Throne in the Dark

My latest obsession within paranormal romance and romantasy is anything related to demons. This led me to A.K. Caggiano‘s Villains & Virtues series, which opens with Throne in the Dark. First published in 2022, it was rereleased in November 2025, with the rest of the series rereleasing this year.

Throne in the Dark follows an unlikely pair. Damien is the son of a demon, and he’s on a nefarious quest to unleash evil. But then a thief named Amma accidentally gets herself magically stuck with Damien, forcing them on the weeks-long journey together. The only way to break the spell is for Damien to kill Amma or find an unknown, elusive cure. For now, Damien finds Amma useful, if annoyingly kind and talkative. As they get to know each other, they start to develop secret romantic feelings, but neither is ready to act on those until this enthrallment is dealt with.

What I Liked:

• This is absolutely hilarious. From Damien’s demon dad’s talking style to Damien’s indignation at not being treated like a threat, this book had me laughing out loud from start to finish. Sometimes the humor is campy, sometimes it’s kind of meta (“the irony!”), sometimes it’s just characters pointing out others’ circuitous and baffling actions. This author has delivered a true comedy, but one with heart, too.
• Grumpy x sunshine. Amma is one of the sweetest and nicest characters I’ve read in any book; Damien is a self-described evil demon. They don’t see eye to eye at the beginning, but I really enjoyed their dynamic. It kind of gave me Tangled vibes, which I loved. I also enjoyed seeing them rub off on each other over time.
• Action-packed quest. I’m not hardcore into plot over all else, but I have to say, Throne in the Dark is filled to the brim with magic, fun characters, and an exciting journey across kingdoms. There’s a ton going on to hold your interest. It’s not overly action-y, if that makes sense; I often find books like that a bit exhausting. But there is a delightfully meandering adventure here, and it gives the characters plenty of time to get to know each other within different circumstances. There are some surprises along the way, too, especially in regards to Amma! This all makes for a lot of fun and a perfect setup for a (very) slow-burn romance.

Final Thoughts

Throne in the Dark was a joy to read. It’s the kind of book that will get you out of a reading rut thanks to its humor, adventurous plot, and delightful characters. There’s a romance slowly building up, but we’ll need to wait until later in the Villains & Virtues series to see where that finally leads! I’ll be reading the second book, Summoned to the Wilds, very soon, ahead of the rerelease of Eclipse of the Crown this July.

Special thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Throne in the Dark here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano
Series	Villains & Virtues (#1)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romantasy
Number of Pages	512
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	November 4, 2025 (Rerelease) (Original release: 2022)
Publisher	Sourcebooks

Official Summary

His dark destiny awaits, and nothing will stand in his way. Except her.

Dark lord
Demon spawn
Prophesied realm destroyer

With a demon for a father, Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne’s destiny could be nothing but nefarious, and with the completion of his most vicious spell, Damien is on the cusp of fulfilling the evil inevitability all of his dark machinations have led to.

And then, her.

Bubbly
Obnoxious
Blonde

Harboring secrets of her own, a tiny yet troublesome thief calling herself Amma completely upsets Damien’s malevolent plans when she mistakenly gets chained to his side through magic, forcing him to drag her across the realm. Killing her would fix things, of course, but the nauseatingly sweet Amma proves herself useful on Damien’s unholy crusade and then proves herself the source of something even more sinister: feelings.

Will Damien be forced to abandon his villainous birthright to help the tender thorn in his side? Or will he manage to overcome the virtue Amma insists on inspiring and instead cut it out at the heart?