Nightshade · 2022
InferniumSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Keri Lake
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 5/5 (No light) · 12 trigger warnings flagged
From Keri Lake, 2022: Infernium, book 2 of Nightshade. Expect dark fantasy. We score it spice 4 (explicit) and darkness 5 (pitch black). The heaviest flags readers report are sexual assault, torture, abuse. Our scores lean on what readers report, not on a full reread, so treat them as a guide. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 2022. Book 2 of Nightshade.
Infernium tropes
On this shelf, Infernium is filed under Dark fantasy romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Infernium spice level
Is Infernium dark romance?
Yes, at the very dark end. Infernium scores 5 of 5 on our darkness scale (No light).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More no light books. How we rate.
Infernium trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 22 readers), grouped by us. Also on that list: miscarriage, sexual content, pregnancy, transphobia, death of parent, injury/injury detail, pedophilia. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (12) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
Moderate (0)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full Infernium trigger warnings
Nightshade reading order
Infernium is book 2 of 2 in Keri Lake's Nightshade series. Start with Nightshade.
- Book 1 Nightshade · 2021
- Book 2 Infernium (this book) · 2022
Order checked against the StoryGraph Nightshade series page on 13 October 2026. The Nightshade series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Infernium
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Lunamare
Lunamare
Pepper Winters
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark fantasy romance
- The Clown
The Clown
Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark fantasy romance
- The WitchSlayer
The WitchSlayer
Opal Reyne
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark fantasy romance
- A Ship of Bones & Teeth
A Ship of Bones & Teeth
Karina Halle
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark fantasy romance
- Lady Venom Takes a Mistress
Lady Venom Takes a Mistress
Kat Blackthorne
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark fantasy romance
- Never Keep
Never Keep
Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark fantasy romance
- Anathema
Anathema
Keri Lake
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark fantasy romance
- Caged Wolf
Caged Wolf
Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark fantasy romance
Books like Infernium, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Infernium?
Infernium spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 5 of 5 (No light).
What are the Infernium trigger warnings?
Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Abuse, Violence, Gore, Blood, Death, Religious trauma, Murder, Psychological abuse, Taboo, Cheating. Moderate: none flagged. Minor: none flagged. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 22 readers), grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Infernium dark romance?
Yes, at the very dark end. Infernium scores 5 of 5 on our darkness scale (No light). The book is not interested in pulling the punch.
What tropes are in Infernium?
On this shelf Infernium is filed under Dark fantasy romance.
Who is Infernium for?
For a reader who wants dark fantasy with explicit spice. Read the warnings first. Start earlier in Nightshade if you can.
What are some books like Infernium?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Lunamare by Pepper Winters; The Clown by Kathryn Ann Kingsley; The WitchSlayer by Opal Reyne; A Ship of Bones & Teeth by Karina Halle; Lady Venom Takes a Mistress by Kat Blackthorne; Never Keep by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/infernium.
Is Infernium a standalone?
No. Infernium is book 2 of 2 in the Nightshade series by Keri Lake. The series starts with Nightshade.
What order should I read the Nightshade series in?
1. Nightshade; 2. Infernium.
How many books are in the Nightshade series?
The Nightshade series by Keri Lake has 2 main books.
What is the Infernium age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 5/5 (no light). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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