Tribute

by C.S. Kading, Tony Fuentes

It's 1984, and Ilena Firan has spent the last eight years running from an infernal past of heartache, failure, and betrayal.

Now, a summons forces her back into the nightmare. Scholomance - the Devil's school hidden beneath a Romanian lake, where graduates are given rare and incredible power but are bound by an oath they can never escape.

She expected judgment and disdain from her former classmates. What she doesn't expect to find is her former lover serving as the Devil's Vânătorii—the Devil's enforcer, hunting oath-breakers across Europe. The man she loved has become something harder, deadlier. His caring face, now cold and scarred, and storm-gray eyes filled with hatred.

When the Devil announces that one of His own ancient and eldritch dragons seeks a new rider to be bound by, the Scholomance is turned on its head as many are tempted to take this ‘honor’ and the newfound power it brings for themselves.

Caught between her longing for a shared past and the burning hatred of the man she once loved, Illena must also fight the temptation that the Devil has laid out for them all.

However, the Devil's lies run deeper than either of them imagined, and time is running out.

* * *

Set against the paranoia of 1984 Cold War Romania, TRIBUTE blends Romanian folklore with second-chance romance and dark academia atmosphere.

Perfect for readers who
→ The dragon bonds of Fourth Wing
→ The atmospheric tension of Babel

This standalone dark romantasy delivers second-chance romance intensity, forbidden magic, and a love story forged in desperation and reclaimed through truth.

💋💋💋 Heat 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Spicy with emotional depth)

Dark Romantasy Adult Fantasy Romance

339 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2026

About the author

An Award-Winning Author -she is a poet, playwright, and a storyteller, whose love for writing began in 3rd grade when she won a district writing contest. Her love for fantastical forces motivates her to create stories of heroes, villains, gods and monsters that often have a foundation in Old World mythology and legends.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reeled me in from the very beginning. It’s short, which moved the story along quickly, but the authors still managed to provide an interesting dark academia setting. It’s definitely dark (think violence and drugs) and gritty and you feel it. The sex is limited, and doesn’t distract from the story. I liked Ilena and Alexi. Their story was a bit choppy, but you root for them along the way, so overall they go in the win column of romantic fantasy writing! I would have liked to learn more about the school and how the students lived it, and more of the side characters would have been nice. Linda and Klaus have lots of potential! There is clearly room for a book 2, but it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger so you don’t have to worry about being stressed for another year before you find out what happens to your MCs.🍻 Overall, this was a fun read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jennifer Amaral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to C. S. Kading for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tribute is a powerful and emotionally engaging story that blends intensity, character growth, and compelling storytelling into a memorable read.

What stood out most to me was the depth of the characters. Their journeys feel meaningful, and the emotional layers woven throughout the story make it easy to become fully invested in what they’re going through.

The narrative builds in a way that keeps you hooked, with moments of tension and reflection that add to the overall impact of the story. As everything unfolds, the stakes feel real and the emotional payoff is satisfying.

For me, this easily earns 5 ⭐ because the story was immersive, emotional, and difficult to put down.

This is a 5 ⭐ for me because:

• the characters feel layered and engaging

• the emotional depth adds weight to the story

• the narrative keeps you fully invested

• the overall journey is compelling and memorable

Emotional. Powerful. Captivating.

Read this book if you like:

• character-driven stories

• emotionally intense narratives

• strong character development

• immersive storytelling

[Books Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t think a book set in 1984 would have me checking my own doors for demons, but Tribute definitely managed to give me the chills. I finished it last night with my bedside lamp on full blast, and I’m still kind of obsessed with the whole vibe of Scholomance.

If you’re a fan of "dark academia" but wish it had a more gritty, Eastern European folklore edge, you’re going to love this. The setting—a secret school for the Devil hidden under a Romanian lake—is just chef's kiss. It’s so atmospheric that I could almost feel the cold water and the weight of those inescapable oaths. It reminded me a bit of the dark, gothic feeling I got when I first watched The Ninth Gate, where you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The reunion between Ilena and her former lover, now the "Vânătorii," was easily my favorite part. Seeing him go from the man she loved to this cold, scarred enforcer with "storm-gray eyes" full of hate was a total gut punch. Their dynamic isn't your typical "second chance romance"; it’s messy, dangerous, and actually felt like it had real consequences. I also loved the 1980s backdrop—it’s subtle, but it adds this layer of isolation since they can't just pull out a smartphone to solve their problems.

I’m giving it a solid 4.5 stars. The only reason I’m not going full 5 is that I wanted even more lore about the other students at Scholomance, but I have a feeling the authors are saving that for the next book. The pacing is tight, and the "oath-breaker" stakes kept me turning pages way past my bedtime.

If you like The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo or you’re a sucker for stories where the price of magic is way higher than you expected, you should definitely pick this up. It’s a dark, brooding, and super creative take on the genre. Highly recommended!

[Miza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️. 5

✨ Dragons
✨ Standalone
✨ Second chance romance
✨ Forbidden magic
✨ Academic setting

This was a interesting book. The lore about how dragons are made in this book was different from anything I had read before.

I enjoyed our FMC Ilena, who has spent the last 8 years running from her past. Has been summoned back to Scholomance Academy with her former classmates.

And the MMC Alexi her former lover turned Devil’s enforcer who hunts people down.

There was some great side characters in the book that bought so much depth and friendship to the story.

The world building in this was good.
Fast paced with high stakes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lorraine Whiteley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it!! Kept me hooked from the very beginning. Emotional, fun, intriguing and feisty. A must read. I received an ARC and leave this review voluntarily.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was a quick read. (A total of three hours, two different sittings)
The world building and character creation were really good. I believe this is labeled as a standalone, but I would really like to see more of the aftermath of this book.

[Kristina Ehrlich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read, never a dull moment, however there was a lot of detail skipped over. The book on kindle was only 274 pages including all the acknowledgments at the end.

I enjoyed the story and it actually had a twist I didn’t expect - I always appreciate those. I liked how there was a lot of thought put into backstory, however depth of characters wasn’t really there. It’s clear everyone has history but it isn’t really explained fully. There are also some plot points not cleared up at the end.

The characters didn’t seem to have to work for much, such as shifting from dragon to human for the first time, dragon flying and riding for the first time, those things just seemed to be instinctual and they got them right with little to no effort.

For being a shorter story, it was entertaining and a quick read, but got annoying with all the issues listed above. I was close to DNF at the end but pushed through.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Missi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilena had me captivated from page one. I loved how complicated relationships between imperfect people ebb and flow. From romantic interests to friends, it felt honest and endearing. The spice was just the right amount. I adore magic and dragons, but what really got me were the VIBES: gritty, stylish ’80s goth energy that made my dark little heart so happy. 10/10 we need more!