These Vicious Delights

Dark fantasy was originally considered a marriage of fantasy and horror. Nowadays, the horror is not required, but House of Salt and Sorrows is so deliciously horrific. It's a fantastical retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses... except the sisters are being murdered one by one, and our protagonist Annaleigh has to find the killer before he finds her. The atmosphere of their seaside mansion is deliciously creepy, and by the end there's enough gore and cosmic horror (yes, cosmic horror!!) to qualify it for this genre.

3. Cruel Beauty

This book is pitched as Dexter meets This Savage Song and wow, that already tells you everything! All the characters are villains. There is a lot of gore and violence. Nita dissects supernatural creatures to sell their body parts to the black market... until she gets betrayed and sold herself. She has no qualms about sacrificing others to save herself. I haven't read this yet, but I'm very excited to.

Some books are dark because of their settings, but this one is dark because of its protagonist. Xifeng is a selfish villainous main character who uses her femininity to manipulate the court and seize the throne. She uses her beauty and brains to take out her enemies without having to lift a blade. But sometimes she does kill... because her magic grows stronger when she eats hearts. Evil queen, indeed.

6. Wicked Saints

Another dark fairytale retelling, this time of The Little Mermaid. Lira is a siren, a monster that gleefully rips prince's hearts out of their chests. She's been raised in a cruel dog-eat-dog world, so she's got the savagery to match. Prince Elian is on a quest to destroy all of siren-kind. One day, they're forced to work together... and they get along like a house on fire. Witty banter, enemies to lovers, cruel characters, violence... and yet a slow burn romance... this book is a masterpiece.

“If you do this, Nedra, if you choose necromancy… I cannot follow you into that darkness.”
“Oh, Grey,” I said, shifting my bag onto my shoulder. “What do you know of darkness?”

This is a story of a protagonist's rise to villainy. Nedra starts with good intentions: she wants to become an alchemist and cure the deadly plague sweeping across her country. But as the cure grows more elusive, Nedra realizes she must turn to something more powerful: necromancy and dark magic. Does the end justify the means?

9. The Bone Witch

What about you? What are your favorite YA dark fantasy novels?

Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau (2019)

Steamy hatefuck scale: 3/5

• They get attracted to each other pretty quick but they don't act on it until there's a real connection. Noc is very hot and cold. He won't allow himself to care for Leena because everyone he loves dies. And Leena was betrayed by a lover, so she doesn't believe in love. But her heart is full of it! There's no witty banter here, but they're so obviously drawn to each other, and I wanted them to hurry up and admit their feelings lol. Even if that had deadly consequences.

• When they finally get together, they are so soft! (And hard... ehem). It takes a significant amount of character development for Noc to even let himself love Leena. And Leena is a total sweetheart. But once they finally admit their feelings, they get together for real. No stupid miscommunication tropes here.

• THE SIDE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING!! Leena has such organic friendships with all of them. Even the beasts have personalities, and they are all adorable. Noc is a true leader who puts the group before himself. There's also a grumpy side character who is my ABSOLUTE FAVE. He's been in love with Noc all this time and my heart breaks for him basically. But he lets Noc go because he knows Leena can make him truly happy... which is just... the purest kind of friendship.

Noc has to be cold, emotionless, and cruel because his loved ones will die the moment he reveals that he cares for them. He reminds me of Nasir from We Hunt the Flame. Two sad assassins who deserve better than their curse.

Leena remains so warm and loving despite her horrible past. She reminds me of Cindy from Vermilion Lies. Powerful women who have been used and abused by their past lovers, but they survive, grow stronger, and find true love.

Here is the summary from Goodreads:

Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep trouble. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and now there's a price on her head. With the realm's most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can't refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.

If only it were that simple. Unbeknownst to Leena, the undying ones are bound by magic to complete their contracts, and Noc cannot risk his brotherhood of assassins...not even to save the woman he can no longer live without. 

Asssassin's Creed meets Fantastic Beasts is remarkably accurate! It's a very fast-paced, fun, romantic read. It's also pretty accessible to readers who aren't fans of fantasy, but love romance. The worldbuilding isn't too overwhelming, and we learn more about the universe as we join the protagonists on their adventure.

Leena is beautiful, flirty, and kind, but she isn't looking for love. Not after her ex betrayed her and she was banished from her country. She's actively into flings, but her sexuality is never considered a bad thing. So absolutely no slut shaming here, which is good!

Noc is your tortured big brother figure who isn't allowed to show love. There were so many times when I wanted to slap some sense into him... but he redeemed himself by the end. He is a good man deep down inside. He's just emotionally constipated, tbh.

Plus, it's sweet how easily Leena befriends the other assassins. Her friendship with the others becomes just as important as her romance with Noc. AND THE BEASTS!! The adorable beasts! This novel had aspects of Pokemon where she had to battle with them, but at the same time, she treats them like her children. Honestly, the concept was so original for your average fantasy novel. I wish I could read more about her beast-taming adventures. Maybe we'll see that in book 2?

TL;DR 4/5 stars. Read this if you want an accessible and fun romantic fantasy. 

There's a reason why the series is called Villains, y'know.

Anyway, I love them so much. Eli legitimately thinks that he's doing the right thing by killing "unnatural" creatures. He's got the wildest religious zeal and thinks of himself as God's messenger. Meanwhile, Victor is sadistic, selfish, and ruthless. He'll do anything to get his revenge and make Eli suffer. 

Plus, they're both so obsessed with each other. Ugh, yes I ship them, you can judge me all you want.

2. Xifeng from Forest of A Thousand Lanterns

A YA Asian fantasy with a villainous protagonist who uses her femininity to manipulate the court and seize the throne? HELL YES. I wish YA had more Xifengs. She's absolutely ruthless, selfish, and lethal. The tragic thing is that she does start as a sweet girl, but her aunt's abuse and the promise of a greater destiny lures her to violence. I love characters who embrace their darkness. But I also love characters who are cunning enough to scheme behind the scenes and play everyone else like pawns. Xifeng can stab you with a knife, yes, but her weapon of choice is her combination of beauty and brains. She uses her words to turn her rivals against each other until she won't have to raise a finger. Sis. The power.

3. The Darkling from the Shadow and Bone trilogy

“I've seen what you truly are," said the Darkling, "and I've never turned away. I never will. Can he say the same?”

DARKLING RIGHTS. Like, I'm pretty sure the Darkling is the OG villain love interest in YA fantasy. He's so deliciously dark, tortured, and evil. He's manipulative. He's cruel. But he sees Alina's potential and doesn't shy away from her power. He's the darkness to her light, the yin to her yang, the death to her life.

I confess that I didn't finish the trilogy upon learning that he wasn't endgame lol. I am shallow like that sometimes. But Aleksander will always have a place in my heart. <3

4. Florian and Johann from The Monster of Elendhaven

Monster was the best, his favourite word. The first half was a kiss, the second a hiss.

5. Rachelle's forestborn in Crimson Bound

He stared at her a moment longer, then laughed softly. “I wouldn’t love you if you were any weaker,” he said, and let go of her.

Runner Ups:

What about you? Who are your favorite book villains? ;)

Vermilion Lies by L.D. Rose (2019)

Vermilion Lies is the third novel in The Order of the Senary series, however it can be read as a standalone. It's an adult paranormal romance (contains smut) with an enemies to lovers romance.

When the author emailed me for a review request, I was so excited! I haven't read paranormal romance in so long but this is totally up my alley.

Steamy hatefuck scale: 4/5

• A vampire and a vampire hunter... what could go wrong? Dax hates Cindel from the moment he meets her. He refuses to trust her until she's proven that she's more human than he expected. Cindel only goes with him because she has no other choice. They don't trust each other, but they're attracted to each other, and thus begins our delicious conflict.

Secret softness scale: 4/5

• Dax learns that Cindel has fled a horrible life and yet she's got a warm heart. Cindel learns that Dax is secretly a good man deep down inside. They bond over their hidden, shared humanity. And it's beautiful. 

I loved the other characters scale: 4/5

• Extra points for Dax's hilarious friend Kayne. Their filthy, back and forth banter was so fun to read! I actually wish Kayne and Cindel had more scenes together, because he's so witty and likable.

For Fans of Broody Hero X and Ferocious Heroine Y:

Cindel reminds me of Leena from Kingdom of Exiles. She's also been abused by a lover and fled a tragic past, but she remains warm-hearted and strong. Strong characters come in all shapes and forms, and this is an underrated one: the woman who doesn't let her pain turn her into someone cruel.

Dax is tough and no nonsense, but he hides loyalty and depth. Actually, he reminds me of Mariana Zapata's male leads in Kulti or From Lukov, With Love. They start as assholes but their icy hearts soon melt and they'd do anything for the women they love.

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

CINDEL

She might be a vampire, but I think she's the softest, kindest person in the entire novel. She's emotionally strong; she survived through so much tragedy, and yet she's still open to love. And the best part is seeing how she grows throughout the story: how she recovers from her trauma, finds a man that truly loves her, and learns how to fight back. Ugh, Cindel's arc is just <3

CINDEL AND DAX'S RELATIONSHIP

Cindel and Dax have some instant attraction, which personally I am not fond of, but at least they don't act upon it until they have a deeper connection. There are some steamy smut scenes, but more than anything, I love how Dax teaches Cindel how to fight for herself. I admit that I hated Dax in the beginning; he can be such an ass. (Then again, most of my favorite characters are unlikable lol!) But the moment he warms up to her, he protects her with all he's got.

THE PROSE

Have I mentioned how much I love L.D. Rose's writing? I got some Sarah J Maas vibes from this, although maybe I'm just biased as a fan hahaha. Her prose is just so vivid and unique. And she doesn't shy away from the darkness and violence, which I adore. I've already quoted some lines but here's another one I highlighted:

Honestly, I only have two complaints and they are more about my personal taste rather than the quality of the book. First, I felt like some action scenes were dragging and I ended up skimming after the novelty wore off. I love descriptive action, but I prefer them short and straight to the point.

Second, I could predict the ending and the plot, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. The romance made up for it, and I'm satisfied by Cindel and Dax's character arcs.

TL;DR 4/5 stars. Read this if you want an enemies to lovers paranormal romance with bloody action scenes, steamy romance, and an empowering character arc.