The Sleeping Key: A Dark Fantasy Romance

by Gemma Ashborne

A young woman discovers dark powers lie beneath her nightmares and that her life--and love--depends on her defeating her demons in this dark romantasy.

Fey Masterson can't escape the darkness lodged in her mind. Awake or asleep, she's consumed by an anxiety that's wreaking havoc on her life. The paralyzing dread has stolen everything from her, leaving her yearning for a life of solitude.

When she enrolls at a remote art institute deep in the Redwoods, Fey believes she's finally found sanctuary. Her nightmares only grow more intense, however, as a menacing beast stalks her throughout. Her sole balm is the powerful bond she feels with her mysterious mentor, Cillian, whose strange magic, familiar green eyes, and sharp tongue all have her questioning her desire to be alone.

But as the two begin to fall more deeply for each other, a new threat arises. It seems a baneful witch seeks to unleash an army of monsters into the world, confirming Fey's greatest fear: her harrowing dreams are becoming a daunting reality . . .

Now, Fey must wield ancient magic and prove herself capable of slaying these wicked enemies. Because if she loses her battle against the mighty demon who haunts her, the consequences could be dire not only for her and Cillian but the entire mortal world.

Tropes include: forbidden love, hidden magic, secret identity, mentor/mentee, and fated mates.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 15, 2026

Reviews

[Andireads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am SCREAMING! That was so good 5 star vibes, 5 star emotional damage and 4 star pacing (for me). I am so grateful to have received an ARC of this book!
I loved Fey and the found family she collected along the way! She was a beautifully written, complex character that dealt with trauma and anxiety in such a genuine way that truly felt like therapy sessions for me. You are learning information along with her so there are parts of the story that are confusing but you learn what’s up as Fey learns so it makes sense. The yearning and love were impeccable - I only wish we would have gotten to see Cillian perform because that man was hot AF, that was my only disappointment but the fade to black moment didn’t detract from the story at all just left me hot and bothered.
The pacing flowed well but I felt like SO much happened in the last 20% of the book and it was truly an emotional gauntlet. That was really my only issue with the pacing and honestly it’s because I am selfish and wanted more. The cliffhanger literally had my jaw on the floor- talk about a gut punch! I need the next book yesterday! I highly recommend this when it releases!

[Robyn Maciel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full of so many different twists!!! Fey, our FMC, is so relatable. She struggles with anxiety and the way it’s written is literally like it was pulled from my own brain on numerous occasions throughout this book. She has these nightmares (whenever she actually falls asleep) where she is being stalked by this dark beast, but has no understanding as to why or what it means. She gets accepted into an art institute hidden away in a forest and thinks she may finally be finding her path in life, only something SO much bigger is discovered during her time here…
Thank you Gemma & her team for selecting me to be apart of the ARC team! So grateful to have gotten the chance to read this! This book left me jaw dropped at the end. I had no idea what the heck to expect and the end left me screammming for answers! I can’t wait for the second book!

Tropes include: forbidden love, hidden magic, secret identity, mentor/mentee, found family and fated mates.