Once the Skies Fade by Vanessa Rasanen

Once the Skies Fade by Vanessa RasanenOnce the Skies Fade by Vanessa Rasanen
Narrator: Zura Johnson, Shane East
Series: Immortal Reveries #2
Published by Crab Apple Books on March 14, 2025
Genres: Fae, Romance
Length: 17h59m
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: NetGalley
Purchase on: Amazon// Barnes & Noble// BookBub
Add to: Goodreads // StoryGraph

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



The law is clear: remarry or lose the throne.But it says nothing about love.
My husband is dead, and I’m the prime suspect. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the law requires I marry by the end of the season, or I lose my kingdom.
I followed my heart the first time; I won’t do it again.
The old tournament tradition could help me select our next king while protecting my broken heart, but I never expected a close friend of my husband’s family to show up to compete.
I don’t know if he believes the rumors and suspects me of murder, but it’s clear someone wants him out of the competition and me off the throne.
Caught in a tangled web of political games and deadly secrets, I must choose between following my wounded heart and keeping my crown…before more end up dead.
Once the Skies Fade is the second in a fantasy romance collection of interconnected stand-alones set in a magical war-torn world, where secrets have power and allies are few. This tale of love lost and fated mates brings a morally grey queen with shadowy secrets and the sarcastic general who could mend her heart…if he doesn’t put a dagger in it first.

four-half-stars

review

When I saw that the FMC for Once the Skies Fade by Vanessa Rasanen was going to be Calla, my heart broke. I loved that she and Brennan found joy together and legitimately fell in love with one another. He found his place and I was happy for them. We even get to have a glimpse of that in the beginning, him loving and attempting to cheer up his wife who is still mourning the deaths of her parents. So much for happiness!

Before I get deeper into it, I want to say adding Shane East as the MMC narrator really knocked his out of the park. He did an amazing job portraying both side of Matthias, his earnestness alongside his impishness and angst. Zura Johnson is back narrating the FMC and was great as Calla. She really helped me feel the anguish and rage and impotence Calla spent the entire novel going through.

This second book in the Immortal Reveries series was by far better than the first. This gave me everything! It definitely leaned more into the romance instead of trying to toe that line between this is a fantasy story and this is a romance that the first book tried. This also had much stronger personalities and main characters. Calla’s ruthlessness was perfection. I was ready to marry her. Loved my shadow queen who suffers no fools. And Matthias, it took some time for me to warm up to him because I loved Brennan so much and was so upset at having him come into the picture as a possible replacement. But, I grew to care for him – much more than I did for Connor.

The tension between all of the characters was perfect and, despite considering myself particularly discerning, I was absolutely played for a fool at the ending (Isa, my queen, I’m sorry I thought ill of you.) Then that ending was so gruesome but intriguing. I’m honestly excited to see where the next book goes and who we focus on. I’m also so intrigued by the witch and cannot wait to see what all these money moves she’s making are for.

If you were on the fence with the first book, trust me, Once the Skies Fade by Vanessa Rasanen makes up for it. It is spicy, angsty, and practically perfect. Plus, if you’re going to read this, I 100% recommend the audiobook version.

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