The Lords series by Shantel Tessier (The Ritual, The Sinner, The Sacrifice, Sabotage, Carnage, and Madness) is a relentless descent into the shadows of power, privilege, and psychological torment at Barrington University.

At the heart of the series is the Lords, a secret society that operates with a chilling code: loyalty is absolute, and betrayal is punishable by death. Initiation rites are brutal, often requiring acts of violence or even murder as a blood oath for entry. These rituals are not only tests of strength and devotion, but also serve as psychological crucibles, stripping away innocence and binding members to a life of secrecy and moral compromise. The darkness of the series is most apparent in its unflinching exploration of abuse and manipulation. Tessier does not shy away from depicting graphic violence, sexual coercion, and the psychological games that define the Lords’ world. Characters are frequently forced into situations where their agency is stripped away, and survival depends on their ability to navigate a web of lies, blackmail, and shifting alliances.

Relationships in the Lords series are fraught with toxicity and blurred boundaries. The books explore forbidden desires, possessive love, and the fine line between devotion and obsession. While some characters are portrayed as morally grey, acting out of love or past trauma, others are depicted as irredeemably toxic, pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable even within the dark romance genre. The psychological toll on both characters and readers is significant. The series is replete with trigger warnings for graphic violence, sexual content, and themes of non-consent, bondage, and even rape. Many readers have noted the need to pause due to the overwhelming intensity and degrading scenarios depicted, particularly in the earlier books. Tessier’s writing does not merely titillate; it confronts and unsettles, forcing readers to grapple with the darkness at the core of her characters and their world. Despite, or perhaps because of-its darkness, the Lords series is undeniably compelling. Tessier balances the brutality with moments of humanity, making readers root for characters who are deeply flawed, sometimes even monstrous. The series is filled with plot twists, betrayals, and high-stakes confrontations, ensuring that the tension never lets up. Even as the characters are dragged through hell, there are glimmers of loyalty, sacrifice, and love that provide a measure of hope amidst the depravity.

The Lords series is not for the faint of heart. It is a journey through the darkest corridors of privilege, power, and desire, where every victory comes at a steep price, and redemption is always uncertain. Tessier’s ability to weave together violence, psychological complexity, and raw emotion sets this series apart as a standout in the dark romance genre; one that will haunt readers long after the final page.

So this series is always a wild ride and so much fun to read!! It was so nice being back in this world with the Lords and their ladies.

Haidyn and Charlotte were not of any disappointment and their story was damn intense. Seeing Haidyn try to fight his feeling for this woman, while also making her his perfect toy was sexy and hot. This man put this woman through so many trials, that I was sure she was gonna walk away any minute but holy dang were they the most spicy and beautiful scenes I’ve read. I hate the life Haidyn had been handed and he deserved to be happy (or as happy as you can be). Seeing Charlotte give herself over to Haidyn even if I’m the beginning it was just because he was blackmailing her was intense, but seeing her enjoy herself with everything he did to her made you realize just how perfect they were for each other. Haidyn became her entire world and seeing it made me smile, laugh, and cry cause it was just freaking beautiful.

As always this book was a bit hard to follow with all the plot that was thrown at us, but the way it all came together I cannot wait for more of this insanely beautiful characters!!! This would be a Lords book if there was not pure and utter chaos through it. I love this series and I love this book so much!!! And I love that these books always include all the couples for the previous books in the series. Cannot wait for our next Lords and their Ladies book.

Madness is dark, intense, and pure L.O.R.D.S. chaos. At over 800 pages it’s a commitment, but once it hooks you, good luck putting it down.

Haidyn completely stole the show for me. He’s brutal, protective, and deeply broken, but also surprisingly soft underneath it all. His backstory adds a lot of emotional weight, and watching his past collide with the present was easily the best part of the book.

Charlotte had strong moments, and I loved her ambition, but I did wish she leaned into her power a bit more. At times she felt less ruthless than I expected given how dangerous this world is.

The interconnected plotlines, secrets, and slow reveals are addictive, even when the book feels long. It’s dark, kinky, and full of trigger heavy content, so this is definitely not where you start the series.

Madness is a breathtaking, unhinged roller coaster! Equal parts emotional destruction, dark romance, and jaw-dropping plot twists. From start to finish, I was completely consumed. I'm telling you, this book has everything: spice, mystery, and a romance as dark as my soul.

This book ties up so many loose ends from the entire series while simultaneously cracking open even more doors for the future. You will be utterly unprepared for what you read, so you'll want to reread the entire series just to catch all the intricate connections. It's unreal how Shantel Tessier weaves the L.O.R.D.S. universe together, bringing back beloved characters like Ryat, Sin, and Tyson to play a huge role in the final chapters.

I never expected to fall as hard for Haidyn as I did, but this man is everything. He says he doesn't believe in love, but the way he loves doesn't have a comparison. A fortress on the outside but all heart underneath, his love is fierce, protective, and completely unforgettable. The amount he suffers through this book will make your heart ache. When you get to the part with the video, you will be sobbing as much as I was. His beautiful soul shines through everything, and I love him for it.

Charlotte/Anabelle is one of my favorite heroines of the entire series. This woman is so incredibly strong and brave, and she falls so hard for Haidyn against all odds. Her entire life story is crazy, and it takes a turn at the end that made my head spin.

As always, just when you think you have it figured out, she hits you with another plot twist... even in the very last chapters! My head was spinning by the end. The author gives you plenty of breadcrumbs to form your own theories, but she still manages to make you doubt yourself and hang on to the edge of your seat until the very end. This book is the definition of a fast-paced, unputdownable read.

And yes, the spice is off the charts. It's a key part of the emotional arc and the dark, dangerous desires woven throughout the story.

Madness is a total gem. I was sobbing, kicking my feet, and swooning over the whole book. This world just keeps getting richer, and I'm completely here for it.

I can’t not describe the roller coaster this book was, it has EVERYTHING and more. It has spice, mystery, plot twists that you won’t see coming and romance as dark as my soul.

At the beginning you are not going to understand a thing and that is why I totally recommend that you reread the whole series because it connects with all the books and obviously Ryat, Sin, Tyson and Even Colton appear on the book.

The whole story it’s so good and keeps you glued to the book because you are not prepared for what you are going to read so hang in there and enjoy the ride.

I thought it cannot get better than Saint, but after this, I think I am OBSESSED with Haidyn, this man is everything!!!! And I loved him so much, he says he doesn’t believe in love but the way this man loves doesn’t have comparison, how he protects and how he is willing to sacrifice himself for those he love made my heart aches, you can’t imagine how much he suffers through the whole book, and I love him so much because of how beautiful his soul and heart is, and when you get to the part where you read about the video, you are going to be sobbing as much as I was.

Charlotte/Anabelle is one of my favorite characters of the whole series, this woman is so strong and so brave and falls so strong for Haidyn against all odds, loved her. her entire life storyline its crazy and it took a turn at the end that omg made my head spin!

By the end you are going to be a little bit dizzy because of how many plot twists, and then she hits you with another one!!!!!!! I kid you not! At the very end, like WTF SHANTEL how are we supposed to survive now?.

I am so excited for the next book and I pray to Jesus its Adam’s book, because you are going to fall in love a little bit more with him on this one, but I do believe she is going to leave him for the final book.

A totally gem this one! I was sobbing, kicking my feet and swooning over the whole book!

💥📖 𝑅𝐸𝒱𝐼𝐸𝒲 📖💥

Madness ♠️ – Shantel Tessier

⭐️ Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶️ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🔥

OMG… EPIC. I. Am. DECEASED. I’m already a HUGE Shantel Tessier fan, I’ll literally one-click anything she writes, but holy cr@p—I could NOT put this book down! Haidyn Jamison Reeves… good lord. 🫠🫠🫠 I wasn’t ready!!! So deliciously DARK. This story had me in an absolute 𝒸𝒽ℴ𝓀ℯ𝒽ℴ𝓁𝒹, and I was living for every second of it. I’ve read this book several times, and somehow it’s turned into a comfort read…so I had to update my review again (yes, my comfort read is dark, filthy, and obsessive—don’t judge 😂).

One of my favorite things about the LORDS series is how all the books overlap and feed into each other. Madness ties up so many loose ends from the series while simultaneously cracking open even more doors and wtf moments. You’ll be utterly unprepared for what you read, and it’ll make you want to reread the entire series just to catch all the intricate connections. It’s unreal how Shantel weaves this universe together—bringing back beloved characters like Ryat, Sin, and Tyson to play massive roles in each installment. These Spade Brothers though, just pure dark, filthy, obsession. I can’t get enough.

Haidyn stole my heart in Carnage as that dark and broody, mysterious brother…but I never expected to fall this hard! He says he doesn’t believe in love, yet the way he loves has absolutely NO comparison. He has a heart of gold hidden under Fort Knox—his love is fierce, protective, unforgettable—he’ll do ANYTHING to protect those he loves…with that classic DARK, possessive, touch-her-and-literally-☠️, morally pitch black attitude us dark romance girls CRAVE. Your heart will ache with him, the way he loves and protects those he cares about will leave you WRECKED, while you want to simultaneously climb him like a tree! His soul shines through every page, and I’m obsessed!

Charlotte/Anabelle is one of my favorite heroines in the entire series. This woman is strong, brave, and falls so hard for Haidyn against all odds. Her life story is wild, and the twists made my head spin. Together, she and Haidyn are explosive—darkness and fire wrapped in raw, aching dark af love that only the LORDS seem to have.

And SPICE?! 🌶️ OFF. THE. CHARTS! Creative, jaw-dropping, and woven perfectly into the emotional arc of the story. This isn’t just spice for spice’s sake—it amplifies the intensity of the connection, the darkness, the dangerous desires, and the gut-wrenching feels.

As always, Shantel never lets you get comfortable. Just when you think you have things figured out, she hits you with another twist. My head was SPINNING! She gives you breadcrumbs to form your own theories but still makes you doubt everything while clinging to the edge of your seat, racing to the next page, only to set your theory on fire and drag you onto the next rollercoaster.

Madness is the definition of a fast-paced, unputdownable read. I was sobbing, swooning, gasping, and WTF-ing the entire way through. It’s the longest book I’ve read to date, and I still didn’t want it to end. The LORDS world keeps getting richer, somehow darker, and more complex and I’m soooo here for it!

Now I’m stuck with the mother of all book hangovers and chomping at the bit for Kash’s and Adam’s stories. I can’t wait! In the meantime, I’ll be diving into the Kings series…

If you love dark romance with morally gray, obsessive, protective anti-heroes—this series is an 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙. If I could give this book 100 stars, I 100% would. Shantel Tessier owns my soul at this point…and I regret nothing.

TROPES:

💀ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ

💀ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ꜱᴏᴄɪᴇᴛʏ

💀ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜꜱ/ᴘᴏꜱꜱᴇꜱꜱɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴍᴄ

💀ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴘ ᴍᴍᴄ

💀ᴠɪʀɢɪɴ ꜰᴍᴄ

💀ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ

💀ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ

💀ᴄᴏʀʀᴜᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ᴋ!ɴᴋ

💀ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ

(...ᥒ᥆ᥕ g᥆ rᥱᥲძ і𝗍 ᥣіkᥱ ᥲ g᥆᥆ძ gіrᥣ! 😜)

“To some, forever is only a matter of seconds.”

Madness by Shantel Tessier is a breathtaking ride—equal parts emotional destruction, twisted romance, and jaw-dropping plot reveals. From start to finish, I was consumed. And despite its length, it never dragged. Every chapter felt necessary, every moment deliberate.

This book ties up loose ends from the series beautifully while simultaneously cracking open even more doors. It’s unreal how Shantel weaves the Lords universe together—layering backstory, foreshadowing, and deeply emotional connections with high-stakes drama and dark, dangerous desires.

Haidyn Jamison Reeves will shatter you. He’s a fortress on the outside but all heart underneath. His love is fierce, protective, and completely unforgettable. I didn’t expect to fall as hard for him as I did.

Highlights:

Long-standing theories are addressed (some confirmed, some flipped on their heads)

Twists you will not see coming—especially in the final chapters and bonus epilogues

An intense emotional arc (yes, I cried—that scene wrecked me)

Complex betrayals, character growth, and a relationship that left me breathless

And yes…the spice is off the charts. (You’ll know THE scenes when you get there.)

Adam absolutely deserves a standing ovation. Laura continues to be the worst. And Kash and Sin’s dynamic? I need more of that energy in future books.

What I love most is how Shantel is expanding this series into a full-blown universe. There are hints and connections that make you want to go back and re-read everything, just to catch what (or who) you may have missed. I’m deep in theory-mode and can’t wait to see who she brings forward next. This world just keeps getting richer—and I’m completely here for it.

Haidyn is one of the strongest male leads in this entire series. Wonderful job showing his growth and struggles.

The female lead gave me high expectations in the beginning. I truly thought this would be the book where we don’t have another helpless, naive, and defenseless female lead. I’ll give her credit that she was more capable and strong-willed (at times) compared to other female leads in the series. She ended up being fine, but still didn’t meet the expectations I had for her character based on how the book started (that’s more of a personal issue than an issue with the book itself).

The plot…okay. I’m appreciative of a lot of details finally connecting- especially following Carnage. There were so many plot holes from that book, and a bunch of questions are answered in this book. The overall plot and sub-plots are okay. I won’t spoil any of the details, but again, maybe my expectations are too high for what I thought was going on. At this point in the series, the plot twists were predictable for me. They were still enjoyable to read and I felt like I won a contest by predicting correctly. But it’s becoming easier to figure out what’s going to happen because a lot of the themes are similar from book to book. Again, not a bad thing.

I enjoyed this story a lot. Once I was a third of the way through, I was pretty invested. The beginning, with all of the incomplete flashbacks, was totally confusing at times. So pay really close attention to the timelines and stuff, or else you’ll have to re-read details. Haidyn was fantastic and kept me invested and he’s definitely a new book boyfriend for me.

Okay, well wow, but this book is now well into the Lords series.. Madness is exactly the kind of dark, unhinged chaos I have come to expect from Shantel Tessier and she does not hold back at all, the story is really starting to come together and get so deep. The atmosphere is heavy, the tension is constant and the entire book has that addictive ‘just one more chapter’ pull I love.

I love the Lords.. it’s no less a rollercoaster than the rest. Haidyn is my favourite Spade and the audiobook along with it is amazing!!!

It’s the kind of story that keeps you reading even when you’re thinking ‘I should not be enjoying this as much as I am.’ (But that’s why I love these books)

Madness as I said is emotionally charged and delves into the "secret society" trope and really shows the high stakes world of the Lords. It has secrets, emotional turmoil and possessive devotion that is across the series. This books both heartbreaking and beautiful.

I cried, i laughed and cried again !! I giggled throws my phone picked it up ans throw it again !!! This book was everything Haydin took the first with Sin in my shelf. Ih my gosh i can even explain what i feel riht now !! Shantel queen you did it again !! You did it again !! Making us going Madness for your mens !! I love them so much Thank you

Wow, I don't even know where to begin.

So let's begin with the obvious (for me, anyway) - don't read Madness if you haven't read the whole L.O.R.D.S series! I was going to start with Madness but was so glad I read the author's note and decided to read the books in order. Characters and background stories will make a lot more sense in Madness if you read the previous books in this series.

I loved Madness, like could not put it down, it had me completely riveted, but holly hell it was REALLY DARK, depraved, gory and twisted! I came away with a really uneasy feeling after reading it and, not going to lie, a few things messed with my head a bit (I have no triggers either). Madness could be a very difficult and traumatic read for some so please proceed with maximum caution and definitely read the TWs.

The L.O.R.D.S secret society is sick and twisted, make no bones about it, this book is not for the faint of heart. That being said, I really like books that make me feel, and this one definitely did all that. I cried in parts and sobbed in one part, but I mostly felt really anxious and rivetted, not knowing what was going to happen next. I also found myself Googling the names of piercings, BDSM devices etc because while some were described well by the author, I just couldn't get a visual in my head, or I had no clue what they were, LOL. And Madness is definitely heavy on the smut LOL - again, not for the faint of heart.

I'm going to agree with other reviewers and say Madness was way too long (800+ pages). The other books in the series were around 550-650 pages and Madness would have been a better book at that length. There were things that happened that didn't really add to the story or character development or plot in any way, and I felt these were unnecessary to include.

Haydin (MMC) was certainly HOT, HOT, HOT, even though I didn't like him in the beginning. But then getting to understand what he went through, I just felt really sad for him in the end. It was cruelty at its worst. I loved how he put everyone else first without a thought about himself. Deep down he had a huge and caring heart but he was just broken from what he'd endured and his upbringing. I loved how protective he became of Charlotte (FMC) and he certainly had 'touch her and die' vibes in spades (pun intended).

There were some things that just didn't make sense or were too far-fetched, but hey, its fiction, not reality, and it certainly didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book.

I've read all the books in this series and loved them all and while it was good to have lots of unresolved questions answered, I did come away with more questions. While there is a conclusion to the book, there were some things unresolved that annoyed me. Again, didn't make me love the book any less.

I'd certainly re-read Madness, I gave it 5 stars. Hoping to see books for Kashton and Adam next.

Love this series so much, Shantel was my second author into dark romance and she got me hooked... i fell for the MMC in the last book before his nature came out in the end, not sure hat it was about him but i fell and having his book out and getting to know him better was just *chef Kiss*.

The ups and downs and getting answers to almost all questions from ALL the other books was even better... the brain that Shantel has... HAS to be preserved and i am so excited to see what comes next.

Again out of ALL the L.O.R.D.S books this is by far the best written and the best book out of the series. Made me fall for one of the other characters and am secretly hoping his book comes out soon.

Now coming to the FMC... when getting all the teases from Shantel through out the year before who the book was about i had a feeling the FMC was who i thought it was from Carnage... and I am glad to say i was right and getting her side of the story and seeing her strength and determination was amazing... as i didn't fully like the FMC in Carnage... not sure what it was about Ashtyn... but i didn't really like her... but i still loved Saint...

All in all it was so great hearing his story and the twists and turns! Love this series so much and so sad to have to wait for the next after reading it one day!

Best book out of the whole series! Had me crying! And this is a dark romance, not a sob one hahaha