The Dark One

Vicious Lost Boys #2

by Nikki St. Crowe

I spent most of my life feeling dead inside -- until I met Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

It wasn't until Pan and Neverland that I finally felt alive.

But things are not all full of magic and sunlight on the island. There's something darker and more sinister haunting the forest.

And worse, the fae queen and Captain Hook are ready to fight for control of Neverland and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Including using the one thing Pan never thought he wanted or needed -- me. I'm a descendant of the Darling family and now I belong to him and the Lost Boys.

War is brewing -- can the Never King get his shadow back and assume his rightful throne? And if he does, where will I fit?

Or will all of Neverland be in jeopardy right along with my dark, twisted heart?

NOTE: The Dark One is book two in the Vicious Lost Boys series. It is a dark reimagining of Peter and Wendy. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy The Dark One and the Lost Boys. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes.

Please check the author's website for CWs.

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Romance, Dark, Why Choose, Audiobook, Spicy

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 24, 2022

About the author

Nikki St. Crowe is a USA Today and No. 1 Amazon Bestselling Author specializing in dark, spicy romantasy where the villain gets the girl and the girl gets the power.

Nikki considers the start of her professional career to be in the 4th grade when she placed 2nd in a Young Author’s Competition. Back then she crafted stories about magical mansions and lost treasure. She’s since ditched the treasure hunts, but she'll never give up on the magical mansions (or the morally grey men who inhabit them).

These days, when Nikki isn’t writing or daydreaming about villains, she can either be found in the woods or at home with her husband and daughter.


For information on new releases, sign up for Nikki’s newsletter, The Forbidden Garden: https://nikkistcrowe.myflodesk.com/th...

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, I know this series has become a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s just a really erotic and unique spin on Peter Pan lore. And I honestly don’t know what they put in that Neverland water, but Jesus Christ are these Lost Boys and the Darlings horny as can be. Like do they all just drink liquid Viagra nonstop? I think Winnie had some form of sex about twenty times in just over two hundred pages. You’d think she’d be pretty worn out and walking with a permanent shimmy, but guess again. Just graphic and filthy lovin’ all over the place, lol. But all joking aside, there is more to this than just the uncensored carnal pleasures that consume a good portion of the pages. The story was very much a direct sequel to the original book, but layered some much needed depth to the characters and Neverland. You have the different territories and they’re all at odds with one another, and we get some really good background as to who is related to who, why things are set up a certain way, etc. And it sets up a really exciting third book with the imminent arrival of a fan favorite character that has a score to settle with Pan and Hook. Not to spoil anything, but the clock is ticking. So as much as I hate deviating from my normal reading curriculum of horror, psychological terror, monsters eating unsuspecting hitchhikers and such, I am under the spell of the Never King.

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than the first one because it had more action combined with smut in places that made sense, but I think this whole trilogy could be condensed into one book if we're being honest.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need the next one asap!!!!

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The banter between characters is glorious.
Vane is my love.
The cliffhanger was fun.

That is all.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have one weird criticism.

I wish there were less smut.



The plot is, something I noticed in the first book, was actually pretty interesting. Maybe that's why I was more curious about the plot rather than the smut. So yeah, a pretty nice series.

[Karla Martínez · Rating 4 out of 5]

igualmente interesada en la trama y el sexo.
la estoy pasando increíble.

[Kursed Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark One picks up right where The Never King ended. We know Pan’s shadow, along with an unexpected second shadow, have been found. Likewise, Winnie has made her choice to return to Neverland and live with Pan and the Lost Boys. In TDO we come along for the adventure that ensues following the discovery. We learn where loyalties lie, we have questions answered, and new mysteries unfold.

I don’t want to say much because I don’t want to give anything away. I’ll tell you that I loved seeing Winnie’s strength in this installment. She gives as good as she gets and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable.

“…stop treating me like a fragile toy. I’m not. I’m a china cup that has been broken so many times that I’m never sure if I’m a cup or just separate pieces held together by glue and sheer determination, molded into a cup-like shape. I know how to crack and I know how to mend. At least with you all, I know I will never mend alone.”

We also see more than just the superficial with Vane in TDO and, if you weren’t sure about him before, I think you’ll swoon now.

The Dark One is not a Disney-esque Peter Pan retelling. Pan and his Lost Boys are dïckîsh, dėpravėd, a dash dėränged, and I want MORE! And I’m in a huff over the cliffy because WTA-FCUKING-F?!?!?! I mean, yes, we saw where it was heading. But 😳🫣🤬

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥1/2
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
Ending: Cliffy
POV: Multiple

🗂 Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance

✨ Tropes: Fairytale Retelling, Rėversė Harėm, Enemies-to-Lovers

🫦 Kinks: Rėstraînts/Bôndäge, Brėäth Play

⛔️ Warning: This book may cause blushing, squirming, combusting panties, and/or self-care.

⚠️ Safety Squad: Violėncė. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!

📣 Type: The Dark One is part of the Vicious Lost Boys series and ends on a cliffhanger.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

[Poppyflowerjj · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 ⭐
4/5 🌶️

Very very dark retelling of Peter Pan and his lost boys. This series is sexy, deliciously dark, full of lust and torment. Book 2 didn’t disappoint!

Now I’ll be (im)patiently waiting for book 3! THAT CLIFFHANGER!! Ugh WTF

#1 The Never King ★★★ | 3.75 stars
#2 The Dark One ★★★★ | 4.25 stars

Quotes:
“I will pick Darling over my own wings because with her I am already flying. She is mine and I am hers.”

“He is an unholy sight. And I will never stop sinning for him.”

“She’ll checkmate your ass before you even know you’re sitting at the board.”

[➦Paulette & Her Sexy Alphas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark One


I couldn’t wait to start this installment due to it’s Cliffhanger. But The storyline picks up right where it ended in the last book- thank God – that Cliffhanger was over the top


I want you to close your eyes for moment and I bet you money that you do not remember Peter Pan and the lost boys like this ……
let's not fool ourselves and think that this is going to be sweet romance book…… just admit that this is dark erotic tale , and come on what do you think one woman is going to do with 4 adult sexy alpha males? That are basically starving for one woman’s attention. If I have to spell it out for you, then you shouldn't be reading this book.



So yeah, this is dark, twisted version of Neverland
… yeah, Neverland is full of magic and creatures. Yeah, the author was able to pretty much use all of the characters you remember from your youth, she just put her own twist to it.

Will there be betrayal?
Will there be people that we underestimate?
Will Peter Pan and the lost boys Be able to Find the ‘Shadow”?
Will Vane Be able to control his dark Shadow?
Will Kas and Bash return to their fae kingdom?




Fair warning.
And damn there was another Crazy Cliffhanger ……This one’s more over the top than the last one.

[Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when you mix a reverse harem with the fictional Peter pan and the lost boys who really aren't boys but good-looking supernatural guys with big dicks and even bigger darksides! The dark One is book two in this fuckfest and Nikki St Crowe held nothing back!!!! This was a whole lot of sex done dirty! Holy shit! I think Winnie could give Linda loveless some lessons on how to give head. No wonder these guys are falling at her feet. This is erotica at its best and the storyline isn't bad either. I do love how Nikki has to given each of these characters depth and back stories that makes you like them and even lust after them. This isn't about sweet words and actions its raw and in your face and the words and sex is really hard,dirty and at times over the top! But Nikki St Crowe is a awesome writer and she isnt afraid to let lose! This series is a total guilty pleasure so if adult language or act's bother you its not for you. Their was a twist on the last half of the book that I did see coming and all I'm gonna say is.... Love makes us do stupid shit! If I was Cherry I'd fucking start running now! Big mistake! Until next time Luv's💗💋

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had a £ for every time I shouted 'but that makes NO SENSE' while listening to this audiobook I'd be rich, rich I tell you.

I want to say this was better than the first one but that would be a lie. There's still no world building, no character development (in fact, more characters are added in here who make no logical sense) and only a vague outline of a plot. Again, it's a series of sex scenes with a thinly veiled plot built around them. The sex scenes aren't even that good to compensate.

Yet I'm still here listening to these books. I'm developing some kind of involuntary twitch every time someone says the word 'darling', and I want to scream into the void every time one of the blokes mentions Winnie's downstairs area but I just can't stop listening. I hate it here.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its not one of the best written romances out there but so bingable and I completely devour the audiobooks. Short but not that sweet and I'm sad that the third one isn't available in my book app. The end had such an intriguing cliffhanger. I'm not one for cliffhanger usually but this has me very very curious

[anouk♡ semi-hiatus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm a bit on the fence with this one.
I can't believe I'm saying this.. but maybe there's a bit tooo much smut?
I know, weird right.🤷🏼‍♀️
Anyway, things got a bit repetitive, some parts felt a bit awkward.
Still gonna read the rest of the series though. 🖤

[Ri ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

“Maybe we’re all a little fucked up and vile. Maybe that’s why I feel like I might actually belong here.”

This series is the perfect unhinged escapism. I'm so addicted to these books and Vane. This was so much better than book 1. This only gets better as the story progress and the world building is also expanding as we move forward with the plot and the mysteries of Never land. There's still a lot to unpack but I am so ready for all the drama and thrill.

The smut was just so hot and delicious and it is one thing this series is famous for and I did started this series for that but I stayed for plot and Peter Pan and Vane now.

The relationship between the lost boys and Winnie feels a little forced when they all go to the emotional side of it because it all started with sex. But I feel some kind of different connection between Vane and Winnie and maybe it's because they both have broken pasts and they both are in need of some family of their own, but I highly ship these two.


➸ Vane: Give me all the broken hearted and dangerous man. Vane is the best character and my favourite in this series. He's brutal, unforgiving and vicious but he's also a man who hides so much of his true-self behind the 'The dark one' personage the people created for him. He really went from “I want to kill and ruin Darling” to “Let me take care of you and kill for you” in this book. I can't wait to know more about his mysterious and dark past.

Vane inhales and says on a growl, “Darling, who did that to you?”

“I am here,” he says, his voice raspy at my ear as he holds me at his side, his fingers trailing up my arm. “Do you feel that?”
“Yes.” I shiver beneath him.
“I am here and I am real and I’m not going anywhere.”

Do I really need to give you any more reasons for my obsession with him?


➸ Pan: He is dangerous and possessive but he's also such a softie inside for Winnie and his people. I liked seeing this side of him where he not only wants Winnie to be his and lost boys girl but also wants to take care of her and all her scars.

“He is an unholy sight. And I will never stop sinning for him.”

➸ Winnie: She's still oscillating between broken darling or horny darling. I seriously want her to pick up some other personality traits and we get it she has high libido all the time for all four lost boys but stop being a pathetic and whiny girl who only wants lost boys and their glorious dicks.

➸ Kas and Bash: The twins are the normal one in their group, well as normal as a person on Never land can be. They are merciful, sweet and caring but I still don't fully believe them. I like Bash though, but Kas gives me an ick.


The ending? Cherry seriously needs to go and fuck herself before Vane gets there and kill her by his own damn hands. I need to pick up book 3 soon because what the actual fuck was that ending?

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

I’ve been dying to get my hands on The Dark One since I fell in love with The Never King, and oh my god it was so worth the wait!

I honestly don’t even know where to begin. Winnie’s character growth in TDO is *chefs kiss*. She finally stakes her claim on Pan and The Lost Boys, and I love seeing the softness she brings to the group. Also. I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen even more in love with Vane in this book, and I didn’t think that was possible.

There’s still tons of Neverland political drama, as well as some shady shit with a scorned lover, AND more secrets are revealed about Pan and the boys. I’m legit gagging for book 3, I need it after that cliffy 😩😭

[D.L. Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
🎧🎧🎧🎧

Well, we stepped up our porn game in this one. Good god, the twins gave me all the kink I could possibly want. Plus the raw intensity that is Vane. Of course we can’t live without Pan’s possessiveness.

Outside of the smut we discover almost everyone is related to a key player from the original story, interesting.

Winny managed to make an enemy of her greatest ally. Way to go you horny bitch! 🤣💀

Then Pan’s damn shadow, that thing’s slippier than a greased pig.

Overall another entertaining romp through Neverland.

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I still enjoyed this one, I didn't love it as much as I did with the first book, I guess with this one I kind of lost that connection I had with the characters as the focus seemed to be more on their sexual episodes which kind of lost me for a bit, but in no way am I saying it wasn't hot because yep the heat factor went up a notch.
Out of all of the characters Vane's book was the one I couldn't wait to jump into, the dark untouchable one, and he didn't disapoint.

[Rebecca (life's chaotic catching up) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t help it, these are entertaining AF 😂 I mean leave your morality at the door but they are so fun! Also bc they are so short you can fly through them.

[Huda · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Love Vane
-Great-ish smut
Thats it.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

“This is all so f**king stupid”
^^^ yeah….it kind of is.

This is a dark fantasy, fairy tale retelling of sorts, but what’s interesting is the most unbelievable part about this whole novel isn’t the magic or flying or eternal youth….it’s how these people could fall in love with each other simply because of sex. Insane. There is zero romantic chemistry or love potential there at all. Winnie is just majorly desperate for attention, approval, affection, she’s just bland. Needy, whiney, h*rny, and bland. She’s perfect for their harem though because she’s able to shift into whatever each man needs, because she needs to be whatever they want so that she feels wanted, I guess because her mother really messed her up.

So onto the story: it picks up immediately where book one left off and it’s honestly just more of the same.

Here are some questions I had reading this book:

-Why are they mad that Vane defended himself when Winnie essentially assaulted him? He told her no, she still touched him, and she got what she deserved.
-What is a brownie? (this question started in book one, and still hasn’t been answered by book 2 and I fear it never will be answered)
-Do the ladies of this novel have to be motivated by jealousy towards the Darling women? First Tink, now Cherry. They could just be dark and power hungry like the men are. We don’t have to always pit women against women for the attention of a man.
-Why do we have to focus on the twins’ hair? If we do nothing about it, then it was really filler material, as well as things like the random parakeet showing up.
-How is Wendy the great-great grandmother of Winnie if it was Wendy’s sister’s line that Pan was stealing the Darlings from? Or did Wendy have a kid before meeting Peter and he just stole her sister and then Wendy’s daughter when she was 18 and then continued with Wendy’s line? I am very confused concerning this.
-wait…so it wasn’t Wendy that helped Tink steal Pan’s shadow? I am very confused.
-okay, so if it was stolen pre-Wendy, then Wendy had a kid pre-kidnap? Me = Confusion.

So yeah….I did not love this one. It ended on a cliffhanger-ish again, where, sure, it’s a cliffhanger, but I don’t need to read the next book immediately, you know? Like, it was meh on the excitement level.

**Quick PSA based on content in this novel: please don’t ever put soap or a soapy washcloth near/in your nether regions, AFAB people. It’ll mess up the natural PH balance going on down there. Also, back door stuff? Spit is never the answer. That poor girl…Also, also, no safe words = no bueno**

[Tuba Özkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Konulu porno gibi.

Bir yandan da işte o konuyu merak da ediyorsun.

Peter Pan retellingi ama bele bişi yok :D

[☆EmilyEverAfter☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ohhhh, that ending. 🫢

[purlpur · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️ перша книга
2.5⭐️ друга
це можна вважати за покращення? 😅
щось на цікаві ретелінги пітера пена мені поки не щастить. але чомусь планую читати це творіння далі. не питайте 🌚

[Laurens.Little.Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

I can’t stop. These are so fun

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dark tale of Peter Pan trying to reclaim the shadow that was taken from him by Tinkerbell. Winnie has decided to stay in Neverland with Pan and the Lost Boys. But as the tensions continue to rise between Pan and Captain Hook and the fae court, it is anyone's guess what shall happen next.

The sex was steamy and the plot was fast paced. I am loving this read.


Goodreads review published 17/12/22

[Izzy Valentine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't a bad book, but I feel like this one lacked. I liked the first one, but I didn't like this one as much. I liked the female MC in the first, but in this one, she was less likable and more desperate. I'm not into deserpate females. The guys were okay, and the story was okay. It just felt like something was missing the entire time I was reading it, and it left me feeling like it was lacking something. Depth, maybe.

[Luna ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

» We are four hungry men. Do you think you‘re capable of keeping up with our appetites? «

★

❥ 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆
She‘s a whore - according to herself.

❥ 𝑷𝒂𝒏 & 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒚𝒔
Pan is a „bad“ boy. Vane is just strange (and changes his mood every second). Kas & Bash are sweethearts.


✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
Worse than the first book lmao.
My trust in booktok and goodreads reviews 📉. HOW THE FUCK can people rate this shitty book with 4/5 stars? Are you all so horny? Because this book is bad (including the smut scenes).
The „plot“ is boring with sooo many plot holes. The characters are bland and developed not a single bit, they didn‘t have any characteristics besides that they like sex. It feels like this book was written by a 14 years old (very horny) highschool girl on wattpad (no front). And if the smut scenes were actually good I could understand the good reviews a tiny bit, but the sex was awkward and cringe without any emotions or tension. Just bad.

Please don‘t waste your time on this book.

plot: 1/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 1/5
couple/tension: 2/5
world building: 4/5
happy end?: cliff hanger

keywords: forced proximity, neverland, peter pan retelling, reverse harem, magic, fae

[Ivana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The spice in this one😩 VANE🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻

The Dark One is the sequel to The Never King. The storyline picks up right where it ended, and we go through the adventures of trying to get Pan’s shadow back along with more background info on our boys.

Honestly this was just spice with some plot. The plot we did get was really good though, and I love how confident Winnie has gotten in saying what she wanted. The ending was predictable but I still enjoyed it. Can’t wait to see what happens in the third book.

I love Vane

[Souhaila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8⭐

If you're looking for a mind-blowing worldbuilding or a deep and meaningful fairy book, this is not for you but holy freaking hell! The spice is so worth it and let's not fool ourselves anyone who picks this is for the smut not sweet Peter Pan of our childhood😂

I liked The Dark One more than The Never King because there's more character development and the plot makes a lot more sense and it's more interesting than before and those last few chapters and cliffhanger? Unbelievable! I can't wait for the third book.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This one was SO MUCH BETTER than the first. Still spicy as all hell but I’m digging it and Vane is hands down my favorite. The plot was way better in this and I’m intrigued about what’s happening next!! But yes. It’s legit 🌽 ….. but I like it.

That cliff hanger 😳
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5