Hope is but a wicked torment.

A land steeped in tainted magic poisons the human world. Kinetics are hellbent on eliminating the Elementals. And the man who once swore to protect them is gone.

Still reeling from the events that transpired at the King's Palace and Chrome's devolution, Gray takes her place as the Elemental queen, guiding her people through the dangerous, magical land of Arcadia as they seek safety from the onslaught of Kinetic attacks. Desperate to find and restore Chrome to the man she fell in love with, Gray accepts the unlikely aid of someone she once thought dead, and a mysterious newcomer who should not exist at all.

As an Infernal, Chrome's Kinetic and Elemental abilities have been replaced with shadows and death. Lacking everything that once kept him tethered to his loved ones, his existence has been narrowed down to a single cause: serve the ancient Tempest queen Celaena, who seeks to gain control of the magic fueling Arcadia. Yet, in his moments of lucidity, he recalls a more powerful desire: Gray, his queen.

And nothing will stop him from ensuring she rules in darkness at his side.

Don't miss out on the thrilling and heart-wrenching sequel to the dark fantasy romance, A Touch of Gold and Madness . A Shade of Chrome and Malice features a morally black antihero, a resilient princess turned queen, and a world dripping in malice where hope might be everyone's downfall.