The Steel of the Wicked Heart

by Jen L. Grey

I was under the Dusk King’s protection… until the Night Court proved it meant nothing.Kai left me behind in his perfectly guarded castle safe, contained, and more alone than ever.

Then I woke up bound, trapped, and deep in Night Court territory.

They didn’t ask questions.
They didn’t make threats.

They already knew what they wanted from me.

I wasn’t a prisoner.
I was a sacrifice.

Too bad for them… I don’t break that easily.

I escaped.

And when Kai found me, something between us had changed.

The way he looked at me like I was his to protect.
The way my body reacted like it already knew him.

Like whatever was pulling us together wasn’t something either of us could stop.

Now we’re racing back to the Dusk Court with enemies closing in, secrets unraveling, and a bond neither of us is ready to face because the moon is breaking.

Whatever is coming with it won’t just destroy kingdoms…

It will destroy us.

Read this fated mate, dark romance with a sassy Southern heroine and a vicious stoic king who killed for his throne and will kill for her. Perfect for readers who love touch her and die, grumpy sunshine, who did this to you, found family, and antagonists to lovers.

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2026

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author

Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies, even as a little girl. When I was a toddler, my parents would read stories to me over and over. I would hear them so often that I had the books memorized and could recite the story word by word.

My favorite genres are fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary romance. So of course that's what I'm inclined to write.

​I have a husband, two young daughters, and a mini Australian Shepherd. I've lived in Tennessee the majority of my life and love the state.

I'm extremely addicted to caffeine and enjoy drinking coffee and lattes.
​
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Reviews

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a traitor in the Dusk Cout. Hannah had been drugged, tightly bound and thrown over the back of a caribou. Cruelly dumped in a tent still bound and gagged until the Night General entered. She’d been brought to the Blood Basin to scarified as the last Aureline fae needed to finalize King Bram’s plan to destroy the Aurela, Dusk and Day Courts to bring them under his control.
So, the story continues as we begin…
A race against time, a battle against a man who would rule over all the land no matter the cost. A young woman hidden for years in a human world with no idea of who she was or the world she had been taken from. Returned to a world she never knew existed, she’d find herself at the center of a war, a conspiracy and a love that wouldn’t be bound. A King who fought for his people, against a pull of his mate until he couldn’t and against a mad man who was once a friend. Time was running out as the skies began to darken. The Aurela Court had been held in slumber, the Day Court gone and the Dusk Court had a traitor that won’t be found until too late.
There is action, danger, suspense, and mystery jam packed in this world of fae and shifters, there is love, friendship and villainy. And in the end Kai, King of the Dusk Court, will realize that Hannah is more than his mate, she may well be the key to saving their world. This is the second in a series by Jen L. Grey that brings us to a world so uniquely different from our own, whose characters we can connect with as we watch them face conflict, share friendship, love follow a journey that isn’t always easy. In this one she even gives us justice we don’t often get in our unreliable justice system, when Hannah faces a foe and gets retribution.
Jen L. Grey opens worlds we might never imagine, taking us on dangerous journeys in a world full of imagination all while sharing stories we can fall into again and again. This is the second book in the series and ends on a nail-biting cliffhanger. I highly recommend reading this series and can’t wait to see what she holds in store for the rest of this tale.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steel of the Wicked Heart picks right up where the previous book left off, with Hannah kidnapped. One thing I like about Hannah is that she's nothing if not resourceful. She was in a horrible situation, but she refused to give up. Hannah fights with wits, weapons, and a lot of snark. I like her snarky attitude, but hate her sheer stubbornness. There were too many times when that stubbornness could have cost her. Kai was less horrible this time around. Hannah is making him regret pretty much all of his life choices, and I mean that in more ways than one. Ha, ha! His attitude towards her has finally taken a turn, and it's about time because this slow burn was a little frigid. Pun intended. Ha!


I liked the plot of this book better than the first. There was more action and more danger. The underground maze was incredibly creepy, in ways I can't even begin to describe. It was a unique experience. Jen dropped some pretty decent clues, including what King Bram is really up to. But now I have questions. Who is the Night General? And the biggest question of all: what role does Hannah play in this? The cliffhanger was an incredible plot twist. What it means for the next book, I don't know, but I look forward to finding out.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up where the last book left off, Hannah has found herself kidnapped and on the way to the Night Court. They are keeping her alive…for now. But what could they want with her? But the last thing Hannah is is a victim. And she’ll save herself before letting anyone hurt her. Doesn’t mean someone isn’t coming after her though… Kai may be trying hard to push down the feelings that come with the mate bond, but it’s harder to justify why. For what he feels for Hannah is very strong. And he knows he will have to tell her soon what she is to him. But first, he needs to go after her. As the two of them fight their way home to the Dusk Court, they start to realize there is a lot more going on here than they realize. And can they stop it before it is too late? The story continues! Hannah is still a sassy strong heroine who won’t make anything for Kai. And I love it! She’s fearless and not afraid to stand up for herself. She’s definitely not afraid to pushback. And Kai has definitely found his match. But can he finally tell her what he feels toward her? Another crazy cliffhanger and I’m excited to see how this series ends!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kai and Hannah are back…

This one picks up right where book one left off. Of course I get this arc during a super insane week when all I want to do is read. I mean come on. Kai and Hannah’s banter is still top notch. Hannah does not like to be “placed on hold” and Kai is finally coming to terms with his feelings.

However, there is a traitor in the castle and the Dust court has multiple enemies in blind spots making it hard to keep Hannah safe and the Dusk court safe. Along with the many obstacles the land is going to throw at them during this book.

Like always Jen keeps you on the edge of your seat with each page you turn. I’m looking for to book 3 I need to know how they are getting out of that cliffhanger!

I received this as an arc for an honest review 🖤

[Cynthia Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kai and Hannah are back and oh boy do they have more of mess than the last. He is fighting the bond, she gets taken again, there is more danger, enemies, attacks, emotions, and more. This book takes you from one twist to next, and nothing is left to chance. These two and what they discover gives you more questions and a few answers but the emotions, action, and all the danger keeps you the edge, with and ending that will leave you hanging to the next. I so can't wait to to waht happens in the next.

[Sandy Schleich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Hannah and Kai. The thing I love the most about Hannah is that she does not wait for a man to rescue her. She does it on her own. After being kidnapped by the Night Court,, Hannah finds an unusual ally in their camp. This ally helped her get away and basically told her where to go and how to get there. Kai is still being an idiot and not telling her that they are mates. He seems to want to wait until everything is perfect before he can tell her which is probably never going to happen. I will definitely read the next book in a series.

[Sheryl Tickell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!!

Hannah and Kai have my undivided attention!!! The next book cannot get here fast enough, I truly am going to have this book in my head until it gets here!! The cliffhanger is !!!!!!!! How can we leave them there????? Definitely read the first book as you will need the info in that book for this one , then jump on over into this one, don’t wait!! I’ll be biting my nails until my preorder of the third book gets here …… definitely get this series!!

[Amber Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Cliffhanger Batman!

Well, that was a fantastic middle book! Not a second of downtime and then a cliffhanger. Alas, the final book is not yet out and I must wait to complete my reading of the tale of Hannah and Kai.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold onto your bum! This is a fast paced second book that won’t disappoint. While the first book was good this one is even better. I highly recommend this series and am anxiously awaiting the final book.

[Dream klailat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect moment never arrived

I. Couldn't put it down & don't know when the 3rd book will be available. I hate the wait. The story is still amazing & still find all of the characters delightful. Pls don't make me wait too long.

[Jenn (loves_a_good_book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book and I was excited to start reading this. Book two is even better than the first. It’s fast paced and I flew through this in one sitting it’s that good. Action, danger, suspense, slow burn fated mates and a traitor in their mist that I was screaming at.

Hannah is strong, sassy and definitely no damsel in distress which I love about her.

Kai stop taking the leaves! Lol

I have so many questions and I can’t wait for the next book to see how this all wraps up!