Midnight Ballerina by Jhani Mills is a terrific mix of romance and fantasy that follows Lysandra, who is a hybrid Fae-human. Lord Valerius raises her as a weapon, using ballet as a means of training her. For two decades, he has been obsessed with her and plans to sacrifice her to tear the veil between the Fae realms and mortals. Rylan is a Destroyer whose mission is to eliminate hybrid threats, and when he comes into the manor ballroom, it is to destroy Lysandra. But when he sets eyes on her, he discovers she is not the monster he has come to kill. He is fascinated by her disciplined grace, and instead of preying on her, he becomes a partner. Their bond is strong as they flee through the Dark Woods and eventually seal the veil.

Jhani Mills is a great storyteller, and her first installment in Rituals and Relics Dark Romantasy left me wanting more. It was breathless, a reading experience that left me utterly thrilled and satisfied. The fast pacing is enhanced by the timely paragraph breaks, making it delightful to read. I also enjoyed the short chapters, and each chapter was well-crafted enough to push me right to the next. Midnight Ballerina has sophisticated characters, and Lysandra was my best. She is depicted as docile from the start, and her journey to reclaiming her magic and being freed from the clutches of Valerius was just exceptionally delivered. This is one of those stories that skillfully balances suffocating tension with explosive release, following a journey from imprisonment to relentless pursuit and love.

Midnight Ballerina is the first book in the Rituals and Relics series by Jhani Mills. Lysandra is a hybrid: half Fae, half mortal, raised by Lord Valerius, who is set to keep her identity hidden, train and transform her into the perfect weapon of destruction, and fulfill his malefic purpose. After twenty years of brutal training, Lysandra hopes that soon her bracelet, which keeps her power quiet, will shatter, and she will finally be able to taste freedom. Rylan, a Destroyer trained never to hesitate to kill, wants to expose Lysandra for who she is. Yet when he meets her, he realizes that he's been lied to and that she's not an unstable weapon about to detonate and destroy both realms that he must immediately eliminate. Thus, both Lysandra and Rylan, now bound by the need to escape Lord Valerius's evil game, run together and become targets. But Rylan must choose to destroy her out of duty or ensure both of their survival.

Midnight Ballerina by Jhani Mills is a riveting, intriguing, and steamy dark romantasy featuring morally grey characters, enemies-to-lovers heat, spicy scenes, consuming and possessive bonds, and most importantly, a love that burns worlds. It's a great, rich mix of suspense, action, obsession, vengeance, and magic, exploring engaging themes of finding freedom, discovery, reclaiming power, survival, and more. This mythology-driven dark fantasy is a must-have for fans of romantasy, as it is not about a predator and a prey but about two predators who choose each other despite their forbidden bond that threatens to shatter kingdoms. It's also the perfect escape for readers interested in fae romantasy, mortal/immortal romance, powerful heroines, or possessive heroes.