A devastating romance of epic proportions.

Ophelia has struggled with hallucinations her entire life, and just as she begins making progress, she is ripped from London into a dangerous fae realm filled with ancient creatures and political unrest. At its heart, this is a story about identity, power, and survival, packed with shocking reveals and deeply emotional romance.

Romantasy readers will find plenty to love here: a brooding morally gray MMC with plenty of “are you hurt,” “touch her and die,” and wound checking. There is also prophecy, portal magic, training and battle arcs, court politics, and found family.

What makes this book stand out most is how it evokes a physical experience. This mirrors Ophelia’s emotional state so closely that you often feel just as disoriented, overwhelmed, or relieved as she does. The transition from the human world into the fae realm feels tangible, and while the magic system and lore are rich and intriguing, some elements are left unexplained, leaving readers to piece things together through context clues. Certain threads, especially surrounding the prophecy, feel unresolved in a way that may leave some readers wanting more closure.

The blurred line between hallucination, memory, and reality can also make parts of the story difficult to follow, though it feels purposeful in placing the reader directly into Ophelia’s perspective. At times, the dramatic irony of her fate is frustratingly obvious, but watching her slowly grow into her power and autonomy is rewarding.

There are two romances woven through the story: one grounded and human, the other sweeping and devastatingly epic. The latter is deeply emotional, intense, and genuinely painful (in the best way). Some of the romantic tension becomes repetitive in the middle of the book. The slow burn hooks you, but readers expecting a major payoff from the early spice may find the ending surprisingly restrained.

The dialogue flows naturally, and the banter and relationships bring warmth to an otherwise emotionally heavy story. Scene-to-scene pacing moves quickly, sometimes so quickly that it can be hard to track how much time has passed, while the overall plot slows considerably in the middle before ramping back up near the end. Crucial information is not revealed quickly, resulting in feeling confused and ungrounded.

A great pick for romantasy readers interested in mental health, empowerment arcs, and emotionally immersive fantasy worlds.

Content warnings: toxic and potentially abusive relationship dynamics with an uneven power balance, gore, graphic depictions of war and death, and themes surrounding mental health and medication that could be sensitive for some readers.

Thank you Madison Patershuk and Ebony Dobson for the advanced copy. It was an absolute pleasure!

Duskshade ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Madison Patershuk and Ebony Dobson have created an ambitious romantasy filled with portal magic, fae politics, prophecy and emotional character journeys. The premise immediately drew me in, especially the contrast between Ophelia’s scientific worldview and the chaos of being thrown into the dangerous realm of Fenraeis.
One of the strongest aspects of the book was the emotional intensity running throughout the story. Ophelia’s confusion, fear and gradual growth into her power felt immersive, and I appreciated the way the narrative explored identity, survival and mental health alongside the fantasy elements. The world itself was vivid and imaginative, with plenty of lore and intriguing magical concepts that romantasy readers will likely enjoy.
I also enjoyed the relationship dynamics and found family moments woven into the story. Kane brought the classic morally grey fantasy love interest energy that many readers of the genre look for, and there were several emotional and romantic moments that stood out well for me.
At times, I did find parts of the story difficult to follow, particularly where the lines between memory, hallucination and reality blurred together. Some plot elements and lore felt underexplained, which occasionally left me feeling a little disconnected from the wider story, and the pacing in the middle section slowed for me before picking up again toward the end.
That said, there is clearly a lot of passion, creativity and potential within this story, and I think readers who enjoy emotionally immersive romantasy with darker themes, fae worlds and character driven journeys will find plenty to appreciate here.
I wish both authors every success with Duskshade and future projects, and I’d be interested to see where they take their storytelling next. 📚✨

Thank you to the authors and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.