Think twice if…
- Content warnings: Violence, Graphic violence, Death, Blood, Gore, Manipulation, Captivity, Forced marriage, Betrayal, Torture
Lady of Roses and Ruin
by Courtney Shack
Book 1 in Empire of Wolves
Beauty and the Beast retold with a witch who reads lies and a cursed wolf lord, plus a year-and-a-day vow that one of them has to die to keep.
goodreads 3.64/5 165 ratings
storykind_community 4/5 1 rating
Quick fit
Is this story right for you?
A decision-first view of the reading experience.
Length518 pages
Series statusOngoing series
Spice2/5 · Passionate / intense
PacingMedium
Story profile
What the story promises
The strongest reviewed signals about romance, fantasy, and the reading experience.
Romance promise
- Enemies to lovers
- Male/female pairing (M/F)
- Medium burn
- Medium
- Passionate / intense
- Tension finally satisfied
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- Dark/tortured soul
- Morally gray x morally gray
- Tension / anticipation
- The angst delivered
- Morally gray
- Love/hate tension
- Possessive / claiming
- Addictive read
- Possessive alpha
- Touch her and die
- Emotional / vulnerable intimacy
- Obsessed
- Cursed
- Possessive love interest
- Jealous/possessive during intimacy
- Forbidden love
- Possessive/protective
- Tension
- Anticipation
- Marking hickeys
- Bonding/claiming/marking
- Possessive
- Claiming
Fantasy promise
- Romantasy
- Castle / fortress
- High fantasy
- Shifters
- Arranged marriage
- Royal court / palace
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- Grimdark / dark fantasy
- Werewolves
- Forced to marry
- Forest / wilderness
- Witches/wizards/warlocks
- Shifter romance
- Fated mates
- Beauty and the beast
- Fairytale retelling
- Dark romance
- Marriage of convenience
Reading experience
- First person
- Dark
- Moderate
- Witch/mage
- Intense
- Atmospheric
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- Lush
- Seductive
- Dramatic
- Tense
- Dangerous
- Gothic
- Cursed bloodline
- Bargain with consequences
- Morally complex
- War-torn kingdom
- Beauty and the Beast retelling
Similar stories
Similar in ways that matter
Matched by the most important shared story signals, with the tradeoffs made explicit.
280 pages Completed
The Wolf and the Witch
Charissa Weaks
Similar because
Beauty and the beast · Touch her and die · Morally gray x morally gray
Different because
Spice is higher (4/5 vs 2/5). Fast pacing rather than Medium.
410 pages Completed
Hallowed Games
C.N. Crawford
Similar because
Forbidden love · Gothic · Moderate
Different because
A shorter read (410 vs 518 pages).
480 pages Completed
Broken Souls and Bones
L.J. Andrews
Similar because
Touch her and die · Forbidden love · Medium
Book details
- Length
- 518 pages
- Language
- English
- Format
- Book