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Nightshade
Raven never wanted a crown. She wanted answers.
Instead, she wakes up in a world of shadows and secrets, where witches are hunted, betrayals cut deep, and the man she can't forget still lingers in her memory...
The prophecy names her the key. The witches whisper her name. And the Shadow Council watches-deciding whether she's meant to rise... or to fall. But Raven isn't here to play their game. She'll burn the lies and carve her own place in a realm that wants her silenced.
Bound to her by something far more dangerous than destiny, the Shadow King has returned, cursed by fire and fate.
With the veil about to fall and the throne hanging in the balance, Raven must put her faith in those who betrayed her, or unleash the storm inside her that could break them all.
One thing's certain—the shadows aren't finished with her yet.
Instead, she wakes up in a world of shadows and secrets, where witches are hunted, betrayals cut deep, and the man she can't forget still lingers in her memory...
The prophecy names her the key. The witches whisper her name. And the Shadow Council watches-deciding whether she's meant to rise... or to fall. But Raven isn't here to play their game. She'll burn the lies and carve her own place in a realm that wants her silenced.
Bound to her by something far more dangerous than destiny, the Shadow King has returned, cursed by fire and fate.
With the veil about to fall and the throne hanging in the balance, Raven must put her faith in those who betrayed her, or unleash the storm inside her that could break them all.
One thing's certain—the shadows aren't finished with her yet.
672 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2026
About the author
Sarah J. Poulsen
3 books126 followersSarah writes books that crack open the dark corners of the heart—and then light a match. A former salon owner turned full-time author, she walked away from her old life with nothing but a story she couldn’t ignore and a fire in her chest that refused to die. Her books are cinematic, obsessive, emotionally twisted, and laced with tension that will make you scream into your pillow.
She’s drawn to morally gray men, bratty heroines, and the kind of love that wrecks you before it saves you. You’ll find her writing late at night, pouring everything she’s survived into characters that don’t flinch.
When she’s not writing, she's chasing wild dreams, or trying to make sense of the messages the universe won’t stop sending. She believes in shocking plot twists, and the kind of endings you feel in your bones.
She’s drawn to morally gray men, bratty heroines, and the kind of love that wrecks you before it saves you. You’ll find her writing late at night, pouring everything she’s survived into characters that don’t flinch.
When she’s not writing, she's chasing wild dreams, or trying to make sense of the messages the universe won’t stop sending. She believes in shocking plot twists, and the kind of endings you feel in your bones.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 15, 2026
I’m blessed to have been an ARC reader.
I won’t give spoilers. But I will say, Sarah’s writing is just so refreshing. I can literally see a 360 view of everything. She has described people, places, and facial expressions in Midnights that I’ve visually carried with me into Nightshade.
It’s descriptive without being too much, and it’s been so nice to finally read a fantasy book and have understanding of what’s happening. I love fantasy, but I’ve struggled so many times with understanding where I am, who’s who, or what powers everyone has. I just feel like you’ve written two books that don’t make me feel stupid. 🤣
I won’t give spoilers. But I will say, Sarah’s writing is just so refreshing. I can literally see a 360 view of everything. She has described people, places, and facial expressions in Midnights that I’ve visually carried with me into Nightshade.
It’s descriptive without being too much, and it’s been so nice to finally read a fantasy book and have understanding of what’s happening. I love fantasy, but I’ve struggled so many times with understanding where I am, who’s who, or what powers everyone has. I just feel like you’ve written two books that don’t make me feel stupid. 🤣
July 13, 2026
Where do I start? I am thrilled to say I was able to be part of Sarah's ARC team and honestly I'm surprised I was, given how much I pestered her to be part of it. I REALLY needed to get my hands on this after book 1.
I lost count how much notes, highlights and guesses I made whilst reading this book, it's the most notes I've ever taken before and loved it.
We see new characters in this book and my favourite is Indi, if she isn't yours by the end of this book then I don't know how lol. Her comments had my cackling to myself some of the things she says were hilarious and I fell in love immediately.
The spice in this book got spicy and did not disappoint, no slow burn in this book that's for sure. Kane that's all I need to say along with the melting emoji, fire emoji and drooling emoji haha.
I loved that there were twists and turns everywhere and honestly didn't see them coming which I love. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone so I'm saying no more on that except if you don't get as mad as I did with a certain twist again I say how??? IYKYK.
You are going to love this book and it will have you hooked from the get go, I definitely recommend this book. Add it to your TBR and you can thank me later.
Thank you Sarah for letting me be a part of your team and I hope your ready for the next bought of annoyance from your Scottish friendly pain in the butt. LOL.
I lost count how much notes, highlights and guesses I made whilst reading this book, it's the most notes I've ever taken before and loved it.
We see new characters in this book and my favourite is Indi, if she isn't yours by the end of this book then I don't know how lol. Her comments had my cackling to myself some of the things she says were hilarious and I fell in love immediately.
The spice in this book got spicy and did not disappoint, no slow burn in this book that's for sure. Kane that's all I need to say along with the melting emoji, fire emoji and drooling emoji haha.
I loved that there were twists and turns everywhere and honestly didn't see them coming which I love. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone so I'm saying no more on that except if you don't get as mad as I did with a certain twist again I say how??? IYKYK.
You are going to love this book and it will have you hooked from the get go, I definitely recommend this book. Add it to your TBR and you can thank me later.
Thank you Sarah for letting me be a part of your team and I hope your ready for the next bought of annoyance from your Scottish friendly pain in the butt. LOL.
July 13, 2026
⭐ ∞ / 5 Stars — Nightshade Owned Me
Nightshade absolutely consumed me. The push and pull between Kane and Raven is electric — the kind of tension that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.
This book dives fully into fantasy, shifting away from the modern feel of Midnights and into a darker, moodier world. The forgotten memories and shadowy pieces of the past add so much mystery and intrigue, even if the vision flashes and shifting POV moments can be a little hard to follow.
Being selected for Sarah’s Inner Circle and getting to ARC read this made the experience even more special. Fast‑paced, addictive, and impossible to put down — if I could give it infinity stars, I would.
Nightshade absolutely consumed me. The push and pull between Kane and Raven is electric — the kind of tension that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.
This book dives fully into fantasy, shifting away from the modern feel of Midnights and into a darker, moodier world. The forgotten memories and shadowy pieces of the past add so much mystery and intrigue, even if the vision flashes and shifting POV moments can be a little hard to follow.
Being selected for Sarah’s Inner Circle and getting to ARC read this made the experience even more special. Fast‑paced, addictive, and impossible to put down — if I could give it infinity stars, I would.
July 6, 2026
I was so thrilled and honored to read an ARC for this. Sarah is such an amazing writer. The details, the twists and turns, the romance, the characters are all top notch. I cannot wait for the 3rd book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews