Description:
His touch is lethal poison. She is the only living antidote.
Rosalind is no ordinary apprentice botanist. While others fear the venomous bites of magical flora, she handles toxic Wraith-blooms and lethal nightshades with her bare hands. Her unnatural immunity to poison makes her valuable to her apothecary mentor, but it has always kept her isolated and entirely alone.
Until the shadows come for her.
Stolen in the dead of night, Rosalind is dragged to Umbralia-a dead, sunless realm trapped in an eternal, bruised twilight. Her captor is Valerius, the terrifying Nightshade King. For a century, he has suffered under a brutal curse that turns his magic into lashing shadow and his skin into sharp obsidian thorns. His touch turns life to ash, and he hasn't felt the warmth of another living soul in a hundred years.
He is a monster trapped in a tomb of his own making, and he believes Rosalind is his last desperate hope.
Forced to cultivate the legendary Umbralily-a parasitic flower that feeds on dark magic and kills any who touch it-Rosalind must work alongside the brooding, touch-starved king. But as the perilous blooms begin to grow, the icy walls between captor and captive begin to melt. Rosalind realizes the terrifying monster who stole her away is actually a tragically broken man who sacrificed his own soul to save his kingdom.
But Rosalind's abduction was no accident, and the dark magic poisoning Umbralia is not finished yet. When a devastating betrayal threatens to destroy the fragile life blooming in the dead castle, Rosalind must risk more than just her immunity. To break the curse and save the Nightshade King, she must risk her heart, her life, and her very soul.
Step into a lush, atmospheric world of deadly magic, gothic castles, and a slow-burn romance that will burn the shadows away. Perfect for fans of Sylvia Mercedes, Danielle L. Jensen, and Sarah J. Maas.
Tropes you'll devour in The Nightshade King:
Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Shadow Daddy / "Who did this to you?" vibes
Touch-Starved, Cursed Royal
Enemies to Lovers / Captive to Queen
Grumpy Monster x Sunshine Botanist
Slow-Burn, High-Tension Romance
Atmospheric Gothic Dark Fantasy Setting
Forced Proximity & Deadly Magic