3.8 (609 ratings)

One Little Nightmare: Of Gods and Monsters, Book 1

Name: One Little Nightmare: Of Gods and Monsters, Book 1
Rating: 3.8 (609 reviews)
Author: Dawn Darling
ISBN: B0CZ4N3MLL

by Dawn Darling

demons

About this book

Trapped within the sterile, suffocating walls of an insane asylum, Brooks struggles to distinguish between his crumbling sanity and the terrifying reality lurking in the shadows. He is haunted by hallucinations that bleed into his waking life, but when a mysterious, scarred girl appears in his ward, he realizes his fractured memories are merely the prologue to a much darker awakening. As patients vanish and a plague descends, Brooks must confront the monstrous truth: he is a pawn in a game played by gods.

Across the veil, Xia exists in a glass prison, enslaved by the deities of Olympia. Forced to sing for her captors and trade her soul to the Lord of Nightmares, her only sanctuary is the man who visits her in her dreams. He believes she is a figment of his imagination, but Xia knows the truth—Brooks is her only hope for salvation.

This dark romance masterfully weaves historical myth with a chilling, modern aesthetic. It is a slow-burn journey through hell-realms where the line between savior and monster blurs. If you are craving a paranormal romance rich with atmospheric tension, ancient curses, and high-stakes stakes, this seductive retelling of Pandora’s box will leave you breathless.

Publication Date: May 25, 2026
ASIN: B0CZ4N3MLL

Reader Reviews

Just...WOW! I love it!

August 24, 2024

Going in I was skeptical if I would like it or not, but I did. A lot! I found it originally on a list of free books I get every day. Like so many on that list, I grabbed it since I reasoned that if I didn't like it, it cost me nothing. I was also not sure about it because of the romance. Not a fan of that genre. However, the mythology angle is what sold me on it. Books such as these I load on my kindle for when I have to work, that way I can read plenty, especially when I go outside on a break....

Slow but Intriguing

April 5, 2024

Mysteries Curses Hallucinations or Reality? Memories or Dreams? This book starts off in the past with Zeus creating a vessel, Pandora, to contain his madness. Within this context is set, we already know that nothing good can come from his actions. When we are brought to the present, we meet Brooks and Xia. Brooks is in an asylum with no memory of how he got there and only has a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He already hears the voice of a dark presence in his mind, which causes him to believe...

Retelling of Pandora’s Book

August 29, 2024

So this book was confusing in the beginning but despite the confusion I was hooked from the first few pages because of how the author described the asylum where Brooks resided and the melancholic feeling you get from reading about this setting. I felt like I was a fly on the wall watching everything unfold. I did enjoy the progression of the story as we got to know more about Brooks and his true identity. Looking back on the story, there were definitely hints about his true identity especially...

Absolutely fantastic!

February 2, 2025

Dawn Darling deserves so much hype. This was well written and original. I really really love this story and am immediately jumping into book 2. I do want to take a moment to say that I really really appreciate the way the characters are written. Especially the males. So often male POV is written in language that makes them sound so young and \"tough\" with a huge ego and so much swearing. It was so refreshing to read a male POV that was written normally. Even in his moments of strength and...

Embrace your Chaos, prepare for twists!

November 1, 2023

Dawn Darling’s dark romance debut novel is a mysterious, gritty, emotional, twisty take on the Greek tale of Pandora’s Box. Welcome to the Asylum, where one finds themselves in an upside down world where nothing is as it seems. The insane asylum feels real, and seeing it through Brooks’ eyes really sends you through the full gamut of emotions. Visible trauma? Yearning hope? Shadowy hitchhiker? All of the characters are intriguing, the story intense, and the resulting ending leaves you begging...