This was a fun, fast-paced, fantasy romance that I really enjoyed! There were intense trials, political games, witty banter, emotional rollercoasters, and tension filled romance that I couldn’t get enough of!

This dual POV follows Calla, the recently widowed, morally grey shadow queen, and Matthias, the witty and sarcastic general from the neighboring kingdom. When the law forces Calla to remarry or lose her crown, we're taken on an adventure through intense and tortuous trials designed to find the next king.

By the end, I loved the emotional development of both main characters and found myself wanting there to be even more growth between Calla and Matthias (the main reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5!). While Matthias also experienced grief and understood Calla's feelings, I felt that some of Calla's actions were only lightly explained or quickly overlooked.

Once the Skies Fade is the second in an interconnected series of stand-alone fantasy romance books. While these books are considered standalone (and you could still follow the story of this book without reading the first), I would recommend reading the first book to fully appreciate the overarching story and feel immediately immersed in the world.

Overall, I would recommend this book and loved so many things - the darker fantasy vibes, the witty and sarcastic banter, a morally grey FMC, and the dual POV that allowed the reader to see the individual personalities and struggles of both the FMC and MMC.

Thank you to Vanessa Rasanen, Crab Apple Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy and the opportunity to review this book.

This review was published on the Goodreads on 03/04/25 (link provided).

Would like to say thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending the arc of this. (if you would like to send me the next one I wouldn't mind one bit <3 )
Well this book was a bit that had me not being able to put the damn kindle down.. i just had to keep reading to know more of what was gonna happen.. the tension THE YEARNING the tension of it all just made it so much damn better.

the fact the FMC was what she was I loved that, she was powerful strong resilient but also fragile and felt truly deep within herself.

Our man the general is my fav, he was kind showed what kind of person he was throughout always putting himself in danger to help protect others who some did not even deserve his kindness.

I enjoyed the whole plot of this book and i feel it was so well written.

The characters their depth, the love, the bonds and the story was amazing.

I will absolutely be recommending to my friends and my sister as she loves a good romantasy!!

3.5⭐️ Thank you to Netgalley and Crab Apple Publishing for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

I read Until the Stars Fall immediately before picking this up in order to be up to date with everything happening in this world, and I have to say, I enjoyed this one better than Book 1. The exploration of the fmc's grief while still trying to maintain her composure as queen, felt raw and real. I always enjoy a morally grey fmc too since we don't often get to see those in the majority of romantasy books (at least in my experience). Matthias also felt like a breath of fresh air with his easy demeanor and attempts at humor, even in dire situations. He was giving major golden retriever energy lol.

The plot had good pace, and while I did enjoy the trials, how Matthias ultimately earned his points felt too good to be true. Once we started the trials though, I did find myself wanting to continue reading, to the detriment of my long list of chores. Could the book have been a little shorter? I think so. But I do see where the author is leading us to in Book 3. Overall, a fun read and not your typical romantasy fmc made this enjoyable.

I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this book! I absolutely adored Matthias in Until The Stars Fall so I couldn’t wait to read his love story. I struggled a bit with the decisions Calla made in the book but I warmed up to her in the end. The trials were some of my favorite parts of the book and the last 30% had me desperately reading to see what would happen.

4.25⭐️/5

Shadow Mommy 🤌🏼 Fated mates 🤌🏼 Trials and games 🤌🏼 Morally Grey FMC 🤌🏼 witty MMC

It’s not often I read about a morally grey shadow mommy. Calla is ruthless. She had a series of unfortunate events happen to her. Her parents and her husband die all with in a couple months of each other. She is left to rule her kingdom while also grieving all the loss she has endured.

The assembly that helps rule her kingdom remind her the law states there needs to be both a king and queen to rule. So she is forced to marry/pick someone in eight weeks. Her general and herself decide to hold a trials competition to decide who will be the future king. There is death, friendship, cunning, betrayal, and so much more through out the trials.

Matthias is my favorite. He is witty and sarcastic. He says ridiculous nonsense all the time that riles people up. But he is caring and genuinely wants to help people. Also, obsessed with the nickname Killer. It was perfect for this FMC.

I will say there was a lot of inconsistency with the fae in this book and the previous book. With how they are described and all their abilities. Like a fae dies being stabbed in the gut, while a human recovers?? Also, the ages of the fae are mentioned but are very inconsistent. I felt like there were some timelines off in the beginning that didn’t add up?? When did Connor and Lieke get married? I think two different timelines were mentioned. There were details like this that I felt like weren’t thought out or written accurately that took away from the story for me cause I focused on that and finding answers instead of the story. 🙅🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

I really enjoyed this book overall. I liked the meet cute at the beginning between Matthias and Calla. I liked how she was morally grey throughout and kept making dark choices. It was a different take on an FMC. Matthias believing in her and not the choices she was making was really beautiful. I loved the trials and all the twists and turns. The villain was dark at the end and some of the scenes were hard to read. If you’re looking for a different twist on a fantasy romance that hooks you and grips you until the very end, this is it.


THANK YOU NetGalley, Crab Apple Books, and Vanessa Rasanen for this ARC. All opinions shared in this review are my own.


Favorite Quotes:

“Easy there, Killer. I’ve got you.”

but winning isn’t everything. The pursuit of it should never blind us from what truly matters: helping others—even our competition.

Gasping for another breath, my heart burst from where it had lain shattered and broken, not simply healed, but new.

This…this was something different, something incredible, something impossible. Like having every dream fulfilled, every wish granted, every hope realized.

“And he saw me—all of me—and accepted me, darkness and all. He made me want to be better. He reminded me that there is good in this world, and that I am allowed to have some of that goodness.”

Once the Skies Fade is the second book in a romantasy series of interconnected standalone novels, all set in a war-torn, magical world where secrets hold immense power and true allies are scarce. In this story of lost love and fated souls, a morally ambiguous queen with dark secrets meets a sharp-witted general who just might heal her heart—if he doesn't tear it apart first.



While it's not absolutely necessary to read the first book in the series to follow the plot, I highly recommend doing so! There are spoilers in this book, and recurring characters make appearances. One feature I particularly loved (though others may have different opinions) is how the main character begins with a recap of the previous story. It had a very Flynn Ryder vibe, which I adored—funny and lighthearted. Honestly, it had been over a year since I read the first book, so that small refresher was a welcome touch!


Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It’s a bit darker than the first book, and I think I actually preferred that shift in tone. The writing style has definitely improved since Until the Stars Fall, and I’m excited to see how the author continues to grow with each new story. One thing I do wish, though, is that the author would show more instead of telling, as that technique appears quite often. However, that doesn’t take away from the story as a whole.


I was especially excited for this book because the MMC was a lovable side character in the previous novel, and I have to admit, I think I liked him more than the main characters in that book. Matthias is witty, sarcastic, and just an all-around lovable character. I eagerly looked forward to his POV chapters.

As for our FMC, Calla, it took me a bit longer to warm up to her. I however could really feel her pain after the immense loss and trauma she faced in such a short time. The author did an excellent job portraying grief and trauma, making my heart ache for her.

Several elements stood out, particularly the trials. During that part of the book, I found myself flipping through the pages, eager to find out what happened next. That section was definitely a highlight. I also really enjoyed the character dialogue—it felt natural and flowed smoothly, which really elevated the story as a whole.


That said, I did find the world-building to be somewhat limited and a bit confusing, with some important details left out. However, I’m aware these novels are marketed more for their romantic storyline than their fantasy elements, so I went into this book with that expectation.
I’d definitely recommend this series to anyone who’s new to fantasy and might be nervous about heavy world-building or too many characters and lore. It’s also perfect if you’re looking for a single, satisfying fantasy read with a well-rounded ending!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crab Apple Books and the author for sending me an ARC in return for my honest review! ❤️

The first book in this series was one of my favorites last year and I have been waiting for this book since I finished the last one. And it did not disappoint! The romance was just what I wanted in this book. I would highly recommend!

I have mixed feelings on this one. While I did like the book, I feel like it was a bit long. The FMC struggles with anger and control of her power. Which I think anyone in her position would do. There are some unanswered questions that I hope are solved in the next book.

Wonderful fantasy romance story! A must read if you need some magical fae romance in your life.

Calla, the queen, is newly widowed. Law demands she must find a king. She decides to hold a series of trial with the winner to be crowned king/Callas husband. 12 males compete from various other kingdoms. Matthias, MC, is the general of the kingdom featured I t he previous book.

Calla is entirely unlikeable shadow weirder with rage issues. Matthias is the opposite- he given goofy golden retriever energy but also a hot fae, of course. I kind of hated them together at first but ended up rooting for them on the edge of my seat.

Loved the trial aspect! Loved the dragon shifter, Asher! And love this authors romantic writing style.

Didn’t love the “note” at the beginning to recap the previous book. Started the book off on an odd vibe.

Great book, overall!

Thank you to the author & NetGalley for the eARC!

Overall I enjoyed the story of Calla and Matthias. I did not read the first book and since this is an interconnected stand alone that worked out. The author adding the summary at the beginning of the story helped set the scene for the book without needed to go back to read the other. I wish there had been more development to Calla before the death of her husband and the Assembly turning on her. I did not like her until late in the book, due to there not being enough background and development with her character. Once the trials started we got to know both of our main characters better. I wish there had been more world building as well as background about medic as it didn’t seem there was any rhyme or reason to the system. This could all have been done in the first book but I wouldn’t expect for it to be present in this book as well because it is marketed as an interconnected stand alone. Overall I liked the book and would consider reading another of the series! I greatly appreciated receiving the ARC through NetGalley.

“I hate you, general. Remember? You promised to take all of my hate, and I refuse to let you go back on your word.”

I LOVED this book!! I ate the whole thing up in 36 hours. To die for. Also let’s take a moment for the cover…gorgeous!

Once the Skies Fade is the second standalone within an interconnected standalone series. In this book, we follow Queen Calla who’s grieving the recent losses of her parents and husband. She’s forced to host trials for men to compete for her band in marriage. General Matthias, being one of the competing men, is trying to determine whether Calla killed her first husband, even though he can’t seem to stay away from her. Also, Queen Calla has shadow wielding abilities - girl power!

This book has everything: deadly trials, “who did this to you”, morally grey FMC, political intrigue, fated mates and more!

okay okay so this book wrecked me in the best way possible. if you love a fantasy romance packed with tension, betrayal, and a queen who refuses to let her heart get in the way of her survival—this one’s for you.

our girl Calla is a widowed queen accused of murdering her husband. the catch? she has to remarry by the end of the season or lose her throne. instead of following her heart again (because that went so well the first time), she decides to host a brutal tournament to pick the next king. smart, right? except one of the contestants is a close friend of her late husband’s family Matthias, and he’s got secrets of his own. the worst part is he might be the only one who truly understands her. but girlieee the tension between them is off the charts.

this book nails the slow-burn romance. every interaction between the queen and the general is filled with snark, longing, and just the right amount of i want to kill you but also kiss you. the angst? Top-tier. the chemistry? unreal. and the court politics? absolutely cutthroat. someone wants our queen gone, and the deeper she gets into the tournament, the clearer it becomes that she can’t trust anyone—not even the man who makes her feel alive again.

i flew through this book, completely obsessed with the tension, the stakes, and the constant guessing game of who was lying. the writing is sharp, the world-building is immersive, and the romance? the kind that keeps you up at night. if you love morally grey queens, powerful yet broken love interests, and high-stakes betrayals, this story is a must-read.

if you’re like me who is a sucker for enemies-to-lovers with dangerous political games, a broody general who could destroy or save the queen, and a love story dripping in tension,

drop everything and read this now.

thank you so much Crap Apple Books for the arc!

4.5⭐

I really loved Until The Stars Fall the first Interconnected standalone in this series when I read it last year, so I was really looking forward to reading about Calla and Matthis and it didn't disappoint. It is very different in style to UTSF where that was more of a cosy fantasy read Once the Skies Fade is more darker in the aspect of the storyline and I loved that Calla was such a strong and fierce FMC and it made a nice change to see the dynamic between her and Matthias.

The writing is so easy to understand and follow, I was instantly hooked from the very first page and loved the world building so much there felt so much more richness to it, the stakes were a lot higher and I enjoyed the trials and competitions immensely they were so intriguing. The emotions hit you a lot harder in this book and certain moments do pull at the heartstrings even more so than UTSF did, Vanessa writes such beautiful relationships between the characters - romantically or otherwise - and it's one of my favourite things to read. The balance between action, romance and spice was perfectly done, I loved every moment and highly recommend adding this to your TBR.

Thank you so much to Vanessa and the team for the chance to read and review before publication. These are my honest thoughts.

Once the Skies Fade was such a fun but heartbreaking little read! I am giving this book 3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4! I very much enjoy the world that the events take place in, I just wish there was slightly more world building. I do LOVE that this book followed Matthias and Calla, I enjoyed their characters and the development so much! This book does explore grief and I thought it was explained well throughout the book. Grief is different for everyone and honestly the plot twist did get me! I did not see it coming, it was good! It was the perfect amount of spice (I love that the author put the spicy chapters in their own TOC so if not comfortable with it, you can skip those chapters)!

This book is the second in the series, but it could be a stand alone as well, but I very much enjoyed the second one more than the first, could be due to the characters or just the plot! Overall, I would recommend the book to my friends !

Thank you to Vanessa Rasanen, Crab Apple Books, and NetGalley for the e-arc and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an overall enjoyable read!

In short Calla is a newly windowed queen in need of a king, as per their kingdoms laws, in order to keep her rule. She sets up a trial to find her next husband and king. This is where Matthias enters. He is the general to the neighboring kingdom, entering the trial to gain better access to what really may have happened to the late king.

I think what’s difficult about a fantasy romance standalone is that the ending is fairly predictable. I think Vanessa did an overall good job in adding some twists along the way but even the twist I do feel like you could see coming, particular the betrayal near the end. I ended up giving this book a 4/5 despite this though because my general feels when I was reading was that I just needing to keep going! I was hooked and completely invested in the characters and their ultimate happiness.

I am definitely a fan of Matthias. I love his sarcastic nature and the banter he brings to the budding relationship with Queen Calla. He’s definitely a kind soul and I loved watching this shine through in the trials.

Calla is a hard character to like. I feel she had some unredeemable situations in this book and Matthias was all too quick to glaze it over. I feel like Callas reaction to the situation was very out of proportion and the reasoning that was given wasn’t very compelling. Then there is Isla. I love that she is this strong female general and advisor to the queen but she also had such blind loyalty and wasn’t doing ginger friend any favors letting her “rage” like she did.

I did really enjoy the trials aspect in the book. I feel like it did really hold things together and kept the flow going.

I loved every second of this gorgeous book!! I read the first book, Until The Stars Fall in january as my first read of the year and really enjoyed it so i was super excited to hear that this book was coming out soon! These books can be read as standalones but they are interconnected! I think i loved this book more than the first one! I loved Mathias and his witty quips and snarky comebacks he had, they made me laugh so much.
ALSO Calla being a shadow mommy??? I loved every second of it! This book really depicted grief perfectly and really expressed the emotions you can go through when going through a loss. The trials and competitions were perfect and i found them SO intriguing and fun to read. I was absolutely HOOKED by the first chapter in this stunning book! So so so so good!

Thank you to Vanessa Rasanen, Crab Apple Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy and the opportunity to review this book.

I wasn’t planning to read this after UTSF disappointed me, but I needed to know why Brennan had to die… so here we are. And honestly? This was so much better than book one—I actually really enjoyed it. The trials were foolproof, and I thought I’d hate Matthias since he was basically in the games for spying on Calla, but I ended up feeling the complete opposite.

This was everything UTSF wasn’t. I was absolutely hooked, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance. You know that feeling when you go into a book with zero expectations but end up wanting to give it a glowing review? That’s exactly what happened here. The satisfaction of rating a book 5 stars when you already expected it to be one is great, but rating it 5 stars when you expected it to be a zero? That’s an entirely different kind of win.

This was hilarious,
“You make it sound like they eloped.”

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Once the Skies Fade is everything I hoped for and more! The world feels even richer, the stakes are higher, and the emotions hit even harder. From the very first page, I was completely immersed in the story, unable to put it down.
The relationships—both romantic and otherwise—are beautifully written, making every moment feel meaningful. The world is vivid, the tension is high, and the emotional depth is everything
Vanessa Rasanen’s writing is breathtaking, with a perfect balance of action and romance.

This series has instantly become one of my favs! I was so excited to read about Matthias’s story. I find (interconnected) stand-alones to be so refreshing to long winded fantasy series but that doesn’t mean any less yearning from our mmc. We also have a fierce morally grey shadow fmc. What’s not to love?! Not to mention deadly trials! I personally was sick of trials until I read this book. I will also say that the author does a good job of tackling difficult subjects like the loss of a spouse and grieving. Can’t wait to continue this series and read about what else is in store for the next mcs!

I can definitely say that I will be reading the author’s other series now!

Thank you to Vanessa Rasanen and team for the eARC!