Before You Buy

FAQ & Spice Levels

Dark romantasy goes to dark places. Here's an honest rundown of spice levels and answers to the questions I get most often. For full content warnings per book, see the content warnings page.

Spice Level

Queen of Blood

Spice๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

On-page, intense, court-intrigue power dynamics.

Where Madness Hunts

Spice๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

On-page, enemies-to-lovers heat.

Persephone's Revenge

Spice๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Slow burn. On-page.

Rumpelstiltskin

Spice๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

On-page, second-chance spice with a morally grey villain.

The Star and the Vulture

Spice๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Why-choose, on-page with multiple partners.

The Poisoner's Last Breath

Spice๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Death as a love interest. On-page.

The Faerie King

Spice๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

On-page, frequent, with a possessive cruel-prince dynamic.

Frequently Asked

Where should I start?

Most readers begin with The Faerie King. If you'd rather try a standalone, I've put together a short Start Here guide.

Do the books need to be read in order?

No. The only ones that need to be read in order are the Faerie King books. Full order on the reading-order page.

Are these dark romance or romantasy?

Romantasy, with strong elements from dark romance, including non-consent. Expect morally grey love interests, high-stakes fantasy plots, and on-page heat.

HEA or HFN?

Every couple gets their ending eventually. Series books end on big emotional beats and yes, sometimes cliffhangers, so if you hate waiting, save the series until the next book is out.

Are the paperbacks the same as the ebooks?

The story is identical. The paperback covers differ from the ebook editions for every title except The Nori Gate Chronicles.

Where can I ask a question that isn't here?

Email me at deborah@deborahjmartins.com or send a DM on Instagram.