The Lies that Summon the Night

A Novel

By: Tessonja Odette

Narrated by: Christian Leatherman, Samantha Brentmoor

Lies, beauty, and seduction mingle in the first book of an enthralling romantasy series where making art is considered a sin, and the shadows born from it aren't the only danger to the creators—from the bestselling author of Curse of the Wolf King.

“Tessonja Odette has crafted a gorgeous, fast-paced tale of revenge and heartbreak while giving us a spicy, swoony romance that is sure to have you lusting until the very last page.”—Nisha J. Tuli, author of Trial of the Sun Queen

From the art of liars, the monsters came . . .

Ever since art gave life to bloodthirsty shadows, creative works have been forbidden and talented creators sacrificed to the Sinless—the immortal royals who feast on human blood in return for their protection.

Inana’s secret storytelling nearly got her killed once, and she’ll be damned if she’s ever caught again. With a bounty on her head, she keeps to the city’s dark underbelly, where she earns a meager living from thrill-seeking patrons desperate to hear her illicit fiction. Until Dominic, a Shadowbane, catches one of her performances.

Dominic is a half-Sinless monster hunter as fearsome as his prey. But to complete his hunt, he needs an artist to summon the shadows . . . he needs Inana. Dominic delivers an ultimatum: Serve him or he’ll claim her bounty. When survival is all Inana has left, the choice is clear—at least until she can betray him and leave him for dead.

As their tense alliance leads them into the heart of danger, dark secrets unravel—about each other, their world, and the threats they face. But the greatest risk of all is the desire growing between them. There’s something more sinful than lust at play, and it could bring the world to its knees.

Critic reviews

“The Lies that Summon the Night is a darkly seductive thrill ride that will take you through shadowy corners where all your secrets lie. Tessonja Odette has crafted a gorgeous, fast-paced tale of revenge and heartbreak while giving us a spicy, swoony romance that is sure to have you lusting until the very last page.”—Nisha J. Tuli, USA Today bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

“If I had to choose one word to describe Odette’s new romantasy, it would be ‘scintillating.’ Every element—from the prose to the characters to the romance—glows with life and dazzles with brilliance.”—Olivia Wildenstein, USA Today bestselling author of House of Beating Wings

“The most unique vampire tale I’ve ever read . . . a fresh world steeped in magic and art, and a shadowed romance layered in secrets . . . twisty, dangerous, and divine . . . Tessonja is a master!”—Brittney Arena, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of A Dance of Lies

“Odette has crafted a uniquely creative world with a seductive and sinful twist on vampire lore packed full of enticing secrets that keep you turning pages late into the night. Move over shadow daddies—there’s now a Shadow Zaddy in town, and you will want to let him taste your sins.”—Hazel McBride, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Fate Forged in Fire

“In The Lies That Summon the Night transformation is dangerous, but necessary. In a world eager to label imagination as a threat, Odette’s novel argues for the opposite: that art doesn’t summon darkness. It reveals what’s already there, and shows us how to survive it.”—The Seattle Times

“The fight for survival comes forth in the tense, complex world of the Sinless, enriched with mythical, god-like entities and foes that seek control. Epic romantasy lovers will be drawn to Odette’s world building.”—Booklist

“Tessonja Odette blew me away with The Lies that Summon the Night. This gripping romantasy redefines what it means to be a morally grey shadow daddy, and I couldn’t put it down.”—Elayna R. Gallea, bestselling author of Tethered

“This scintillating romantasy series launch from Odette (Curse of the Wolf King) transports readers. . . . Fans of dark fantasy romance will be all in.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“[A] fast-moving dark romantasy . . . gothic and twisty.”—Library Journal

The voices are a distraction

If you want to listen to a creepy main character, then this is the audio book for you! I’d suggest reading it rather than listening.

So unique and the end was crazy!

This was such a breath of fresh air with a unique storyline, but the twists and turns kept coming and I was shook at the end. Can’t wait for the future books.

Departure from Fairy Tales in the BEST Way

Love it!

I've sincerely enjoy this author for years, but this book is such a departure in the best way from her earlier books (all of which were awesome). Really cool to see her bring us something completely new: a story never told before. And let me tell you, she tells it well and the twists with stitch your own heart together and rip it apart again.

Tessonja Odette is truly, an artist.

Subversive dark fantasy romance where art is sin

Thank you to @ tessonja odette @ ballantine @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

✨ I purchased this audio with my own $

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.75 rounded up)
🌶️🌶️

“Story time, sinners.”

🗯️ The Lies That Summon the Night is lush, moody, and emotionally charged — a dark fantasy romance that leans into gothic atmosphere moral ambiguity. Tessonja Odette expertly blends fairy-tale sensibilities with sharp emotional stakes, crafting a story where the most dangerous magic isn't found in spells or glyphs, but in what we choose to hide or reveal. With an intricately woven and skillfully crafted twist/reveal - dark fantasy romance fans, you don't want to pass on this.


🫵🏼 The Lies That Summon the Night is for readers who:
• enjoy shadow magic with deeper meaning
• appreciate underdog rising up, revolution type stories
• love slow burn, morally grey romance with emotional payoff
• enjoy enemies to lovers (and one bed/cave 🥵)
• appreciate meta-physical elements and thematic depth
• enjoy gothic, shaded in twilight fantasy settings
• appreciate darkly atmospheric prose
• enjoy spice that feels earned
• are intrigued by the idea of art and lies driving the stakes

🎧 Narrated by Christian Leatherman and Samantha Brentmoor

We get dual narration in duet that matches the dual-POV in the book.

Both narrators deliver exciting performances that bring the characters to life and enhance the reading experience. Effective use of tonal changes, inflections, distinct voicework that clearly separates for ease of following. Their vocal work greatly enhances tense and romantic scenes. Their voice work also served well to elevate tension and and emotional nuance.

The way and manner they utilized the duet format (true duet) brings out and elevates the back and forth, push and pull between Inana and Dominic very effectively. It makes those scenes feel even more dynamic and personal.

Samantha's performance as Inana was outstanding. Her voice comes through crisp and clear and her range is great.

Christian's performance is great, his range seems to be quite large. However, there were some areas where his voice was a bit less crisp and clear than I prefer (as someone with hearing difficulties).

✨ I purchased the audiobook (with my own $) so I could do a dual read with the gifted eARC. I highly recommend the book and the audio.

✍🏼 Rich and evocative, Odette's lush prose draws you into a dangerous but exciting world. The imagery is beautifully executed and her prose approaches lyrical at times. At times, it leans into gothic, shadowy descriptions in a way that raises the stakes while making the reader feel the darkness and danger around the characters.

🗣️ The banter is oh so delightful. Sometimes funny, sometimes sharp and biting, but always a pleasure to read. It fits the characters, the story, and reads smoothly and naturally.

⏳ Set up in such as way that it grabs you immediately, then as tension rises you're given bits of worldbuilding and how we got here - I really enjoy the way this is told and the pacing.

This is the area that made it a 4.75 for me, as there is a very slight lull in the middle. If the character development and worldbuilding had been spaced out a bit more, I think this would've been a full 5. The main plot didn't advance much during this, but side plots did.

That climax!! 🤯 I didn't see it coming, but it makes total sense and now I can see the breadcrumbs that led to it.

🗺️ Highly imaginative and layered, this is a story that felt creepily immersive and well thought out. I love that the worldbuilding is organic (no info dumps or exposition). You learn by experiencing it with the characters.

🔮 I found the subversive nature of the magic system thrilling to read. The real world parallels kept it grounded. It's well developed and well explained, and I love the path this magic system is taking us on.

👥 We get multi-faceted main characters brimming with personality and nuance while staying grounded and real.

💕 I love the passionate, enemies-to-lovers, morally grey, slow burn romance we get. It's not the main, central plotline and I appreciate that. SO much tension and the banter is great. The push and pull is executed beautifully. Their connection and feelings feel raw, real, and earned.

🌶️ The spice feels earned. 🥵 It's slow burn with payoff – a progression of emotional vulnerability and reluctant protection.

Oh my goodness… fabulous!

Unique story, wonderful characters, amazing narrators, one of my favorite authors. However… now I have to wait for the next one… 😩