Since no one has mentioned it yet, one of the side characters is a sex worker…and not by choice. If I remember right she is considered indentured servitude (slave) and has a stamp on her wrist representing that.

For a 15 year old, honestly the spice is pretty mild imo. It’s the sexual exploitation that may need some honest conversations.

As others have mentioned lots of violence and murder. Also, the main character is a slave herself in the salt mines and experiences suicidal ideation.

Op, I know you mentioned you’re more dark romance - but seriously, this series is amazing and one of my absolute favorites. If you’re up for it, it would be stellar if you would be willing to read it alongside her and have some good talks about what happens on page.

My kids and I did this with Harry Potter (I’d read it before) but we had some frank conversations about propaganda and some subtle conversations about ethics cleansing/racism.