Published in 2019, Dark Fae is a paranormal dark romantasy novel by writing duo Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. The novel is a blend of the bully romance and reverse harem subgenres. The story follows Elise Callisto, a teenage Vampire, who believes her brother was murdered at the notoriously dangerous Aurora Academy. To seek revenge, she infiltrates the school and confronts the four powerful and feared male students known as the “Kings,” one of whom she is determined to unmask as the killer. As she navigates a treacherous social landscape defined by warring gangs, Elise’s quest for retribution explores themes of The Cyclical Nature of Dehumanization and Abuse, The Violence of Social Hierarchy, and Subverting Gendered Expectations to Gain Power.

Dark Fae is the first book in the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac series, which is set in the fantasy world of Solaria. Peckham and Valenti, who are USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling authors, have written several other series within the same universe. The most popular of these is the Zodiac Academy series, a spin-off set five years after the events of Dark Fae that has gained a significant following on social media. Other related series include the Darkmore Penitentiary books. Together, these interconnected series have established a sprawling and popular world within the dark romantasy genre.

This guide refers to the 2019 Kindle edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of graphic violence, bullying, gender discrimination, mental illness, death, death by suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, physical and emotional abuse, sexual harassment, substance use, addiction, sexual content, and cursing.

Plot Summary

In the fantasy world of Solaria, “Fae” is a broad term that encompasses all humanoid supernatural beings. The different types of Fae are known as Orders, and they include Pegasuses, people who can transform into winged horses, and Vampires with superhuman strength and speed. In addition, people possess Elemental magic that aligns with their astrological signs. The story’s protagonist, a 19-year-old Vampire named Elise Callisto, is a Libra with air magic. 

Before the story begins, Elise’s brother, a Pegasus named Gareth Tempa, dies at the infamous Aurora Academy. She believes he was murdered despite the official report claiming he died from an accidental overdose of a drug called Killblaze. Driven by a thirst for vengeance, Elise interrogates Lorenzo, a low-level Werewolf gangster from the Oscura Clan. Lorenzo reveals that the “King of the Academy” was responsible for Gareth’s death before taking his own life rather than betray his leader. Armed with this cryptic clue, Elise resolves to uncover the truth. She hacks into the academy’s system to assume her brother’s scholarship, disguises her identity by dying her hair lilac, and enrolls at Aurora to hunt down his killer. 

Upon arriving at Aurora Academy, Elise is introduced to a dangerous social landscape ruled by four powerful and feared students known as the “Kings,” each a potential suspect in her brother’s murder. Her tour guide is the charming and laid-back Leon Night, a Nemean Lion Shifter. Her dorm assignment, which she secretly manipulated, places her in a room with two other Kings: The arrogant and possessive Dante Oscura, a Storm Dragon Shifter who leads the Oscura Clan, and the silent, brooding Gabriel Nox, an exceptionally powerful Harpy who wields both Earth and Water magic. The fourth King is Ryder Draconis, a rare and intimidating Basilisk Shifter who commands the Lunar Brotherhood, the Oscura Clan’s rivals. Elise immediately finds herself in a precarious position as Dante and Ryder vie for her allegiance. To maintain her neutrality and access to both gang leaders, she accepts them both as her “Sources,” a formal arrangement allowing a Vampire to feed on their blood and magic. This unprecedented move enrages both Kings but solidifies her position as a new power player on campus, allowing her to get closer to her primary suspects. 

Elise’s investigation begins in earnest when she breaks into Gareth’s old dorm room, which is now occupied by Leon. She discovers a hidden compartment containing Gareth’s personal journal, a broken Atlas (the school’s tablet device), and several vials of Killblaze, confirming his connection to the drug trade. Elise unlocks Gareth’s Atlas and finds fragmented emails between her brother and a mysterious figure known only as “King,” referencing secret full moon meetings. This discovery deepens her suspicion of the four Kings. Leon reveals that Gareth had become involved with a secretive and dangerous student cult known as the Black Card.

Interwoven with Elise’s quest are flashbacks to the 18 months leading up to Gareth’s death, revealing his own desperate situation. To save Elise from being forced into sex work at a strip club to pay off their mother’s gambling debt, Gareth makes a magically binding deal with the club’s owner, Old Sal, to pay a staggering 24,000 auras over the next year. Gareth’s escalating desperation for money leads him to compromise his morals; he resorts to stealing a valuable white jasper crystal from Leon and begins working as a double agent, taking on dangerous jobs for both Dante and Ryder to make his monthly payments to Old Sal. Gareth discovers Gabriel has multiple fake identities and blackmails him to extort money from him. This dangerous game was Gareth’s final, desperate attempt to pay his debt and protect his sister.

In the present, Elise’s relationships with the Kings become dangerously complicated, blurring the lines between her investigation and genuine emotional entanglements. She grows closer to Leon, whose easygoing nature makes him seem the least likely suspect to her, and they begin a flirtatious romance culminating in him asking her to the Spring Formal. She shares a moment of reckless abandon with Dante when they set a fire on the school grounds as a distraction for a smuggling job. However, a volatile encounter with Dante leads to him throwing her out a window only for Gabriel to rescue her. This traumatic event leads to a night of passion between her and the Harpy. Afterward, Gabriel reveals his belief that they are fated soulmates and then cruelly rejects her, determined to break their bond before it can fully form. Meanwhile, Ryder, sensing Elise’s deep grief, uses his Basilisk powers to help her confront her pain, creating an intimate and vulnerable connection between them.

The investigation takes a dark turn when Elise deciphers a clue from Gareth’s journal and unlocks a hidden passageway to the Black Card’s secret meeting chamber. There, she witnesses a ritual in which the cult siphons magical power from a student. The climax arrives at the Spring Formal. Elise is dosed with Killblaze, kidnapped by members of the Black Card, and taken to a remote cabin in a forest. The cult’s leader is called the Card Master and uses magic to conceal their identity. The Card Master coerces a student into committing suicide and absorbs his life force and magical power. Elise realizes that this is how Gareth was murdered. He didn’t overdose on Killblaze; he was sacrificed by the cult. This discovery breaks through her drug-induced haze, and she lunges at the leader, determined to avenge her brother.

Though she fights with all her might, the cult members quickly overpower her. Just as the Card Master is about to deliver the final blow, Gabriel arrives. Having experienced a vision of Elise’s peril, he swoops down in his Harpy form, scattering the cultists. He grabs Elise and flies her away from the sacrificial grounds, saving her life. Elise resolves to bring down the deadly Black Card cult even though her path to revenge seems more perilous than ever.