5/5
2/5 spice

An amazing end to a thrilling Romantasy series! I was rooting for Zarya and Rabin from the beginning and was happy to see how everything unfolded.

Book 4 of this quartet was so good. I loved seeing Zarya and Rabin grow and tackle the magic obstacles that appeared. Zarya meets her birth father, staying in his castle for a period of time. However, he always seems a little shifty. Zarya didn’t want to listen to Row, so she is determined to learn for herself.

A new magical foe is explained, which helps explain the rot from all the way back to the first book.

Overall, really enjoyed the series.

This is the fourth book in a series, and I recommend that you read the first three books because there are a lot of characters, and the author drops you right in.

Zarya is finally meeting her father, and she is convinced by her (new and secret) husband Rabin to give him a chance. Honestly, there is very little mystery in this book. It's clear from the beginning who is bad and who is good, and although it's supposed to be a surprise, I didn't find any of it surprising. The writing is very simplistic and also incredibly anachronistic. If you want magic vibes with world-building that's not all that complicated, then this book will do. If you want a sweeping fantasy with deeply drawn characters, this book will not satisfy you. I'd also like to say that this book is described as a "spicy Romantasy," and there is sex, but it's not sexy. The sex writing is very clumsy and more about naming body parts. Very little romance. There are just many better books in this genre.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The first time I saw you, I knew there would never be anyone else. I knew I would die with you, one way or another.”

Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the fourth and final instalment of the Adult Romantasy series, The Nightfire Quartet. Written in multi third person POV, we continue to follow Zarya, Rabin, and co in their final attempt to stop the dark magic infecting their land. Zarya is the only one with the ability to stop it but they need support and so Zarya finally meets her father, the mysterious Raja, with hopes for his aid. Yet things won't be as easy as rebellions rise, magical bonds fail, and shadows rise up so Zarya must decide how far she will go to use her powers to save the people she loves...and what she will give up in the process.

Holy crap this book had me on a JOURNEY!

I just love Zarya and Rabin so much. After all the things they have been through seeing them together and as a collective force was everything. While they have to play court games to help achieve their goals they fully support and are confident in each other and a relationship like that is EVERYTHING to me.

We also have the POV of Yasen and Miraan as they handle things happening elsewhere. I'm gonna be honest and say their POV didn't grip me as much as Zarya and Rabin but I found seeing how things are going on elsewhere really opened up this world for me. The only situation between Miraan and his sister hit me hard, though. Towards the end of the book it felt like we were racing against the clock and their POV helped slow things down and give me a chance to really feel the depth of what is going on.

“I will protect you with every breath in my body.”

In terms of spice, I place this as 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There is spice throughout the novel because Zarya and Rabin are already in an established relationship. So expect some around 20% and then every 30% after. I liked how the spice was used to cement their connection and to reassure them amidst all the chaos going on. I truly enjoyed how stable these two were in their relationship and spice showed this. They have fun, they connect, and it was so well written. Expect explicit detail and passion!

The story itself has a lot of moving pieces but ultimately Zarya and Rabin go to her father to see if they can sway him to help them…but it is not as simple as they think. It is a heavier focus of political intrigue and there is a sense of waiting at times but the pacing had me in its grip as we learned more about this mysterious Raja. I was feeling all the emotions while reading and when the other foot finally dropped I was in so much turmoil I could not stop reading. There are so many twists I was not expecting at all that it really shook up this world. There are action sequences to keep you on your toes, betrayal, family confrontations, and sacrifices to be made. I loved each and every moment, despite the angst it gave me. The ending was incredibly satisfying and I was left feeling like this story was everything I needed.

Nisha has once again crafted a beautiful series that keeps in your grasp from start to finish. I cannot wait to see what she does for us next.

Thank you Second Sky for this arc!

obsessed is an understatement
I loved every moment of these books!!!

this series has such a rich and immersive world that it's set in with fantastic character relationships, found family, forbidden romance, secret identities and so much more!

“There’s never been anyone like her before. Nor will there be again.”

Who cried their way through the ending? Mee, I did!!

I was panicking during the last third, wondering how everything would go and if everyone would survive and live happily ever after...luckily, Nisha J. Tuli wrapped everything up perfectly, and I'm so happy with the way it ended. Though I wouldn't mind several more books in this series, or a spinoff, or novella.

If you've read the last book, you know who it is we meet at the start. I wasn't convinced this character had everyone's best interests at heart, lo and behold, I was right. It just took us a while to get to that point.

I didn't mind the slower pace, I was actually on the edge of my seat, waiting for that character to show their true face (no, I did not mean for this to rhyme, but hey). Once they did, the pacing picked up, we learned some interesting things and the book was hard to put down.

I love how Rabin and Zarya's relationship continued to grow, despite everything that was thrown at them. And how Rabin was STILL determined to make things right, even if all was good, he was like "NO!!! I WILL DO THIS!!", he's so precious.

The two of them are goals, honestly, they only get stronger and they do it TOGETHER which is the most important thing. They're among my favourite book couples.

Speaking of couples, we got to see more of Yasen and Miraan. I loved following them while Zarya and Rabin were ~elsewhere~. They're so cute together, and Miraan helps Yasen deal with some of his own issues. If we do get a novella in the future, it would be amazing if it followed them.

Yasen is still my favourite character in the whole series, not that I was expecting it to change, I'm just letting everyone know that he's the best. And funniest. Big thank you to Nisha for writing him!!!

I'm glad Row got a chance to shine, he deserved it probably more than anyone. And he managed to get justice for another character while doing it, win win.

His bond with Zarya broke my heart and put it back together again, all in this book. There's one line where he calls her his daughter that had me sobbing, I wish it had always been like that for them, they've come so far.

Of course, the battle scenes were epic, as expected. The plot development was excellent, and like I already said, the ending was perfect, but I did get the impression that the book was a bit rushed.

It didn't feel quite the same as the past few books, but it also didn't feel dramatically different. It was still such a great read, but books 2 and 3 are definitely my favourites in the series.

I don't want to say goodbye to Rabin, Zarya and their friends, I really don't, I know I'm going to miss them so much. I hope we'll see them again, or that Nisha will write a similar series so I can fall in love with her characters all over again.

4.5

*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I was so looking forward to this book and dreading it at the same time. I hate that this series is over but the conclusion was everything I hoped it would be!

If you love Throne of Glass, please read this series! The world and magic is so intricate. It is based on south Indian mythology and just makes the setting so rich and immersive.

I love all of the relationships that are built over the course of the series, from platonic to romantic. The found family is amazing!

There is a deeper theme of fighting against racism and for people who continue to be punished and oppressed for the crimes of their ancestors.

This series has it all! Secret identity, ancient evil, found family, forbidden romance, royals behaving badly and a dragon shifter!

I love it and I'm excited to see what's next from Nisha!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The way Nisha had me STRESSED for a majority of this book. It quickly became an emotional rollercoaster and a page turner.

She is an auto buy author for me, and her two fantasy series I’ve finished in the last year are favorites of mine! Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the fourth and final book in the Nightfire Quartet series. It’s the perfect mix of romance, magic, plot, betrayal, slow burn, and found family. No spoilers here but this story picks up right where we left off with Zarya and Rabin fighting against the dark.

✨It is bittersweet to finish a series where I have come to love the characters. Zarya and Rabin’s character development is a journey I loved going through. And let’s not forget Yasen. The found family in this series was written in a way where I’ll be thinking about these characters for years to come.

✨If you’re looking for a scorching slow burn, then you’ll love Zarya and Rabin. Their relationship goes through multiple tests of rebellion, secrets, betrayal and yet remained so raw and real. I. LOVE. THEM.

Queen of Shadows and Ruin has:
🐉 Dragon shifter
🔥 Slow burn
☠️ Touch her and die
⚡️ Rebellion
🌊 Secrets & betrayal
⚔️ Found family

Ps, it releases today and is on KU!

Thank you sm @nishajtwrites for this ARC! 🫶🏼

This is book four and final book of the Nightfire Quartet. It’s a steamy fast-paced, slow burn fantasy romance. Amazing world building that is detailed and imaginable. Fascinating characters that are well developed and diverse. Twists and unexpected turns keep you reading. The storyline is fast-paced and very well written, filled with magic, danger, death, politics, intrigue, and subterfuge. The plot thickens, the suspense builds, and the passion erupts! Great conclusion to a great series. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.

Queen of Shadows and Ruins
Nightfire Quartet #4
Fantasy
Nisha J. Tuli
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ • ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ • ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ •

The cast of characters, the list of creatures/magical things and the places at the beginning were all very helpful, especially because it's been a while since I read the previous book.

I've really enjoyed reading this series and this book was a great finale.

I love Nisha J. Tuli's writing style. She writes characters so well and I can't help but love them and hate the villains at the same time 😂.

I do tend to cry far too easily and there were definitely some emotional moments in this book that had me hooked, but it also felt like an emotional rollercoaster, in a good way.

The ending was really good and I'm glad that certain questions were finally answers for me.

I can't give any other details because I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone else but I definitely recommend reading all 4 books!

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the stunning conclusion to The Nightfire Quartet series, and everything I needed it to be. Simply put- this is how you end a series right!

I’ve fallen in love with these characters over the span of the series and the growth displayed throughout was heartbreaking and beautiful and expertly constructed, especially where our main characters are concerned. Zarya and Rabin are perfectly matched and their growth arcs were no exception. They never stopped fighting for themselves or for each other and the ending was a fitting tribute to that. Of course, it wasn’t an easy road to get there, and believe me when I say my heart was in my throat and my kindle almost went flying several times along the way!

While there was still plenty of pain, betrayal, and grief in this book, the power of love, family, and forgiveness shone through. And in the end, isn’t that all that matters?!

And let’s not forget Yasen, our first best friend and one of my favorite characters ever written. His relationship with Zarya was so beautiful and honest, and provided us with some of the best one liners there is! Yasen’s journey afforded him the opportunity to not only find himself, but believe in his worth and the people around him. I would love to see more of him and Miraan in the future. Nisha, can we get a spin off?!? Please!!!

While I am sad to see this series come to an end, Queen of Shadows and Ruin provided a satisfying conclusion to an epic fantasy romance, that in my opinion, is highly underrated.

So much happened to wrap everything up for the series, but I think it was done beautifully. Zarya and Rabin are together, her destiny is further revealed, the vanshaj and allies fight for freedom, and through it all we have Yasen who is a real treasure. I’m sad this series is over, but it is definitely one I will revisit again and again.

I really only have good things to say about this series, the covers are absolutely beautiful, the characters are complex and so lovable, but also all make decisions that made me want to scream, especially in the beginning 😂 but in all seriousness the character growth and plot development in this series was so perfect and wrapped up so well from book 1 to book 4. There were so many call backs to book 1, to the characters, and also to Zarya's story that it's amazing how far she came.

Zarya is a strong, complex female lead that is so lovable and so easy to root for. She believes in making small changes and will admit she doesn't have all the answers. She makes sacrifices, loves hard and strong, and is all around a beautiful role model for anyone reading this book.

Zarya and Rabin's relationship in this book was so strong and i loved seeing it without internal struggles. Adding external conflict was perfect especially with Zarya just meeting her father and her not knowing who to trust, letting her have and trust Rabin was perfect.

I don't want to spoil anything so I'll stop there but if you haven't read this series yet...get to it!

Nisha J. Tuli delivers an epic and sizzling conclusion to the Nightfire Quartet. I seriously maintain the stance that this series is completely underrated. It has a little bit of something for everyone and the final book in the series delivers.

Nisha does a wonderful job of wrapping up the story in the best possible ways -- weaving together key story points that have had us in knots since book one. This story is interwoven with political intrigue, betrayal, love and loss, and "what the hell is happening?!" vibes. I loved getting to watch Zarya and Rabin's relationship shape over the books and it was nice to see them much more settled in this book. That doesn't mean that Nisha doesn't put these two through the damn wringer! And she makes it hurt. I got to one point and I was practically wincing along side them. Additionally, I loved getting more in Yasen's POV here. He is one of my favorite characters and I loved the inclusion of his POV as it pushed along a different plot one that intersects with Zarya and Rabin's. I also loved getting to see other characters again including Row, Vik, and others -- continuing earlier plot lines and drawing them to their final conclusions.

I also really enjoyed the pacing of this book -- Tuli kept the story moving with twists and turns, playing on those "who can you trust?" vibes. It leaves the reader on the edge of their seat as they tumble into the final moments of this book. Overall, if you skip these series, try again. Pick it up and enjoy this now complete series!

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 ✨
📖: Queen of Shadows and Ruin (The Nightfire Quartet Book 4)

"𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯."

In this final installment, Zarya must confront ancient evils, long buried secrets, and deep betrayals. She and her allies and chosen family make their final stand against the darkness and injustice.

Series Tropes:
💫Chosen one
🐉Dragon Daddy
🏰Kingdom rebellion
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found family
📜Prophecies & magic
🚫Touch her & 💀
🔥Slow burn 🌶️

“𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥."

Zee’s journey of self-discovery has been fraught with loss, betrayal, and danger. Growing up isolated, she has always dreamed of family, adventure, and love. With all that she’s endured and survived to get to this point, she’s determined to do whatever it takes to save the realms and protect those she loves. But will she lose everything she holds dear?

In addition to the scorching romance between her and the MMC, we are also gifted with budding romances and second chances for other characters.

My heart was not ready for this story to end! Nisha kept my heart in a vice grip the entire time and has created incredible characters that have permanently imprinted on my heart.

With thrilling magic, captivating characters, and an epic slow burn, this series has everything I love in a fantasy romance! Queen of Shadows and Ruin is an emotional and stunning conclusion to the series.

So grateful to the author, Second Sky, and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity! This is my honest and voluntary review

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book as an e-arc!

This was the end of The Nightfire Quartet, and we see how things wrap up for Zarya, Rabin, and of course... Yasen! My favourite character of the series -- the lovable, sarcastic, witty sidekick.

We start with Zarya getting to know Abishek, and hoping to find out more about her magic. Zarya and Rabin both feel a bit uncertain at times, but decide to trust Abishek so that they can learn more about her magic and their bond.

I think a lot of this story focuses on the power of love and hope, which is always an important message, especially when the world is so chaotic and scary. The book shows the power of people banding together for the power of good.

Tropes:
*Fated mates
*Prophecy
*Sarcastic sidekick
*Found family
*Banter
*Dragon shifter

This was the perfect conclusion to the Nightfire Quartet. I laughed, cried, and swooned. The found family in this book is top tier!!! I also loved the themes of community throughout the book. Overall, this is one of my favorite series, and while I’m sad to see it end, this wrap up was incredible!

What an incredible final installment! I came for the story and stayed for the characters. As always, Nisha’s world-building is phenomenal, and her description of Andhera is captivating.

My love for Zarya, Rabin, Yasin, and Row grew with every book, and they all shined in Queen of Shadows and Ruin! Zarya has embraced her magic, although she still fears the darkness inside her. Rabin's found a home in Zarya and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Yasin, the most amazing best friend ever, owns a piece of my heart. Beneath his sarcastic "don't take me seriously" exterior lies a marshmallow center, longing for love and acceptance. And let's not forget Row. The relationship that grows between him and Zarya is one neither of them could've imagined in Heart of Night and Fire.

Now the story….

Wanted for crimes against the crown, Zarya, Rabin, Yasin, and Miraan must flee Gi’ana. After hearing conflicting stories about him, Zarya has fought against meeting her father, King Abishek. However, they need a safe haven. Rabin convinces her to travel to Andhera to meet with him, hoping they can sway Abishek to their cause of freeing the vanshaj.

The lies, secrets, and betrayals continue to flourish. Is Abishek the kind man who took Rabin in almost 20 years ago or the power-hungry tyrant Row has painted? Can they trust one another and work together to stop the prophecy of impending darkness from coming true? Rabin repeatedly states that he’ll do anything to keep Zarya safe. Will that promise be tested?

There are so many questions leading into this book, and everything wraps up nicely. It’s a bit slow in places, mainly due to world-building, but the end results are worth it, especially all the loving relationships that come together by the end of the series. Who knew I’d love Yasen and Row so much by the end of this series?!

In this book, you'll find...

* Found Family
* Dragon Shifter
* Multiple POVs
* Touch Her and Die
* Unique Magic System

The Nightfire Quartet is the perfect series for romantic fantasy lovers!

Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the fourth and final book in The Nightfire Quarter. Let me tell you — THIS is how you wrap up a series. There were so many delicate interwoven plot threads that Tuli beautifully connected. Plot points that originally seemed to be unrelated ended up connecting in surprising ways. This book definitely kept me on my toes. Also, it wouldn’t be a Tuli book if there wasn’t a little heartbreak - this time in the form of betrayal. I also love how supportive Rabin and Zarya are of each other. It also doesn’t hurt that they have sizzling chemistry. My favorite relationship, though, continues to be the friendship between Zarya and Yasen. It’s so wholesome while also resulting in some of the best one liners in the series. I also really love how the relationship between Zarya and Row evolved and grew. I have enjoyed every minute of this book and series. I can’t recommend reading it enough.

Perfect end to an amazing series. Nisha has once again created a magical world that she has invited us into, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. This story was a perfect balance of compelling plot with beautiful romance. Love, magic, betrayal, plot twists, amazing side characters, AND a dragon - this series has it all, and I'm here for it.

Thank you to Nisha Tuli, Second Sky, and Netgalley for this ARC read!