The Ritual (L.O.R.D.S. #1), by Shantel Tessier (softback, english edition)

🇬🇧 This Book Is In English

"What started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death."

The Ritual by Shantel Tessier
(Softback — The Lords Series, Book 1 of 7)

The dark campus romance where power is everything, vows are binding, and the chosen one never truly gets to choose.

Barrington University is home of the Lords — a secret society that requires blood in payment. They are above all. The most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are each offered a chosen one. I vow. You vow. We vow.

People think growing up with money is freeing. It isn't. Her entire life has been planned out for her — until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and offered her something no one else ever had: freedom. She chose to be his. He made her believe that, anyway. But it was just another lie. Another way the Lords manipulate you into doing exactly what they want.

Sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, she embraced her new role and allowed Ryat to parade her around like the trophy she was to him. But like all things, what started as a game soon became a fight for survival. In a world where the Lords take what they want, the only way out is through.

Why readers can't put this down:

• 🔏 Secret society — the Lords world is dark, seductive, and utterly consuming
• 🕊️ Chosen one trope — power, ritual, and a vow that changes everything
• 👤 Morally grey MMC — Ryat is dangerous, possessive, and impossible to resist
• 🏛️ Dark campus romance — Barrington University is not what it seems
• ⚔️ High stakes — what begins as a game becomes a matter of life and death
• 📖 552 pages of dark romance — Book 1 of 7 in The Lords world

Perfect for readers who love:
Dark romance · Secret societies · Campus romance · Chosen one trope · Fans of Penelope Douglas, Rina Kent & Danielle Lori

But what stood out wasn't the ritual.

It was the themes underneath.

🖤 The Illusion of Choice in a World Built on Control
🖤 Freedom Offered by Someone Who Never Intended to Give It
🖤 What It Means to Be Chosen — and What It Costs
🖤 Power Structures That Dress Themselves as Devotion
🖤 Surviving a Game You Didn't Know You Were Playing

At Dark Rose, we believe stories are often about far more than their plot.

You may never find yourself chosen by a Lord at a secret society university where vows are sealed in blood.

But you may know what it feels like to be offered something that looks like freedom but comes with strings attached, to trust someone who had an agenda all along, or to find yourself fighting to survive a situation you walked into willingly.

👤 Recommended Age: 18+

⚠️ Trigger Warnings:
Dark themes • Violence • Power imbalance • Manipulation • Dubious consent • Morally complex situations • High-stakes danger

✨ Best for readers who love:
Dark Romance • Secret Societies • Campus Romance • Chosen One Trope • Possessive Heroes • Shantel Tessier

⚠️ Probably not for readers looking for:
Light Romance • Contemporary Fiction • Consent-First Stories • Fast-Burn Romance

📚 Format & Details

• Format: Softback
• Dimensions: 152 x 228 x 34 mm
• Pages: 552
• Author: Shantel Tessier
• Series: The Lords, Book 1 of 7
• Publisher: Dark Angel Creations LLC
• Published: 1 May 2023

"In a world where the Lords take what they want... the only way out is through."