Title: Dark Fae
Author: Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
Series: Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac
Genre: Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance
Published: October 25, 2019
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 536
Age Rating: 18+
POV: Multiple POV
Spice Rating: 3/5
Tropes: New Adult, Enemies to Lovers, Faes, Rival Gangs, Dragon/Wolf Shifters, Basilisks, Vampires, Academy, Fantasy, Forced Proximity, Strong Badass FMC
Dark Fae Book Review
When I read the blurb for a fantasy or paranormal romance, one of the things I love most is the promise of a badass FMC—a strong heroine who doesn’t take crap from anyone. And when I came across Dark Fae, I loved the blurb and the promise of a reverse harem romance with a suspenseful plot.
I read Dark Fae before I found out that it was actually a prequel to the Zodiac Academy series. So, if Zodiac Academy is already on your TBR, you can start here without worrying about spoiling yourself!
Dark Fae is a dark-ish paranormal reverse harem romance set in the fantasy kingdom of Solaria, where fae are divided into elemental orders and share this world with other supernatural creatures like vampires and shifters.
Temptation is irrelevant if your will is strong enough
After Elise’s brother, Gareth, is murdered by one of the four kings of the academy, she infiltrates the school under the guise of a student. Grieving the loss of her only family, she sets out to find his killer and take revenge- which at this point becomes her only purpose in life.
She makes calculated moves to get closer to all four kings: Leon the Lion, Ryder the Basilisk, Gabriel the Harpy who is the most powerful in the academy, and Dante the Dragon shifter.
What she doesn’t expect is to find herself intrigued by them and attracted to them. But with her brother’s killer still out there, getting closer to these guys is a dangerous game. Any one of them could be the person she’s looking for, and we’re left wondering who the culprit is.
As Elise digs deeper, she uncovers several mysterious things happening at the academy, including a cult and people dealing with a drug called Killblaze. She also finds herself caught in the middle of a gang war between two rival factions: the Lunar Brotherhood, led by Ryder, and the Oscura Clan, led by Dante.
Overall, Dark Fae is a fantastic introduction to the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac series!
I wanted to be free, wild, make wrong choices and learn from them or not. Become my own person with my own flaws and own the responsibility for whoever I was, not blame any of my failings on fate.
Elise is a vampire who has always been close to her brother, Gareth. After his death, she spirals into a vengeful state of mind, with just one goal: find Gareth’s murderer—a king of the academy—and kill him, or die trying.
Elise is everything I love in my favorite heroines: strong-willed, badass, resourceful, and smart. She’s grieving, her pain is unbearable, and she’s lonely, but she doesn’t let any of that stop her from going after what she wants.
Despite growing closer to the guys, she knows that any one of them could be the culprit. And even with the attraction growing between them, she keeps her head in the game and never loses sight of why she came to the academy in the first place.
She makes clever moves to establish herself at the academy, deals with jealous OWs, navigates the politics of being caught in the middle of a gang war, and even joins the Pitball team (which her brother used to be a part of, too).
Basically, Elise has a lot on her plate, but I loved that she wasn’t just sitting around waiting for things to happen to her. She’s actively working towards her goal, even when things get complicated.
“You don’t look pretty,” I growled and her expression slammed into bitch gear, but I didn’t give a shit. “You look like the most lethal poison I’ve ever seen. It’s fucking divine.”
One of the things I really enjoyed about Dark Fae was how different all four guys were. They each have their own personalities, agendas, and complicated relationships with one another. And considering they’re the four kings of the academy, you’d think they’d at least get along with each other.
Leon the Lion is a Nemean lion shifter and a ladies’ man who comes from a family of thieves. He’s pretty much in a world of his own, surrounded by women who adore him (part of his charm and magic) and are more than happy to do things for him.
Ryder the Basilisk is the leader/heir of the Lunar Brotherhood, a gang that rivals Dante’s Oscura Clan. He’s drawn to pain and lust – due to a past that we are not privy to. His penchant for darkness and his basilisk abilities make him particularly dangerous.
Gabriel the Harpy is unique even among the kings. He is the most powerful in the academy, with two elemental powers and a mysterious past. He has a gift of sight which also gives him an advantage. However, in Dark Fae, he was my least favorite guy with the way he pushes Elise away after letting her get close.
Dante is a storm dragon shifter and the leader of the Oscura Clan. He’s the only dragon shifter in his wolf-shifter family, but he’s damn loyal to his gang and his family.
Dante and Ryder are adversaries, and they are cutthroat when it comes to gang wars and politics.
The four kings are all interesting in their own ways, and I liked that they weren’t suddenly best friends just because Elise entered the picture. They have their own rivalries, loyalties, and reasons for doing what they do, which makes their interactions with Elise—and with each other—that much more interesting.
I haven’t stopped looking at you from the moment you walked into our dorm. I’ve seen your pain, your sorrow, your light and your fire. And it isn’t enough. You captivate me.
One of my favorite things about the romance is the angst between Elise and the four guys. Each relationship has its own dynamic, and as a reverse harem fan, I loved the why-choose aspect of it!
Leon follows her around like a whipped puppy. He brings a lighter side to her darkness, and I loved how easily he warmed up to her.
Ryder was my favorite out of the four. I think he relates to Elise the most because he understands pain and grief. He tries not to be vulnerable, but I loved seeing him let his guard down and show his softer side to her.
Dante’s relationship with Elise has plenty of tension, especially when she challenges him. He’s intrigued by her. I liked how open he is with the people he cares about, and Elise eventually becomes one of them.
Elise also grows closer to Gabriel before he pushes her away. Add in the forced proximity of sharing a room with Dante and Gabriel, being teammates with Leon and Dante, and becoming a blood source for both Dante and Ryder (who lead rival gangs, no less!), and there’s plenty of angst to go around.
Despite the darkness surrounding their relationships, I loved the banter, humor, and sharp retorts between them. The guys each bring something different to the table, and I really enjoyed watching these dynamics unfold!
Special Mention: Gareth Tempa
Gareth’s love for Elise is so strong in the flashbacks that we get of him. When I first came across a chapter in his POV, I was legit hoping he was still alive. Because why would we have his POV otherwise?
Gareth’s death is what sets everything in motion for Elise and the guys. In an attempt to save Elise from their mother’s gambling debts, Gareth gets tangled up with the four kings to get the money. He also becomes involved with a cult, which ultimately leads to his death.
I really liked getting these glimpses of Gareth and his relationship with Elise. They help us understand just how much she has lost and why finding his killer means everything to her.
Pain and grief had carved anything soft and gentle out of me. This was all I had now. My thirst for vengeance was sharper than my thirst for blood. And I’d get it no matter the cost.
This was my first read by the “Twisted Sisters,” and I really liked how the story unfolded. The world-building here was easy to follow.
The book is told from multiple POVs: Elise, Ryder, Dante, Gabriel, Leon, and flashbacks from Gareth’s POV. All the heroes are unique, with different personalities and agendas, and the multiple POVs help flesh them out as distinct characters. I really enjoyed getting to know them and seeing things from their perspectives.
The different viewpoints also help build the suspense, the different factions, and gradually bring the various plotlines together. There’s a lot happening at the academy, but the story does a good job of connecting these different pieces.
If you love paranormal reverse harem romances set in an academy, with a badass heroine, four strong and obsessive heroes, and a mystery to unravel, you should definitely give Dark Fae a try.
It’s fast-paced, has a really good plot, and introduces some memorable characters. I’m excited to see where things go next for Elise and the guys!
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Reading Order
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti is a completed five-book paranormal reverse harem romance series.
If you’re planning to read the series, here’s the correct reading order:
- Dark Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac #1)
- Savage Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac #2)
- Vicious Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac #3)
- Broken Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac #4)
- Warrior Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac #5)
How Is Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Connected to Zodiac Academy?
Both Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and Zodiac Academy take place in the same fantasy kingdom, Solaria, where fae have elemental powers and belong to different orders. However, the two series follow different characters and storylines.
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac takes place approximately five years before Zodiac Academy and follows Elise as she investigates her brother’s murder and gets entangled with the four kings of Aurora Academy.
Zodiac Academy, on the other hand, follows the Vega twins, Tory and Darcy, who discover that they are heirs to the throne of Solaria. (Note: Gabriel seems to play an important role in the series!)
Although both series can be read on their own, there are character crossovers and connections between them if you want to explore more of their world.
The authors have also written Darkmore Penitentiary, another series set in Solaria, which takes place after the events of Zodiac Academy. So, if you enjoy this world, there’s more to explore after these two series.
Dark Fae Blurb:
What do a heartless Dragon Shifter, a cold-blooded Basilisk, an arrogant Lion Shifter and a brooding, tattooed Harpy have in common…?
Me. Elise Callisto. Vampire. Angel of vengeance. And a girl on a mission to destroy one of them for murdering my brother. I just don’t know which one did it yet.
When I kicked the ass of a Werewolf who was high on a new and dangerous drug called Killblaze, his final words painted a dark reality for me.
The King of Aurora Academy killed my brother.
The trouble is, there’s four kings at that school and each of them have motive and cutthroat natures.
Aurora Academy isn’t a place for the faint of heart. To put it lightly, my town is the asshole of Solaria where the dodgiest Fae in the kingdom reside. The school itself is divided by the two gangs who run this town. The Lunar Brotherhood and the Oscura Clan. And guess what? Two of the kings run the gangs at the school, their hatred for each other so fierce I hear a day doesn’t go by without blood being spilled in the halls.
I might be a petite, lilac-haired girl who looks like a fragile doll, but they haven’t been introduced to my fangs yet. And they don’t know why I’m really here. Or that I’ll do whatever it takes to bring down the Fae who took my flesh and blood from me.
I don’t believe in fate, but I do know this… the King who killed my brother is a dead man walking. And I’m prepared to sacrifice my heart, body and soul to ensure I get my revenge .
This is a reverse harem series set in the world of Zodiac Academy four years before the Vega Twins were Awakened. Expect some character cross-over, dark and hot romance, and a twisted murder mystery which will leave your head spinning.
Purchase Links
About Caroline Peckham:
I’m a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Zodiac Academy series. I write all things dark romance, from fantasy to contemporary, high school bully to mafia, there’s bound to be a book for you!
Me and my sister Susanne Valenti now write books together and we’ve built the most amazing, fun, crazy reader group on Facebook which we would LOVE you to join. Be the first to get teasers of upcoming books, plus interact with us daily, asks us questions, make friends with other book junkies and find your reader home.
About Susanne Valenti:
Hey!
We are Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti, sisters and best selling co-authors of all things dark romance – fantasy and contemporary, M/F and RHs, there’s something for everyone, as long as you love characters who will break your heart, stomp on it and laugh over the pieces before putting them all back together in the end. We live in the South East of England, kinda near London but far enough out to be able to look at fields all wistfully and shit if the mood takes us. We work together from our countryside office through the week, writing down most of the madness that exists in our heads on paper, so that you can come and escape to our imaginary worlds for a little bit too. We don’t shy away from twisted cliffhangers, and love an Alpha asshole, but our leading women are of the badass, take no shit lying down variety, so it’s always a rollercoaster of a ride. We can’t wait for you to buckle up with us!
Next in the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac:
