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Dusk Wall Academy #4
Rose and Rotshade
The monsters we face at war are nothing to the ones awaiting us at the palace…
Oh come off it. You’ve read the other three books. Why is Marie making me write this?
You know I’m pissed.
You know I’m running out of time.
Go bloody read it.
Yours truly.
The Witcher meets Zodiac Academy in a four book romance. Broody vampires. Enemies to lovers. Monsters and magic. Check. Check. Check. All the good stuff. Go buy it.
Author’s Note: This is book features explicit sex and is an adult paranormal romance. It contains dark themes, adult language, intimidation, violence, and triggering situations. For mature readers.
World features: Vampire, fae, demons, witches wolf and dragon shifters
This series is ménage (MFM)
Oh come off it. You’ve read the other three books. Why is Marie making me write this?
You know I’m pissed.
You know I’m running out of time.
Go bloody read it.
Yours truly.
The Witcher meets Zodiac Academy in a four book romance. Broody vampires. Enemies to lovers. Monsters and magic. Check. Check. Check. All the good stuff. Go buy it.
Author’s Note: This is book features explicit sex and is an adult paranormal romance. It contains dark themes, adult language, intimidation, violence, and triggering situations. For mature readers.
World features: Vampire, fae, demons, witches wolf and dragon shifters
This series is ménage (MFM)
- GenresFantasy
ebook
First published August 30, 2022
52 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Marie Mackay
24 books773 followersA British-Canadian writer, artist, and ex nurse currently living in BC, Canada. All the art-from the cover, to the illustrations within the pages-are her own.
I'm a self-proclaimed angst queen, and I write omegaverse and fantasy romance, most often with many lovers per lady. I have a strong preference toward enemies to lovers, bully, and dark romance.
The voices I bring to the paper draw from the distinct social settings in which I have lived, the many places I have travelled, and from my time in health care.
I maintain a commitment not to write pregnancy in my books (including epilogues). While I have nothing against the beauty of babies, my leading ladies find HEAs outside of children <3
I'm a self-proclaimed angst queen, and I write omegaverse and fantasy romance, most often with many lovers per lady. I have a strong preference toward enemies to lovers, bully, and dark romance.
The voices I bring to the paper draw from the distinct social settings in which I have lived, the many places I have travelled, and from my time in health care.
I maintain a commitment not to write pregnancy in my books (including epilogues). While I have nothing against the beauty of babies, my leading ladies find HEAs outside of children <3
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 21, 2022
4/5⭐️
I’m struggling to turn my thoughts into words to describe this book and how it made me feel… I was terrified to pick this up after the cliff hanger we were left with from book 3, this whole series, while I do love Axel don’t get me wrong, I have been team Sylas since the beginning and he just cannot catch a break 😩 All I could hope for what that there was something to redeem him, that everything wasn’t as it seemed…
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I am a firm believer in going in blind with the exception of TW, it makes the story more immersive imo when you’re just reading and experiencing vs waiting for specific plot points.
That being said, There was a LOT to unpack in this, I was having a harder time reading this than the others in the series because of all of the back and forth between past and present and I was a little (okay a lot) frustrated with the plot holes during the book that were a result of this, of course towards the end I was sobbing like a baby completely understanding why Marie wrote this the way she did but frigg I had goosebumps and my heart in my throat basically the whole book but especially the last 25%.
A notable mention which I don’t think really spoils anything, the one chapter which included Maddy and Greyson before the ball… I had to leave the room while reading that.. 10/10
Marie stayed after the conclusion that we are not done with Vostra yet and I’m so thankful for that because I still have so many questions!!! If I could make one complaint though, I just wish we had more of everyone at the end, more of Maddy and Greyson and more of Sylas, Briar and Axel, heck if we can get a one year later novella with some flash backs?? Perfect.
I’m struggling to turn my thoughts into words to describe this book and how it made me feel… I was terrified to pick this up after the cliff hanger we were left with from book 3, this whole series, while I do love Axel don’t get me wrong, I have been team Sylas since the beginning and he just cannot catch a break 😩 All I could hope for what that there was something to redeem him, that everything wasn’t as it seemed…
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I am a firm believer in going in blind with the exception of TW, it makes the story more immersive imo when you’re just reading and experiencing vs waiting for specific plot points.
That being said, There was a LOT to unpack in this, I was having a harder time reading this than the others in the series because of all of the back and forth between past and present and I was a little (okay a lot) frustrated with the plot holes during the book that were a result of this, of course towards the end I was sobbing like a baby completely understanding why Marie wrote this the way she did but frigg I had goosebumps and my heart in my throat basically the whole book but especially the last 25%.
A notable mention which I don’t think really spoils anything, the one chapter which included Maddy and Greyson before the ball… I had to leave the room while reading that.. 10/10
Marie stayed after the conclusion that we are not done with Vostra yet and I’m so thankful for that because I still have so many questions!!! If I could make one complaint though, I just wish we had more of everyone at the end, more of Maddy and Greyson and more of Sylas, Briar and Axel, heck if we can get a one year later novella with some flash backs?? Perfect.
August 28, 2024
this book was 5 ⭐️
But for the whole series I’d say 3.5 rounding up to 4. As mentioned in a previous review in this series, I loooove Mackay and her brand of darkness and I feel like this book did a fantastic job of wrapping the series. There were a number of typos and errors throughout the series, including this book, that if cleaned up would make it feel much more elevated. I love the endings for all of the characters, though I wanted a little more Maddy-Briar time toward the end. Overall, the series felt a little meandering, and sometimes it felt like you were given big character shifts between books (for me it felt like Sylas had a huge jump between 2-3 and Greyson had a complete personality transplant between 3-4 that was never fully explored in the flashbacks even) BUT I ate it right up, and in the end I felt like all the ends tied up and the characters made sense, which to me is just indication that Mackay does have a really innate talent for stories. Perhaps condensing these books and creating a more cohesive story arc would have helped, but in the end I enjoyed the journey.
But for the whole series I’d say 3.5 rounding up to 4. As mentioned in a previous review in this series, I loooove Mackay and her brand of darkness and I feel like this book did a fantastic job of wrapping the series. There were a number of typos and errors throughout the series, including this book, that if cleaned up would make it feel much more elevated. I love the endings for all of the characters, though I wanted a little more Maddy-Briar time toward the end. Overall, the series felt a little meandering, and sometimes it felt like you were given big character shifts between books (for me it felt like Sylas had a huge jump between 2-3 and Greyson had a complete personality transplant between 3-4 that was never fully explored in the flashbacks even) BUT I ate it right up, and in the end I felt like all the ends tied up and the characters made sense, which to me is just indication that Mackay does have a really innate talent for stories. Perhaps condensing these books and creating a more cohesive story arc would have helped, but in the end I enjoyed the journey.
September 2, 2022
This series has been amazing from book one to book 4!! I've always loved paranormal romance with a love triangle and some twists n turns but I've never read a series like this one! It starts out with some YA spice in book 1 then big spice by book 4 but its a great progression with the character development and doesn't take over the plot. The characters suck you in and then chew and spit you back out. 😆 it sounds awful but in the end it's great. The world building is awesome, I can see it all play out perfectly in my head. She doesn't miss a beat when she brings some of those twists all together. You'll fall in love with the guys, Hate them, then love them again. The women are pretty much just great all the way thru. Give this spicy shifter paranormal romance a chance and its a book hangover that will never truly go away!
September 8, 2022
Ahhh I can't believe it's over, this book had my emotions all over the place.
Lots of unanswered questions definitely made sense by the end of the book, and left you just wanting more.
I love that Briar, Sylas and Axel finally finally got their happy ending. It's so bittersweet when such a long journey or what feels like a long journey with the characters comes to an end. I have adored reading the character development and world building throughout this series and honestly can't wait for future Vostra books because honestly there is still so much up in the air with Kel and not knowing where he is.
I'm going to end this with a GO READ THIS BOOK!!!
Lots of unanswered questions definitely made sense by the end of the book, and left you just wanting more.
I love that Briar, Sylas and Axel finally finally got their happy ending. It's so bittersweet when such a long journey or what feels like a long journey with the characters comes to an end. I have adored reading the character development and world building throughout this series and honestly can't wait for future Vostra books because honestly there is still so much up in the air with Kel and not knowing where he is.
I'm going to end this with a GO READ THIS BOOK!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2022
Argh!!! I can’t believe this was the last book in the series!!! It took me a little bit to get used to the timeline jumping but once I did, man did I love this story! I am so happy to see how the characters finished out the series. One character I did not like had completely grown on me, but the end and I was very happy with their conclusion. The characters in these books were so well written as was the storyline. This book has demons, elemental magic, fantasy, why choose, multiple love stories. I’m sad that this was the last in the series, but I am so excited to read more by Marie!!! I read this book as an ARC.
August 29, 2022
Wow!
An amazing ending to this series! After book 3s cliffhanger I wasn't sure how book 4 was going to pan out.
We had the year at the breach to find out about what happened after, would there be a HEA, would revenge be sought.....
Thankfully all these things were answered and more!
The twists and turns were brilliant, I did not expect not even a little about what was going to happen.
I loved the flashbacks to the breach and how they tied into the present day.
I 100% recommend this series to anyone who loves academia dark paranormal romances!
An amazing ending to this series! After book 3s cliffhanger I wasn't sure how book 4 was going to pan out.
We had the year at the breach to find out about what happened after, would there be a HEA, would revenge be sought.....
Thankfully all these things were answered and more!
The twists and turns were brilliant, I did not expect not even a little about what was going to happen.
I loved the flashbacks to the breach and how they tied into the present day.
I 100% recommend this series to anyone who loves academia dark paranormal romances!
September 14, 2022
Not the most entertaining book of the series
Ouff this book was painful to follow. The back and fourth on present and past events gave me reading whiplash. It was completely unnecessary in most chapters and just resulted in a very boring read since reading momentum was hindered at every turn. Usually I’m unable to put a good book down, but in this case, I was able to read other books and binge several Netflix series before remembering this book was unfinished.
Ouff this book was painful to follow. The back and fourth on present and past events gave me reading whiplash. It was completely unnecessary in most chapters and just resulted in a very boring read since reading momentum was hindered at every turn. Usually I’m unable to put a good book down, but in this case, I was able to read other books and binge several Netflix series before remembering this book was unfinished.
February 28, 2023
happy sigh
Well, that was a ride! I can’t wait for the next set, I’m hoping although different characters will be front and center we’ll get more of these. So worth the time to read. The world is well rounded, the characters engaging, the story enthralling and so different from the majority. I don’t know that I would really consider it a reverse harem or why choose series as it doesn’t really read that way for me.
Well, that was a ride! I can’t wait for the next set, I’m hoping although different characters will be front and center we’ll get more of these. So worth the time to read. The world is well rounded, the characters engaging, the story enthralling and so different from the majority. I don’t know that I would really consider it a reverse harem or why choose series as it doesn’t really read that way for me.
October 19, 2025
This was a fantastic ending to a great series - complex and intricately woven with interesting and imperfect characters.
At times, the fmc’s tendency to forgive was frankly infuriating and the relationships were lacklustre at times (particularly in the last book) but the plot more than made up for it and this final book really showcases Marie Mackay’s talent.
Hopefully she branches back out into this space, I’d love to see more from this world.
At times, the fmc’s tendency to forgive was frankly infuriating and the relationships were lacklustre at times (particularly in the last book) but the plot more than made up for it and this final book really showcases Marie Mackay’s talent.
Hopefully she branches back out into this space, I’d love to see more from this world.
October 1, 2022
Rating 4 stars
*I received a review copy from the author for my voluntary and honest review.
They spent a year at the breach and are now home at the palace with Sylas family. Their plan - to kill the Lady Dawn and Gabriel and somehow manage to save Axel from his fate. Except it seems Sylas had a different plan when he places a nhox collar on Briar in an attempt to control her Atlan. Well, that's the excuse he is using anyways. And he has commanded that Briar cannot talk to Maddy or Axel, despite Axel’s time ticking away. Maddy meanwhile needs answers as to what happened to her brother, and only Gabriel has those answers.
Well, given the ending of book three I went into this book with alot of trepidation. I just didn't see how there could possibly be a HEA after Sylas’s actions. But of course, it all turned out to be Briar’s idea in a crazy attempt to save Axel. And it worked thank God. They all got their happily ever after. There were so many twists in this book as well that, even though it ended the series, there still seems like so much that can come from this world. I can't wait to see what comes next.
*I received a review copy from the author for my voluntary and honest review.
They spent a year at the breach and are now home at the palace with Sylas family. Their plan - to kill the Lady Dawn and Gabriel and somehow manage to save Axel from his fate. Except it seems Sylas had a different plan when he places a nhox collar on Briar in an attempt to control her Atlan. Well, that's the excuse he is using anyways. And he has commanded that Briar cannot talk to Maddy or Axel, despite Axel’s time ticking away. Maddy meanwhile needs answers as to what happened to her brother, and only Gabriel has those answers.
Well, given the ending of book three I went into this book with alot of trepidation. I just didn't see how there could possibly be a HEA after Sylas’s actions. But of course, it all turned out to be Briar’s idea in a crazy attempt to save Axel. And it worked thank God. They all got their happily ever after. There were so many twists in this book as well that, even though it ended the series, there still seems like so much that can come from this world. I can't wait to see what comes next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2022
I have love all the dusk and dawn series. This one was a bit darker and keep you on your toes. It does jump from past to present. It tell the story well and so much emotions. You love and hate all the characters at least at one point of time. It ended well in a way your wouldn't expect you won't want to put it down.3
September 7, 2022
I've been here since the beginning and I couldn't have asked for a better story. These 4 books are absolutely amazing. The twists and turns keep you glued to the pages. And the redemptions were just bloody brilliant. Thank you Marie for this amazing story
August 17, 2025
I hate a dual timeline/flashback POV but this was an acceptable execution.
Overall this was finally a good series I found through YouTube audiobooks and it definitely needs a reread for the first 3 books 👍🏻
Overall this was finally a good series I found through YouTube audiobooks and it definitely needs a reread for the first 3 books 👍🏻
October 3, 2022
We don't deserve Sylas.
March 14, 2023
This was the perfect end to the series! I’m so happy everyone got their happy endings, and everything was explained and I don’t have to hate Sylas anymore!
September 27, 2023
I will not be answering any questions. Still pissed.
September 1, 2022
This book had me on an emotional Rollercoaster! So many unexpected plot twists, I didn't know what to expect when I turned the page! I finished this in one sitting! The entire trilogy was fantastic. Lots of action, intrigue and just the right amount of spice.
September 26, 2022
Please note I received a free ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
I loved this book any I found that it was a really satisfying end to the series. As with the other books I loved the twists and turns of the storyline.
I really enjoyed the timeline of this book. The way that the time at the breech was woven in with the present was amazing and really well done.
I love the characters in this story and I can’t wait to read the extra stories to come and find out even more about them all.
I loved this book any I found that it was a really satisfying end to the series. As with the other books I loved the twists and turns of the storyline.
I really enjoyed the timeline of this book. The way that the time at the breech was woven in with the present was amazing and really well done.
I love the characters in this story and I can’t wait to read the extra stories to come and find out even more about them all.
October 28, 2025
This series is my Throne of Glass. The characters, the world, the magic all has a place in my heart. The book was so well written the constant jumps between past and present were amazingly written and I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews