Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

tl;dr
A salacious romance that builds well on an intriguing premise. Interesting set of magic powers, but somewhat confusing world lore.

About
Meren is a princess, but she's the second princess. Destined to live a life doubling as her older twin sister to protect her from the immortal King Eidolon. When she's kidnapped by a man made of shadows before her sister's coronation, it seems like she's done her duty, but it turns out that Meren isn't the only deceiver the realm.

What I Liked
The author's notes discuss the premise is based on a fairy tale in while a man sheds his shadow, and I feel like that premise was taken to some very cool places. Reven, the man made of shadows, is everything you could want in a dark lord romance option - moody, powerful, complex. I especially appreciate that he is genuinely trying to do good, and not just "misunderstood by the masses." The lead Meren is also a great read - sassy, self-assured, and a quick thinker. She's competent enough that I didn't find her frustrating, but not so magically capable that it felt OP. Fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope will absolutely appreciate the sparks between them. The magic system of the world is only lightly defined, but easy to understand, and I was impressed with all the creative ways that Meren used her own abilities. There's a tendency for the "jerk" romance option to be dubious about consent, so I was very relieved that their sex was consensual. Strong recommend to anyone looking for a romance with steamy moments against a fantasy adventure backdrop.

What Wasn't For Me
Supporting characters don't get painted with much detail, with Meren's sister Tabra suffering the most from this. This is the first book in a series, so I suspect characters will receive further development down the road, but given the events of the book, it would have helped to establish Tabra's personality a little more. I struggled to picture the shape and look of the world. In a single region, four different mythical creatures from four different countries (ranging from Greece to Japan) are mentioned. The main characters sometimes speak Latin, even referencing the famous quote "quis custodiet ipsos custodes." A character at one point mentions brain cells. When/where is this taking place?