A Forever Unrooting of Jade and Hickory (The Rooted Realm)
Mikki Roule
by Mallory Benjamin
Magnolia made a deal with the devil, and for seven years, she has paid the price in blood. As the unwilling assassin for the Dead King, she spends her existence dragging souls into his dark realm, slowly losing her own humanity in the process. She is a weapon with a pulse, bound body and soul to a master who demands nothing less than perfection in his cruelty.
Everything changes when she is ordered to infiltrate the kingdom of Viven under the guise of a tournament recruit. Tasked with hunting from within, she finds herself thrust into the path of a man who refuses to see her as a monster. This second-chance romance flickers to life amidst the deadly stakes of the competition, forcing Magnolia to choose between the safety of her servitude and the terrifying possibility of reclaiming her heart.
This gripping paranormal romance masterfully blends dark fantasy with high-stakes tension. Mallory Benjamin delivers a tragic, atmospheric tale that explores the cost of freedom and the resilience of the spirit. If you crave a story where royalty, betrayal, and forbidden longing collide, this haunting journey is the addictive read you have been waiting for.
May 21, 2026
4.5 (really great) First things first: thank you to the author for my eARC. I truly appreciate the privilege of being able to read this early. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters, the world, and the story just pulled me in after an intriguing and slightly slow start. Once it fully grabbed me I had a very hard time putting it down. I truly felt for Magnolia and all the trauma she had been through. As more characters were introduced and more details of the world revealed I became even...
May 22, 2026
I received this book as an ARC. Actual rating 4.5/5. This story was gripping, tragic, and dark. This was my first book by Mallory Benjamin, and I really enjoyed her writing style. The book opens with a really intriguing premise with our FMC serving a life sentence as the King of the Dead’s hunter. Anything he wants or anyone he wants, she has to provide for him, and all because she made a deal to save a life. I really liked the magic system in that Tokens are gifted or revealed because of a...
May 21, 2026
In Haunted By The Dead King Magnolia finds herself ensnared in a life of servitude under King Dahes, where she becomes both his assassin and a pawn in his malevolent schemes. Tasked with infiltrating a rival kingdom, she must gather crucial intelligence on King Elian while trying to win the trust of the formidable warrior Hale, who could play a pivotal role in a revenge plot against the monarchy. Initially, Magnolia strikes a deal with Dahes to protect her beloved brother, but as the truth...
May 21, 2026
This book was such an enjoyable and quick read! It’s the first book I’ve read by Mallory Benjamin and it was a great introduction to her writing. Her world building was done so well that it never felt overwhelming, and I didn’t want to put this one down! I really felt for our FMC, Magnolia, who made a deal with the devil to save someone she loves and has lived a devastating life ever since. I loved experiencing all the emotions alongside her throughout this story. Both Magnolia and our MMC,...
May 22, 2026
This book was a really enjoyable read overall, even if it took me a little while to fully get invested. My biggest issue was definitely the pacing in the first half of the book. It moved slower than I typically prefer, and at times I found myself waiting for the story to really pull me in. That said, I’m so glad I stuck with it because the second half completely changed my experience. Once the plot picked up and all the threads started weaving together, I couldn’t stop reading. The ending was...
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