We Become Darkness

by Grace Morrow

A human and a vampyr forge an unsteady alliance in this marriage-of-convenience romantic fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and One Dark Window.

Thalia, Princess of Agripa, has spent the last four years hunting her ex-lover, Cassius—the man who shattered her heart and betrayed her kingdom by becoming a Vampyr. Vampyrs and humans have had a tenuous past since Thalia’s father and sister were murdered thirteen years ago. But with Agripa’s ore supply—the lifeblood of human cities—running out, Thalia’s mother strikes a desperate and dangerous deal: Thalia will marry a Vampyr prince in exchange for their ore.

Thalia is blindsided by the arrangement—and horrified to find Cassius, now serving as the prince’s Hand, is the man tasked with bringing her to the Vampyr kingdom safely. To save her people, she agrees to the marriage: but plans to dismantle the Vampyr kingdom from within
by killing the prince.

The Vampyr court is rife with danger and secrets, and Cassius is always watching. When a monstrous new threat emerges, Thalia realizes the safety and security of their world is far more fragile than she ever believed.

Caught between duty and desire, Thalia must grapple with her feelings for Cassius and decide if she will fulfill her duty to the human crown or embrace the darkness within herself to protect both realms.

We Become Darkness is an atmospheric romantasy perfect for fans of Nosferatu to sink their teeth into.

Genres: Romantasy, Fantasy, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy Romance, Adult

344 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2026

About the author

Grace is an author of magic, mayhem and mischief. A true Californian, she lives with her husband and two unruly cats. When she isn't writing you can find her binge watching the latest trash reality tv show, working with an academic support program, or trying to keep alive her many, many, succulents. Grace's debut adult gothic romantasy WE BECOME DARKNESS comes out April 7th, 2026 with Alcove Press.

Reviews

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Maybe 3.75? The length someone will go for love!

Received a stunning hardcover copy from Allurial. This is a paranormal romantasy between a human and her ex-lover, a human turned vampire, set in a Vampyr Kingdom. A lifeblood of human cities is running out, so the human forges an alliance in this marriage-of-convenience fantasy. Will she fullfill her duty or embrace the darkness?

FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW!
I am a little behind on my reviews, but I will have all of them up by the end of the month! :)


Many thanks to the publisher, Alcove Press for an early copy.

Publication date: April 7, 2026

[Rmplift, Rachel Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

The FMC in this book is absolutely awful. I get that authors do this to let the character evolve but the FMC in this book does nothing but get into preventable and repetitive situations due to her own BS actions. It's to the point where it completely takes away from the story. The FMC can't even grow up a little bit to have an adult conversation with the MMC. GET OVER IT or at least let him speak!

Also, what really annoyed me as a reader is that the author was so insistent on having the FMC be "rebellious" that the story completely stalled. Another writing where "slow burn" is mistaken for babbling. If something could happen besides her finding infected people and monsters that'd be great.

[Ceacea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Alcove Press, and Grace Morrow for this gifted eARC.
Genre: Gothic Romance
⭐️ 4.5/5
🌶 2/5
🧠 4/10
Cliffhanger: N/A
Noteworthy: This book is a standalone written in 3rd person limited. The expected publication date is 4/7/2026.

All my gothic paranormal peeps stand up! You are gonna love this one. This book is the rare treat of a standalone under 300 pages. It's about loss, betrayal, revenge and ultimately trusting yourself even when it's hard.

I had an incredible time reading this mostly due to the character interactions. Our main character Thalia is not one to back down from her convictions. I loved how she stood her ground and didn't let anyone walk over her but was still reasonable. I was giggling as she was snapping back at anyone her tried to come for her but the tea was piping hot from everyone honestly. It was delicious! The vibes are dark but the content is really not dark. A wrathful princess betrothed to an enemy prince for the good of both kingdoms. Let the espionage ensue! 😂

[Maddison Leach · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a really hard time deciding how to review this because the concept was actually really cool and the plot was pretty original, which can be hard to find in romantasy right now - especially in a book about vampires! Unfortunately weak writing and a lack of attention to detail really let this book down.

Thalia is the princess of a human kingdom that has been at war with the neighbouring vampire territories for years. She’s determined to eradicate vampires after they betrayed her family 13 years ago, and then her best friend and lover Cassius turned about four years ago. So when her mother, the queen, promises her in marriage to the vampire prince she’s furious. Even more so when it turns out the prince has sent Cassius to collect her and bring her to the vampire world, where something even deadlier than vampires is lurking.

You can tell that Morrow really cares about her characters and their story and it’s obvious that she put a lot of time and thought into creating them and the world they inhabit. But I think this book really needs another thorough developmental edit. The world building is all over the place, the court politics and key players are confusing, the rules of the world aren’t made clear, and there a plot holes and contrivances where there shouldn’t be. There’s also so much repetition of Thalia’s tragic backstory that it lost all meaning to me tbh.

I might have been able to look past all that if the writing was really strong but unfortunately it just wasn’t. There were spelling and grammar errors in almost every chapter and multiple instances of the straight up wrong word being used (e.g. “instance” instead of “instant”) which suggests the book hasn’t undergone a proper edit. I’m sure some of that will be fixed before publishing, but even on a line level the writing isn’t that strong. Things are often told rather than shown and the lack of descriptive and atmospheric language sometimes makes the world feel empty and hollow.

As for the romance, it was probably one of the high points of the book but the problem with them having already been lovers in the past is that I feel like no work was done to establish why they fall for each other again now. It just felt a bit meh to me, but that might also be because I didn’t love Thalia as a protagonist. She just felt a bit flat and stereotypical of the overdone “stabby FMC”.

Overall this book wasn’t for me but I know a lot of romantasy readers will enjoy it. I think Morrow has some real promise and I’d definitely pick up her work in the future when she’s had some more time to hone her craft.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[gillian bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

i received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a review (also i love the author and think she’s fab) <3

a lush, new gothic romantasy for the ages 🥀 the world is sweeping but easy to digest, and the characters and their houses fit well into the familiar rhythm of a fantasy novel and yet grace still manages to make them unique enough to stand out amongst others.

grace also has a talent for fleshing out her characters and giving them distinct personalities, which isn’t easy to do, especially in a book with such a largely rotating cast! thalia is such a fantastic FMC; she’s flawed and brash and admirable because of it. and cassius is my favorite sort of MMC - he’s intense and not afraid to do what he needs to, but he’s capable of being gentle and is not needlessly violent or arrogant like so many other current romantasy love interests.

in a market saturated with vampire stories, grace morrow’s vampyr novel manages to feel new and exciting, with an intriguing plot that keeps you guessing up until the very end!!

[Books &Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Become Darkness is a perfect example of why we should not judge a book by its cover. I’ll admit, I was a bit hesitant picking this one up. The cover didn’t immediately grab me. However, the story itself ended up being far better than I had expected. I found this book to be quite entertaining and once I got into it—I found that it was easy to keep on turning the pages.

That being said, I did struggle a bit with the FMC. At times, she felt somewhat juvenile. She was often repeating the same mistakes without really learning from them.

Thalia’s tendency to jump to conclusions when it came to the MMC was somewhat frustrating. There were definitely moments where a simple conversation could have cleared the air. While I didn’t necessarily see this as a flaw in the story itself, I can see how her behavior might be an issue for some readers.

Even so—the tension, plot, and pacing kept me fully invested. In the end, I found myself glad I gave this one a chance. It was an entertaining read with enough captivating moments to make it worth picking up, especially if you are ok with a bit of mystery and frustration along the way.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes ✨:
Marriage of Convenience
Forced Proximity
Lovers-to-Enemies
Second chance Romance
Vampyr x Human
Morally grey MMC
Strong Stabby FMC
Only one horse
One bed
Found family

🖤: “Your presence. Your essence. It consumes me more than the taste of blood. It drives me more than the air I breathe. I’d rather take a stake to my own heart than be parted from you again.”

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

a good one to remember why I struggle to find favourite fantasy books because a good romance isn't enough for me to get invested in a fantasy. i need everything to be perfect and unfortunately this one has a good romance but boring plot and world and it just didn't grab my attention and intrigue

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Connect with me!
✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph ✏ TikTok ✏ Facebook

We Become Darkness had all the ingredients of a romantasy I should have loved with vampires, a marriage of convenience, second-chance romance, and a dangerous journey across enemy territory. Instead, it landed squarely in fine, but forgettable territory. The romance carried much of my enjoyment while the predictable twists, generic world-building, and frustrating heroine kept me from becoming truly invested.

Princess Thalia has spent years hunting Cassius, the man she loved before he betrayed her kingdom by becoming a Vampyr. Her mother makes a desperate political bargain that forces Thalia into an arranged marriage with a Vampyr prince. Thalia discovers that Cassius is the guard assigned to escort her safely into enemy territory. As old feelings resurface and a deadly new threat emerges, Thalia must decide whether loyalty to her kingdom matters more than the man she never truly stopped loving.

Grace Morrow wisely uses flashbacks to establish Thalia and Cassius's shared history which gives emotional context to a relationship that otherwise might have felt rushed. Cassius himself is easy to root for. He is competent, protective, experienced, and refreshingly capable when it comes to both court politics and steamier moments. The chemistry between Cassius and Thalia kept me reading long after my interest in the larger court politics plot began to fade.

Unfortunately, much of the surrounding story felt assembled from familiar vampire fantasy building blocks. Large portions of the world-building revisit lore that seasoned vampire readers have encountered countless times before. While I understand the need to establish the rules of the world, many explanations felt repetitive rather than immersive. I frequently found my attention drifting during travel scenes, political discussions, and exposition-heavy sections.

Thalia also proved difficult to like. She is intended to be rebellious and strong-willed, but often came across as impulsive, naïve, and frustratingly short-sighted. Time after time she spoke before thinking, ignored obvious consequences, or made decisions that seemed disconnected from what she supposedly knew about the dangers surrounding her. Her willingness to share critical information with her mother despite understanding her mother's hatred of vampires was particularly baffling. Instead of admiring her determination, I often wanted her to step aside and let Cassius handle the situation.

The political intrigue did little to improve matters. Court betrayals, shifting alliances, and royal scheming dominate much of the second half of the novel. Much of that conflict exists primarily to manufacture obstacles for the central couple. The novel frequently telegraphs its surprises long before they arrive. Several twists were easy for me to predict well before the characters discovered them. Cassius's true identity was obvious from the beginning. The resolution to his infection storyline unfolded almost exactly as I expected.

One element I appreciated was the standalone format. Fantasy publishing often seems determined to turn every idea into a trilogy or longer. Portions of this story felt structured as though they were originally designed to launch a series. I was relieved to receive a complete story without committing to multiple books of lore and political maneuvering.

Elle Sonali's narration was perfectly serviceable. She never distracted from the story with efforts to voice act. At the same time, nothing about the narration particularly elevated the material. It was competent, professional, and easy to follow. Sometimes that is all an audiobook needs.

The romance and chemistry provide enough entertainment to carry the story. The predictable plotting, familiar vampire mythology, and an exasperating heroine prevent We Become Darkness from standing out in an increasingly crowded romantasy market. Pick this up if you enjoy vampire romantasy with plenty of tension between former lovers and prefer standalone fantasy romances over sprawling multi-book series.

[Veronica ☽◯☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➵ 4.25 ⭐️

"I have morals, Princess." He let out a dark chuckle. "Should we talk about them? Do you know what my morals tell me? They tell me to ignore all the wicked things that I imagine in my head." His hand traveled up her arm, scorching her collarbone as he brushed a strand of hair away from her neck. "My morals tell me that I shouldn't give in," he said lowly. "That despite the fact that I can feel your blood as it runs through your veins, I have to ignore it. But it calls to me like a song. It begs for me to get a taste. Your heart beats for me. And being in your presence, the idea of tasting your flesh again, it's driving me insane."

Wonderful atmospheric (low) fantasy debut with gothic vibes.
This started off pretty good. We're immediately thrown into this world of humans and vampires that's ravaged by the war between them. So the set up was pretty great but. . .
What wasn't great was the repetition. For the first at least 100 pages, in just about every chapter, and in some more than once, we're constantly reminded that the FMC Thalia is angry and precisely why that is. I get it, I really do, there's a lot to be angry about, but I don't think it needed to be spelled out constantly. At no point did I forget what had happened and it was just becoming a little annoying. Definitely think there were more subtle ways to show Thalia's anger and frustration, especially that, I, as the reader did not at any point forget what had happened to the FMC (not that I was allowed to lol).

So, putting the repetition aside, I really enjoyed the world-building and the vibes. The Vampyr courts were interesting and well thought-out.
The magic system was also very intriguing though we didn't explore it all that much.

The romance definitely takes the front of the story and I loved Cass. I know Cass was originally inspired by a mix of Stefan and Klaus and he definitely gave me Stefan vibes. I'd even go as far as to say that Thalia and Cass gave me Stefan and Elena season 1 vibes. The banter between them was great and those scenes were my fav.

It took me getting 40% into the book to get really invested. I think the first part of the book is...I don't wanna say slow, because it's not really what I'd call slow but I wasn't that interested in what was happening because there weren't that many scenes between Thalia and Cass and there was so much Thalia didn't know, and no one as telling her anything because no one trusted her, that I just found it a bit hard to get really sucked into the story. When she finally figured out how to get some information and secrets started coming to life, that's when it got really good.
From about half way through to the end it was really interesting. We explored the world more and we learned more about Cass (finally!!) and also exactly what was happening in the Vampyr realm and of course we got all the Thalia/Cass scenes that I craved in the first part.

The mystery was really good even though I figured some stuff out and suspected others pretty early on, that didn't take away from the reveals though, especially when certain reveals did not go exactly how I expected them to.

I loved Grace's writing and loved the second half of the book and I'm really excited to read more by her!!

eternal gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for the arc

[Fatiha · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Become Darkness by Grace Morrow follows Thalia, princess of Agripa, as she is forced into a marriage with the prince of the creatures she loathes, vampyres. Instead of the prince, her sworn enemy and former-lover-turned-vampire Cassius stands as his proxy for their marital vows and joining of two enemy kingdoms. As Thalia ventures into Vaccarium with goals to destroy the vampyres from within she learns of a sickness spreading through their kingdom. Caught between her goals and her re-emerging feelings for Cassius, Thalia must decide whether she’s willing to put her own feelings over the security of both the vampire and human world.
This was an incredibly atmospheric and vivid read. I really enjoyed the amount of information I was taking in, it felt as if I was being respected to understand and follow as a reader, and I was hooked in by the menacing vibes of the sickness and monsters. I especially loved the twists and turns in this story, some of which I was anticipating based on the details woven through.
There were also few threads at the end that weren’t completely tied up that I’m really intrigued to read more about in a future book!
As a new vampire book, I am absolutely in love with We Become Darkness!
Thank you to netgalley and Alcove Press for We Become Darkness in exchange for a review.

[❥ farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Grace & NetGalley for the ARC! (disclaimer: though the author is a good friend of mine all opinions are mine alone!!)

STUNNING ROMANTASY one of the better romantasies I have read with an amazing romance that has so much tension and angst it will have you SCREAMING.

thalia is very stubborn and strong willed and i could tell her turmoil between her family and her heart. loved her as a main character but wished she was more stubborn against cassius (what can i say i love more angst and longer tension ok!)

the PLOT however is what hooked me. the disease that spread and how??? i was asking questions left and right and hoping for answers and BOOM big plot twist CRAZYYYYY

overall an amazing read, so excited for everyone to finally have this book in the open and on shelves AHHHH!! I hope everyone enjoys it as much as i do!!!

[༘˚⋆&#x1065a;｡⋆ &#x1d613;&#x1d62a;&#x1d622; · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is going to be my favorite gothic book of 2026 can't wait🫀 🏹 ✒️🕯️📖🪞🦢🏛️🥀

[natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not to be that person, but I swear this was churned out by AI.

DNF’d after another odd sentence. This one was “she asked low” on page 176. Curious as to when this gets published if more people notice all the random oddities.

[Sammiejo · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh, this book is HARD for me to rate.

On the one hand, I had a good time reading it and finished it in two days. Cassius has all the hallmarks of a great MMC: he’s strong, weirdly competent, fiercely loyal, loves deeply and decidedly not blond (I kid, I love MMCs of all hair colors). Thalia was a decent FMC as well: passionate, driven by trauma and an earnest desire to secure the best possible future for her kingdom. There’s a lot of yearning and slow-burn and when the spice hits it’s pretty darn satisfying. Cassius at one point provides literally life-saving orgasms—you’ll have to read it to find out how and why!

But IMHO this book just wasn’t ready to be published yet. It is not as polished as it could be. There are continuity errors (if you’ve read the book: note the timeline when Cassius explains about Sylvia) and vaguely explained plot devices that don’t really stand up to a lot of scrutiny (what were the mother’s motivations, and how’d she end up in the forest?) Things start to feel a little repetitive (and challenged my willingness to suspend my disbelief) when Thalia got mad, again; was left to her own devices, again; and ended up in a life-threatening situation, again.

I don’t regret reading this one. It’s like seeing an unfinished painting—better to see it incomplete than to not see it at all. But I will fruitlessly yearn for a “Taylor’s Version” re-release when the author has honed her writing talent—and gotten an editor who won’t sugar-coat their comments.

[aliyana ᥫ᭡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

well…this was a debut! 2.75 ⭐️ rounded to 3! thank you Alcove Press & NetGalley for the e-arc! with the title and premise, i knew i was in for vampire romantasy with a romance that promised to be tension-filled and a ballsy FMC. unfortunately, the momentum of it all got lost within the writing and weak plot. there were vampire court politics that went away and never came back…and there’s a creature spreading a disease…and that’s basically it. the world-building was really interesting with the houses, a forest dividing the human world from the vampire world for sunlight purposes, and even the mages! the elements just weren’t colliding well. the side characters were more interesting and i reacted to the ending with her mother with the biggest eye-roll ever (im sorry). also, are they only limited to two curse words? (genuine question)

Thalia as a FMC is so stereotypical it pains me. she’s a princess who vowed to get revenge over her best friend/ex-lover who betrayed her and became a vampyr; the same creatures who killed her sister and father. but even when she gets thrown into the vampire world, her decisions are terrible! what happened to her plan? she’s so flat and though her backstory made me care for her, it seemed like that was all i needed to know about her.

the romance & smut were also annoying to me. thalia & cassius were already lovers so when they become lovers again, i just didn’t care for them. the angst, betrayal, tension weren’t heavy enough for me to care.

this book had a lot of promise, just needs to go through more editing (lots of grammatical errors too) & i’ve been following grace for a bit too so hopefully improvement will follow!!

[Megan Shunmugam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gothic romantasy of my dreams. I loved every minute!

Official blurb:

With vivid worldbuilding and characters that leap off the pages, Morrow has woven a thrilling tale that is as dark and deadly as it is desirous. Filled with sizzling chemistry, bloody betrayal and danger at every turn, WE BECOME DARKNESS is sharp, smart and utterly sexy, sure to leave readers aching for more long after the final page.

[lauren g.✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an e-ARC from the author, and so glad I was able to read it EARLY!!!

I absolutely DEVOURED this!! A beautifully crafted gothic fantasy with lovable characters, toe curling steamy romance, horrific eldritch creatures, and rich world building. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time as Thalia navigated both this dangerous world and her complicated feelings. If you’re looking for a stunning dark romantasy to devour in a weekend, this is the book for you.

[Taylor Epperson · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a beautiful gothic romantasy with spine-crawling chills and a romance to yearn for !!!! the world is so intriguing and fun with all the vampyr courts and characters and creatures. THE ROMANCE!! Grace Morrow will definitely be an auto buy author for me!

[Gab · Rating 5 out of 5]

need this on my bookshelf pls and thank you

[charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

betrayals, vampyrs, and gothic vibes???? i’m so ready for this! 🧛🖤🩸🥀

[Nelly]

Please someone tell me this book is as good as the cover its gorgeousssssss <3 <3

[Mella aka Maron]

DNF about 1 hour into the audiobook. (8%)

I am very disappointed in this one as it feels so basic and nothing really makes any sense.

It feels like a very basic "countries hate each other so we need an arranged marriage" except one country is a vampire country. Oh, twist is that the human princess is tasked by her mother to kill the vampire prince but also at the same time, to not ruin the treaty.... Pretty sure killing the prince qualifies but .... okay.

I also don't really like that the book kind of just drops us into everything and doesn't give us an ounce of world building to speak of. I have no concept of this world at all or why vampires and humans have countries next to each other or how the vampires are feeding when they're a country full of vampires, supposedly??

And the main characters just had an interaction and I don't like either of them at all.

So I am out.

[Selma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took me a few days to finish this one via audio and physical. The beginning starts off so strong and really sets up an amazing premise. Then it kind of just dragged for me. I’m so disappointed that it didn’t keep my attention because it had so much potential.
It’s perfect if you are wanting to get into Romantasy, not to much world building and just enough plot and character suspense to keep you intrigued.
But for someone who has read a lot of fantasy and Romantasy this one will be blah! 😒

[Mandy]

I need a “DNF for now” option. I’m just not vibing with this one at the moment.

[HP Nero · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think this book was a victim to being forced into an enemies to lovers trope.

i didn’t care much for the MMC and what he did to become a bad guy. this just simply wasn’t for me & i don’t think i was the intended audience unfortunately.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had me in the first half, lost me in the second half.

[Megan Witsche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: Dark Gothic Romantacy, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, One Horse/Bed, Vengeance Driven, Vampires/Mages, Curses, Touch Her & ☠️, Found Family, Political Intrigue, Forced Marriage, Slow Burn

Quotes: "I have loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you, and no matter what darkness comes, no matter if we become the darkness itself, that love will never fade.”

Review Spoiler Free: Thalia, a human princess forced into an arranged marriage with a Vampyr prince to save her kingdom. Thalia plans to kill the prince, but her mission is complicated by her childhood friend/exlover, Cassius, who betrayed her and is now tasked with escorting her. As Thalia navigates a court filled with dangerous secrets and emerging monstrous threats, she must choose between her duty to her crown and her complicated, lingering feelings for the man who once broke her heart. The story is a dark standalone, slow burn romance that emphasizes trust issues and political intrigue within a "stabby" fantasy setting.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[J L G · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the author's acknowledgements, "Writing a book is no easy task. Countless hours, tears, blood (pun intended), and sweat go into creating something like this"

I too feel like at the end of this book I put in countless hours and tears to finish it but maybe with a different outcome.

Execution didn't quite align with the promise of the premise, and ultimately this one wasn't for me.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

The FMC is LITERALLY the cause of almost all bad things in this book, and I’ve truly never been so annoyed with a main character in my entire life.

Listen, I’m a huge fan of happy endings. But never in my life have I wanted a main character to die a horrible painful death until this book. 2 stars because the FMC truly ruined the book for me, and I clearly can’t focus on anything else

[Randee Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my lord, the yearning and banter in this was so good!! The world and magic was so unique! The rake and vampires was so different from what I’ve read but still an ode to classic vampire romances. The reveals actually surprised me! I thought I had it figured out but NOPE!
The gothic atmosphere was executed so well with creepy creatures, eerie and sentient forest, and earth based magic!
Such a strong, beautiful debut!