A Curse in Darkness

The Thornheart Trials #1

by Sherilee Gray

Willow

I once faced evil…and lost.

With the fate of my family—and our magic—suddenly in my hands, I vow to protect them no matter what. But the coven trials have claimed many witches, and vanquishing malevolent spirits, while hunting a possessed hellhound on a killing spree, is far more than I bargained for.

Now the hellhound’s domineering alpha is shadowing me. More beast than man, Warrick both tempts and terrifies. Still, I can’t resist our overwhelming attraction and when a twisted enemy makes their move and I’m faced with an impossible choice, I need him more than ever.

But fortune is fickle, and in a world full of monsters, falling in love can be hazardous to your health—and your heart.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Witches, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance, Shapeshifters

374 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2021

About the author

Sherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other.

Sign up for Sherilee's newsletter for updates and giveaways: http://www.sherileegray.com/contactne...

Reviews

[Uswah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.45 stars ⭐️

This book started off so strong. The prologue alone had me hooked. I didn’t want to stop reading for even a second! 🤭 The mystery, the story, the overprotective MMC with the witchy FMC… I was really into the whole “witch and hellhound” dynamic. It was such a fun and promising setup.

Yes, there were a few cringey lines here and there, not too many, but the kind that make you giggle and cringe at the same time 😅 Still, the mystery itself was intriguing and definitely held my attention for a while. 🙂‍↕️

So… why 2.45 stars???

Let’s start with the characters. In the beginning, some of them confused me. I figured we'd get more detailed backstories or relationship explanations as the book went on, but that didn’t really happen. Later I found out this is a spin-off from the Knights of the Hells series, which makes sense now. That explained some of the character confusion, but to be fair, the book can be read as a standalone… it just left me wanting more context. 🤧🤧

But my main issue was the flow of the story. It had so much potential. I was genuinely excited but somewhere along the way, I lost interest. The pacing felt off, and there were parts where I just wanted to skim through. 😩 I stuck with it, hoping it would pick back up, but unfortunately, it just didn’t click for me. Something felt missing… maybe the emotional or narrative momentum? 😢😭

I’m honestly so sad 😢 because I had high hopes for this one. I was so into it at the start. But hey… it is what it is. Can’t change how it turned out. 😭

That’s all. Love y’all 🫶🖤

——————————————
𖤝 pre-read 𖤝

Recommended by my love Lin 🤭🌷 but I’m going in blind. Lowk excited tho 👀

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Curse in Darkness is book one in the brand new series, The Thornheart Trials, by Sherilee Gray. This series is a spin off of Sherilee’s Knights of Hell series. But, you in no way are required to have read that series. Even though I highly recommend it because it’s absolutely amazing. But this book! Wow! This book is…EVERYTHING! It took me about two days to read and for those two days, I thought of nothing else. I was in this world and no where else. Reviewing it is hard because I feel like I'm not going to say enough! That I won't put into words just how amazing this book is!



Willow Thornheart is the eldest of the four Thornheart sisters, a family of powerful witches, and Willow was the most powerful. She has always thought of herself as the protector of the family. She bears the weight of the responsibility of this task on her shoulders. To gain all of her powers, Willow must complete a task given to her by mother earth. After she completes the task, she will also have to win in a trial against another witch. If she fails, her family will lose their power. Willow’s power comes from the earth and wind. She has a familiar, as does everyone in her family. Hers is a fox shifter who is also her best friend.

“The task was going to take me places I didn’t want to go, that I wasn’t sure I could go, but had to anyway. And I was terrified I’d fail.”



Warrick is the alpha of the hellhounds. They live under the ruse of being a motorcycle club called the Devil Dogs. Hellhounds are soulless. Warrick doesn’t feel emotion or love. But he’s been drawn to Willow since the first time he saw her. He knows she is his mate. He watches her, he protects her. But he hasn’t been able to convince her that he is more. That they are destined to be together.



Willow doesn’t believe in love or marriage. But she knows that if she gave herself to Warrick, he would destroy her heart. So she keeps her distance. But when things start happening, it’s Warrick she has to turn to for help. Evil spirits are on the loose. They find a host, and then force that host to do horrible things. Is finding these evil spirits and sending them back to where they came from Willow’s task she must complete?



This was told from dual POV’s but mostly, it was Willow’s. This woman carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. So much was happening at the same time, my heart was pounding. But she still had to go on, to keep trying to figure out what was going on, to keep her family safe. Warrick is always there, he always seems to know where she is. Little by little you can see him wearing her down, breaking down that thick barrier she has around her heart. Willow is so strong and such a perfect match for Warrick. The chemistry between these two could melt glaciers. I could literally FEEL Warrick’s attraction to Willow.



This book was non-stop from beginning to end. I am already in love with the Thornheart family. And Warrick couldn’t have been more swoony. I recommend not consuming caffeine while reading this book. And probably not finishing it at bedtime like I did and then laying there in bed not able to sleep with all those feelings. This is a fantastic book and I simply cannot wait for the next one.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is okay, your typical urban fantasy plot (wherein our protagonist went here and there to solve a mystery while someone is trying to keep killing her).

Though the heroine did rub my nerves most of the time there.

[Carvanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Hades!!! What an awesome beginning to this new series!





Willow is fierce in her loyalty and dedication to her family. The things she has already been through for their protection pales in comparison to what lays in store for her. She’s carrying the world on her shoulders and will go to any lengths to make sure her loved ones are safe. Her fight against her feelings for Warrick couldn’t withstand his stout determination to claim her.





Warrick was magnificent in all his hellhoundedness! He was jealous, possessive and protective in the extreme. He growled with displeasure as well as satisfaction giving me all the wonderful alpha goodness I love. Watching him battle against his need to grab and claim Willow was a delicious torture as he barely kept his hound reined in.





This was one wild adventure of shifters, familiars, witches and magic. Within the first few pages this story took off and it never slowed down. It kept me eagerly turning pages, anxious to learn what new torment either of these characters would be facing. The additional characters offer some awesome promises of more magical mayhem and danger in the future and I can’t wait!

Dual POV
Safe h not a virgin; H seems like he might be a bit of a manwhore but he is not - he is celibate from the moment he meets the h; ow drama - the h thinks he’s been with ow but he has not been; om drama - h makes a deal to marry om to save her family - resolved within a few pages
Triggers intent to rape but nothing happened

[Lori R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Hounds of Hell!!! This was SO GOOD!! I finished this yesterday and my heart is still reeling, my mind is still blown.

First, I’d like to start out by staking claim to Warrick. That soulless beast is mine. I need him, I crave him, I love him. I want him to want me so badly that he’d rip off the head of anyone that dares to touch me. #truelove

Witches and demons and shifters, oh my.
Hellhounds, spells, and spirits, oh yes.

The creative mind and storytelling talent of this author just blows me away. To say I’m highly impressed is an understatement. To come up with this story, this world, these characters…wowza. Let me just say, my socks are rocked right off.

There’s no way my review will do this book justice. It’s that good. This book was everything.

The world building is absolutely amazing. Everything is so vividly explained and easy to visualize. I read this book and felt like a movie was playing out in front of me. I felt like I was a part of it. I swear I could hear the growls, feel the wind and leaves blowing during a witch’s spell, see all the creatures, and facial expressions, and all the colors. I didn’t just read this story, I experienced it.

Warrick has been drawn to Willow since the moment he laid those sexy, red glowing eyes on her. He needs to protect her, keep her safe. He wants her in his bed. She has no clue why he keeps showing up when she’s in trouble. She doesn’t want him, nor need him…or does she? She keeps denying his advances and he would get so frustrated. Poor big fella. LOL

The sexual tension between them was so strong and thick and I could feel it vibrating off the pages. The passion so delicious and scorching hot it snapped, crackled, and popped. These two together are FIRE.

I hear Willow was introduced in the Knights of Hell series. I didn’t read those books (but I so want to NOW!) but that didn’t take away anything from this book. It was still out of this world, crazy good and I loved it so much.

From the lovable Thornheart family to the protectiveness and growliness of the hellhounds to this magical, mystical world, I couldn’t love this story any harder if I tried.

A Curse in Darkness was utterly captivating and intoxicating and packed full of heart-pounding goodness. This book more than blew my mind, it consumed me.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the eldest and Keeper of her coven, Willow Thornheart must successfully complete a series of tasks given to her by Mother Earth or else their magic will be taken away. Should be easy given that she’s the strongest and most powerful in her family, but something evil is afoot.

In need of help tracking down a possessed Hellhound, Willow reaches out to the sexy as sin Alpha, Warrick. The chemistry between these two is astronomical 🥵 He is a man who knows what he wants, and while Willow is unsure about giving herself completely to Warrick, he never once falters in his devotion to her.

A Curse in Darkness is an action packed dual POV PNR that will hook you in from the very first chapter and will take you on one heck of a ride. Can’t wait to read more of this series!

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read the start to the Thornheart Trials series from Sherilee Gray. Her writing is as addicting as the sexy alpha growly heroes she writes. This series is a spinoff from her Knights of Hell series but can be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed Willow and Warrick. They were sexy and the banter was fantastic. 

The minute Warrick met Willow we could feel the connection come off the pages. I really enjoyed their relationship. There aren't many instances in books where the male hero just knows she is the one and we as readers are watching the heroine play catch up. I LOVED that about this story. I also loved the explosive chemistry between the two. It sizzled right off the pages! 

All in all this was a fantastic first book in the series and I cannot wait for more! 4 stars! ~Ratula 

[Angela Hates Books]

I honestly don’t know how this ended up in my kindle but I thought I’d give it a shot.

This book isn’t written very well. We are introduced to SO MANY characters and many of them for absolutely no reason. There are characters introduced and a short sentence about them but they add absolutely nothing to the plot or the scene even. It was kind of funny to read scenes where the MC is like “Oh there’s a guy over there I knew in high school and his ex is this girl and these are his parents,” but we don’t actually talk or interact with this person AT ALL. Why are there soooo many characters?!!? Also we are plopped into this story so abruptly and it makes no sense. There’s not a lot of character development happening, it’s just a lot of witchcraft and stuff that doesn’t make much sense.

I DNFed this around 50%. Just couldn’t make it through.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun!!! I feel like there was some prequel or previous series that I definitely missed out reading, and that led to a little confusion with the worldbuilding and characters, but I worked it out after a while and truly enjoyed myself. It was the perfect guilty pleasure read - addictive, dual pov with loveable characters, and romance-heavy with some steam. However there was also a fair bit of plotline and fantasy, which I appreciated! All in all, a very enjoyable romantasy read.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings? Yes! Under the “about” page.

Safety?
Minor OW drama, the MMC let’s the FMC think that he’s been sleeping with ow since he put a “claim” on her. In the beginning of the book there are multiple women trying to get into his room, but he doesn’t let them in. MMC has been celibate since meeting the FMC.
I don’t think the FMC was with anyone since meeting the MMC. There is OM drama, an ex that cheated on her and then an ex hook up who the MMC gets jealous of. She lies to the MMC saying that she still loves this OM that cheated on her in high school and that she wants to get married to him, but all she wanted was protection for her sick younger sister.

My thoughts?
I felt conflicted but I also kept reading? So it wasn’t bad by any means.

Here’s a quick list of the things that were irking me:
MMC forever pushing sex as a love language (i get why it happened, but it also made the FMC feel like just a hook up to him)
The FMC leaving the MMC for the OM, if this would have been a MMC doing this I would have stopped reading the story (thank goodness for double standards eh? Heh)

The twist at the end had my mind whirling but I was relieved that their HEA worked out. There was also something incredibly endearing that Lucifer has a cat. I was definitely left wanting to read the other books, and there was good world building.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like a lot of "grrrr I'm an alpha" vs “grrrr I'm an independent witch" then this is the book for you. The plot was a bit meh, I was missing some background information here and there but apparently this is a spin-off series so that makes sense.

I was entertained enough though, probably won't be reading more of this series as I feel like it will just be more of the same.

[Timitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated 4.5 Stars

A Curse In Darkness was pretty good. I loved Willow and Warrick 's story. It's one I've been waiting for since the Knight's of Hell series. I expected their story to be good which it was but it exceeded my expectations. It was magic filled. It was steamy. There were twists and turns and so much more. I definitely recommend it.

[Shelley C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thornheart Trials🧙‍♀️

This is the book you’ve all been waiting for….Willow, our red-headed powerful witch and the Alpha Hellhound, Warrick❣️If you remember Willow, we first met her in the Knights of Hell series - this series is a spin off but can be read as a standalone, though if you want more background to this series then I would definitely recommend starting on the Knights series first🤩

Willow has recently been assigned a position in her Coven that she never expected to receive. Now, she’s Keeper of her Coven and expected to complete trials set by Mother, but she has a family she loves that she feels she needs to protect as well as their familiars, distractions in the form of a sexy Alpha oh, and spirit possessions😳

Suffice to say this book will blow your mind and have you wanting more😍 I can’t wait to read more about Willow’s sisters - Iris, Mags and Rose🥀 I received an advanced copy and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️

[Shelley]

Started and didn’t finish.

[Ashley S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5☆ I had to triple check that I was reading Book 1 and not some sequel, and that I didn't miss any chapters at the beginning.

FMC was a bit annoyingly self-sacrificing but she wasn't too terrible. MMC felt flat, or maybe I was already just skimming by the time the author decided to develop his character further, in which case I would've missed it.

I don't really remember anything I like about this book, except that I typically like UF and this is a UF book. 2.5☆ since it wasn't too bad and I was able to get through almost half at 40% before I started skimming.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled with this one, because I thought the writing was good and I was laughing at the wit of the characters quite a few times. I struggled with how much was going on, and I felt like we never given enough world building to make everything make sense

[Readiculous 📚🖤👱🏼‍♀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4th read August 2025: Love it!!

3rd read July 2024: What more can I say? Utter perfection!!

Re-read October 2022: Warrick, Warrick, Warrick you magnificent bastard! ♥️ so good!

Original review:
Holy hellhound that was good!! Warrick has secured a spot very high on my favorite book alpha male list. He was so delicious! Super protective, completely devoted, badass to the bone, jealous and possessive. Seriously, Willow is a lucky lady! Speaking of Willow, she was such a good heroine. She was super badass and strong herself. I do wish she wouldn’t have pushed away Warrick so much, but now I’m nitpicking. The story kept me glued to the pages from the beginning and I read this bad boy in one sitting. There is suspense, action, unexpected twists and turns, hot steam and sweet romance. Interesting side characters and a well developed plot. I’m very pleasantly surprised by this author and will be looking into more of her work! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Safety:
- OW: h thinks H is with someone in his room. He’s not. Fact: he’s been celibate since meeting her over a year ago.
- OM: h receives two marriage proposals. Accepts one to save her sister. H very angry when he finds out, but resolved quickly.
- No cheating
- No separation
- Attempted rape

[BB · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5?

Willow (who's name I forgot) is a whimpering self selected martyr. Her main personality trait is wallowing. But everyone wants her. Not for her personality though. I seriously thought this was going to turn reverse harem a couple different times.

Warrick(who's name I didn't forget) is the only one dumb enough to want her for more than her cemetery. Although with the whole fated mate thing... anyway he's the reason Willow doesn't get passed around

The last few chapters felt out of place and rushed, like someone got written into a corner and couldn't figure out how to get out.

This was clearly a spin off, 0 interest in what comes before or after it.

KindleUnlimited(or was when I borrowed it, now it doesn't seem to be?)

[Rmplift, Rachel Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts off hot. It starts off with the MC having the word "Witch" Carved into her back by a demon. Someone keeps summoning demons and evil souls to harm the witch's family and sabotage her "trials". There is a local pack of hellhounds (werewolves) close by. The pack leader is absolutely infatuated with her and doesn't hide it. Of course, she is pushing him away because she doesn't want to ruin her trials or be married. The pack leader suddenly has to call upon the witch to exercise a demon/bad spirit out of a couple of their pack members.

During all of this happening Willow suddenly strikes a deal for marriage because one of her sisters is sick which sets off drama with the hellhounds and warlocks.

This story draaaaaaagged on and needs a little bit of cleaning up. The book would just not end. The author wouldn't summarize it so you are stuck skimming through a section in the middle and towards the end. However, it was still a decent story. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. There's two/threeish romance scenes in this that are OK. Still debating on moving through this series.


Monster romance
enemies to lovers
Canine Mating/Knotting
18+

[•Cici• Theory of A Dreamer Book Blog♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being new to Ms.Gray's work I've been looking forward to picking up her books! As soon as i stumbled across this one I knew i had to read it first! I picked it up as soon as i could. I enjoyed this first installment!

I got into The Thornheart Trials world right from the prologue! Willow and Warrick's journey grabbed my attention. I really liked how i felt many things with these characters and how their story was different and that got me into it even more. I wasn't sure what all was going to happen which i enjoyed.

With A Curse In Darkness, Ms.Gray has created such a good read! I am so looking forward to the second book!


*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from Wildfire Marketing Solutions / the author*

[Medusa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Didn't expect to love it so much. Somehow better than her Knight's series as the characters seemed a bit more fleshed out for me.
Both Warrick and Willow were passionate and grounded on their own.
The story had a remarkable action and a good amount of thrilling details.
I also loved the small glimpses the author allowed us the readers into possible storylines, which are yet to come.
I honestly wanted it last longer.
I am so looking forward to the next one in this series.

[Danielle Levali · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Loved both of the main characters. Willow was a badass, and Warrick was to die for. He hit those touch her and die vibes for sure. And quite literally. This book was really fast paced and had so many rollercoaster moments. And that ending? I was not expecting. Internally, I was repeating "what is going on?"

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a fantasy romance because I love seeing the heroine and hero work together towards a common purpose. There was a bit of that in here, but I wanted so much more. I was invested in the characters, but the heroine felt too immature at times. The tone of this read more like young adult/new adult than adult because of all of the unnecessary angst. It wasn't unbearable, but it didn't make sense and the story would've been better without it. The story could've also been shorter because there were things happening, but I think it could've been faster paced, cutting out some unnecessary descriptions.

Willow lied. A lot. She lied over things that she didn't need to lie about. Her first reaction/instinct was never to communicate. I really really didn't like how Willow kept putting Warrick down. This is just one example of the 30+ times (probably more) this occurred through the story:

Warrick didn’t understand. How could he? He didn’t love, he didn’t know what it was to really care about another being. He understood loyalty, but that wasn’t the same. He didn’t even have a soul; how could he ever understand? (p. 181)

Girl already KNEW she loved him ("There was only one male I wanted, would ever want." p. 269) and chose to lie to him (saying she was in love with someone else). I constantly felt so bad for Warrick; he deserves someone who believes in him. Willow's mother gave her great advice about love and she was like "Totally agree that Warrick fits all of this, but...he doesn't tell me he LOVES me, so he must not. Also, he is incapable of loving."

“I’ve had men tell me they love me, then hurt me with their very next breath. Love isn’t what someone says, it’s what they do. Warrick is protective and attentive. When he makes a promise, he keeps it, there’s no BS with him. There will never be that gray area, the shadow of doubt, hovering over you. I’d take that over someone’s declaration of love any day, Wills.” (p. 251)

And the storyline was predictable in that Willow took up Clayton on his offer for an arranged marriage but I appreciated that the sisters, especially Rose, came through and were like "No, bitch. Communicate with us and Warrick. Don't do all these things we never asked you to do for us." And then the conflict with Warrick (it was so heartbreaking to read about his anguish and broken heart every time Willow lied to him) was resolved within a matter of pages. If this conflict had dragged on, I would've DNFed immediately. I was really considering DNFing when Willow rejected Warrick for what seemed like the hundredth time with NO reason at all.

Also wanted to note that this was a bit darker than expected. Mostly I wasn't prepared for side characters getting hurt permanently; even if the characters weren't featured that much before their "hurt", it was still hard to read because it was obvious there was going to be an emotional and physical toll on them afterwards.

Oh and before I forget, there were a whole lot of commas in the first fourth of the book. It bothered me to the point where it took me out of reading because I couldn't get into a flow. In my opinion, most of the commas didn't serve a grammatical purpose. But once things started picking up, I started noticing the excessive amount of commas less.

Good things: The dirty talking was impeccable. The love story was slow-burn, but once the fucking started, it continued, and I appreciated that. I looked forward to the moments with Willow and Warrick, and I was rooting for them.

Favorite quotes:

“I’ve waited a thousand years for you, Willow. You have no idea, none. My life was nothing but rage and pain and fire. I never even let myself imagine leaving Hell,” he growled. “And I sure as fuck never dreamed a female like you could exist. First time I saw you, all this fucking gorgeous red hair, eyes full of fire, and a heart full of courage, I knew you were mine.”

I stared up at him, struggling to breathe. He was decimating that wall I’d lived behind one word at a time.

“You make me whole, dove. I don’t need a soul, because that’s what you are. You’re my fucking soul.” Then he said to me those same harsh words in his language he had several times before.

My eyes stung and I fought back the tears. Warrick was my lifeline, my everything, and over the coming months, I knew he’d be the one to keep me sane when my world felt like it was falling apart.

He deserved the truth. He deserved everything from me.

I smiled up at him, cupping his bearded cheek. “And you’re my heart.” (pp. 284-285)

Warrick gave me a squeeze as if he were trying to take the pain and hurt from me, and when I was in his arms like this, I almost believed he could. For a short time, anyway. (p. 306)

I would do anything, give up anything for her, to be with her. She was my world. (p. 308)

“I don’t know what love is, dove, or if I’m capable of feeling it. But I do know I will kill anyone who hurts you, that I want you, that I will always and only want you. And that not having you by my side for the rest of eternity is an eternity not worth living.” (pp. 317-318)

[Anaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Could not put it down. I usually do not like inner monologues and they boar me, not from this heroine. Loved the story, tension, heroine and the hero, side characters. I am so happy that I found this book. Will read all that come out. I would give this book more that 5 stars.

[Hanna Karlsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely amazing book. Interesting plot and dynamic between the characters. Read this in one day and can’t wait to start the second one.

[~V~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this a lot!!

[Katie Balla]

DNF at 78%! sorry I was just so bored and I cringed too many times to even want to think about this book

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gold Mine

I was skeptical when this book came across my recommendations. The rec algorithm has been off for a while but I decided to give this book a try.

I’m so glad I did! This book was amazing and I loved Willow and Warrick. I didn’t feel that he was too alpha or too sappy since it’s written in dual POV. And I also didn’t feel like willow was too stubborn and sappy. It was the right balance. I can’t wait to read the next book.

[Ruxandra Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

you know what? for a book I got for free on Amazon for "stuff your kindle" day it was pretty good. Nice, engaging story, a little bit of mystery and the characters were ok too. So yeah, enjoyed this one.

[Hasi | hasi.readsromance · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good!!! RTC