Throne in the Dark (Villains and Virtues) Paperback – September 16, 2022

Really just so so good. I couldn't put it down. Got me out of my reading slump, lifted my mood, just filled me with good fantasy feels.Damien and Amma are both such well-rounded characters they felt real, even though the setting is at times incredibly comic and goofy. At other times it's dramatic, romantic, sad, all the feels.It has everything I like: an actual slow-burn enemies to lovers romance, unique characters, complex world-building, great character arcs, a lot of thoughtfulness about good and evil, and just SO MUCH sheer fun fantasy adventure. It's got it all, heroes, villains, dragons, goblins, elves, fae, multiple planes of existence, magic, witches, vampires, demons, gods and goddesses, EVERYTHING, yet it all works and never feels over-stuffed.Damien's character arc is just...MY HEART. He really is villainous but he's also a giant cinnamon roll, and all he goes through and that Amma goes through with him is worth it. Also have to give a shout out for his demon dad, Zagadoth, who is such a dad even while imprisoned in a crystal. Amma coming into her own power both magically and personally is a wonderful ride, and she becomes incredibly powerful without losing her extreme kindness. Kindness and love is the overriding "good" in the world of the book, which I agree with.I have to say as well that I really liked Xander, but you'll have to be patient with him, because he's also very punchable and annoying lol. His little frenemy/brother thing with Damien is too cute.Can't forget Kaz the imp either!! He starts off so unpleasant but Amma's kindness is never defeated.The only quibbles I have are that the beginning is slow, bogged down with info-dumping, but the info is interesting and all becomes important later on, so I see why it's there. The third book suffers a bit from the third LOTR movie syndrome where you keep thinking you've reached the ending and you haven't, and there are SO many disasters and death packed in there at the end of the third one I just wanted to get through it all and find out how it ends, but it's extremely satisfying once it does. I know when I reread this, which I will, that I'll read it more slowly to get all the details I rushed through the first time.It truly kept me from sleeping and I've read the whole trilogy in three days. Worth every second.Can't recommend this enough, I loved it!

Both on a journey to save their families and homes, Damien and Amma couldn’t be more different, at least on the surface. Unfortunate events make their pairing annoyingly essential for survival, but the forced proximity starts to feel less forced.I almost DNF’d from the first chapter. Often in stories based in a different reality, authors immediately flood the reader with way too much information on this new world, which usually includes conceptualizing impossible creatures and a million difficult to pronounce nouns. If you can read past the first few chapters, this is really a lovely journey. The characters are charming, the story and imagery are immersive, and the plot is familiar and fun. I did struggle with how slow the story was. Incredibly slow. Obviously the story is spaced through three books, but book one should have moved at a faster pace. *possible spoiler* reading this was really a soft edging when it came to the romance. It was so peripheral for most of the book and should have been actionable much sooner. Amma’s secret felt like a hidden gold mine that just didn’t really end up producing anything that was proportionately scandalous/exciting/awful to how she operated. Her telling Damien sooner would have alleviated the slow pace. Overall, a fun journey, but the set up for book two already feels predictable.

From my wife-I loved this book! The writer feels like a mix of the princess bride and hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. If you're not used to that type of style writing, it may take a bit to get used to, but once you do, it's worth it. It touches on the dicotomy of good and evil and what truly makes someone evil vs. good. A topic that might seem hefty, but it's done in such a natural and light-hearted way that it works. The characters are written well and hit many cliche tropes without feeling cliche- Enemies to lovers, sunshine+grump, etc. But what i love most about them is that they are complex. For instance, the fmc is actually sweet and brave, not overly aggressive, angry, and brave. And as much as I love a strong female who can somehow master magic and fighting better than ppl who have trained for decades or centuries, when she's never experienced it before and is malnourished and untrained... it was nice to see a kind character who may not be able to best one in hand to hand combat... but she makes up for it with her mind and heart... and thievery. Or the villain mmc, who does good deeds, but uses logic on how the good deeds are not good, but just a way to help his villainous plans. Then the side characters are just plain fun and just as complex! I definitely recommend giving it a try. If you're into smut or spice only... then this might not be the book for you. The spice in this is light, but it kinda makes the yearning a little more worth it.