The Sweetest Fiend cover art

The Sweetest Fiend

The addictive new dark fantasy romance from the bestselling author of the Plated Prisoner series (Played by the Piper Book 1)

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The Sweetest Fiend

By: Raven Kennedy
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

YOUR NEW ROMANTASY OBSESSION FROM THE GLOBAL SENSATION, RAVEN KENNEDY

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Plated Prisoner series comes the first book in an alluring and addictive romantasy duology set in a world of fae and dark magic
It’s time to pay the Piper.
Our world cracked open like an egg. Power burst out, and with it, nine monstrous Banes ready to destroy everything. The powerful Core fae finally slayed them all, but each Bane left a Plague to punish us.
But that’s not the only thing they left behind.
I’m half Bane, half fae, and wholly hated. Survival means enduring every vicious glare and cursed outbreak. Until one day, a Plague descends upon my city that means certain death.
Then he comes. The Pied Piper.
He rids my city of the Plague, but it comes at a cost. One hundred and thirty people are taken as payment. Including me.
I don’t know what he’s going to do to us, but I know I have to get home. My family’s lives depend on it. But the Piper won’t let me go, and something wicked stirs between us. The sweet scent in my veins beckons him, while the seductive lure of his magic sinks under my skin.
I have to escape before it’s too late. Because if I don’t, it’s not just my heart at risk. . .
But the entire world.
Note: Pied Piper reimagined. This dark fantasy is full of romance and secrets, with mature themes and explicit scenes only suitable for adults. This is book one of a duology.
Tropes:

  • Forced Proximity
  • Captive Romance
  • "Who hurt you?"
  • Only one bed . . . and horse . . . and tent!
  • So. Much. Banter!


I've never been so immersed in a story before . . . These characters, this WORLD . . . it's everything’ Sarah A Parker, bestselling author of When the Moon Hatched

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!’ Olivia Wildenstein, bestselling author of House of Beating Wings

© Raven Kennedy 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Dark Fantasy Fantasy

Critic reviews

Raven Kennedy does it again with her unique and addictive brand of strong but soft heroines and their sexy, morally grey love interests. The Sweetest Fiend is a clever and creative twist on a classic tale that feels both fresh and dangerous, with plenty of heat, of course. Fans of Kennedy's work are in for the sweetest treat!
Raven Kennedy has done it again. The Sweetest Fiend is a sumptuous meal of rich world building, gut-punching emotions, banter, angsty romance, and spice that burns right off the page. And THAT ENDING … Illegal. I need the next book yesterday.
Raven Kennedy never fails to pull me heart-first into a story. THE SWEETEST FIEND gives romantasy a fresh face. The brutal world of Brekon will have you hopeful and despairing in the space between sentences. This Pied-Piper inspired fantasy showcases exactly what Kennedy does best, rendering a page-perfect love interest with just the right amount of questionable morals.
Raven Kennedy has outdone herself with The Sweetest Fiend, her darkly seductive new romantasy loosely inspired by the Pied Piper legend. This book is a master class on how to write epic romantasy. Raven blends heart-pounding tension, scorching chemistry, and sweeping stakes into a rich, atmospheric world of fae, dark magic, and forbidden desire that completely consumed me from the very first page. Kennedy’s sensual writing delivers high heat and even higher emotional stakes, making this an absolute must-read for anyone craving dark fantasy romance on an epic scale. I am already counting down the days until the next book in the duology. Raven continues to prove why she is one of the best in the genre.
With lush description and razor-sharp prose, Raven Kennedy’s writing ensnares as easily as the Pied Piper’s seductive song. Prepare to be instantly immersed in her deadly world of plagues. I’m already desperate for the sequel!
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