Throne in the Dark – by A.K. Caggiano
Book 1 in the Villains & Virtues Series

He was born to end the world.
She was born to annoy him.

Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne has never doubted his destiny. Spawned from a demon and raised in the shadows, every step of his life has led him toward one inevitable truth: he is meant to bring ruin. With his most devastating spell nearly complete, the realm-destroying future he’s been promised is finally within reach.

And then—disaster.
In the shape of a tiny, talkative, infuriating blonde.

Amma is a thief with far too much sunshine in her veins and far too many secrets tucked behind her smile. When a spell gone wrong chains her to Damien’s side, she derails his carefully laid plans in one spectacular stroke of chaos. Now forced to drag her across the realm, the dark lord faces an impossible choice: kill the girl and regain control… or tolerate her relentless chatter long enough to break the binding.

But killing her isn't as simple as it should be.
Not when Amma is skilled, surprising, and—most damning of all—softening something deep and dangerous within him.

As dark forces stir and prophecies tighten around Damien’s throat, he must decide whether to embrace the villainous destiny he was born for… or succumb to the unwelcome virtue Amma sparks in him, even if it means tearing out his own heart.

✨ Tropes: grumpy x sunshine, villain x cinnamon roll, forced proximity (literally chained together), dark comedy fantasy, morally grey hero, chaotic sidekick
✨ For fans of: The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Legends & Lattes (but evil), and delightfully unhinged fantasy romances
✨ Book 1 in the Villains & Virtues series — a wickedly funny, sharp-edged fantasy where doom meets delight and destiny gets derailed by the most unlikely heroine
✨ Features an aspiring dark lord determined to fulfill his apocalyptic prophecy, a bubbly thief who refuses to stay quiet, magical mishaps, chaotic quests, and the slow, reluctant bloom of feelings he absolutely should not have

"He planned to destroy the realm. She planned to steal his wallet. Neither planned on each other."