“‘Please…don’t push me away when things get messy,’ I said weakly. ‘I crave our mess.’” (p. 181)
★★★★★
🌶🌶
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Review:
This is an editorial review written for Reedsy Discovery.
Before, Adelaide would do anything for Nathan–even steal ancient magic to save his sister. A mutual betrayal leaves Adelaide cursed with dark, uncontrolled magic and Nathan in prison. One year later, Nathan is back at the University of Mysteries while he awaits a formal trial, flanked by his cocky former cellmate, and Adelaide struggles with her conflicting feelings. The strict rules that the Council enforces on the pledges forbid unsanctioned relationships, but some loves are too powerful to deny. While Adelaide’s status and future career are on the line, Nathan faces being returned to the prison that broke him.
This book has me in its thrall. Adelaide starts her final year at university as a shell of herself. Emaciated and depressed, she has isolated herself from everyone who cares about her. As she repairs her friendships and becomes confident in her magic, she slowly grows in confidence. While she still has doubts, her journey in healing is glorious. Her growth to become unapologetically herself is inspiring.
A Way With Darkness by Zoe T. Conley is written beautifully, from the prose to the strong bonds of friendship and love to the call for women's empowerment. As Adelaide begins to question the chokehold that the Council has on its pledges, she starts to rebel, and it awakens a drive within her to master her talents, explore her sexuality, make a statement with her appearance, and embrace her dark magic.
The friendships in the story are to be envied, being mutually forgiving, understanding, devoted, and supportive. While Adelaide and Nathan do stumble, they communicate in a healthy way and recognize and admit to their faults. It’s truly refreshing to read a book bursting with healthy relationships. I will definitely read anything Zoe T. Conley publishes in the future.
A Way With Darkness is a stellar addition to the romantasy genre. With dark academia and magical vibes, it is a cozy, slow-burn friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with moderate open-door sexual content, making it appropriate for new adult and adult audiences.
Audience: new adult, adult
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault, self-harm
Recommended for fans of: dark romantasy, dark academia, fantasy, romance, women’s fiction, magic, forbidden love, slow burn, love bonds, feminine rage, friends to enemies to lovers
Publisher's Synopsis:
A tale of healing, forgotten ancient magick, forbidden love bonds and forging one's own path through the darkness when everything feels calculated, terrifying and hopeless.
I had stolen a dark ancient power for the good of this magick world, its darkness and chaos now swirling within me. The Council had led me straight to it for their own gain and I had been too trusting and naive to see its danger. Now, I was alone and desolate, forced to pick up the pieces of my life.
There were strict rules laid out by The Council that all before me had followed to ensure their success, but he had led me astray my first year at the university.
I had sent him away to the worst prison in our world. I had ensured that my future and freedom would be secure. But now, he was back, throwing me into oblivion and the unknown all over again to face this darkness he imposed on me head-on.
We had always been fated to find one another, but this time, I was sure he would finally destroy me for good.
Note to Reader: This story does include elements of non-consensual touching but focuses on deep connections, healing and setting right what is wrong.
Source:
Reedsy Discovery
©Zoe T. Conley: October 9, 2024
Edition: Although I received a Digital ARC, I read on Kindle Unlimited
522 pages
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