The Wicked and the Damned - Review

The Wicked and the Damned (Dark Inheritance Trilogy, # 2)

By: Rebecca Robinson

Expected Publication: February 24, 2026 by Solstice Books

416 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--In the exhilarating second romantasy novel in Rebecca Robinson’s Dark Inheritance Trilogy, a fiery couple forced apart must navigate a deadly maze of politics and power to reunite across a continent at war.

Torn from her husband Reid’s arms and dragged back to her homeland in chains, Vaasa is no longer a ruler, but a political pawn. Now under the control of Ozik—a cunning Zetyr witch with a stranglehold on her magic—she faces annulment, forced betrothal, and a kingdom that no longer feels like her own. As Ozik’s machinations aim to install himself as the true power behind the Asteryan throne, Vaasa is forced to take part in his game.

Meanwhile, across the continent, Reid is done playing politics. But waging war is never simple, and a soldier’s fury cannot stand up against Icruria’s bureaucracy. With allies fading and time slipping away, Reid may have no choice but to infiltrate Asterya on his own to find the woman he loves and bring her home.

As Vaasa’s magic begins to flare, she desperately seeks control, even if Ozik is the only one who can offer it. She then finds a cryptic final message from her mother about a precious missing necklace that might just be the answer to finally freeing her magic from Ozik. Yet when a ghost from Vaasa’s past reemerges among the suitors vying for her hand, escape might be within reach—but will it demand a betrayal that real love may not survive?

The Wicked and the Damned was one of my most anticipated books of 2025. I can't understand why I never hear anything about The Serpent and the Wolf because it was so much better than I was expecting. That being said, The Serpent and the Wolf ended on a negative cliffhanger. What I mean is that the characters we've grown to love weren't in a good place. As a matter of fact, Vaasa has been captured by her brother and taken back to her home to be used as a political pawn. She's to be married off...again...despite her current husband still being alive. Ozik seems to be running things, and he's as evil as she's ever thought. Vaasa is tired of being used by others. She's come into her own power, but she has to hide that power. As a matter of fact, Ozik has basically chained her power to himself. She can only use it when he gives her leave to do so.

In the meantime, the only man Vaasa has ever loved before Reid, who she thought was dead, is now the captain of her personal guard. Can Vaasa trust him?

Reid is on the way. He has to get Vaasa back. Yet, he can't just storm into the palace and demand his wife back. He'd be killed on the spot. He has to hide who he is and Vaasa's connection to him, all the while Ozik is trying to set her up in another political marriage. He can't let that happen.

My only highlighted quote:

-"All questions have answers, but not all of those answers are known."

I didn't feel like any of the twists or turns in the plot were a surprise. Mostly, I felt like I could see them all coming from a long way off. I read The Wicked and the Damned in two days, which isn't bad for 416 pages. I won't say that I was disappointed at all, but it can be hard for a book to live up to what you hope when it's one of your most anticipated releases of the year. I don't think the physical scenes were as frequent in this book, which is a pro for me. When the main characters are separated for a large portion of the book, it's hard to get around to those. Cursing was still very present and excessive enough for me to feel the need to mention it. Even still, The Wicked and the Damned gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Wicked and the Damned? What did you think? Let me know!