I really enjoyed this grumpy x sunshine slowburn. There was some great humour spread throughout as well and a fantastic world that has been created! I will definitely be recommending this book.

This book was such a fun read. I loved how it took the conventions of the genre and flipped them on their head. I can't wait to recommend it to patrons looking for a romantasy romcom.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the tone was more cartoonish and irreverent than I thought it would be. (Really. I felt like I was reading the script for a deleted episode of Kim Possible or something.) That’s not a bad thing, but I didn’t feel the marketing, cover, and summary reflected the tone of the book and ended up being put off by it.
I’m sure this would suit readers looking for a fun, lighthearted romp, but I’m not. I DNFed, unfortunately, but I will continue to recommend this to those readers who might enjoy the tone more than I do.

✨ Book Review ✨

Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano is the kind of grumpy x sunshine fantasy rom-com that made me laugh out loud, swoon a little, and highlight way too many banter-y one-liners.

Damien Bloodthorne: half-demon, blood mage, prophesied destroyer of realms.
Amma: bubbly blonde thief with secrets of her own.
Together? Pure chaos and I loved every second of it.

This book gave me:
⚔️ Morally gray MMC with a soft spot he refuses to admit
☀️ A sunshine heroine who bulldozes her way into his dark little heart
🔥 Forced proximity + magical chain (oops)
🤣 Banter that had me literally cackling
💜 Slow-burn tension so good it hurts
🩸 Blood magic + a high fantasy quest

It’s giving Assistant to the Villain meets Legends & Lattes with more bite, more banter, and more “fine, I’ll keep you alive… but only because you’re useful (and cute).” 👀

If you love grumpy/sunshine, fantasy rom-coms, and morally gray men brought to their knees by the one girl they can’t get rid of then this one’s for you.

⭐️ Rating: Obsessed. Already craving book 2.

#ThroneInTheDark #AKCaggiano #FantasyRomCom #Romantasy #EnemiesToLovers #GrumpySunshine #SlowBurn #BanterAndChaos #FantasyRomance #DarkFantasyRomance #AssistantToTheVillainVibes #ReadersOfInstagram #SourcebooksCasablanca

I loved this. It was the perfect amounts of dark and fun that I want in my books. The book was fun and clever without crossing into complicated or twee, but instead took many of the typical romantasy/adventure tropes and gave them twists and new life to make a utterly delightful read. I saw this descibeded as "rom-com fantasy" and I think that's a perfect categorization. While I saw the big twist coming, there were smaller plot twists and curves and THAT ENDING that I was never bored or wishing to move past the inevitable plot reveal. I was charmed by the many secondary characters that wander through and are well written enough to all stand out in their own unhinged ways without being so many that I lose track of who anyone is (looking at you GOT wannabes). The world was also unlike anything I've ever read, but easy to dive into and understand which is easy to read, but so difficult to write. And as a romcom the biggest part is the banter and it was done so perfectly. I highlighted so many of their snarky interactions because I just loved them so much.
I cannot wait for the rest of this series, and I hope that this is just the beginning for A. K. Caggiano's writing. I want more!

Throne in the Dark is a wickedly clever romantasy that flips the dark lord trope on its head with razor-sharp humor and irresistible chemistry. A. K. Caggiano delivers a chaotic duo—Damien, the demon-spawn villain, and Amma, the bubbly thief—whose magical bond sparks both mayhem and unexpected tenderness. This book is pure escapist joy, packed with snark, spells, and a slow-burn romance that absolutely slays.

ARC Review - Throne in the Dark
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a grumpy, destined-to-be-evil dark lord accidentally got magically shackled to a sunshiney, chaotic thief… this book has your answer.

The pacing felt a little uneven, with some info-dump moments and choppier world-building than I usually prefer. Spice-wise, it’s lighter than what I typically go for, and I found the FMC, Amma, immature and occasionally a bit hard to tolerate. It also took me a minute to adjust to the author’s writing style.

That said, for someone who doesn’t normally read rom-com fantasy, I was surprised by how often I chuckled—especially thanks to Kaz, the delightfully snarky imp sidekick, who totally stole the show for me.

If you enjoy banter-heavy fantasy romance with an opposites-attract twist, a reluctant villain, and a sprinkle of heart beneath all the sarcasm, Throne in the Dark might be worth adding to your TBR.

Thank you to @akcaggiano @read_bloom @sourcebookscasa and @netgalley for providing me with an ARC to review!

Releases 11/4/25!

I really really liked this. It was smart and funny and charming. The characters and the story were great and it kept me wanting more which is good because this definitely felt like part one of a more complete story. I immediately started book 2 once I was finished.

I really liked the premise of this book so I was excited to read it, but something about the writing style was not for me. I kept going hoping it would get better, and a few romantic moments interested me, but overall I was bored and pretty spaced out reading this.

I first stumbled across Throne in the Dark years ago, became instantly feral about it, and have basically been screaming into the void about Damien and Amma ever since. Now it’s trad-published, and I’m over here feeling like a proud parent whose weird, brilliant child is finally getting noticed.

This is peak grumpy/sunshine—Damien is a half-demon blood mage who’s committed to his villainy but also weirdly soft (like “kisses you on the forehead and asks about trees to distract you from ghosts” soft). Amma is pure chaos wrapped in kindness, and together they have the slowest slow burn in history. My Kindle was practically vibrating with tension.

The banter? Immaculate. The side characters? Unhinged in the best way (special shoutout to the half-giant alchemist, the demon dad with used-car-salesman energy, and Xander, the pompous idiot I love). The vibes? Perfect “I want to live in this world forever” energy.

Rereading this was like revisiting my favorite hyperfixation, except now everyone else gets to join me in my obsession. Damien and Amma supremacy forever. 🦅🦅

Throne in the Dark is an absolute GEM of a book, and needs to be talked about more! From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the sharp, quick-witted writing and the laugh-out-loud humor. The banter between Amma and Damien is some of the best I have ever read. I had a stupid grin plastered on my face for most of the book.

The enemies-to-friends-to-lovers is perfectly paced and feels so natural. As a die-hard fan of slow burn romance books (think Mariana Zapata levels of longing), Throne in the Dark exceeded all of my expectations. Every tension-filled moment and subtle shift in their dynamic was so satisfying.

I will be honest, the original covers felt cheesy and almost turned me off from reading this series. I am so glad this is getting traditionally published with a new cover. I really hope it gains a bigger audience- it deserves all the love!

Read if you love:
-Assistant to the Villain
-Quests (movies like Shrek and Tangled have always been favorites of mine!)
-Slowwwwwww-burn
-SO much tension and banter
-Laugh-out-loud funny
-Enemies to lovers
-Forced proximity

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the e-arc!