4.4 (69 ratings)

Possessed: A Dark Gothic Romance (Pythonissam Filia)

Name: Possessed: A Dark Gothic Romance (Pythonissam Filia)
Rating: 4.4 (69 reviews)
Author: Ava Thorne
ISBN: B0GHFFL58Z

by Ava Thorne

demons

About this book

Experience this gothic historical romance where faith and forbidden desire collide in the shadows. Set during the terrifying height of the Bamberg Witch Trials, witness a tale of possession, obsession, and the dangerous line between salvation and damnation.

In a city where women burn daily for the crime of knowledge, loving a witch's daughter might be the greatest heresy of all.

Katharina is the daughter of a burned witch, raised by the Church that killed her mother. She secretly continues her mother's healing work while her guardian, Father Heinrich, shields her with his silence—even as forbidden feelings grow between them. But when a moment of weakness on Beltane breaks Heinrich's sacred vows, something ancient slips into the cracks of his shattered faith.

What enters him transforms his protective love into dark obsession. Now Katharina must navigate not only the Witch Bishop's increasing suspicion, but the unholy devotion of a man who may no longer be entirely human. Is this the devil wearing her guardian's face, or the man freed from the chains of religious repression?

As Heinrich's obsession deepens and his shadow grows hungrier, Katharina faces an impossible choice: flee from the only person who ever protected her, or surrender to a love that might damn them both.

"Is that what you desire, my dove? To be punished for your sins? To transmute those lustful thoughts through pain?"

Perfect for fans of gothic romance and religious horror. If you crave atmospheric historical fiction with morally complex characters, supernatural possession, and the intoxicating tension between sacred and profane, this dark romance is your next obsession.

Publication Date: May 25, 2026
ASIN: B0GHFFL58Z

Reader Reviews

Dark, unsettling, and deeply rooted in faith vs desire

April 15, 2026

I went into Possessed already knowing that Ava Thorne tends to write stories that don’t play it safe, and this one fully commits to that. Set during the Bamberg Witch Trials, the book explores how belief systems shape people—and how they can be used to control and punish. Katharina’s journey is centered around her internal struggle between faith and desire, and that tension drives the entire story. The romance is complicated and layered, especially with the added supernatural element, and it...

A Dark, Moody Romance on the Backdrop of Religion and Witch Trials

May 6, 2026

Possessed starts with the dedication, \"To the Catholic Church, thanks for the trauma, but for doing it with incredible symbolism and drip.\" And from there takes us to the 1600's in the brutal era of the Bamberg, Germany witch trials, pulling no punches in the illustration of religion and how it allows men to hold power over women or those it otherwise sees as weak. We follow Katharina, a woman who watched her mother burned at the stake when she was young, now working in secret to help other...

Burn it Down

May 10, 2026

I am not only possessed but completely obsessed! Katharina and Heinrich inspire me to free myself of any doubt and go after the true power inside me. *full review coming soon* )

Dark, fairly blasphemous, hot, and full of feminine rage for this Easter

April 6, 2026

\"Patience doesn't mean accepting injustice.\" If you're looking for something dark, fairly blasphemous, hot, and full of feminine rage for this Easter, look no further because Ava Thorne has once again delivered a scorcher of a novella in her Pythnissam Filia series. This time set during the Bamberg Witch Trials, our main character is Katharina, daughter of a condemned witch, trying her best to keep her head down and survive while helping what women she can with her knowledge of herbcraft and...

incredible love story

April 7, 2026

This book was so good. A beautiful love story of a witch and the priest who tries to save her from the pyre. You could tell that Heinrich loved Katherina with every part of his soul. This book had my emotions everywhere. I could only imagine what it was like being a woman during the witch trials and how men see women today especially if they are powerful. Such a great story and well written. I cannot wait to read more from this author. )