The Dark Lady (Paperback) - #2 in The Portlock Trilogy
The Dark Lady (Paperback) - #2 in The Portlock Trilogy
Ellie and Oliver are on the run with one goal in mind: survive long enough to make it back to Alaska.
Sam and Darien have escaped the scorched ruins of their wedding, but their Hawaiian honeymoon quickly takes a shocking, sinister turn that no one expected.
With dangers closing in on them at every turn and more questions than answers, the four will have to learn to rely on each other, the love they’ve cobbled together from the broken remnants of their families, and perhaps most importantly, themselves.
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Tropes, Triggers, & Parents' Guide
What age is The Portlock Trilogy suitable for?
The Portlock Trilogy is broadly suitable for adults and teens aged 14 and up. Because the trilogy is intense and addresses some heavy topics, parental discretion is advised for children younger than 13. (If it were a movie, it would comfortably fit within a PG-13 rating.)
Is there violence, sex, drugs, or profanity?
- Violence: The main characters often have to fight monsters intent on killing or hurting them. However, there is very little person vs. person violence; it's almost exclusively person vs. monster.
- Gore: Several characters are injured throughout the novel, and the narrative varies in the degree of description of those injuries (including bruises, cuts, broken bones, and burns.) There are also two very brief instances of characters discovering the aftermath of animal mutilation (postmortem) by a nonhuman entity.
- Sex: There are no sex scenes in The Portlock Trilogy; it is a closed-door romance. There is passionate kissing, some innuendo between a married couple on their honeymoon, and a non-sexual, non-descriptive scene in which that same couple is in the shower together, discussing the events taking place in the novel.
- Drugs & Alcohol: One of the main characters is a former gang member, and briefly mentions underage drinking and doing illegal drugs during his rough childhood. Additionally, a secondary character gets dangerously drunk during a supernaturally caused depressive episode. Alcohol and drugs are never portrayed in a positive light in this trilogy.
- Profanity: There is brief, mild swearing in The Portlock Trilogy (e.g. d-mn, h-ll.) There's no heavier cursing (e.g. sh-t, b-tch, or f-ck) anywhere in the trilogy.
What triggers should I be aware of?
The Portlock Trilogy crosses genres between supernatural suspense, thriller, and romance. It is intense in both plot and emotion (readers often compare it to the TV show Supernatural, or the first two seasons of Stranger Things, though with less gore and swearing.) Readers who have a low tolerance for spookiness should proceed with caution.
Triggers may include:
- Mentions of modern-day hunting (for meat, not sport; no animals are killed on-page.)
- Anxiety and depression, both naturally and supernaturally caused
- Character deaths
- Grief
- Brief mentions of suicide (off-page)
- Brief mentions of prostitution (off-page)
- Brief alcohol and drug references
- Burn injuries
- References to one character's former life as a gang member, including illegal drug distribution, gang violence, and human trafficking
- Death of a teen
NOTE: We've tried to be very thorough on our list of triggers. If you find one that you think should be added to this list, please reach out!
Where are some of the tropes in The Portlock Trilogy?
Tropes in The Portlock Trilogy include (but aren't limited to):
- Found Family
- Everyman's Heroes
- Friends to Lovers
- Socioeconomic Gap
- Slow-burn Romance
- Multiple POV
- Forced Proximity
- Ultimate Evil/Eldritch Evil
- Creepy Old Forest
- Reformed Bad Boy
- A "Gentle Giant" Character
- Hidden Worlds
- Monsters. (Lots of them.)
- Varied and beautiful settings (Alaska, Colorado, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Hawaii)
- Amateur Sleuths
- One Bed (Book 2)
- Epic Journey (Book 2)
- Chase Scenes
- Deal With The Devil/Uneasy Alliance (Book 3)
- Newfound Superpowers (Book 3)
- Small Town Dynamics
- Ticking Time Bomb
- High-stakes battle for the fate of the world ... that no one else will ever know about
Is the trilogy all one continuous story?
Yes, The Portlock Trilogy is all one continuous story. Books one and two end on cliffhangers, each novel flows directly into the next one, and the story is not wrapped up until the end of book three.