making bc of him was beyond me. it didn’t match her “persona” at all.

now the mmc Slade was giving edgelord, so i never took him seriously? the way he interacted with the people around him was so odd too. i wouldn’t even call what he and Talin have a romance, but i could’ve done without it. the idea of two people with questionable morality is something i would’ve actually loved to see, but this failed at doing so convincingly. i never liked him from the start & Talin was too inconsistent for me to be anything other than irritated by her character & choices.

i thought the person they were allying against— Gabriel, ended up being the only one who actually stood true to himself and his motivations. the ending tried to have some reveals, but i was confused bc i thought these things were just common sense. the idea of “sinning” granting you actual rot on your body was an intriguing concept though, so ill give credit for that.

➷ thanks to NetGalley, the author and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[jenny reads a lot]

I binged this book in a single sitting.

It is dark and sexy and the tension had me sweating!

The world & magic is interesting and well developed. While not a completely novel concept - I still thought the author put a unique spin on the sin/corrupt religious institutions situation.

The MMC definitely gives vampire vibes, but instead of blood he feeds on sins. 10/10 no notes on that disastrously sexy morally black mess of an mmc.

The fmc is just as messy, with lots of trauma, and just as sexy, again 10/10 no notes. love her.

I had a really good time reading this one.

Whats to love…
- everyone is bisexual & morally black & messy
- religious cults
- corrupt religious institution as a form of government
- vampire vibes, but also not vampires
- dark, sexy, spicy
- grade A tension and feral f-ing

What might not work for some…
- well obviously dont read this if youre not into dark romance. check your content warnings
- I did want the paint to move along a bit faster towards the mid-end but that could have been a me issue.

4.25⭐️| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Sourcebooks for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[M.K.]

Braving this site to make an update now that ARCs are going out: Please be aware that there are numerous content warnings for this book, such as descriptions of murder, religious cults (and implied abuse associated with that), abusive parents, knife play, power play/BDSM dynamics, and general relentless violence. I wouldn’t say it’s super intense, but it’s definitely dark, so YMMV! If I missed anything you think I should’ve included, please let me know through my website form. AND YES THERE IS A SEQUEL so consider this your cliffhanger warning!! Thanks for being here xx

[DianaRose]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

i’m continuing with the spooky vibes because tis the season, and m. k. lobb's the dark in her veins is a noir romantic fantasy set in a world in which sin is a fatal disease, and the rich hire the poor to carry out their basest instincts, that is until a forbidden romance between a sinner and a mysterious figure threatens to destroy everything...

i was not particularly impressed by this dark romantasy, and i think as i continue to read within the genre i become particularly less impressed with each book i read — is it the fault of the author, or of myself? i’m not entirely sure, but again, this is such an oversaturated genre, so it becomes increasingly difficult for authors to standout. so while i wasn’t necessarily blown away by this book, it wasn’t bad, just not enough going on plot-wise and character-wise for me to be awed.

also, my only true gripe is that the fmc’s name talin sounds like talon in audio… so the whole time i’m listening i’m thinking “what a stupid name…” oops.

HOWEVER, i did find this to be the best book to handle sinning and repentance very interestingly, out of all of the fantasy books i’ve read with religion lately.

this was my first book by lobb, but her name was familiar to me; i’m not sure if i’ll read any of her backlist, though.

i also listened to the audiobook via libby and the narrator did a fine job!

[twinreadsandreds-Haley]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

[Robin]

this book is just slade and talin trying to one up each other but they keep going: wait i’m into this, wait im into this, wait im into this—and this is just: violence, blood, mass murder, arson

[Bookishness]

~Pre-read~ ARC copy, dark romance, forbidden romance, say no more! this one has my name on it... lol

[Sue Bush]

3.75 stars

The concept of this book??? SO freaking cool.

In Valestadt, sin isn't just something you're supposed to feel guilty about—it physically manifests as a disease called the Bloodrot.

And if you're wealthy enough?

You can pay someone else to carry your sins for you.

Immediately, I was in.

The Dark in Her Veins takes religious guilt, corruption, manipulation, class disparity, and the idea of morality itself and builds an entire fantasy world around them. The deeper I got into the story, the more I loved what the author was doing with the concept.

And Talin is certainly not your typical morally righteous fantasy FMC.

This woman is a survivor.

She's spent years committing sins on behalf of the very religious institution that condemns them, her Bloodrot is slowly killing her because of it, and at this point she's mostly concerned with one thing:

herself.

And honestly? I loved that.

She's messy. She's selfish. She's suspicious of everyone. She makes decisions based on survival rather than some grand desire to save the world, and there were plenty of moments where I wasn't entirely sure whether I should trust her, let alone anyone around her.

Which brings me to something I went back and forth on while reading this...

I felt confused sometimes.

Certain parts of the world—especially everything surrounding the Diabolists—felt like they developed really quickly. I wanted more information. I wanted more explanation. Even some of the relationships seemed to progress faster than I would've expected.

But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if that was kind of the point?

Because Talin doesn't know what the hell is going on either.

She's spent her entire life being told what is holy, what is sinful, who is good, and who deserves condemnation. Then suddenly she's confronted with information that makes her question basically everything she's ever believed.

So as a reader, you're also constantly trying to figure out:

Who is telling the truth?

Who is manipulating her?

What is actually real?

There were moments where I genuinely felt like this book was gaslighting me right alongside Talin. 😂

And once I started viewing the story through that lens, some of the disorientation worked much better for me.

The religious themes were easily one of my favorite parts. The way guilt and morality have been weaponized against people—while those in power conveniently find ways around the very rules they enforce—is woven into the actual magic system rather than simply existing as commentary in the background.

I do still wish certain things had been given more room to breathe, particularly the relationships and some of the lore. Since this is the first book in a duology, I'm hoping Book 2 digs much deeper into everything we've started uncovering.

But I also finished this feeling like I had only been shown one version of the truth.

And THAT makes me very curious about what's coming next.

I also did the audio alongside reading and the single narration was done really well.

[ToriBetweenPages]

2.5⭐️ I’m very undecided

• the cult elements are emotionally devastating
• sinning = a blood rot that turns you manic and kills you is revolting and intriguing in equal measure, causing desperation and questionable decisions
• FMC, Talin, that’s angry, sneaky, and stabby
• dystopian urban creepy religious energy

The atmosphere and set up had me. The ending was so painfully predictable (as someone who can never predict anything and just reads for the journey). The spice was sprinkled nicely until we got to the *big* scene we’d been building to… and got a fade to black……………. 🙃 okay????? Why are you getting shy on us now????

Loved the flashbacks to Talin’s past but her big reveal was also writing on the wall.

And for these reasons I think a 2.5. I can deal with a lot but the climatic point of the romance AND the plot being let downs is too much. Thanks for helping me decide.

[Nonfictionally Yours]

"We were always going to end up like this: His knife in my back, and mine in his."

4.5 ☆

Ever since I applied for this ARC, I literally thought about it every single day, hoping I'd get accepted for it and my manifestation worked. The dark in her veins did not disappoint, in fact I am so blown away by the plot of this book, I will be thinking about it for very many days to come.

This read was definitely very plot forward, and it was such a compelling story line I kept wanting more. Talen is a sinner, employed by the prophet himself to kill on his behalf, however sinning leads to a condition called blood rot which Talen suffers from deeply. Knowing that her next kill could be her last, she's desperate to find a cure and have her freedom. The prose of this book were so distinctive, I truly don't think I've read anything like it. Every plot point was developed with so much depth, it felt like a movie playing in my head. The writing was one of my favorite parts, the vocabulary used and the style of writing fit so well with the story, it made me feel so immersed in the book and really brought out the emotions every prose was meant to evoke.


The romance is what was so different to me in this book. I wouldn't call it romance per se, both of the MCs deny having the capability to love and care. They find their attraction to each other being a primal need more so, and that's honestly what it felt like but it was woven together with impeccable yearning that I couldn't figure out whether it was hot or emotional but in the best way😭. Also I have to say the spice on this book 🥵 literally some of the best I've ever read. If you've read this there's that one scene I NEED TO SCREAM ABOUT IT!!

Talen, our FMC, is morally black. She was so confident but she had moments with her insecurities about the bloodrot that made her feel so realistic. She's one of those FMCs that are definitely a little difficult to understand and love but honestly if I had been through even a fraction of what she had I would be no different. Every action of hers felt deliberate and very self preserving and getting an insight to her thoughts explained it all so well. Slade, the MMC, is also very morally black. He's such a misunderstood character with a tragic past which made me feel for him. He's a very hard and moody man who believes he feels nothing yet you get those little moments where you see him being a softie for Talen and I was so there for that. The yearning by him literally had me throwing my kindle down😭. Both of the characters were developed incredibly well. I felt so connected to them both even though we only got one POV. I also really appreciated the past chapters because it helped me understand why Talen is the way she is and really connect with her on that deep level.

The reason this book didn't quite hit the 5 stars mark for me is because I found there to be a lack of world building. I wish we got more details to the setting of the book, it felt a bit drowned out as compared to the plot.

Thank you so much for this ARC M.K Lobb, sourcebooks Casa and netgalley 🩷

Release Date: August 25th, 2026

[Kyli]

“𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓸𝓯 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝔀𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓱. 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓲𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓮𝔁𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾.”

3.5 ★’s
This was a vibes read for sure and I was here for said vibes. Reluctant allies, morally grey characters and lots of “good girl” had me sold.

𝓘 𝓼𝓾𝓭𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓢𝓵𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓬𝓱 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽’𝓼 𝓿𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼, 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓼, 𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓽𝓱𝔂. 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓱𝓲𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓪 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓽𝓱 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓯𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓱.

I liked the tension between them, and there were times I wanted to scream “JUST BANG ALREADY!!” That said, I wish there was a bit more development with their relationship.

“𝓘 𝓼𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓵𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝓪 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓾𝓵, 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓯𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝔀𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓻𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓼𝓱 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓵. 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮’𝓼 𝓷𝓸 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓼𝓽.”

Hello hi I am forever a sucker for an mmc with tattooed and piercings and our boy Slade has both, so I swoon.

“𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓾𝓻𝔂 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮𝓱𝓸𝓵𝓭. 𝓘 𝓲𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱 𝓫𝔂 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓵𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷.”

I’m excited to see where this series goes, especially after that ending I feel like it’s just going to get better!

[Katie (katieeatsbooks)]

08/12/2026-08/15/2026

Thank you so much Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted digital widget of “The Dark in Her Veins” by M.K. Lobb 🕰️

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
(Coming August 25th, 2026)

This one was delicious❤️‍🔥

The way both Slade and Talin bantered with each other was honestly my favorite part of the book!

However it is 80% of the book 😕 seriously the spent the majority of the book talking about their plan, then about 10% of it was their plan and the other 10% an epic cliffhanger conclusion.

Which was good, but the whole thing fell short for me because of the fact the book was all dialogue discussing the past or the future and no real plot for the most part. 💔

I still really enjoyed it, I’m sure I’ll also pick up the next one just to know what happens next I just hope there’s more plot work in it!

[Kaitie Reads]

🖤 Assassin FMC
🔥 Gritty Noire Romantasy
🖤 Morally Grey MCs
🔥 SPICE
🖤 Religious Corruption

I'm obsessed with this. A gritty noire-romantasy in a dystopian-type world ruled by religious oligarchs, a toxic side effect of violent sin that permeates the body and mind, AND a scorching hot slow-burn dynamic.

•

Talin is infected with Bloodrot, a disease that permeates the body through acts of violent sin, murder, for instance. As an assassin who works for the city head, "the prophet," Gabriel, she knows she is living on borrowed time. When she meets "the Warden," an overlord who dominates the city slums, called "The Trench," and discovers that he is a diabolist, she makes a deal with the prophet to assassinate him and win her freedom, hopefully before she succumbs to Bloodrot.

•

Um, so first of all, the spice dynamic in this is SO FREAKING HOT. Idk, it worked for me. From Talin's first meeting with "The Warden," their dynamic is insanely hot. But also, "The Prophet" is hot too. Everyone is hot. AAHHHH. Anyway. I liked the characters in this; the story is fast-paced and action-oriented. While some aspects of the plot did frustrate me slightly, it also makes sense that everyone is distrustful and scheming in this dystopian, controlled world. I am dying after that ending and need the second book immediately, tout de suite s'il vous plaît.

Talin herself is a little bit frustrating as a character, but we get some flashbacks from her life—and this girl has TRAUMA. Slade (The Warden) is rightfully distrustful of her and feels like a truly morally grey MMC. Honestly, both characters are fairly self-serving, and I can stand behind it completely in both instances. Everyone is just doing what they need to do to survive and protect the few people that they do care about.

This book is hot, it's fast-paced, and it's immersive. I can't wait for the 2nd part of this duology!

•

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and feedback contained within this review are my own.

[Kate]

1.5🌟 The real sin in this book is giving us spice before even building on the “romance” itself.

A DIABOLICAL case of insta-lust, and to make it worse, the relationship never really develops beyond a physical attraction. I could probably look past that if there had been some enjoyable banter or character development, but my lack of highlights can attest to the fact there was none.

As for the actual plot, the phrase hurry up and wait feels like a sufficient way to describe it because it initially seems like we’re about to follow Talin on an interesting journey that immediately stalls out as soon as she meets Slade. Everything was basically at a standstill *insert spice and two side characters for filler here* until the end, which again, *insert predictable reveals here*.

Some questions I had and still have after finishing this book:

Why exactly did Talin hate Slade? I still cannot comprehend when or where they became enemies, or even worse, the “to lovers” because neither can be found. She meets him by happenstance and then just decides she “hates him,” and we’re reminded of this fact repeatedly, but never actually given a reason.

How is it that violence is a sin and can cause bloodrot, but the leader of the cult is able to SA women and children scot-free? What exactly justifies a “sin”? Because it feels like the cult is sin itself, but somehow remains spared from being affected by the rot. Plot hole??

Anyway, I’m grateful I also received the audiobook, because it helped me push through to the end. Thanks NetGalley for the e-arc + audio, but sadly this was not for me 💔

[Heather Becht (fantasyromantasy)]

"𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥. 𝘐 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯."

This book is like nothing I’ve ever read.
The sinners. The religious cult. The blood rot. I listened to this over a long road trip and was so wrapped up in this story. I was so wrapped up in the good vs evil themes, of what's moral vs immoral, of what constitutes a sin. The narration was phenomenal and painted such a moody, gothic, and atmospheric story. Talin is such a layered character and the flashbacks really bring readers closer to her character and why she is the way she is. She has had some MAJOR trauma and grooming, and I loved seeing her eyes open. Slade aka The Warden is such a creature of sin. I loveeeeeed his character and learning more and more about him. The confessions. The tension. The true enemies aspect. SO SO GOOD. The ending had me so invested with the reveals, betrayals, plot twists… just everything. I can’t wait for the next book.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙑𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨:
🖤 Noir-Inspired Dark Romantasy
🖤 Morally Black MCs
🖤 Enemies AND Lovers
🖤 Villains in Lust
🖤 Hurt x Horny
🖤 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Light BDSM
🖤 Religious Cults
🖤 Sinners For Hire
🖤 Feminine Rage
🖤 Betrayals
🖤 Forced Proximity

"𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶."

[Mel Lenore]

Sadly this one was just okay for me. The ideas were incredible, and I really enjoyed the first 30% or so, but then it just felt like nothing happened despite this book being so short. I will read more from this author in the future though.

[Bazia]

I mean… girl, the concept is freaking amazing❤️‍🔥
beginning feels like a slay-born queen Celaena dropped into a dark urban fantasy world with strong Bryce vibes, but make it actually DARK
no parties, no glitter, no happy distractions

and then… somewhere along the way, that potential just doesn’t fully deliver. the world itself isn’t explored nearly as much as I hoped, which is a shame, because the idea behind it is genuinely interesting
the concept of sins manifesting like a visible illness? it’s intriguing me enough that I could overlook certain elements (like the BDSM dynamics or the age gap between the main characters🙅🏼‍♀️)

but tell me WHY is FMC always so annoyingly young?😩
her behavior and decisions often feel more like an impulsive teenager than someone we’re supposed to believe became a soulless ghost-killer in just three years
I just don’t buy it. do you?

in my opinion, the author spends too much time on unnecessary or slightly cringe moments (like drawn-out everyday scenes or repeatedly emphasizing that the MMC is ready for literally every possible “front”)

somewhere in the middle of the book, I realized I was getting lost in conversations that didn’t add much and actual plot started to feel barely there.

my rating is 2.75 ⭐️ (just because I love the concept!)

I received an ARC via NetGalley, many thanks for the opportunity! All opinions are my own💝

[Jade]

comment ça je dois attendre le tome 2 là omg Slade YOU'RE MY NEW MAN

[Julia]

2.75⭐️
This book had so much potential, but somehow we ended up with yet another insta-lust, barely-enemies-to-barely-lovers situation and a plot riddled with holes.

[whatmarissareads]

⚔️“You can’t breed a lamb for slaughter but raise it on flesh. If you do, it develops a taste for violence.”

3⭐️ 1🌶️

here's what I enjoyed:
+ love the gothic dark elements/vibe of this story!
+ their "sins" showing in their veins is such a unique plot line and I am very interested to see how the FMC handles this in the next book
+ the religious aspects are fantastic - I loved watching her question where her loyalty should lie
+ BDSM elements
+ I literally don't know who I can trust!!! keeps the suspense and mystery alive
+ her being an assassin is so cool
+ loved the little plot twists throughout that I did not see coming

here's where I struggled a bit:
- our FMC is quite young and it sometimes shows in her actions making it hard for me to believe she is such a skilled assassin as they say
- the events didn't naturally flow for me
- I wasn't able to fully immerse myself in the story

I am interested to see where the storyline will go next so I do plan on picking up the next book!

💕You will enjoy this if you are into:
+ noir and gothic elements
+ forbidden romance
+ assassin
+ BDSM
+ they are enemies on opposite sides of a "purity" war
+ religious world/government

[The Bookish Elf]

She is twenty-two years old and both her hands are black to the fingertips. In Sundbourg, sin does not stay a private matter — it surfaces in the veins as a purple-black rot that climbs from the extremities, takes the mind somewhere along the way, and finishes the job. Talin Keller has been killing on the Prophet's instructions for three years, and her skin has kept every receipt. She bathes in the dark so she does not have to look. The Dark in Her Veins by M.K. Lobb opens on a woman already sentenced by her own bloodstream, and then spends four hundred pages watching her refuse to serve the sentence.

The conceit sounds like a punishment mechanic. It turns out to be the best engine in the book.

What The Dark in Her Veins Does With Sin

Most fantasy that charges its heroes for moral compromise charges them in something invisible: a favour owed, a memory spent, a ledger only the reader is shown. Lobb bills hers in skin, in public, on a schedule.

That single decision generates an entire society. If violence is the deadliest of the six sins, and the marks are legible to anyone standing near you, then the pious cannot afford their own harm — so they hire people already condemned. A hired sinner is a recognised occupation. They stand at their employers' elbows at state receptions, chins up, forearms discoloured, addressed by no one. The closest real-world analogue is the sin-eater, paid a few coins to take a stranger's guilt onto their own account and then be shunned for carrying it.

The best sequence in The Dark in Her Veins by M.K. Lobb takes that arrangement to its logical basement. During the holiest week of the Regiment's calendar, in a cellar beneath the cathedral, senior officials settle personal grievances by putting their sinners into a ring and letting them fight to the death, while several hundred immaculately dressed worshippers howl at them out of the dark. Nobody involved considers this a contradiction. Talin kills a woman there who is further gone than she is, and the novel is careful to let her notice that this is a mercy and a spectacle at the same time.

The clock in this book is a body. Every kill Talin commits is a payment she will see on herself the next morning, and the plot cannot cheat that, which is why the tension holds even through the stretches where nothing much is happening.

The Romance Is Hungry and Honest, and the Hero Is a Hole

The other half of The Dark in Her Veins by M.K. Lobb is Slade, the Warden of the Trench: a diabolist, immune to the rot, all but unkillable, who feeds on spoken confession and is the only creature alive who might be able to stop Talin dying. He is also the Prophet's brother, and the monster the Prophet's entire mythology rests on having killed.

What Lobb does well here is refuse to be embarrassed. Talin's appetite is specific and she says so out loud — she wants it to hurt, she wants him to bleed for her, she resents wanting either. The dominance she hands over is negotiated on the page, with a safe word spoken aloud and a stated reason on his side that has nothing to do with cruelty and everything to do with what it means to be trusted by somebody who trusts no one. In a subgenre that often treats a knife as set dressing, this is written as character rather than décor, and it is the most confident prose in the book.

The failure is on the other side of it. The novel is first person, present tense, locked inside Talin's skull, which is the right choice for the disease plot and a serious problem for the love story. Slade moves from planning to murder her to promising he will not let her die, and every step of that journey happens somewhere the reader is not. He is glorious on the page and vacant behind it. When the third act turns on what he really intended, the reveal lands as information rather than betrayal, because there was never enough of him established to be betrayed by.

Where The Dark in Her Veins by M.K. Lobb Gives Ground
The middle becomes a house party. Roughly a hundred pages at a country house in the Outskirts — breakfasts, a tour, an argument about shoes, a hair-dyeing scene — where the plot idles. The company is good; the book knows it is stalling and stalls anyway.
The whole third act turns on an overheard conversation. Talin listens at a door, hears the damning half, and leaves before the sentence finishes. It is the oldest device in the genre and it is asked to carry everything.
The cult is a composite. The Solemn Apostles are genuinely frightening in flashback, but their doctrine is generic authoritarian boilerplate. The specifics that make real high-control groups so hard to leave are not on the page.
The action is functional. For a novel about a professional killer, the fight choreography is mostly summarised, and the one true set piece is blocked rather than staged.
It does not end; it stops. Both leads are captured, nothing is resolved, the central mystery is explained and then immediately deferred. This is book one of something, and the last chapter does not pretend otherwise.

What survives all of that is the twist, which is properly seeded — the Regiment's leadership never seems to sicken, the scholars have a research programme nobody discusses, the Prophet has a curious distaste for doing his own violence — and which reframes the theology of the entire country in about two pages.

Content Notes

The Dark in Her Veins by M.K. Lobb opens with a warning list of its own, and earns it. Ritual child sacrifice on the page. A cult leader's sustained abuse of a teenage girl, and her pregnancy by him. A mother attempting to burn her own child alive. Mass death by arson. A fight to the death staged as entertainment. Torture and repeated stabbing of a restrained man. Forced drugging. Terminal illness written as body horror. The sex is explicit and includes knife play, impact play, breath play, bondage and an on-page dominance dynamic; it is consensual and negotiated, and it is not incidental.

On shelving: despite the author's YA backlist, this is an adult novel from an adult romance imprint.

What Stays With You

The image that lasts is not the altar or the cellar or the burning temple. It is a girl standing in a locked bathroom with the light off, gripping a countertop, deliberately not turning around, because in the near dark she is almost featureless and can almost pretend she is not dying.

That is the register The Dark in Her Veins by M.K. Lobb is best in — the small, private accounting a person does when the cost of their life is written where everyone can read it. The theology is a machine for making that visible, the romance is a machine for making it bearable, and the book is at its strongest when it lets both run and does not intervene.

It is uneven. The middle wanders, the hero is thinner than the heroine deserves, and the last page is a trapdoor rather than a landing. But the central idea is one of the best in recent romantasy, and The Dark in Her Veins by M.K. Lobb is unembarrassed enough to follow it down into the cellar and describe what is happening there. Go in knowing you will finish it and immediately want a sequel that does not exist yet.

[Amanda Blanche]

Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC of this title releasing in August 2026.

This far exceeded my expectations, and if I didn’t have work and other adulting - I could have read it in one sitting. This is a darker gritty fantasy/dystopian story that has themes and topics of religion and the groups within it. Also some TWs for some content so be sure to look at those before reading.

In this world, Sin is deadly. As in, those who sin start to develop a rot that will in time be their demise. So to avoid that rot, the rich and powerful will hire Sinners to commit their crimes and take on the rot for them. Talin is a sinner to one of the most important people in their society - the prophet. The biggest religious figurehead in their society, but also secretly the most devious and controlling. Having taken on Talin after she lost everything and everyone, she is indebted to him. She hates him almost as much as she relies on him. So when he sends her to the dark side of town to gather information - she goes. Only to meet the much whispered about, mysterious Warden. The warden is known as the opposition to prophet. Encouraging sin and crime, shunning their religious beliefs. But he also gives Talin another choice - to betray the prophet and scheme against him and in exchange she will be free. But is Talin only exchanging one cage for another. And with her blood rot rapidly worsening, she has little time left - for someone so close to death, all she wants is to live, but how far will she go to stay alive.

A lot of great banter, spice, plot twists and double crosses. Written very well. Does end in a cliffhanger - so looking forward to a sequel!

[Alix]

This was entertaining, but it wasn’t anything amazing. My biggest issues were that it felt repetitive and I wanted more from the actual story. I also wouldn’t really call this a romance. To me, it was more about mutual desire and sexual tension. Or as the characters describe it, it’s more obsession than love.

What really annoyed me was how many times we had to hear the main character talk about how awful she is, how she feels no remorse for the people she’s killed, how she’s a sinner, and so on. We get it, you’ve done bad things and everyone in this book is morally questionable.

Also, every twist was predictable so nothing was particularly surprising. Despite my frustrations with the characters, I still found this entertaining enough, and I’ll probably pick up the next book in the series. I’ll just be going in with lower expectations.

[Shay]

recieved an ARC of this from netgalley (sourcebooks)

I love love loved this book and cannot wait for the next one. The premise was amazing, but that CLIFFHANGER🥲

[Samantha Hardesty]

“I can’t think of anything lovelier than your wrath. I can’t imagine anything more exquisite than bleeding for you.”

Well, I went into this book with zero expectations and had a blast.

The Dark In Her Veins is a fast-paced, addictive page-turner, and I ate it up. The concept was super interesting, the morally black characters were unapologetically devious, and I’m a sucker for a bit of a found family trope, or the potential beginning of one in this case 👀.

I really liked Talin, and her back & forth with Slade was dark, but had me giggling. Also Slade is just ✨ perfection ✨ - the spice in this book is delicious and I was just highlighting practically every quote from Slade’s mouth, both the filth & his sarcasm. Also imma leave this here:

“I am your god, little sinner. And don’t you fucking forget it.” 🥵🥵

The only reason I haven’t given this one five stars is that it was so fast-paced, it didn’t have the level of world building and lore that I usually go for. It also made the romance aspect seem incredibly fast, and I’m a sucker for a slow burn. I will say though, the tension is absolutely there. 😏

After THAT ending I now need book two immediately, and I can’t wait to find out what happens. I also just need more Slade and his slutty little nose ring.

Thank you so much to M.K Lobb, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for the eARC 😍

[Darkromancerobyn]

Thank you, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC of this book.

In a world where the wealthy hire the less fortunate to commit their sins, leading to death due to “blood rod,” Talin has been Gabriel’s sinner for so long that her veins are dark, and her time is running out. Until she meets a mysterious man who might be able to help her.

The writing style wasn’t my favourite, and I needed more world-building and backstory about the trench and the various religions or groups. Phrases like “for some inconceivable reason” were used when events occurred, which wasn’t enough for me to fully believe in the story and the world the characters inhabited. However, after about 30%, I felt that the writing and story improved slightly. I really struggled to get into this book, making it a slow read for me.

I loved how mysterious Slade was, and the romance was ok, although it also seemed instant and rushed. I couldn’t connect with the FMC, which made the romance hard to believe for me. I really did love Slade, though. He was hot, and I enjoyed his sarcasm and mysterious demeanour. Sadly, this was a slow burn. I usually love a good slow burn, but this one just wasn’t giving me anything to keep me excited. To top it off, it ended on a cliffy 😑 I was not impressed. I really wanted to see a conclusion but to be honest I probably won’t read the second book.

Overall, it was a unique concept but fell a little flat in some areas for me. It was a “meh,” rating around 2.5 to 3 stars.