Hailey Verkolf

Wow where to start there is so much ! Let's start with this I loved this ! It starts off so quickly and your literally running right from the first page. They are all trapped in the castle with an ancient darkness hunting them down. There are so many twists and turns you can't trust anyone. I was gasping with shock as I turned each page. I am looking forward to reading more!

(From Goodreads)

Arc read
5/5
This has been hands down. It's one of the best fantasy books I've read this yr 🙌
You start off immediately in the action. There is not a stagnate chapter anywhere. It kept flowing, and you wanted to know what happens next. I loved the mystery and secrets that just kept going. Amazing world building revolving around a castle type hallway covered in darkness gives the spooky vibe. Character description and development as you progressed were also on point.
If you love a good dark fantasy, mystery, secrets, and betrayal, read this book.

Big thank you to Hailey Verkolf for giving the opportunity to read and review❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

(From Goodreads)

Krya Reid is the savior of the divine war. Considered a hero, Kyra keeps a dark secret. Suddenly she and a group of others a dropped into a place with just as dark secrets and dangers hiding at every corner.

Publication date: 25 December 25

Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off, I would like to thank the author, Hailey Verkolf for the ARC!

I absolutely enjoyed reading this dark fantasy! It had the perfect amount of broodiness, magic, and gothic atmosphere.

I love Kyra. I thought she was a complex FMC and had a lot of multitude. I can’t say too much as it would spoil, but she is a perfectly morally grey character in my opinion.

I really liked the writing style. I thought the plot was super interesting with having a group of people randomly end up in the same place, trying to find the cause and a way to survive. It felt almost like a DnD campaign!

I can’t wait to see where this series goes. I’d like to see more of the outside world!

I recommend the Shattered Darkness if you like dark fantasy, subtle romance, and MCs with dark secrets.

This is hands down one of the best dark fantasy books I’ve ever read.

The writing is smooth, engaging, and super easy to follow, which I loved. The character development—especially Kyra’s growth—was done amazingly well, and the worldbuilding felt rich without being overwhelming.

The story starts strong and hooked me instantly. There was always something happening, so I never lost interest. (I literally stopped listening in class because I was so into it.)

Trigger warnings (personal):
If you’re sensitive to scenes involving death or killing, I’d recommend being cautious, as these themes appear throughout the book.

I’m very grateful to have received this book as an ARC from the author. All opinions in this review are my own.

(From Goodreads)

This was a unique and beautifully written fantasy read. I loved the concept of this one and it definitely had me hooked especially through the whole mystery aspect.

Generally, we need more standalone fantasies, so that’s already a win—and it’s also not a very long book. I would have loved even more context and background about the world though, so that especially the ending could have hit even harder. However, that ending was so unexpected and has me excited for more books in the series! 👀

The writing was beautiful and overall incredibly impressive for a debut novel. I’m coming in as a romantasy and spicy-romance lover, so personally I would have loved a lot more romance in this one. And maaaaybe some day I will get more (hopefully!!!) 👀😍
However, I understand why that wouldn’t have worked maybe, and even though this book can be read as a standalone, it still feels like a great setup for the series/universe.

(From Goodreads)