The Splintered Dagger: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Archetypes and Progenies)

Name: The Splintered Dagger: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Archetypes and Progenies)
Author: Neisi Hornaday

Neisi Hornaday

Book 1 in the Archetypes and Progenies series · Reading order →

SpiceDarkness

How we rate spice & darkness

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Spice & darkness rated — content warnings listed below

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Why we recommend it

Sharp as its namesake, this dark fantasy romance threads bloodline destiny through a world of archetypes and ancient power. The tone is grim and layered, with a heroine caught between loyalty and desire and a love forged in conflict. Expect intricate worldbuilding, morally grey players, and a romance that cuts deep before it heals. Ideal for readers who want their fantasy dense, dangerous, and edged with longing.

At a glance

The Splintered Dagger is a dark romantasy by Neisi Hornaday. With 3/5 for spice and 4/5 for darkness it sits mid-range for dark romantasy (of the 648 dark romantasy books on Readark, 34% rate lower for darkness and 8% lower for spice). Its tropes include slow burn, enemies to lovers and forbidden romance. It runs to 382 pages. 2 content warnings are listed below, hidden until you tap.

Tropes

Enemies to Lovers Forbidden Romance Morally Grey MC Slow Burn

Book details

Series: Archetypes and Progenies
Pages: 382
Published: January 2026

The Splintered Dagger spice level

The Splintered Dagger is rated 3/5 for spice on Readark’s scale: open door, meaning explicit scenes written plainly, but not the engine of the book. Its darkness rating is 4/5: heavy, meaning sustained cruelty, trauma or non-consent central to the relationship. How we rate