Castle of Dusk and Shadows

Fae of Brytwilde, Book 1

By: Rachel L. Schade

Narrated by: Savy Des-Etages

Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

She'll do anything to save her family—even marry a fae and face the dead.

Years ago, Elle Blackford's parents made a desperate deal with the fae kingdom of Ashwood. While her mother and sisters reconciled themselves to a future among dangerous immortals, Elle and her father studied forbidden magic, hoping to find a loophole.

Until Elle's father died, forcing Elle's sister to marry Prince Fitz, heir of Ashwood. But Elle has a plan to change their fate. She knows that ghosts wander Ashwood Forest until the royal family sends them into the afterlife. Ghosts that can be returned to life, and she's determined to save her father from his premature death. All she needs is powerful magic—magic Prince Fitz possesses.

Taking her sister's place, Elle marries Prince Fitz to steal his power. But in a world of bloodthirsty fae and vengeful ghosts, being a mortal comes with constant risks. As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family.

The key to her salvation might be her arrogant, cold husband—the one she'd planned to rob and abandon. If only she can trust him.

Pride and Prejudice meets Gothic fae fantasy in this loose retelling, full of plenty of romantic tension (not spice). Immerse yourself in Fae of Brytwilde, a series of standalone fantasy romance novels all set in the same fae world and loosely inspired by Jane Austen's novels.

©2023 Rachel L. Schade (P)2023 Podium Audio

Fantastic Fae Fantasy with Gothic Austen Vibes!

I had already read Rachel L. Shade's Castle of Dusk and Shadows last year but had been waiting for it to come out in audiobook to give it a re-read with that extra level of entertainment!

When I first found this book and saw it described as a "loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice in a Gothic Fae setting", I thought that this sounded like it would be a perfect read for someone like me that loves both the world of fantasy and all things Austen-inspired. I was not disappointed!

Castle of Dusk and Shadows is the first book in Schade's Fae of Brytwilde series and in it she weaves a dark and dangerous world of royal fae politics that is upturned when Elle Blackford, a human woman determined to save her family, goes against the Queen's bargain and marries the Ashwood heir, Prince Fitz, much to his surprise and initial disappointment.

From that moment on, Elle finds herself thrust into the Kingdom's dark secrets, including an unsolved murder among the closest of the Ashwood family. As time passes, Elle, much to her own frustration, finds herself unable to fight the growing attraction she has for her brooding and mysterious husband, whom she only wanted to use as a means to an end for her own family's salvation.

As any good character inspired by Darcy should be, Fitz is equal parts broody and devotedly fierce to the ones he loves. I enjoyed going on the journey with these two as they slowly started to tear down the barriers placed around their hearts. Of course, the only question is, can their newly established feelings for each other survive the onslaught of doubt and pressure from those who would seek to tear them apart? You will have to just have to read and find out!

I read across the 'spice' continuum and while this book is a 'no spice' rating there is plenty of fantastic banter, conflict and tension between our main couple. Fitz is absolutely murderous, both figuratively and literally, when it comes to protecting those he cares about, including his new wife and soon to be queen. I also really enjoyed seeing how Elle grapples with being accepted by the land to wield the power Fitz has bestowed on her.

If you like any and all of the below, then definitely give this book a read:

*Banter and tension
*Broody fae prince
*Touch her and die
*Morally grey characters
*Romance without spice
*Dangerous fae
*Arranged marriage
*One bed
*Ghosts

As far as the audiobook goes, it was wonderful to come back to this story and listen to it all over again. The narrator does a good job of bringing to life the characters in the story. Fitz at times came across a little too stoic but then again, he was modeled after Darcy so I guess it's appropriate. I was happy to add this one to my collection!

thoroughly enjoyed

it is just enough like Pride and Prejudice to enjoy that aspect for lovers of the classic and just different enough to appreciate the massive creativity! loved it and looking forward to the others in the series.

Completely Obsessed!!!

Read, & *loved*, this book earlier this year! Audiobooks give me the perfect way to revisit my favorite stories & I couldn’t wait to jump back into this one! It did not disappoint & I will be returning again & again! ♥️♥️♥️

Fantastic read!

Loved this book, it was so well written and the characters were relatable and captivating. It was a fun, clean read! Highly recommend it!

Super fun read!

4.5 stars! I can’t wait for the next one! I thoroughly enjoyed diving into this world. The nods to Austen’s Pride and Prejudice were clear without being a straight up adaptation. It also had the added intrigue of a murder mystery and a ghost story in addition to the fae magic system and world building. This was a great standalone with a swoon worthy prince- but I look forward to learning more about the world and the other fae realms in Schade’s future books! I laughed, I cried, I whooped and shouted “you go girl!” This was a great read. Highly recommend to any Austen lovers who also enjoy fantasy, mystery, and love a swoony romance without all the spice! This one hits the spot!

Great story line

It definitely gave vibes of Pride and Prejudice and i absolutely loved that! I could easily connect the characters and immerse myself in the story. I would love a sequel to their story!

It could have been so good....

The book was described as a Pride and Prejudice inspired retelling with a fae twist. I loved the narrators but that was about it. mind you, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book of all time. The attempt was there but poor execution.