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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…
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 15, 2026
About the author
Kimberly Lynn Hanson
3 books24 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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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
She eats hearts... She was supposed to eat his heart. But then.. his heart became more than a heart. It became a heart. A love heart. A heart she wanted with her heart. And now, the man whose heart she was supposed to eat must help her find the heart she thought she had lost, so she can follow her heart instead of eating his heart.
Juuuust kidding. But the book really did start feeling like hearty heart hearts and shaded shadowy shadows. We follow the Skratti, the monster haunting the forest outside a Norse village called Eskithorpe. The villagers sacrifice someone each moon cycle, she eats their heart, and in return, she protects the village. When her next sacrifice, a thief named Rorik, awakens memories of a life she had before, she spares him and starts trying to uncover who she was, what happened to her, and whether there's any humanity left inside her.
Obviously, I was very excited for a monstrous villain FMC. Until I started reading.
I am not buying that this is a villain or a monster. When we first meet the Skratti, she is already trying to reclaim her humanity. It doesn't begin with Rorik. He triggers a memory, yes, but she's already working to recover memories of her old life before that. We never see really see a monster with no humanity. Instead, we see someone who is seen as a villain, and can't remember how she became the thing that is seen as a villain.
The first person POV does this book a huge disservice. It keeps describing her in these sexy, aesthetic, darkness dommy mommy ways, which is fine, great even, except she's the one describing herself that way. An example (that I made up):
You get the gist. Not really what I was expecting. Why is the monster describing herself in such sexy villainous ways? I was expecting the POV of someone who looks at a human and sees only meat, who acts on instinct and barely has human thoughts, who doesn't even understand human expressions because she’s just that lost in the shadows.
Speaking of shadows. Holy fuck. The word "shadow" appears 313 times. THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN. The book is ~400 pages. Shadowy shadow tendrils of hair, dark shadowy veins, shadowy black eyes with shadows raging behind them... but what does she actually look like? I have no idea. Her appearance isn't described at all. Only the shadows are described. Endlessly. My brain eventually filled in the blanks with Auntie Ethel from BG3.
If you don't know Auntie Ethel, she's a hag. Old lady. Absolute unit. This made the romance SO GOOFY. I pictured Rorik as this lil short king in skinny pants (she keeps checking out his pants and how they cling to his body) with Stockholm syndrome. At one point, he’s flirting with her and basically does the Debby Ryan hair tuck and bites his lip while walking up to her, and all I could see was 👁️🫦👁️ kiss me, Ethel. Why are you even attracted to your kidnapper who does nothing but flex her shadowy shadows and say short sentences that all end with "human" so we don't forget that she's not human except she totally is?
The romance comes out of nowhere and with literally no build-up or logic. There's no real reason for her to keep Rorik around. There's no apparent reason for Rorik to find her attractive. Rorik explains his attraction with the fact that he could tell there was a human underneath all the darkness, which... okay? There are loads of people who are human. Why is that suddenly hot? "I like you because you are a human." Wow, Rorik, you really know how to make a girl feel special.
Why did anyone do anything in this book? The whole agreement with the Skratti is that she protects the village, but we never actually see her doing any protecting. It's more of an abstract protection, and I am, once again, just not buying it. Why would they sacrifice people every moon cycle for some abstract sense of protection that they never actually see? Imagine that you start making sacrifices to protect yourself from shark attacks. You don't get attacked by a shark, so you could say the sacrifices are working. Or maybe there was a never a shark in the first place. How many people are you willing to kill to protect yourself from a hypothetical shark? The answer is shitloads, if you ask the people of Eskithorpe. Like I get it, in theory. It just didn't feel like she was protecting anyone from anything when I read the book, because I never saw her do it.
The Skratti repeatedly has these realizations about her ability to control the darkness inside her, but the realizations are not shown through dramatic scenes where she fights these huge emotional internal battles, human vs. monster, light vs. dark, it's more like "I thought the darkness controlled me, but I realized I can always control it." I'll just take your word for it if you're not gonna show me, I guess!
I don't know if the author did a lot of research. People are described as Vikings. By Vikings. During the Viking era. Like, "there's a Viking raid coming". A Google search told me that the word did exist back then, but it was used to describe the act of going sea-raiding. Which means that these people were essentially saying "there's a sea-raiding raid coming" and "a woman with sea-raiding braids". And someone performs CPR. CPR!! Compressions and mouth-to-mouth and everything. Are they gonna bring out the Viking x-ray next? The runestone MRI machine? I get that there's magic and living shadows and all that, so maybe realism wasn't the goal here, but it just didn't feel accurate for the time.
I can't really describe my issue with the prose in any more detail than the very informative "it didn't work for me", but there were obvious mistakes too. A distinct lack of commas. Calling women "females". At first, I thought maybe it was because the Skratti saw humans as males and females, but no. It will literally say "men" and "females" in the same sentence. Stop dehumanizing women!!!! Ugh.
There were some things I liked. The forest has a genuinely dark, gloomy atmosphere (perfect for the spooky season), and the subplot about the conflict between Christianity and the old Norse religion was really interesting, I guess because it's the only part of the book that felt like a true motivation for anyone to do anything.
Somehow, a story about a monster finding her humanity left me wondering when she was going to lose her humanity. And I have YET AGAIN failed my self-imposed 800-word limit. The heart was willing, but the shadowy shadow flesh was weak.
A big thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph/Penguin Random House and Kimberly Lynn Hanson for the ARC!
⚬──────────✧──────────⚬
Horror romantasy from the villain's POV? um yes please (edit: omg yay i got the arc 😌😌)
Juuuust kidding. But the book really did start feeling like hearty heart hearts and shaded shadowy shadows. We follow the Skratti, the monster haunting the forest outside a Norse village called Eskithorpe. The villagers sacrifice someone each moon cycle, she eats their heart, and in return, she protects the village. When her next sacrifice, a thief named Rorik, awakens memories of a life she had before, she spares him and starts trying to uncover who she was, what happened to her, and whether there's any humanity left inside her.
Obviously, I was very excited for a monstrous villain FMC. Until I started reading.
I am not buying that this is a villain or a monster. When we first meet the Skratti, she is already trying to reclaim her humanity. It doesn't begin with Rorik. He triggers a memory, yes, but she's already working to recover memories of her old life before that. We never see really see a monster with no humanity. Instead, we see someone who is seen as a villain, and can't remember how she became the thing that is seen as a villain.
The first person POV does this book a huge disservice. It keeps describing her in these sexy, aesthetic, darkness dommy mommy ways, which is fine, great even, except she's the one describing herself that way. An example (that I made up):
"Shadow tendrils curl through my shadowy hair and cling to my body. Dark veins wind beneath my skin, and my claws catch the light as the shadows coil around me. A wicked smile spreads across my dark lips."
You get the gist. Not really what I was expecting. Why is the monster describing herself in such sexy villainous ways? I was expecting the POV of someone who looks at a human and sees only meat, who acts on instinct and barely has human thoughts, who doesn't even understand human expressions because she’s just that lost in the shadows.
Speaking of shadows. Holy fuck. The word "shadow" appears 313 times. THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN. The book is ~400 pages. Shadowy shadow tendrils of hair, dark shadowy veins, shadowy black eyes with shadows raging behind them... but what does she actually look like? I have no idea. Her appearance isn't described at all. Only the shadows are described. Endlessly. My brain eventually filled in the blanks with Auntie Ethel from BG3.
If you don't know Auntie Ethel, she's a hag. Old lady. Absolute unit. This made the romance SO GOOFY. I pictured Rorik as this lil short king in skinny pants (she keeps checking out his pants and how they cling to his body) with Stockholm syndrome. At one point, he’s flirting with her and basically does the Debby Ryan hair tuck and bites his lip while walking up to her, and all I could see was 👁️🫦👁️ kiss me, Ethel. Why are you even attracted to your kidnapper who does nothing but flex her shadowy shadows and say short sentences that all end with "human" so we don't forget that she's not human except she totally is?
The romance comes out of nowhere and with literally no build-up or logic. There's no real reason for her to keep Rorik around. There's no apparent reason for Rorik to find her attractive. Rorik explains his attraction with the fact that he could tell there was a human underneath all the darkness, which... okay? There are loads of people who are human. Why is that suddenly hot? "I like you because you are a human." Wow, Rorik, you really know how to make a girl feel special.
Why did anyone do anything in this book? The whole agreement with the Skratti is that she protects the village, but we never actually see her doing any protecting. It's more of an abstract protection, and I am, once again, just not buying it. Why would they sacrifice people every moon cycle for some abstract sense of protection that they never actually see? Imagine that you start making sacrifices to protect yourself from shark attacks. You don't get attacked by a shark, so you could say the sacrifices are working. Or maybe there was a never a shark in the first place. How many people are you willing to kill to protect yourself from a hypothetical shark? The answer is shitloads, if you ask the people of Eskithorpe. Like I get it, in theory. It just didn't feel like she was protecting anyone from anything when I read the book, because I never saw her do it.
The Skratti repeatedly has these realizations about her ability to control the darkness inside her, but the realizations are not shown through dramatic scenes where she fights these huge emotional internal battles, human vs. monster, light vs. dark, it's more like "I thought the darkness controlled me, but I realized I can always control it." I'll just take your word for it if you're not gonna show me, I guess!
I don't know if the author did a lot of research. People are described as Vikings. By Vikings. During the Viking era. Like, "there's a Viking raid coming". A Google search told me that the word did exist back then, but it was used to describe the act of going sea-raiding. Which means that these people were essentially saying "there's a sea-raiding raid coming" and "a woman with sea-raiding braids". And someone performs CPR. CPR!! Compressions and mouth-to-mouth and everything. Are they gonna bring out the Viking x-ray next? The runestone MRI machine? I get that there's magic and living shadows and all that, so maybe realism wasn't the goal here, but it just didn't feel accurate for the time.
I can't really describe my issue with the prose in any more detail than the very informative "it didn't work for me", but there were obvious mistakes too. A distinct lack of commas. Calling women "females". At first, I thought maybe it was because the Skratti saw humans as males and females, but no. It will literally say "men" and "females" in the same sentence. Stop dehumanizing women!!!! Ugh.
There were some things I liked. The forest has a genuinely dark, gloomy atmosphere (perfect for the spooky season), and the subplot about the conflict between Christianity and the old Norse religion was really interesting, I guess because it's the only part of the book that felt like a true motivation for anyone to do anything.
Somehow, a story about a monster finding her humanity left me wondering when she was going to lose her humanity. And I have YET AGAIN failed my self-imposed 800-word limit. The heart was willing, but the shadowy shadow flesh was weak.
A big thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph/Penguin Random House and Kimberly Lynn Hanson for the ARC!
⚬──────────✧──────────⚬
Horror romantasy from the villain's POV? um yes please (edit: omg yay i got the arc 😌😌)
September 9, 2026
✨Not quite what I was looking for✨
I was really looking forward to I Am the Devouring Dark. A horror/romantasy from a female monster POV steeped in Norse mythology… like oh hell yeah!! Unfortunately, it lacked the depth I was looking for and overall fell a bit short for me.
The vibes, atmosphere, and horror were almost there, but just not quite. Also, the romance aspect definitely fell a bit flat. I was not buying it. Also, I wish there were more descriptions than a few little random things and “shadows” over and over. AND OVER. I don’t think the writing style was to my taste.
I liked the idea of this one A LOT, but the execution just didn’t work for me. Ultimately, I wished I had DNF’d.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released October 15, 2026 .
I was really looking forward to I Am the Devouring Dark. A horror/romantasy from a female monster POV steeped in Norse mythology… like oh hell yeah!! Unfortunately, it lacked the depth I was looking for and overall fell a bit short for me.
The vibes, atmosphere, and horror were almost there, but just not quite. Also, the romance aspect definitely fell a bit flat. I was not buying it. Also, I wish there were more descriptions than a few little random things and “shadows” over and over. AND OVER. I don’t think the writing style was to my taste.
I liked the idea of this one A LOT, but the execution just didn’t work for me. Ultimately, I wished I had DNF’d.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released October 15, 2026 .
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.
June 24, 2026
This book surprised me in the best way possible. It took me a little while to get into the story but I was hooked in no time! It was so refreshing to see the FMC take centre stage as the morally grey, powerful character for a change.
I really liked the use of the journal entries woven throughout to slowly add pieces of the past. And a grumpy FMC with a golden retriever MMC who uses humour to cope? Obviously I loved it!
The combination of dark fantasy, horror and mystery made the book feel really unique. The twists and betrayals had my jaw on the floor.
This book is perfect for readers who love dark fantasy with a bit of horror and gore. I would highly recommend!
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the ARC.
I really liked the use of the journal entries woven throughout to slowly add pieces of the past. And a grumpy FMC with a golden retriever MMC who uses humour to cope? Obviously I loved it!
The combination of dark fantasy, horror and mystery made the book feel really unique. The twists and betrayals had my jaw on the floor.
This book is perfect for readers who love dark fantasy with a bit of horror and gore. I would highly recommend!
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I don’t normally read this genre of book but I’ve been a bit curious lately and I’m not disappointed at all. Fantasy? Romantasy? Horrorromatansy? Don’t know the label but it was a good read! Down with labels! I know it’s become a HUGELY popular scope of genre then has genres within the umbrella of such genres (that made sense to me).
As “horror” had been thrown in with this book I’ll address that off the bat as a horror fan. For those scared of horror this is not it. It’s not really scary as such and the gory moments are no different to killing scenes in a battle or crime book. So if that’s your worry set that aside. Yes it has some dark themes but in my opinion it’s not horror. But as a horror fan I still really liked this one.
Some spoilers from this point on…skip if needs be.
The book is told from the FMC POV and it worked really well. Liv is now the Skratti- a dark creature feared by the local villagers who made a deal with it a long time ago. The pagan villagers give you a human once a year whose heart you need to eat to appease your deep primal hunger and in return you protect the village and its people. Rip that beating heart out.
The Skratti is feared and lives in the dark forest away from all humankind and has the powers to kill anything in its path. It lives wild, friends with the wolf pack and no human will go near it willingly. One day everything changes when a specific sacrifice offered to her doesn’t go to plan. She can’t kill him, she can’t eat his heart but she doesn’t know why. Neither does he. Enter Rorik - our leading MC for the book.
Spoiler bits over.
I loved both characters. When the “monster” meets the human and things start to shift is a well worn path of fiction but it’s not all done well. I thought this was pretty decent. Rorik begins to trigger more of the human part of the Skratti (Liv) to come forth. Much to her confusion. He sees beyond the dark violent monster. It all goes together with a distant past and the book leads eventually to the whys and when’s and how’s. The jigsaw pieces lock in. As the book takes us back at times to the past the reasons for why things are as they are gradually comes to light. The Author does a good job of spreading that over the course of the book amongst what’s happening in the present moment. Breadcrumbs to follow to the truth.
Her painful journey is powerfully written and whilst you want to hate the darkness that lives inside her you end up loving her character even in her darkest most violent moments. Yes there is romance in the book but it’s not eye-rolling slush, it’s there but for someone who is not much of a romance fan at all I thought it worked really well here. It’s not a smooth sail at all for the two of them. Including right up to the end.
When the island is invaded by Christians from over the sea the Skratti soon realises they’ve come for more than converting the pagan villagers to their Christian God. The battle line is drawn. Speaking of battles there is a really good battle scene in this novel that had me totally immersed. The Author is definitely gifted with imagination and expressive storytelling.
SO much more to this book. I found it held my attention. I was invested in the characters and their journey. I was eager to see choices made at critical times. I loved the descriptive elements of how the darkness of the Skratti lives in a human body. I was picturing this darkness as it manifested itself over and over. It’s not a new theme for a monster to have a human side and a battle within be going on but for me this was hugely entertaining and had some depth to it.
There is a scene near the end that was pretty intense and I knew then this standalone novel might leave an opening for a follow up. I was right as by the last few pages I recognised a follow up door was opened and left ajar. I admit I’m excited if there is a follow-up book. I’ll be reading it.
Whether you are into this genre of book or not it’s recommended by me. Sometimes as readers we get locked into a few favourite genres and I think it’s refreshing to explore outside that . This is the second book I requested from NetGalley recently of this ilk and I’ve just got another one so obviously it’s appealing to me.
A solid 4 stars from me. Something different for me and great escapist fiction. My review really only touches on tiny parts of what this book entails.
Many thanks to the publisher Penguin for my ARC via NetGalley.
Thanks so much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻 Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more book reviews.
As “horror” had been thrown in with this book I’ll address that off the bat as a horror fan. For those scared of horror this is not it. It’s not really scary as such and the gory moments are no different to killing scenes in a battle or crime book. So if that’s your worry set that aside. Yes it has some dark themes but in my opinion it’s not horror. But as a horror fan I still really liked this one.
Some spoilers from this point on…skip if needs be.
The book is told from the FMC POV and it worked really well. Liv is now the Skratti- a dark creature feared by the local villagers who made a deal with it a long time ago. The pagan villagers give you a human once a year whose heart you need to eat to appease your deep primal hunger and in return you protect the village and its people. Rip that beating heart out.
The Skratti is feared and lives in the dark forest away from all humankind and has the powers to kill anything in its path. It lives wild, friends with the wolf pack and no human will go near it willingly. One day everything changes when a specific sacrifice offered to her doesn’t go to plan. She can’t kill him, she can’t eat his heart but she doesn’t know why. Neither does he. Enter Rorik - our leading MC for the book.
Spoiler bits over.
I loved both characters. When the “monster” meets the human and things start to shift is a well worn path of fiction but it’s not all done well. I thought this was pretty decent. Rorik begins to trigger more of the human part of the Skratti (Liv) to come forth. Much to her confusion. He sees beyond the dark violent monster. It all goes together with a distant past and the book leads eventually to the whys and when’s and how’s. The jigsaw pieces lock in. As the book takes us back at times to the past the reasons for why things are as they are gradually comes to light. The Author does a good job of spreading that over the course of the book amongst what’s happening in the present moment. Breadcrumbs to follow to the truth.
Her painful journey is powerfully written and whilst you want to hate the darkness that lives inside her you end up loving her character even in her darkest most violent moments. Yes there is romance in the book but it’s not eye-rolling slush, it’s there but for someone who is not much of a romance fan at all I thought it worked really well here. It’s not a smooth sail at all for the two of them. Including right up to the end.
When the island is invaded by Christians from over the sea the Skratti soon realises they’ve come for more than converting the pagan villagers to their Christian God. The battle line is drawn. Speaking of battles there is a really good battle scene in this novel that had me totally immersed. The Author is definitely gifted with imagination and expressive storytelling.
SO much more to this book. I found it held my attention. I was invested in the characters and their journey. I was eager to see choices made at critical times. I loved the descriptive elements of how the darkness of the Skratti lives in a human body. I was picturing this darkness as it manifested itself over and over. It’s not a new theme for a monster to have a human side and a battle within be going on but for me this was hugely entertaining and had some depth to it.
There is a scene near the end that was pretty intense and I knew then this standalone novel might leave an opening for a follow up. I was right as by the last few pages I recognised a follow up door was opened and left ajar. I admit I’m excited if there is a follow-up book. I’ll be reading it.
Whether you are into this genre of book or not it’s recommended by me. Sometimes as readers we get locked into a few favourite genres and I think it’s refreshing to explore outside that . This is the second book I requested from NetGalley recently of this ilk and I’ve just got another one so obviously it’s appealing to me.
A solid 4 stars from me. Something different for me and great escapist fiction. My review really only touches on tiny parts of what this book entails.
Many thanks to the publisher Penguin for my ARC via NetGalley.
Thanks so much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻 Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more book reviews.
July 14, 2026
I received an e-ARC (electronic advanced reader copy) of this book from NetGalley. I am leaving this review of my own free will.
This book is a good example of going from the child perspective of life being black and white, good and bad to the adult perspective of there being shades of grey. Realizing that life is complicated and people are capable of not doing only good or only bad, but also doing bad things for the right reasons or good things for the wrong reasons. I enjoyed the character development and that the characters were true to themselves even if their truth was painful or morally wrong. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming which is high praise coming from me, It is rare that I don’t see the twists coming. I REALLY liked the ending, the epilogue is well done and leaves you with satisfaction AND curiosity
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
🧸🧸🧸/5
😆/5
🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓/5
Overall rating
⭐️ [1/5] = Either there were several major issues with the building blocks of this books, I DNF (did not finish) it, or I hated it with a fiery passion
⭐️⭐️ [2/5] = There were some major issues with the building blocks of this book but I found something redeemable
⭐️⭐️⭐️ [3/5] = It was alright, there were several minor issues with the building blocks of this book, but I did find enjoyment in it OR I have intensely mixed feelings about the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [4/5] = It had a few minor issues but otherwise I truly enjoyed it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [5/5] = This book was incredible and it had me on the edge of my seat unable to put it down
Spice rating (Please always read Trigger Warnings before you read a book ❤️)
🌶️ [1/5] = 1 - 2 sex scenes, not explicit, or poorly written
🌶️🌶️ [2/5] = 1 - 2 sex scenes, explicit but may not use explicit words, not necessarily full sex scenes
🌶️🌶️🌶️ [3/5] = Several sex scenes, very explicit & descriptive, uses explicit language
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ [4/5] = Several sex scenes, kinky, could/should have a long TW list
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ [5/5] = The previous description + a lot more sex scenes, extremely explicit & descriptive, has an unusual/fantastical element to it
Emotional rating
🧸 [1/5] = Didn’t really make me feel anything
🧸🧸 [2/5] = I got angry for the characters
🧸🧸🧸 [3/5] = I teared up
🧸🧸🧸🧸 [4/5] = I got emotionally involved with the characters and connected
🧸🧸🧸🧸🧸 [5/5] = Full range of feelings, fully involved with the characters and fully invested
Humor rating
😆 [1/5] = Not funny
😆😆 [2/5] = Smiled at the attempt
😆😆😆 [3/5] = Laughed internally
😆😆😆😆 [4/5] = Snickered to myself
😆😆😆😆😆 [5/5] = So funny that not only did I actually laugh out loud, when I thought about the moment later I then laughed out loud again
Gore rating (Axe-ion packed. Get it?)
🪓 [1/5] = No blood or violence
🪓🪓 [2/5] = Minor injuries, no violence, blood mentioned
🪓🪓🪓 [3/5] = Minor injuries, violence, blood mentioned
🪓🪓🪓🪓 [4/5] = Major injuries, major violence, no death
🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓 [5/5] = Major injuries, major violence, death
This book is a good example of going from the child perspective of life being black and white, good and bad to the adult perspective of there being shades of grey. Realizing that life is complicated and people are capable of not doing only good or only bad, but also doing bad things for the right reasons or good things for the wrong reasons. I enjoyed the character development and that the characters were true to themselves even if their truth was painful or morally wrong. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming which is high praise coming from me, It is rare that I don’t see the twists coming. I REALLY liked the ending, the epilogue is well done and leaves you with satisfaction AND curiosity
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
🧸🧸🧸/5
😆/5
🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓/5
Overall rating
⭐️ [1/5] = Either there were several major issues with the building blocks of this books, I DNF (did not finish) it, or I hated it with a fiery passion
⭐️⭐️ [2/5] = There were some major issues with the building blocks of this book but I found something redeemable
⭐️⭐️⭐️ [3/5] = It was alright, there were several minor issues with the building blocks of this book, but I did find enjoyment in it OR I have intensely mixed feelings about the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [4/5] = It had a few minor issues but otherwise I truly enjoyed it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [5/5] = This book was incredible and it had me on the edge of my seat unable to put it down
Spice rating (Please always read Trigger Warnings before you read a book ❤️)
🌶️ [1/5] = 1 - 2 sex scenes, not explicit, or poorly written
🌶️🌶️ [2/5] = 1 - 2 sex scenes, explicit but may not use explicit words, not necessarily full sex scenes
🌶️🌶️🌶️ [3/5] = Several sex scenes, very explicit & descriptive, uses explicit language
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ [4/5] = Several sex scenes, kinky, could/should have a long TW list
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ [5/5] = The previous description + a lot more sex scenes, extremely explicit & descriptive, has an unusual/fantastical element to it
Emotional rating
🧸 [1/5] = Didn’t really make me feel anything
🧸🧸 [2/5] = I got angry for the characters
🧸🧸🧸 [3/5] = I teared up
🧸🧸🧸🧸 [4/5] = I got emotionally involved with the characters and connected
🧸🧸🧸🧸🧸 [5/5] = Full range of feelings, fully involved with the characters and fully invested
Humor rating
😆 [1/5] = Not funny
😆😆 [2/5] = Smiled at the attempt
😆😆😆 [3/5] = Laughed internally
😆😆😆😆 [4/5] = Snickered to myself
😆😆😆😆😆 [5/5] = So funny that not only did I actually laugh out loud, when I thought about the moment later I then laughed out loud again
Gore rating (Axe-ion packed. Get it?)
🪓 [1/5] = No blood or violence
🪓🪓 [2/5] = Minor injuries, no violence, blood mentioned
🪓🪓🪓 [3/5] = Minor injuries, violence, blood mentioned
🪓🪓🪓🪓 [4/5] = Major injuries, major violence, no death
🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓 [5/5] = Major injuries, major violence, death
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
DNF at 25%. If you enjoy having shadows rammed down your throat, this might be for you.
A quarter of the book and almost nothing has happened but shadows and a little bit of spying.
You have a shadowy shadow creature that claims to have no name and talks about her shadows constantly. “The shadows in my chest”, “Thick sentient shadows shouting my figure”
We are told NOTHING about what this shadowy shadow thing looks like except it has “shadowy hair” and a “shadowy figure” it actually took me a while to even realize this thing is or was at one point a female because everything about this character is so vague, except that it has shadows, that’s VERY clear, but she mentions sort of in passing about back when she was a girl.
Rorik who shadowy shadow knew as a boy but at the same time can’t remember. This dude has tried cracking jokes at the shadowy shadow and just in general seems entirely too chill considering he’s been taken prisoner with a threat of ripping his heart of out his chest. We also haven’t been told anything about what he looks like.
I absolutely HATE not having a visual of characters. It makes it incredibly hard to immerse myself in the story.
Then we meet Grimr who for whatever reason we do get told what he looks like which I don’t know why since we get nothing on the shadowy shadow or Rorik. And then we get a description that put the image of Kratos from God of War in my head. We’re also told her sister has red hair. So thanks?
The writing is trying to way to hard to be creepy but not quite getting there. Slurping blood off fingers, wind chimes made of bones, steaming chest cavity.
More talk of shadowy shadows. I checked out of our morbid curiosity and a variation of Shadow is used 313 times.
THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN TIMES!!!!
There is NOTHING in a 400 page book that should get talked about 313 times.
Ever read a word so much it doesn’t even feel like a real word anymore?
SHADOW
So yeah a quarter into the book and I don’t know what anyone looks like minus Kratos look alike and sister has red hair, Rorik has vomited twice due to motion sickness and likes to make ill timed jokey jokes and talking about shadows on nearly every single page.
I wish I was exaggerating…
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy. Opinions are my own
A quarter of the book and almost nothing has happened but shadows and a little bit of spying.
You have a shadowy shadow creature that claims to have no name and talks about her shadows constantly. “The shadows in my chest”, “Thick sentient shadows shouting my figure”
We are told NOTHING about what this shadowy shadow thing looks like except it has “shadowy hair” and a “shadowy figure” it actually took me a while to even realize this thing is or was at one point a female because everything about this character is so vague, except that it has shadows, that’s VERY clear, but she mentions sort of in passing about back when she was a girl.
Rorik who shadowy shadow knew as a boy but at the same time can’t remember. This dude has tried cracking jokes at the shadowy shadow and just in general seems entirely too chill considering he’s been taken prisoner with a threat of ripping his heart of out his chest. We also haven’t been told anything about what he looks like.
I absolutely HATE not having a visual of characters. It makes it incredibly hard to immerse myself in the story.
Then we meet Grimr who for whatever reason we do get told what he looks like which I don’t know why since we get nothing on the shadowy shadow or Rorik. And then we get a description that put the image of Kratos from God of War in my head. We’re also told her sister has red hair. So thanks?
The writing is trying to way to hard to be creepy but not quite getting there. Slurping blood off fingers, wind chimes made of bones, steaming chest cavity.
More talk of shadowy shadows. I checked out of our morbid curiosity and a variation of Shadow is used 313 times.
THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN TIMES!!!!
There is NOTHING in a 400 page book that should get talked about 313 times.
Ever read a word so much it doesn’t even feel like a real word anymore?
SHADOW
So yeah a quarter into the book and I don’t know what anyone looks like minus Kratos look alike and sister has red hair, Rorik has vomited twice due to motion sickness and likes to make ill timed jokey jokes and talking about shadows on nearly every single page.
I wish I was exaggerating…
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy. Opinions are my own
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I wasn't going to read this.
As much as I loved Sword & Stones, I was very hesitant to pick this one up because when I first heard about it, it sounded like horror with a touch of fantasy. Horror is definitely not my thing.
But because of how much I loved Sword & Stones, I decided to take a risk.
And I am so very glad I did.
I would classify this book as dark fantasy. Really dark fantasy. But it was so good.
The plot follows a Skratti who knows only her hunger. Human hearts, offered by villagers in exchange for protection from invaders, are her only source of food. Then Rorik enters her life and changes everything.
That is all you are getting from me.
Giving more away would spoil the story, and you all know how I feel about spoilers. No spoilers from me... EVER!
What follows is a journey of discovering who you are and examining the things that happen to us that shape who we become. It is gory. It is heartbreaking. It is a little spicy. And it kept me completely invested from beginning to end.
The setting will feel somewhat familiar because it draws heavily from Norse mythology. This is not a massive epic fantasy with pages and pages of world-building. The world is essentially our world, just set long ago, which allows the story and characters to take center stage.
Kimberly Lynn Hanson's writing style is incredibly easy to read. The story pulls you in and makes it difficult to put down. I kept telling myself I would read just one more chapter, and then somehow several chapters had passed.
The characters are what really make this story shine. Their interactions, their motivations, and the reasons behind the choices they make are all handled so well. Every action feels grounded in who they are.
This isn't a sprawling epic fantasy. It is a quieter story, but no less powerful because of it.
And that ending.
Or should I say that epilogue...
Seriously.
If dark fantasy is your thing, you need to read this book.
If dark fantasy is not your thing, I would probably recommend passing on it. While I absolutely loved it, I also recognize that this is not a book that will be for everyone.
For me, though, it was an easy five stars.
As much as I loved Sword & Stones, I was very hesitant to pick this one up because when I first heard about it, it sounded like horror with a touch of fantasy. Horror is definitely not my thing.
But because of how much I loved Sword & Stones, I decided to take a risk.
And I am so very glad I did.
I would classify this book as dark fantasy. Really dark fantasy. But it was so good.
The plot follows a Skratti who knows only her hunger. Human hearts, offered by villagers in exchange for protection from invaders, are her only source of food. Then Rorik enters her life and changes everything.
That is all you are getting from me.
Giving more away would spoil the story, and you all know how I feel about spoilers. No spoilers from me... EVER!
What follows is a journey of discovering who you are and examining the things that happen to us that shape who we become. It is gory. It is heartbreaking. It is a little spicy. And it kept me completely invested from beginning to end.
The setting will feel somewhat familiar because it draws heavily from Norse mythology. This is not a massive epic fantasy with pages and pages of world-building. The world is essentially our world, just set long ago, which allows the story and characters to take center stage.
Kimberly Lynn Hanson's writing style is incredibly easy to read. The story pulls you in and makes it difficult to put down. I kept telling myself I would read just one more chapter, and then somehow several chapters had passed.
The characters are what really make this story shine. Their interactions, their motivations, and the reasons behind the choices they make are all handled so well. Every action feels grounded in who they are.
This isn't a sprawling epic fantasy. It is a quieter story, but no less powerful because of it.
And that ending.
Or should I say that epilogue...
Seriously.
If dark fantasy is your thing, you need to read this book.
If dark fantasy is not your thing, I would probably recommend passing on it. While I absolutely loved it, I also recognize that this is not a book that will be for everyone.
For me, though, it was an easy five stars.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It’s spooky season on Kindig Blog and I love books written from the perspective of villains. I Am the Devouring Dark - whose main character is a monstrous woman, enshrouded in shadow who eats human hearts sounded ideal.
The Skratti offers protection for her village, they offer a sacrifice to her and she eats their hearts. However, when the latest sacrifice looks familiar, the Skratti is forced to come to terms with who she is and how she became a monster…
The first chapter of this book really drew me in – a village making a sacrifice as part of a ritual, but the narrative is from the monster’s point of view. However, as the story continued, I realised that this was a romance story and became less invested. The romantic element seemed to arrive from nowhere and I also didn’t understand why Rorik would have reciprocated it, apart from a willingness not to get eaten. There was a point midway in the story where I thought the romance had all been a temporary technique for character building and plot-arc, but this is quickly taken aside, and the romance elements begin again. The romance angle of this plotline really ruins the premise of the story – it becomes that a wicked woman is saved by a man who sees her humanity, rather than having a dark and villainous female main character. This is less about female empowerment and more about how the Skratti’s problems were solved by a man, which I don’t think is what the blurb promises.
I found the plot to be rather loose – there’s a lot to it that doesn’t make much sense in terms of other characters’ motivations. I also found it quite repetitive in places, with a lot of the same wording used which made it quite difficult to get through. I would have liked more description of the Skratti and perhaps a bit more backstory around her previous deeds which would have expanded on the horror elements of the story.
Overall, I Am the Devouring Dark promises romance and horror, but I think will ultimately fail to please fans of either. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House – Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews check out Kindig Blog
The Skratti offers protection for her village, they offer a sacrifice to her and she eats their hearts. However, when the latest sacrifice looks familiar, the Skratti is forced to come to terms with who she is and how she became a monster…
The first chapter of this book really drew me in – a village making a sacrifice as part of a ritual, but the narrative is from the monster’s point of view. However, as the story continued, I realised that this was a romance story and became less invested. The romantic element seemed to arrive from nowhere and I also didn’t understand why Rorik would have reciprocated it, apart from a willingness not to get eaten. There was a point midway in the story where I thought the romance had all been a temporary technique for character building and plot-arc, but this is quickly taken aside, and the romance elements begin again. The romance angle of this plotline really ruins the premise of the story – it becomes that a wicked woman is saved by a man who sees her humanity, rather than having a dark and villainous female main character. This is less about female empowerment and more about how the Skratti’s problems were solved by a man, which I don’t think is what the blurb promises.
I found the plot to be rather loose – there’s a lot to it that doesn’t make much sense in terms of other characters’ motivations. I also found it quite repetitive in places, with a lot of the same wording used which made it quite difficult to get through. I would have liked more description of the Skratti and perhaps a bit more backstory around her previous deeds which would have expanded on the horror elements of the story.
Overall, I Am the Devouring Dark promises romance and horror, but I think will ultimately fail to please fans of either. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House – Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews check out Kindig Blog
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
I had a really fun time reading this one!
I was hooked straight away and had a few sessions with it where I struggled to put it down!
I absolutely loved that our FMC was the dark, eerie shadow babe. The way her search for her own humanity developed over the course of the book really helped me to connect with her. I loved her story!
If I'm being honest, I didn't find it spooky/scary. It has eerie vibes and some kinda gruesome pockets but not enough for me to consider this a horror-romantasy.... horromantasy? But I did really enjoy the gothic setting and atmosphere that is developed. The FMC never felt truly mean. If anything she was just going about her skratti business and I never felt like she was actually scary. 😅 Perhaps a prologue where she's pure evil before she tried to discover more about herself would have helped me to understand the depths of her 'darkness'.
The romantic interest in it I did like ... the MMC is sweet but brave and I loved his sense of humour. The dynamics between the pair worked really well. I also liked how despite the romantic interest being important to the story, the book stayed with the FMC and it focused on how she felt and what she wanted.
However someone needs to explain to our MMC the importance of foreplay 🫣 ...for an open door scene in a romantasy book I do think a little bit more of a build up would have made it feel a bit more 'real'. A few kisses then bang bang done made me feel a little bit short changed (I'm surprised she didn't whip her shadows out to finish the job😅😅😅)
The ending was a bit of a slap in the face 😅 As I had already googled to see if this was a standalone and I got told yes, the ending made me a little angry. In a good way though.... WHAT HAPPENS 😳
I think a cheeky MMC POV wouldn't have hurt at the end, just to clarify what actually went down in that last stabby scene. I felt a little confused if I'm honest. And... what the flook happened to Ingrid after everything? I ended up leaving this book with unanswered questions, but I guess it's for the reader to decide.
I'd deffo recommend this as a fun dark read if you're in the mood, because I sailed through it and had fun reading it!
I was hooked straight away and had a few sessions with it where I struggled to put it down!
I absolutely loved that our FMC was the dark, eerie shadow babe. The way her search for her own humanity developed over the course of the book really helped me to connect with her. I loved her story!
If I'm being honest, I didn't find it spooky/scary. It has eerie vibes and some kinda gruesome pockets but not enough for me to consider this a horror-romantasy.... horromantasy? But I did really enjoy the gothic setting and atmosphere that is developed. The FMC never felt truly mean. If anything she was just going about her skratti business and I never felt like she was actually scary. 😅 Perhaps a prologue where she's pure evil before she tried to discover more about herself would have helped me to understand the depths of her 'darkness'.
The romantic interest in it I did like ... the MMC is sweet but brave and I loved his sense of humour. The dynamics between the pair worked really well. I also liked how despite the romantic interest being important to the story, the book stayed with the FMC and it focused on how she felt and what she wanted.
However someone needs to explain to our MMC the importance of foreplay 🫣 ...for an open door scene in a romantasy book I do think a little bit more of a build up would have made it feel a bit more 'real'. A few kisses then bang bang done made me feel a little bit short changed (I'm surprised she didn't whip her shadows out to finish the job😅😅😅)
The ending was a bit of a slap in the face 😅 As I had already googled to see if this was a standalone and I got told yes, the ending made me a little angry. In a good way though.... WHAT HAPPENS 😳
I think a cheeky MMC POV wouldn't have hurt at the end, just to clarify what actually went down in that last stabby scene. I felt a little confused if I'm honest. And... what the flook happened to Ingrid after everything? I ended up leaving this book with unanswered questions, but I guess it's for the reader to decide.
I'd deffo recommend this as a fun dark read if you're in the mood, because I sailed through it and had fun reading it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A book that swept me away on the shadows and refused to let me go.
This book follows the Skratti, an old 'demon' type entity that is the recipient of the villages sacrifices. Given for her protection over them. When outside forces threaten that balance, something has to give.
The atmosphere was well rounded—forestry, oceans and communal living situations are all thought out well. Natural elements are seeded nicely within the book.
The lore of the story was also good. It drew on Norse mythologies and it did pay homage to those, though they were more of the well-known mythologies/ideals.
I would have loved some more development on Fenrir and the pack as a whole unit, since they do show up more than once in the story.
I also thought the book didn't need to be as big as it was. There were definitely some places that lagged (mostly around the middle) that could have been cut.
The characters. Their intentions were clear enough, but there was a lot of swapping/changing of minds with rapid succession and total character changes that I wasn't prepared for. I was really hoping that the FMC would be this villainous creature, but she left me wanting, honestly. There was a quick progression between the MCs, but overall they were well written together, and it wasn't enough to detract me from continuing.
The pacing was strong in the beginning and the end, but the middle did drag a little and I am not fully convinced that it needed everything it gave. Some of the elements were slightly predictable and when they occured they really lacked the shock value because they're following very similar patterns that are currently being published.
The descriptions were good and it was a great perspective on ancient histories.
In all, it captured my attention and I definitely finished it, but I can really only give it 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 because of the pacing issues, lack of real originality in the structure. However, the lore behind it made it worthwhile.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the e-ARC.
This book follows the Skratti, an old 'demon' type entity that is the recipient of the villages sacrifices. Given for her protection over them. When outside forces threaten that balance, something has to give.
The atmosphere was well rounded—forestry, oceans and communal living situations are all thought out well. Natural elements are seeded nicely within the book.
The lore of the story was also good. It drew on Norse mythologies and it did pay homage to those, though they were more of the well-known mythologies/ideals.
I would have loved some more development on Fenrir and the pack as a whole unit, since they do show up more than once in the story.
I also thought the book didn't need to be as big as it was. There were definitely some places that lagged (mostly around the middle) that could have been cut.
The characters. Their intentions were clear enough, but there was a lot of swapping/changing of minds with rapid succession and total character changes that I wasn't prepared for. I was really hoping that the FMC would be this villainous creature, but she left me wanting, honestly. There was a quick progression between the MCs, but overall they were well written together, and it wasn't enough to detract me from continuing.
The pacing was strong in the beginning and the end, but the middle did drag a little and I am not fully convinced that it needed everything it gave. Some of the elements were slightly predictable and when they occured they really lacked the shock value because they're following very similar patterns that are currently being published.
The descriptions were good and it was a great perspective on ancient histories.
In all, it captured my attention and I definitely finished it, but I can really only give it 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 because of the pacing issues, lack of real originality in the structure. However, the lore behind it made it worthwhile.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the e-ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Okay, I REALLY thought I was going to devour this one. Pun absolutely intended. Unfortunately, it ended up falling a little flat for me.
The beginning was super promising, and I actually really liked the writing style. The dark Norse setting, monster FMC, forgotten past, hunger, mystery, and creepy forest vibes had me thinking, Oh yeah, this is going to be GOOD.
But I kept waiting for the FMC to become the terrifying, powerful character I thought she was going to be. Instead, she felt lost, confused, and unsure of herself for so much of the story that I struggled to connect with her. I wanted more confidence, more darkness, more rage, and honestly just more MONSTER.
I also struggled with the romance. The connection between the FMC and MMC never felt developed enough for me to really believe in it. I understood what the story was trying to establish between them, but I wanted more buildup, more chemistry, and more moments that actually showed me why these two were becoming emotionally connected.
The writing also became repetitive at times. If I had a dollar for every variation of shadow, shadows, shadowed, or darkness in this book, I could probably buy another Kindle. After a while, it started pulling me out of the atmosphere instead of making the story feel darker.
I wanted the flashbacks and worldbuilding to give me more context too. There were so many interesting ideas here, but I kept feeling like I was missing the pieces that would make everything click and give the story the emotional weight I was looking for.
Overall, the premise was SO up my alley and there were definitely things I enjoyed, especially the writing style and darker concept. I just wanted the FMC to feel more powerful, the romance to have more depth, and the world to feel more developed and creepy.
I went into this expecting the dark to absolutely devour me…
Instead, it kind of left the light on.
The beginning was super promising, and I actually really liked the writing style. The dark Norse setting, monster FMC, forgotten past, hunger, mystery, and creepy forest vibes had me thinking, Oh yeah, this is going to be GOOD.
But I kept waiting for the FMC to become the terrifying, powerful character I thought she was going to be. Instead, she felt lost, confused, and unsure of herself for so much of the story that I struggled to connect with her. I wanted more confidence, more darkness, more rage, and honestly just more MONSTER.
I also struggled with the romance. The connection between the FMC and MMC never felt developed enough for me to really believe in it. I understood what the story was trying to establish between them, but I wanted more buildup, more chemistry, and more moments that actually showed me why these two were becoming emotionally connected.
The writing also became repetitive at times. If I had a dollar for every variation of shadow, shadows, shadowed, or darkness in this book, I could probably buy another Kindle. After a while, it started pulling me out of the atmosphere instead of making the story feel darker.
I wanted the flashbacks and worldbuilding to give me more context too. There were so many interesting ideas here, but I kept feeling like I was missing the pieces that would make everything click and give the story the emotional weight I was looking for.
Overall, the premise was SO up my alley and there were definitely things I enjoyed, especially the writing style and darker concept. I just wanted the FMC to feel more powerful, the romance to have more depth, and the world to feel more developed and creepy.
I went into this expecting the dark to absolutely devour me…
Instead, it kind of left the light on.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Listen! 👏🏽 Where do I send my therapy bill for this one. This book definitely had me go through all the emotions and the gasps and screams I let out as it was closing. I can't even form words to write this review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the chance to arc. My reviews are my own and honest thoughts.
Female rage, vikings lore, skartti, human sacrifice, gore, a wolf pack, a thief, lost memories, a familiar village, a darkness that consumes every part of you, and the emotional rollercoaster you go through as you get attached to the characters. At least I did cause I was cheering our FMC Skartti.
If you are to get your hands on this give it a go cause it truly is good. Just know there is gore and themes that may not be for everyone. Check you triggers.
Our Skartti is a protector of the village of Eskithorpe where they make human sacrifices in a ceremony called Blót. It replenishes her power and feeds the darkness and rage within her. Yet, it changes when the Seeress mentions a human being the key to her memory loss, her past, and who she is as a Skartti. She takes Rorik the human sacrifice and spares him and it is only the beginning of what is to come. Because everything that follows is interconnected.
Rorik I was rooting for you, then I was screaming for you, and finally crying for you. Cause man he truly goes through it. Grimr... I have no words other than hope you had fun at the end. 😂 I cannot say much and risk spoiling, but give this a go if you love viking lore, strong female, a plot heavy book, twists and turns, old gods, epic battles, a romance sub plot and emotional rollercoasters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the chance to arc. My reviews are my own and honest thoughts.
Female rage, vikings lore, skartti, human sacrifice, gore, a wolf pack, a thief, lost memories, a familiar village, a darkness that consumes every part of you, and the emotional rollercoaster you go through as you get attached to the characters. At least I did cause I was cheering our FMC Skartti.
If you are to get your hands on this give it a go cause it truly is good. Just know there is gore and themes that may not be for everyone. Check you triggers.
Our Skartti is a protector of the village of Eskithorpe where they make human sacrifices in a ceremony called Blót. It replenishes her power and feeds the darkness and rage within her. Yet, it changes when the Seeress mentions a human being the key to her memory loss, her past, and who she is as a Skartti. She takes Rorik the human sacrifice and spares him and it is only the beginning of what is to come. Because everything that follows is interconnected.
Rorik I was rooting for you, then I was screaming for you, and finally crying for you. Cause man he truly goes through it. Grimr... I have no words other than hope you had fun at the end. 😂 I cannot say much and risk spoiling, but give this a go if you love viking lore, strong female, a plot heavy book, twists and turns, old gods, epic battles, a romance sub plot and emotional rollercoasters.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of Advanced Reader Copy received from NetGalley
I enjoyed I Am the Devouring Dark, especially the FMC and her relationship with the darkness. Her pain, then fear of what she'd become drove her deeper into that darkness, and I really liked the idea that isolation feeds the monster further. The story felt at its strongest when it explored how healing only really begins once you allow other people back into your life — and for me, the MMC became that light for her. The lost memories storyline also helped make their connection feel more meaningful as pieces of the past were uncovered, but the relationship perhaps needed some more on page development
I did occasionally want a little more descriptive detail though in terms of some of the characters themselves and more general world building such as the Norse-inspired mythology because the setting had so much potential. I was also hoping for a more gothic atmosphere overall.
Some of the later plot developments did feel a little abrupt to me, particularly the final battle where character groups seemed to arrive quite suddenly without much setup beforehand. I also would have loved more background to the darkness but that's because I really loved the Shepherd King duology.
Still, the emotional core of the story and the FMC’s battle between darkness and connection kept me invested throughout, and the epilogue set up for a sequel does have me invested to see what happens next!
I enjoyed I Am the Devouring Dark, especially the FMC and her relationship with the darkness. Her pain, then fear of what she'd become drove her deeper into that darkness, and I really liked the idea that isolation feeds the monster further. The story felt at its strongest when it explored how healing only really begins once you allow other people back into your life — and for me, the MMC became that light for her. The lost memories storyline also helped make their connection feel more meaningful as pieces of the past were uncovered, but the relationship perhaps needed some more on page development
I did occasionally want a little more descriptive detail though in terms of some of the characters themselves and more general world building such as the Norse-inspired mythology because the setting had so much potential. I was also hoping for a more gothic atmosphere overall.
Some of the later plot developments did feel a little abrupt to me, particularly the final battle where character groups seemed to arrive quite suddenly without much setup beforehand. I also would have loved more background to the darkness but that's because I really loved the Shepherd King duology.
Still, the emotional core of the story and the FMC’s battle between darkness and connection kept me invested throughout, and the epilogue set up for a sequel does have me invested to see what happens next!
May 28, 2026
3.75⭐️
Very interesting premise
Some of the descriptions were abit long winded
The mc was very interesting and I liked that we where learning her history alongside her it added an extra interesting element to the book, however I feel like the mmc didn’t really have much of a personality he felt very bland
The interactions between the characters weren’t written very well they didn’t feel realistic to how people talk to each other
I liked the change of roles from what books usually do with the women being the ‘monster’ and the man being the powerless one it was nice to see for once the women not being the powerless one and being the one with the power in this scenario
The start of the characters relationship just didn’t make sense to me he had only really seen her do monstrous things so I don’t understand why he somehow wanted to sleep with her, even if they knew each other before it just doesn’t make a lot of sense we needed to see more of her ‘human’ side for it to make more sense
The first half of this book was really good but the latter half fell off a lot it became more about making the character human than anything else which left if feeling like every other book
Thank you Netgalley, Michael Joseph and penguin random house for the digital arc
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I Am the Devouring Dark by Kimberly Lynn Hanson is a gripping fantasy that blends dark magic, emotional complexity, and high-stakes storytelling into a compelling and immersive read. From the very beginning, the novel creates an atmosphere of mystery and danger that makes it difficult to put down.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its characters. They are flawed, layered, and believable, with motivations that feel genuine even when their choices are difficult or morally complicated. The emotional depth of the story adds weight to the action and keeps the reader invested in the outcome.
The world-building is rich and imaginative, gradually revealing a fascinating system of magic and lore without overwhelming the narrative. Hanson does an excellent job creating a setting that feels both beautiful and unsettling, perfectly complementing the darker themes explored throughout the book.
The plot moves at a steady pace, balancing character development with intrigue, conflict, and surprising twists. Several revelations caught me off guard, and the growing tension kept me eager to see how the story would unfold. The darker elements add intensity while still allowing room for meaningful emotional moments.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its characters. They are flawed, layered, and believable, with motivations that feel genuine even when their choices are difficult or morally complicated. The emotional depth of the story adds weight to the action and keeps the reader invested in the outcome.
The world-building is rich and imaginative, gradually revealing a fascinating system of magic and lore without overwhelming the narrative. Hanson does an excellent job creating a setting that feels both beautiful and unsettling, perfectly complementing the darker themes explored throughout the book.
The plot moves at a steady pace, balancing character development with intrigue, conflict, and surprising twists. Several revelations caught me off guard, and the growing tension kept me eager to see how the story would unfold. The darker elements add intensity while still allowing room for meaningful emotional moments.
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 NetGalley
I was over the moon happy when I got approved for this ARC. The moment I saw the book, it drew me in. And the same happened when I started reading.
The book is written from the Skratti point of view, taking you completely with her in her internal battles and thoughts.
I also loved the beautiful message of the book! How we never ask for darkness in our life, but when we do find ourselves in it, that it's best not to fight but to surrender. I know from experience that this is true!
The book is medium to fast paced, which kept me hooked to the story the whole time. And in my opinion it's very original. I've not read anything like it. It's currently classified as horror, fantasy and romance but I wouldn't say it's horror and it's not as dark as I expected. Just dark fantasy/romantasy would apply.
I loved reading the book and finished it in two days. Especially in the end I just couldn't put it down anymore. Therefore 4,5⭐️
A big thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author Kimberly Lynn Hanson for giving me an opportunity to read and review this ARC!
The book is written from the Skratti point of view, taking you completely with her in her internal battles and thoughts.
I also loved the beautiful message of the book! How we never ask for darkness in our life, but when we do find ourselves in it, that it's best not to fight but to surrender. I know from experience that this is true!
The book is medium to fast paced, which kept me hooked to the story the whole time. And in my opinion it's very original. I've not read anything like it. It's currently classified as horror, fantasy and romance but I wouldn't say it's horror and it's not as dark as I expected. Just dark fantasy/romantasy would apply.
I loved reading the book and finished it in two days. Especially in the end I just couldn't put it down anymore. Therefore 4,5⭐️
A big thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author Kimberly Lynn Hanson for giving me an opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really loved the idea of this book, especially having a monster FMC. I thought the concept had a lot of potential and there were definitely parts of the story that I really enjoyed.
I liked the descriptions, especially those of the forest and nature, and I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the plot.
However, there didn't seem to be much of an emotional connection between Liv and Rorik shown to the reader, I couldn't feel the pull or slow burn.
I also felt that the relationship between Liv and her sister changed very quickly, and I was disappointed that this storyline didn't really get an ending and seemed to just be dropped.
Although there were darker elements, I didn't really get the feelings of horror or fear that I was hoping for. I wanted this to be more, and ultimately felt that the story didn't quite reach its full potential.
I did really like the epilogue, though, and I appreciated the unconventional take on a HEA.
Thank you Netgalley and Kimberly Lynn Hanson for the ARC.
I liked the descriptions, especially those of the forest and nature, and I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the plot.
However, there didn't seem to be much of an emotional connection between Liv and Rorik shown to the reader, I couldn't feel the pull or slow burn.
I also felt that the relationship between Liv and her sister changed very quickly, and I was disappointed that this storyline didn't really get an ending and seemed to just be dropped.
Although there were darker elements, I didn't really get the feelings of horror or fear that I was hoping for. I wanted this to be more, and ultimately felt that the story didn't quite reach its full potential.
I did really like the epilogue, though, and I appreciated the unconventional take on a HEA.
Thank you Netgalley and Kimberly Lynn Hanson for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5⭐️ rounded up
I absolutely adore the Skratti. The way she grows as a person and how she finds strength in what she is, as well as in love for other people, is absolutely beautiful.
I wish we would've gotten more "evil" Skratti, like how she lived before the events of this book.
For me, books that challenge our concepts of good and evil are so important. Just because you made bad mistakes doesn't mean you're a bad person or you can't redeem yourself. However, doing bad things for a good purpose doesn't always make it right either.
The morality of the characters felt very real and very interesting. I wonder if this book will have a sequel, I would love to read it!
I wouldn't necessarily call this a horror book, even though there is tension. More dark fantasy I guess? I loved seeing different cultures and folklore covered as well. Overall, a read I totally recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely adore the Skratti. The way she grows as a person and how she finds strength in what she is, as well as in love for other people, is absolutely beautiful.
I wish we would've gotten more "evil" Skratti, like how she lived before the events of this book.
For me, books that challenge our concepts of good and evil are so important. Just because you made bad mistakes doesn't mean you're a bad person or you can't redeem yourself. However, doing bad things for a good purpose doesn't always make it right either.
The morality of the characters felt very real and very interesting. I wonder if this book will have a sequel, I would love to read it!
I wouldn't necessarily call this a horror book, even though there is tension. More dark fantasy I guess? I loved seeing different cultures and folklore covered as well. Overall, a read I totally recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I Am the Devouring Dark had such an intriguing premise that immediately called to me. A monster lurking in the woods, the story told from her perspective, and a romance between the creature and the sacrifice she’s meant to claim. It’s a fresh concept that I was excited to dive into.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and I thought the idea behind it was incredibly compelling. My biggest struggle, however, was with the execution. The writing style didn’t completely click with me, and I found the pacing of both the plot and the romance felt rushed. I wanted more time to settle into the world, build an emotional connection with the characters, and watch the relationship develop naturally.
For me, the story lacked some of the depth and gradual buildup that would have made the romance and emotional moments really impactful. Despite that, I still found the premise unique and enjoyable. I think readers who love monster romance and unconventional love stories may have a great time with this one.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and I thought the idea behind it was incredibly compelling. My biggest struggle, however, was with the execution. The writing style didn’t completely click with me, and I found the pacing of both the plot and the romance felt rushed. I wanted more time to settle into the world, build an emotional connection with the characters, and watch the relationship develop naturally.
For me, the story lacked some of the depth and gradual buildup that would have made the romance and emotional moments really impactful. Despite that, I still found the premise unique and enjoyable. I think readers who love monster romance and unconventional love stories may have a great time with this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a review of an advanced reader copy. Thank you penguin and NetGalley for this arc!
When I first came across this book I was intrigued. I normally read dark romance about mafia’s or killers or soemthing along those lines. This intrigued me because while it’s dark it had a horror fantasy element added to it.
I was not disappointed as the more horror aspect of the story bled in, there’s a quote about the Skratti that rattled me as I read. The idea of this darkness taking over and the fight against it and the humanity within her. I enjoyed reading this book from her perspective and even more so the idea of the girl being the “darkness”.
The incorporation of the Norse mythology was also a new topic of reading material for me and I wasn’t disappointed. The authors writing style flowed well enough to keep you in the atmosphere and let you flow through the story. I think I’ll have to try more from this genre or type of book from now on.
When I first came across this book I was intrigued. I normally read dark romance about mafia’s or killers or soemthing along those lines. This intrigued me because while it’s dark it had a horror fantasy element added to it.
I was not disappointed as the more horror aspect of the story bled in, there’s a quote about the Skratti that rattled me as I read. The idea of this darkness taking over and the fight against it and the humanity within her. I enjoyed reading this book from her perspective and even more so the idea of the girl being the “darkness”.
The incorporation of the Norse mythology was also a new topic of reading material for me and I wasn’t disappointed. The authors writing style flowed well enough to keep you in the atmosphere and let you flow through the story. I think I’ll have to try more from this genre or type of book from now on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
To be totally honest I struggled to describe this book and settled on a dark Norse mythological romance with horror themes. It follows the story of the Skratti, a shadow filled Monster who offers protection to a village in exchange for the hearts of humans. A story that peels back the layers of the monster, revealing a tragic tale of a scared girl that loses her humanity to darkness until she comes across a sacrifice that she inexplicably cannot kill.
I really liked the way the Skratti evolved through the book, desperately trying to fight the monster within her. I couldn’t help but root for her and Rorick, who triggers the human side of her. All in all this was an addictive read from a new to me author, whose writing style I liked very much.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC of this book, due for release in October.
I really liked the way the Skratti evolved through the book, desperately trying to fight the monster within her. I couldn’t help but root for her and Rorick, who triggers the human side of her. All in all this was an addictive read from a new to me author, whose writing style I liked very much.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC of this book, due for release in October.
July 8, 2026
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ✨
The title of this book was intriguing and the beginning - literally the first page - pulled me in. I also thought that the FMC being the darkness/villain in the story was refreshing and exciting.
I really enjoyed watching the FMC slowly regain her humanity and then learn to not just coexist with but also harness “the darkness”. Overcoming her own internal struggles as well as the power struggle in general. I also had fun with the internal commentary from the darkness, which reminded me of a certain other book that I loved (if you know you know).
The ending was pleasant and satisfying, the very last line of the epilogue was pretty open and gave me a shiver - and I LOVED it. Overall I had a great time reading this and would definitely read any kind of continuation of this story!
The title of this book was intriguing and the beginning - literally the first page - pulled me in. I also thought that the FMC being the darkness/villain in the story was refreshing and exciting.
I really enjoyed watching the FMC slowly regain her humanity and then learn to not just coexist with but also harness “the darkness”. Overcoming her own internal struggles as well as the power struggle in general. I also had fun with the internal commentary from the darkness, which reminded me of a certain other book that I loved (if you know you know).
The ending was pleasant and satisfying, the very last line of the epilogue was pretty open and gave me a shiver - and I LOVED it. Overall I had a great time reading this and would definitely read any kind of continuation of this story!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Dark dark dark but creepy good!!! A intriguing gothic story with our FMC as a monster. This book is suspenseful right from the first page with a whimpering man and a terrifying woman ready to eat his heart.
"Everything comes alive in the moments before I consume a human heart".
With that statement...I was hooked.
The FMC is trying to find her humanity and this book has such good themes of understanding one's true darkness. There is love and an MMC trying to see what's underneath this darkness as well. I love a shadowy morally grey FMC.
This book has Norse mythology and romance and a touch of horror and gore. I really loved discovering this story!!! Not sure it is a standalone based on the ending?
"Everything comes alive in the moments before I consume a human heart".
With that statement...I was hooked.
The FMC is trying to find her humanity and this book has such good themes of understanding one's true darkness. There is love and an MMC trying to see what's underneath this darkness as well. I love a shadowy morally grey FMC.
This book has Norse mythology and romance and a touch of horror and gore. I really loved discovering this story!!! Not sure it is a standalone based on the ending?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is my first ARC Review!
I am the Devouring Dark by @kimberly_lynn_books
This book sucked me in, dragged me through all the trauma and emotional damage and threw me out in the other side obsessed!!
And I am desperately hoping that there is a second book in the future, because that ending left me reeling!!
For me a five star read is one that makes you forget you’re reading! You don’t look at page numbers, you get so absorbed in the story that the characters pain, happiness and trauma becomes your own, and this book 100% delivered!!
Also I’m a Norse pagan, so the Norse mythology/viking themes of the story were amazing to read!
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC I’m thrilled to be able to do this!
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!
May 31, 2026
Really enjoyed I Am the Devouring Dark, this horror fantasy romance hit all my favorite genres and did it well. Stronger on the fantasy and romance sides, the extreme slow burn romance was satisfying, and experiencing the Skratti recover her memories added additional depth. The writing style is unique, but a good fit for the Skratti and added to the horror like setting.
Overall this was a great read, 4.5 stars, and recommend picking this up if you are looking for something a little darker. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Overall this was a great read, 4.5 stars, and recommend picking this up if you are looking for something a little darker. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2026
I Am the Devouring Dark is haunting, darkly romantic, and impossible to put down.
Plus, there are hot Vikings. Need I say more?
In all seriousness, I had the privilege of reading an early version of this debut, and I count myself incredibly lucky. The Skratti is a complex, compelling character, both monstrous and aching. And author Kimberly Lynn Hanson cleverly keeps us guessing the entire time on whether she's headed for a redemption arc or a tragic end.
If you want a story that delivers rich Norse mythology, delicious tension, wonderfully morally grey leads, and a dark romance with bite, add this to your TBR stat!
Plus, there are hot Vikings. Need I say more?
In all seriousness, I had the privilege of reading an early version of this debut, and I count myself incredibly lucky. The Skratti is a complex, compelling character, both monstrous and aching. And author Kimberly Lynn Hanson cleverly keeps us guessing the entire time on whether she's headed for a redemption arc or a tragic end.
If you want a story that delivers rich Norse mythology, delicious tension, wonderfully morally grey leads, and a dark romance with bite, add this to your TBR stat!
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