This is Book 4 of The Nightfire Quartet and this is the finale!

First up, I absolutely adore the covers for this series - they are absolutely gorgeous!

This is the final part of this series, and we follow Zarya as she faces her Darkest threats yet.

Nisha has a cunning way of being able to draw you into the story, and you just want to binge the entire novel in a single sitting!

It's darker than the previous ones, but this just adds the overall drama of the series.

I absolutely love Zarya. She is incredibly strong and determined, a real role model and someone who you can depend on. I love seeing strong female main characters in fantasy books.

Yasen is Zarya best friend, and he is absolutely hilarious with his quite blunt and sometimes crude observations, while the energy these two have is fantastic. It adds another layer to the story.

This is a series that needs to be read in order so you appreciate every little single moment reading!

This is the second series that I have read by Nisha, and I absolutely love her and her writing style as she is incredibly creative and just an amazing writer.

Highly recommend to fantasy lovers!

Fast-paced and full of character and relationships you can't help but root for, Queen of Shadows and Ruin brought this series to an epic conclusion that had me frantically flipping pages until I reached the end. Action-packed with a delicious slow-burn romance, this had me hooked.

If you're looking for a new romantasy series, I would check out the Nightfire Quartet!

I've read Queen of Shadows and Ruin, written by Nisha J. Tuli. It's the last enstallment of the Nightfire Quartet.

In all those books, you can see Zarya (FMC) grow from a little girl to a powerful woman, and right next to her Rabin, her true love.

I gave this book a 4-star read because somewhere along, it left me hanging and especially a bit at the end.

Even though I loved the first 3 books and the need to read this one was great. I kept comparing it to The Ouranos Artifact series, which I read after I read the first 3 of the Nightfire Quartet, and I keep thinking how I loved that one more.

Nisha, I can only tell you: I'm fond of your writing and I will keep reading your next books.

Thank you for getting the opportunity to get this e-arc.

Zarya is the only one able to save her home from the dark magic spreading throughout the land. Rabin is sure the king is able to help, but Zarya had only known of Abishek as someone eager to steal her magic or kill her. The tie between Zarya and Rabin begins to fail, and Abishek offers to help. Shadow armies are gathering as ancient magic is breaking loose. Everything that Zarya has ever loved is on the line, and she must face the darkness within.

Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the fourth and final book of the Nightfire Quartet. (Heart of Night and Fire, Dance of Stars and Ashes, and Storm of Ink and Blood are the prior books in the quartet.) Definitely read those first, each book builds upon the events of the prior ones in the quartet.

Following the uprising in Ishaan that she was part of, Zarya escaped to Abishek with Rabin, Miraan, and Yasen. Abishek is at once thoughtful and caring, but also possessive and commanding. He doesn't want to discuss freeing the vanshaj of bondage and still considers the Aazheri superior in every way. Zarya wants to trust that he has her best interests and safety at heart, especially since he also cares about Rabin. But something also doesn't feel right within the kingdom, and the trouble in Ishaan escalated even further. The second half of the book deals with the betrayals and weight of the Blight and the demons that were contained for a thousand years.

This book fully explains the source of the blight, what happened to Zarya's mother, and the truth about the tie between Zarya and Rabin. The second half of the book has the action and groups figuring out what to do. The conclusion not only ties up those questions but brings in characters from earlier books. It's tied up neatly, and several people get a happily ever after. I enjoyed seeing them happy together after the destruction and terror that they lived through. It was a fun ride and a good conclusion to the quartet.

Thank you Nisha J Tuli, Second Sky, and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
First I just want to say that I am so late on not only this review, but the read as well! I guess life gets busy when you get two puppies at once! :rofl:

This book is the final journey in the world that is Rahajhan. It is the ending to an incredible series, The Nightfire Quartet Series. It was released on March 6th, 2025!

➼ found family
➼ betrayal
➼ fated mates
➼ Indian mythology

Trigger warning(s):

Throughout this series, you get the opportunity to fall in love with an array of characters, an incredibly unique storyline that is action packed, and the amazing writing from none other than Nisha. I had a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the whole series, with the characters and their growth and/or betrayal, the plot twists left and right, and the tragedies (or not?). I think this is a great series and world to get into, especially with it being inspired by Indian Mythology! Truly though, Nisha's books always slap.

Now for this book. I truly loved this ending. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a series' ending and a happily ever after, but I thought it was perfect! Obviously there are going to be flaws, like that character really betrayed so and so? The plot twist you could honestly see coming from a mile away BUT I will be honest here, I am very good at detecting the plot twists in books, but I had so much hope before this book about the plot twist and was lowkey shocked when it was revealed. Like I KNEW that would be the twist but I was really holding out hope that it wouldn't be. I would say this final book is exhilarating while also being rushed by the end. The final fight was just after 75% through the book and then it was over like that. I truly thought, for the length of this book, that it would take about 50% of the book for the final "battle", when it barely took 25%. It definitely could have been extended to 5 books to make a more action packed final battle, but at the same time I think four books was the perfect amount.

Zayra Rai is an incredible heroine! She is inspiring and extremely determined to save others. She had so much growth throughout the whole series and I loved being able to see her grow!

Rabin Ravana is THE MAN! I seriously love Rabin so much, y'all don't even understand. But in this book? FOLLOW YOUR GUT BABE! A lot happened throughout this book, but I loved seeing him fight for those he loves!

Book boyfriend? UH YES! We love Rabin here and I won't accept any slander!

★★★★★
:hot_pepper::hot_pepper:
:droplet::droplet:

"𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯."

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the eBook.

I can't believe this series is over. I have loved every single book and loved watching Zarya grow over the 4 books.

This ended the way I wanted it to and I couldn't have asked for a better book to end this quartet. Well worth a read!

Nisha just knows how to reel you back into the world, everything is summarised in the best way to get you straight back into the story. Nothing is added without purpose and these books were all so fast paced. Also, thank you Nisha for writing all 4 in 18 months. My impatient self really appreciates it!

From the very first page, the short, punchy chapters and the irresistible pull to uncover what happens next had me thoroughly hooked!

The story picks up seamlessly from where the previous book left off, with Zarya fleeing to seek refuge in her father’s kingdom. Raja Abishek has intrigued me ever since he was first mentioned in the series, and now I finally meet the man himself.
Watching Zarya reconnect with her father was fascinating, yet I couldn’t shake the lingering sense that Abishek might be too good to be true…

As the plot unfolds, dark secrets are unearthed, and the true extent of Zarya’s power is revealed, raising the stakes to a new height.
The final chapters, packed with intense sword fights and moments that push Zarya and Rabin’s bond to its limits, kept me on the edge of my seat and my glued to my Kindle!

Speaking of Zarya and Rabin—their romance is simply off the charts, deliciously fiery, and heart-melting!
I was glad to see some of the characters I’ve adored finally receive second chances and the well-earned endings they deserve, especially Yasen and Row.

Overall, it has been a wonderful journey witnessing Zarya’s growth – from the uncertain heroine of the 1st book to the powerful woman she becomes in this finale.
The author has done a masterful job crafting intricate world-building and creating well-developed characters.
I look forward to discovering more of this author’s work in the future!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Death, sexual content, war, torture, confinement

I’ll say the same as I did when I read the Artefacts of Ouranos quartet—- how dare you do this to us readers? You would think I’ve learned my lesson by now but clearly I haven’t, I will continue to be absolutely blown away by Nisha J Tuli. Nisha doesn’t just pull at your heart strings… she takes a hammer and smashes your heart into pieces and then helps you slowly put it back together.

Also, I am such a support character girlie so seeing not only R & Z continue to grow, but seeing all the friends too was so lovely.

Action? You’ve got it. Found Family? check! Emotional damage! DING DING DING!

Beautiful finale to this quartet, I’m sad that it’s over but look forward to everything Nisha creates next.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Nisha for the ability to read this e-arc.

The last book of the series and it did not disappoint. The story moved right along and kept me engaged the whole time.
Zarya finally meets her father, She wasn't sure what to think as she had been told for years that he was not a nice person at all. I didn't trust him and kept yelling at the book for her to be careful lol.
She did not tell him that Rabin and her were married. They wanted to wait for the right time. He raised Rabbin for quite a few years and was Rabin's mentor.
I loved Yasen ad Miraan. Miraan s a royal and Yasen doesn't think he is good enough for him but these 2 together were perfect.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book to review.

This book was a beautiful ending for the Nightfire Quartet series❤️.

The writing in this book as well as the previous books is beautiful and so multilayered. Its easy to read and follow with still a hint of comolex layers. The plot is absolutely perfection and there are so many twists and turns! Im so happy with the way this story ended but i absolutely wasnt ready fot this story to be over..

The way zarya has experienced so much throughout this series and even this book alone. Her character growth is just gorgeous and you can see how she matures and handles with the situations is everything. And the romance with the MMC? Absolute fire. I also love the side characters and im happy we got more of them aswell.

This was an absolute beautiful and emotional rollercoaster and I recommend this series to every fantasy & romance lover <3

Thank you so much to second sky books & Nish J. Tuli & Netgalley for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts are my own.


Review posted on Instagram, fable, goodreads, storygraph & amazon ( pending for Amazons approval)

Excuse me one second while I scream. Ahhhhhhh!! Okay now that that’s out of the way: Nisha!!!!! This book was so perfect. It had me at the edge of my seat so often I felt like I was doing squats.

Every single book in this series was incredible, yet somehow each book just got better and better?! This is one of my favorite series now, and everyone WILL be seeing me recommend it nonstop. This book made me laugh, cry, and scream. I felt so many emotions while reading this book, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I think this book is a huge testament to how amazing of a writer Nisha is. When I read this series, I could envision everything. The food, the characters, the scenery! I felt like I was actually there alongside Zarya. The descriptions in this book are beautiful. I also love the magic system in this world. It’s complex yet so masterfully created.

I arc read every single one of these books in this series. It has been the absolute best journey as I discovered this world and read about these characters. It’s so bittersweet to watch it come to an end. But I couldn’t have asked for a better end to this series. I have so much love for these characters. Zarya, Rabin, and Yasen— these three will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Thank you for writing these books Nisha! They have meant so much to me.

And for all of those wondering if you should pick up these books, you absolutely should! If you are looking for your next completed romantasy series full of magic, love, political intrigue, and tons of twists; pick this one up!

Nisha has book after book become one of my favorite and auto buy authors.

Sometimes the last book in a series can feel a bit rushed and the ending can be a bit flat. This was not the case with this book! It was so intense and I was so nervous throughout this book. Nisha wrapped it up really well and I love that we got all the answers we needed and all the characters had closure.

Thank you Nisha for an amazing series. I can’t wait to see what you write next.

This was a dramatic, action-filled conclusion to The Nightfire Quartet, with Zarya and Rabin fighting for each other, their bond, and the world they know. The mystery of Zarya’s power continues, secrets are revealed and betrayal lurks around every corner.

This book was the final stage of the pair's relationship, following their sudden marriage at the end of the previous book. They have to learn to trust each other even as their bond begins to fail, civil war threatens, and there's more than meets the eye behind Raja Abishek's welcome.

I enjoyed this book so much, with its drama, tension, and spicy scenes (even if they were beginning to feel a tad overdone). The lore that was woven into this series was intriguing and continued to capture my attention throughout all four books. The twists and turns of Zarya's story were magical and thrilling right up to the ultimate finale.

A pleasure to read this entire series.

Book 4 of this quartet was so good. I loved seeing Zarya and Rabin grow and tackle the magic obstacles that appeared. Zarya meets her birth father, staying in his castle for a period of time. However, he always seems a little shifty. Zarya didn’t want to listen to Row, so she is determined to learn for herself.

A new magical foe is explained, which helps explain the rot from all the way back to the first book.

Overall, really enjoyed the series.

This is the fourth book in a series, and I recommend that you read the first three books because there are a lot of characters, and the author drops you right in.

Zarya is finally meeting her father, and she is convinced by her (new and secret) husband Rabin to give him a chance. Honestly, there is very little mystery in this book. It's clear from the beginning who is bad and who is good, and although it's supposed to be a surprise, I didn't find any of it surprising. The writing is very simplistic and also incredibly anachronistic. If you want magic vibes with world-building that's not all that complicated, then this book will do. If you want a sweeping fantasy with deeply drawn characters, this book will not satisfy you. I'd also like to say that this book is described as a "spicy Romantasy," and there is sex, but it's not sexy. The sex writing is very clumsy and more about naming body parts. Very little romance. There are just many better books in this genre.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The first time I saw you, I knew there would never be anyone else. I knew I would die with you, one way or another.”

Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the fourth and final instalment of the Adult Romantasy series, The Nightfire Quartet. Written in multi third person POV, we continue to follow Zarya, Rabin, and co in their final attempt to stop the dark magic infecting their land. Zarya is the only one with the ability to stop it but they need support and so Zarya finally meets her father, the mysterious Raja, with hopes for his aid. Yet things won't be as easy as rebellions rise, magical bonds fail, and shadows rise up so Zarya must decide how far she will go to use her powers to save the people she loves...and what she will give up in the process.

Holy crap this book had me on a JOURNEY!

I just love Zarya and Rabin so much. After all the things they have been through seeing them together and as a collective force was everything. While they have to play court games to help achieve their goals they fully support and are confident in each other and a relationship like that is EVERYTHING to me.

We also have the POV of Yasen and Miraan as they handle things happening elsewhere. I'm gonna be honest and say their POV didn't grip me as much as Zarya and Rabin but I found seeing how things are going on elsewhere really opened up this world for me. The only situation between Miraan and his sister hit me hard, though. Towards the end of the book it felt like we were racing against the clock and their POV helped slow things down and give me a chance to really feel the depth of what is going on.

“I will protect you with every breath in my body.”

In terms of spice, I place this as 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There is spice throughout the novel because Zarya and Rabin are already in an established relationship. So expect some around 20% and then every 30% after. I liked how the spice was used to cement their connection and to reassure them amidst all the chaos going on. I truly enjoyed how stable these two were in their relationship and spice showed this. They have fun, they connect, and it was so well written. Expect explicit detail and passion!

The story itself has a lot of moving pieces but ultimately Zarya and Rabin go to her father to see if they can sway him to help them…but it is not as simple as they think. It is a heavier focus of political intrigue and there is a sense of waiting at times but the pacing had me in its grip as we learned more about this mysterious Raja. I was feeling all the emotions while reading and when the other foot finally dropped I was in so much turmoil I could not stop reading. There are so many twists I was not expecting at all that it really shook up this world. There are action sequences to keep you on your toes, betrayal, family confrontations, and sacrifices to be made. I loved each and every moment, despite the angst it gave me. The ending was incredibly satisfying and I was left feeling like this story was everything I needed.

Nisha has once again crafted a beautiful series that keeps in your grasp from start to finish. I cannot wait to see what she does for us next.

Thank you Second Sky for this arc!

obsessed is an understatement
I loved every moment of these books!!!

this series has such a rich and immersive world that it's set in with fantastic character relationships, found family, forbidden romance, secret identities and so much more!

“There’s never been anyone like her before. Nor will there be again.”

Who cried their way through the ending? Mee, I did!!

I was panicking during the last third, wondering how everything would go and if everyone would survive and live happily ever after...luckily, Nisha J. Tuli wrapped everything up perfectly, and I'm so happy with the way it ended. Though I wouldn't mind several more books in this series, or a spinoff, or novella.

If you've read the last book, you know who it is we meet at the start. I wasn't convinced this character had everyone's best interests at heart, lo and behold, I was right. It just took us a while to get to that point.

I didn't mind the slower pace, I was actually on the edge of my seat, waiting for that character to show their true face (no, I did not mean for this to rhyme, but hey). Once they did, the pacing picked up, we learned some interesting things and the book was hard to put down.

I love how Rabin and Zarya's relationship continued to grow, despite everything that was thrown at them. And how Rabin was STILL determined to make things right, even if all was good, he was like "NO!!! I WILL DO THIS!!", he's so precious.

The two of them are goals, honestly, they only get stronger and they do it TOGETHER which is the most important thing. They're among my favourite book couples.

Speaking of couples, we got to see more of Yasen and Miraan. I loved following them while Zarya and Rabin were ~elsewhere~. They're so cute together, and Miraan helps Yasen deal with some of his own issues. If we do get a novella in the future, it would be amazing if it followed them.

Yasen is still my favourite character in the whole series, not that I was expecting it to change, I'm just letting everyone know that he's the best. And funniest. Big thank you to Nisha for writing him!!!

I'm glad Row got a chance to shine, he deserved it probably more than anyone. And he managed to get justice for another character while doing it, win win.

His bond with Zarya broke my heart and put it back together again, all in this book. There's one line where he calls her his daughter that had me sobbing, I wish it had always been like that for them, they've come so far.

Of course, the battle scenes were epic, as expected. The plot development was excellent, and like I already said, the ending was perfect, but I did get the impression that the book was a bit rushed.

It didn't feel quite the same as the past few books, but it also didn't feel dramatically different. It was still such a great read, but books 2 and 3 are definitely my favourites in the series.

I don't want to say goodbye to Rabin, Zarya and their friends, I really don't, I know I'm going to miss them so much. I hope we'll see them again, or that Nisha will write a similar series so I can fall in love with her characters all over again.

4.5

*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I was so looking forward to this book and dreading it at the same time. I hate that this series is over but the conclusion was everything I hoped it would be!

If you love Throne of Glass, please read this series! The world and magic is so intricate. It is based on south Indian mythology and just makes the setting so rich and immersive.

I love all of the relationships that are built over the course of the series, from platonic to romantic. The found family is amazing!

There is a deeper theme of fighting against racism and for people who continue to be punished and oppressed for the crimes of their ancestors.

This series has it all! Secret identity, ancient evil, found family, forbidden romance, royals behaving badly and a dragon shifter!

I love it and I'm excited to see what's next from Nisha!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The way Nisha had me STRESSED for a majority of this book. It quickly became an emotional rollercoaster and a page turner.

She is an auto buy author for me, and her two fantasy series I’ve finished in the last year are favorites of mine! Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the fourth and final book in the Nightfire Quartet series. It’s the perfect mix of romance, magic, plot, betrayal, slow burn, and found family. No spoilers here but this story picks up right where we left off with Zarya and Rabin fighting against the dark.

✨It is bittersweet to finish a series where I have come to love the characters. Zarya and Rabin’s character development is a journey I loved going through. And let’s not forget Yasen. The found family in this series was written in a way where I’ll be thinking about these characters for years to come.

✨If you’re looking for a scorching slow burn, then you’ll love Zarya and Rabin. Their relationship goes through multiple tests of rebellion, secrets, betrayal and yet remained so raw and real. I. LOVE. THEM.

Queen of Shadows and Ruin has:
🐉 Dragon shifter
🔥 Slow burn
☠️ Touch her and die
⚡️ Rebellion
🌊 Secrets & betrayal
⚔️ Found family

Ps, it releases today and is on KU!

Thank you sm @nishajtwrites for this ARC! 🫶🏼