FORMAT/INFO: The Wicked and the Damned will be published on February 24th, 2026 by Saga Press. It is 416 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook..

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Forced to return home to spare the ones she loves, Vaasa finds herself in dire straits. Her marriage to Reid has been annulled, her magic is no longer hers to use, and a hostage keeps her acting like a demure heiress, nothing more than a figurehead. But Vaasa is done being used. She may act like a damsel in public, but she will do whatever it takes to reclaim her power and return to the man she loves - even if that means manipulating an old flame.

The Wicked and the Damned is a stellar sequel that brings a more focused plot, a calculating heroine, and tense stakes. While I enjoyed the first book, The Serpent and the Wolf, there were times where I felt like the plot was a bit all over the place, and the political maneuvering lacking. I’m happy to report that the sequel has a much more streamlined, cohesive storyline that isn’t trying to do too much in one go. I was far more engaged overall and loved watching Vaasa work.

The author does a great job of balancing two sides to Vaasa. On the one hand, she is conniving and proactive, determined to rescue herself and to use any tool at her disposal to do so. If that means emotionally manipulating the men around her, so be it. After all, they only see her as a stepping stone to the ultimate prize: the throne. Vaasa is on the knife’s edge of trying to convince multiple men that she only has eyes for them, well aware that if they suspect she’s betraying them, they’ll turn on her in a heartbeat.

On the other hand, Vaasa is also forced to encounter reminders of her traumatic past, which sometimes absolutely cripples her. While these scenes make her vulnerable, they never make her fully passive. She understands that she has to take her fate in her hands if she is to survive, and that means that eventually, she'll have to find a way to cope with her trauma.

While I did love the tense stakes and the manipulative use of courtship politics, I do admit this comes a bit at the expense of the romance. Reid, by necessity, doesn’t have as much to do in this book, though he is most definitely a man on a mission to get back to the side of his woman. And when the two ARE reunited, it is every bit as sweet as you would hope.

The Wicked and the Damned succeeds at bringing a tense and engaging story, with magical secrets, intrigue, and a tense negotiation of allies. I was thoroughly hooked from start to finish and absolutely cannot wait for the trilogy finale.