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A Dance of Twilight
Dark, gothic fae fantasy romance.
๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
For fans of fae romances, dream walking, found families, book loving FMC, Goblin King vibes, Shadow Daddy villains and morally grey MC with spice.
"Youโre right, I do adore horse riding, but I much prefer when something else rides me,โ I quipped coyly.
She slapped me hard on the shoulder as her eyebrows drew together in a moment of anger. She then laughed as I began to chuckle at her response. Even if that was pushing it, I only wanted to hear her wonderful laugh."
๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐พ๐ง๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐, ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐, ๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ง-๐ค๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐จ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ค๐๐จ, ๐ข๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ง.
๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐-๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ข๐๐จ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐, ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐ง ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ข ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ. ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐, ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎโ๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐จ.
If you love female main characters who enjoy reading, playing in the woods and trying to run from their responsibilities, then this book is for you.
If you love male main characters that are morally grey, willing to burn the world for their lady and ignore those red flags, then this book is for you.
"You make me want to kill everything and everyone in this world. You make me want to destroy it all."
If you are looking for a book to read while listening to Katy Perry's Hot N Cold on repeat, this is that novel.
A Dance Of Twilight tropes
This book series follows a land of Fae families. You will find arrange marriages, enemies to lovers, forbidden romances, found family and spice.
Each book follows a different couple based in the world of Gallad.
A Dance Of Twilight follows the story of Ornella, Princess of the Crystal Fae as she navigates through her family secrets and meeting a man made of shadows.
๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
For fans of fae romances, dream walking, found families, book loving FMC, Goblin King vibes, Shadow Daddy villains and morally grey MC with spice.
"Youโre right, I do adore horse riding, but I much prefer when something else rides me,โ I quipped coyly.
She slapped me hard on the shoulder as her eyebrows drew together in a moment of anger. She then laughed as I began to chuckle at her response. Even if that was pushing it, I only wanted to hear her wonderful laugh."
๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐พ๐ง๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐, ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐, ๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ง-๐ค๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐จ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ค๐๐จ, ๐ข๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ง.
๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐-๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ข๐๐จ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐, ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐ง ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ข ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ. ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐, ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎโ๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐จ.
If you love female main characters who enjoy reading, playing in the woods and trying to run from their responsibilities, then this book is for you.
If you love male main characters that are morally grey, willing to burn the world for their lady and ignore those red flags, then this book is for you.
"You make me want to kill everything and everyone in this world. You make me want to destroy it all."
If you are looking for a book to read while listening to Katy Perry's Hot N Cold on repeat, this is that novel.
A Dance Of Twilight tropes
This book series follows a land of Fae families. You will find arrange marriages, enemies to lovers, forbidden romances, found family and spice.
Each book follows a different couple based in the world of Gallad.
A Dance Of Twilight follows the story of Ornella, Princess of the Crystal Fae as she navigates through her family secrets and meeting a man made of shadows.
Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2024
About the author
Melanie Davies
6 books108 followersMelanie Davies began writing when she was in her early teens, starting off first in vampire role play forums, she began to learn her voice and teach herself how to write creatively.
She looks forward to bringing more fictional worlds and characters to you.โฉWriting has always been a dream of hers and one she is excited to achieve.
Be sure to follow her on social media to keep up to date with her future books.
She looks forward to bringing more fictional worlds and characters to you.โฉWriting has always been a dream of hers and one she is excited to achieve.
Be sure to follow her on social media to keep up to date with her future books.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 1, 2024
~ Dark Fantasy Romance
~ Forced Marriage
~ He Falls First
โจ My Thoughts โจ
Wow.... This book is an emotional rollercoaster. I absolutely loved every minute of it. Ornella's story is so heartbreaking. She has gone through a lot. But I loved seeing her finally love her self. The chemistry between the two MCs is so good. The banter they had was great too. The spice in this book was absolutely fire. It wouldn't be a Melanie book without angst. It just made my heart break so much. Even with all the angst I need to know more. The ending had my heart beating so fast. My jaw was on the floor with the plot twist. I loved the found family too. This story is one I will think about often.
A Dance of Twilight is a standalone dark fantasy romance. It does have some heavier topic. It is recommended for 18+. As always please check TW before reading. A huge fan of Melanie's work. And to see her writing grow is so great to see. I can't recommend this one enough.
โจ I want to thank Mel for the e-arc of this book. These are my own true thoughts โจ
~ Forced Marriage
~ He Falls First
โจ My Thoughts โจ
Wow.... This book is an emotional rollercoaster. I absolutely loved every minute of it. Ornella's story is so heartbreaking. She has gone through a lot. But I loved seeing her finally love her self. The chemistry between the two MCs is so good. The banter they had was great too. The spice in this book was absolutely fire. It wouldn't be a Melanie book without angst. It just made my heart break so much. Even with all the angst I need to know more. The ending had my heart beating so fast. My jaw was on the floor with the plot twist. I loved the found family too. This story is one I will think about often.
A Dance of Twilight is a standalone dark fantasy romance. It does have some heavier topic. It is recommended for 18+. As always please check TW before reading. A huge fan of Melanie's work. And to see her writing grow is so great to see. I can't recommend this one enough.
โจ I want to thank Mel for the e-arc of this book. These are my own true thoughts โจ
June 19, 2024
Really loved this story, the gothic vibes, romance, character developments and mysteries was everything to me!
๐ค Royal Fae intrigues
๐ค Found family
๐ค Arranged marriages
๐ค Forced proximity
๐ค Forbidden romance
๐ค Enemies to lovers
๐ค Secret identities
๐ค Shadow daddy
๐ค Spice ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
This book has some really dark themes with a past trauma coming back to hunt the FMC and was quite an emotional ride! Absolutely check trigger warning beforehand. I think the darker themes were perfectly written and incorporated though as it shows how the FMC takes control of her own story and how they both grow with it. Iโm very happy that they werenโt to shied away from the darker parts of themselves. I also love that itโs a dual POV and how this is used in the storyline. I hope to be in this world and with them again soon and that we will be able to get even more into the lore as that would be very interesting to know more about and was also a part I loved in this book.
Thank you to Melanie Davies for the ARC!
๐ค Royal Fae intrigues
๐ค Found family
๐ค Arranged marriages
๐ค Forced proximity
๐ค Forbidden romance
๐ค Enemies to lovers
๐ค Secret identities
๐ค Shadow daddy
๐ค Spice ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
This book has some really dark themes with a past trauma coming back to hunt the FMC and was quite an emotional ride! Absolutely check trigger warning beforehand. I think the darker themes were perfectly written and incorporated though as it shows how the FMC takes control of her own story and how they both grow with it. Iโm very happy that they werenโt to shied away from the darker parts of themselves. I also love that itโs a dual POV and how this is used in the storyline. I hope to be in this world and with them again soon and that we will be able to get even more into the lore as that would be very interesting to know more about and was also a part I loved in this book.
Thank you to Melanie Davies for the ARC!
May 29, 2024
RATING: 4.5 (Rounded Up)
As someone who has read other series written by Melanie Davies, I was very excited to hear that her upcoming release, A Dance of Twilight, was going to be a dark fae fantasy with gothic vibes, an enemies to lovers romance with plenty of push and pull, and an MMC who would conjure up my past love for Jareth the Goblin King. If you love any of that, then this book delivers it all and you will thoroughly enjoy the journey that Davies takes you on.
As the story opens, we meet Ornella, a princess of the Crystal Fae, who craves adventure and the freedom to shape her own destiny. While she loves her family deeply, she has never quite felt like she completely belongs and has found her small ways of rebelling and carving out moments that are her own. This includes plenty of solitary rambles to the woods, where soon Ornella meets her Shadow Man, whose dark promises and the intense desire he awakens, threaten to tempt Ornella to leave the light of her world behind and follow him into the shadows.
In another kingdom, Nicholas, the young king of the Obsidian fae, is bent on a course for revenge against the royal family of the Crystal Fae and he has his eye on Ornella as the key to bringing his vengeance to completion. However, what he had not planned for is the way that his heart and soul is drawn to her lightness and warmth. He struggles to balance the dark and dangerous king that he has to be to rule with the man who is worthy of Ornella's love.
Ornella soon finds herself having to make the impossible choice between duty to her family, which threatens to suffocate her independence, and the dark man who excites her mind, heart and body. However, nothing is as it seems and Ornella soon discovers she is at the heart of many lies, deceptions and hidden agendas. She does not know who to trust and the action comes to a climax as Nicholas and Ornella must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the possibility of a future that can be more than they ever imagined.
This story is dual POV and with how much these two characters evolve, I really loved being able to get a more in depth perspective on what both Ornella and Nicholas were feeling. I also really appreciated that Davies does not shy away from the painful traumas and harsher parts of Ornella and Nicholas' pasts and personalities. She takes on some very hard topics that shape not only how Ornella and Nicholas have developed as individuals but come together as a pair. The beauty is how they refuse to let these scars define them and how as partners they don't shy away from showing and accepting these darker parts of themselves with each other.
Definitely be prepared that this journey is an emotional one as Davies challenges her characters to really grow through even the harshest of challenges and bitterest of betrayals. Without spoiling anything, I think the only thing I would have wanted is a little more time at the end to have some time to take in how certain parts of the story resolved. All that said, if you are looking for a dark fantasy with complex characters, secret relationships, strategic and at time devious fae politics and devoted partners who will burn all around them to protect those they love, then definitely give this a read!
As someone who has read other series written by Melanie Davies, I was very excited to hear that her upcoming release, A Dance of Twilight, was going to be a dark fae fantasy with gothic vibes, an enemies to lovers romance with plenty of push and pull, and an MMC who would conjure up my past love for Jareth the Goblin King. If you love any of that, then this book delivers it all and you will thoroughly enjoy the journey that Davies takes you on.
As the story opens, we meet Ornella, a princess of the Crystal Fae, who craves adventure and the freedom to shape her own destiny. While she loves her family deeply, she has never quite felt like she completely belongs and has found her small ways of rebelling and carving out moments that are her own. This includes plenty of solitary rambles to the woods, where soon Ornella meets her Shadow Man, whose dark promises and the intense desire he awakens, threaten to tempt Ornella to leave the light of her world behind and follow him into the shadows.
In another kingdom, Nicholas, the young king of the Obsidian fae, is bent on a course for revenge against the royal family of the Crystal Fae and he has his eye on Ornella as the key to bringing his vengeance to completion. However, what he had not planned for is the way that his heart and soul is drawn to her lightness and warmth. He struggles to balance the dark and dangerous king that he has to be to rule with the man who is worthy of Ornella's love.
Ornella soon finds herself having to make the impossible choice between duty to her family, which threatens to suffocate her independence, and the dark man who excites her mind, heart and body. However, nothing is as it seems and Ornella soon discovers she is at the heart of many lies, deceptions and hidden agendas. She does not know who to trust and the action comes to a climax as Nicholas and Ornella must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the possibility of a future that can be more than they ever imagined.
This story is dual POV and with how much these two characters evolve, I really loved being able to get a more in depth perspective on what both Ornella and Nicholas were feeling. I also really appreciated that Davies does not shy away from the painful traumas and harsher parts of Ornella and Nicholas' pasts and personalities. She takes on some very hard topics that shape not only how Ornella and Nicholas have developed as individuals but come together as a pair. The beauty is how they refuse to let these scars define them and how as partners they don't shy away from showing and accepting these darker parts of themselves with each other.
Definitely be prepared that this journey is an emotional one as Davies challenges her characters to really grow through even the harshest of challenges and bitterest of betrayals. Without spoiling anything, I think the only thing I would have wanted is a little more time at the end to have some time to take in how certain parts of the story resolved. All that said, if you are looking for a dark fantasy with complex characters, secret relationships, strategic and at time devious fae politics and devoted partners who will burn all around them to protect those they love, then definitely give this a read!
June 3, 2024
What I liked:
I love the fantasy genre, especially romantasy (which yay! thereโs finally a name for it!). I devoured so many fantasy books looking for the romance so Iโm always looking for more to read. The book was fairly well written with decently done explicit scenes. The storyline was good and compelling. I had to keep reading to see it to the end. The section art was lovely as was the chapter font styles.
*TRIGGERS BELOW*
What I didnโt like:
My biggest issue was Nicholas. He was touted as a Shadow Daddy Villain when he is more of a DV villain. The way his moods shifted from one extreme to the other screamed DV: emotional and physical. I felt that it was romanticized and I really *really* disliked that part. The FMC was still in love with him and wanted to kiss him after he threatened her life and that of her family. In his good times Nicholas was a dream boat of a book boyfriend, but in his dark timesโฆI was screaming for the FMC to run away and get a restraining order. There was all this talk of his โshadowsโ but no real solution on how to get rid of them or what they actually were.
The voice seemed more YA than Dark Fantasy Romance, which made the explicit scenes uncomfortable. Due to the FMCโs prior SA, I felt that the FMCโs and MMCโs first time (my opinion) wasnโt fitting for someone with past trauma. It was more reminiscent of seasoned lovers than a traumatized โvirginโ and a playboy. (She rides him in a bathtub with little foreplay, and heโs โbigโ. She initiates it.)
There were some glaring errors here and there which I chalked up to it being an advance copy. I was rather underwhelmed by the ending and honestly hoped for a bigger fanfare. Especially since there were so many loose ends to tie up.
I love the fantasy genre, especially romantasy (which yay! thereโs finally a name for it!). I devoured so many fantasy books looking for the romance so Iโm always looking for more to read. The book was fairly well written with decently done explicit scenes. The storyline was good and compelling. I had to keep reading to see it to the end. The section art was lovely as was the chapter font styles.
*TRIGGERS BELOW*
What I didnโt like:
My biggest issue was Nicholas. He was touted as a Shadow Daddy Villain when he is more of a DV villain. The way his moods shifted from one extreme to the other screamed DV: emotional and physical. I felt that it was romanticized and I really *really* disliked that part. The FMC was still in love with him and wanted to kiss him after he threatened her life and that of her family. In his good times Nicholas was a dream boat of a book boyfriend, but in his dark timesโฆI was screaming for the FMC to run away and get a restraining order. There was all this talk of his โshadowsโ but no real solution on how to get rid of them or what they actually were.
The voice seemed more YA than Dark Fantasy Romance, which made the explicit scenes uncomfortable. Due to the FMCโs prior SA, I felt that the FMCโs and MMCโs first time (my opinion) wasnโt fitting for someone with past trauma. It was more reminiscent of seasoned lovers than a traumatized โvirginโ and a playboy. (She rides him in a bathtub with little foreplay, and heโs โbigโ. She initiates it.)
There were some glaring errors here and there which I chalked up to it being an advance copy. I was rather underwhelmed by the ending and honestly hoped for a bigger fanfare. Especially since there were so many loose ends to tie up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2024
I love, love, loved this book! It was so easy to fall in love with these characters. The conflict was complex and entertaining and kept me turning the page. Personally, I get really aggravated when characters are overly stubborn and there was a lot of back and forth in this book. I almost found myself yelling for them to just get over it. However, in this case it just added to the angst and made it that much better when they finally came around. If you love a good romantasy where the shadow daddy does anything to protect his queen, then this book is for you!
June 3, 2024
I liked this book. Wasnโt my favorite. I think it had a lot of potential for enemies to lovers but it didnโt quite hit that itch. There was so much back and forth between the two main characters I got whiplash. There were also some points in the plot that were just glazed over that could have been explored more but the author just kept going back to the โhe loves me, he loves me notโ trope. I honestly had to skim through some of it because it got to the point I was rolling my eyes with a โhere we go againโ mindset. I give the spice 3/5.
June 4, 2024
DNF 55%. Started off strong and steadily declined. I felt like this book could have been much shorter, there's so much repetition I started skimming it and yet nothing seemed to happen. The MMC's behaviour deteriorates and becomes more and more alarming as the book goes on, it's hard to overlook how abusive he became. It's a pity because I really enjoyed the first 200 pages.
May 22, 2024
This book had me on a rollercoaster of emotions!!! And I'm still a bit winded. The author really knows how to pack a punch then keep said punches rolling continuously, with a brief break to catch your breath, before coming at you again. That is to say, I loved this heartwrenching, heart aching angsty book.
It's light on the spice an focuses heavily on the characters and the heavy sense of foreboding of the events waiting to play out. And I really liked that. I also love the way this author writez, her description of places and emotions and the horrors that are not explicitly detailed but implied enough to leave your imagination open certain to horrors.
Ornella is a fae princess who doesn't mind the mud and longs for freedom with such a sweet and fun relationship with her two other siblings. I loves her banter with all the characters, especially her shadow man as she calls him. She's a smart cookie, who learns quickly with the ins and outs of how to get by in the political world of royalty, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't put up a heck of a fight. She's a bookworm which is like, bonus points and very resilient. I liked how she was able to process and grieve with things that were happening to her and around her. Nothing glossed over or forgotten. She was made to feel real with her actions and emotions given her circumstances.
Nicholas... Nicholas... Nicholas. He reminds me of one of my other favorite morally grey characters but he's (Nic) so grey it's bordering on black. He does what he says he's going to do, no more no less. I honestly wasn't sure what was going on inside his head most times, even when you were actually inside his head, seeing his side of the story, getting his P.O.V. One minute I loves him, the next I didn't trust, the other time I was like red flag?" Then never mind...green maybe? He felt so confusing an then you realized he's a bit confused and struggling himself. He's an interesting character to follow, and a change of pace for most love interest in these types of romantasy. He keeps you on your toes constantly and wondering what's he going to do next, which face are we getting? Very compelling male lead.
Before the end I wanted it to be a series but I don't think my heart can take anymore o the back and forth and the way it ended was satisfying. I just have one or two questions about two characters. I was really interested in seeing where they ended up, an if one of them got their comupence.
10/10 would recommend.
It's light on the spice an focuses heavily on the characters and the heavy sense of foreboding of the events waiting to play out. And I really liked that. I also love the way this author writez, her description of places and emotions and the horrors that are not explicitly detailed but implied enough to leave your imagination open certain to horrors.
Ornella is a fae princess who doesn't mind the mud and longs for freedom with such a sweet and fun relationship with her two other siblings. I loves her banter with all the characters, especially her shadow man as she calls him. She's a smart cookie, who learns quickly with the ins and outs of how to get by in the political world of royalty, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't put up a heck of a fight. She's a bookworm which is like, bonus points and very resilient. I liked how she was able to process and grieve with things that were happening to her and around her. Nothing glossed over or forgotten. She was made to feel real with her actions and emotions given her circumstances.
Nicholas... Nicholas... Nicholas. He reminds me of one of my other favorite morally grey characters but he's (Nic) so grey it's bordering on black. He does what he says he's going to do, no more no less. I honestly wasn't sure what was going on inside his head most times, even when you were actually inside his head, seeing his side of the story, getting his P.O.V. One minute I loves him, the next I didn't trust, the other time I was like red flag?" Then never mind...green maybe? He felt so confusing an then you realized he's a bit confused and struggling himself. He's an interesting character to follow, and a change of pace for most love interest in these types of romantasy. He keeps you on your toes constantly and wondering what's he going to do next, which face are we getting? Very compelling male lead.
Before the end I wanted it to be a series but I don't think my heart can take anymore o the back and forth and the way it ended was satisfying. I just have one or two questions about two characters. I was really interested in seeing where they ended up, an if one of them got their comupence.
10/10 would recommend.
June 19, 2024
This book is full of gothic vibes, enemies to lovers, and all the plots against the kingdom. Iโd also recommend it if you love your characters to be all the shades of grey.
When I say that this book was the definition of a whirlwind, I mean it wholeheartedly. Thereโs so much back and forth that I felt like my emotions had whiplash. If this isnโt the entire definition of enemies to lovers then Iโm not sure anything else could remotely get close to it as this did. Honestly it got to a point where the back and forth was almost too much. And I say that as someone who has this trope in her top 5. But the character development?? Was a balm to my poor heart. That absolutely got me for sure. At one point I wasnโt sure there was any way to come back from said damage. It was such a relief to see some incredible changes for both of them, and I ended up loving them both dearly.
I loved the family dynamic we got to see. This means both blood and found family (another one of my top tropes if you were curious) This also evolved over the course of the story which I really liked. Everything was constantly changing and absolutely kept me engaged the whole time. There was some spice but unfortunately it didnโt feel genuine. There was a lot of slow burn, but unfortunately in my opinion those scenes were skip-worthy.
The world building I felt was a slightly missed opportunity. It didnโt feel like I had a good grasp of the world as a whole, and it would have been nice to have more background or detail. The individual scene building was incredible though!! There was such gothic, fairytale vibes going on and I was a huge fan of it.
This was a good read as a whole. It wasnโt what I fully expecting with some bumps in the presentation but nonetheless still a read!
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
When I say that this book was the definition of a whirlwind, I mean it wholeheartedly. Thereโs so much back and forth that I felt like my emotions had whiplash. If this isnโt the entire definition of enemies to lovers then Iโm not sure anything else could remotely get close to it as this did. Honestly it got to a point where the back and forth was almost too much. And I say that as someone who has this trope in her top 5. But the character development?? Was a balm to my poor heart. That absolutely got me for sure. At one point I wasnโt sure there was any way to come back from said damage. It was such a relief to see some incredible changes for both of them, and I ended up loving them both dearly.
I loved the family dynamic we got to see. This means both blood and found family (another one of my top tropes if you were curious) This also evolved over the course of the story which I really liked. Everything was constantly changing and absolutely kept me engaged the whole time. There was some spice but unfortunately it didnโt feel genuine. There was a lot of slow burn, but unfortunately in my opinion those scenes were skip-worthy.
The world building I felt was a slightly missed opportunity. It didnโt feel like I had a good grasp of the world as a whole, and it would have been nice to have more background or detail. The individual scene building was incredible though!! There was such gothic, fairytale vibes going on and I was a huge fan of it.
This was a good read as a whole. It wasnโt what I fully expecting with some bumps in the presentation but nonetheless still a read!
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
June 6, 2024
*BOOK REVIEW*
BOOK: A Dance of Twilight
AUTHOR: Mel Davies
REVIEW: We follow Ornella, the Princess of the Crystal Fae and Nicholas the young King of the Obsidian Fae. Ornella sees a shadow man in the woods that tells her that he can take her away from her current life and take care of her. She is intrigued by this man, but doesn't know who he is. Her parents want her to marry someone that could be beneficial to the Kingdom, but she wants to marry for love. Nicholas wants revenge on the Crystal Fae and decides that Ornella would be the perfect pawn to make his revenge come to fruition. He doesn't expect to fall in love with her. He struggles to be the dark and dangerous king he has to be to rule. Ornella is faced with having to give up her independence by following her parents' path for her, or following the dark man that has her captivated. Ornella find out that there's more than meets the eye when she is in the middle of lies, deception, and hidden agendas, and it makes it hard for her to trust anyone, including her family. Ornella and Nicholas have to figure out what sacrifices they're willing to make in order to be together. This book is a rollercoaster. It's a fun and exciting read, but it is also heartwrenching. I found myself crying for Ornella. Her story is gutwrenching. I also found myself rooting for Ornella and Nicholas. They both deserved better than what they were given and in my opinion, I think they got better when they were together. I found myself swooning and falling in love with Nicholas, and I consider Ornella to be one of my new best friends! I can't wait to see what happens next for the two of them!
RATING: ๐๐๐๐๐/๐๐๐๐๐
BOOK: A Dance of Twilight
AUTHOR: Mel Davies
REVIEW: We follow Ornella, the Princess of the Crystal Fae and Nicholas the young King of the Obsidian Fae. Ornella sees a shadow man in the woods that tells her that he can take her away from her current life and take care of her. She is intrigued by this man, but doesn't know who he is. Her parents want her to marry someone that could be beneficial to the Kingdom, but she wants to marry for love. Nicholas wants revenge on the Crystal Fae and decides that Ornella would be the perfect pawn to make his revenge come to fruition. He doesn't expect to fall in love with her. He struggles to be the dark and dangerous king he has to be to rule. Ornella is faced with having to give up her independence by following her parents' path for her, or following the dark man that has her captivated. Ornella find out that there's more than meets the eye when she is in the middle of lies, deception, and hidden agendas, and it makes it hard for her to trust anyone, including her family. Ornella and Nicholas have to figure out what sacrifices they're willing to make in order to be together. This book is a rollercoaster. It's a fun and exciting read, but it is also heartwrenching. I found myself crying for Ornella. Her story is gutwrenching. I also found myself rooting for Ornella and Nicholas. They both deserved better than what they were given and in my opinion, I think they got better when they were together. I found myself swooning and falling in love with Nicholas, and I consider Ornella to be one of my new best friends! I can't wait to see what happens next for the two of them!
RATING: ๐๐๐๐๐/๐๐๐๐๐
June 25, 2024
This was a well-written but complicated story and I felt like it took me longer than usual to finish. I enjoyed the story but it was definitely one that had to be savored slowly and not devoured in one sitting.
It starts off with Ornella, a โspare heirโ princess who feels like she has no say in her life and longs for something new. Sheโs brave but comes across as sheltered and naive. She has a Shadow Man who speaks to her during difficult or stressful situations that she is inexplicably drawn to.
We later find out the Shadow Man is Nicholas, King in another land. He makes a bargain with Ornella, he will save her injured brother (the future king of her land) if she leaves with him and agrees to marry him and become his Queen.
Of course, when she gets to the Obsidian realm she finds that not everything is what she thought it was, she still doesnโt have the freedom she has been longing for, and Nicholas has been hiding things from her.
I feel like the author did an amazing job with the character development - Ornella grew so much through the story. And I couldnโt tell whether I liked or hated Nicholas until the end, which seemed very intentional on the authorโs part. There were a lot of twists and turns and plot twists I never saw coming, which kept me engaged and wanting to read more.
It didnโt end on a cliffhanger which was great; I felt like Nic and Ornellaโs story was neatly wrapped up and it was a satisfying ending, not rushed like some, but there are so many other amazing characters that I hope the author keeps on telling their stories! If so, Iโll be first in line to read them!
It starts off with Ornella, a โspare heirโ princess who feels like she has no say in her life and longs for something new. Sheโs brave but comes across as sheltered and naive. She has a Shadow Man who speaks to her during difficult or stressful situations that she is inexplicably drawn to.
We later find out the Shadow Man is Nicholas, King in another land. He makes a bargain with Ornella, he will save her injured brother (the future king of her land) if she leaves with him and agrees to marry him and become his Queen.
Of course, when she gets to the Obsidian realm she finds that not everything is what she thought it was, she still doesnโt have the freedom she has been longing for, and Nicholas has been hiding things from her.
I feel like the author did an amazing job with the character development - Ornella grew so much through the story. And I couldnโt tell whether I liked or hated Nicholas until the end, which seemed very intentional on the authorโs part. There were a lot of twists and turns and plot twists I never saw coming, which kept me engaged and wanting to read more.
It didnโt end on a cliffhanger which was great; I felt like Nic and Ornellaโs story was neatly wrapped up and it was a satisfying ending, not rushed like some, but there are so many other amazing characters that I hope the author keeps on telling their stories! If so, Iโll be first in line to read them!
May 9, 2024
WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW.
The roller coaster of emotions I went through with this bookโฆ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ
I was absolutely and positively DESTROYED more than once. MORE. THAN. ONCE.
The AGONY my heart went through for Ornellaโฆitโs indescribable. This book took me by the horns and held me there. I literally read it in 12 hours. I had to find out what happened next at every single turn.
The heartbreaking love story made me SO incredibly angry with the main male character. I was FURIOUS. But I also saw the hurt, the pain, the confusion, and the agony that he himself was going through, and how he didnโt know how to proceed or how to fix one thing without possibly ruining another.
The abuse that Ornella went through broke my soul. And when it was dropped on her that the abuse went even deeper?! I felt my chest crack, I swear.
All of that is so sad, right?
So let me get back to the not sadโฆ
THE. SPICE.
๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฅต
Sexy. Sensual. ANDโฆCONSENSUAL?! Consent is sexy. Thatโs the bottom line. Consent, and asking for consent throughout, is AMAZING. For all the faults of our shadow king, this is one thing he could never be spoken negatively about. The man knows what consent means and he made sure to obtain it before he proceeded. Much appreciated.
I cannot wait until this book comes out to the masses! It is truly a treasure, and, itโs not a series!
Iโm generally a series reader, but after reading so many unfinished series, this was a very very nice change of pace. Wrapping the story up beautifully put bandages on all the soul ache I went through while reading.
The roller coaster of emotions I went through with this bookโฆ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ
I was absolutely and positively DESTROYED more than once. MORE. THAN. ONCE.
The AGONY my heart went through for Ornellaโฆitโs indescribable. This book took me by the horns and held me there. I literally read it in 12 hours. I had to find out what happened next at every single turn.
The heartbreaking love story made me SO incredibly angry with the main male character. I was FURIOUS. But I also saw the hurt, the pain, the confusion, and the agony that he himself was going through, and how he didnโt know how to proceed or how to fix one thing without possibly ruining another.
The abuse that Ornella went through broke my soul. And when it was dropped on her that the abuse went even deeper?! I felt my chest crack, I swear.
All of that is so sad, right?
So let me get back to the not sadโฆ
THE. SPICE.
๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฅต
Sexy. Sensual. ANDโฆCONSENSUAL?! Consent is sexy. Thatโs the bottom line. Consent, and asking for consent throughout, is AMAZING. For all the faults of our shadow king, this is one thing he could never be spoken negatively about. The man knows what consent means and he made sure to obtain it before he proceeded. Much appreciated.
I cannot wait until this book comes out to the masses! It is truly a treasure, and, itโs not a series!
Iโm generally a series reader, but after reading so many unfinished series, this was a very very nice change of pace. Wrapping the story up beautifully put bandages on all the soul ache I went through while reading.
May 16, 2024
แดสษชs สแดแดแด แดกแดs แด สแดแดแดแดษชาแดส, แดแดษขษชแดแดส, สแดแดสแดสสแดแดแดษชษดษข สแดแดแด
. I was completely thrown straight into the world from the first page, and it completely took over my life until I finished the last line. (Finishing very late into the night, too๐)
โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ข๐ด๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ. ๐๐ญ๐ญ ๐ ๐ข๐ด๐ฌ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ, ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ข๐ฏ๐ต.โ
The story follows Ornella and Nicholas, both from different ruling Fae kingdoms, who have been connected ever since they were young. The story is filled with secrets, lies, betrayals, love, friendship, and just some of the most fantastic world building that I've read to date. (There also best be more books coming within this world, Mel!)
I loved reading Ornella becoming stronger, figuring out who she was, but my god did my heart break for her, there was so many times I just wished I could give her a hug. She truly went through so much, and I'm so happy with how it ended for her. Then we have Nicholas, he means well but sometimes he really doesn't do the right thing. But even when I wanted to throw something at him (thank god he's not real for me to actually do it), he was still just so lovable.
โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐บ ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ,โ
If you're looking for a beautifully written, dark gothic fantasy romance - then look no further. This book will capture you and not let you go.
โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ข๐ด๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ. ๐๐ญ๐ญ ๐ ๐ข๐ด๐ฌ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ, ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ข๐ฏ๐ต.โ
The story follows Ornella and Nicholas, both from different ruling Fae kingdoms, who have been connected ever since they were young. The story is filled with secrets, lies, betrayals, love, friendship, and just some of the most fantastic world building that I've read to date. (There also best be more books coming within this world, Mel!)
I loved reading Ornella becoming stronger, figuring out who she was, but my god did my heart break for her, there was so many times I just wished I could give her a hug. She truly went through so much, and I'm so happy with how it ended for her. Then we have Nicholas, he means well but sometimes he really doesn't do the right thing. But even when I wanted to throw something at him (thank god he's not real for me to actually do it), he was still just so lovable.
โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐บ ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ,โ
If you're looking for a beautifully written, dark gothic fantasy romance - then look no further. This book will capture you and not let you go.
June 4, 2024
โ๐ช๐๐โฏ๐๐๐ถ, ๐นโด ๐โด๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐โฏ ๐โด ๐๐
๐ถ๐โฏ ๐๐ฝโฏ ๐๐พ๐โฏ๐ โด๐ป ๐๐ฝโด๐โฏ ๐๐ฝโด ๐ฝ๐ถ๐โฏ ๐๐โด๐๐โฏ๐น ๐โด๐. ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐พ๐โฏ ๐ผ ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐พ๐โฏ ๐โด๐ ๐ถ๐๐โด๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐พ๐๐ ๐โด๐ ๐นโฏ๐๐พ๐โฏ, ๐ผ ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐โด๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐.โ
A Dance of Twilight by Melanie Davies is a dark fantasy fae romance. Please check trigger warnings.
Right away I was pulled into this beautiful atmosphere that Mel created. I enjoyed the magic system and the different fae characteristics. Ornella is the FMC, she loves to read, visit the woods and escape the life/duties as the princess of the Crystal Fae. It was such an emotional rollercoaster reading what she has gone through and I just wanted to give her a hug. I really loved that throughout the book she found herself.
Not only does this book pull on your heartstrings but you can expect a lot of tension between our two main characters. Mel writes some of my favorite MMCs and the morally grey shadow daddy really was perfect. There was a lot of push and pull between them a little too much for me but in the end it made the spice and romance all the more satisfying and special.
The last half had me flipping the pages like crazy. There were so many betrayals, revelations and plot twists. I do wish we got a bit more answers on resolutions but thatโs just me. I canโt wait for the next book and see whose journey we will follow!
I definitely recommend this book especially if youโre looking to read from an indie author with detailed world building and strong characters.
A Dance of Twilight by Melanie Davies is a dark fantasy fae romance. Please check trigger warnings.
Right away I was pulled into this beautiful atmosphere that Mel created. I enjoyed the magic system and the different fae characteristics. Ornella is the FMC, she loves to read, visit the woods and escape the life/duties as the princess of the Crystal Fae. It was such an emotional rollercoaster reading what she has gone through and I just wanted to give her a hug. I really loved that throughout the book she found herself.
Not only does this book pull on your heartstrings but you can expect a lot of tension between our two main characters. Mel writes some of my favorite MMCs and the morally grey shadow daddy really was perfect. There was a lot of push and pull between them a little too much for me but in the end it made the spice and romance all the more satisfying and special.
The last half had me flipping the pages like crazy. There were so many betrayals, revelations and plot twists. I do wish we got a bit more answers on resolutions but thatโs just me. I canโt wait for the next book and see whose journey we will follow!
I definitely recommend this book especially if youโre looking to read from an indie author with detailed world building and strong characters.
June 1, 2024
A Dance Of Twilight (ARC Review)
Melanie Davies
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๐ถ
Release Day: June 1st
This was such a fantastic read. This book had me swooning, crying, feeling angry, and sadness all within its pages. Our main characters Ornella and Nicholas have such a beautiful and very complicated relationship/ journey and went through so much thought this book that by the end if it I was so sad to see the story end because I wanted to continue reading about them and what the future holds for there HEA.
Ornella is such a strong FMC, and she has been through so much, and all the lies and deceit that she learns about from her past is one of the hardest things she has to work through. In the end, all of this and Nicholas help her to grow into the fierce FMC she becomes.
Nicholas went through so many different stages of emotions and at some points I just wanted to tell him to just let his gaurd down and stop being so stubborn/mean and let Ornella in so that she can help him heal with her loving nature. He eventually learns that with her, he is stronger than if alone.
Melanie Davies touches on so many emotions and difficult subjects in this book that the characters go through, but the way she handled them was done in such a beautiful way. This book definitely is something special, and I loved everything about it.
Melanie Davies
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๐ถ
Release Day: June 1st
This was such a fantastic read. This book had me swooning, crying, feeling angry, and sadness all within its pages. Our main characters Ornella and Nicholas have such a beautiful and very complicated relationship/ journey and went through so much thought this book that by the end if it I was so sad to see the story end because I wanted to continue reading about them and what the future holds for there HEA.
Ornella is such a strong FMC, and she has been through so much, and all the lies and deceit that she learns about from her past is one of the hardest things she has to work through. In the end, all of this and Nicholas help her to grow into the fierce FMC she becomes.
Nicholas went through so many different stages of emotions and at some points I just wanted to tell him to just let his gaurd down and stop being so stubborn/mean and let Ornella in so that she can help him heal with her loving nature. He eventually learns that with her, he is stronger than if alone.
Melanie Davies touches on so many emotions and difficult subjects in this book that the characters go through, but the way she handled them was done in such a beautiful way. This book definitely is something special, and I loved everything about it.
May 20, 2024
I was lucky enough to recieve this book as an arc and let me just tell youโฆ Itโs taken me days to find the words to write this review.
Iโm a huge fan of shadow daddies and Melanie delivers in the best of ways in this book. You get a mysterious but handsome guy covered in shadows, a handsome lord visiting the court that the fmc canโt remember meeting before even though it feels like theyโve known eachother all of their lives. We get romance thatโs not supposed to happen, characters you just canโt help but love and near death experiences. Thereโs betrayals you didnโt really see coming and all the drama that comes with court life and and you get to read it all.
You know when you reach that point in a really good book were you just canโt help but lean forward because youโre just that excited to read whatโs coming next? I canโt count the amount of times I did that with this book. If I could give it more then 5 stars I would because wow. It had me hooked from start to finish and I read through it in 3 days despite being in kind of a reading slump. This book reminded me of why I love fantasy as much as I do and you have no idea how much Iโm hoping to get my hands on a physical copy.
If you donโt know what to read next, this is it. This is your next reasd. If youโre a fantasy and shadow daddy loving person you need this on your TBR.
Thank you Melanie for letting me read this and fall in love with your characters.
Iโm a huge fan of shadow daddies and Melanie delivers in the best of ways in this book. You get a mysterious but handsome guy covered in shadows, a handsome lord visiting the court that the fmc canโt remember meeting before even though it feels like theyโve known eachother all of their lives. We get romance thatโs not supposed to happen, characters you just canโt help but love and near death experiences. Thereโs betrayals you didnโt really see coming and all the drama that comes with court life and and you get to read it all.
You know when you reach that point in a really good book were you just canโt help but lean forward because youโre just that excited to read whatโs coming next? I canโt count the amount of times I did that with this book. If I could give it more then 5 stars I would because wow. It had me hooked from start to finish and I read through it in 3 days despite being in kind of a reading slump. This book reminded me of why I love fantasy as much as I do and you have no idea how much Iโm hoping to get my hands on a physical copy.
If you donโt know what to read next, this is it. This is your next reasd. If youโre a fantasy and shadow daddy loving person you need this on your TBR.
Thank you Melanie for letting me read this and fall in love with your characters.
June 2, 2024
Mel NEVER disappoints! She has created another great romantasy read perfect for my fellow lovers of all things spice, magic, and morally grey. The story features the FMC, Ornella and the MMC, Nicholas. Ornella is a witty, intelligent, and TOUGH Crystal Fae princess. Nicholas is broody, stubborn, and king of the Obsidian fae hellbent on revenge. Their banter and connection was swoon worthy. Their attraction to one another was irresistible and both of them fought to give into their desire for one another. Their build up had so much angst and that had me flipping the page like pancakes.
As always the writing and world building were well done. I enjoyed the storyline and the journeys of the main characters. This is a thicky thick ems of read, but I was fully immersed and did not want it end. The story features so many great moments . There are great tropes, twists and turns, and the angst will have your emotions in a mess. I absolutely loved the FMC! I connected with her character on several levels and thought that her characterโs development was ๐ฉ๐พโ๐ณ๐. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book for my shelves. This was a great read, overall loved this one!
Make sure you add this to your summer or fall TBR!
As always the writing and world building were well done. I enjoyed the storyline and the journeys of the main characters. This is a thicky thick ems of read, but I was fully immersed and did not want it end. The story features so many great moments . There are great tropes, twists and turns, and the angst will have your emotions in a mess. I absolutely loved the FMC! I connected with her character on several levels and thought that her characterโs development was ๐ฉ๐พโ๐ณ๐. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book for my shelves. This was a great read, overall loved this one!
Make sure you add this to your summer or fall TBR!
May 25, 2024
Oh, I LOVED this book. There is SO MUCH ANGST.
The world building is impeccable. I think I say this about all of Melโs fantasy writing. She does such an amazing job with sucking you right into her storybook worlds.
Ornella (FMC) is resilient. My heart ached for her in many instances, but seeing her overcome it all was the best.
Nicholas (MMC) is sooooo grey. Heโs interesting and definitely keeps you on your toes with his many โfaces.โ
Your emotions will be hot and cold + all over the place. I rooted for Ornella and Nic hoping they would overcome the obstacles, heartbreak, and resentment. The story is filled with secrets, lies + betrayals, and love + friendship.
This story seriously had me in a chokehold.
Tropes: found family, dark fantasy, romantasy, fae, morally grey MMC, enemies to lovers, forced marriage, touch her and d!e
Triggers: mentions of SA (not between main characters), PTSD from SA, parental deaths, suicidal thought idealizations, blood, and general violence
Things I loved: Flower crown memory. "Shadow King." The Shadow King's sisters. Ornella's smart mouth. Ornella's loyalty.
The world building is impeccable. I think I say this about all of Melโs fantasy writing. She does such an amazing job with sucking you right into her storybook worlds.
Ornella (FMC) is resilient. My heart ached for her in many instances, but seeing her overcome it all was the best.
Nicholas (MMC) is sooooo grey. Heโs interesting and definitely keeps you on your toes with his many โfaces.โ
Your emotions will be hot and cold + all over the place. I rooted for Ornella and Nic hoping they would overcome the obstacles, heartbreak, and resentment. The story is filled with secrets, lies + betrayals, and love + friendship.
This story seriously had me in a chokehold.
Tropes: found family, dark fantasy, romantasy, fae, morally grey MMC, enemies to lovers, forced marriage, touch her and d!e
Triggers: mentions of SA (not between main characters), PTSD from SA, parental deaths, suicidal thought idealizations, blood, and general violence
Things I loved: Flower crown memory. "Shadow King." The Shadow King's sisters. Ornella's smart mouth. Ornella's loyalty.
June 24, 2024
ARC review:
I had the privilege to be able to have an ARC copy of this book. Overall I thought the plot of the story was really good. I enjoyed the build up between the MMC and FMC. They're relationship in the beginning of the book was really good. I think the world building and the magic described in it was really interesting.
There was some parts of the book I wasn't particularly a fan of. After the characters ended up together I didn't like the MMC's attitude. It was more hostile rather than grumpy sunshine romance near the end. He seemed so sweet and endearing but then after they ended up together and he was "pushing her away" it just seemed mean.
Also this book has a big trigger warning for child sexual abuse. It doesn't explain anything in detail but it's still a lot. That was the biggest turn off for me with this book. Instead of touching on the subject and healing past it, it seemed it was meant to be more of a main focus and really took away from the story for me.
I had the privilege to be able to have an ARC copy of this book. Overall I thought the plot of the story was really good. I enjoyed the build up between the MMC and FMC. They're relationship in the beginning of the book was really good. I think the world building and the magic described in it was really interesting.
There was some parts of the book I wasn't particularly a fan of. After the characters ended up together I didn't like the MMC's attitude. It was more hostile rather than grumpy sunshine romance near the end. He seemed so sweet and endearing but then after they ended up together and he was "pushing her away" it just seemed mean.
Also this book has a big trigger warning for child sexual abuse. It doesn't explain anything in detail but it's still a lot. That was the biggest turn off for me with this book. Instead of touching on the subject and healing past it, it seemed it was meant to be more of a main focus and really took away from the story for me.
May 18, 2024
I had to take my time and may adjust this review many times. This book is only my 2nd or 3rd 5 star this year. This book starts with the main character Ornella and the main man Nicholas. They have know each other since they were young but he took her memories to protect her. Fair warning there are some triggers and the emotions that I felt for these characters of love , hate โฆ. I had to message the author to tell her how much I hated one or where I was in the reading for the ARC. At first I didnโt know how I felt for Ornella, but she is strong and quick witted and stubborn . Nicholas Is controlling and an ass some days and canโt communicate his feelings or words. This is real life . These are relatable and in perfect characters. Itโs decently paced, it does have flash backs and builds the characters so theyโre not flat or fall in love right off the bat.
Ornella escapes to the woods where she finds her peace and where she had met Nicholas but doesnโt remember him. He tried to protect her from her abusive past with multiple family and maids who are meant to protect her.
Her father and mother want to marry her off to that said family member with out her consent, but has a way to escape .
There is sibling relationships that have their ups and downs. New found family and adventure with Magic.
Highly recommend this book if you enjoy fae, magic and spice.
Ornella escapes to the woods where she finds her peace and where she had met Nicholas but doesnโt remember him. He tried to protect her from her abusive past with multiple family and maids who are meant to protect her.
Her father and mother want to marry her off to that said family member with out her consent, but has a way to escape .
There is sibling relationships that have their ups and downs. New found family and adventure with Magic.
Highly recommend this book if you enjoy fae, magic and spice.
May 20, 2024
Ornella my love I just wanna give you a hug and never let go ๐ญ !! I absolutely fell in love with the way her character grew to be stronger & braver . Although Nic reminded me of my toxic nothing-but-red-flags ex I kept going back toโฆ BUUT in the end he really grew to become the person Iโd hoped he became. :) The way he would let the word burn for Nella is *chefs kiss* .. This story has so so many twists and turns.. some to be expected but some completely shocked me .. literally mouth dropping โwhat did I just read?!โ moments. It did start off slow for me but there hasnโt been a book by Melanie I havenโt loved. Iโm also venturing into the fantasy world of books so I havenโt read many (actually the only fantasy I have read are by Melanie) . Also can I just say .. Dorian?? Brother ew ๐ anyways definitely a great read!!
May 25, 2024
This was a really well designed story. Ornella is used to having important decisions made for her, but that doesn't mean she likes it. Upon hearing of the passing of her betrothed, she plans to meet more suitors at an event very soon.
She can only dream of her mystery, shadow man, but Lord Cole has caught her eye as well. Of course, the fact that her mother told her to stay away made her want to let him in even more. As things progress and she learns that she may have more options than she thought, she realizes that still, none are truly what she wants.
Caught in a deal that's bound in blood, Ornella is faced with the realization that her life is not as it seemed, and the people she is now surrounded by are friendlier than she originally thought. Can she figure out how to place her shadow suitor with all of his other masks?
She can only dream of her mystery, shadow man, but Lord Cole has caught her eye as well. Of course, the fact that her mother told her to stay away made her want to let him in even more. As things progress and she learns that she may have more options than she thought, she realizes that still, none are truly what she wants.
Caught in a deal that's bound in blood, Ornella is faced with the realization that her life is not as it seemed, and the people she is now surrounded by are friendlier than she originally thought. Can she figure out how to place her shadow suitor with all of his other masks?
June 3, 2024
A huge huge huge congratulations to Mel for this book. She absolutely devoured this story. As aa beta read and arc reader this story was phenomenal and got even better after each read. Top tier characters, villains who make you skin crawl and of course a delicious shadow daddy to top it off. We start out with her dearest Ornella, the main character of this story. As she goes through the motions of being the princess of the Crystal Fae. Ornellaโs promised husband has passed, her brother has been put into a coma and who is the mysterious shadow-man that keeps popping up? Wither Ornella now the new heir she is set to find a husband as quickly as possible. The next in line to be her betrothed is a vile man. Someone Ornella refuses to marry. Promising to save her the shadow-man does, but what if she made a mistake in her judgement? The shadow-man turns out to be cruel but tender as Ornella stripes him down. Will Ornella and this shadow-man come to terms? How will they figure out the issues that arise now that she is a stolen princess? Ugh!! This book had me seriously in all the feels, left right, up, down!! What a frickinโ ride this was. The mixed emotions between our main characters, the hurt and betrayal. The tender love and moments of time they can be themselves. The real and raw story of Ornellaโs childhood and past. I loved it all. Absolutely stunning story and I cannot wait for more from Melanie. Hands down this is a beautiful story. And one I hope you decide to try!
P.S. the art for this book is actually insane and the main characters are so hot, please give Melanie the love this story deserves!!
P.S. the art for this book is actually insane and the main characters are so hot, please give Melanie the love this story deserves!!
June 4, 2024
I have read all of the books that Mel Davies has released and I have to be honest and say that I absolutely love when she goes down the route of fantasy other wordly. If you have seen the character art / art work for this book then let me tell you the artwork is spot on. Mel has such a way in her writing that pulls you into her story that you honestly feel that you are the characters, you can honestly visualise the story as you read it. I love when an author can pull you in, to another world that makes you want more.
This lady is on point in this story as she gives us so much in a stand alone book, we go dark fantasy, emotional roller-coaster, growth and depth of characters. I absolutely loved this book and would 100% recommend for lovers of dark fantasy, but please read TW.
This author grows with each book she writes, and I highly recommend.
I loved this book.
This lady is on point in this story as she gives us so much in a stand alone book, we go dark fantasy, emotional roller-coaster, growth and depth of characters. I absolutely loved this book and would 100% recommend for lovers of dark fantasy, but please read TW.
This author grows with each book she writes, and I highly recommend.
I loved this book.
June 9, 2024
If I could, I would give this one 3.5 stars.
I first want to say that the writing is good, so very good. I'd have DNF'd if it wasn't. The story as far as arranged marriage, he falls first was spectacular, and I literally had butterflies during encounters for the MCs.
This is a darker book with mature themes. At times, I felt some of these things were glossed over and not dealt with properly. It's a book, and written for entertainment purposes, so I get it's not always conducive to deal with such things. However, I felt it was a disservice to the characters in a couple of instances. The other thing that really didn't sit well with me was the ending. There were so many unanswered questions. I'm uncertain if this was done purposefully or not, but it just left me unsettled with the ending.
Overall, it was an enjoyable book and had me flipping pages like crazy.
I first want to say that the writing is good, so very good. I'd have DNF'd if it wasn't. The story as far as arranged marriage, he falls first was spectacular, and I literally had butterflies during encounters for the MCs.
This is a darker book with mature themes. At times, I felt some of these things were glossed over and not dealt with properly. It's a book, and written for entertainment purposes, so I get it's not always conducive to deal with such things. However, I felt it was a disservice to the characters in a couple of instances. The other thing that really didn't sit well with me was the ending. There were so many unanswered questions. I'm uncertain if this was done purposefully or not, but it just left me unsettled with the ending.
Overall, it was an enjoyable book and had me flipping pages like crazy.
June 9, 2024
I loved this book. Davies created a world away from other worlds, where fae live, love and burn through all the red flags possible.
Ornella, the middle child in her family โ a royal family, has many responsibilities and duties towards not only her family, but also her kingdom. So when her mother arranges a marriage for her, only for the groom to die in an accident, Ornella is relieved, but not very long. So even as she continues to try to follow her parentโs desires, she has desires of her own. Desires that put her in danger. Desires that are protected, and fired up all in the same breath. And then along come Nicholas!
What secrets are hidden? What traumas have been forgotten? How far can Ornella escape it all? And will love win?
Ornella, the middle child in her family โ a royal family, has many responsibilities and duties towards not only her family, but also her kingdom. So when her mother arranges a marriage for her, only for the groom to die in an accident, Ornella is relieved, but not very long. So even as she continues to try to follow her parentโs desires, she has desires of her own. Desires that put her in danger. Desires that are protected, and fired up all in the same breath. And then along come Nicholas!
What secrets are hidden? What traumas have been forgotten? How far can Ornella escape it all? And will love win?
June 23, 2024
I want to start off with this was a fun read, and there were a lot of parts that I enjoyed. I just could not get into the MMC. I for some reason didnโt like him and had a hard time reading the book because of it. The writing itself? Great. The author did a wonderful job of creating a haunting world that truly screamed fantasy.
The main FMC was enjoyable and had been through a lot. She was constantly caught between her wants/ desires and everyone elseโs. Choosing herself was incredibly hard and I thought her characters growth was great.
I just didnโt like him.
Thatโs a ME problem. I realize that.
I would read more from this author in the future.
Always give a book a try! What may not be my cup of tea may be your next favorite book.
The main FMC was enjoyable and had been through a lot. She was constantly caught between her wants/ desires and everyone elseโs. Choosing herself was incredibly hard and I thought her characters growth was great.
I just didnโt like him.
Thatโs a ME problem. I realize that.
I would read more from this author in the future.
Always give a book a try! What may not be my cup of tea may be your next favorite book.
July 1, 2024
This is the first book Iโve read from this author, and to be honest, I have had a break from fantasy reads since another *epic* sequel earlier this year had me in a choke hold, but I really enjoyed this read.
Although it took a few chapters to really get into the flow of the storyline, there were enough twists and turns to hook you until the end.
The MCs Ornella and Nicholas were challenging, and layered, and loveable. I NEED an epilogue!!!
And as for the family dramaโฆ.. fuuuuuaaarque!!! Wish Iโd been raised with some hand combat training.
Lastly, I Looooooove a quick burn, and to wait about 30 chapters for our MCs to get somewhere spicy - dayummmmmmโฆ. Thankfully that was a slow burn worth waiting for ;)
3.5 โญ๏ธ
3 ๐ถ๏ธ
Although it took a few chapters to really get into the flow of the storyline, there were enough twists and turns to hook you until the end.
The MCs Ornella and Nicholas were challenging, and layered, and loveable. I NEED an epilogue!!!
And as for the family dramaโฆ.. fuuuuuaaarque!!! Wish Iโd been raised with some hand combat training.
Lastly, I Looooooove a quick burn, and to wait about 30 chapters for our MCs to get somewhere spicy - dayummmmmmโฆ. Thankfully that was a slow burn worth waiting for ;)
3.5 โญ๏ธ
3 ๐ถ๏ธ
July 7, 2024
This book was an amazing magical read!
The winding story of Ornella and Nicholas captivated me from the start!! Both from different fae kingdoms at odds and a bond started between them from long ago.
The world building is fantastic and itโs one of the things I absolutely love about Melโs fantasy booksโ!
Iโve not rated it 5 stars as there were some things that slipped through during editing and ARC reading. I was late to the ARC party and the book was already in the process of being printed ๐ค if I could rate the book a 4.5 instead, I would.
I would 100000000% recommend this book and I canโt wait for Melโs future books! Melโs grows with each book that is written and I couldnโt be prouder of her!
The winding story of Ornella and Nicholas captivated me from the start!! Both from different fae kingdoms at odds and a bond started between them from long ago.
The world building is fantastic and itโs one of the things I absolutely love about Melโs fantasy booksโ!
Iโve not rated it 5 stars as there were some things that slipped through during editing and ARC reading. I was late to the ARC party and the book was already in the process of being printed ๐ค if I could rate the book a 4.5 instead, I would.
I would 100000000% recommend this book and I canโt wait for Melโs future books! Melโs grows with each book that is written and I couldnโt be prouder of her!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2024
Gosh, what a book. I received this as an e-ARC.
I was amazed with how much I enjoyed this book. It is written so well and realistically despite being a fantasy story. I loved both main characters in their own way and was rooting for them the whole way through despite the many, many, many bumps in the road. The plot was fantasicccccc, so unique to me. Add in the various twists, turns and betrayals and youโve got yourself a 10/10 book. There are some characters I wish were โ ๏ธ at the end that werenโt, however I really liked the way it ended. It was shoot and peaceful and I feel that it reflected the state of mind of our main characters perfectly.
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I was amazed with how much I enjoyed this book. It is written so well and realistically despite being a fantasy story. I loved both main characters in their own way and was rooting for them the whole way through despite the many, many, many bumps in the road. The plot was fantasicccccc, so unique to me. Add in the various twists, turns and betrayals and youโve got yourself a 10/10 book. There are some characters I wish were โ ๏ธ at the end that werenโt, however I really liked the way it ended. It was shoot and peaceful and I feel that it reflected the state of mind of our main characters perfectly.
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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