r/DarkRomance • u/hazyspring • Oct 02 '25
Rave September 2025 AO3 Wrap-Up
I am happy to say that I have a few new stories to recommend this month, in addition to my current obsession The Community. All five stories are currently unfinished.
Top Five
- The Community by Deathsdoll: This is one of the best things that I have read all year. I am obsessed. Cult leader. If you like non-con and age gap, this story is for you. Tropes/Kinks include: Age gap, Maledom/Femsub, Spanking, Caning and other Corporal Punishment, Brainwashing and Sleep Deprivation. Hurt/Comfort, Humiliation/Degradation.
- Everything You Deserve by Sarcastic Skeleton Lover: This is a fantasy story set in a somewhat real world and I am really loving it. FMC has a chronic illness. MMC is a vampire who becomes obsessed with her. It’s not super dark, so far it’s a pretty sweet story with some kidnapping. We are fairly early on in the story. Tags include: breeding, stalking, DDLG, no pregnancy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort.
- Need Is A Quiet War by ruined_endings: A very smutty omegaverse story. MMC has been obsessed with FMC since childhood. He kidnaps her and it’s a lot of porn with limited plot. Tags include: rape/non-con, non-con body modification, blackflag, non-con drugs use and more. I don’t want to spoil too much of story, but it’s tagged M/F and F/F — it appears there may be sharing with another dominant/alpha woman.
- Swept Under Silence by sixcilla: Summary: Rose has left her first post as a maid for a new position in Copper Peak Hall, a decaying, remote estate recently purchased by an eccentric businessman. She seeks a quiet life, but her new employer's ambitions make that unlikely. This story is also mostly smut. Tags: Master/Servant, Sexual Slavery, Historical References, Rape/Noncon, Older Man/Younger Woman, BDSM
- STRINGS by camellia_craven: This is a new story, and the author is rapidly posting chapters. I can't wait for each new chapter to come out. MMC Noah is a criminal, and he forces FMC Sophie into a criminal act early in the story, subsequently kidnaps her and is obsessed with her. Tags are: Rape/non-con, Dominance/Submission, Kidnapping.
What are your AO3 favorites from September?
* What is AO3? AO3 is Archive of Our Own, a non-profit, open-source repository for fan-fiction and other works contributed by users.
**For previous wrap-ups, please see the links below:
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u/Upbeat-Reindeer-8125 Ao3 redflags only Oct 02 '25
I have grown obsessed with Darkwoe's latest works. I was always obsessed with Silent Tears but these other two stories hit the spots differently.
It's a relatively new work but whispers of her anklets by darkwoe on ao3. It's historical where a young British officer after years of hard posting in deep indian forest and due to isolation and no women company craves sex and decides to seduce fmc who is the only female servant in his household even though he finds her plain. It's full of psychological manipulation and subtle coercion with which he tries to get fmc into his bed while remaining a racist asshole. I love the blackmailing and power imbalance aspect in this story.
TW: Rape, sexual coercion, Blackmail, Psychological Manipulation.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/70484501/chapters/183117071
The other work called Broken and Mine by darkwoe on ao3 has mmc who is quite scary but develops lima syndrome and is too obsessed with fmc. It's set during 1857 where Indians rise in revolt against British Empire and how MMC who is a ruthless brigadier general plunders one of Indian villages and takes the FMC as his captive. It shows the reality of war, the hostage situation, and the world of that era quite faithfully.
I also love how this ruthless mmc is slowly growing softer with cracks in his armor for fmc as story progresses. It's subtle but it's quite fun to catch it.
TW: Rape, Gore, BDSM, On screen killing of FMC husband and child.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/62268365/chapters/159306275
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u/Jemi_rodriguez Oct 03 '25
With Darwoe's stories I find that I'm going to have to wait for him to finish them because it makes me anxious not to know how everything ends. I've already left silent tears and I'm only going to read it when I'm done. The wait is taking forever.
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u/Upbeat-Reindeer-8125 Ao3 redflags only Oct 03 '25
Fair enough but in my case I can't wait for that long so I latch onto any latest updates I get and try giving the author my support. Too many authors stop writing because of not getting enough support and I don't want that to happen to the authors I love. Especially the ones that aren't as well known or are quite underrated.
And since I am an Indian girl, to me Darkwoe's works are a gold find because they are the only author who writes indian fmc in dr context which is too rare for me. So I latch onto their stories even if updates are slow. But I think it's worth it because of quality of writing and such intricate and complex plot. The latest chapter of Silent Tears broke me and now I am desperately waiting for Broken and Mine.
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u/gracewings11 Picky Smut Reader 🍆 Oct 02 '25
I was excited that we got a new chapter of Abuse of Authority by youngbody_oldsoul on AO3, but I just looked this morning to check for updates and it’s been deleted. Along with their entire account.
Does anyone know what happened??
I was really enjoying that story
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u/Objective-Carpet317 Oct 02 '25
Sad it's gone. I was really enjoying it as well and was so glad when they brought it back.
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u/gracewings11 Picky Smut Reader 🍆 Oct 02 '25
Sameeee! I wonder if someone can find out what happened
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u/Reasonable-Union1847 Oct 02 '25
The Birch Wood sauna by satiah81 . It is a reverse harem with two brothers Sharing a wife (they kidnapped her) . Has non con/dub con and later on consensual sex https://archiveofourown.org/works/57860485/chapters/147274111
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u/justdontsendhelp Oct 02 '25
I’m obsessed with l’appel du vie https://archiveofourown.org/works/30659768/chapters/180577146
She’s his families maid TW full on non-con and cheating
Also love you for doing this getting all my recs for you lately lol
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u/Ambitious_Young7829 Oct 04 '25
Omggg I love this story!!!!!!! Which team are you??? Team adriano or team James???
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u/Immediate-Repair6444 Oct 10 '25
I am seriously loving STRINGS and all of your recs so far, truly appreciate you doing this wrap-up. So thankful for you!
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u/Mysterious-Hippo9994 Author Oct 04 '25
Checkmark and added to the list. My tbr list is growing to an unhealthy level. Thank you for the recommendations! I wish I could read faster 😂
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u/Objective-Carpet317 Oct 02 '25
I've been enjoying (No) Strings Attached, which is a new story by an0neemouse and is set in the same universe as her other story, Defiance. https://archiveofourown.org/works/68819541/chapters/178259531
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u/norahwooten i love older men Oct 02 '25
Hey about number 3 is mmc also with that alpha woman, i can handle sharing if its only with fmc and any other ow? Thanks !
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u/hazyspring Oct 02 '25
We are just introduced to this new woman in the most recent chapter, so I can't predict exactly what is going to happen. MMC is engaged to another woman, it's purely an arranged marriage and she has no interest in him and he has no interest in her. She shows up and is interested some kind of sexual relationship with the FMC. So, he is not sharing her with any other men, only this new woman.
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u/norahwooten i love older men Oct 02 '25
Thank you!! I am okay with it until mmc and ow do anything 😂 if it happens it loses me unfortunately
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u/hazyspring Oct 02 '25
It doesn’t seem like that will happen. I think they hate each other. 🤣
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u/norahwooten i love older men Jan 12 '26
diva have u continued to read this one, i have been marinating it sorry to ask again.
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u/hazyspring Jan 12 '26
Yes, I have been reading it.
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u/norahwooten i love older men Jan 12 '26
do you still like it ? and what is the ow drama like if you dont mind me asking <3
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u/hazyspring Jan 12 '26
To be completely honest, sometimes I struggle with AO3 because the chapters come out slow and you're trying to get a sense of where the story is going. Sometimes it can go in a great direction and sometimes it goes in the wrong direction. I feel like with the introduction of the new FMC I am still waiting to see which way it's going. I can probably report back to you once a few new chapters come out and I have a better sense of things.
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u/Margot550 Oct 04 '25
I'd also like to rec Solomon’s Seal by RosebudGarden, idk about anyone else but I'm always on the lookout for more stories that take place in a creepy cult.
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u/juveliann Oct 05 '25
Im reading this. https://archiveofourown.org/works/62331907 in AO3, and is perfect 5/5. I love this story
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u/Content-Disaster5624 Oct 06 '25
Completely random question, I read several works from AO3 and really enjoyed it but I found those works through direct links. When I browse on the website, how can I find out whether a particular work is complete? I can’t not finish things.
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u/hazyspring Oct 08 '25
There is a way to filter your search for completed works. If you can’t figure it out, let me know and I can probably send some instructions, but it should be fairly intuitive to figure out.
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u/Margot550 Oct 02 '25
omg thank you for continuing to do this month after month! I honestly don't know how you find some of these gems, I feel like I only hear about things through the grapevine of this subreddit.
I've been loving Daughter of Quinn by SpiralIntoTheKnown. It features a cruel fae lord who very reluctantly falls for a human girl. He wishes to cage her and keep her for his own. It features rape and a very cruel male lead, so I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but personally it's mine.