The Pale Court · 2022
Queen of Rot & PainSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Liv Zander
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 3/5 (Dark) · 2 trigger warnings flagged
Queen of Rot & Pain is book 2 of The Pale Court by Liv Zander, first out in 2022. Expect enemies to lovers and romantasy. Spice is explicit (4 of 5) and the darkness is dark, but there is light (3 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 23 June 2022 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 2 of The Pale Court.
Queen of Rot & Pain tropes
On this shelf, Queen of Rot & Pain is filed under Enemies to lovers and Dark romantasy. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Queen of Rot & Pain spice level
Is Queen of Rot & Pain dark romance?
Yes. Queen of Rot & Pain scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More dark books. How we rate.
Queen of Rot & Pain trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Full Queen of Rot & Pain trigger warnings
The Pale Court reading order
Queen of Rot & Pain is book 2 of 1 in Liv Zander's The Pale Court series. Start here.
- Book 2 Queen of Rot & Pain (this book) · 2022
Order checked against the Goodreads The Pale Court series page on 13 October 2026.
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 Queen of Rot & Pain
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- The Wolf and the Crown of Blood
The Wolf and the Crown of Blood
Elizabeth May
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark romantasy
- Enchantra
Enchantra
Kaylie Smith
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark romantasy
- Eyes of Devious Burgundy
Eyes of Devious Burgundy
Lacey Lehotzky
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark romantasy
- Nectar of the Wicked
Nectar of the Wicked
Ella Fields
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark romantasy
- The Emperor's Enemy
The Emperor's Enemy
Jasmine Mas
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Dark romantasy, Enemies to lovers
- The Poison Daughter
The Poison Daughter
Sheila Masterson
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark romantasy
- Amid Clouds and Bones
Amid Clouds and Bones
Ella Fields
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark romantasy
- Psycho Shifters
Psycho Shifters
Jasmine Mas
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark romantasy
Books like Queen of Rot & Pain, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Queen of Rot & Pain?
Queen of Rot & Pain spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 3 of 5 (Dark).
What are the Queen of Rot & Pain trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Violence. Minor: Death. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is Queen of Rot & Pain dark romance?
Yes. Queen of Rot & Pain scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark). Harm is part of the romance, not a footnote.
What tropes are in Queen of Rot & Pain?
On this shelf Queen of Rot & Pain is filed under Enemies to lovers and Dark romantasy.
Who is Queen of Rot & Pain for?
For a reader who wants hate that tips over into wanting. Spice is explicit. Darkness is dark. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like Queen of Rot & Pain?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by Elizabeth May; Enchantra by Kaylie Smith; Eyes of Devious Burgundy by Lacey Lehotzky; Nectar of the Wicked by Ella Fields; The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas; The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/queen-of-rot-and-pain.
Is Queen of Rot & Pain a standalone?
No. Queen of Rot & Pain is book 2 of 1 in the The Pale Court series by Liv Zander.
What order should I read the The Pale Court series in?
2. Queen of Rot & Pain.
How many books are in the The Pale Court series?
The The Pale Court series by Liv Zander has 1 main book.
What is the Queen of Rot & Pain age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 3/5 (dark). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
Join on Patreon for the Zade Masked serial.