Shadows Dark and Deadly (Red Society 1)

Slowly freezing in the snow and a knife to the gut are two awful ways to die.

And Cerise would very much like to avoid both. A mysterious man steps from the shadows with an offer of food, a bed, and a roof over her head. The catch? She'll have to become his assassin apprentice. Her hands are already stained with the blood of five men. What's a little more?

But training to be an assassin isn’t easy and learning to control her magic even less. To complicate things, Cerise can’t fight her attraction to her mentor, Keir, or his charming best friend, Damara. It wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't a dirty street rat. Well, that and society isn't ready for two women to be together.

Everything heats up as an arsonist stalks the streets. His targets? Brothel owners and Cerise's aunt is at the top of his list. Can Cerise get strong enough to help Keir hunt him down or will her aunt become another tragic death that haunts her nightmares?

Shadows Dark and Deadly is the first book in the dark and steamy Red Society series. It's perfect for fans who love character driven stories, rich world building, tortured shadow daddies, deadly assassins, angst and banter in equal measure, and sizzling why choose romances (MF and FF pairings).

This book is for adults 18 and over. It features mature language, graphic violence, dark themes, and explicit content. Reader discretion is advised. For a complete list of content warnings, check the author’s website.

Page count: 545
Word count: 165,819

Edited by Gabriel Hargrave

Interior illustrations by Audasaurus Rex Creates

Formatting by Audasaurus Rex Creates

Cover art by Sarah Waites @ Illustrated Page Design

Content warnings:

Violence: murder, attempted murder, assault, stabbing, shooting, arson, burning people, electrocution, blood, mention of genocide, sexual harassment

Death/dying: mention of dead parents, grandparents, sibling, loved ones, mention of pregnancy loss/possibility of pregnancy loss

Health: vomit, illness, fever, surgery

Mental health: grief, panic attack, anxiety, depression, PTSD, shock, nightmares

Bigotry: xenophobia

Poverty: starvation, food insecurity, homelessness

Misc: sexually explicit scenes, profanity