The Neurospicy After dark archive

Title: Labyrinthine (Thrones of the Forsaken #1)
Author: C.J. Holmes
Genre/Subgenre: Dark Fantasy Romance / Fantasy Horror

My Rating: 4/5
Spice Level: 3/5🌶️

Tropes:
• Morally gray characters
• Dangerous bargains
• Labyrinth setting
• Slow-burn tension
• Psychological mind games
• Touch her and die vibes
• Dark magic & secrets
• Survival against impossible odds
Content Warnings: Violence, gore, psychological manipulation, death, dark themes, trauma, captivity, emotional distress

There are books that feel like a dream to me, particularly in a the romantasy category… and then there are books that feel like a fever dream you barely survive (in the best way possible). Labyrinthine by C.J. Holmes absolutely falls into the second category for me.

From the beginning, this book threw me into an eerie, dark, new twisting world where nothing feels real or safe. Every corner hides another secret waiting to be revealed or found. The atmosphere was one of the strongest parts of this story for me. The labyrinth itself felt alive, oppressive, haunting, and almost predatory in a sense. I could practically feel the walls closing in while I was reading this story.

The writing style leans heavily into immersive dark fantasy imagery. It worked incredibly well for the tone. The story continually balanced beauty and darkness together, creating this unsettling tension that kept me glued to the page. I never fully relaxed while reading, which is exactly what I wanted from a book like this.

The characters are messy, secretive with lots of layers, and emotionally complicated. Nobody feels entirely trustworthy, and I loved that but also hated it (if you know you know). The relationships are built on desperation, survival, temptation, and power imbalances rather than simple romance, which makes every interaction charged. In my honest opinion the emotional tension often hit harder than the actual action scenes (although those were well written as well).

Additionally, I appreciated truly how psychological the story became, how much it threw me for a loop and made me doubt what the FMC might do or why she was doing things. There were multiple moments where I genuinely questioned what was real alongside the characters.

The pacing may feel slower for readers wanting nonstop action, spice is more tension for a while thus the slow burn trope tag, but for me, the creeping dread and gradual unraveling of the mystery made the payoff worth it. The story thrives in its atmosphere and tension-building.

What Worked for Me:
• The haunting, claustrophobic atmosphere
• Morally gray characters with complicated motivations
• Strong psychological horror elements
• Immersive worldbuilding
• Constant tension and unease
• Dark fantasy vibes that felt dark

What Didn’t Work for Me:
• Some sections felt intentionally disorienting, which may frustrate some readers, it did for me on a occasion requiring an additional review
• The pacing occasionally slowed during heavier descriptive scenes
• If you prefer lighter fantasy romance, this is definitely not a book for you

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Final Thoughts
Labyrinthine is dark, unsettling, immersive, and emotionally sharp. It ticked almost all of my boxes as a really good dark romantasy horror romance for 2026.

If you love fantasy that leans heavily into horror elements, dangerous emotional dynamics, and stories where the setting feels like its own character, this one is worth checking out.

This book felt like wandering through a cursed maze holding a flickering candle while something watched from the shadows. It was stressful, addictive, and impossible to stop reading, I definitely finished this in one go.

My Neurospicy Rating: I loved it, I am not quite at “rent free” but it is a close one.
Overall Rating: 4/5, read it, you will not regreat it.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review with absolutely no sugarcoating, no holding back, questionable grammar and dialogue being all my own. This review is being left voluntarily.

Labyrinthine is out now. I was late posting the ARC review d/t moving 3000 miles across the U.S. and my ADHD procrastination/paralysis was playing up.

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