Reviewed: November 7th, 2025
Released: October 1st, 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy – Fairytale retelling
Rumpelstiltskin meets The Serpent and the Wings of Night in this spicy, fairy tale retelling.
Never make a deal with a demon—especially the demon arch king.
Aryana, the vampire princess, has spent her life as a weapon in her uncle’s cruel kingdom. But when the demon arch king, Zarathos, steals her away, she is thrust into a world more treacherous than anything she could have imagined.
Zarathos’s presence is suffocating, his dark power intoxicating. He claims she has the ability to turn straw into gold—a lie. But the real truth is far more terrifying. He needs her for the deadly demon trials, and he’ll stop at nothing to bend her to his will.
Bound together by a bargain neither can escape, Aryana must fight for Zarathos in the trials, even while the magnetic pull between them grows with each passing moment. The more time they spend together, the deeper she’s pulled into a world of lust, power, and ruthless peril.
Zarathos will never let her survive the trials. She’s nothing more than a pawn in his plans. But as the fire between them burns hotter, Aryana wonders if the demon king has claimed more than her life—has he taken her heart as well?
Helen’s Thoughts: 4/5
If you love a morally grey villain and a lethal vampire princess intent on killing him, then you will love this enemies to lovers fairytale retelling based on the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale.
I’m not sure why, but I kept putting this book down, and not picking it up again. I can only think it’s because I didn’t really connect to the characters to begin with, but once the story got going you’ll want to keep reading.
There are secrets within secrets which are flagged pretty early, and both MC’s have trauma they are dealing with, so plenty of hurt/comfort, and as this is enemies to lovers it is a slow burn before you reach the spice.
The action is back ended, and I did want it to move faster, maybe that was just my impatience with the narrative, all the bargains, and the killing games.
Anyway, if you love well written, spicy fairytale retellings, you’ll enjoy this.
Purchase Of Spindles and Nightfall
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
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If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series and now Harmony, a dystopian science fantasy.
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