Taken by a possessive, beautiful male to a hidden floating realm, a captive must survive him — and the pull she refuses to name.
- Score
- 77.8
- Spice
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Steamy
- POV
- first
- Ending
- HEA / HFN
Tropes
Content warnings
Curated signals, not an exhaustive guarantee.
If you liked this, read
What readers think
Readers consistently praise Sarah A. Parker's lyrical, emotionally immersive prose — reviewers describe the book as 'all-consuming' and 'soul-shattering' with vivid imagery and gut-wrenching emotional intensity. The expanded worldbuilding as Orlaith finally leaves her tower is seen as a highlight, and the multiple POV perspectives (Orlaith, Baze, Kai, Rhordyn) are appreciated for deepening the ensemble cast. The main criticism is pacing: at over 570 pages, the middle stretches are slower than the first book, and some readers found the different POV voices insufficiently distinct. The spice increased in this installment but involves unexpected character pairings, which polarised some fans expecting particular romantic developments.
Read it if
- · Readers who love lush, poetic prose and emotionally devastating fantasy romance with genuine heartbreak
- · Fans of Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout who want a darker, more Gothic Rapunzel-retelling flavour
- · Readers already invested in the Crystal Bloom series who want deeper worldbuilding and ensemble cast development
Skip it if
- · You need fast-paced, action-driven plotting — the book prioritises emotional and romantic tension over momentum
- · You are not reading the series in order; this is a direct sequel with no standalone value
- · You are sensitive to themes of self-harm, grief, or depictions of gothic despair
If you liked this
- · For fans of The Plated Prisoner by Raven Kennedy — a trapped heroine navigating court politics with a morally grey captor dynamic and lyrical prose
- · For fans of From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout — similar forbidden romance, political power plays, and high emotional stakes in a dark fantasy setting
- · For fans of A Court of Mist and Fury — slow-burn pining, multiple POVs, and a heroine learning her own power amid court intrigue
- · Like a darker, more Gothic Rapunzel retelling where the tower is only the beginning
Which dark romantasy heroine are you? Five choices in a forest that wants you dead.
Take the quiz →