This Safe Darkness

Description

The Hunt was intended to make us an example, not a threat. That changes now.

Thirty-year-old Orelle Bren knows the best way to avoid death is to play by the rules of a society that only values women as wives and wombs. Though it would be nice to reclaim the dream life her ex-husband stole from her, Orelle would gladly settle for a loveless engagement that exempts her from being among the ten unwed, childless women drafted for the annual Hunt.

It’s supposed to be an honor, being selected to leave their underground utopia to eliminate the Sols-humans who’ve been mutated with corrupt magic by exposure to the sun.

But Orelle knows it’s a glorified death sentence, especially for someone who’s already in a daily battle with their own body.

When her desperate attempts at enticement fail and she’s cast above into the fatal world of light, an unexpected ally challenges Orelle to find a new dream of living-and maybe even loving-out of spite. To do that, there are few lines she won’t cross to uncover the true monsters before becoming one herself, or something even worse: prey.

This Safe Darkness is a romantic dystopian fantasy and the first book in the Sols & Shades duology that follows a disabled woman fighting to live out of spite in the deadly world of light after her eviction from the underground haven.

A weaponized lottery, circadian rhythm magic system, and slow-burn romantic sub-plot that’ll make you writhe over a simple wrist touch make this the perfect read for fans of The Hunger Games, The Handmaid’s Tale, Blood Over Bright Haven, and Gild.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Author: Alexis Maragold
Published: 02/17/2026
Publisher: Foreword Books LLC
ISBN: 9798993362342
Pages: 338
Weight: 1.37lbs
Size: 0.88″ H x 9.00″ L x 6.00″ W

About the Author
Maragold, Alexis: – Alexis Maragold is a disabled fantasy author who’s learned the hard way that life doesn’t have to be painless to be full. She hopes to offer readers an indulgent, unputdownable escape while illuminating the layered realities of those with invisible disabilities. When she’s not playing mastermind with her pen, Alexis can be found goofing around on Instagram, dabbling in just about every art form, dusting off her design skills, or searching for portals in the pines around her Raleigh, NC home.