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Castle of Dark Dreams #8
Forever Wicked
Sparkle Stardust wishes she could take back the angry words she threw at Ganymede. Now the man she loves has left her and is on a collision course with death if she can’t stop him. When she finally tracks him down, Sparkle discovers he has stirred up more trouble than both of them can handle.
Ganymede storms from the Castle of Dark Dreams determined never to return. He vents his anger by creating chaos around the world, certain that the mayhem will drive Sparkle from his mind and from his heart. It doesn’t work.
But when a powerful enemy from their past threatens Ganymede and Sparkle, they stand side by side to protect their lives, their castle, and their love.
Ganymede storms from the Castle of Dark Dreams determined never to return. He vents his anger by creating chaos around the world, certain that the mayhem will drive Sparkle from his mind and from his heart. It doesn’t work.
But when a powerful enemy from their past threatens Ganymede and Sparkle, they stand side by side to protect their lives, their castle, and their love.
Paperback
First published July 23, 2017
22 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Nina Bangs
44 books674 followersTalk about misspent youth. What did I do during those lazy summer days of childhood when I could’ve been honing my writing skills? Nothing. Okay, so I spent a lot of time dreaming I was a cowgirl with a trusty black stallion. Oh, and I read every Walter Farley horse novel. I was an only child so I relied on my imagination to supply the excitement in my life.
By high school, I’d decided to trade in my lariat for a trench coat. I was into dark and dangerous. As an intrepid foreign correspondent, I’d stalk the mean streets of the world. Did I actually write anything? No, but I did read all of Agatha Christie’s mysteries.
I worked at a department store during college. My short stint in the accounting department taught me a lot about math. Three hundred-dollar shortages plus hysterical tears equaled instant move to gift-wrap. A career in math was not in my future. I didn’t care because I’d discovered “real” literature. I plowed through James Joyce’s Ulysses and Tolstoy’s War and Peace. If it didn’t make my eyes cross then it wasn’t worth reading. Yes, I admit it, I was a literary snob.
Nina and best buddy, Barbara Joyce.
Folk singers extraordinaire.
But there’s just so much “real” literature one person can take. I graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in English Literature and a determination to avoid books that induced eye crossing or had tragic endings. The only things I managed to write during those years were research papers.
I taught second grade for several years then spent two years in Dublin, Ireland. A friend and I supported ourselves by singing folk songs in Irish pubs. We weren’t great, but we were young, enthusiastic, and wore short skirts. It was obviously my destiny to be the next Judy Collins. I spent a lot of time poring through music books.
Returning to New Jersey and reality, I taught elementary school until I grew restless again. My cross-country odyssey included stays in Arizona, California, and Texas. Along the way, I indulged my love of horses. No black stallions, but I did have several beautiful Arabian mares. I read tons of books on breeding and showing.
Somewhere between California and Texas I grew addicted to romance novels and cats. The cat’s independent attitude was exactly the quality I admired in my romance heroes. And once I decided to try writing my own romances, I made sure a cat crept into each story.
Texas is my permanent home. I’ve come full circle. Born in San Antonio, I spent most of my life in New Jersey. Maybe the Texas in my blood accounts for my attachment to strong men, fast horses, and wide-open spaces. My love of cats? Haven’t a clue.
By high school, I’d decided to trade in my lariat for a trench coat. I was into dark and dangerous. As an intrepid foreign correspondent, I’d stalk the mean streets of the world. Did I actually write anything? No, but I did read all of Agatha Christie’s mysteries.
I worked at a department store during college. My short stint in the accounting department taught me a lot about math. Three hundred-dollar shortages plus hysterical tears equaled instant move to gift-wrap. A career in math was not in my future. I didn’t care because I’d discovered “real” literature. I plowed through James Joyce’s Ulysses and Tolstoy’s War and Peace. If it didn’t make my eyes cross then it wasn’t worth reading. Yes, I admit it, I was a literary snob.
Nina and best buddy, Barbara Joyce.
Folk singers extraordinaire.
But there’s just so much “real” literature one person can take. I graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in English Literature and a determination to avoid books that induced eye crossing or had tragic endings. The only things I managed to write during those years were research papers.
I taught second grade for several years then spent two years in Dublin, Ireland. A friend and I supported ourselves by singing folk songs in Irish pubs. We weren’t great, but we were young, enthusiastic, and wore short skirts. It was obviously my destiny to be the next Judy Collins. I spent a lot of time poring through music books.
Returning to New Jersey and reality, I taught elementary school until I grew restless again. My cross-country odyssey included stays in Arizona, California, and Texas. Along the way, I indulged my love of horses. No black stallions, but I did have several beautiful Arabian mares. I read tons of books on breeding and showing.
Somewhere between California and Texas I grew addicted to romance novels and cats. The cat’s independent attitude was exactly the quality I admired in my romance heroes. And once I decided to try writing my own romances, I made sure a cat crept into each story.
Texas is my permanent home. I’ve come full circle. Born in San Antonio, I spent most of my life in New Jersey. Maybe the Texas in my blood accounts for my attachment to strong men, fast horses, and wide-open spaces. My love of cats? Haven’t a clue.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 5, 2017
Forever Wicked is the eighth installment in Nina Bang’s Castle of Dark Dreams series, but even if you’ve missed the earlier Wicked books, you can jump right into this one and enjoy it. If you are a long-time fan of cosmic troublemakers Ganymede and Sparkle Stardust, you’ll find some old friends here, but Forever Wicked is Ganymede and Sparkle’s story, as they deal with memories from the past, enemies and dangers in the present, and hopes for the future.
Ganymede has problems. He’s dodging the Big Boss, but he knows a confrontation is coming—his latest, frustration-spurred round of cosmic mayhem has attracted too much attention. His attempt to reach his creator, revenge in mind, backfires, and he finds himself saddled with a brand-new untrained cosmic troublemaker. He’s beginning to feel sorry for the humans who get caught up in the mayhem he causes. Perhaps worst of all, he’s on the outs with “that woman,” Sparkle Stardust, his companion for much of his long immortal existence.
Sparkle isn’t ready to give up on Mede. She’s on the road looking for him (attracting his attention with Facebook posts). Her trouble-making talent involves creating sexual chaos, but somehow she’s lost control of her own love life, and she wants Mede back. After all, it was just a stupid argument. And what power, cosmic or otherwise, can keep Sparkle from going after what she wants?
Even Sparkle is surprised when she tracks Ganymede to a beautiful (but haunted, and very hard to find) house in Cape May, New Jersey, a long way from the Castle of Dark Dreams, her home (in her adult theme park) in Galveston. She’s even more surprised at Ganymede’s collection of adolescent troublemakers. Are Sparkle and Mede really cut out to train them?
But they will need the help of the children, along with some of their old friends (and frenemies) to face the confrontation that awaits them back at the Castle—almost as much as they need each other. Sometimes even cosmic troublemakers find themselves in cosmic trouble!
I don’t want to give away the twists and turns of Sparkle and Ganymede’s adventures as they deal with enemies and dangers that threaten far more than their own lives and happiness, but let me just say that Forever Wicked is exciting, romantic, and often very funny.
Ganymede has problems. He’s dodging the Big Boss, but he knows a confrontation is coming—his latest, frustration-spurred round of cosmic mayhem has attracted too much attention. His attempt to reach his creator, revenge in mind, backfires, and he finds himself saddled with a brand-new untrained cosmic troublemaker. He’s beginning to feel sorry for the humans who get caught up in the mayhem he causes. Perhaps worst of all, he’s on the outs with “that woman,” Sparkle Stardust, his companion for much of his long immortal existence.
Sparkle isn’t ready to give up on Mede. She’s on the road looking for him (attracting his attention with Facebook posts). Her trouble-making talent involves creating sexual chaos, but somehow she’s lost control of her own love life, and she wants Mede back. After all, it was just a stupid argument. And what power, cosmic or otherwise, can keep Sparkle from going after what she wants?
Even Sparkle is surprised when she tracks Ganymede to a beautiful (but haunted, and very hard to find) house in Cape May, New Jersey, a long way from the Castle of Dark Dreams, her home (in her adult theme park) in Galveston. She’s even more surprised at Ganymede’s collection of adolescent troublemakers. Are Sparkle and Mede really cut out to train them?
But they will need the help of the children, along with some of their old friends (and frenemies) to face the confrontation that awaits them back at the Castle—almost as much as they need each other. Sometimes even cosmic troublemakers find themselves in cosmic trouble!
I don’t want to give away the twists and turns of Sparkle and Ganymede’s adventures as they deal with enemies and dangers that threaten far more than their own lives and happiness, but let me just say that Forever Wicked is exciting, romantic, and often very funny.
August 31, 2017
This was a nicely written story and it was great to revisit with "old" characters from previous books. I liked the overall plot line which was plausible and believable in this world. On the other hand, this book did not have any of Ms. Bangs' typical writing style. The overall tone of the book was darker than her usual fare and there was very little humor in it, which was a disappointment because I have come to associate Ms. Bangs with great romance buried in paranormal comedies that made me laugh out loud.
Considering how long we have waited for this book of all her books, it was a bit disappointing. Too much golden god and not enough fat gray cat. Too much teenage angst and not enough snarky slyness. However, the tone of the book did fit the story line, it just didn't fit the characters we have come to know. So if you have never read her books, this will be a great read, but if you are familiar with her characters already, there is just something missing; that element of fun and humor that never takes itself too seriously. Sadly, that is what I love most about her books. Here's to hoping that her next book (a dinosaur maybe :) will not continue the dark decent.
Considering how long we have waited for this book of all her books, it was a bit disappointing. Too much golden god and not enough fat gray cat. Too much teenage angst and not enough snarky slyness. However, the tone of the book did fit the story line, it just didn't fit the characters we have come to know. So if you have never read her books, this will be a great read, but if you are familiar with her characters already, there is just something missing; that element of fun and humor that never takes itself too seriously. Sadly, that is what I love most about her books. Here's to hoping that her next book (a dinosaur maybe :) will not continue the dark decent.
August 3, 2018
Forever Wicked
I may be a bit biased when it comes to this review. Nina Bangs is absolutely one of my most preferred authors. Her style of writing, the context of each story, the passion behind every character never ceases to amaze me. With that being said, Forever Wicked, A Castle of Dark Dreams novel, is no exception.
In this story we follow Sparkle Stardust and Ganymede, two cosmic troublemakers, as they fight for themselves, for their love, and for each other. This story contains everything you could possibly ask for. LOVE: the true love and devotion that neither of them are willing to give up despite the stubbornness to truly admit it. HATE: the hatred they feel toward their "creator", the being that stole their lives and turned them into something initially lost, confused and terrified. SELF DISCOVERY: their abilities to find themselves again, to rediscover who they once were and merge it into who they are now. This story has it all.
From the first page to the last, I was entranced, feeling every emotions, suffering and crying with them, smiling and laughing, falling in love. Nina Bangs has a way of pulling you in and keeping you with every single word.
I may be a bit biased when it comes to this review. Nina Bangs is absolutely one of my most preferred authors. Her style of writing, the context of each story, the passion behind every character never ceases to amaze me. With that being said, Forever Wicked, A Castle of Dark Dreams novel, is no exception.
In this story we follow Sparkle Stardust and Ganymede, two cosmic troublemakers, as they fight for themselves, for their love, and for each other. This story contains everything you could possibly ask for. LOVE: the true love and devotion that neither of them are willing to give up despite the stubbornness to truly admit it. HATE: the hatred they feel toward their "creator", the being that stole their lives and turned them into something initially lost, confused and terrified. SELF DISCOVERY: their abilities to find themselves again, to rediscover who they once were and merge it into who they are now. This story has it all.
From the first page to the last, I was entranced, feeling every emotions, suffering and crying with them, smiling and laughing, falling in love. Nina Bangs has a way of pulling you in and keeping you with every single word.
August 6, 2017
Sparkleeee
I hovered over my rating. Between a 3 or a 4. But I had to figure my girl Sparkle did the most so anything less for her would be a disservice. Granymede is as ever funtastic. Loved the storyline. It follows the previous books with the main characters being attacked by two different bad guys. We got to know some more cosmic troublemakers. Cannot wait to see and learn more about them. We also got to learn where the troublemakers came from. Will I re-read? Yes. Do I recommend reading? That is also a Yes. Anyone who has been a fan of this series will def want to pick this book up. Happy reading.
I hovered over my rating. Between a 3 or a 4. But I had to figure my girl Sparkle did the most so anything less for her would be a disservice. Granymede is as ever funtastic. Loved the storyline. It follows the previous books with the main characters being attacked by two different bad guys. We got to know some more cosmic troublemakers. Cannot wait to see and learn more about them. We also got to learn where the troublemakers came from. Will I re-read? Yes. Do I recommend reading? That is also a Yes. Anyone who has been a fan of this series will def want to pick this book up. Happy reading.
August 26, 2017
EPIC!
I've been waiting for this story for years and I loved it! The battles, the tension, the sass and of course the love kept me hooked and wondering what would happen next. Sparkle and Ganymede are my favorite romance novel couple ever! They are one of the reasons I kept reading Nina Bangs' books. I can't even describe how happy I am after reading this and can't wait to find out what happens with the rest of the cosmic troublemakers. This has always been and still remains one of my top favorite series.
I've been waiting for this story for years and I loved it! The battles, the tension, the sass and of course the love kept me hooked and wondering what would happen next. Sparkle and Ganymede are my favorite romance novel couple ever! They are one of the reasons I kept reading Nina Bangs' books. I can't even describe how happy I am after reading this and can't wait to find out what happens with the rest of the cosmic troublemakers. This has always been and still remains one of my top favorite series.
October 21, 2017
CASTLE OF DARK DREAMS SERIES ,
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS DARK DELIGHTFUL SERIES . I never grow tired reading this series . Nina , she writes a strong compelling structure storyline and well developed characters and supporting characters brilliant exquisitely well written story . The story has everything to make it 5 stars . I love and recommend this book to everyone 😆 😙 . I can't wait for the next book in this series . I can't wait .
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS DARK DELIGHTFUL SERIES . I never grow tired reading this series . Nina , she writes a strong compelling structure storyline and well developed characters and supporting characters brilliant exquisitely well written story . The story has everything to make it 5 stars . I love and recommend this book to everyone 😆 😙 . I can't wait for the next book in this series . I can't wait .
August 6, 2017
The wait is over
The long wait for Ganymede and Sparkle star Dust is over. Many of our last book boyfriends make brief appearances and with our hero and heroine face their nemesis . Will they get their memories back ? Will Meds and Sparkle work out their differences ? Will there be future books?
The long wait for Ganymede and Sparkle star Dust is over. Many of our last book boyfriends make brief appearances and with our hero and heroine face their nemesis . Will they get their memories back ? Will Meds and Sparkle work out their differences ? Will there be future books?
August 21, 2017
No Man is an Island
Ganymede and Sparkle appear in all the Catle of Dark Dreams books. I was glad to read their story--past, present ,and hints of the future. Ganymede learns that no man is an island when he battles the ultimate evil. Msn Bangs brings back characters from earlier books and introduces characters that will make great future books. This one is a winner!
Ganymede and Sparkle appear in all the Catle of Dark Dreams books. I was glad to read their story--past, present ,and hints of the future. Ganymede learns that no man is an island when he battles the ultimate evil. Msn Bangs brings back characters from earlier books and introduces characters that will make great future books. This one is a winner!
August 30, 2017
I personally loved this book.
Even though its a stand alone, I don't think I would have enjoyed it if I hadn't read all the previous books.
Mede and Sparkle already had my heart and I was anxiously waiting to read there story.
I *think* I would have been confused and lost if I didn't know the previous background.
Even though its a stand alone, I don't think I would have enjoyed it if I hadn't read all the previous books.
Mede and Sparkle already had my heart and I was anxiously waiting to read there story.
I *think* I would have been confused and lost if I didn't know the previous background.
July 27, 2017
Fantastic
I have been waiting for this book for awhile and I must say I loved every single minute. Sparkle and Medes' story was fantastic. I got to see some old favorites and was very happy to see some new troublemakers. I hope this series continues.
'
I have been waiting for this book for awhile and I must say I loved every single minute. Sparkle and Medes' story was fantastic. I got to see some old favorites and was very happy to see some new troublemakers. I hope this series continues.
'
August 3, 2017
Have been waiting forever for a new book from her, tried to make it last didn't work. Sparkle stardust is back with the love of her life but since they r cosmic troublemakers they can't love someone, can they? Really good book. Enjoyed there fights making up and everything that goes with it.
November 12, 2017
Loved all the other books but after waiting so long I was very disappointed, couldn’t get into the story line. Didn’t seem to be the same series or something totally off. I have not been able to finish reading, only about 1/3 way and had to quit.
August 2, 2017
Entertainment
There is more evil than you believe sometimes. But love can solve a lots of problems. Realizing that you have friends and sometimes you need them can help also.
There is more evil than you believe sometimes. But love can solve a lots of problems. Realizing that you have friends and sometimes you need them can help also.
September 8, 2017
Another great story, very curious about the next book, this one doesn't give any hints about it.
September 24, 2017
Review will come as soon as I have the time to reread it
November 27, 2017
This was perfect! I loved it.
June 21, 2018
Love this book!
Nina did it up right. I love the NEW ending. The new kids would be a great start for a new series. They were definitely fun characters.
Nina did it up right. I love the NEW ending. The new kids would be a great start for a new series. They were definitely fun characters.
November 14, 2018
Boring. Expected much more for Sparkles story. Read like fan fiction instead.
June 26, 2019
Forever is a mighty long time
I love Nina Bangs. The cast of characters that reside in the castle of dark dreams universe are so much fun, and so endearing.
I love Nina Bangs. The cast of characters that reside in the castle of dark dreams universe are so much fun, and so endearing.
August 9, 2019
I love this book so much.
I want Nina to write an YA book about the teens.
If she doesn't I will (fan fiction ftw)
I want Nina to write an YA book about the teens.
If she doesn't I will (fan fiction ftw)
May 24, 2025
Been a fan for a long time, one of my favorite authors. I hate to see the series end, but what a way to go!!!
February 25, 2018
Awesome
Nina Bangs brings laughter, tears and hope into her books. Excitement at every turn. Great read and I would recommend it to anyone into paranormal romance.
Nina Bangs brings laughter, tears and hope into her books. Excitement at every turn. Great read and I would recommend it to anyone into paranormal romance.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews