Castle of Dusk and Shadows cover art

Castle of Dusk and Shadows

Fae of Brytwilde, Book 1

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Castle of Dusk and Shadows

By: Rachel L. Schade
Narrated by: Savy Des-Etages
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About this listen

She'll do anything to save her family—even marry a fae and face the dead.

Years ago, Elle Blackford's parents made a desperate deal with the fae kingdom of Ashwood. While her mother and sisters reconciled themselves to a future among dangerous immortals, Elle and her father studied forbidden magic, hoping to find a loophole.

Until Elle's father died, forcing Elle's sister to marry Prince Fitz, heir of Ashwood. But Elle has a plan to change their fate. She knows that ghosts wander Ashwood Forest until the royal family sends them into the afterlife. Ghosts that can be returned to life, and she's determined to save her father from his premature death. All she needs is powerful magic—magic Prince Fitz possesses.

Taking her sister's place, Elle marries Prince Fitz to steal his power. But in a world of bloodthirsty fae and vengeful ghosts, being a mortal comes with constant risks. As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family.

The key to her salvation might be her arrogant, cold husband—the one she'd planned to rob and abandon. If only she can trust him.

Pride and Prejudice meets Gothic fae fantasy in this loose retelling, full of plenty of romantic tension (not spice). Immerse yourself in Fae of Brytwilde, a series of standalone fantasy romance novels all set in the same fae world and loosely inspired by Jane Austen's novels.

©2023 Rachel L. Schade (P)2023 Podium Audio
Fantasy Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Regency Regency Romance Romance Royalty Magic Haunted

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All stars
Most relevant
Maybe this was aimed at young teens and adults because I found it very naive. The FMC was the most annoying character, ignorant, childish and brattish, with no critical thinking or self survival instincts. I kept hoping for a turnaround, but it persisted. Maybe it was also impatience in my part because I guessed the bad guy from the beginning.
The one good thing I can say about the book, is that it is a complete story and bot some cynical attempt to hook in readers to the next book, by ending halfway through a chapter

A bit ‘young’ for me, but a complete story

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Castle of Dusk and Shadows is a moody gothic romantasy that mixes fae bargains, ghosts, and an enemies to lovers romance.
Elle takes her sister’s place marrying, the Fae Prince Fitz. She intends to steal his power and undo her father’s death. Instead, she finds herself caught in a web of secrets, haunting spirits, and an unexpected pull toward the very man she is meant to deceive.
The gothic atmosphere is fantastic; dark forests, a shadowed castle, and eerie ghosts that linger long after death. The romance is full of tension and banter, though it leans more on the emotional side than the physical. Elle can be frustratingly reckless, and the plot is predictable at times but the worldbuilding and mood make this an engaging, fast read.
I was looking for a nice, safe read and this didn't disappoint.
A great pick if you enjoy fae bargains, slowburn tension, and a gothic fantasy setting.

A moody gothic fantasy, just right for this time

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A great fantasy take on Pride and Prejudice. The narrator was very good, but I found the way she annouces the chapters really strange and irritating.

Exciting

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The FMC was insufferable , story a bit unrealistic but I guess that’s what to expect when reading books about ghosts and fae . The book was interesting to listen to but overall not my cup of tea.

Good narrator

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The FMC Elle is unrealistic and insufferable and obsessed over pointless things. She spends the entire book grieving her dad, obsessing about her dad, only thinking about her dad to the point that it drowns the entire story. This really ought to have been two separate books. One romance book and one grief work book. I read that the author lost both her parents in an accident and that she writes to cope with grief. So if you're reading (listening) to this, don't expect a fae mortal love story but rather 3000000 pages of Elle crying or sulking and being a total brat.

A journey in grief

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