“Once upon a time, there was a war between stars…”

This book is a breathtaking and fitting conclusion to the love story of Night and Astraea. It has everything you could hope for—action, heartbreak, love, friendship, magic, self-discovery, and of course, dragons. Chloe Penaranda once again weaves a world so vivid and poetic that you can’t help but lose yourself in it completely.

What makes this story truly unforgettable are the relationships. From the unshakable bond of soulmates, to the tenderness between brothers, to the laughter and loyalty of friendships, to the strength of found and blood families—each connection is crafted with such beauty and depth that you don’t just read them, you feel them. Every emotion—joy, grief, triumph, and love—becomes your own.

This finale doesn’t just end a story, it leaves a piece of itself with you, reminding you why you fell in love with this world in the first place. A stunning conclusion to a series that will stay with me for a very long time.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Macmillan and Chloe C. Penaranda for the chance to listen to this audio ARC!

📖 The Dark is Descending | Chloe C. Peñaranda
Third book in the series
Thank you NetGally and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

This is a review of the audiobook. Duet Narration by Corvin King & Jacci Prior. Excellent narration! These narrators helped bring the story to life for me.

✨Found Family
✨Star-crossed Lovers
✨Dragons

This story continues to follow Aestrea & Nyte and the plot is THICK. There is a lot going on so pay attention. Filled with battle, ruthless gods, longing love and heartbreaking loss. This story doesn’t miss a beat. You will not have a “dull” moment while reading.

ARC Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Dark Is Descending by Chloe C. Peñaranda.

From the very first chapter this finale hooked me and never let go. I’ve enjoyed the Nytefall series from the beginning, but this one easily became my favorite, stronger and more addictive than the second book. The pacing is sharper, the plot more intense, and every choice Astraea makes feels like it could set the sky on fire.

Characters & Romance
Astraea’s growth is phenomenal. She’s fierce and determined, but the story also lets her be vulnerable and deeply human. Nyte remains darkly magnetic, and their connection in this book is electric.
The romance is definitely spicier than before, think slow-burn tension finally breaking, with a few scenes that are tastefully steamy and passionate without taking over the story. It’s the perfect mix of romantic payoff and high-stakes fantasy, and their devotion to each other makes every dangerous choice even more compelling.

World & Writing
The world-building is lush and cinematic: gods, dragons, ancient keys, and a sense that the universe itself is holding its breath. Chloe C. Peñaranda’s writing has always been lyrical, but here it’s especially striking, whole paragraphs feel like poetry, and I constantly wanted to highlight favorite lines.

Pacing & Spice Balance
While there are still moments of dense lore and politics that slowed me briefly, the overall flow is excellent. The spicier moments are woven in naturally, so they heighten the emotional stakes instead of feeling gratuitous.

Overall Impression
By the end I felt satisfied and a little heartbroken, which is exactly what I want from a dark romantasy finale. It delivers everything, gods at war, sacrifices, epic battles, and a romance that burns brighter than ever.

If you’ve been following Astraea and Nyte’s journey, The Dark Is Descending is a must-read and the strongest installment yet. Dark fantasy lovers who enjoy a meaningful romance with some well-earned spice will love how this series ends.

3.5⭐️

It's been a while since I've read the first 2 books so reading the final book felt so foreign. I should have done a re-read prior to reading the third book, lol.

There were many great aspects to this book and if you're looking for a romantasy trilogy, this is for you. There definitely is some spice🌶. One of my favorite things from the whole trilogy is the growth within Astraea. She went from frail to a confident and strong woman. I loved her interaction/relationship with other characters.

Although this was enjoyable, it felt a lot longer than needed. Other than that, enjoyed this read!

Thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️
3 🌶️

What a finale. The Dark is Descending closes out the Nytefall trilogy in a way that was breathtaking, heartbreaking, and unforgettable.

Astraea’s arc across these three books is easily one of my favorite character journeys in romantasy. To watch her go from a frightened girl being used as a pawn, to a woman who reclaims her identity and wields her compassion as her greatest strength, was incredibly moving. She has been broken, betrayed, and tested, yet she never loses her humanity. That hope—the kind that refuses to die even in the darkest moments—makes her shine all the brighter.

Nyte continues to be one of the most layered male leads I’ve ever read. Nytesdeath is his shield, built out of cruelty and pain, but beneath that armor is a man who craves love and deserves far more than the world has ever given him. His vulnerability wrecked me. I cried through so many of his scenes with Astraea—raw, messy, devastating moments that were written with such care. Chloe Clarke never shies away from the ugly truths of trauma, but she handles them with a sensitivity that makes you ache instead of turning away.

The plot had me utterly hooked—celestial dragons, gods, political intrigue, curses, and wars that felt both epic and intimate at the same time. The pacing flew by without dragging, though I’ll admit there were moments where I wanted to linger longer, just to take in the devastation and the triumphs. Still, Chloe balances action, magic, and emotion beautifully, weaving them together into a tapestry of love and survival.

What really stands out is the bond between these characters—romantic, familial, and platonic alike. Astraea and Nyte’s love is once-in-a-lifetime, but the friendships, sibling ties, and even strained relationships carry just as much weight. Dustin nearly broke me, trying to carry his burdens quietly while craving peace. Auster, with his arrogance and corruption, made me furious but also impressed me with how layered a villain he was. Every relationship felt alive and purposeful, pushing the story forward in powerful ways.

The romance, though, is what lingers in my heart. The yearning, the devotion, the way love is painted as both salvation and defiance—it was soul-deep and unforgettable.

This finale was everything I hoped it would be: devastating battles, heart-stopping twists, and an ending that was both satisfying and bittersweet. It reminded me that at its core, Nytefall isn’t just a story about curses and gods—it’s about resilience, compassion, and the kind of love that transcends even the darkest night.

Thank you NetGalley for this Arc!

This packed some interesting world-building and had lots of potential, but IMO, it could use some fine-tuning, as the writing itself is weak, and rife with ‘telling’. Made for a fairly dull read, despite the fact that it was packed with action, betrayal, mysteries, supernaturals, etc.


Vampires.
Dragons.
Angels.
Action/ fight scenes.
Danger.
Conspiracy.


Overall:
Not bad, but not particularly well-executed either. Not for me.
3 stars.



🎧 Audio:
The audio was okay—overall smooth sound quality, especially for her parts. His parts were … I’m not sure how to describe it. He sounded sorta far away, raspy, and at times, somewhat static-y? Not terrible, just not optimal.

I didn’t love the first book in this series, but I’m so glad I stuck with it because it just kept getting better. This finale was definitely the strongest of the trilogy, fast-paced, emotional, and packed with action. The stakes were high, the romance hit harder, and the worldbuilding felt much more immersive than in the beginning. There were still a few predictable moments, but overall it was a satisfying and exciting conclusion that wrapped everything up in a way that felt worth the ride. A solid end to the series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this eARC.

This is how you end a series. Everyone take note because the conclusion was *chefs kiss* perfect. While I enjoyed the entire series this was by far my favorite book. The entire trilogy is one I will 100% come back to a reread multiple times.

The third and final book in the Nytefall series was amazing. It brought the trilogy to a great close. I didn't want it to end. After the shocking twist in the last book, we are going Astraea on this new quest to break the curse imprisoning Nyte. I love the process and way everything paced out to get to the ultimate conclusion. Sad this story is ending but it's been a wild ride. This is what romantasy books should be.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dark is Descending brings Chloe C. Peñaranda’s trilogy to a powerful close. This series has been overflowing with elves, vampires, celestials, gods, and more—and in this final book, it all comes to a head as the long-awaited prophecy unfolds. With dragons, a defiant goddess, and a demi-god whose darkness threatens to doom the world, the stakes couldn’t be higher. And, of course, as with all prophecies, nothing comes to pass exactly as expected.

One thing that truly elevated this trilogy—especially this finale—was the audiobook. The dual narration by Corvin King and Jacci Prior brought such depth and energy to the story, making the characters feel vivid and alive.

While some moments felt a little predictable, I loved how it all wrapped up and was genuinely sad to let go of this world. A satisfying, magical conclusion to a richly imagined trilogy.

This was so good! This book give you everything you would want in a fantasy series. I could not put it down. The audio narration was fantastic. Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I think anyone that love the first two will thoroughly enjoy this roller coaster. This is the last book in this series and I loved it

What an incredible conclusion to the trilogy! It was action packed and emotional and deeply romantic. Perfection in the romantasy genre.

Truly a masterpiece Chloe and not one I’m likely to forget anytime soon.

Seeing all of the moving parts finally come together was so incredible and I’m genuinely sad to be leaving this world.

As in the last 2 audiobooks the narrators were once again utter perfection and I couldn’t have picked better.

4.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨a wonderful ending to this trilogy!!! I only dropped .25 stars because I wanted a little extra in the epilogue. The amount of times I was shocked or wondering how the heck this would have a happily ever after was mind boggling. Some of things happen to both Astraea and Nyte had me in a chokehold with sadness, hopefulness, and longing for some good to happen! I don’t want to give too much away but several characters got what was coming to them and some made me sad that they were sacrificed. This book had everything in it and the love and connection between Nyte and Astraea was so powerful that even death would not separate them. I am so glad we got Astraea’s past POV in this book as well, so many things that happened in the first 2 books are explained and we find out why and how they happened (again don’t want to spoil it!) I love LD how much the dragons were a part of this story too, I felt like it was a new twist in the development of the battles and how the bonds were formed.

Ok let’s talk narrators because Corvin King is now one of my favorites, perfection! I also loved Jacci Prior for Astraea’s voice.

Spice 2/5 🌶️🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book.

A satisfying conclusion to a thrilling trilogy. Fast paced with great character development throughout the entire series. The world the author has created is so intriguing and immersive. I truly enjoyed the determination of the FMC to always hope for the good in people, it's truly awe inspiring. The narration for the audiobook was superb!! Thank you netgalley and Chloe for allowing to go on this journey!

This series isn't my favorite so far....I love the idea behind it and the covers and everything but it just isn't perfect. It's a bit too spicy for me personally. I think this was the best in the series which is great for the final book! I love the characters and the plot! I think this was a great ending for the series!!

In the conclusion to the Nytefall trilogy, Astraea must find a way to break the curse on her lover, Nyte. This book is definitely the best one of the three and I'm a bit sad it's over. A god-defying love story, with twists, turns, sacrifices and convincing villains. I think the pacing felt right given everything they need to accomplish in this book to wrap everything up. I absolutely loved how Nyte and Astraea’s bond stayed so strong and only grew stronger despite everything happening around them. I also loved the side characters.

A huge thank you to Chloe and NetGalley also for providing me with the opportunity to listen to this early.

This book was provided to me as an ALC (audiobook).

While this was the best of the 3 in the series, it was still just OK for me.
I do love Nyte...he is so intense and feels all the things.

The narrators for the entire series were excellent!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Amidst the endless battles (and there were plenty), Astraea and Nyte’s love never wavered. The war was brutal, claiming characters I’d grown attached to, and each loss cut deeper than the last. Yet, even through the devastation, the story rose from the ashes with an ending I never saw coming.
The twists came so fast I could hardly catch my breath—thrilling, but almost too quick at times.

I loved this book, it had all my favorite tropes in it with a very good plot line as well. I did not read the first two books and i was able to jump into this one without being confused, Although the story would be way better if i had read the first two. I did the audio and it was so good and captivating in the sense that i felt like i was there with them and feeling all the emotions!

What a beautiful way to wrap up the story of Astraea and Nyte. I really enjoyed this series. I know each of these books feels longer but they are such a unique story that I couldn't get enough of them.

The Dark is Descending was such a fun listen, and I was over the moon to get this ALC! This book was exciting and constantly on the move to wrap up the whole story. With every passing page, there was something new to wrap up the whole world and that left me speechless. I really enjoyed that Astraea and Nyte continued to have fight because it shows that through the fights their love held firm and they came back even more powerful.

If you aren't one for war in your fantasy worlds, this one may not be for you... Although I don't always enjoy them, I didn't mind it. With wars in fantasy books death come and it had me heartbroken at times. Now the ending - so unexpected and had me bawling.

There were a lot of unexpected twists and turns, I also felt that there were times that I could've benefited for a little more time with certain moment but all in all I enjoyed this read and whole series.

The Audiobook was narrated by Corvin King and Jacci Prior and Chef's Kiss. They have narrated the entire series and have done an impeccable job! I love how they worked so well with each other and brought this whole story to life. Such a great job!

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC. All of these opinions are my own.