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I Am the Devouring Dark
Not yet published
Expected 15 Oct 26Deep in the Norse woods, a monster hungers…
The Skratti has no memory of who she once was, or what darkness has caused her to lurk in the shadows.
All she knows is her hunger. And human hearts – offered up by pagan villagers in exchange for her protection from invaders – are the only food that can sate her.
But when a thief named Rorik enters the Skratti’s lair, he awakens a long-buried memory. The Skratti had a life before this darkness. And a sister, who is now in grave danger.
Alongside Rorik, the Skratti begins to piece together the secrets of her past, as a dangerous closeness grows between them. The Skratti faces a choice: between her dark hunger for Rorik’s heart, and a fragile chance at love and humanity. A chance to save the sister she remembers, and the place she once called home.
For she is not the only danger in these woods…
The Skratti has no memory of who she once was, or what darkness has caused her to lurk in the shadows.
All she knows is her hunger. And human hearts – offered up by pagan villagers in exchange for her protection from invaders – are the only food that can sate her.
But when a thief named Rorik enters the Skratti’s lair, he awakens a long-buried memory. The Skratti had a life before this darkness. And a sister, who is now in grave danger.
Alongside Rorik, the Skratti begins to piece together the secrets of her past, as a dangerous closeness grows between them. The Skratti faces a choice: between her dark hunger for Rorik’s heart, and a fragile chance at love and humanity. A chance to save the sister she remembers, and the place she once called home.
For she is not the only danger in these woods…
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 15, 2026
About the author
Kimberly Lynn Hanson
2 books16 followersKimberly Lynn Hanson writes nature and myth-inspired atmospheric fantasy with dark twists and tragic romance. When not immersed in other worlds, she works as a project manager and enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with her husband and two furry children, wandering through misty forests and dipping her toes in alpine lakes.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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May 7, 2026Horror romantasy from the villain's POV? um yes please (edit: omg yay i got the arc 😌😌)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for sending me this ARC!
I Am the Devouring Dark follows the Skratti, who is attempting to get her humanity back despite being convinced it will not work. The book is filled with darkness, Norse mythology, betrayal and romance.
I really enjoyed the evolution of the Skratti discovering herself and figuring out how to use the darkness inside of her instead of letting it take control.
The epilogue left it open for a sequel, which was a nice touch. 4 stars.
I Am the Devouring Dark follows the Skratti, who is attempting to get her humanity back despite being convinced it will not work. The book is filled with darkness, Norse mythology, betrayal and romance.
I really enjoyed the evolution of the Skratti discovering herself and figuring out how to use the darkness inside of her instead of letting it take control.
The epilogue left it open for a sequel, which was a nice touch. 4 stars.
May 13, 2026
I really enjoyed this one. I ended up reading it in basically a day because it was such an easy book to fly through. The pacing was strong, the plot kept moving, and it balanced the darker gothic atmosphere with romance really well.
The thing I loved most about this book was the overall vibe. It had this eerie, monstery forest setting that felt very Nordic in its storytelling and mythology, which made it stand out from a lot of other romantasy books I’ve read recently. It actually reminded me quite a bit of One Dark Window and especially Two Twisted Crowns in terms of atmosphere.
I also really liked the female main character because she’s genuinely flawed. She isn’t written as a perfect heroine at all. She’s feared by the village, treated almost like a monster, and the villagers literally give her sacrifices in exchange for protection from the dangers lurking in the forest. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I loved the direction the story took once she finally makes a different choice from what’s expected of her.
The romance worked really well for me too. It felt believable and naturally developed. There’s definitely yearning and slow burn tension there, but it never became frustratingly drawn out. The spice is open door but fairly low spice overall, which suited the story. I thought the relationship progression made sense emotionally.
I also appreciated that she was really the only one with significant power. That made her feel even more isolated and unusual within the story. The magic system itself wasn’t overly complicated or in your face, and I actually think the book benefited from that. The world building wasn’t massive, but it didn’t need to be. It gave enough detail to build the atmosphere without slowing the story down. I also really enjoyed the forgotten memories aspect and some of the twists throughout the second half.
Overall, this was a dark, gothic, atmospheric romantasy with strong pacing, a compelling morally grey heroine, eerie forest vibes, and a romance that actually felt convincing.
I would give this a 4.25/ 4.5 if I could.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The thing I loved most about this book was the overall vibe. It had this eerie, monstery forest setting that felt very Nordic in its storytelling and mythology, which made it stand out from a lot of other romantasy books I’ve read recently. It actually reminded me quite a bit of One Dark Window and especially Two Twisted Crowns in terms of atmosphere.
I also really liked the female main character because she’s genuinely flawed. She isn’t written as a perfect heroine at all. She’s feared by the village, treated almost like a monster, and the villagers literally give her sacrifices in exchange for protection from the dangers lurking in the forest. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I loved the direction the story took once she finally makes a different choice from what’s expected of her.
The romance worked really well for me too. It felt believable and naturally developed. There’s definitely yearning and slow burn tension there, but it never became frustratingly drawn out. The spice is open door but fairly low spice overall, which suited the story. I thought the relationship progression made sense emotionally.
I also appreciated that she was really the only one with significant power. That made her feel even more isolated and unusual within the story. The magic system itself wasn’t overly complicated or in your face, and I actually think the book benefited from that. The world building wasn’t massive, but it didn’t need to be. It gave enough detail to build the atmosphere without slowing the story down. I also really enjoyed the forgotten memories aspect and some of the twists throughout the second half.
Overall, this was a dark, gothic, atmospheric romantasy with strong pacing, a compelling morally grey heroine, eerie forest vibes, and a romance that actually felt convincing.
I would give this a 4.25/ 4.5 if I could.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Meh... I wish this one had been a bit better.
I was looking forward to reading something truly dark, but this was not it.
This story is a horror romance, but there was not a lot of horror and the romance wasn't very convincing either.
There were no clear descriptions of the 'monster', I am sorry, but shadows, black veins and eyes aren't really making me quake in my boots. I so wish the horror elements had been stronger.
The romance was underwhelming. At the start, the romance between the monstrous FMC and the human MMC wasn't really developed. They had practically no meaningful conversations between them, but somehow I am supposed to believe that the MMC is attracted to the monster who has only issued threats to his life? Maybe if there had been a bit of tension, some build up of feelings, I might have bought it. As it stands, it wasn't strong enough.
The writing was fairly ok, pleasant enough, but gosh I wish it had been more gripping.
Thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all thoughts are my own.
I was looking forward to reading something truly dark, but this was not it.
This story is a horror romance, but there was not a lot of horror and the romance wasn't very convincing either.
There were no clear descriptions of the 'monster', I am sorry, but shadows, black veins and eyes aren't really making me quake in my boots. I so wish the horror elements had been stronger.
The romance was underwhelming. At the start, the romance between the monstrous FMC and the human MMC wasn't really developed. They had practically no meaningful conversations between them, but somehow I am supposed to believe that the MMC is attracted to the monster who has only issued threats to his life? Maybe if there had been a bit of tension, some build up of feelings, I might have bought it. As it stands, it wasn't strong enough.
The writing was fairly ok, pleasant enough, but gosh I wish it had been more gripping.
Thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC of this book from the author.
I wasn't sure what to expect from a female monster MC, but the depth of this character and the uniquely layered aspects of the Skratti blew me away! I loved how the author humanized her over the course of the story and managed to make this fearsome, forest-dwelling heart-eater sympathetic and complex. The writing was atmospheric and the prose absolutely beautiful. I read it in a few days, and couldn't stop thinking about it every time I put it down. The love story was satisfying, and the plot had so many twists and turns I did not see coming.
Read this book right now!
I wasn't sure what to expect from a female monster MC, but the depth of this character and the uniquely layered aspects of the Skratti blew me away! I loved how the author humanized her over the course of the story and managed to make this fearsome, forest-dwelling heart-eater sympathetic and complex. The writing was atmospheric and the prose absolutely beautiful. I read it in a few days, and couldn't stop thinking about it every time I put it down. The love story was satisfying, and the plot had so many twists and turns I did not see coming.
Read this book right now!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I AM THE DEVOURING DARK is a rich, atmospheric and immersive read that will have you clawing the pages for more. With veins of power and identity, romance, and revenge, I loved everything minute of this dark book. And the VIBES!! Lush, dark forests, deep caves, and thick with magic! I feel so lucky that I got a sneak peek and can't wait for new readers to find this!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This read completely consumed me, I enjoyed this dark fantasy. It’s currently 4.35am and I’m falling asleep as I write this, this book was definitely worth the just one more chapter. Such a great read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews