House of Dusk

By: Deva Fagan

Narrated by: Raquel Beattie

A romantic epic fantasy featuring a fire-wielding nun grappling with her dark past and a young spy caught between her mission and a growing attraction to an enemy princess

With complex relationships, a rich and mythic world, and brisk pacing, this standalone novel is perfect for fans of Tasha Suri, Samantha Shannon, and Shannon Chakraborty

Ten years ago, Sephre left behind her life as a war hero and took holy vows to seek redemption for her crimes, wielding the flames of the Phoenix to purify the dead. As corpses rise, a long-dead god stirs, and shadowy serpents creep from the underworld, she has no choice but to draw on the past she's been trying to forget.

Orphaned by the war Sephre helped win, Yeneris has trained half her life to be the perfect spy. Undercover as bodyguard to Sinoe, a princess with prophetic tears, Yeneris is searching for a saint's stolen bones. Her growing attraction to the princess is proving dangerous, and Yeneris struggles to balance her feelings for Sinoe with duty to her people.

With the world on the edge of a second cataclysm, Sephre must decide whether to be bound by her past or to forge a better future. Even if it means renouncing her vows and accepting a new terrible power. Meanwhile, Yeneris must find a way to remain true to herself and save both her mission and her heart.

As dead gods rise and corruption creeps across the world, this sweeping standalone fantasy tale of forbidden sapphic love and dark betrayal will set your heart ablaze.

©2025 Deva Fagan (P)2025 Dreamscape Media

Lyrical and breathtaking fantasy

Two narratives, both from flawed and compelling protagonists, view the edges of an epic story of lies, betrayal, and redemption. As we progress, the stories begin to overlap, and the overall picture slowly comes into focus until they—and we—stand in the center of it.

The novel explores grief, guilt, connections, choices, and above all, becoming—what Fate and our environment makes us, and who we choose to become. It can be read purely as adventure with slow burn romance, but the deeper questions it asks are what makes it so compelling.

Fagan’s prose is both lyrical and grounded, and the narrator captures both perfectly. Highly recommended.

Solid, rich, fantasy

King, who is a puppet for a chaos agent, versus his prophesising daughter with a personal guard who is a double agent from a defeated country who falls in love with her. Also against the king/puppetmaster’s plans are a former soldier carrying a load of guilt from her war days, and a serpent god in the form of a man. Some romantic feelings present on our side.

Lots of guilt, role confusion (whose side is the double agent guarding the Princess she’s falling in love with?), queasy/oleaginous control, inter-group competition, and more. There is a flavor of Fellowship of the Rings here.

There is sufficient background information on each primary and secondary character for you to understand each person’s weak spots, so the inner conflicts are understandable. I like inner conflict, almost more than battles (see e.g. Ancillary Justice, Mercy etc).

Performance is superb. Character differences are subtle, but clear. Pacing is measured, a gift to a reader who needs time to “see”, and to actually think about what they’re hearing.

Overall, a solid, recommendable book.