Caged by Fallen Crows – Past Midnight Book Reviews & More

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Caged by Fallen Crows: Part Two (Of Crows and Thorns Saga, #3)

Author: Ava Larksen

Pages: 330

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 6/10/26

Categories: Romantasy, Series

The first threat looms—the Crowthers’ desperate need for a Goods Appraisal.

The Crowthers are running out of time.

They must secure a Horned God’s demand for a Goods Appraisal—and claim the god‑forged weapon Byron refuses to surrender, a crucial piece in their relentless path toward the Blacksmith.

There’s only one place certain to ignite a Horned God’s interest.

The Emporium.

A sinister, macabre bordello.

An underrealm of ruthless power, dark secrets, and decadent desire.

And the perfect arena to weaponize their leverage and force Byron’s hand.

But the Crowthers have forgotten one truth.

Nelle Wychthorn bows to no one.

Content Warning: violence

World Building: Back in this fantasy world where there are Gods, portals, and a young woman who is caught in this conflict between powerful families.

Characters: All I’ve been waiting for the past two books is for Nelle to get stronger and act on her rage, and for Graysen to get on his knees and fall for Nelle. 😅. Graysen is softening towards Nelle, he can’t help falling for her, but he is also in the way of his aunt’s revenge plans – so they need him out of the way. Nelle, is stewing in her rage but this girl is really trapped in this cage the Crowthers have her in. I’m just waiting for her to break out!

Romance: Graysen finally falls! It’s what I was waiting for since book one since most of their relationship was sexual. Nelle definitely feels for him but she isn’t saying it yet and I’m glad because Graysen and his family needs to do some therapy and begging for forgiveness with how they treat her! I’m still waiting for Nelle to go on her revenge tour. But I’ll settle for Graysen and Nelle to find happiness in some way with one another.

Story: Finally…this is what I wanted from book one – more plot and less smut. I don’t hate the smut, but I just wanted more storyline and we finally get it in this book. Graysen’s aunt is vile and wants him out of the way so she can basically do whatever she wants to Nelle. I didn’t even blame Nelle for doing what she does to Graysen’s brother! Graysen is on a mission for the Horned God Sirro, and I like that we get to know him better even more in this story – like his devotion to his best friend but him falling for Nelle also. Though we get close to figuring out what happened to Graysen’s mom, we still have nothing concrete. There is still more to learn about – especially with the mysterious group – Children of the Harbinger.

Vibes: Romeo and Juliet but with lots of revenge.

Final Thoughts:

Finally got more plot than smut in this 3rd book of this series. I will say this series so far has been addictive even though I didn’t love certain elements in book one. I have been hooked on Nelle and Graysen’s journey together as enemies to lovers. I don’t know how I feel about Graysen’s family – I know they are loyal and doing things to find his mom, and that’s devotion and love – but the things they do to Nelle, is unforgivable in my eyes so I am very eager to see how this ends! I still want to know more about certain parts of this story and hope we get all of it in book four.

Read if you like:

warring families
Gods
betrayal, mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Caged by Fallen Crows: Part One by. Ava Larksen | Book Review – 3 stars/2 chilis

Bound in Inked Flame by. Ava Larksen| Book Review – 3 stars/2 chilis

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Caged by Fallen Crows: Part One (Of Crows and Thorns, #2)

Author: Ava Larksen

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 635

Publication Date: 2/11/26

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Romance, New Adult, Series

Living together? That’s a war Graysen was never trained for.

Imprisoned in Graysen’s tower, Nelle Wychthorn finds herself ensnared by something far more dangerous than chains.

The sway is awakening. His tamer influence bleeds into her thoughts, seizing hold of her will—and he doesn’t even know it.

If he ever discovers the hold he already has… she’s lost.

Escape is her only chance. Convince him to open the door, find the hidden tunnel, and run.

Graysen Crowther walks a knife’s edge. He defies his family by keeping Nelle in his tower instead of the dungeon. She’s a pawn to force her father’s hand—surrender the god‑forged weapon, or lose his daughter.

But living together?
He’s utterly out of his depth.

Nelle wages war, tormenting him mercilessly, upending his carefully ordered world. Yet within the intimate chaos as roommates, fury and heat collide. Wild. Consuming. Ruinous.

When Graysen is ordered into the catacombs to hunt an elusive beast, long‑buried memories resurface of his mother’s secret life—and a mysterious Horned God who may know the truth about her final day.

To right the terrible wrong that haunts him, he must find the Horned God to unlock everything he desperately needs… if his family doesn’t uncover his true intentions first.

Content Warning: violence, death

This is book two in the Of Crows and Thorns Saga, so I’m not sure why this one is called Part One?

~ I gave book one three stars because though I was intrigued with the characters, I thought book two would have more world building which it needed badly in book one. Once again, this story is focused on the characters and there is no new world-building at all. I need world-building. This story mostly stays in the Crowther family fortress or keep. Graysen does leave and we sort of follow him on a mission but again…it needs more world-building.

+~ This is a very character-driven story. Graysen is stuck between a rock and a hard place, either to save his mom, or save Nelle. He knows what he and his family is doing to Nelle is wrong, but he needs to find a way to appease everyone, which sucks. Nelle is a prisoner at the Crowther’s fortress and they plan to auction her off in order to find their mother. I liked learning more about Graysen’s home life, but I need him to step it up big time and do the right thing and let Nelle go. As for Nelle, I wish she was older than 19, because she does act like a teenager. The bickering should be funny, but they were just like two kids fighting at times. So I’m still waiting for Nelle to grow, but I know there isn’t much she can do stuck at the fortress- actually I want to see her carry out her promise and burn the place down but nothing like that happened. I do love her wolf-wraith, Sage.

+~ I can’t believe I’m happy about a book having LESS smut, but yay, it has less smut than book one. Though Graysen and Nelle are forced to be together, there is the issue of him betraying her and her being a prisoner that keeps them apart emotionally and physically for most of the book. There is eventually some spice because she’s a Wyrm and he’s her Tamer and it is a kind of mating bond that is hard for them to deny. I feel like they finally get to know each other better in this book but I still want to see more of an emotional connection between them. And speaking of smut…it felt so comical at times! I think it’s supposed to be funny because these two are always fighting. I was laughing at times but also rolling my eyes at these two – I could not take them seriously.

~ At this rate, I want to learn more about Silas Boone and less about the Crowthers. 😒. The story barely budged forward and this is a 635 page book (but it does read quickly because I kept waiting for something to happen). We learn a lot about Tabitha, Graysen’s mom, but I want to learn more about the Horned Gods – what is their deal? I mean, can Nelle have another romance option, like maybe Silas? I’m open to it because Graysen needs to lose her and hurt about it. 😅

~ I wanted Graysen to grovel, but he hasn’t even said sorry…it’s the only reason I read this book actually. To see how Nelle would punish the Crowthers…but except for some pranks she pulls on Graysen, there is no punishing happening, except to Nelle. I actually haven’t read a book that’s made me so mad at the characters before 😂.

~ And speaking of lack of world-building…I have no sense of what this world is, but they name drop brand names a little too much.

Final Thoughts:

This book feels like filler, because nothing much happens to move the story forward. I still want more world-building, character growth, and emotional connection in the romance. I want to see Nelle enact her revenge and leave Graysen actually, which I know won’t happen – maybe that’s why I’m mad at the story 😅. She’s going to forgive him and help his family out, isn’t she? I guess I’ll have to wait and see.