We have dark academia, dark fantasy romance, four shadow daddies and why choose, we have secret identities, a demon best friend, a soul bonded animali that is a phoenix and an evil queen. All the makings of a great book. And it is.
This is the third and final book in the Fated Mates of Shadowbone Academy. And it lived up to the expectations I had in my head.
This book begins right where book two left off. The demon queen, Blake and Shade’s bestie, arrive with her mates and the demon army demanding to know who is trying to hurt her friend. The shadow queen finds it all hilarious until she realises the truth and tries to broker a deal with the demon queen.
The shadow queen demands Shade stays confided to the academy and takes off to the shadow palace.
Shade finally has most of her memories, though there is still something niggling at her mind that won’t break through. It takes a long time for it to come through and the realisation of why it mattered.
The whole book feels like an emotional roller coaster. Just as things settle a bit, something happens. Only for something to change again. Nothing is steady, nothing is known, nothing feels real.
Shade overcomes her tragic start to life to be the saviour the world needs, to become the hope of a realm. To be the one that brings them all together. To be the one to show them all the way. Even when the others aren’t sure, she trusts her instincts. And she stands up for what is right. This includes when she saved Satine, even though the girl tried to kill her.
It’s those choices, those moments that make Shade the person she is. That makes her the one worthy of the realm.
This is such a good series, I have enjoyed it so much. There is a prequel series about Shade’s bestie, Blake finding her mates and becoming the demon queen, The Game of Psychos. And we have Shade still cursed and in crow form.

What started as a love of reading has become so much more. ARC reviewing has introduced me to incredible indie authors, unforgettable stories, and genres I never expected to love. It allows me to combine my passion for books with the skills I gained through my Master's in Writing, while supporting authors on their publishing journey. For me, there's nothing quite like discovering a new favourite book before the rest of the world does.

A beautiful blend of mythology, romance, and prophecy, this novel follows Iliana, a woman cursed to sleepwalk into deadly situations after the death of her parents. When Thanatos, the Greek God of Death, is tasked with protecting her, she is pulled into a world of gods, ancient curses, and dangerous secrets. Alongside Thanatos, Hypnos, Anubis, and Hermes, Iliana searches for answers about her mysterious past while navigating slow-burning polyamorous romance and growing supernatural power. With multiple pantheons colliding, hidden prophecies unfolding, and a shocking twist at the end, the story balances emotional vulnerability with mythological intrigue, leaving readers desperate for the next book in the series.

A haunting dark academia review exploring slow burn romance, forbidden tension, and a heroine who can speak to the dead. With themes of memory, power, and buried secrets, this story blends magic and mystery into an immersive, atmospheric read that lingers long after the final page.

Aran’s story doesn’t unfold like a gentle bloom; it claws its way into the light, bloodied, furious, and unrelenting. What makes her so compelling isn’t just her power, but the way she resists it—like someone gripping the edges of herself, terrified of what she might become if she lets go. There’s something achingly human in that contradiction. She is both weapon and wound, both queen and ghost of a girl who once wanted something softer.

The academy strips her down, but not in the way it intends. Instead of breaking her into obedience, it exposes the raw architecture of her pain—each jagged edge catching the light. And in that brutal illumination, something unexpected happens: she doesn’t shatter further. She begins, slowly and stubbornly, to reassemble.

This is where Jasmine Mas excels—she doesn’t romanticise the damage, nor does she rush the healing. Aran’s evolution is not a clean arc but a storm system, circling back, crashing, rising again. And when connection finally threads its way into her life, it doesn’t save her. It meets her in the wreckage and says: stay.

If the Cruel Shifterverse is marching toward war, then Aran feels like its heartbeat—ragged, defiant, and impossible to silence. And if this is only the beginning of her rise, then the realms should be very, very afraid.