This book had SO much going for it. A city where the dead come back as demons? South American mythology? Generational curses? A blood forged dagger with a whole mystery surrounding it? Yeah, I was seated. 👀

I really enjoyed following Solana as she slowly uncovers the truth about her father and the dagger her mother gave her, while trying to figure out what her own connection to all of this really means. The mythology and worldbuilding gave the story such a unique atmosphere, and I loved the idea of the dead returning as these demon like creatures that haunt the land.

And can we talk about the FOOD?! Arepas, ceviche, fried yuca… I swear books with good food descriptions will have me ready to book a flight and find the nearest restaurant. 😂

The romance was also a fun addition with that loathing to lovers dynamic, especially when you know they’re absolutely not supposed to be falling for each other. And Reyes… respectfully, sir. 😮‍💨

Overall, this was such a fun mix of fantasy, mythology, romance, mystery, and zombie demons. I especially loved getting to discover the secrets surrounding Solana’s family and seeing how everything tied back to the larger conflict.

Tropes/Features:
✨ South American mythology
✨ Loathing to lovers
✨ Generational curses
✨ Zombie demons
✨ Demon slayers
✨ Family secrets
✨ Forbidden romance

Apparently I’m really into all things undead, afterlife, necromancy adjacent so it’s not really a surprise I enjoyed this one. I’m not sure what that says about be to be honest, lol. Anyhow…

The world is unique, interesting and built in a way that feels easy to understand. The magic & was especially interesting and I can’t wait to get more from this world in the next book!

The romance was well done and felt like there was plenty of reason to call each other enemies!

Whats to love…
- enemies-to-lovers
- interesting magic & lush world
- twists & turns
- found family
- fast paced & acton packed
- feminine rage + Daddy Issues to the max (complimentary)
- demon hunting but also kinda necromancy vibes?

What might not work for some…
- The world & magic are fleshed out but not overly detailed and I think some might find that not enough information was given. I personally enjoy a less in depth world building setting up so this was a win for me!
- the fast-paced and short nature of the book didn’t leave quite enough room for the romance to develop as gradually as I would have liked.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the next book!

Audio Narration: 3.5/5
Narrator: Gisele Chípe
Length: 14 hours 25 mins
Style: single narration
Thoughts: Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan of this audiobook. The narrator’s volume was inconsistent in a way that made it difficult to hear certain parts. I appreciate that she was giving a true “performance” and acting out the whispers/yells etc, but unfortunately it resulted in frustration from too loud or too low volume. Pausing was a bit excessive, but pacing was the greater issue as she tended to speak at different speeds so often it was hard to follow along. I don’t think this is an audiobook that is unlistenable - but it took almost 40% before I got used to her performance enough to sink into the story.

Earlier this year, I enjoyed R.J. Valldeperas‘s YA debut, Their Will Undone, and I’ve been eager to read more from her. Today, her adult debut is available: Daughter of the Dark, the first in the Daughters of Auquis series. Set in a fantastical South American world, it follows a demon hunter, Solana. But when a fight goes wrong, she ends up before the king with a six-month gig she can’t refuse. With any luck, she’ll satisfy the king’s demands while also freeing her own people. But her loyalties are shifting as enemies become allies and her long-dead father reveals a new truth. Solana is also falling for her reluctant partner, Reyes. By the end, she’ll be forced to make an impossible choice between fate and revolution.

What I Liked:
- Peruvian/Venezuelan world. It’s not clear if Daughter of the Dark is meant to be just one country or the other, but the author has heritage from both, and the food and drink mentioned here drive that world-building home. Wash down arepas with a shot of pisco? It happens more than once! Regardless of the specifics, I enjoyed getting a distinctly South American setting filled with ancient gods, demons (called muki), and people willing to fight for their future.
- Politics and undercover missions. Solana’s dad died trying to achieve a secret goal, possibly something destructive and nefarious. Now, twenty years later, the king has recruited Solana for a new mission. But who should she trust? What is she actually fighting for, and who will it ultimately help? There are secrets, manipulations, and shocking revelations to contend with as this novel races towards its climax.
- Unlikely romance. Solana and Reyes don’t get off to a great start, especially since he’s doing some kind of experiment related to her blood. And then they’re forced to work together, despite having diametrically opposed views on how to handle demons. But… they actually can lean a lot from each other, and as their trust grows, so do other feelings between them. They’re opposites in many ways: She’s sarcastic, keeps her distance emotionally, and is always ready to pick a fight. He’s more methodical and considers things carefully, and his biggest joys come from learning and healing. And yet somehow, these two balance each other out so well!

Final Thoughts
Daughter of the Dark is a fast-paced, moody, and imaginative work of fantasy and romantasy. Since my husband is Peruvian and I’m in Peru now, I’m always looking for books set here or in other South American countries; this was the satisfying read I craved. I’m excited to continue the Daughters of Auquis series with Daughter of the Light, due in August 2027. R.J. Valldeperas is quickly becoming a new favorite author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I knew very early that Daughter of the Dark was going to work for me. It had that dangerous combination of "I'll just read one more chapter" pacing and characters I immediately wanted to spend more time with, and I ended up devouring it in 2.5 days.

Solana is exactly the kind of FMC I love. She is strong, capable, street-smart, sarcastic, occasionally insolent, and very comfortable using banter and flirting as weapons. But what made her really interesting to me was that her journey isn't about learning how to become strong. She already is.

Instead, the story keeps challenging what she thinks she knows.
She is quick to decide who is strong, who is weak, who can be trusted, what her past means, and what kind of person Reyes is. Throughout the book, those assumptions are gradually dismantled and rebuilt. I loved watching her discover that strength can look different from what she expected and that she doesn't always have to be the person standing in front protecting everyone else.

That feeds directly into one of my favorite parts of the book: the found family. The crew collectively became such an important part of the story for me. These are people who can match Solana, challenge her, survive beside her, and handle both her abilities and her attitude. Watching those relationships develop gave the book a lot of heart underneath all the violence and demon hunting.

And then there is Reyes.
This is actual enemies-to-lovers for me, not "they were mildly irritated with each other for fifty pages." Their early relationship is genuinely hostile and includes an intense torture scene, but I thought it was very well written. What made the romance work was that the story doesn't simply pretend that moment never happened. Reyes has to spend a significant amount of time rebuilding Solana's trust.

Their banter was chef's kiss. Solana flirting with him while he is trying to intimidate, torture, or command her tells you pretty much everything you need to know about her personality.

I also believed Solana falling for him. The attraction is obvious from the beginning, but neither character is ultimately looking for something purely physical. The emotional progression felt earned to me. My one romance criticism is that Reyes's feelings become extremely intense once everything is finally acknowledged. A couple of the declarations and sacrifice moments went from restrained yearning to epic devotion slightly faster than I would have preferred.

The Peruvian-inspired mythology, gods, magic, and demon lore were such a refreshing change. I had no prior knowledge of the mythology and found it completely accessible. I actually wanted more of it, although I also recognize that expanding the lore further probably would have slowed down one of the things I loved most about this book: the pacing.

There is a lot happening here. Demon hunting, court politics, secrets, magic, romance, violence, identity, family, and some genuinely emotional moments. A couple of reveals surprised me, while the central "daughter of the dark" question was fairly easy to anticipate. The final act felt just slightly rushed because so much happens at once, and one exposition-heavy section involving Solana's past was the only time my attention dipped.

Otherwise? I was completely hooked.
A strong FMC, a Royal Demon Slayer, sharp banter, genuine enemies-to-lovers, found family, distinctive mythology, and an ending that actually lets you close the book without screaming over a cliffhanger.
Easy five stars.

Oh my oh my!!! This book immediately sinks its hooks into you. One moment you despise the main mmc then BOOM! You love him! The story was so beautiful and heart wrenching. I loved everyone's development through and holy smokes those plot twists!!!!!

I am simply awestruck by this story! There’s truly not enough Dark Romantasy that is also a STANDALONE. RJ does a fantastic job at making every single word pack a punch & successfully fill every detail out perfectly.

Solana & Reyes have the best tension, yearning, and one liners I have ever heard. I am actually obsessed with them & the love they formed for each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed the side characters as well (I hold a sweet spot for Sami & Cora); they all balance each other’s personalities out & make each character so intriguing.

As an avid TWD lover, these demon zombies took my obsession to the next level, and broke my heart at the same time.(the basement iykyk) 🥲

This book was wrapped up beautifully & I’m still left wanting more as I am now obsessed with the world, the dark & moody atmosphere, as well as the characters & the GROWTH.

This book will leave you in a slump unlike any other 🔥