Marie Nightwell
For readers who want the burn, the bond, and the worlds that won't let you go.
About
Marie Nightwell writes dark romance from the shadows of the Appalachians — fae courts, forbidden bonds, and the kind of love that costs something. Her stories pull you under and don't let go. She wouldn't have it any other way.
Books
The LawCourts of Chaos
Thornhaven · Book TwoThe bond is sealed. Under Thornhaven law, that's a death sentence. Elowen's betting three hundred years of precedent say otherwise.COMING SEPTEMBER 25th, 2026
The Ruin Rundown
Where I actually tell you what's going on — new books, sneak peeks, and whatever I'm too impatient to sit on. No schedule, no pressure, just whenever I've got something worth saying.
Newsletter
Stories that pull you under and don't let go. Join the list for cover reveals, bonus lore, and first access to everything.
About
Marie Nightwell has been drawn to the dark for as long as she can remember — the kind of dark that lives in old forests, in forbidden magic, in the space between wanting something and knowing you shouldn't have it.
Nestled in the shadows of the Appalachians, she spends her time writing stories that refuse to be quiet. Her books are relentless — expect to laugh, cry, hold your breath, and find yourself uncomfortably attracted to someone who probably shouldn't be trusted. She believes the best romances are the ones that cost something, and she will make you pay every cent.
When she isn't writing, Marie is a maker of things — fiber, paint, whatever her hands find next. She shares her home with three Great Danes who have no concept of personal space, and holds a deep affection for creatures of all kinds, including the dangerous ones.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
Books
The LawCourts of Chaos · Thornhaven · Book TwoThe bond is sealed. Under the law of the five courts, that's a death sentence. Elowen has one plan to overturn three hundred years of precedent — and she needs every court in the realm to agree. All five.Levin stands beside her, about to learn his own history was never what he thought it was.They're fighting on two fronts: her life, and his blood. And somewhere in that courtroom, someone needs the vote to fail.Some truths, once spoken, can't be taken back. Neither can some verdicts.Dual POV · High-stakes politics · Explicit
Themes: identity, justice vs. law, sacrifice
The DivideCourts of Chaos · Thornhaven · Book OneElowen is running out of time. Her father is dying, her court is circling, and a secret buried in Thornhaven's foundation will destroy everything the moment she's too weak to hold it.She has no room for the human hunter she keeps finding in the forest.Levin doesn't trust the fae. He built his whole life on that — until the pull between them decided for both of them anyway.What exists between a fae queen and a human man has a name in Thornhaven. An ancient one. And under the law, it carries a sentence.A queen who bonds with a human doesn't lose her throne.She loses her life.Dual POV · Slow burn · Explicit
Themes: forbidden love, sacrifice, duty vs. desire
The Ruin Rundown
September 4, 2026Three weeks. The Law comes out September 25th and I am simultaneously thrilled and a little feral about it. Cover's out, ARCs are in readers' hands — mark your calendar if you haven't already.I'm in the final-polish stage now — rereading the same fifteen pages trying to decide if a comma's doing enough work. Writers get it. Everyone else, sorry, that's genuinely the job sometimes.One more thing — The Law's part of two different review promos running right now: Dark Harvest, a fall-themed one I'm hosting myself, and Fallin' In Love With Reading, a shared page from a handful of fantasy/sci-fi/romance authors. Both are ways to grab an early copy of The Law in exchange for an honest review — pick whichever catches your eye.
Also grabbing my attention lately: Midnight Conquest by Gina Thornwood — 1514 Scotland, a widow striking a deal with a mind-reading vampire whose price isn't gold, it's her. Dark romantasy, forced proximity. Click the image below.
And Reign of the Vampires by Rebekah R. Ganiere — ten years after a virus turns most of humanity into vampires, the last pure humans are the rarest thing left. USA Today bestselling dark vampire romance. Click the image below.
More soon.
— Marie
August 21, 2026The Law's ARC campaign is officially open. If you want to read it before September 25th and leave an honest review when it drops, here's where to claim a copy:
All are free — no cost on your end, just an ebook delivered straight to your device.Or skip the platforms entirely — my own private team, Nightwell's Ruined, is always open and covers every future release, not just this one. Apply here.Heads up: The Law is 18+. Explicit, dark, political intrigue, a bond that isn't asking permission. If you're here, you already know what you're getting into.While you're here, here's a free read from another author I think you'll like: Forbidden to Mate by Lupe Page. His wolf isn't supposed to want her — the bond between them is instant and electric, and the curse tied to it could kill her if he claims her anyway. Cursed-mate shifter romance. Click the image below to grab your copy.— Marie
August 14, 2026
Quick one: the cover for The Law is dropping this weekend. Two days. Not saying anything else about it yet, except that I'm really proud of this one.
Otherwise — I'm deep in edits right now, the kind of deep where I've reread certain scenes so many times I've lost all ability to tell if they're good. (They are. Probably. Ask me in a week.)
If you want first access to ARCs — for this book and every one after it — my private review team, Nightwell's Ruined, is always open. Apply here — takes two minutes, you're in the pool for good.
One more before I go — if you're looking for something new to read, Forsaken: A Shadow Shifters Prequel by Tempestt Chantel just landed on my radar and I think a lot of you would like it. Steamy paranormal romance, guaranteed happy ending, free in Kindle Unlimited or $2.99 if you're not. Click the image below.
Talk soon.
— Marie
August 7, 2026It's officially out. The Divide is live everywhere — Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback. If you've already grabbed a copy, thank you, genuinely. If you haven't yet, get it here.If you're in Kindle Unlimited and want more to read, I teamed up with a group of authors this month for a free steamy romantasy promo — no cost, just click through and browse.
A couple more before I go — reads I think you'll like.
The Chosen of Magic: Prequel by Amy Proebstel. Orphaned Ceren's finally built a life he can stand in — until Erika walks in, sent by her matchmaking mother to deliver lunch. Sweet romance with a little magic — softer than what I usually send, but a good one. Free download, EPUB or MOBI.
Birthspell (A Lebrus Stone Series, Book 1) by Miriam Khan. Orphan Crystal sets herself three rules when she moves to her great-aunt's gothic small town — rule three: don't fall for the hottest guy around. She breaks it fast. He's supposed to be her cousin, he's tied to a generations-old family curse, and falling for him might be the only way to end it. New adult paranormal romance, forbidden/fated-bond, no love triangle.
More soon.
— Marie
July 27, 2026Quick thing before anything else: The Divide is out July 31st. If you haven't already, get on my newsletter list so you don't miss it going live and any other important updates — that's where I'll be sharing it first.Okay, update time.Book 2 is happening. Obviously — you knew that. But I wanted to actually tell you where things stand instead of leaving you guessing: it's coming along, it's messy in the best way, and honestly writing this one has wrecked me a little, which feels like a good sign.I'm not giving you a date yet. I know, I know. ARCs will be going out — same as last time, I'll be running a campaign through Booksprout and Pen Pinery like I did for book one. But I'm also building something of my own this time: a private ARC team, just for the people who actually want to be here for the long haul, not a platform pulling from a big pool of readers. If that's you, applications are open now — that's the link for my own team specifically, not the platforms.If you're interested, you can apply by clicking the button below.For everything else — release date, cover, all of it — that's going to drop on my socials first, so that's the place to actually watch.Also, kind of a side note, but I have to say something because I'm bad at keeping secrets: there's another world I've been working on outside of Courts of Chaos. Vampires. Dark. Four books. I'm not ready to really talk about it yet, but it's there, it's happening, and I wanted you to know before I go quiet about it again.That's the update. More soon.
— Marie
Newsletter
You want the kind of romance that costs something. Where the tension is real, the stakes are lethal, and the love story has to be earned — not handed over.That's exactly what lives here.Join the list and get first access to cover reveals, ARC opportunities, bonus lore that never makes it into the books, and early release pricing.Plus a welcome gift: Sealed — a free bonus scene from The Divide, retold from Elowen's side.No spam. Just the dark stuff.
