A Gloom in the Bones (Trilogia di Mar-dröm Vol. 1)

by Robin A. Costantin

Clara è intrappolata in un incubo e, arenata in un mondo estraneo, ha sete di vendetta.

La notte in cui il suo ragazzo le ha detto che stavano venendo a prenderlo, non aveva idea da cosa stesse scappando. In lacrime le ha detto la supplica che ancora la tormenta. Moriresti per me, Lar?
Poi l’ha spinta in una dimensione parallela piena di mostri e ingannatori.

A Mar-dröm niente è come sembra. Tutto si costruisce su magia e violenza, e le creature sono infide. Con finta gentilezza e falsi doni ottengono la tua fiducia, solo per accoltellarti alle spalle e rubare tutto ciò che ti resta. E poi ci sono gli Artisti, immortali che hanno venduto l’anima al Dio Senza Occhi e che fanno valere il suo ordine divino tramite minacce e morte.
Clara sopravvive nascosta, mentre la sua rabbia cresce di giorno in giorno, finché una notte assiste a un omicidio. L’assassino inizia a perseguitarla, costringendola a fare l’unica cosa che aveva giurato di non donare la sua anima e diventare un’Artista a sua volta.

Così un mondo di potere, segreti e follia si apre per lei, chiedendole di compiere una scelta — restare al fianco della sua nuova famiglia e imparare a vivere di nuovo o fuggire da Mar-dröm e lasciare solo cenere e rovine dietro di sé.
Tra enigmi e tradimenti un antagonista segreto la aspetta.
Il Caos la vincola a un mostro.
E le sue Ombre non dimenticano.

514 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 25, 2026

About the author

Born near Venice in 1997, Robin is an Italian indie author who publishes both in her first language and English.
She now lives in Piedmont, in a little city near the mountains, with her partner, their cats and a dog named Tortellino.
She loves all things gothic and started writing at the age of thirteen on fanfic websites. A Gloom in the Bones is her first book.

Reviews

[Irene Amendola · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Ho ricevuto questo libro come ARC dall’autrice e l’ho trovato una lettura interessante. È un dark fantasy con un mondo magico originale, diverso da altri che ho letto.
Mi sono piaciute le prove per scoprire le affinità con i poteri dei sette. Essendo il primo libro della serie, pone buone basi per la storia.
Spero che nei prossimi volumi i personaggi secondari vengano approfonditi di più. Nel complesso mi è piaciuto e mi ha lasciato curiosa di continuare la serie.


I received this book as an ARC from the author and found it an interesting read. It’s a dark fantasy with a unique magical world, different from others I’ve read.
I enjoyed the trials to discover the affinities with the powers of the seven. As the first book in a series, it sets a solid foundation.
I hope the secondary characters will be developed more in the next books. Overall, I liked it and I’m curious to continue the series.

[Nikita Ritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review✨
5 ⭐️

Thankful to have received this ARC! This story completely captivated me. The world-building was immersive, the characters were well-developed, and the plot kept me hooked from beginning to end. I found myself fully invested in both the story and the characters, which made the entire reading experience incredibly engaging. I’m already counting down the days until I can get my hands on the second book!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved The Folk of the Air series for its magical world filled with ruthless fae and the struggle of a human trying to survive within it, you’ll absolutely enjoy this. It feels like a Holly Black x Tim Burton lovechild in the best way. Let me explain:

This is a debut, and it’s an incredibly impressive one. The story is beautiful in a way that feels both haunting and dreamlike. The trilogy is titled Mar-dröm (“nightmare” in Swedish), and the world truly feels like one. But at the same time, it’s surreal and magical. The author paints such vivid imagery that I felt completely drawn in, like I was right there beside the FMC.

One thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the magic system. It felt genuinely unique. Magic is something each character has to test and discover for themselves, and once chosen, it’s for life. It added a distinct and personal dimension to the worldbuilding that made it feel fresh and exciting.

And one of the things I appreciated most is that this isn’t a typical “morally grey” FMC from the start. As the author has said, this is a true corruption arc, and you really feel that. We follow Clara as she slowly changes, step by step, and I found myself going along with her completely. I was rooting for her the entire time, even when I probably shouldn’t have been.

Also, I’m obsessssed. Completely consumed by the atmosphere and the way this story made me feel. The tension, the dream interactions, the dynamic between Clara and the villain… I was on the edge of my seat, giggling, kicking my feet.

And yes! “Villain gets the girl”? I will always show up for that.

Give me book two immediately. And I’ll absolutely be keeping an eye on this author.

[Sophie L | TeaLeavesAndChapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

We meet Clara, a human who’s ended up trapped in a faerie world all due to her ex boyfriend and the sacrifice of “promises” he made.

Within this new world / dimension Clara comes face to face with various creatures, from fae to faun and some darker magic and monsters. I loved the world building and the characters felt well developed and described.

In Mar-dröm nothing is ever truly as it seems, Clara witnesses a murder and in turn, the killer starts to haunt her, leading her to do what she thought she’d never do - devote her soul to the God Without Eyes and become an “Artist”, becoming an immortal being and opening up a world of magic and “matter.”

Learning to live in the world of the God Without Eyes and The Seven - Clara learns what this world is truly like and what people are capable of, from the matter she chooses to wield and the powers that choose her, to the relationships built and the betrayals waiting to happen. Her shadows aren’t the only things lurking in the darkness and the chaos that has been following her from the beginning. Meeting Vicrous, Rage, Vultura, Mazee and Feras along the way.

I was super excited to receive this arc and it did not disappoint! I have a love for all things fantasy and this dark world was right up my alley. (AND props to Robin for translating it to English for us to enjoy!👏) she’s also added in some illustrations throughout which I really enjoyed and thought was really cute and helpful to help visualise things.

Thank you so much to Robin for this ARC!!! 🫶🏻

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review 4.5/5⭐️s

Oooh this book was so much fun~
I’m a big sucker for chaos and pandemonium❤️
I also love betrayal
And oh boy, there’s a lot of that in these pages.
And lots of choking. That’s always a big plus.

The take on magic fun. It was said that anyone could access magic in the world, even humans who stumbled in, they just had to learn how. Or you could sell your soul for a potential fast-track! Who needs the pesky thing anyways?

I will say, there were two female characters at the beginning who originally felt like they would play a bigger role later the story, and I wonder if they’ll come back in another book. They seemed very interesting, and I’d like to see a little more of them.

On a separate note, I absolutely adored all the attention to detail put into this book. The art throughout was very nice!
Unfortunately, it dint quite translate to the kindle well, but whenever it popped up, I would go to the pdf to find the page! It was very nice, especially in the age where details like these are overlooked.

I’m looking forward to the next one!!

[Jasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review 🖤

5/5 ⭐️

I can’t believe what I just read! This story kept me wanting more. To keep reading way late at night to see what happens next.

I feel so bad for Clara. Having to going through so much betrayal especially from people you trusted and cared for.
Her motivation to see her family again made me shed some tears. I wouldn’t know what to do if I lost my family the way she did and never know if you could see them again.

I was freaked out with Feras at first. How the nightmares were with him in it. (Started to wonder if I’d get them too). But then I started to not see red flags 🚩 I can fix him right?

Vi.. you had my heart in the beginning but now I’m doubting. I did enjoy how sweet he was with Clara. And felt for him when he opened up his feelings to Clara.

Overall, this story captivated me. Had so much emotion, thriller, magic and a sprinkling of spice. I loved it. I am looking forward to what happens next in the second book!

[Milena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un dark fantasy con i fiocchi!
Mi ha coinvolta fin dai primi capitoli, Clara mi è entrata subito nel cuore e la scrittura non ha nulla da invidiare a molti libri pubblicati, anzi.

Il worldbuilding è inquietante, macabro e disturbante in senso positivo, con scene davvero intense.
Ho adorato anche la parte dell’accademia degli artisti, che spezza un po’ la cupezza di Mar-Dröm e mostra Clara mentre scopre le proprie potenzialità.
Il suo percorso di crescita è super interessante: per sopravvivere deve mettere in discussione la morale umana e le sue scelte ti fanno chiedere continuamente chi sia davvero il “buono” della storia.

Enemies to lovers + slowburn fatti benissimo e sì, ho sbloccato un nuovo book boyfriend decisamente anticonvenzionale.
Le sue battute macabre e poetiche mi facevano venire le farfalle nello stomaco. (beata Clara!)

Il finale chiude bene il primo volume ma lascia tantissima curiosità per il seguito!

[Kendall H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so grateful to have received this book as an ARC! A Gloom in the Bones follows Clara our FMC, who is a human who was cast into Mar-drom when she was betrayed by her ex. This book follows her as she tries to survive this unknown and dangerous world. As she navigates this world, she makes sacrifices to survive, but along the way, she finds someone with whom she has become drawn, despite her intentions. I really enjoyed this book, and diving into the world of Mar-drom, and I really enjoyed the romantic tension between our FMC and MMC. I ate it up! Especially with a slightly one sided love triangle. This book was giving once upon a broken heart vibes and I loved it! I thought it was well written and entertaining, the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because theere is so much more I want to know and explore about the world. I can't wait to dive into the rest of this trilogy!!

[Kaylee Goral · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC:
"I wasn’t just Clara anymore.
I was the reckoning.
And I would come for each and every one of them. From the first to the last."

This book was absolutely amazing. The author poured her heart and soul into this one. The writing was amazing as well as the storyline. A true enemies to lovers. This romantasy will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Be prepared for some major world building in part 1. It took me a while to understand everything but by part 2, it will all make sense. If you loved ACOTAR and Fourth Wing, this should definitely be your next read.

[Poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gloom In The Bones is such a great read.

In this story we follow Clara as she tries to cope with betrayal, trauma, and the utter chaos that her life has became while she tries to adapt and survive her new reality. I really loved that the fae in this book lean more into the traditional fae folklore.

This book is low spice, not closed door but also not graphic.

There is a fair bit of setting up in this book and I'm very excited about where it's going next!

I was lucky enough to receive an Arc copy of A Gloom In The Bones From the lovely author Robin.

[Jodi Warne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a privilege to receive an ARC especially from an author new to me.

A Gloom in the Bones is fantasy with great world building ending on a cliffhanger.

I was going to review this book breaking it down by each Act as there are three in this book, which was a delightful change. However I’m trying desperately not to give away too many spoilers.

For me this book was a slow start not in a negative way but as someone who reads fast paced very dark romance this was very different to my usual read and for that I am truly grateful because the world building was gradual without being vague and the character development was perfectly paced with the growing of the storyline.

**********

Clara may be human in a world full of danger and strange beings but she comes into her own when left with one decision ask for help from something unknown or risk the possibility of not seeing another day.

Tropes

🦋 Enemies to lovers
🦋 Corruption ARC
🦋 Faerie World
🦋 Revenge at all costs
🦋 Found family of villains
🦋 He falls first
🦋 False god
🦋 Shadow mommy

Favourite quote
“I fall apart every time you say my name. It’s like a piercing call in the silence, the sound of a bell in an endless night. When it fades, when you vanish into your Shadows, I’m left alone, like the wretched creature I am, hoping that I hear it again” “And knowing you care enough not to want me dead feels like losing myself in an exquisite delirium.”

*********
Definitely recommend and looking forward to book two.
4 ⭐️
0.5 🌶️

[Samantha Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

received this as an ARC team member.
Absolutely phenomenal writing, great pacing, brilliant & original magic system, slow burn enemies to lovers.

The world building is intertwovern throughout the story so it's not a slog of getting through all the history, locations, characters etc before getting into the plot.

The magic system is different to what I've come across anywhere else and it's brilliantly done.

[Honey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loveddddddddd it.

It’s a slow start but it needs it to be and despite that it’s very engaging, each chapter has you wanting to read just one more before bed. Loved all the ‘nightmares’ with Feras 😉. So intrigued by the ending! There were some characters that truly shocked me by the end and one in particular who I ended up loving way more than I thought I would. So excited for the next book!

[Thrillersmut · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

Ohhhhh, this was so good. I really enjoyed this read! The magic, the villain, the world, all of it. I really want book 2!!