DARKNESS RISING

by Michelle Jameson, Flintlock Covers (Illustrator)

Dubheasa Ravenstorm was born with the mark of an ancient prophecy predicting that she will become the cruel ‘Dark Fairy,’ - feared from birth, she finds herself in a constant battle against the darkness within as she endures the prejudice, hatred and manipulation of those around her. Can the love she finds save her or will evil prevail and recreate her as the villain of her own story?

440 pages, Hardcover

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Hi, I'm Michelle. I'm 47, from North Lincolnshire, England. As well as writing novels, I am a playwright, fantasy make-up artists and an actor. It was through performing that I discovered my love for writing when I wrote the full-length play 'A Pirate's Tale,' which was produced in Grimsby. My play introduced a new villain who I was lucky enough to play in the production and I fell in love with her; she absolutely needed her own story... and now she does, in the form of the Darkness Series.
I am a member of The Writer's Guild, Playwrights UK, London Playwrights and PapaTango.

Full of power, destiny and betrayal; heat and heartbreak, my first novel tells the dark, gritty tale of Dubheasa Ravenstorm. Dubheasa is a young girl born with the mark of an ancient prophecy; a prophecy predicting that she will become the cruel and magically powerful Dark Fairy. Judged and feared from birth, she finds herself in a constant battle with the darkness with in her as it feeds on her trauma from the hate and manipulation of those around her. Can the love she finds save her? Or will evil prevail and recreate her as the villain of her own story?

BOOK 2: 'SECRETS AND LIES.' COMING JANUARY 2026.

Reviews

[VickydpBooks]

This is one of those books that completely pulled me into its world from the very first chapter. If you’re expecting a sweet fairy tale with a happy ending, think again. This is a dark, adult fantasy packed with magic, trauma, manipulation, plenty of spice, and twists that kept me hooked throughout.

Dubheasa Ravenstorm is such a fascinating character. Born with the mark of an ancient prophecy that brands her as the feared “Dark Fairy,” she’s judged before she’s even had a chance to decide who she wants to be. Watching her struggle against both the darkness within herself and the cruelty of those around her made for an emotional and compelling journey.

The world of Elyrya is rich, atmospheric, and beautifully dark. It’s the kind of place that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished reading. If you enjoy morally grey characters, emotional depth, and fantasy that isn’t afraid to explore darker themes, I’d definitely recommend this one. Just be warned—once you step into Elyrya, you won’t want to leave.

A captivating dark fantasy that keeps you turning the pages.

This isn’t your typical fairy tale. It’s a dark, adult fantasy full of magic, trauma, manipulation, romance, spice, and unexpected twists. The story is immersive from beginning to end, with an atmosphere that’s both haunting and enchanting.

Dubheasa Ravenstorm is an unforgettable heroine. Cursed by an ancient prophecy that declares she’ll become the feared “Dark Fairy,” she spends her life battling not only her own inner darkness but also the prejudice and manipulation of those around her. Her journey is powerful, emotional, and incredibly well written.

The world-building is fantastic, and Elyrya feels alive with its magic and danger. Fans of darker fantasy, complex characters, and stories that blur the line between hero and villain will thoroughly enjoy this book.

✨🖤 Dark fantasy lovers…you NEED to read this✨

If you love:
🖤 Dark fairy tales
✨ Magic
🔥 Spice
💔 Trauma and emotional angst
👑 Ancient prophecies
⚔️ Morally grey characters
😱 Plot twists

…then this book is for you!

Dubheasa Ravenstorm has been feared since birth because of an ancient prophecy that says she’ll become the dreaded Dark Fairy. Everyone expects her to become the villain—but what if fate isn’t so simple?

Elyrya completely pulled me in, and I couldn’t stop reading. The world-building is immersive, the characters are layered, and the emotional journey is just as gripping as the fantasy elements. This story is dark, addictive, and full of surprises.

Trust me…once you enter Elyrya, you won’t want to leave.

[Charl Ormond]

So for starters thank you to Michelle for sending me this ARC…

The story follows Dubheasa who is the princess of the kingdom and it follows her life throughout…. Which is full of honestly loneliness and being ignored having no love… barely anyone cares for her as they have all pretty much written her off due to a fairy prophecy. Instead of being there for her and showing her love… she’s just tainted and ignored because of something that MAY happen. So you really feel for her as Michelle has wrote her as such a conflicting but fascinating character.. reading about her struggling to prevent the dark side from taking over

The story does give that fairytale vibe and honestly Dub kinda of reminded me of a malificent type character. The writing is quite addictive… even though at times I didn’t particularly like her I still wanted to read more and see where she was going to end up.

The characters in were written well… hard to like and deviant as some pushed her and pushed her for selfish and jealous reasons. Sadie not a fan 🤣

Jude I really did like and same with Seb… I do feel like they do care for her but unfortunately the betrayals and the twists that happen throughout the book push people further apart.

I’m very interested to see how it is going to go as that ending was just phenomenal i literally planned to read a couple of chapters before bed and now it’s finished.

Unfortunately there is a few things I didn’t like… Dub unfortunately came across a little unlikable, spoilt and at times really really childish… especially in the smut parts… and it did make me not fully believe the love story during parts of this. The story did feel a little repetitive too at times, also her name kinda threw me at times especially when you have such normal names like Jude Sadie and Sebastian but that’s personal preference

However despite this I still think it’s a really really good story and something that grips you and makes you want to know how it ends… the writing for me flowed perfectly and was enjoyable. And the multiple layered and honestly trauma she goes though does have me feeling sorry for her as she’s wasn’t born bad she is the consequence of peoples actions around her and when enough people say you are that the more I think she’s starting to believe and protect herself against that…. Can’t wait for the next one

[brand Charlotte]

📖 Darkness Rising — Michelle Jameson
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌑🌑

I received this as an ARC reader, and honestly? I wish I’d paid for it, this debut is worth every bit of your support. I love a good fantasy book, but instead of being hooked by page 100, I was hooked at page 29 and knew instantly I wouldn’t put it down until I’d finished.

This is a fairy tale for adults absolutely brimming with adventure, dark passion, mystery, and perfectly balanced romantic heat. Michelle Jameson writes characters that stir up beautifully conflicted feelings, with flawless pacing and a plot that never lets up. Dubheasa is an exceptional protagonist: her constant battle between light and dark sides feels layered, authentic, and utterly compelling. The worldbuilding is rich and immersive; I went in knowing nothing, and now I’m desperate to uncover more of its history and lore.

Packed with everything I love:
▫️Dark fantasy & romantasy
▫️Complex, morally grey characters
▫️Rich immersive worldbuilding
▫️High-stakes adventure & intrigue
▫️Slow-burn tension & romantic heat
▫️Deep emotional arcs & inner conflict
▫️Standout debut author work

I did spot three tiny typos, but they never once pulled me out of the story or dimmed how much I loved it. Please check trigger warnings before starting, but beyond that I have zero criticisms. This is the kind of book you’ll reread again and again, and I’m already counting down to book two 🫶

If you love immersive dark fantasy with heart, heat, and characters that stay with you. especially if you love supporting brilliant new authors then do not miss this book

[Mathie]

Review of advance copy received from Author

A Beautifully Cruel Villain Origin Story

I went into this expecting a typical romantasy, but this completely caught me off guard. What I got was a dark, emotional, and beautifully twisted fairy tale that slowly shows you how someone can be pushed toward becoming the villain.

Dubheasa was easily the highlight for me. Watching her fight against the “Dark Fairy” prophecy while being manipulated, betrayed, and broken down by the people around her was heartbreaking. You can actually understand how she is being pushed toward the darkness, which made her character arc incredibly compelling.

I also loved the lush but dangerous world of Elyrya and the Blossom Isles. It gave me A Midsummer Night’s Dream vibes, but much darker, more adult, and with significantly higher stakes. Add in the complicated love triangle, portal fantasy, and plenty of romantic tension, and there was a lot to keep me invested.

My biggest issue was the pacing. At around 470 pages, the middle felt a little slow as the political and world-building elements took over. Some of the emotional manipulation Dubheasa experiences was also heavy and repetitive, making parts of the book difficult to get through. Definitely check the trigger warnings.

Overall, this was a surprisingly dark and addictive read. If you want a romantasy where the heroine isn't necessarily destined to be the perfect good girl and might actually become the villain, this is worth picking up.

[Melody Clark]

Okay, this book was definitely a ride. I went into it expecting a dark fairytale kind of story, and that’s exactly what I got. There was magic, drama, betrayal, romance, and a whole lot of characters making questionable decisions.

Dubheasa was such an interesting character. I honestly had mixed feelings about her at times, but I think that made her more realistic. She’s basically been treated like she’s going to become this horrible person her entire life because of the prophecy, so you really get to see how all of that affects her. I felt bad for her a lot of the time because so many people around her were either judging her, using her, or just making things harder for her.

I liked the world too. Elyrya had that creepy, dark fairytale feeling, and there were so many things going on that made me want to keep reading and figure everything out. There were definitely some twists that I wasn’t expecting. The relationships and betrayals definitely kept things interesting.

And that ending… yeah, I need to know what happens next. I’m definitely curious about where the story goes from here and what book two is going to bring. I really enjoyed this one. If you like dark fantasy with a fairytale feel, magic, complicated characters, betrayal, romance, and plenty of drama, I’d definitely give this one a try.

[jeanette I]

This book wasn't really my style. The author pretty much wrote it like a fairy tale. To me, the book just seemed to go on and on and on and on about the same stuff. How the main character was evil and her power was rising and yadi yada yada yadi yah. There is no spice level at all. I kind of want to know what happens on book two, but it really wasn't worth my time to read book one honestly. There was also a lot of book writing errors. Too many to list, but I did highlight them on my end. The book is supposed to be reviewed by the publisher and they didn't do that good of a job. The majority of the characters are hateful to her. I did not feel a lot of remorse for the main character. Of course. It really wasn't her fault and how she was raised. The only other character that I really liked and I hope it ends well for him in book two is Jules. No spoilers.

[Andrea Marshall]

This story follows the FMC from birth through to adulthood, taking us through lots of betrayal and jealousy from friends and family.

The main character definitely wasn’t the only badass her childhood friend was just as fierce which genuinely surprised me and I loved that.

I wouldn’t necessarily class this as a dark romance. I was also a bit confused by the Dark Fairy POV towards the end. I actually wished this had been introduced much earlier in the story, as I think it would have made the ending easier to follow and added more impact.

Overall, though, this was a good read with plenty of twists, strong characters, plenty of betrayal with an interesting storyline. It's definitely worth picking up if you enjoy fantasy romance with badass FMCs and unexpected turns.

[Kathleen Leyshon]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars!

Dark Rising by Michelle Jameson completely pulled me in from the very beginning! 🌟

I loved the atmosphere, the characters and the way the story unfolded. There were plenty of twists, tension and moments that kept me turning the pages because I just had to know what was going to happen next.

Michelle Jameson has created a gripping story with characters that are easy to become invested in, and I found myself completely absorbed in their world. The pacing kept me hooked and there was just the right mix of emotion, suspense and intrigue.

Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone looking for an engaging read that keeps you wanting more.

A well-deserved 5 stars from me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Fi Burns]

I was kindly given an arc copy to read and review, so here goes. I can honestly say I was hooked from the start. The narrative hit the ground running. The main characters were presented well, with my only concern being that the FMC was conversing older than her years. This, however, was a feeling that soon disappeared. Throughout the book, my feelings towards the FMC changed in every chapter, from wanting her to suffer for her actions, to then feeling sorry for her. With men falling at her feet, she chose her path, selfishly at times. Overall, an enjoyable read, that captivates your imagination.

[Moestin Journal]

The story goes over a inner war between evil and light.
English is not my native language but the writer describes really good the inner conflict in life that can happen. With love of our family we are to grabble in the universum. I was really hoping that i was right at the end of the story, but her faith was solid. I must say that some scenes surprised me, but i got a little confused when the war inside the female mc start. Lucky for me was the writting in cursive then and then easy to follow. Is it bad that i still hope her love for Jude could save her?

[Mrs D Worthington]

I liked the fact that this book grabs you very early on as the story is gripping from the very start. This is a dark fairytale with no happy ending and lots of dispicable characters.
The FMC is evil, but it is easy to see why. She is mostly unloved and never knows who she can trust.
If you love a tale of dark magic, jealousy, betrayal and deceit, this could be the book for you.
I did find a number of typos and errors but not enough to take away from the story. I'm interested to know where the tale will go on book 2.
Rated 3.5 stars.

[Tanya Marron]

I cannot review this properly without spoiling it. This story is well written, it flows well, it's got a trigger warning list that goes over 2 pages!! It's full of trauma, manipulation, heartbreak,so many secrets, so many lies...... the list goes on. Dark fantasy story that gives me Maleficent vibes, it made me cry in places, it made me angry, but I loved the whole story and now I need to wait for book 2 to find out more about the secrets and lies.

[Lianne]

When I started this book, I was instantly hooked and excited to see where the story led me. Although it lost my focus a little half way through, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book.

At times it reminded me of a dark Maleficent, mixed with one dark window.

I’m intrigued to see where this story goes.

Thank you for letting me ARC read this dark fairytale.

[Andrea]

Great start to the series

Lies and deception everywhere with trauma and loss thrown in for good measure. I was drawn into the story from the start and loved it, will definitely be reading the nextbook. It would have been a 5 star read but the spaces between words started to annoy me, this was probably caused when uploading to Amazon and the only qualm I had with the book.

[Zara Whitaker]

Beautifully written, brilliant world building and character building, feels like your with the fmc from start to finish. This book has magic, darkness,love, betrayal, lies, unforgivable deceit. Well with the read

[Louise]

beautifully written even with dark aspects there is beauty in this story and i can’t wait for next book in series to she how this plays out be aware that this is dark but i thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book

[Karen Blair]

Loved this book. Brilliantly written. Loved the characters and the twist at the end. Read trigger warnings before u read. Can’t wait for book two

[Lins007Booktok]

Grabs you immediately and pulls you into the characters! Leaves you wanting more……can’t wait for Book 2 in the series.

[Majella]

I tried, I really did. I just didn't enjoy the writing style but really loved the idea of the plot. I dnf at 30%, I just couldn't get into it properly

[Millie]

Where do I start… this book was easily a 5 start read for me.. the world building, how you see the characters grow throughout is amazing..I think I went through all emotions with the MFC.. truly is a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end.. loved it.. think I’m still recovering… can’t wait for book 2 😍

[Barbara Boal]

Darkness Rising by Michelle Jamison (Skinner) is a book I simply could not put down.

There are no sweet fairy tales here. Without giving too much away, the amount of manipulation and unfair judgment directed at the main character is relentless. My heart truly ached for Dubheasa. The story is packed with manipulation, hate, numerous triggers, romance, and plenty of dark action and adventure.

If you’re looking for something different from the typical happily-ever-after sweet romances, this book is for you. It definitely leaves you wanting more—I can’t wait for the next part to be released. I’m completely hooked.

Give it a read. You won’t be sorry.