This was such an excellent, enjoyable read! I loved Matthias' character from the moment we met him in Until The Stars Fall, and throughout this book he just cemented his place as one of my all time favourite MMCs!

Once the Skies Fade is a grittier, darker story compared to book one in the Immortal Reveries series, but it still maintains that twisted fairytale vibe. After the sudden death of her husband, mere months after her parents tragic deaths, Queen Calla is struggling with her misunderstood shadow magic, and balancing her responsibilities as ruler with her fresh grief. When her council insists she must choose a new husband within weeks of her husband's funeral, she decides to take her heart out of the equation altogether, and hold a series of deadly trials to determine which male is best suited to rule alongside her.

Calla is not your typical damsel in distress, she she exercises her authority as queen with a fierceness that brings her some pushback from her council of advisors. I loved this aspect of Calla's personality, she was harsh at times, but she owned her choices and did not allow herself to be cowed or pushed around. There will no doubt be people who would view Calla almost as a villain, but if she was a male, I don't believe she would be judged so harshly. Calla tries to be strong, and to be stoic to do what's right for her people, she doesn't want to allow her emotions to cloud her judgement, and this sometimes means her anger gets the better of her.

The growth of both Calla and Matthias in this story was excellent, both of them stubborn and learning to open up and care for each other. There was almost a gender role reversal in their story, with Calla becoming the more dominant one and Matthias bending to her will, he even ends up being the one needing the rescuing on more than one occasion!

If you want a fairytale-esque story of fated mates, political intrigue, backstabbing and plotting, this is an excellent book to pick up!

I also have to praise the narrators who were perfectly cast! Zura and Shane did an incredible job and brought the characters to life so incredibly. I would listen to this audiobook over and over.

This was a beautiful fantasy book that took us on an adventure through grief. We get an amazing morally grey Queen, who you get frustrated with her actions while equally understanding the pain behind it. We also get a thoughtful General all wrapped up in a trial style book!

My only complaint from this book is that I felt it could have been shorter. A lot of the middle didn't really move the plot along, and with it being a standalone, it seemed like unnecessary information.

I loved that this is an interconnected standalone, and we get a super detailed recap of what happened in book one. The spice was slow burn with a few scenes but passionate. The story was easy to follow!

Absolutely loved this story of love after loss. Calla is a wonderfully dark, morally gray FMC who pairs perfectly with the snarky Matthias. This book is darker and sexier than UTSF, which fits these characters perfectly. Amazing job Vanessa!

The narrators knocked it out of the park! Love how they portrayed the characters. Super engaging to listen to.

Oh my GODS I truly loved everything about this book. Calla is seriously everything. I want more morally grey, perfectly FLAWED FMCs in our books.

Vanessa was able to put so much emotion into Calla's character, and I felt every ounce of it. I think the dynamic between her and Mathias was perfectly executed - her the morally grey, more serious character and he the golden retreiever type hero.

The pull between them was so apparent and beautifully written. Their chemistry was believable, and their banter was refreshing. I think every aspect of this story was flawless. The overarching plot was wonderfully crafted, and I was constantly guessing where the story was going to take us. That plot was balanced very well with the romance, and the pacing and flow made it so I did not want to stop reading.

Additonally - the audiobook narration was FANTASTIC. This will definitely be in the running for a top read of the year.

Thank you to Vanessa and netgalley for my early copy!

This book was AMAZING and the narrators were PERFECTION! A morally grey FMC who knows how to use her shadows, a sarcastic and witty MMC, deadly competitions, plot twists you will not see coming, banter, spice, and so much emotion! I was on the edge of my seat during several scenes and I could not stop turning those pages fast enough!

Our FMC, Calla, has endured so much and your heart will break for her. The portrayal of grief and the conflicting emotions of moving on afterward were portrayed so well. Matthias has officially won the award for making me laugh out loud repeatedly with his quick wit and flirtatious comments! There were several other characters that brought out the humor with some amazing one-liners as well. Also, the nickname in this one is hands down one of my favorites!! Vanessa did an incredible job writing all of her characters with so much depth that you will have some instant favorites! There was even one character that will remain nameless because I despise them and the fact that Vanessa could make me have this much hate for one character is incredible! I have never wanted a character to just poof out of existence so much!!

The romance developed beautifully. There were “I’ve got you” and “who did this” moments and a bathtub scene! I was swooning and giddy with excitement multiple times and the spice was perfection!!

“I’ll take your hate. I’ll take anything you’re willing to give me. And if hate is all you can offer, I’ll take it a million times over, because an eternity of your hate is better than a lifetime without you.”

This was perfectly wrapped up in an HEA that had me sobbing because of all the emotions! I’m so excited to see how the overarching plot will continue in the next book with the hints we were given at the end. And I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a certain dragon mercenary to come into play in a future book!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

I'm doubly fortunate: I got to read Once the Skies Fade via an ARC, and now I got to listen to the audiobook. Happiness is: this.

Let me just say that when the narration makes you laugh just during the recap, you KNOW it's going to be an amazing experience, and this did not disappoint in any way.

I loved Calla and Matthias' story, and both narrators did an amazing job of infusing all the drama and emotion of this book into their performances. There are equal amounts of action and emotion, and I really *felt* all of that while I was listening. I already know I'll keep reading all of Vanessa Rasanen's books, and now I'll seek out other audiobooks that these narrators have performed.

Once The Skies Fade Honest ARC Review:


I loved this book! This is the sequel to Once the Stars Fall and is absolutely worth the read or listen! Fans of Fourth Wing and the Bridge Kingdom, look no further. This series is adventurous, intriguing and holds many plot twists.

The king is killed, accidentally or intentionally, no one knows. People in the kingdom begin to suspect the Queen, Calla. In true Fae spirit, there are political games, threats and challenge. The Queen must marry if she is to keep the throne so a tournament is held.

The MMC, Mathias is snarky and sexy. The FMC, Calla, is a morally grey shadow wielder. The world building is descriptive. Characters are complex and develop further throughout the novel.

I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you for sharing this ARC Audiobook with me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Duration: 17 hrs 59 mins
Narrated by Zura Johnson; Shane East
Publication Date: 03.18.25

"As long as you draw breath, pain is possible-perhaps even inevitable..."

⚔️ Fantasy Romance
⚔️ Shadow Queen
⚔️ Fated Mates
⚔️ Grumpy X Sunshine
⚔️ Touch Him & Die
⚔️ Deadly Tournament
⚔️ Political Drama
⚔️ Fated Mates

** Once the Skies Fade is the second in a fantasy romance collection of interconnected stand-alones set in a magical war-torn world, where secrets have power and allies are few. This tale of love lost and fated mates brings a morally grey queen with shadowy secrets and the sarcastic general who could mend her heart… if he doesn’t put a dagger in it first. **

Once the Skies Fade by Vanessa Rasanen was a beautiful tale of love, loss, and continue to push through life. Vanessa did a wonderful job with her character development and world building. It is just as spectacular as the first book.

Calla, our FMC morally grey queen, has lost her husband. He was murdered and she is heartbroken. She is a prime suspect though. Despite the loss, in order to keep her kingdom, she is required to marry again. I don’t want to go too much more into detail because I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say, the romance and spice is melt worthy.

Overall, the story was rich, emotional, binge worthy, captivating, and has you guessing with some of the twists. This is a must read if the tropes are ones you love!

I did receive this story as an ALC. It is a dual narration. I would have given it a five star but sometimes it fell flat and one of the narrators annoyed me. However, overall, I think they did great to aid in an immersive experience.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC.

Obsessed.

I loved this story so much, more than I loved Lieke and Conner (and I really enjoyed them).

Calla's emotions were such a tangible thing for me to read. The absolute misery of losing everyone around her, while trying to keep the facade of being a strong leader. Vanessa did such a great job at having the reader feel the highs and lows while inside Calla's head - especially in the softer moments with Matthias.

...and Matthias. WOOF. You lucky fucking bastard. ha. That's all I'm going to say on him.

I managed to snag an ALC for Once the Skies Fade and the narrators were perfectly matched. You could hear the emotions from the female narrator and the male narrator did the perfect job at portraying Matthias.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Once the Skies Fade was a book I was highly anticipating since I loved Until the Stars Fall (Book 1 of the Immortal Reveries series) so much. The books can be read as standalone but are interconnected, which is my favorite because I don't have to remember every little detail of a previous book to be able to read and love the next book. But you still get the excitement from seeing characters that you love.

So speaking of characters I know and love from Book 1, Conner and Lieke! I felt like I got enough time to see them again to scratch that itch from UTSF but without them taking away from Matthias and Calla's story. Matthias and Calla.....oh my oh my!

Who doesn't love a snarky MMC but more importantly who doesn't love it when the morally grey shadow wielder is the FMC! These 2 might steal the top spot as my fav Immortal Reveries couple.

I really like the trial/competition aspect that took place in this book and how the story line unfolded. I also really liked getting more details about the world, magic and politics of the Kingdoms. UTSF focused on humans and fae but we got more information about other "beings" (shhh no spoilers here). Love seeing the world expand in each book and cannot wait for the next one especially with who I think the MMC will be in book 3!

I received an ALC via the author and NetGalley and I’m so freaking glad I did. I was planning to buy a copy of the audiobook at least since I love, love, loved reading the ebook and knew Zura Johnson and Shane East were narrating the audiobook. Y’all, the narration is perfection. The book opens with a letter to the reader from the male main character and hearing Shane East read that letter will make your entire year. The story is fantastic and the audiobook is a must read.

I was absolutely torn apart by how raw Vanessa made me feel with this one. Having Calla be immediately vilified for her grief reaction made me feel so seen and throughout the entire book all I wanted was to block her from everyone and let her be quiet and alone for as long as she wanted.
Matthias was such a perfect pairing for her and their chemistry was wonderfully paced.
Ugh Vanessa I’m unwell with how beautifully heart wrenching this entire story was, do it again.

Wow this story was/is amazing the way this book was pulling at my emotions was insane I was holding my breath, closing my eyes , my heart being pulled I loved the way the recap was done in this book can this be read on its own yes do I recommend reading book 1 to fall in love with this world I do this is a must read book
And don’t get me started on how amazing the narrators are when I heard his voice I swooned and when I heard hers I felt the emotions

I loved Matthias as a side character in Until the Stars Fall but him as the main character is amazing! I love his humor. As a fellow enneagram 7, I relate to him so much with how he deals with his feelings.

Watching Calla's growth throughout this story is beautiful. Seeing her come into her own after all the grief and loss she has experienced in such a short amount of time.

Seeing Matthias and Calla together and being opposites and some role reversals that are in this story are top tier.

Again Vanessa has a way with these trials and the torture scenes. You can really picture everything that is happening.

Vanessa is really weaving little easter eggs and foreshadowing for her future books and I CANNOT WAIT to read them.

Zura Johnson and Shane East did an outstanding job! The emotion and the humor that Zura and Shane portrayed was amazing. They gave so much life into Vanessa's characters. Recommend the audiobook, because you need Shane's snark and Zura's bad*ssness.

Oh Mathias! You snarky, quick-witted, old charmer. I am happy you got the love story that you did.

I am utterly fascinated by this world, and Vanessa imbues her characters with such depth and emotion that it’s impossible not to fall in love with this series/standalones. So I am forever grateful for the chance to have the ALC, and I laughed out loud at this introduction and story recap. After that intro I was not expecting such a tonal turnaround into heartbreak and grief. The sharp contrast actually adds to this beautifully crafted tale of two resilient characters, and the secrets, plot twists, and slow burn will keep you engaged until the end.

Calla is a formidable shadow Mama, she faces an unforeseen loss that she navigates with grace amidst her grief and feminine rage. Her journey is heart-wrenching; you can’t help but root for her to emerge victorious and have another chance at love.

Don't miss the chance to discover Vanessa's amazing writing skills. Make sure to add her to your TBR list right away!

The audiobook was another well done dream. I loved every part of it. The voices, the tone, the emotion! Very well done! This will be a book I look forward to re-listening to before another release.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great sequel. This was so fun and full of action and adventure. I really enjoyed this book.

After falling in love with the first book I was so excited to be able to be an advanced reader/listener for this. This is one of the few audiobooks I have listened to and I loved it. The voices were not only perfect but combined with the magical world Vanessa has created made me feel like I was right there. Honestly listening to the little recap in the beginning told me I was going to absolutely love this and I was right. If you are a fan of romantasy, strong women, hilarious men you will love this.

This was a fun installment in the series. I did enjoy Matthais and Calla. There were multiple point in the story were I was on the edge of my seat, however there were some things that got drawn out a bit to much IMO. I will be continuing on in this series. I look forward to book 3 as we’ve already met the MMC.

I was lucky enough to be selected for an eARC of Once the Skies Fade, and when the opportunity to listen to the audiobook presented itself, I decided to give it a try. Real talk, I've never been a big audiobook girl, but this may have just opened up a whole new obsession!! I found myself so many times cackling because Shane East just NAILED Mathias. It was so eerily close to how I brought him to life in my own head! As far as Calla goes, Zura Johnson also just absolutely blew me away! Calla is such a complex character and it was amazing how Zura was able to bring all the emotions to life throughout her journey and growth. I will ABSOLUTELY be looking for other works by these narrators and really hope to see them come back for book 3!

As far as the story specifically, this was beautifully written, and even the bits that got a bit heavy towards the end were done in a tasteful way that really ramped up the angst!! I loved that this was told from two POVs so we got to see what each of the protagonists is thinking and feeling. I appreciated that Calla had her demons, but that in the end, she was someone that stood up for herself and her beliefs, even when everything around her was slipping from her control. She’s also a badass for taking what she wants from a certain general. Speaking of, Mathias was just the biggest cinnamon roll out there. I was giggling and kicking my feet every time he shrugged off love and or made some remark about him needing no one. Watching him fall on his sword as it were was all that much sweeter! He always seemed to know exactly how to handle Calla, from the dark moments to the light and of course, all the steamy ones in between.

I really loved getting to explore more of the geography of the world this book and that we met more than just fae and humans (helllllloooo dragon shifters). From the trials in the forest and the lake, to the rescue mission in the caverns, this was a ride from start to finish! I cannot wait for book three, especially with those breadcrumbs on who it’s about!!!! Thank you so much to the author Vanessa Rasanen and her team for the eARC!

The was absolute perfection! The narration for this masterfully written book could not have been more perfect. This for me was 10/10 and one of the best reads this year so far.

I loved this audiobook! I read the physical copy of the novel before I listened to the audiobook. I LOVED the physical book, don’t get me wrong. But there was something so compelling to listen to it on audiobook. The narrators did a phenomenal job with the text and I particularly loved the narrative who read Matthias’s part. His voice is exactly how I imagined Matthias’s would be. Plus, the delivery of Matthias’s funniest and best lines was perfect. I also loved the narrator who performed Calla’s pov. She perfectly encapsulated Calla’s journey through grief. 10/10 loved it.