The Dark in Her Veins by M.K. Lobb is truly not like anything I’ve ever read. The first book in the Divine Villains series, this dark noir romantasy explores forbidden love and sin in a twisting, thrilling world.
Talin Keller is a sinner for the Prophet, doing all his dirty work. But all that sinning has a cost, the Bloodrot moving through her veins. It’s going to kill her eventually, but before that happens, she’s desperate to be free of the man pulling her strings.
When she finds out a secret that could bring the Prophet to his knees, she sees her chance to escape her fate. But her plan puts her in the path of the Warden, a mysterious shadowy man with an agenda of his own.
Talin and the Warden are intoxicatingly drawn to each other, but secrets and conspiracies threaten to derail all their carefully laid plans.
I’d known even then that holy things were not for girls like me.
The Dark in Her Veins features a collection of deeply tortured characters, with chaotic bisexuals all over the place. It is a wondrous combination, messy and endlessly entertaining.
This book reminded me a little bit of Daggermouth, in its dark tone and themes of extremism and tyranny. Where it diverges is its focus on this cult-like religion that dictates life in this universe.
Your fury is a lovely thing to behold. I imagine death by your hand would feel something like salvation.
Along with the compelling and timely discussion of religious extremism, The Dark in Her Veins has a gorgeous, angsty romance element. The sexual tension between Talin and the Warden is palpable, and their violent, edgy chemistry sparks on the page.
The Dark in Her Veins is a dark, atmospheric, sexy romantasy that’s both original and entirely captivating. It ends on a wild cliffhanger after a brutal twist, and I am waiting in suspense for the next book in the series.
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