Think twice if…
- Content warnings: Grief, Violence, Blood, Torture, Death, PTSD, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault (referenced), Abuse, Sexual content
Hidden Beneath The Embers
by Fay Bec
Book 1 in The Dark Curse
For the reader who wants Cinderella bones snapped into something darker: cursed bloodlines, supernatural politics, forced proximity, and a heroine fighting her way out with both hands dirty.
goodreads 3.71/5 804 ratings
Quick fit
Is this story right for you?
A decision-first view of the reading experience.
Length554 pages
Series statusCompleted series · 3 books
Spice4/5 · Passionate / intense
PacingMedium
Story profile
What the story promises
The strongest reviewed signals about romance, fantasy, and the reading experience.
Romance promise
- Enemies to lovers
- Male/female pairing (M/F)
- Slow burn
- High
- Passionate / intense
- Book hangover incoming
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- Morally gray
- Love/hate tension
- Dark / taboo style
- The angst delivered
- Vampire lord
- Morally gray love interest (LI)
- Tension / anticipation focus
- Adrenaline rush
- Dark/tortured soul
- Touch her and die
- Fantasy / supernatural intimacy
- Protective love interest
- Frequent explicit scenes
- Fated mates
- Possessive / claiming
- Tension
- Found family
- Anticipation
- Longing glances
- Possessive/protective
- Touch starvation
Fantasy promise
- Fantasy romance
- Fae romance
- Royal court / palace
- High fantasy
- Fae
- Forest / wilderness
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- Fae realm / faerie courts
- Vampires
- Small town / village
- Grimdark / dark fantasy
- Werewolves
- Forbidden love
- Multi-realm / dimension-hopping
- Witches/wizards/warlocks
- Forced proximity
- Mermaids/sirens
- Only one bed
- Psychics
Reading experience
- First person
- Medium
- Dark
- Heavy
- Survivor
- Romantic
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- Dramatic
- General badass
- Intense
- Witch/mage
- Magical
- Emotional
- Damaged survivor
- Dangerous
- Steamy
- Angsty
- Cursed bloodline
- Enemies forced to ally
- Protect at all costs
- Fae courts and politics
- Cinderella retelling
- Series binge material
- Cliffhanger warning
Similar stories
Similar in ways that matter
Matched by the most important shared story signals, with the tradeoffs made explicit.
380 pages Completed
The Cursed And The Broken
Chloe Hodge
Similar because
Love/hate tension · Only one bed · Cursed bloodline
Different because
Spice is lower (3/5 vs 4/5). A shorter read (380 vs 554 pages).
464 pages Completed
Of Night and Blood
Brea Lamb
Similar because
Found family · Witch/mage · Fantasy romance
Book details
- Length
- 554 pages
- Publisher
- Fay Bec Books
- Language
- English
- Format
- Book