The Darkness Within Us

Chrysantha aims to run her own estate at a time when women were expected to marry and be obedient. Main characters are White, but two minor characters are described as Black: Sandros, a favored male prostitute and Ilias Tomaras, the investigator. Some minor characters also identify as LGBTQ: two maids are lesbians and Petrie is bisexual. A book group reads a story about two male lovers and there's a discussion of female nobles who prefer female prostitutes.

One gory scene with men killed in a room with guns, knives, swords, and fists with some description of someone decapitated, a skull crushed. A knife wound gets stitched without anesthesia. A man smothered to death by a pillow, another poisoned. A 65-year-old physically assaults his 19-year-old wife and calls her property. Stories of war with men shot and injured. Talk of men disappearing and killed and the disposal of bodies.

Characters have passionate sex, clothes ripped off, with the actual act not described. After putting in an order for contraception, Chrysantha hires a series of male prostitutes whom she "samples" at her estate and buys presents for, deciding that mistresses aren't just for male nobles. While there's some description of kissing and one lover "seeing to [her] needs three times before he lets himself get lost" -- it never gets graphic. Chrysantha often mentions that her sister slept with lots of men before she married and rather enjoyed calling her a trollop.

"Ass," "damn," "hell," and "s--t" all said rarely.

Chrysantha is 19 and Eryx 18. They drink wine with dinner and Chrysantha drinks a glass of wine in a carriage by herself.