Rain of Shadows & Endings by Melissa K. Roehrich

Of all the worlds and life they created, the gods favored their children the most. But with that favor came the fear that their Legacy would one day become too powerful and overthrow them. Devram was created. A realm hidden amongst the stars. The gods gave their Legacy the best of all the worlds, and then they left, a sworn agreement to never return and to never interfere. Forced to a life of servitude, the Fae are required to provide for the Legacy in more ways than one. Every five years, the eligible Fae are gathered for the Selection and assigned to serve in one of the six Kingdoms. To be chosen as the personal Source for a Kingdom Heir is the greatest honor, and for the first time in a millennia, all six Kingdoms have heirs choosing a Source. But their selections could tip the power balance a little too far. Tessalyn Asura was as forgotten as the realm. But when she finds herself the personal Source to the Heir of Endings, she winds up serving in the darkest Kingdom of them all . The secrets within the Arius Kingdom are meant to be learned and kept, but this was never the life she wanted. Fighting not only the fate thrust upon her, but the temptation to lose herself to desire, Tessa will do anything to escape her new destiny. Until she starts to realize maybe their world wasn’t as forgotten as they thought, and maybe she’s the reason why.

Rain of Shadows and Endings is book one in The Legacy Series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is new adult dark fantasy romance series and includes elements that may be triggering to some readers.

Genre: Romantasy

Publication Date: August 31, 2023

Pages: 750

My Thoughts

This author did a good job with world-building. I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the story. The characters were well developed and had distinct personalities that made them feel like real people. Each one had their own back story, their own secrets, and their own struggles, which made them relatable and easy to connect with. The dynamic between the characters was also well done, with their relationships evolving and changing throughout the book. The book also had a component of mystery and intrigue that surrounds the world and forces at play. I liked the way the author weaved in otherworldly elements.

Having said that, some will have a difficult time with this book. It is categorized as Dark Romance, but still.... This book, while interesting, is a story of slavery. It is made up of two parts. In the first part, Theon attempts to convince Tessa that being his slave isn’t really slavery because, he bought her stuff. Here, we’re treated to the delightful spectacle of Theon, the slaver, trying to gaslight Tessa into believing that their twisted relationship isn’t so bad because he’s provided her with all the material comforts money can buy. Because nothing says “romance” like coercion and manipulation, right? In the second part, Tessa discovers she’s not your average Fae with the usual elemental powers, but something entirely unique and groundbreaking. I enjoyed the book as a work of fiction, but it left me wondering if anyone really buys the idea of physical attraction and growing feelings for one's captor. The author did provide trigger warnings though, so there is that. I gave this one 4 stars.