What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kings #2
The Phantom King
Siobhan Ashdown was born of magic; it rides her blood like a phantom, tainted and dark and unpredictable. She is a warlock, and the power within her is unlike any before known to her kind. So it’s no surprise that the most powerful of the demons who feed off of this warlock magic not only recognizes the enormous potential she represents but determines that he will possess her at any cost.
Even if it means war with the entire supernatural world.
Thanatos has ruled Purgatory as the Phantom King since time immemorial. King of a vast plane of solitude, he is a free spirit, a lone rider, a tattooed man of wind and dust and nonexistent boundaries. Then he turns around one morning to find himself face to face with Siobhan Ashdown, a woman with hair as red and wild as his soul, eyes like melted gold, and a spirit as elusive as his own. Time stops, the world tilts, and the fact that she attacks him right off the bat does little to deter his romantic convictions.
Thirteen Kings are severed by lust and greed, an ancient vampire and his rogue creation lay claim to what is not theirs, the whisperings of war begin to shake the foundation of the supernatural world, and primordial evil awakens from its slumber to slither across the land in this second installment in the Big Bad Wolf spinoff series, The Kings, by Heather Killough-Walden.
Even if it means war with the entire supernatural world.
Thanatos has ruled Purgatory as the Phantom King since time immemorial. King of a vast plane of solitude, he is a free spirit, a lone rider, a tattooed man of wind and dust and nonexistent boundaries. Then he turns around one morning to find himself face to face with Siobhan Ashdown, a woman with hair as red and wild as his soul, eyes like melted gold, and a spirit as elusive as his own. Time stops, the world tilts, and the fact that she attacks him right off the bat does little to deter his romantic convictions.
Thirteen Kings are severed by lust and greed, an ancient vampire and his rogue creation lay claim to what is not theirs, the whisperings of war begin to shake the foundation of the supernatural world, and primordial evil awakens from its slumber to slither across the land in this second installment in the Big Bad Wolf spinoff series, The Kings, by Heather Killough-Walden.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2012
142 people are currently reading
1159 people want to read
About the author
Heather Killough-Walden
61 books2,187 followersHeather Killough-Walden is a California native currently living in Texas with her husband and child. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Big Bad Wolf series. Heather’s educational background includes religious studies, archeology, and law. She has traveled all over the world but hopes to one day live in a town with a world-class hockey team. (Let’s Go Pens!) Visit Heather’s website at www.killough-walden.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. Also, be sure to keep in touch with her and other fans through her Facebook fan page and through Twitter (killoughwalden)!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
May 15, 2012
I’m loving Heather Killough-Walden’s The Kings Series. It may have something to do with my love of the Big Bad Wolf Series, but I think I would like it regardless.
You can get the gist of the series from the description. In The Vampire King, the 13 Immortal Kings found out that each one of them was destined to find their queen. In The Phantom King, Thanatos finds that he is next in line. As usual, fate plays some nasty tricks on the destined pairing. The fact that the destined queens so far have no idea that the supernatural world exists just adds to the drama. Well, they mostly don’t know. There is something uniquely special about each one of the queens. Siobhan just happens to be a warlock.
Part of what I have liked about this series so far is how Heather Killough-Walden has interwoven the lives of all these paranormal beings. In each book we have gotten a glimpse into some of the other Kings. The reader is also treated to some glimpses into characters that were first introduced in the Big Bad Wolf Series. Since I wasn’t quite ready for that series to end, I’m loving the fact that we haven’t totally said good-bye to them. Their lives are woven into the future of the Kings as well. That doesn’t mean that you have to read the Big Bad Wolf Series to appreciate The Kings Series. For me, it’s just an added bonus.
I liked the pairing and the story in The Vampire King, but I think I liked the pairing of Thane and Siobhan even better. There was just something about them that seemed even more natural as a couple. I liked Thane’s vulnerability and Siobhan’s strength and determination to fight the darkness of her magic. Even so, Roman’s story is far from over and I’m looking forward to see how the drama for the rest of the Kings play out in future books.
You can get the gist of the series from the description. In The Vampire King, the 13 Immortal Kings found out that each one of them was destined to find their queen. In The Phantom King, Thanatos finds that he is next in line. As usual, fate plays some nasty tricks on the destined pairing. The fact that the destined queens so far have no idea that the supernatural world exists just adds to the drama. Well, they mostly don’t know. There is something uniquely special about each one of the queens. Siobhan just happens to be a warlock.
Part of what I have liked about this series so far is how Heather Killough-Walden has interwoven the lives of all these paranormal beings. In each book we have gotten a glimpse into some of the other Kings. The reader is also treated to some glimpses into characters that were first introduced in the Big Bad Wolf Series. Since I wasn’t quite ready for that series to end, I’m loving the fact that we haven’t totally said good-bye to them. Their lives are woven into the future of the Kings as well. That doesn’t mean that you have to read the Big Bad Wolf Series to appreciate The Kings Series. For me, it’s just an added bonus.
I liked the pairing and the story in The Vampire King, but I think I liked the pairing of Thane and Siobhan even better. There was just something about them that seemed even more natural as a couple. I liked Thane’s vulnerability and Siobhan’s strength and determination to fight the darkness of her magic. Even so, Roman’s story is far from over and I’m looking forward to see how the drama for the rest of the Kings play out in future books.
March 21, 2016
RATING: 3.5 Hearts! :)
June 2, 2013
FINALLY. A book that delivers..for me at least. 4.5 stars. I never do whole numbers yo!
I've read a lot of Killough-Walden's books (isn't that a mouthful? from here on out she's going to be KW k?) and I've always appreciated her imagination and relatively sparse writing style and her reinvention of certain elements (for example her Neverland series..made me love the Peter Pan universe like I never had before, truly, it isn't for kids!).
I think the KW is obsessed with motorcycles. She has them in almost every single book. I love motorcycles myself and if I weren't such a clutz I would have one but my husband guilt trips me every time I try to bring it up...but yeah lots of motorcycles in this book. In fact she mentions the Dodge Tomahawk and Siobhan is a bit wrong about that one..the Dodge T hasn't reached speeds of up to 350 mph. No one has ever tried to even do that only 100 mph so far..thanks Wikipedia!
Anyway-
This book is the second installment of the King series and it covers Siobhan, a lovely gentle spirited warlock who refuses to use her dark powers against another. Thanatos, the Phantom King, in his ultra phantomness is tending to his lonely and eternal job of accepting anguished souls in Purgatory when one arrives and then inconceivably decides -nevermind I'm out of here, I'm going back to the mortal realm see you! And then the chase is on as Thane pursues the escaped soul and meets Siobhan in the process.
I liked how KW interspersed some scenes of the other groups of supernaturals and one of my most favorite things ever- which is GODS- a God shows up and that set my interest on fire. I won't name names in an effort to avoid spoilers. I have a penchant for Gods visiting the mortal realm and if anything "Gods" are interwoven into a plot it is a great pleasure for me to read.
This universe is packed with supernaturals, a council of Kings that oversee their populations, and laws. If you're looking for something a little more interesting or refreshing for PNR I highly suggest this series. I enjoyed the first book (Vampire King) and this as well and I am going to continue to read the entire series in the next couple of days (I think there are only two more published so far and there are 13 Kings total).
This series also visits a few interesting realms such as the Astral Plane, Purgatory, and of course the normal mortal realm. I imagine more realms will be coming up in the series given the different Kings in the line up.
Why I really enjoyed this:
- Fun story
- God cameo, yay!
- Multiple Realms, hell yes!
- Normally not into this but Thanatos is covered in perpetually changing beautiful tattoos...nice.
- Thanatos is a brunette. LOL I love brunettes!
Yes I know I'm a dork and this series is fun for me. And KW writes EXCELLENT ENDINGS in my opinion. When I finished this..it felt finished and I felt ready for the next one not edgy and irritated that the author left things unfinished and unsatisfactory.
I've read a lot of Killough-Walden's books (isn't that a mouthful? from here on out she's going to be KW k?) and I've always appreciated her imagination and relatively sparse writing style and her reinvention of certain elements (for example her Neverland series..made me love the Peter Pan universe like I never had before, truly, it isn't for kids!).
I think the KW is obsessed with motorcycles. She has them in almost every single book. I love motorcycles myself and if I weren't such a clutz I would have one but my husband guilt trips me every time I try to bring it up...but yeah lots of motorcycles in this book. In fact she mentions the Dodge Tomahawk and Siobhan is a bit wrong about that one..the Dodge T hasn't reached speeds of up to 350 mph. No one has ever tried to even do that only 100 mph so far..thanks Wikipedia!
Anyway-
This book is the second installment of the King series and it covers Siobhan, a lovely gentle spirited warlock who refuses to use her dark powers against another. Thanatos, the Phantom King, in his ultra phantomness is tending to his lonely and eternal job of accepting anguished souls in Purgatory when one arrives and then inconceivably decides -nevermind I'm out of here, I'm going back to the mortal realm see you! And then the chase is on as Thane pursues the escaped soul and meets Siobhan in the process.
I liked how KW interspersed some scenes of the other groups of supernaturals and one of my most favorite things ever- which is GODS- a God shows up and that set my interest on fire. I won't name names in an effort to avoid spoilers. I have a penchant for Gods visiting the mortal realm and if anything "Gods" are interwoven into a plot it is a great pleasure for me to read.
This universe is packed with supernaturals, a council of Kings that oversee their populations, and laws. If you're looking for something a little more interesting or refreshing for PNR I highly suggest this series. I enjoyed the first book (Vampire King) and this as well and I am going to continue to read the entire series in the next couple of days (I think there are only two more published so far and there are 13 Kings total).
This series also visits a few interesting realms such as the Astral Plane, Purgatory, and of course the normal mortal realm. I imagine more realms will be coming up in the series given the different Kings in the line up.
Why I really enjoyed this:
- Fun story
- God cameo, yay!
- Multiple Realms, hell yes!
- Normally not into this but Thanatos is covered in perpetually changing beautiful tattoos...nice.
- Thanatos is a brunette. LOL I love brunettes!
Yes I know I'm a dork and this series is fun for me. And KW writes EXCELLENT ENDINGS in my opinion. When I finished this..it felt finished and I felt ready for the next one not edgy and irritated that the author left things unfinished and unsatisfactory.
July 20, 2012
It is official. I am hooked on Heather Killough-Walden's books. This is the tenth book I've read by Ms. Walden. With every book in The Kings series comes a better and deeper story. The Phantom King is book two in the Big Bad Wolf spinoff series, The Kings. The Vampire King is the first book in the series. I have to say, while The Vampire King left me speechless, this book left me stunned.
Summary: Siobhan Ashdown is a warlock. Warlocks are by no means the same as witches. The magic of a warlock is different. It is dark and evil. The Akyri demons feed off of warlock magic. This puts Siobhan in an enormous amount of danger, as she possesses a great amount of potential in magic. Thanatos, or Thane is the Phantom King, ruler of Purgatory. One of the souls that were supposed to stay in his realm escapes. When Thane goes to the world of the living to retrieve this soul, he finds that the soul has led him to Siobhan. Someone wanted to drain Siobhan of her magic, but got to her boyfriend Steven first. But little does Siobhan know what's in store when she meets Thane. "Thirteen Kings are severed by lust and greed, an ancient vampire and his rogue creation lay claim to what is not theirs, the whisperings of war begin to shake the foundation of the supernatural world, and primordial evil awakens from its slumber to slither across the land in this second installment in the Big Bad Wolf spinoff series, The Kings, by Heather Killough-Walden."
What I Liked: I liked all of the characters! This is very rare, because while all characters have their flaws, I generally cannot get past those flaws. In this book, the characters are not perfect, but still attachable. Siobhan is very different from Evie, the heroine of The Vampire King. I like that Siobhan was a firecracker that wasn't afraid of a fight. She didn't back down or succumb to Thane's whims. And Thane. He's probably one of my favorite HKW heroes. He's not a werewolf, he's not a vampire, he's not an Akyri, he's not anything that anyone else is. He's himself. There's only one of him. I love that. It makes him unique. And he has awesome tattoos!
I liked that we as readers get to continue to see more about the past characters in the Big Bad Wolf series. Like Dannai, and her twins! And there's a whole back story that is introduced, about Dannai and the twins. And we get to see a peek of Jason, The Warlock King, and what is to come for him and his queen. The Vampire King, Roman, also has some troubles heading toward him and Evie in the form of Ophelia. We also get to know more of the rest of the kings that are possibly to come in the series. I love this deeper tone the story is getting in to! This is definitely shaping up into a more intricate series than I thought I would be reading!
I think the thing that I like the most about all of Ms. Walden's adult romance books (I'm not sure if her Chosen Soul series and October trilogy are adult) is that while these books are romance, there are few explicit scenes in the book. The book is more about the paranormal, supernatural world. While romance is a huge component to the series, I'm not grossed out by sex and hormones and whatnot. I like that. I read these series more for the paranormal story than the romance story. But I like the romance. It's easy to follow.
What I Did Not Like: I didn't get much of a feel for Marius, the Akyri King and "bad guy". There wasn't much of the story that took place in his perspective, so we didn't really get to read about him. We knew he wanted Siobhan for her dark magic. But it wasn't like in The Strip, where we got a full disclosure about Gabriel. And, while this book is about Siobhan and Thane, most of it seemed to be about the deeper tone that I mentioned. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it took away from the original story.
Would I Recommend It: YES! I know I said something along these lines about The Vampire King, but this is definitely one of my favorites of Ms. Walden's books. But I'll also say this again: Read the Big Bad Wolf series first. You'll understand more of this story. This is for an audience of mature teenagers and up.
Rating: 5 stars. Thank you for the copy, Ms. Walden!
Summary: Siobhan Ashdown is a warlock. Warlocks are by no means the same as witches. The magic of a warlock is different. It is dark and evil. The Akyri demons feed off of warlock magic. This puts Siobhan in an enormous amount of danger, as she possesses a great amount of potential in magic. Thanatos, or Thane is the Phantom King, ruler of Purgatory. One of the souls that were supposed to stay in his realm escapes. When Thane goes to the world of the living to retrieve this soul, he finds that the soul has led him to Siobhan. Someone wanted to drain Siobhan of her magic, but got to her boyfriend Steven first. But little does Siobhan know what's in store when she meets Thane. "Thirteen Kings are severed by lust and greed, an ancient vampire and his rogue creation lay claim to what is not theirs, the whisperings of war begin to shake the foundation of the supernatural world, and primordial evil awakens from its slumber to slither across the land in this second installment in the Big Bad Wolf spinoff series, The Kings, by Heather Killough-Walden."
What I Liked: I liked all of the characters! This is very rare, because while all characters have their flaws, I generally cannot get past those flaws. In this book, the characters are not perfect, but still attachable. Siobhan is very different from Evie, the heroine of The Vampire King. I like that Siobhan was a firecracker that wasn't afraid of a fight. She didn't back down or succumb to Thane's whims. And Thane. He's probably one of my favorite HKW heroes. He's not a werewolf, he's not a vampire, he's not an Akyri, he's not anything that anyone else is. He's himself. There's only one of him. I love that. It makes him unique. And he has awesome tattoos!
I liked that we as readers get to continue to see more about the past characters in the Big Bad Wolf series. Like Dannai, and her twins! And there's a whole back story that is introduced, about Dannai and the twins. And we get to see a peek of Jason, The Warlock King, and what is to come for him and his queen. The Vampire King, Roman, also has some troubles heading toward him and Evie in the form of Ophelia. We also get to know more of the rest of the kings that are possibly to come in the series. I love this deeper tone the story is getting in to! This is definitely shaping up into a more intricate series than I thought I would be reading!
I think the thing that I like the most about all of Ms. Walden's adult romance books (I'm not sure if her Chosen Soul series and October trilogy are adult) is that while these books are romance, there are few explicit scenes in the book. The book is more about the paranormal, supernatural world. While romance is a huge component to the series, I'm not grossed out by sex and hormones and whatnot. I like that. I read these series more for the paranormal story than the romance story. But I like the romance. It's easy to follow.
What I Did Not Like: I didn't get much of a feel for Marius, the Akyri King and "bad guy". There wasn't much of the story that took place in his perspective, so we didn't really get to read about him. We knew he wanted Siobhan for her dark magic. But it wasn't like in The Strip, where we got a full disclosure about Gabriel. And, while this book is about Siobhan and Thane, most of it seemed to be about the deeper tone that I mentioned. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it took away from the original story.
Would I Recommend It: YES! I know I said something along these lines about The Vampire King, but this is definitely one of my favorites of Ms. Walden's books. But I'll also say this again: Read the Big Bad Wolf series first. You'll understand more of this story. This is for an audience of mature teenagers and up.
Rating: 5 stars. Thank you for the copy, Ms. Walden!
May 15, 2012
I did not like this book as much as I've liked Heather Killough-Walden's past books. The story just didn't have much depth, and there were odd errors more typically found in self-pubs, but not normally in HKW's.
The word Akyri showed up in one spot when it should have been Anime, the heroine was called miss Ashdown (twice) instead of Miss Ashdown (note the proper capitalization), and a supposed 6 yr-old child turned into a 16 yr-old teenager with 2 pages. Neglible details, perhaps, but I'm used to better from this author. It was a bit disappointing.
The story was fairly short, and took place in approximately one day (depending on time manipulation by the hero, I guess), which isn't really a problem, but it just felt very abbreviated.
The word Akyri showed up in one spot when it should have been Anime, the heroine was called miss Ashdown (twice) instead of Miss Ashdown (note the proper capitalization), and a supposed 6 yr-old child turned into a 16 yr-old teenager with 2 pages. Neglible details, perhaps, but I'm used to better from this author. It was a bit disappointing.
The story was fairly short, and took place in approximately one day (depending on time manipulation by the hero, I guess), which isn't really a problem, but it just felt very abbreviated.
Read
June 1, 2020Exciting
Oooh what an action packed read loving the king series the phantom king was a great addition with great characters Thane is delirious hot and Siobhan was a strong sassy heroine loved it looking forward to the next installment. This is shaping up to being a highly addictive series .well done Heather Killough-Walden.
Oooh what an action packed read loving the king series the phantom king was a great addition with great characters Thane is delirious hot and Siobhan was a strong sassy heroine loved it looking forward to the next installment. This is shaping up to being a highly addictive series .well done Heather Killough-Walden.
February 11, 2015
I really like this series.
May 25, 2012
Wow! What a great read! This is the second instalment of The Kings series, the sequel to Vampire King. It is a spin off from the fabulous Big Bad Wolf Series. Consequently we meet favourite characters from both the Vampire King and The BB Wolf books.
The book follows the meeting of Thane and Siobhan … both headstrong, determined and stubborn people who collide, butt heads and fall in love. Their courtship is brief but their characters are so similar and so sympathetic to each other that their whirlwind romance is entirely believable.
One of the Thirteen, Marius the Akyri King, has decided to risk war between species to satisfy his greed … seeking assistance from a law breaking supernatural being and his illegally created vampire Ophelia … who also happens to be the old love of the Vampire King, Roman. However, Roman is now married to Evie and Ophelia is very unhappy about that. The dark creature that has created Ophelia oozes evil and as the story continues, the reader realises that a bigger plot is unfolding concerning this being, one that will continue through future sequels.
Ramses (A.K.A Amon) is back after a five thousand year sleep and unsure of how to act. He is extremely powerful. The species that he once hunted … the Vampires, the Werewolves … are not the bloodthirsty savages that they once were. Consequently he is unsure of what he should do. His wife, Amunet, is lost to him and he still hopes to find her. This search inadvertently leads him to a daughter that he never knew that he had and her children … his grandchildren.
Lalura makes another appearance in this book and I have to say I love this character. She is very old and very powerful but so down to earth and no-nonsense.
Although Siobhan and Thane form the main part of the story, the other elements are just as important and form a continuing thread of story begun in the last book. The book is fast paced and action packed. There are a lot of characters but they are introduced into the story gradually and in such a way that it is easy to keep track of them all.
This was a wonderful tale written by a very talented author. Heather Killough Walden creates a world populated by big, protective warrior-like men, feisty powerful women, where good & evil battle constantly … the plots are written well enough to make the reader uneasy in some scenes and laugh out loud with others. Like her other books, the story throbs with sexuality and passion but it is in total context with plot. I loved this book and look forward to its sequel with eager anticipation.
The book follows the meeting of Thane and Siobhan … both headstrong, determined and stubborn people who collide, butt heads and fall in love. Their courtship is brief but their characters are so similar and so sympathetic to each other that their whirlwind romance is entirely believable.
One of the Thirteen, Marius the Akyri King, has decided to risk war between species to satisfy his greed … seeking assistance from a law breaking supernatural being and his illegally created vampire Ophelia … who also happens to be the old love of the Vampire King, Roman. However, Roman is now married to Evie and Ophelia is very unhappy about that. The dark creature that has created Ophelia oozes evil and as the story continues, the reader realises that a bigger plot is unfolding concerning this being, one that will continue through future sequels.
Ramses (A.K.A Amon) is back after a five thousand year sleep and unsure of how to act. He is extremely powerful. The species that he once hunted … the Vampires, the Werewolves … are not the bloodthirsty savages that they once were. Consequently he is unsure of what he should do. His wife, Amunet, is lost to him and he still hopes to find her. This search inadvertently leads him to a daughter that he never knew that he had and her children … his grandchildren.
Lalura makes another appearance in this book and I have to say I love this character. She is very old and very powerful but so down to earth and no-nonsense.
Although Siobhan and Thane form the main part of the story, the other elements are just as important and form a continuing thread of story begun in the last book. The book is fast paced and action packed. There are a lot of characters but they are introduced into the story gradually and in such a way that it is easy to keep track of them all.
This was a wonderful tale written by a very talented author. Heather Killough Walden creates a world populated by big, protective warrior-like men, feisty powerful women, where good & evil battle constantly … the plots are written well enough to make the reader uneasy in some scenes and laugh out loud with others. Like her other books, the story throbs with sexuality and passion but it is in total context with plot. I loved this book and look forward to its sequel with eager anticipation.
June 3, 2012
Wow! What a great read! I LOVED LOVED it!
Spellbinding!
Riveting!
Magical!
Astounding!
Just when I thought Walden have played all her cards that she couldn’t possibly stun me, she comes up with a story like this then she hints of Dragon’s, Goblins, Fey, and Shadow’s. Men! I can’t wait!!! Woo- Hoo!!! Ahem… breathe… Winnie… breathe…
The Phantom King is the second installment in the King series and I thought it was well written. There were multiple storylines in the chapter yet the focus was on Thane, the Phantom King and Siobhan, a (pure) Warlock. If you are well verse in Heather Killough- Walden’s supernatural world, you know warlocks are an enigma… flexible moral and all. But a pure warlock? Never heard of!
It all started with the death of Siobhan's boyfriend, Detective Lazarus who was murdered by a demon, which means he has to go to Thane's domain. Thanatos AKA Thane is the phantom king who rules over Purgatory, a place where humans go if their life has been cut short. Steven Lazarus was different when he’d appeared in Thane's Kingdom after being killed by a demon in protection of his girlfriend Siobhan, he didn’t find the demon who killed him, knowing that Siobhan is still in danger, Lazarus disappeared from purgatory and went back to protect Siobhan. Off course Thane followed because Lazarus wasn’t suppose to be able to just leave Thane’s kingdom… when Thane followed Lazarus’s whereabouts, it led him to Siobhan the pure warlock, his queen.
The Phantom King was not a disappointment. It was fast paced, action-packed and so much fun to read. I appreciated the twist and turns and anticipation and surprises layered in this continuation. I especially like that we are still connected to characters from The Big Bad Wolf Series because of the storyline with Dannai cage the healer from the BBW series and the god Amun, AKA Ramses, leader of the hunters. In the end, several mystery were swinging about and it all means more fascinating adventure and I can wait! Walden got an Ace with this installment and I loved it! Coming up next is “The Warlock King” and all I can say is it’s about time! Because Jason Alberich, the warlock King should have his Happy Ever After… He has been redeemed!
Spellbinding!
Riveting!
Magical!
Astounding!
Just when I thought Walden have played all her cards that she couldn’t possibly stun me, she comes up with a story like this then she hints of Dragon’s, Goblins, Fey, and Shadow’s. Men! I can’t wait!!! Woo- Hoo!!! Ahem… breathe… Winnie… breathe…
The Phantom King is the second installment in the King series and I thought it was well written. There were multiple storylines in the chapter yet the focus was on Thane, the Phantom King and Siobhan, a (pure) Warlock. If you are well verse in Heather Killough- Walden’s supernatural world, you know warlocks are an enigma… flexible moral and all. But a pure warlock? Never heard of!
It all started with the death of Siobhan's boyfriend, Detective Lazarus who was murdered by a demon, which means he has to go to Thane's domain. Thanatos AKA Thane is the phantom king who rules over Purgatory, a place where humans go if their life has been cut short. Steven Lazarus was different when he’d appeared in Thane's Kingdom after being killed by a demon in protection of his girlfriend Siobhan, he didn’t find the demon who killed him, knowing that Siobhan is still in danger, Lazarus disappeared from purgatory and went back to protect Siobhan. Off course Thane followed because Lazarus wasn’t suppose to be able to just leave Thane’s kingdom… when Thane followed Lazarus’s whereabouts, it led him to Siobhan the pure warlock, his queen.
The Phantom King was not a disappointment. It was fast paced, action-packed and so much fun to read. I appreciated the twist and turns and anticipation and surprises layered in this continuation. I especially like that we are still connected to characters from The Big Bad Wolf Series because of the storyline with Dannai cage the healer from the BBW series and the god Amun, AKA Ramses, leader of the hunters. In the end, several mystery were swinging about and it all means more fascinating adventure and I can wait! Walden got an Ace with this installment and I loved it! Coming up next is “The Warlock King” and all I can say is it’s about time! Because Jason Alberich, the warlock King should have his Happy Ever After… He has been redeemed!
November 24, 2015
The Phantom King made me have mixed feelings.
For me HK-W still is unable to get me to fully like her characters. The story is mildly entertaining with great ideas behind but there are so many issues with the story:
- things are still unclear when the author doesn't really know what to make of a character. So Thanatos just is. Shame because the name comes from the Greek mithology and that would have been a great start.
- overlapping almost or making the the ex-boyfriend to meet with the current one; at least there was nothing sexual. I get that she wants the heroines to have a life prior to her Hero showing up but the fact that there are intimacies with another character ruins the plot...because they feel out of place
- the lack of romance or better said time for the characters to be together for me to grow to like them together - annoying
- the female heroines are getting dumber by the book. The whole - I want to go back to danger because I am an independent woman has me rolling my eye....
The lack of character build is affecting the story as a whole
I am glad that the plot keeps me entertained. The villain has a darker shade and it affects them all so they all have to fight together. So the storyline is not so consistent but the plot is good which is great because the story lacks character build. I wanted to like the heroine but it didn't work. Thane was a bit better but the lack of details about him is unnerving.
For me HK-W still is unable to get me to fully like her characters. The story is mildly entertaining with great ideas behind but there are so many issues with the story:
- things are still unclear when the author doesn't really know what to make of a character. So Thanatos just is. Shame because the name comes from the Greek mithology and that would have been a great start.
- overlapping almost or making the the ex-boyfriend to meet with the current one; at least there was nothing sexual. I get that she wants the heroines to have a life prior to her Hero showing up but the fact that there are intimacies with another character ruins the plot...because they feel out of place
- the lack of romance or better said time for the characters to be together for me to grow to like them together - annoying
- the female heroines are getting dumber by the book. The whole - I want to go back to danger because I am an independent woman has me rolling my eye....
The lack of character build is affecting the story as a whole
I am glad that the plot keeps me entertained. The villain has a darker shade and it affects them all so they all have to fight together. So the storyline is not so consistent but the plot is good which is great because the story lacks character build. I wanted to like the heroine but it didn't work. Thane was a bit better but the lack of details about him is unnerving.
May 22, 2012
I freely admit that I am a Heather Kilough-Walden adict! To start off this review, I will say that you don't need to read the Big Bad Wolf series or even "The Vampire King" book (the first in the Kings series) to enjoy "The Phantom King"; however, there are some parts of the book that will make more sense if you read the others. I highly recommend all of her books!
"The Phantom King" is a hard to put down read, it is a sneak into the bathroom and read kind of book, a stay up all night until you finish sort of book! It is well written, with terrific, well-defined characters.
The meat of the story is about Thane and Siobhan. Thane is the Phantom King and Siobhan is a Warlock. Thane and Siobhan have both lived lonely lives, not feeling complete. With the death of Siobhan's boyfriend and his subsequent escape from Thane's domain, Thane and Siobhan find themselves face to face. While working on solving her boyfriend's murder and protecting Siobhan from the murderer, they have to work together, learning to trust one another. The story draws together the 13 Kings and provides a back drop for the upcoming stories in the series.
The true magic is how Heather pulls you into the kings worlds and leaves you routing them on.
"The Phantom King" is a hard to put down read, it is a sneak into the bathroom and read kind of book, a stay up all night until you finish sort of book! It is well written, with terrific, well-defined characters.
The meat of the story is about Thane and Siobhan. Thane is the Phantom King and Siobhan is a Warlock. Thane and Siobhan have both lived lonely lives, not feeling complete. With the death of Siobhan's boyfriend and his subsequent escape from Thane's domain, Thane and Siobhan find themselves face to face. While working on solving her boyfriend's murder and protecting Siobhan from the murderer, they have to work together, learning to trust one another. The story draws together the 13 Kings and provides a back drop for the upcoming stories in the series.
The true magic is how Heather pulls you into the kings worlds and leaves you routing them on.
December 15, 2015
I am enjoying this series so very much. The world the author has built is extraordinarily huge and I would be so very lost in it were it not for each novel acting as a snippet into each world.
In this book we learn a bit more about the danger the 13 Kings are facing, and we see the demise of one king.
Thanatos is the central king in this story and I find myself really liking him. He seems so much like a "good ol' boy" with his tats, jeans, t-shirts, and tools for his cars and bikes.
Purgatory is a plain and dusty place, but I'd like to believe that with the arrival of his Queen that it will be a much more different place. A place that has long suffered from the lack of a "woman's touch".
Update: 2nd Reading. This is by far my most favourite story of the 13 Kings. I think Thanatos has the most down-to-Earth feel even though he is most definitely unearthly.
Siobhan his queen has that Earthiness to her, too. It would not be odd seeing them travelling across country in a quaint Airstream.
In this book we learn a bit more about the danger the 13 Kings are facing, and we see the demise of one king.
Thanatos is the central king in this story and I find myself really liking him. He seems so much like a "good ol' boy" with his tats, jeans, t-shirts, and tools for his cars and bikes.
Purgatory is a plain and dusty place, but I'd like to believe that with the arrival of his Queen that it will be a much more different place. A place that has long suffered from the lack of a "woman's touch".
Update: 2nd Reading. This is by far my most favourite story of the 13 Kings. I think Thanatos has the most down-to-Earth feel even though he is most definitely unearthly.
Siobhan his queen has that Earthiness to her, too. It would not be odd seeing them travelling across country in a quaint Airstream.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2013
Took me two days to read this. The main plot of the story is similar to the Vampire king, the underlying plot is starting to get interesting, but I think the foreshadowing is too obvious ... I say that now, two books into a (I assume) 13 book series, so I hope to be surprised. I'm not sure how many pages his book is in print, but as I said it reads so fast and the entire story is pretty straight forward without a lot of twists and turn - reminds me of a rollercoaster with a single long hill, not a lot of curves or twists, just up then down.
February 5, 2013
loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed it
October 12, 2018
Phantom Queen??
I just finished the second book in this series, and I must say, that the author did not disappoint. It is just as good as the first, if not better. It is about each one of the "new" thirteen kings of this realm that are just beginning to be able to find their new brides and solidify their seats of power and increase in their power over their different realms with their new brides. But all of these new kings have to endure a villain of some type (usually within their ranks) that is either after their girl, their position on the thirteen kings, take their power or just go big and take it ALL!! The book is very good and has a charismatic flow between all of the characters, especially the H/h. In each book, they are different but sexy, magical (literally and figuratively), and unique. This is a series for adults due to content. It has all of the characters that you love and love to hate in this series. I mean, it has them all! I can't wait to meet them all! We have Vampyres, Werewolves, animes, Phantoms, Seelie, Unseelie, Witches, and so on. And magic abounds everywhere, I can't forget that. Anyway, these are great books so far, you won't regret your purchase. I haven't. Now, on to the next one..Good reads everyone!
I just finished the second book in this series, and I must say, that the author did not disappoint. It is just as good as the first, if not better. It is about each one of the "new" thirteen kings of this realm that are just beginning to be able to find their new brides and solidify their seats of power and increase in their power over their different realms with their new brides. But all of these new kings have to endure a villain of some type (usually within their ranks) that is either after their girl, their position on the thirteen kings, take their power or just go big and take it ALL!! The book is very good and has a charismatic flow between all of the characters, especially the H/h. In each book, they are different but sexy, magical (literally and figuratively), and unique. This is a series for adults due to content. It has all of the characters that you love and love to hate in this series. I mean, it has them all! I can't wait to meet them all! We have Vampyres, Werewolves, animes, Phantoms, Seelie, Unseelie, Witches, and so on. And magic abounds everywhere, I can't forget that. Anyway, these are great books so far, you won't regret your purchase. I haven't. Now, on to the next one..Good reads everyone!
April 17, 2020
Great story that carries on where events in the Big Bad Wolves and The Vampire King left off. Siobhan is a warlock who has been hiding her true self for years. She refuses to use her magic to hurt people and so only uses magic to fix up old houses and antiques. When she finally meets a man who seems to understand her, without knowing her secret, she is content, until she comes home to find her house burned down and her boyfriend dead. Then he turns up as a ghost whom she can interact with more and more every day. He tells her a demon attacked him while looking for her and he is sure it will be back.
Thanatos is the Phantom King, the king of Purgatory. An Anime shows up in his realm talking about a demon being after his girlfriend and then disappears the same way he arrived, Thane has never had that happen before but he knows he needs to get the Anime back. He enlists the help of the Warlock King, Jason Alberich,. to find out where the man went. But things are not always what they seem and sometimes the dead aren't really dead at all and you find your queen where you would least expect her.
Thanatos is the Phantom King, the king of Purgatory. An Anime shows up in his realm talking about a demon being after his girlfriend and then disappears the same way he arrived, Thane has never had that happen before but he knows he needs to get the Anime back. He enlists the help of the Warlock King, Jason Alberich,. to find out where the man went. But things are not always what they seem and sometimes the dead aren't really dead at all and you find your queen where you would least expect her.
December 1, 2018
Siobhan Ashdown: Warlock, untrained, fights the darkness that pulls at her to use her powers for selfish reasons, or out of anger; instead she tamps it down, and uses bits to restore antiques; has become mostly a loner;
Thanatos; ruler of Purgatory as the Phantom King – helps souls that are not quite ready to bridge all the way to their next realm; lonely;
Steven Lazarus: detective; half-demon (unbeknownst to him); Siobhan’s lover and friend; dies to protect her from the demon; goes to Purgatory for a minute, meets, Thanatos, returns to Siobhan to protect her; and bit by bit, he is gaining solidity again – hmmm (and once his father, the Demon King is killed, he steps into his shoes);
Thanatos sent to investigate and protect Siobhan – and together they learn of her powers… which include counseling the dead who cross to Purgatory…
Thanatos; ruler of Purgatory as the Phantom King – helps souls that are not quite ready to bridge all the way to their next realm; lonely;
Steven Lazarus: detective; half-demon (unbeknownst to him); Siobhan’s lover and friend; dies to protect her from the demon; goes to Purgatory for a minute, meets, Thanatos, returns to Siobhan to protect her; and bit by bit, he is gaining solidity again – hmmm (and once his father, the Demon King is killed, he steps into his shoes);
Thanatos sent to investigate and protect Siobhan – and together they learn of her powers… which include counseling the dead who cross to Purgatory…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2020
This series is quite addictive... After the Vampire King found his mate, it is the Phantom King's turn to fall. Thanatos has ruled Purgatory since the beginning of time. A desolate plane of sand and solitude. In his plane, time works differently and he helps the souls of those taken before their time. He is used to loneliness. He is used to being the only one. Until the morning when she shows up in his domain. Siobhan Ashdown was born of magic. A warlock like no other, she has gotten into the radar of a powerful enemy. Finding herself in Purgatory was unexpected, to say the least. But once the purgatory's king sets his eyes on her, there will be no other for him. The Thirteen kings know that they are facing a war with a powerful ancient enemy. Having their queens by their sides will strengthen these powerful royals and make their win even sweeter.
August 16, 2019
3.5 Stars
Mixed emotions. I found the story intriguing enough to continue reading, but I did not feel emotionally attached to the characters. I also felt that there were moments that were completely confusing, although this is book 2 of the King Series, I felt that there was missing information. This could be a personal flaw, as I have not read any other series by Heather Killough-Walden, but I would hope that the series would be able to stand on it's own without the knowledge of any other series. I just found that we are barely scratching the surface, and I wish there was more depth to the Kings existence and such. I am intrigued enough to continue the series and find out what is going to happen next.
Mixed emotions. I found the story intriguing enough to continue reading, but I did not feel emotionally attached to the characters. I also felt that there were moments that were completely confusing, although this is book 2 of the King Series, I felt that there was missing information. This could be a personal flaw, as I have not read any other series by Heather Killough-Walden, but I would hope that the series would be able to stand on it's own without the knowledge of any other series. I just found that we are barely scratching the surface, and I wish there was more depth to the Kings existence and such. I am intrigued enough to continue the series and find out what is going to happen next.
September 29, 2022
I really like the magic elements of this series. It seems that each book is going to focus on a different type of supernatural being. The basic premise is that there is a council of supernatural kings managing/leading the supernatural people on Earth as well as the supernatural realms. Each of these kings must find and mate with their Queen in order for the council to be able to defeat the very powerful magical bad guy.
I think the series could benefit from a lot more world building and more relationship building between the council members. The first two books have jumped all over the place and seem more focused on situational elements rather than the bigger picture. I like parts of the books, but as a whole they are a little underwhelming.
I think the series could benefit from a lot more world building and more relationship building between the council members. The first two books have jumped all over the place and seem more focused on situational elements rather than the bigger picture. I like parts of the books, but as a whole they are a little underwhelming.
October 22, 2017
The 2d king in Lalura’s dream.
Though the main part of this story is about The Phantom King: Thane finding his Queen: Siobhan, there’s a lot of the series story mixed in. At times it gets confusing and almost overcomes the book story. Wish they’d been more about the couple.
Footnote: 1) BTW: the answer will probably come out over the course of the series, but…13 Kings but only 11 books? What happened?
2) It’s not fist to cuffs. Its fisticuffs. I’ve come across a lot of grammar and other mistakes in the book. Bad editing.
Fave scenes: Siobhan & the realtor, Mustang/motorcycle race, Danny going to hospital and Laura’s appearance on the table.
Though the main part of this story is about The Phantom King: Thane finding his Queen: Siobhan, there’s a lot of the series story mixed in. At times it gets confusing and almost overcomes the book story. Wish they’d been more about the couple.
Footnote: 1) BTW: the answer will probably come out over the course of the series, but…13 Kings but only 11 books? What happened?
2) It’s not fist to cuffs. Its fisticuffs. I’ve come across a lot of grammar and other mistakes in the book. Bad editing.
Fave scenes: Siobhan & the realtor, Mustang/motorcycle race, Danny going to hospital and Laura’s appearance on the table.
July 10, 2018
When ifirst found this series I was really excited to read it, thinkin it would be really good like Kresley Cole's and Larissa Ion's books, but they're not.
I am really let down by this series. This might only be book 2 but I've already read book 1 and 6 and I have to say book 1 (though it has the worst avarge rating) was the best. It deems asif theis series is just getting worse and worse as it goes on not to mention the fact that there is a cliff hanger at the end of all of them (one's I've read). The cliff hanger from The Vampire King has hardly been delved into, and I really wanted to know more about Ophilia, but no, this does not happen.
I am really let down by this series. This might only be book 2 but I've already read book 1 and 6 and I have to say book 1 (though it has the worst avarge rating) was the best. It deems asif theis series is just getting worse and worse as it goes on not to mention the fact that there is a cliff hanger at the end of all of them (one's I've read). The cliff hanger from The Vampire King has hardly been delved into, and I really wanted to know more about Ophilia, but no, this does not happen.
January 18, 2022
This is a great series so far. Quite a few questions from or hints from the first book were answered or expanded upon. I'm listening to these via the Libby app from my library, and am incredibly sad to see that the audiobooks end after book 7. They were never made from what I can see after researching. I'm not sure if I'll finish this series because of this, but I do plan to read/listen to book 3. I'm intrigued by what has been shared so far in the first two books about these two main characters.
May 20, 2019
3.5
Thoroughly enjoyable. The only things I wasn't keen on were that they didn't meet until about chapter 8 and she does tend to duplicate some of the more important scenes by telling them from both character's points of view. Initially, I quite liked it, but upon further consideration feel this does have a detrimental effect on pacing.
But, these characters are easy to love.
Thoroughly enjoyable. The only things I wasn't keen on were that they didn't meet until about chapter 8 and she does tend to duplicate some of the more important scenes by telling them from both character's points of view. Initially, I quite liked it, but upon further consideration feel this does have a detrimental effect on pacing.
But, these characters are easy to love.
September 6, 2019
I really enjoyed the world. It seems like an interesting story. Unfortunately, I have to dock points for the writing. There were a lot of things glossed over. There were lots of showing and not telling. There were confusing scenes. There were errors that should have been caught by an editor.
Even with all these flaws I feel compelled to continue.
Even with all these flaws I feel compelled to continue.
April 4, 2020
Thane has met his match in his Queen. She as will the others when they find there queen will be their equal in every way.
I don't know if Marius is dead though. What happened at the pier I have piece together except is he is till alive.
I am glad that there was a bigger purpose to Steven's life.
Onto the next King's story
I don't know if Marius is dead though. What happened at the pier I have piece together except is he is till alive.
I am glad that there was a bigger purpose to Steven's life.
Onto the next King's story
February 21, 2018
Now that I've gotten a better feel for the characters and the "realms" that they exist in this book was much easier to follow. I'm starting to get to know each King and the powers they possess and I look forward to continuing this series.
June 16, 2018
This is the second book in the series. Siobhan has always found herself with magical powers. After her boyfriend is murdered - she finds a new world opening up. Thanatos - the Phantom King - lives a pretty lonely existence in the phantom realm. He helps souls killed by murder or other nefarious methods cross over. Things become interesting when Siobhan’s murdered boyfriend crosses into his realm and then leaves. Upon meeting- he is drawn to her. Things heat up Full of action and heat
This book was way better than the first. Doesn’t read like an encyclopedia and has a much better flow. I will be reading the next in the series.
This book was way better than the first. Doesn’t read like an encyclopedia and has a much better flow. I will be reading the next in the series.
January 7, 2019
The king series
I love the characters that Heather weaves in her stories. They are so very real and so very sexy. I follow her books faithfully, knowing that I am settling in for a real treat.
I love the characters that Heather weaves in her stories. They are so very real and so very sexy. I follow her books faithfully, knowing that I am settling in for a real treat.
April 28, 2019
Ok, I’m liking this series but.... I am having a problem with all of the POVs and that it’s distracting from the main couple which in turn is making it harder to connect to them and their story argh! Other than that I thought it was fab!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews