Something Wicked (Idle Reputations)
by Falon BallardCategory
About this book
AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER To save a world in turmoil, a would-be prince teams up with a magically gifted courtesan—but the most dangerous game may be trusting each other in this spicy, swoony fantasy romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Change of Heart. The stunning first edition hardcover of Something Wicked features a steamy jacket with glossy effects as well as specially designed sprayed edges! "Intricate, sensual, and filled with all the best elements romantasy has to offer." —India Holton, author of The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love The Uprising has overthrown Avon's monarchial rulers, and a decree has been issued. Candidates for the first presidential election will be selected by the completion of a special task: to kill the former monarch of their home province. Callum, the son of the recently dethroned king, is determined to be in the running. But coming to terms with patricide will require the help of Lady Caterine, a Gifted courtesan at La Puissance, Avon’s premiere sex club. Lady Caterine has always had the magical ability to manipulate the emotions of anyone who experiences an orgasm in her presence. If Callum can only open up to Cate, he will be able to commit the newly fated murder without suffering the guilt and take his place as the rightful candidate from his province. But Callum has a deep-seated mistrust of the Gifted. And the last thing he expects is to be confronted with an undeniable connection with Cate that neither of them understands or wants. With the fate of the country at stake, Callum and Cate search for ways to bare themselves to each other, and discover a darker force building within La Puissance, one that might ruin the future of Avon forever. To stop Avon from falling to ashes, they must sacrifice everything they have . . . even if it requires betraying each other.
Available Formats
What readers are saying
i'd rather be readingdisappointing :/
"rating: 2.75★ Moulin Rouge meets Lady Macbeth is a very intriguing concept, but unfortunately it's just not executed well here. The world building is pretty flimsy. We're introduced to the idea of the Gifted, individuals who are born with their own unique gifts, but beyond that there isn't really much explanation to them or how that magic system works. There's also the idea of Bonding between someone gifted and someone not, but that's also not fully explained. I also think only women seem to be Gifted, but that's also not really explicitly spelled out from what I remember. The whole Moulin Rouge x Macbeth, mashup frankly was pretty messy. I thought it was kind of odd that she just straight up used Harold's name from Moulin Rouge as the bordello owner, but also he was such a barely present character for how much of a central point he was, it was very odd. I also don't really understand why anyone would think the owner of a dance hall is the best option to lead a country. Lady M enters the picture with zero background, which is also never really explained either. One second Harold is bemoaning the financial ruin of the dance hall, and then next thing you know, he just suddenly has a girlfriend? wife? Who is suddenly now just paying for it all. She's also a pretty flat, one dimensional villain, which is really unexciting these days in fantasy. The love story between Caterine and Callum is instalust without much depth, which was disappointing. I also feel like this is a case of an author not having fleshed out characters with interesting flaws that have me intrigued and really falling in love with them. It was just overall very meh, Callum has like five minutes of resistance to her before he goes back on his promise to himself to not… Allow himself to be vulnerable to her power lol. I'm kind of at a loss about the world building. Why do the royals seem to just be able to run around without bodyguards / random people wandering their home? security? Why would any random person who kills the monarch get to take over? What time period is this supposed to be in/fashioned after? Overall, this is definitely been one of my more disappointing reads this year. I think this could do with a lot more work on the worldbuilding and characters, and if she's trying to lean into romantic with the romance leading, there could definitely be more work on building that relationship in more effective ways. an honest arc review ♡ ["
May 7, 2026
Shannonlush, dramatic romantasy
"Falon Ballard’s Something Wicked is a lush, dramatic romantasy that fully commits to the Macbeth meets Moulin Rouge energy it promises. The story follows Lady Caterine, a magically gifted courtesan living in the kingdom of Avon after a violent revolution overthrew the monarchy. When former prince Callum asks for her help during the kingdom’s first presidential election, the two get pulled into dangerous politics, secrets, and growing attraction while trying to survive a very unstable world. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book. The setting feels glamorous and dangerous at the same time, and Cate was an easy character to root for because she’s smart, ambitious, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect herself and the people she cares about. The romance between Cate and Callum had great tension, especially because they never fully trust each other. I also liked that the story balanced the romance with the larger political conflict and magical worldbuilding. The audiobook made the story even more immersive, especially during the emotional and high-stakes scenes. Overall, this was an entertaining romantasy with strong chemistry, good pacing, and a world that kept me interested the whole time. ["
May 14, 2026