A Dark Belonging
A Dark Belonging follows the intertwining fates of a healer, a sorcerer, and a thief. After The Reckoning lays waste to their homeland of Adonis, childhood friends Gray and Delphine are thrown back together in the aftermath. They have no choice but to travel south together, to provinces favored by the gods.
Vale, a skilled sorcerer in the south, has devoted himself to understanding what caused The Reckoning. He’s at a loss, when fate, or perhaps something darker, leads him to cross paths with the two Adonisians. Can they put aside their differences to find the answers they seek? Or will power and their cursed pasts become their downfall?
“The Godmother had been dead for as long as anyone could remember. And she certainly wasn’t looking out for them that night.”
About the author
Rachel C. Smith
Rachel lives in San Diego with her dogs Lottie and Fiona. Her background in social work and mental health fields play a big role in inspiring the stories she writes. Rachel’s writing style is character driven and fast-paced; dark with a dash of humor and fluff. A Dark Belonging is Rachel’s debut novel, and the first in The Reckoning duology.
Contact: Rachelcauthor@gmail.com
What readers are saying…
★★★★★
If you’re a fan of emotionally rich fantasy that blends slow-burn relationships, found family, and morally complex magic, A Dark Belonging will absolutely claim your heart. This is the kind of book that lingers—full of sorrow, strength, and the quiet hope of redemption.
-ARC Reader
★★★★
I thoroughly enjoyed the mental health representation and the way the characters are flawed and human! Normally, magical fantasy books bypass human strength and emotions and I was so glad it’s not here! I need the angst and I need the nonexaggerated healing!
-ARC Reader
★★★★★
Are you kidding me with this?! It’s dark, it’s twisty, it’s funny, it’s romantic and silly even at times. The characters have become my friends and I think about Vale on a regular basis. Rachel has created a world that captures the audience and I am DYING for book two already!
-BETA Reader
Rachel C. Smith 