In this Author POV, we highlight King of the Unblessed, the first novel in Michelle M. Pillow's Realm Immortal series. Blending dark fantasy, romance, and fairy-tale elements, this adult romantasy follows a cursed elfin king and a mortal woman whose lives become intertwined through loss, obsession, and a dangerous bargain.
Described as Labyrinth meets A Court of Thorns and Roses, the novel explores themes of identity, choice, power, and redemption while embracing beloved romantasy tropes such as morally gray heroes, enemies-to-lovers tension, and gothic atmosphere. With new audiobook and collector's editions arriving in 2026 through Pan Macmillan's Tor Bramble imprint, King of the Unblessed is poised to find new readers among fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Laura Thalassa.
Can you introduce your book for librarians who may be discovering it for the first time?
King of the Unblessed is Book 1 of my Realm Immortal series, an adult romantasy pitched as Labyrinth meets A Court of Thorns and Roses. Merrick, the dark elfin King of Valdis, was once heir to all that was good. Cursed as ruler of the Unblessed, he's losing ground to King Lucien of the Damned. Before damnation claims him entirely, he becomes obsessed with a mortal woman he watches through a divining basin. Lady Juliana of Bellemare dreams of adventure, until her fiancé is murdered, village children vanish, and Merrick arrives with a bargain. First released years ago through a small press and later published under my own imprint, The Raven Books LLC, King of the Unblessed is being reintroduced in 2026 with new audio and special hardback collector editions from Pan Macmillan's Tor Bramble UK. For fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Laura Thalassa.
What inspired you to write this book, and what core themes do you hope readers take away from it?
I've always loved the fairy-tale shape of a story, the bargain in the dark, the labyrinth you can't navigate without losing something. Realm Immortal grew out of that fascination, but written for adult readers rather than as a retelling of any one tale. Merrick had to be morally gray in a way that mattered. He's not a misunderstood prince. He's the necessary winter to someone else's spring, and the question of whether he can still choose love after being made into that is what drives the book. Core themes: * Identity and choice: Merrick was made into something he didn't choose. Juliana was groomed for a life she didn't choose. Both have to decide who they actually are. * Light and dark as partners, not opposites. The book argues the underworld and the daylight need each other. * Agency in a fairy tale. A heroine who walks into the dark on her own terms is more powerful than one who waits to be rescued.
What kind of readers or patrons do you see this book resonating with most?
Adult patrons, 18 and up. This is adult romantasy and dark fantasy romance, not YA. The natural reader is the patron who one-clicked A Court of Thorns and Roses, finished Fourth Wing in a weekend, and is working through Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blood and Ash series. Also strong appeal for the gothic-romance crowd who love Anne Rice. Also, for anyone who remembers the movie, Labyrinth, and wanted Sarah to stay with the goblin king.
What themes or discussion topics do you hope librarians highlight when recommending the book?
Morally gray heroes whose flaws have consequences * Female agency inside a constrained world * Bargains, choice, and power dynamics in a fairy-tale frame * Beauty and the Beast reimagined as adult romance * Enemies to lovers romance tropes
Are there any sensitive topics or content considerations librarians should be aware of?
Yes. This is an adult title. Spicy, open-door romance with on-page intimacy, written for readers 18 and up. Dark fantasy themes: murder, kidnapping, the disappearance of village children as an inciting event (at a distance, not graphic), references to demons and damnation * A morally gray hero who openly contemplates harming the heroine before he changes course * Captivity and bargain dynamics, engaged with rather than ignored It is not horror, not extreme dark romance, and not a taboo-romance title.
If your book were part of a library display, what topics, themes, or comparable titles would you pair it with?
Romantasy starter shelf:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas;
- From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout;
- The Bargainer series by Laura Thalassa;
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Adult fairy-tale retellings:
Gothic / antihero romance:
Cross-format pairing (great for an A/V audience): three adult-rated screen-and-read pairings build a full romantasy movie night around King of the Unblessed.
- Labyrinth (1986) as the headline pair. The book pitches itself as "Labyrinth meets A Court of Thorns and Roses," so a librarian pairing the two is just delivering on the comp the publisher already put on the cover. The visual hook is direct: a mortal heroine crossing into a king's labyrinth to bargain. The book is what happens when that setup is rebuilt for adult readers, with a heroine fully grown, a king openly drawn to her, and a bargain that does not hide behind metaphor. For the patron who always wished Sarah were older and Jareth got the girl, this is the read.
- The Shape of Water (2017) for the mortal-meets-immortal romance core. Del Toro's Best Picture winner is the strongest cinematic argument that a love story between a human woman and a dangerous, otherworldly being can carry prestige weight. Patrons who think adult fantasy romance is a guilty pleasure leave that film convinced otherwise, which is exactly the conversion a romantasy display wants.
- Crimson Peak (2015) for the gothic atmosphere. Del Toro again, but in full gothic-romance mode. A mortal heroine crosses into a labyrinthine cursed estate ruled by a darkly seductive aristocrat with secrets. The Beauty-and-the-Beast bones are explicit, the gothic dread is dense, and Tom Hiddleston's morally gray romantic lead is the closest live-action analog to Merrick a librarian can put on a display card.
Are there companion resources librarians or educators should know about?
Realm Immortal series hub: https://michellepillow.com (cover images, reading order, series description in one place) Press kit with bios, headshots, and book metadata: https://michellepillow.com/press-kit Discussion-question packet for romantasy book clubs available on request through michellempillow+press@gmail.com
Which formats are currently available?
Original indie edition (The Raven Books LLC): ebook Pan Macmillan / Tor Bramble UK editions (2026): new audio edition narrated by Lauren Fortgang (as Tillie Hooper); special hardback edition; other print editions TBD Bulk and library pricing: Tor Bramble UK editions: Tina Joell, tina.joell@macmillan.com. Indie ebook inquiries: michellempillow+press@gmail.com.
How could this book be used in community events or themed programming throughout the year?
Adult romantasy fits public-library adult programming. Best fits: Adult Summer Reading: romantasy is a summer juggernaut, and King of the Unblessed launches a series patrons can read straight through October / Spooky Season: the gothic atmosphere pairs naturally with a "Beautiful Monsters" or Romantasy Reads display February romance displays: the back-cover hook ("Love doesn't conquer darkness. It seduces it.") works as display copy Romance Awareness Month (August): adult romance showcase
Do you offer author engagement options for schools or libraries?
For adult library programming, yes: * Virtual author Q&A sessions for adult book clubs and reading groups * Pre-recorded video greetings for romance-month displays or summer-reading launches * Written interviews, essays, or short-form content for library newsletters and blogs Because King of the Unblessed is adult, school visits are not the right fit for this title. For adult-collection librarians, festival programming, or genre showcases: michellempillow+press@gmail.com, or Tina Joell at Macmillan for Tor Bramble edition events.
Is there anything else you would like librarians, teachers, or educators to know about your work?
Two things that matter for collection development. First, my books are human-authored and carry Human Authored Registration from the Author's Guild. I've been writing for over 20 years, well before AI was a marketplace concern. For libraries trying to be intentional about provenance, that's verifiable. Second, my catalog is hybrid: traditionally published with Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette Book Group, and indie under my own Raven Books LLC. A librarian who shelves King of the Unblessed has a long bench of adjacent adult fiction to recommend behind it across romantasy, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, paranormal women's fiction, and cozy mystery. And thank you to the librarians reading this. My mom took us to the library every week growing up. Librarians put the right book into the right reader's hands, and that's the whole thing.
To learn more about Michelle M. Pillow and her work, you can visit her website here.
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