What do you think?
Rate this book
Forever Evermore #1
King Hall
A fresh, meaty, sink-your-teeth-in-and-hold-on-tight new adult fantasy series kicks off with King Hall…
King Hall — where the Mysticals go to learn their craft, get their degrees, and transition into adulthood. And where four new Rulers will rise and meet their destinies.
Lily Ruckler is adept at one thing: survival. Born a Mystical hybrid, her mere existence is forbidden, but her nightmare is only about to start. Fluke, happenstance, and a deep personal loss finds Lily deeply entrenched with those who would destroy her simply for existing — The Mystical Kings. Being named future Queen of the Shifters shoves Lily into the spotlight, making her one of the most visible Mysticals in the world. But with risk comes a certain solace — her burgeoning friendships with the other three Prodigies: a wicked Vampire, a wild-child Mage, and a playboy Elemental. Backed by their faith and trust, Lily begins to relax into her new life.
Then chaos erupts as the fragile peace between Commoners and Mysticals is broken, and suddenly Lily realises the greatest threat was never from within, and her fear takes on a new name: the revolution.
King Hall — where the Mysticals go to learn their craft, get their degrees, and transition into adulthood. And where four new Rulers will rise and meet their destinies.
Lily Ruckler is adept at one thing: survival. Born a Mystical hybrid, her mere existence is forbidden, but her nightmare is only about to start. Fluke, happenstance, and a deep personal loss finds Lily deeply entrenched with those who would destroy her simply for existing — The Mystical Kings. Being named future Queen of the Shifters shoves Lily into the spotlight, making her one of the most visible Mysticals in the world. But with risk comes a certain solace — her burgeoning friendships with the other three Prodigies: a wicked Vampire, a wild-child Mage, and a playboy Elemental. Backed by their faith and trust, Lily begins to relax into her new life.
Then chaos erupts as the fragile peace between Commoners and Mysticals is broken, and suddenly Lily realises the greatest threat was never from within, and her fear takes on a new name: the revolution.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2013
539 people are currently reading
12879 people want to read
About the author
Scarlett Dawn
48 books2,551 followersNew York Times bestselling author and award-winner, Scarlett Dawn, is the mastermind behind the Forever Evermore fantasy series, the Origin paranormal dystopian stories, the Vampire Crown paranormal romance thrillers, the Mark science fantasy saga, and the Lion Security contemporary romance series.
She lives in the Midwest, adores her music loud, and demands her fries covered in melted cheese.
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/4X1rv
She lives in the Midwest, adores her music loud, and demands her fries covered in melted cheese.
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/4X1rv
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 739 reviews
January 2, 2014
* This review has also been posted on The Social Potato
Me: This book sounds interesting
Me: Everyone seems to be loving it, perhaps I should give it a shot.
*picks book up*
Me: This is funny ha ha ha
Me: Why is everyone so immature?
Me: What the hell is going on? I don’t understand anything. I am confused. I am lost.
*after finishing the book*
For people who don’t want to bother reading my rant review here is a short summary of the book. It’s about a bunch of supposed adults fooling around, never making good decisions and getting attacked all the time for some inexplicable reason.
From this point on, please read at your own risk.
Rage Mode: ACTIVATED
When I first heard about this book I thought I had found another potentially good New Adult. I was so off the mark it is not even funny. This may not be your typical New Adult but believe me when I say it was BAD.
After the first couple of chapters our female lead loses her mate, at first she has the right reaction and I felt like there was hope (I hate books that involve those kind of situations, they do NOT work for me), but after that, if you were to ask me who Dominic was, I would reply with DOMINIC WHO? And not in a good way because the main character has essentially forgotten about her mate who died like a couple months ago. Where is the GRIEF? Oh sure they bring it up a couple a times, but she is already getting laid and she says she is sad and yadda yadda yadda but there is a different between SAYING and FEELING and I did NOT feel any sadness coming off of her.
Most of the reviews I read mention how amazing and wonderful Erza was and here I was feeling nothing. I didn’t give a rat’s ass about him. I couldn’t care less.
Hell I didn’t give a rat’s ass about ANY of these characters. They were all flat and let’s not forget incredibly immature. What are they 12? When I say all characters I MEAN THE KINGS AS WELL. The whole situation seems to be a joke to them. None of the characters are capable of taking anything seriously. At first I thought the relationship between the kings and their prodigies was interesting, refreshing even, everyone likes an adult who has a good sense of humor, but as the story progressed and the Kings did nothing to prove that they were actually worthy of their positions, I started to see how incredibly immature they were as well.
Going back to the characters, why the fuck is everyone so beautiful? Everywhere you turn that’s what you hear. I cannot count the number of times someone told Lily she was beautiful or the number of times Lily described someone as beautiful. STOP. NO. BEAUTY IS NOT A CHARACTER TRAIT. NO. IT’S A PHYSICAL TRAIT AND IT DOES NOT MAKE ME LIKE A PERSON BETTER. Hell if you describe a character as beautiful, the first thing I think is that they are shallow. I wasn’t that far off the mark seeing as there was NO DEPTH to these characters. And of course, they think it’s a good idea to do dangerous things that could get them killed because well, they want to rebel. YOU’RE FUCKING ADULTS. ACT LIKE IT. They also didn't seem to have any respect for the kings.They'd talk about how they'd get revenge on the kings who were trying to teach them a lesson because they had made bad choices that could have gotten them killed.
Let’s talk about the world building, or the lack of it. There is a mother mentioned, who died, I don’t know anything else about her. A war is mentioned. What caused it? There is a rift between the coms and the mysticals. What the hell is that about? Something about an awakening, which I don’t understand at all. There was a mating process mentioned but then again I don’t get that either. There were even castles mentioned but they seem to appear out of nowhere. I have no idea where these people live, how they live or ANYTHING ELSE concerning the world they live in.
This book was marketed as a paranormal romance, where is the romance? This book basically focuses on the friendship of these characters and nothing else. There is no plot. Half of the time I don’t even know what’s going on except for these kids fooling around. There is no conflict therefore there is no resolution.
With everything I am babbling on about, you might wonder why I still gave the book 2 stars instead of 1. This is because I was not raging through out the book, it was enjoyable until the ending; the ending activated my rage mode and made me lose it. The ending stood for everything I hated and because I need to rant and cannot spoil, I shall use spoiler tags and a lot of swearing of course.
The book, obviously, because everything else that happened wasn’t enough, ends on a cliff hanger. A horrible one that is to say because there is no fucking conclusion, even with cliff hangers you got to give us some sort of resolution but there is none because there was no conflict in the first place. We have no idea what was happening and we have no idea what will happen. Nothing interesting was revealed, we don’t understand why people are attacking them; we basically have nothing. This book was like the second book syndrome except that this was the first book.
You ask if I am willing to read the sequel and I say no. No because the sequel is not worth wasting my time over, the only redeemable thing about this book will basically be destroyed in the sequel and I cannot bang my head over a book that obviously will NOT work for me and will end up pissing me off more than anything.
If you don’t care about world development, character development or a plot and just want something funny, read this. If you do care about those things, run.
Me: This book sounds interesting
Me: Everyone seems to be loving it, perhaps I should give it a shot.
*picks book up*
Me: This is funny ha ha ha
Me: Why is everyone so immature?
Me: What the hell is going on? I don’t understand anything. I am confused. I am lost.
*after finishing the book*
For people who don’t want to bother reading my rant review here is a short summary of the book. It’s about a bunch of supposed adults fooling around, never making good decisions and getting attacked all the time for some inexplicable reason.
From this point on, please read at your own risk.
Rage Mode: ACTIVATED
When I first heard about this book I thought I had found another potentially good New Adult. I was so off the mark it is not even funny. This may not be your typical New Adult but believe me when I say it was BAD.
After the first couple of chapters our female lead loses her mate, at first she has the right reaction and I felt like there was hope (I hate books that involve those kind of situations, they do NOT work for me), but after that, if you were to ask me who Dominic was, I would reply with DOMINIC WHO? And not in a good way because the main character has essentially forgotten about her mate who died like a couple months ago. Where is the GRIEF? Oh sure they bring it up a couple a times, but she is already getting laid and she says she is sad and yadda yadda yadda but there is a different between SAYING and FEELING and I did NOT feel any sadness coming off of her.
Most of the reviews I read mention how amazing and wonderful Erza was and here I was feeling nothing. I didn’t give a rat’s ass about him. I couldn’t care less.
Hell I didn’t give a rat’s ass about ANY of these characters. They were all flat and let’s not forget incredibly immature. What are they 12? When I say all characters I MEAN THE KINGS AS WELL. The whole situation seems to be a joke to them. None of the characters are capable of taking anything seriously. At first I thought the relationship between the kings and their prodigies was interesting, refreshing even, everyone likes an adult who has a good sense of humor, but as the story progressed and the Kings did nothing to prove that they were actually worthy of their positions, I started to see how incredibly immature they were as well.
Going back to the characters, why the fuck is everyone so beautiful? Everywhere you turn that’s what you hear. I cannot count the number of times someone told Lily she was beautiful or the number of times Lily described someone as beautiful. STOP. NO. BEAUTY IS NOT A CHARACTER TRAIT. NO. IT’S A PHYSICAL TRAIT AND IT DOES NOT MAKE ME LIKE A PERSON BETTER. Hell if you describe a character as beautiful, the first thing I think is that they are shallow. I wasn’t that far off the mark seeing as there was NO DEPTH to these characters. And of course, they think it’s a good idea to do dangerous things that could get them killed because well, they want to rebel. YOU’RE FUCKING ADULTS. ACT LIKE IT. They also didn't seem to have any respect for the kings.They'd talk about how they'd get revenge on the kings who were trying to teach them a lesson because they had made bad choices that could have gotten them killed.
Let’s talk about the world building, or the lack of it. There is a mother mentioned, who died, I don’t know anything else about her. A war is mentioned. What caused it? There is a rift between the coms and the mysticals. What the hell is that about? Something about an awakening, which I don’t understand at all. There was a mating process mentioned but then again I don’t get that either. There were even castles mentioned but they seem to appear out of nowhere. I have no idea where these people live, how they live or ANYTHING ELSE concerning the world they live in.
This book was marketed as a paranormal romance, where is the romance? This book basically focuses on the friendship of these characters and nothing else. There is no plot. Half of the time I don’t even know what’s going on except for these kids fooling around. There is no conflict therefore there is no resolution.
With everything I am babbling on about, you might wonder why I still gave the book 2 stars instead of 1. This is because I was not raging through out the book, it was enjoyable until the ending; the ending activated my rage mode and made me lose it. The ending stood for everything I hated and because I need to rant and cannot spoil, I shall use spoiler tags and a lot of swearing of course.
The book, obviously, because everything else that happened wasn’t enough, ends on a cliff hanger. A horrible one that is to say because there is no fucking conclusion, even with cliff hangers you got to give us some sort of resolution but there is none because there was no conflict in the first place. We have no idea what was happening and we have no idea what will happen. Nothing interesting was revealed, we don’t understand why people are attacking them; we basically have nothing. This book was like the second book syndrome except that this was the first book.
You ask if I am willing to read the sequel and I say no. No because the sequel is not worth wasting my time over, the only redeemable thing about this book will basically be destroyed in the sequel and I cannot bang my head over a book that obviously will NOT work for me and will end up pissing me off more than anything.
If you don’t care about world development, character development or a plot and just want something funny, read this. If you do care about those things, run.
April 13, 2021
Forth re-read: 13.04.2021
I mean, I know I just re-read it a couple of months ago, but I felt the need to re-read it again, and no one is stopping me when I feel the need.
Third re-read: 16.01.2021
I couldn't help it. I just missed Ezra, and I love Scarlett Dawn 's writing.
New Rating - 3.5/3 stars.
Second re-read: 02.02.2020
Wow this book is soooo long. While I enjoyed the story, it has so much information in it that I took forever to finish it even though I've read it two times before. While I love the friendship between the Prodigies, that we get to see them get close, I still wish we had gotten more romance. There is barely - and I mean barely - any romance in it, if any at all. I'm not sure if I'll re-read book three as I'm not happy with the end results of said book, but I'm definitely gonna re-read book two as that one is my favorite in the series. Same rating as before.
Re-read: 07.01.2018
I do really like this series as a whole. It's awesome, but I still find book #2 best. The book centers around the born Mystical ‘Mys’ hybrid (which is forbidden), Lily ‘Lil’ Ruckler (19), and her being named future Queen of the Shifters, which is not good. It puts her in the spotlight, making her one of the most visible Mysticals in the world. Lily is trying to keep her secret safe, to survive and luckily she's not alone in her journey; her three Prodigies (the soon-to-be Kings and Queens, of the Mystical world) - the wicked Vampire, Ezra Zeller (how old?), the wild-child Mage, Pearl Cooper (how old?) and the playboy Elemental, Jack Collins (how old?). Good thing too, considering the Mysticals are on brick of a war against Commoners ‘Com’... Overall, this book is good, but long, too long, yet necessary. I love the build up between the Prodigies, and I adore Lily's relationship with Elder Antonio Farrar (how old?). On to the next re-read in the series :)! Oh and I love Ezra. He's my favorite.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Paranormal Romance.
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Ezra Zeller.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows me.
Rating - 3 stars.
First read review:
It was a bit ‘meh’, yet quite interesting. Looking forward to next book and eager to find out what happens next... I LOVE EZRA!
I mean, I know I just re-read it a couple of months ago, but I felt the need to re-read it again, and no one is stopping me when I feel the need.
Third re-read: 16.01.2021
I couldn't help it. I just missed Ezra, and I love Scarlett Dawn 's writing.
New Rating - 3.5/3 stars.
Second re-read: 02.02.2020
Wow this book is soooo long. While I enjoyed the story, it has so much information in it that I took forever to finish it even though I've read it two times before. While I love the friendship between the Prodigies, that we get to see them get close, I still wish we had gotten more romance. There is barely - and I mean barely - any romance in it, if any at all. I'm not sure if I'll re-read book three as I'm not happy with the end results of said book, but I'm definitely gonna re-read book two as that one is my favorite in the series. Same rating as before.
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*I love Ezra*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Re-read: 07.01.2018
I do really like this series as a whole. It's awesome, but I still find book #2 best. The book centers around the born Mystical ‘Mys’ hybrid (which is forbidden), Lily ‘Lil’ Ruckler (19), and her being named future Queen of the Shifters, which is not good. It puts her in the spotlight, making her one of the most visible Mysticals in the world. Lily is trying to keep her secret safe, to survive and luckily she's not alone in her journey; her three Prodigies (the soon-to-be Kings and Queens, of the Mystical world) - the wicked Vampire, Ezra Zeller (how old?), the wild-child Mage, Pearl Cooper (how old?) and the playboy Elemental, Jack Collins (how old?). Good thing too, considering the Mysticals are on brick of a war against Commoners ‘Com’... Overall, this book is good, but long, too long, yet necessary. I love the build up between the Prodigies, and I adore Lily's relationship with Elder Antonio Farrar (how old?). On to the next re-read in the series :)! Oh and I love Ezra. He's my favorite.
“Sometimes, the best results come from the worst ideas.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Paranormal Romance.
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Ezra Zeller.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows me.
Rating - 3 stars.
First read review:
It was a bit ‘meh’, yet quite interesting. Looking forward to next book and eager to find out what happens next... I LOVE EZRA!
August 5, 2013
The woman jolted in the guard's arms, and raised one of her own hands, which was glowing red. Like magnets, their palms slammed together.
"Oh, shit," I mumbled, realizing what this was. "He's found his mate."
3.5 stars. I won't lie to you and say that there weren't some things wrong with this book, but there was so much to like that I found myself willing to overlook a few things which might normally bother me (lots of mentions of spring green eyes and copious amounts of sputtering). I wasn't sure if I was going to take to Lily at first but she slowly morphed into a character who I could get behind.
Anyway....sometimes a guilty pleasure is just that - a guilty pleasure, meant for the sole purpose of being enjoyed. Magical powers and random crazy mating scenes were only a few of the fun things about King Hall. And hey, at least there wasn't a love triangle. Praise be!
When you strip away the surface shenanigans, you'll see underneath that there is a strong message of friendship and loyalty. I think what really stood out for me was the emphasis on the importance of non-romantic relationships. It's not often where a book comes along and focuses on the strengths of friendship and what it means to have a solid group of people in your corner. Friends see you at your best and at your worst. If you can make it through the worst with them, you know that they'll be around for the long haul. I found myself believing in the power of friendship as I watched King Hall's version of the Wonder Twins get multiplied into a Fearsome Foursome.
"Let's kill the Com bastards," Ezra muttered viciously.
We nodded as one, our fists slamming together.
We moved, all of our eyes glowing. Blue. Green. Brown. Gold.
(This is where I would have inserted a Wonder Twins picture but I couldn't find one I liked, unless I wanted to steal someone's deviant art.)
Here. Let's go with a hotter couple.
While the world building felt strangely eclectic and busy (kitchen-sink writing is how I've referred to it in the past), I liked the general concept enough to keep my doubts from reaching epic proportions. I don't get why every single mythical race is hanging out at a college together, yet they aren't allowed to mix romantically, at least not in public (contradictory much?). I thought the "King" system was weakly fleshed out and the dynamics between magical races and non-magical races, and how they interacted in the same world together was vague (Why are they enemies sometimes? Is it just human jealousy?). I don't completely understand why hair color was one of the major defining characteristics (especially two-toned hair!), but these types of small unfinished details didn't necessarily take away from the things which made the book enjoyable.
What made the book fun for me? Aside from the friendship bonds, we got to watch our characters engage with the enemies and get wasted in their tents while playing an awkward game of Truth or Dare, not necessarily in that order. When books manage to find ways to bring together fun times and dangerous times, I generally like the combo. Some of the sexual innuendos bordered on crude but since I have a strange sense of humor, I have to admit to grinning at a vampire admitting that chicks liked him every week of the month. Although, the 'arm on/under the lady bits' scene near the end...awkward. If you read this book, I'll want to know your thoughts on that.
The story itself is centered around Lily, a young woman going through a big transitional phase in her life, after a big new responsibility is thrown on her. She has reasons to keep her own secrets, and reasons to hesitate before letting people in. Like I mentioned earlier, it took a while for me to warm up to Lily. But in time, I started to see her for more than what she first projected herself to be.
Ezra is probably my favorite character so far. He's strong, smart, snarky, and mysterious. I loved that he was a sexy male lead with darker skin, but I had the hardest time picturing his red and black spiked hair for some reason, since it grows that way (is it a pattern?). This is an instance where I'd love to see some photo-shopped fantasy casting or fan art, so I can get a clear picture of him in my head.
I don't know if this is going to be the book for everyone (you have to push past a start which has a few cringe-worthy moments), but I think that King Hall might work for anyone who's been looking for non-contemporary NA, and would be willing put aside a few hesitations over details for the sake of enjoying the ride. This is a sexy, adventurous and enjoyable read.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
August 6, 2016
Meet the future Kings and Queens of the Mysticals: The Prodigies
SPOILER-FREE Review
Others have already given a general synopsis of King Hall, so I'm going to skip that and move on to my review.
First, I want to say that for a debut novel and beginning of a fantasy series, this book is very, very good. It is well crafted and has fantastic character development. If you are a lover of fantasy/paranormal/romance and enjoy the new adult genre, definitely pick this book up and be prepared to get sucked into the world of Forever Evermore.
Second, as I stated, this is a fantasy series (and romance). For those not familiar with the difference between fantasy and paranormal, let me try to help. In general, a fantasy series has multiple books revolving around the same characters/love interests/dynamics/etc. within a continual, streamlined story arch. Whereas a paranormal series has different main characters/love interests/dynamics/etc. in each book of the series and it usually maintains a loose, general story arch, if at all.
Example of popular fantasy romance series:
Fever series by Karen Marie Moning
Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost
Example of popular paranormal romance series:
Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward
Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole
Paranormal and fantasy also have further differences, but for our purposes I'm just going to stick to this one.
So, what does this have to do with King Hall? Well, in order to properly set up a fantasy series that is going to span multiple books with the same characters and story arch, a good author will heavily set the foundation for the story. And since Scarlett Dawn is a good author, that is what King Hall does. It is an introduction. It introduces all the major players. It introduces the dynamics and relationships of the main characters. It explains the purpose and premise of the series.
Was this book the most riveting book that I ever read? No.
But, was it interesting and well-paced? Yes.
Did the book execute its purpose? Yes, it did.
Next, Ms. Dawn is writing a new adult fantasy series. The NA Fantasy genre attempts to highlight the hurdles of late teen to early 20 somethings discovering who they are and what their purpose in life is while mixing it up with paranormal/fantasy elements. And I think Ms. Dawn does a great job. There are some places that come across as "high-school" drama and attitude. But, we have to keep in mind that this book leaves a lot of room for future personal growth of the main characters.
Overall:
- The writing is great. I thought Ms. Dawn wove an excellent story that kept my attention and left me wanting more.
- The characters and their relationships are expertly crafted and I have no complaints at all with their antics.
- There is a cliffhanger. But book two, King Cave, is out so it's not that bad. (But there is a cliffhanger in book two as well...)
- There is no sex in King Hall. BUT, there is sex in the second book, and lots of it.
- King Hall focuses on the friendships of the four main characters and there is little love interest in it at all. The second book will delve into the romance.
When you pick up a book like King Hall, please know that you will be sucked in and you will be in for the long haul. This book is just the beginning of a 9 book (3 trilogies) series. So settle in and get ready.
I would recommend this book and series to anyone who is a PNR/FR fan.
I would also recommend this series to anyone who has not tried the paranormal/fantasy romance genre but is interested in getting their feet wet. This is an easy read as far as paranormal/fantasy goes. Definitely give it a try.
Happy Reading!
♥ Lisa
See my review for King Cave, book 2 of the Forever Evermore series: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read
January 2, 2018Scarlett is a boss. The sarcasm and Ezra. That's all I'm going to say. For those of you that love paranormal bada$$ery with romance and humor and just plain awesomeness. This series is for you.
June 30, 2013
It's been a couple of days since I read this, and I still maintain that it deserves my 5 star rating, but...this is not a perfect book. Allow me to elucidate.
To me the synopsis is very misleading, this is not a story about a revolution, it's a story about friendship and love. It reads very much like a typical YA in the ages and actions of our main characters, but the only difference is that instead of 16, we have them at 19 (I think it was). The main girl, Lily, went through commoner, or non-mystical, high school only to go to King Hall and go through more high school. True story. In keeping with the shifter aspect of this story, she'd found her mate already, and therefore, wasn't a virgin which is what I think allowed for the "new adult" classification. Don't let this fool you. There was really no "grown-up" themes here. Not really.
The story is about how Lily goes to the Mys school where her mate is, and after just a few chapters she ends up taking his place as the shifter Prodigy. The Mystics are ruled by a King for each type of mystical ability: shifter, mage, vampire, and elemental. As a forbidden hybrid she feels that should the Kings, or even other prodigies, find out her true nature that they would kill her outright, perhaps even painfully. What happens is that she becomes best friends with these other prodigies, and they stoke an ember of change to come.
Now again, there really isn't much reform that these guy do, and I would say it's fair that they only make it foreseeable that they'll change the status quo once they take the reins from the Kings. The focus of this entire story is the friendship Lily has with the other three. That's it. And I really loved it, but the supposed "revolution" that the synopsis says this story is about was a joke. There was just not enough s/l applied to this aspect, and the end has the big battle (don't be fooled) that I guess shows said revolt, but it ends mid fight scene, and that's the end of book one. Just...pfft, done. It actually made me angry to be left like that. It wasn't smooth, it didn't make any sense, and for Antonio to be the only one who seemed to know WTF was going on, it made even less sense that he wouldn't have shared his intel! Only Ezra's father seemed to have an inkling of what Antonio was saying. The entire strained relations between factions, and mys and comms, was poorly executed. Lily would complain about the shifters need to touch her, and that made no sense since she IS a shifter and wouldn't have thought them annoying for such a thing, and many times she was on the verge of girl hate, oft referring to them negatively when it came to bed partners for her male besties.
With so many things that annoyed me it's odd to feel so much pleasure about this book. I totally understand if someone reading this is confused that I would spend almost the entire review just complaining, but the character story here was just perfect for me. Partly, I know, because I adore shifters/weres, and partly because it was just written with a slow build. I have a major crush on Ezra, and I don't even really like vampires.
Basically I would tell anyone who wanted to read this to definitely check it out, but don't go into it expecting a bunch of fighting and political wrangling. Go into it with the knowledge of it's about a bunch of friends being groomed for their roles as leaders, and you should really enjoy it.
October 15, 2025
Every once in awhile you come across a book that just GRABS YOU! King Hall had me emotionally invested in the first few pages and kept me riveted till the end. This is a book that left me wanting MORE!
King Hall is a “college” for Mystical beings to hone their abilities as they become adults in the Mystical community. You might think, yeah I read this before, but let me tell you this isn't your everyday mystical educational school. First of all its at college level so the this book isn't for the kiddies. There is lots of great and funny sexual innuendos, swoon worthy sexual tensions as well as some sexual contact.
The core group of characters, the prodigies that will be the future leaders were fantastic. A sexy vampire, a love-um and leave-um elemental, a wonderfully sweet mage with a wild streak, and Lily Ruckler a shifter hybrid/vampire that will be destroyed if anyone discovers her heritage.
When the fragile truce between the Commoners (normal humans) and the Mysticals (the supernaturals) starts to fall apart, the only thing that remains in the bond/friendship between this core group of Mysticals. A bond that should never exist, a bond the may turn their own kind against them.
I laughed, I cried and I definitely want more!!! A re-read worthy book, King Hall rocked my New Adult Favorite Shelf! Write faster Scarlett Dawn, sleep is over rated! This truly is a must read for the paranormal, fantasy, romance fan!
I received this ARC copy of King Hall from Harlequin Enterprises Australia in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication July 25, 2013.
King Hall is a “college” for Mystical beings to hone their abilities as they become adults in the Mystical community. You might think, yeah I read this before, but let me tell you this isn't your everyday mystical educational school. First of all its at college level so the this book isn't for the kiddies. There is lots of great and funny sexual innuendos, swoon worthy sexual tensions as well as some sexual contact.
The core group of characters, the prodigies that will be the future leaders were fantastic. A sexy vampire, a love-um and leave-um elemental, a wonderfully sweet mage with a wild streak, and Lily Ruckler a shifter hybrid/vampire that will be destroyed if anyone discovers her heritage.
When the fragile truce between the Commoners (normal humans) and the Mysticals (the supernaturals) starts to fall apart, the only thing that remains in the bond/friendship between this core group of Mysticals. A bond that should never exist, a bond the may turn their own kind against them.
I laughed, I cried and I definitely want more!!! A re-read worthy book, King Hall rocked my New Adult Favorite Shelf! Write faster Scarlett Dawn, sleep is over rated! This truly is a must read for the paranormal, fantasy, romance fan!
I received this ARC copy of King Hall from Harlequin Enterprises Australia in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication July 25, 2013.
April 12, 2015
**4.25 Hybrid Stars**
I got this as an audio book and each weekend while I cleaned the office where I work, I would listen to this story. So each week I had about 4 hours but it got to a point today where I got so involved with the story, I just had to keep listening to it when I got home.
I am totally in the Lily and Ezra fan club!!
Great book and great story telling from the narrator ♥
Just an FYI - this is the first audio book I haven't given up on in the past year.
I got this as an audio book and each weekend while I cleaned the office where I work, I would listen to this story. So each week I had about 4 hours but it got to a point today where I got so involved with the story, I just had to keep listening to it when I got home.
I am totally in the Lily and Ezra fan club!!
Great book and great story telling from the narrator ♥
Just an FYI - this is the first audio book I haven't given up on in the past year.
July 19, 2016
Absolutely phenomenal! I read this book after seeing it linked up with The Unearthly on Amazon and hearing about the similarities from some of my own readers. And boy, what an awesome freaking ride!
The main character, Lily, is one kick-ass female protagonist. I’m a huge fan of strong female leads, and Lily was the epitome of that. I never felt that burn of irritation that readers often feel when the main character doesn’t handle a situation well. That never came in this book.
As for the side characters, want to know how to warm yourself up on a cold winter day? Try Ezra. Jesus, I practically had to plug in a fan when reading scenes with him in them. I absolutely loved the four prodigies together; their friendship was strong and so refreshing! You often don’t see that kind of side character development in books. The same goes for the kings. Absolute mastery with the characters.
The plot and premise were fantastic, but to be honest, I was so spellbound by the world and the characters in it, that Scarlett Dawn could’ve written just about anything and I would’ve still been glued to the book!
I LOVED this book, and I’m flying through the second book as we speak. (Read the sequel! SO GOOD!)
The main character, Lily, is one kick-ass female protagonist. I’m a huge fan of strong female leads, and Lily was the epitome of that. I never felt that burn of irritation that readers often feel when the main character doesn’t handle a situation well. That never came in this book.
As for the side characters, want to know how to warm yourself up on a cold winter day? Try Ezra. Jesus, I practically had to plug in a fan when reading scenes with him in them. I absolutely loved the four prodigies together; their friendship was strong and so refreshing! You often don’t see that kind of side character development in books. The same goes for the kings. Absolute mastery with the characters.
The plot and premise were fantastic, but to be honest, I was so spellbound by the world and the characters in it, that Scarlett Dawn could’ve written just about anything and I would’ve still been glued to the book!
I LOVED this book, and I’m flying through the second book as we speak. (Read the sequel! SO GOOD!)
May 11, 2019
Quite frankly I think this is the best series ever (but especially book 2)
July 25, 2013
Thank you to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for this ARC.
4.5 stars
Honestly, when I was first asked to review this book I kind of gave a mental shudder. The cover gave me a 'paranormal romance' kind of vibe, and I've been burned out on those for a while now. However, the blurb classified it as a new adult fantasy, so I went ahead and downloaded it. But I also managed to put off reading it for as long as possible, because I couldn't stomach the thought of yet another paranormal boarding school story.
Ugh. Just what I wanted to read...some kind of Vampire Academy romance for the 'New Adult' genre. Blech.
I finally ran out of books that I wanted to read, and the only thing left was King Hall. Since I'm a good southerner, I said a little prayer, "Dear Baby Jesus, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but if you could send a cool book my way next time, I'd really appreciate it. Oh, and please bless this book that I'm about to partake of, even though I know I'm going to hate it. Starving children, peace on earth, etc.. Amen.".
The story is already in progress when the books opens. In fact, after the first chapter, I rolled my eyes and looked it up on Goodreads.
WTF?! These characters are already know each other, and the plot is in full swing! Did I end up accidentally getting into the middle a series that I know nothing about...AGAIN?!
Uh, no. As it turns out, King Hall is the first book by this author. Hmmm. Ok, now I'm intrigued. 'Cause all of the 'getting to know you' stuff has already happened. Different and possibly cool.
Lily is enrolled in King Hall, which is basically a college for mystical beings. Her mate Dominic is slated to be the next king of the Shifters. He's hot, sweet, and he knows about Lily's secret. She's a hybrid (shifter and vampire), which would earn her a death sentence if anyone else knew about it. Dominic is truly the Love of her Life. Once you find your mate, the bond is unbreakable and lifelong. Each mated couple has their own gift, and their gifts are telepathy and empathy. They should only have one, but her hybrid status gave them two. Unfortunately, no one can know about the empathy...'cause of that pesky Death Sentence thing. Of course, the mean-girl Shifters hate Lily. She's seen as an oddity due to her short stature and strange (for them) hair. She's also a fox-sized wolf when she shifts....pretty embarrassing.
So I'm not too far into it at this point, and other than the way I've been dropped into this story, I'm still not overly excited. Sounds like a million other plots that I've already read. Yawn....
And the all of a sudden the entire story took off in a different direction.
I. Couldn't. Put. It. Down.
And the thing is, if I tell you all of the things that changed my mind about King Hall? Ugh! Total spoilers! What I can say is that the world-building was phenomenal, the plot was well-paced, and there was absolutely no sign of the smooth Velveeta cheese that I thought would be coating the pages. It was awesome! There's not as much action or political intrigue going on as the blurb might imply, but the characters more than make up for it. I really can't say enough about the uniquely engrossing friendship that the author created between Lily, Jack, Pearl, and Ezra.
Ezra....*swoon*
Speaking of Ezra, I think it's noteworthy to mention that I have a major crush on that vampire. Why is that noteworthy, you ask? Well, I pretty much throw up in my mouth when I read about vampires anymore. Let's face it, a few years ago the market was over-saturated with sexy vampires. Almost every book had at least one of the poor misunderstood bastards lurking in the shadows. The running theme (correct me if I'm wrong, ladies) being that [insert random vampire] could give a woman a mind-blowing orgasm just by drinking her blood. Which is pretty gross and probably a little unsanitary when you think about it. But I'll admit that I gobbled up my fair share of those books...and then some. Having said that, I'm sure I'm not the only one who now gags every time they see some new PNR with a pasty looking bad-boy on the cover.
So you can imagine how surprised I was to find myself getting all tingly over Ezra. Yep. He transcended my hatred of all things Nosferatu. And that's really saying something.
I've gotta warn you, the ending has quite a cliffhanger. I'm not always a fan of those, but it totally worked for me this time. I loved it! Well, sort of...
OhGodWhenIsTheNextBookComingOut?!
This review can also be seen at http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
4.5 stars
Honestly, when I was first asked to review this book I kind of gave a mental shudder. The cover gave me a 'paranormal romance' kind of vibe, and I've been burned out on those for a while now. However, the blurb classified it as a new adult fantasy, so I went ahead and downloaded it. But I also managed to put off reading it for as long as possible, because I couldn't stomach the thought of yet another paranormal boarding school story.
Ugh. Just what I wanted to read...some kind of Vampire Academy romance for the 'New Adult' genre. Blech.
I finally ran out of books that I wanted to read, and the only thing left was King Hall. Since I'm a good southerner, I said a little prayer, "Dear Baby Jesus, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but if you could send a cool book my way next time, I'd really appreciate it. Oh, and please bless this book that I'm about to partake of, even though I know I'm going to hate it. Starving children, peace on earth, etc.. Amen.".
The story is already in progress when the books opens. In fact, after the first chapter, I rolled my eyes and looked it up on Goodreads.
WTF?! These characters are already know each other, and the plot is in full swing! Did I end up accidentally getting into the middle a series that I know nothing about...AGAIN?!
Uh, no. As it turns out, King Hall is the first book by this author. Hmmm. Ok, now I'm intrigued. 'Cause all of the 'getting to know you' stuff has already happened. Different and possibly cool.
Lily is enrolled in King Hall, which is basically a college for mystical beings. Her mate Dominic is slated to be the next king of the Shifters. He's hot, sweet, and he knows about Lily's secret. She's a hybrid (shifter and vampire), which would earn her a death sentence if anyone else knew about it. Dominic is truly the Love of her Life. Once you find your mate, the bond is unbreakable and lifelong. Each mated couple has their own gift, and their gifts are telepathy and empathy. They should only have one, but her hybrid status gave them two. Unfortunately, no one can know about the empathy...'cause of that pesky Death Sentence thing. Of course, the mean-girl Shifters hate Lily. She's seen as an oddity due to her short stature and strange (for them) hair. She's also a fox-sized wolf when she shifts....pretty embarrassing.
So I'm not too far into it at this point, and other than the way I've been dropped into this story, I'm still not overly excited. Sounds like a million other plots that I've already read. Yawn....
And the all of a sudden the entire story took off in a different direction.
I. Couldn't. Put. It. Down.
And the thing is, if I tell you all of the things that changed my mind about King Hall? Ugh! Total spoilers! What I can say is that the world-building was phenomenal, the plot was well-paced, and there was absolutely no sign of the smooth Velveeta cheese that I thought would be coating the pages. It was awesome! There's not as much action or political intrigue going on as the blurb might imply, but the characters more than make up for it. I really can't say enough about the uniquely engrossing friendship that the author created between Lily, Jack, Pearl, and Ezra.
Ezra....*swoon*
Speaking of Ezra, I think it's noteworthy to mention that I have a major crush on that vampire. Why is that noteworthy, you ask? Well, I pretty much throw up in my mouth when I read about vampires anymore. Let's face it, a few years ago the market was over-saturated with sexy vampires. Almost every book had at least one of the poor misunderstood bastards lurking in the shadows. The running theme (correct me if I'm wrong, ladies) being that [insert random vampire] could give a woman a mind-blowing orgasm just by drinking her blood. Which is pretty gross and probably a little unsanitary when you think about it. But I'll admit that I gobbled up my fair share of those books...and then some. Having said that, I'm sure I'm not the only one who now gags every time they see some new PNR with a pasty looking bad-boy on the cover.
So you can imagine how surprised I was to find myself getting all tingly over Ezra. Yep. He transcended my hatred of all things Nosferatu. And that's really saying something.
I've gotta warn you, the ending has quite a cliffhanger. I'm not always a fan of those, but it totally worked for me this time. I loved it! Well, sort of...
OhGodWhenIsTheNextBookComingOut?!
This review can also be seen at http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
dnf
July 26, 2013A galley copy was given to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I might have been a little too honest.
Not going to lie, I only got through one chapter. And as is only fair, I'm not going to rate it since I didn't get very far.
But what a doozy of a chapter.
It honestly reads like bad fanfiction. You can tell what kind of book this is right off, since it opens in a sex-ed class with the teacher informing them that 'mystics' are "naturally more endowed" than 'commoners'.
Yes. It starts out with a penis joke.
It then goes on to completely misunderstand the term STD, slides on over to slut-and/or-virgin shaming, points out the obvious Mean Girls, and presents the world in such a confusing jumble that I had no idea what was going on.
It gets better/worse. There's four groups of 'mystics,' based on type, and each type is headed up by a 'king.' Due to some arbitrary rule, they have to instal four new kings every 22 years. They're picking teenagers. Apparently this is standard. Oh, also, this announcement of the new kings? Happening in a high school gymnasium.
There is nothing about this scenario that does not scream "self-insert wish-fulfillment." Not to say that I think that the author based Lily off herself, but the scenario is...like some high schooler at an assembly coming up with random fantasies about what could be happening that would be cooler. There's nothing about this that feels like it makes sense as a world; it's just there to put cool kids in a high school together and call them kings and such.
But the kicker? Every new king-to-be that got introduced was given at least a paragraph of physical description, including their outfits which are of course oh-so-trendy. No suits for these future world leaders, no, they've got the hip fashion sense!
Yeah, I can tell what kind of book this is going to be from the first chapter, and it's not for me. Which is a shame, because I was really excited to see some fantasy New Adult. Too bad it's just Young Adult with the numbers changed. I got a really strong House of Night vibe from it.
Not going to lie, I only got through one chapter. And as is only fair, I'm not going to rate it since I didn't get very far.
But what a doozy of a chapter.
It honestly reads like bad fanfiction. You can tell what kind of book this is right off, since it opens in a sex-ed class with the teacher informing them that 'mystics' are "naturally more endowed" than 'commoners'.
Yes. It starts out with a penis joke.
It then goes on to completely misunderstand the term STD, slides on over to slut-and/or-virgin shaming, points out the obvious Mean Girls, and presents the world in such a confusing jumble that I had no idea what was going on.
It gets better/worse. There's four groups of 'mystics,' based on type, and each type is headed up by a 'king.' Due to some arbitrary rule, they have to instal four new kings every 22 years. They're picking teenagers. Apparently this is standard. Oh, also, this announcement of the new kings? Happening in a high school gymnasium.
There is nothing about this scenario that does not scream "self-insert wish-fulfillment." Not to say that I think that the author based Lily off herself, but the scenario is...like some high schooler at an assembly coming up with random fantasies about what could be happening that would be cooler. There's nothing about this that feels like it makes sense as a world; it's just there to put cool kids in a high school together and call them kings and such.
But the kicker? Every new king-to-be that got introduced was given at least a paragraph of physical description, including their outfits which are of course oh-so-trendy. No suits for these future world leaders, no, they've got the hip fashion sense!
Yeah, I can tell what kind of book this is going to be from the first chapter, and it's not for me. Which is a shame, because I was really excited to see some fantasy New Adult. Too bad it's just Young Adult with the numbers changed. I got a really strong House of Night vibe from it.
August 10, 2013
**3.5 stars**
She cleared her throat, lifting an extra-large banana high into the air. "Mysticals are naturally more endowed than commoners." With her other hand, she raised a regular sized banana, holding them side by side. Point made.
I'll take one mystical, please.
King Hall was nothing like I expected. I pictured it like a cross between Twilight and the Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer. I was picturing love triangles and jealousy and romance and smirking. This book was not those things. First of all, it is not a romance. It is much more of an adventure-ish book. Sort of like X-men, really. I wish I had known that when I started this book because I kept trying to figure out who was going to end up with whom and it was making my brain hurt. This story really isn't about that. It is about friendship, first and foremost, which is an awesome change of pace for me.
What did I like? So many things. For one, this is a very sex positive book. The characters all have copious amounts of sex and it is looked upon as a natural thing. Like scratching an itch, if you will. I loved that part of the book. This isn't a sex on page book, FYI, but sex is an open and accepted thing among this group of mystical students. I also loved the GLBT aspect. Many of the characters ran the GLBT spectrum and it was treated as sort of a non-thing. Props to Scarlett Dawn for being forward thinking with her characters' sexuality. At times, this book was also incredibly engaging. I often couldn't tear myself away from Kindle, that is how badly I wanted to find out what was going to happen.
What didn't work? The world building could have used a lot of help. I think they could have ditched the whole "school" aspect. This was barely based in the school, in fact, I often forgot that they were supposed to be attending school altogether. The whole concept of the "Kings" and the Mys and Com races mixing leaves a lot to be explored. I didn't always get the dynamics at play. This book also struggles with pacing. It is only about 280 pages but it felt like double that. At times it dragged and the energy really petered out.
I also didn't know that this book was an intro to a series (it must be!). There is no real ending to this book. It kind of stops midway through an action scene, a true cliffhanger. I felt pretty freaking frustrated to reach the end with no resolution in site (in fact, things are in incredible upheaval at the end).
Did I enjoy this book. Abso-freaking-lutly. It was a totally different read for me and I loved how it wasn't the same trite young adult paranormal romance that I have seen 100 times. I can't wait for the next book to come out.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
She cleared her throat, lifting an extra-large banana high into the air. "Mysticals are naturally more endowed than commoners." With her other hand, she raised a regular sized banana, holding them side by side. Point made.
I'll take one mystical, please.
King Hall was nothing like I expected. I pictured it like a cross between Twilight and the Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer. I was picturing love triangles and jealousy and romance and smirking. This book was not those things. First of all, it is not a romance. It is much more of an adventure-ish book. Sort of like X-men, really. I wish I had known that when I started this book because I kept trying to figure out who was going to end up with whom and it was making my brain hurt. This story really isn't about that. It is about friendship, first and foremost, which is an awesome change of pace for me.
What did I like? So many things. For one, this is a very sex positive book. The characters all have copious amounts of sex and it is looked upon as a natural thing. Like scratching an itch, if you will. I loved that part of the book. This isn't a sex on page book, FYI, but sex is an open and accepted thing among this group of mystical students. I also loved the GLBT aspect. Many of the characters ran the GLBT spectrum and it was treated as sort of a non-thing. Props to Scarlett Dawn for being forward thinking with her characters' sexuality. At times, this book was also incredibly engaging. I often couldn't tear myself away from Kindle, that is how badly I wanted to find out what was going to happen.
What didn't work? The world building could have used a lot of help. I think they could have ditched the whole "school" aspect. This was barely based in the school, in fact, I often forgot that they were supposed to be attending school altogether. The whole concept of the "Kings" and the Mys and Com races mixing leaves a lot to be explored. I didn't always get the dynamics at play. This book also struggles with pacing. It is only about 280 pages but it felt like double that. At times it dragged and the energy really petered out.
I also didn't know that this book was an intro to a series (it must be!). There is no real ending to this book. It kind of stops midway through an action scene, a true cliffhanger. I felt pretty freaking frustrated to reach the end with no resolution in site (in fact, things are in incredible upheaval at the end).
Did I enjoy this book. Abso-freaking-lutly. It was a totally different read for me and I loved how it wasn't the same trite young adult paranormal romance that I have seen 100 times. I can't wait for the next book to come out.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
September 10, 2018
3.5 stars. An interesting world- mys(shape shifters , vampires, mages and elementals) were the focus of this book and from the cliffhanger I'd say the comms are about to play a big part too. An enjoyable read with some irritations which I was able to overlook. I will likely continue the trilogy.
October 21, 2014
I didn't know what to think of a book that opened with a subject of jumbo dicks. Apparently, everybody in that school is hung like a horse, because they are *mystical beings*, and that's just one of the perks. I was left to conclude that wielding of such powers needed stern education. Fair enough.
That being said, it was one of the rare mature moments of the novel.
We follow Lilly, a tragically elected queen of the weres, after the death of her mate Dominic. She is learning how to govern- this is my simplest explanation- with three other Prodigies, each of witch will led their own people. Ezra for the Vampires, Pearl and Jack for the Elementals.
Now allow me to say that this book had so much potential to become something good, to become a series that would grip an audience for a long tine coming. But it wasn't. The reason???? Juvenile, high-school drama. By that i mean overreacting about insignificant matters, without a valid need for such.
Lilly's mate Dominic dies right? After only a brief mourning period, she concludes that the only way she will ever have any joy in her life now that her mate is dead, is to fill the void by having random, meaningless sex for the rest of her life. Now, if we take in mind the very first chapter of the novel, and apply what we learned from it, to give us a sense of proportion, we must agree that it is indeed, a very big void to fill.
The newly elected Prodigies, strike a kind of friendship in witch they support each other, stating that there is nobody out there that could understand the pressure of having to rule. The idea is solid, and the argument made sense....if they actually did anything of the sort.
They were basically a bunch of young adults, in a school teaming up because their popularity is so hard to bare, and apparently is, equally hard to explain to somebody else. Huh???
This here is a massive wall that Dawn presented to her readers. She had a good idea of how her novel should go, just, didn't back it up with the behavior of her characters. I couldn't emotionally connect to a bunch of characters just because she claimed there was a deep emotional connection. I couldn't relate to a girl that states how lucky she was to have found her one true love(Dominic), how unbreakable and unique mating is. That the loss of him, brought her so much pain, a loss that will never be forgotten.....no i couldn't relate, because in the same time she is flippant about casual sex, with random partners, that don't deserve an emotional response from her, because she's hurting.Like that gives her a green light to stomp on people around her. On top of it all, she has a full mental breakdown because she thinks she's ugly! Wait...WHAT??? Yeah, this is all grief about Dominic here...i can see it, plain as day. When she rubs her naked self all over Ezra, and thinks about his c*ck, yup, nothing but sheer pain there...
Look I don't mind sex in my books, and love my PNR's but this wasn't thought trough. It had the elements of being a quality NA story, but sadly it dealt with childish matters, in childish ways. The end result- BORING, CLICHE, AND UNIMPRESSIVE.
That being said, it was one of the rare mature moments of the novel.
We follow Lilly, a tragically elected queen of the weres, after the death of her mate Dominic. She is learning how to govern- this is my simplest explanation- with three other Prodigies, each of witch will led their own people. Ezra for the Vampires, Pearl and Jack for the Elementals.
Now allow me to say that this book had so much potential to become something good, to become a series that would grip an audience for a long tine coming. But it wasn't. The reason???? Juvenile, high-school drama. By that i mean overreacting about insignificant matters, without a valid need for such.
Lilly's mate Dominic dies right? After only a brief mourning period, she concludes that the only way she will ever have any joy in her life now that her mate is dead, is to fill the void by having random, meaningless sex for the rest of her life. Now, if we take in mind the very first chapter of the novel, and apply what we learned from it, to give us a sense of proportion, we must agree that it is indeed, a very big void to fill.
The newly elected Prodigies, strike a kind of friendship in witch they support each other, stating that there is nobody out there that could understand the pressure of having to rule. The idea is solid, and the argument made sense....if they actually did anything of the sort.
They were basically a bunch of young adults, in a school teaming up because their popularity is so hard to bare, and apparently is, equally hard to explain to somebody else. Huh???
This here is a massive wall that Dawn presented to her readers. She had a good idea of how her novel should go, just, didn't back it up with the behavior of her characters. I couldn't emotionally connect to a bunch of characters just because she claimed there was a deep emotional connection. I couldn't relate to a girl that states how lucky she was to have found her one true love(Dominic), how unbreakable and unique mating is. That the loss of him, brought her so much pain, a loss that will never be forgotten.....no i couldn't relate, because in the same time she is flippant about casual sex, with random partners, that don't deserve an emotional response from her, because she's hurting.Like that gives her a green light to stomp on people around her. On top of it all, she has a full mental breakdown because she thinks she's ugly! Wait...WHAT??? Yeah, this is all grief about Dominic here...i can see it, plain as day. When she rubs her naked self all over Ezra, and thinks about his c*ck, yup, nothing but sheer pain there...
Look I don't mind sex in my books, and love my PNR's but this wasn't thought trough. It had the elements of being a quality NA story, but sadly it dealt with childish matters, in childish ways. The end result- BORING, CLICHE, AND UNIMPRESSIVE.
May 21, 2023
I just looooove this book and the whole trilogy! ♡♡♡
I have only read the first 3 books and did not continue the rest since I do not want to be swept into another story.
Let's just say that this is one of the most addictive paranormal/fantasy stories I've read.
It was a perfect mix: love, friendship, action, beautiful contoured characters, and way too many funny moments.Just perfect!
You will be swept directly into an intricate plot without boring details that some other books have in the beginning.
Take into consideration that this book is not a romantic one. It is about the way their friendship is evolving and how they are starting their training and tasks for the Awakening.
It is a solid ground for what will happen in the next two books.
The main characters are the Prodigies->future leaders of Mysticals:
- a kick-off and seeexxyy vampire: Ezra
“Oh,” Elly whispered, leaning forward. “For a Vamp, he’s delicious.”
- a very nice and handsome elemental: Jack
He was hot. No doubt about that.
- a sweet, wild, and good-looking mage: Pearl
She was drop-dead gorgeous, more than a normal Mys.
- and Lily: a shifter/vampire sexy and smart hybrid, who found herself being the future queen when her mate was killed. Because of her nature, she is always in danger and fears that the rest will find out about her hybrid part and that she will be killed.
With intelligence and help/support from her friends, she manages to succeed every task.
Once upon a time, at the beginning of the year, I had lost my heart.With these completely different Mysticals, I had found it again in them.
You will find in this story a unique friendship and loyalty bond. It is not often when you find a story with such a wonderful, contoured friendship and you emphasise with a non-romantical relationship.
The storyline and plot were good, and the characters were just wow! I am not referring just to the main characters, but to all: the Kings, Antonio, Cahal, and so on:
“You owe me a grand. They did it within three hours.”
“And, you owe me a hundred,” King Fergus retorted.“They didn’t beat our time.” He and King Kincaid high-fived.“Running champs still!”
“Fine. Nine hundred.” King Venclaire said.
“They’re freaking betting on us,” Pearl sputtered.“I can’t believe you’d bet on us!”
“It’s not the first time,” King Nelson pocketed his cash, “and it most assuredly won’t be the last.It’s our thing.”
And…boom.
Away went our sizzling warmth, and in came an explosion of our powers.
Again, we flew through the air.
At least one of the Kings went with us this time.
I've laughed more times that I can't remember. There were a lot of funny situations:
“Fact: you should have told me who the hell your dad is.Fact: you should have helped me when I lied to him about the photo earlier if you knew he would know it was a lie.Fact: he is seriously scary.”
"Fact: yes, he can be scary.Fact: he’s also a Vampire, if you’ve forgotten, so when you say something even remotely close to him, remember he can hear you.”
Overall, for her first book, being a debut, Scarlett Dawn was amazing!!
And hold on, because the second book is even more amazing: it has more action and a lottt of loveee :)
I have only read the first 3 books and did not continue the rest since I do not want to be swept into another story.
Let's just say that this is one of the most addictive paranormal/fantasy stories I've read.
It was a perfect mix: love, friendship, action, beautiful contoured characters, and way too many funny moments.Just perfect!
You will be swept directly into an intricate plot without boring details that some other books have in the beginning.
Take into consideration that this book is not a romantic one. It is about the way their friendship is evolving and how they are starting their training and tasks for the Awakening.
It is a solid ground for what will happen in the next two books.
The main characters are the Prodigies->future leaders of Mysticals:
- a kick-off and seeexxyy vampire: Ezra
“Oh,” Elly whispered, leaning forward. “For a Vamp, he’s delicious.”
- a very nice and handsome elemental: Jack
He was hot. No doubt about that.
- a sweet, wild, and good-looking mage: Pearl
She was drop-dead gorgeous, more than a normal Mys.
- and Lily: a shifter/vampire sexy and smart hybrid, who found herself being the future queen when her mate was killed. Because of her nature, she is always in danger and fears that the rest will find out about her hybrid part and that she will be killed.
With intelligence and help/support from her friends, she manages to succeed every task.
Once upon a time, at the beginning of the year, I had lost my heart.With these completely different Mysticals, I had found it again in them.
You will find in this story a unique friendship and loyalty bond. It is not often when you find a story with such a wonderful, contoured friendship and you emphasise with a non-romantical relationship.
The storyline and plot were good, and the characters were just wow! I am not referring just to the main characters, but to all: the Kings, Antonio, Cahal, and so on:
“You owe me a grand. They did it within three hours.”
“And, you owe me a hundred,” King Fergus retorted.“They didn’t beat our time.” He and King Kincaid high-fived.“Running champs still!”
“Fine. Nine hundred.” King Venclaire said.
“They’re freaking betting on us,” Pearl sputtered.“I can’t believe you’d bet on us!”
“It’s not the first time,” King Nelson pocketed his cash, “and it most assuredly won’t be the last.It’s our thing.”
And…boom.
Away went our sizzling warmth, and in came an explosion of our powers.
Again, we flew through the air.
At least one of the Kings went with us this time.
I've laughed more times that I can't remember. There were a lot of funny situations:
“Fact: you should have told me who the hell your dad is.Fact: you should have helped me when I lied to him about the photo earlier if you knew he would know it was a lie.Fact: he is seriously scary.”
"Fact: yes, he can be scary.Fact: he’s also a Vampire, if you’ve forgotten, so when you say something even remotely close to him, remember he can hear you.”
Overall, for her first book, being a debut, Scarlett Dawn was amazing!!
And hold on, because the second book is even more amazing: it has more action and a lottt of loveee :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2016
I loved this book! Kings Hall is a new adult novel with paranormal/fantasy elements. I thoroughly enjoyed this world and the characters that the writer created. The world consists of Coms (which are regular humans) and Mysticals (supernaturals) which were categorized into four separate groups: vampire, mage, elemental, and shifter. Each group has their own ruler. This story is about the training of four college-age prodigies who are next in line to rule. These prodigies bond with each other and become best friends during their training, and I just loved these characters. This is a story of unconditional, endearing friendship. There's comedy, tears, action, some potential romance, you name it. The story is written in Lily's perspective, the mate of the shifter prodigy. With the way the story ended, King Hall appears to be the first of a trilogy or series with so many opportunities for prequels and side-story novellas. This series has so much promise and I am definitely keeping an eye on this new writer!
My favorite part(s): The tent scene in chapter 8 was my favorite and I also loved the continued misunderstanding about Lily and Ezra's moments together. These four prodigies engaged in pranks and rough-housing with one another and it was so comedic to visualize because their actions are exaggerated due to their supernatural strength. I liked that fun addition to the story.
My least favorite part: The fact that it ended and there were no more words to read!!! In all honesty though, my only criticism would be that between all the elders, current kings, their prodigies, the mates, and the guards, I had a bit of difficulty remembering who everyone was and keeping their characters straight but once I got to know these carefully crafted characters, it was pretty easy- except for two of the kings with similar sounding names, I tended to keep getting them mixed up even up to the end but that could have just been me. Also, there were times a character would refer to an event and although the reader learns about it past tense, I thought more than once that I had accidentally skipped a section. This wasn't a bad thing, it just caused a little confusion because I DIDN'T WANT TO MISS A PAGE!!!
I hope the next book in the series comes out sometime soon...Did I say that I loved this book?!!!
Favorite Quotes: "Sometimes, the best results come from the worst ideas." and "Sometimes, nature just grabs hold and takes innocents."
My favorite part(s): The tent scene in chapter 8 was my favorite and I also loved the continued misunderstanding about Lily and Ezra's moments together. These four prodigies engaged in pranks and rough-housing with one another and it was so comedic to visualize because their actions are exaggerated due to their supernatural strength. I liked that fun addition to the story.
My least favorite part: The fact that it ended and there were no more words to read!!! In all honesty though, my only criticism would be that between all the elders, current kings, their prodigies, the mates, and the guards, I had a bit of difficulty remembering who everyone was and keeping their characters straight but once I got to know these carefully crafted characters, it was pretty easy- except for two of the kings with similar sounding names, I tended to keep getting them mixed up even up to the end but that could have just been me. Also, there were times a character would refer to an event and although the reader learns about it past tense, I thought more than once that I had accidentally skipped a section. This wasn't a bad thing, it just caused a little confusion because I DIDN'T WANT TO MISS A PAGE!!!
I hope the next book in the series comes out sometime soon...Did I say that I loved this book?!!!
Favorite Quotes: "Sometimes, the best results come from the worst ideas." and "Sometimes, nature just grabs hold and takes innocents."
February 17, 2015
3.5
Im going to say this right off the bat that there should really be more Fantasy/Sci-Fi NA available. No, really. Out of the billion NA books out there, less than a handful of them are Fantasy or Sci-Fi.
In one of my other reviews, I expressed how much I wanted an NA horror with plenty of gore and creepiness. So far, the closest I have gotten to that is by reading Fallen Too Far, which isnt marketed as Horror, but really should be because I certainly felt horrified at both the MC's antics throughout the book.
Focus. You've finished that book. It's over
Coming to King Hall, I guess I dont have any really bad thing to say about it. Nothing was really atrocious or shitty. For some people, the somewhat sloppy world building would be an eye raiser, but I understood enough to get the gist of it. The writing was easy to read and the characters were pretty awesome.
It wont be a spoiler if I mention that Lily's mate, Dominic, dies in the first few chapters, considering how the main love interest is someone else. And I really, really liked Ezra.
Lawd, I wanted to smack Lily everytime she thought, Oh, gee, I'm naked, but its okay, Its only Ezra and he's my best friend!1!11!!! He thinks of me as a sister.
I dont usually encourage see-the-hot-man-jump-the-hot-man behaviour, but I couldnt stop myself from wanting to poke Lily every minute she didnt get it on with Ezra.
You can call me a hypocrite. Its probably the right thing to do.
Im going to say this right off the bat that there should really be more Fantasy/Sci-Fi NA available. No, really. Out of the billion NA books out there, less than a handful of them are Fantasy or Sci-Fi.
In one of my other reviews, I expressed how much I wanted an NA horror with plenty of gore and creepiness. So far, the closest I have gotten to that is by reading Fallen Too Far, which isnt marketed as Horror, but really should be because I certainly felt horrified at both the MC's antics throughout the book.
Focus. You've finished that book. It's over
Coming to King Hall, I guess I dont have any really bad thing to say about it. Nothing was really atrocious or shitty. For some people, the somewhat sloppy world building would be an eye raiser, but I understood enough to get the gist of it. The writing was easy to read and the characters were pretty awesome.
It wont be a spoiler if I mention that Lily's mate, Dominic, dies in the first few chapters, considering how the main love interest is someone else. And I really, really liked Ezra.
Lawd, I wanted to smack Lily everytime she thought, Oh, gee, I'm naked, but its okay, Its only Ezra and he's my best friend!1!11!!! He thinks of me as a sister.
I dont usually encourage see-the-hot-man-jump-the-hot-man behaviour, but I couldnt stop myself from wanting to poke Lily every minute she didnt get it on with Ezra.
You can call me a hypocrite. Its probably the right thing to do.
September 19, 2013
Well well well!!! I certainly didn't expect that!
I LOVED this book, it was different, refreshing, kept me gripped and my emotions changed so quickly... I could hardly put the book down (thankfully I was on holiday and not at work!!!)
Lily is something special, a character that you simply fall in love with and her friends are just simply amazing...
Lily is hiding a secret, a secret that her friends will kill her for if they find it out! She shouldn't exist at all... She is a hybrid! She is a cross between a shifter and a vampire. The people that become her friends are from various houses and as they learn to take on what is their destiny, chaos meets them head on...
I was loving Lily and her relationship from the first few pages... the unexpected happens and I was thrown, stunned and I actually had to take a deep breath to prevent tears... what a way to start a book!!!
Scarlett Dawn has invented a world that I thoroughly loved being lost in and I can't wait to get lost in the next book... I had no idea what I was letting myself in for but I'd recommend everyone has a dose of King Hall!!!
I LOVED this book, it was different, refreshing, kept me gripped and my emotions changed so quickly... I could hardly put the book down (thankfully I was on holiday and not at work!!!)
Lily is something special, a character that you simply fall in love with and her friends are just simply amazing...
Lily is hiding a secret, a secret that her friends will kill her for if they find it out! She shouldn't exist at all... She is a hybrid! She is a cross between a shifter and a vampire. The people that become her friends are from various houses and as they learn to take on what is their destiny, chaos meets them head on...
I was loving Lily and her relationship from the first few pages... the unexpected happens and I was thrown, stunned and I actually had to take a deep breath to prevent tears... what a way to start a book!!!
Scarlett Dawn has invented a world that I thoroughly loved being lost in and I can't wait to get lost in the next book... I had no idea what I was letting myself in for but I'd recommend everyone has a dose of King Hall!!!
June 16, 2020
This Audiobook was a 'did not finish' for me after about an hour of listening. I would not have made it that far if I had not been in a car on the highway with nothing else to listen to. However, by the end of it I found I would far rather listen to the sound of my tires on the tarmac than this stinker.
It was really, really juvenile. The lead chick was meant to be 16-19 or something, but I suspect that most readers that age would have better discrimination than to enjoy reading this. The writing was basic, clumsy and childish. The narrator did the best she could with it, I will give her that. The plot was ludicrously unlikely and the characters were flatter than wet tissue paper.
We start in the prime school for supernatural teenagers somewhere in America (New York maybe) where we are in a stiflingly unfunny sex-ed class where the kids have to put condoms on bananas. This is where we learn that all 'mystical supernatural' types have much larger bananas that normal people. So funny. Maybe it could have been humorous, but it ended up sad and a bit pathetic.
Our lead chick has just 'mated' or 'bonded', whatever, to some incredibly gorgeous guy (of course he is, the underdog always gets the gorgeous guy), who is due to become the king of the shifters (because clearly, rich and powerful as well as gorgeous is the trifecta), of which she is one. She also tells us her red hair is not typical of shifters, that she has vampire blood and a host of other clumsy revelations that made me think this was a #2 or even #3 in the series and the author was trying to catch up new readers with the back history. I cannot even start to describe how clumsy this section was.
Then we are treated to the four 'kings' of the supernatural community on the entire earth, mind you, introducing everyone to the next four kings who will replace them within four years. Thye do this at the lead chick's school, as OF COURSE you would conduct high level statesmanship politics in a high school full of bored teenagers. That is even more likely than four rulers all stepping down at once, in order to hand over global power to four teenagers with the collective clout of four colours of jelly-beans and no experience (just kill me now).
We are then treated to this 'best school in the world' training their students in self defense by dumping them on a mat with no instruction to be beaten up by someone stronger than themselves. Why even pretend this is a school? Between bananas and no actual teaching why even bother trying to make believe this makes sense?
That was it, I was done! The sound of the wind in the 100km zone was way more stimulating that this woeful attempt at storytelling.
So it can't help that I have been reading really good literature, from authors that actually have craft and skill and vocabulary. It does not help that I am not the target audience, being an adult - though I do love many YA books. The book cannot be blamed for the fact that I am a little bit bored with supernatural teenagers, it has to be WELL written before I can enjoy them.
Now, I am sure someone out there is just yearning to tell me how I can't judge or review a book I read so little of. News flash; yes, I can. This review is intended to make sure I NEVER commit another second or cent to this book. It can also serve as fair warning from present Deb to future Deb, to regard this author with considerable caution.
It was really, really juvenile. The lead chick was meant to be 16-19 or something, but I suspect that most readers that age would have better discrimination than to enjoy reading this. The writing was basic, clumsy and childish. The narrator did the best she could with it, I will give her that. The plot was ludicrously unlikely and the characters were flatter than wet tissue paper.
We start in the prime school for supernatural teenagers somewhere in America (New York maybe) where we are in a stiflingly unfunny sex-ed class where the kids have to put condoms on bananas. This is where we learn that all 'mystical supernatural' types have much larger bananas that normal people. So funny. Maybe it could have been humorous, but it ended up sad and a bit pathetic.
Our lead chick has just 'mated' or 'bonded', whatever, to some incredibly gorgeous guy (of course he is, the underdog always gets the gorgeous guy), who is due to become the king of the shifters (because clearly, rich and powerful as well as gorgeous is the trifecta), of which she is one. She also tells us her red hair is not typical of shifters, that she has vampire blood and a host of other clumsy revelations that made me think this was a #2 or even #3 in the series and the author was trying to catch up new readers with the back history. I cannot even start to describe how clumsy this section was.
Then we are treated to the four 'kings' of the supernatural community on the entire earth, mind you, introducing everyone to the next four kings who will replace them within four years. Thye do this at the lead chick's school, as OF COURSE you would conduct high level statesmanship politics in a high school full of bored teenagers. That is even more likely than four rulers all stepping down at once, in order to hand over global power to four teenagers with the collective clout of four colours of jelly-beans and no experience (just kill me now).
We are then treated to this 'best school in the world' training their students in self defense by dumping them on a mat with no instruction to be beaten up by someone stronger than themselves. Why even pretend this is a school? Between bananas and no actual teaching why even bother trying to make believe this makes sense?
That was it, I was done! The sound of the wind in the 100km zone was way more stimulating that this woeful attempt at storytelling.
So it can't help that I have been reading really good literature, from authors that actually have craft and skill and vocabulary. It does not help that I am not the target audience, being an adult - though I do love many YA books. The book cannot be blamed for the fact that I am a little bit bored with supernatural teenagers, it has to be WELL written before I can enjoy them.
Now, I am sure someone out there is just yearning to tell me how I can't judge or review a book I read so little of. News flash; yes, I can. This review is intended to make sure I NEVER commit another second or cent to this book. It can also serve as fair warning from present Deb to future Deb, to regard this author with considerable caution.
December 20, 2013
Is it possible to have so much fun, heartbreak, humor and story in one book? If King Hall is an example of what to expect from author Scarlett Dawn, we are in for amazing reading for sure! This author has set a high bar to best, and I have no doubt she will! Written for the New Adult paranormal lovers, the sexual/sensual tension is slightly toned down, but I have to say, there are some moments that run the gamut from hot to humorous, honest! The setting? King Hall is like a university for paranormals, or mystical. The courses are designed to teach an individual to use their individual powers to the fullest. So, start by picturing college students, away from home, and add supernatural elements, from weres to vampires to mages, yep, the potential for running amok on steroids! From this mix four mysticals are destined to become the rulers of their groups, but will fate step in and change the players?
Now for the dark side, the world knows about these mysticals, and for the most part, there is peace, but factions want to end the existence of the mysticals and are going to extremes to see it happen. Who will survive? Are the young future rulers equipped to handle this? Only if they learn to trust each other and work together, will they stand a chance.
Scarlett Dawn can write! I felt I was living each day with the four main characters and watching their growth, their screw ups and the bonds they had formed. And the supporting characters? The current Kings are like your favorite uncles, always ready to teach, demanding, but still caring, quirky and approachable. I ran the list of emotional tugs, I laughed, I wanted to cry, I got exasperated, and I started playing the mental matchmaker in my head! Loved the “secrets” and the bonds and the action!
This is escape at its best, not too dark, with a story that felt right for “the big screen,” flawed characters, evil doers, kids with the weight of the world on their shoulders still trying for those “fun” moments every once in a while!
Loved this book! I received a copy from Harlequin Enterprises Australia in exchange for my honest review!
Series: Forever Evermore, Book 1
Publication Date: August 1, 2013
Publisher: Escape Publishing/ Harlequin Australia
ISBN: 9780857990679
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Fantasy/Romance
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Now for the dark side, the world knows about these mysticals, and for the most part, there is peace, but factions want to end the existence of the mysticals and are going to extremes to see it happen. Who will survive? Are the young future rulers equipped to handle this? Only if they learn to trust each other and work together, will they stand a chance.
Scarlett Dawn can write! I felt I was living each day with the four main characters and watching their growth, their screw ups and the bonds they had formed. And the supporting characters? The current Kings are like your favorite uncles, always ready to teach, demanding, but still caring, quirky and approachable. I ran the list of emotional tugs, I laughed, I wanted to cry, I got exasperated, and I started playing the mental matchmaker in my head! Loved the “secrets” and the bonds and the action!
This is escape at its best, not too dark, with a story that felt right for “the big screen,” flawed characters, evil doers, kids with the weight of the world on their shoulders still trying for those “fun” moments every once in a while!
Loved this book! I received a copy from Harlequin Enterprises Australia in exchange for my honest review!
Series: Forever Evermore, Book 1
Publication Date: August 1, 2013
Publisher: Escape Publishing/ Harlequin Australia
ISBN: 9780857990679
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Fantasy/Romance
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
March 9, 2020
I hate the ending and think it makes absolutely no sense, but the book was great!
“His hand had slacked in my hair, and I moved up, placing a gentle kiss against the corner of his mouth. His eyes opened, and I saw his pain there as he stared back. It was deep. So much more profound than he let on, keeping it tucked away much better than I fared.
His lids drooped closed, and he murmured, “Shift. I’ll scratch your ears.”
Shaking my head, I kissed his temple this time, whispering, “No. I think I’ll pet you instead.” I did just that, running my fingers through his spiked hair until he fell asleep.”
“His hand had slacked in my hair, and I moved up, placing a gentle kiss against the corner of his mouth. His eyes opened, and I saw his pain there as he stared back. It was deep. So much more profound than he let on, keeping it tucked away much better than I fared.
His lids drooped closed, and he murmured, “Shift. I’ll scratch your ears.”
Shaking my head, I kissed his temple this time, whispering, “No. I think I’ll pet you instead.” I did just that, running my fingers through his spiked hair until he fell asleep.”
August 2, 2013
This book gave me the giggles! Safe to say i woke up the whole house up, why did i start reading this at 4am?!
WHY DID DOMINIC HAVE TO DIE?! I LOVED HIM! At least have Lily and Ezra get together, they had serious chemistry, not like shitty bella and edward.
EZRA. OMG. I have no words for him! Damn that vampire is hot, and i mean serious swoon worthy hotness, with melted chocolate on top. And no he does not sparkle like my man Edward. Nope, Ezra is all male and sexy.
Need the next book right away!
WHY DID DOMINIC HAVE TO DIE?! I LOVED HIM! At least have Lily and Ezra get together, they had serious chemistry, not like shitty bella and edward.
EZRA. OMG. I have no words for him! Damn that vampire is hot, and i mean serious swoon worthy hotness, with melted chocolate on top. And no he does not sparkle like my man Edward. Nope, Ezra is all male and sexy.
Need the next book right away!
October 1, 2016
Why did I wait so long to read this?? Awesome awesome awesome. First off, I simply adored the bond that formed between the prodigies. They were willing to do anything for one another and their loyalty was so touching. The humor was great from the friends joking together to the kings placing bets on how well the prodigies would do in their tests. The level of action was spot-on. Not so much that it overwhelmed the story, but just enough that you knew at some point the s**t was going to hit the fan soon. And hit the fan it did. Starting book 2 immediately.
August 14, 2013
I hate giving one stars. I think I've only ever given one other. But I hate feeling unfulfilled and cheated at the end of a book, too.
Here are the reasons I'm giving this a one:
--There is no resolution at the end. I'm ok with cliffhangers, but I'm not okay with a cliffhanger in place of any real resolution whatsoever.
--It is categorized as a romance, which gave me certain expectations, but those expectations weren't met (What I expect out of a romance is that there should at least be a couple that is a fair amount of the focus for most of the book. I also prefer a HEA or a HFN, though in *some* cases I can overlook it.)
--There were a few rough editing areas. If it was this alone that bugged the crap out of me, I wouldn't have rated it so low, but with the other factors considered, I'm afraid it is a one.
--Lily's "Poor me, everyone hates me, I guess I'll go cry as a wolf so you'll scratch my ears" drove me freaking batty.
Here are the reasons that I would have given it a three, IF the issues above weren't present (In other words, if you don't care that this is portrayed as a romance, and aren't looking for a romance, and cliffhangers that don't resolve anything at all don't bother you, you will like this better than I did.)
--There was so much potential with this. The worldbuilding was not very smoothly or seamlessly done, but there was a lot of it. The author truly created a fascinating world, with so much history and culture, and while it could have been done better, I enjoyed it.
--There are several fascinating characters, and I enjoyed the close friendship between the four. I wish we got to know Pearl and Jack better, but I liked Ezra a lot.
That's about all I can say without spoiling it. If you don't care about spoilers, or have already read it or decided you aren't going to, see more below.
***Major, ranty, annoyed spoilers below, including spoiling the end.***
Here are the reasons I'm giving this a one:
--There is no resolution at the end. I'm ok with cliffhangers, but I'm not okay with a cliffhanger in place of any real resolution whatsoever.
--It is categorized as a romance, which gave me certain expectations, but those expectations weren't met (What I expect out of a romance is that there should at least be a couple that is a fair amount of the focus for most of the book. I also prefer a HEA or a HFN, though in *some* cases I can overlook it.)
--There were a few rough editing areas. If it was this alone that bugged the crap out of me, I wouldn't have rated it so low, but with the other factors considered, I'm afraid it is a one.
--Lily's "Poor me, everyone hates me, I guess I'll go cry as a wolf so you'll scratch my ears" drove me freaking batty.
Here are the reasons that I would have given it a three, IF the issues above weren't present (In other words, if you don't care that this is portrayed as a romance, and aren't looking for a romance, and cliffhangers that don't resolve anything at all don't bother you, you will like this better than I did.)
--There was so much potential with this. The worldbuilding was not very smoothly or seamlessly done, but there was a lot of it. The author truly created a fascinating world, with so much history and culture, and while it could have been done better, I enjoyed it.
--There are several fascinating characters, and I enjoyed the close friendship between the four. I wish we got to know Pearl and Jack better, but I liked Ezra a lot.
That's about all I can say without spoiling it. If you don't care about spoilers, or have already read it or decided you aren't going to, see more below.
***Major, ranty, annoyed spoilers below, including spoiling the end.***
August 2, 2013
I have seen so many people raving about this book that I had to buy it. Now I know why. That was an excellent ride. It was definitely a different take on the paranormal world and I LOVED it. I really liked how all the mysticals worked together. Normally you have one group (vampires typically) fighting another group (normally shifters) or there is some type of antagonistic behavior between them, they rarely get along. In this book, they HAVE to work together. The bond between Lily, Jack, Pearl, and Ezra was beautiful. You wish you had the kind of bond with anyone. I kept hoping that …… would get together with ……, seriously, no spoilers, I promise. Talk about a build up though, man. I kept hoping. I’m not telling who or if they did.
There were moments I laughed out loud, there were moments I sat there hoping for a certain outcome, then hoping for something else. It was fast passed and had everything you could ever want in a paranormal book (and it all worked).
It was brilliant.
I honestly couldn’t put it down.
I cannot believe this is Scarlett Dawn’s first book. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect! Very well written/edited, a story that keeps you entertained/totally absorbed in the book, and since this is going to be a series, an ending that while it doesn’t leave you hanging completely, leaves you wanting so much more of this group.
I need the next book. Scarlett, I NEED the next book.
Someone is going on my favorite author list.
There were moments I laughed out loud, there were moments I sat there hoping for a certain outcome, then hoping for something else. It was fast passed and had everything you could ever want in a paranormal book (and it all worked).
It was brilliant.
I honestly couldn’t put it down.
I cannot believe this is Scarlett Dawn’s first book. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect! Very well written/edited, a story that keeps you entertained/totally absorbed in the book, and since this is going to be a series, an ending that while it doesn’t leave you hanging completely, leaves you wanting so much more of this group.
I need the next book. Scarlett, I NEED the next book.
Someone is going on my favorite author list.
July 7, 2013
Shut the front door! This is Scarlett Dawn's first book??!!!
For her first DEBUT book it was PHENOMENAL! :)
The story has action, drama, love, loss, friendship and MORE!
I thought it was captivating, entertaining, delicious and more.... (please be sure to check my entire review of this book on my blog on July 18th!)
Anyone who loves the paranormal genre will LOVE THIS BOOK!
You can pre-order this fabulous book here:
http://www.amazon.com/King-Hall-ebook...
or you can purchase it on August 1,2013 when it comes out. :)
You won't be disappointed you bought this book!
Well done, Scarlett! :)
*I have to say that I did receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review and am very thankful I did because this book was fantastic!*
For her first DEBUT book it was PHENOMENAL! :)
The story has action, drama, love, loss, friendship and MORE!
I thought it was captivating, entertaining, delicious and more.... (please be sure to check my entire review of this book on my blog on July 18th!)
Anyone who loves the paranormal genre will LOVE THIS BOOK!
You can pre-order this fabulous book here:
http://www.amazon.com/King-Hall-ebook...
or you can purchase it on August 1,2013 when it comes out. :)
You won't be disappointed you bought this book!
Well done, Scarlett! :)
*I have to say that I did receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review and am very thankful I did because this book was fantastic!*
July 8, 2018
⭐3.5 stars⭐
"Well? Have I done the impossible? Rendered the two of you mute?"
His mouth opened wide in mock sock when we stayed quiet.
"Oh, I do believe I deserve a cookie. I've made the impossible, miraculously, possible. This is assuredly a monumental day. Perhaps hell has frozen over. Or, maybe," he glanced up at the blue sky, "pigs have taken flight."
He clapped his hands once, smiling at us.
"This would be the perfect occasion to use my new camera phone and take your picture together."
His smile widened.
"I'd tittle the photo: Up Shit Creek Without a Paddle."
Were there flaws? Suuure.. But I had fun reading this so I don't care :D
"Well? Have I done the impossible? Rendered the two of you mute?"
His mouth opened wide in mock sock when we stayed quiet.
"Oh, I do believe I deserve a cookie. I've made the impossible, miraculously, possible. This is assuredly a monumental day. Perhaps hell has frozen over. Or, maybe," he glanced up at the blue sky, "pigs have taken flight."
He clapped his hands once, smiling at us.
"This would be the perfect occasion to use my new camera phone and take your picture together."
His smile widened.
"I'd tittle the photo: Up Shit Creek Without a Paddle."
Were there flaws? Suuure.. But I had fun reading this so I don't care :D
June 7, 2016
Genre: YA/NA Fantasy
This is what I imagine fan fiction reads like; it's predictable and contrived for fantasy-fulfillment, "how convenient" becomes an understatement.
The primary focus of the book is on the friendship of 4 mysticals; their struggles & bond. The overall storyline is pretty weak and is really just thrown in here and there. There's a ton of potential for this story, in spite of heavy eye rolling I did get sucked in.
Promiscuity is widely accepted in the Forever Evermore world yet there is not one single sex scene in the book. There are lots of sexual references and several sensual encounters that become repetitive as no sexual tension is acknowledged.
This is what I imagine fan fiction reads like; it's predictable and contrived for fantasy-fulfillment, "how convenient" becomes an understatement.
The primary focus of the book is on the friendship of 4 mysticals; their struggles & bond. The overall storyline is pretty weak and is really just thrown in here and there. There's a ton of potential for this story, in spite of heavy eye rolling I did get sucked in.
Promiscuity is widely accepted in the Forever Evermore world yet there is not one single sex scene in the book. There are lots of sexual references and several sensual encounters that become repetitive as no sexual tension is acknowledged.
June 27, 2015
I have waited a long while to write this review. I discovered King Hall around December last year and, I exaggerate not, it was just as good the fifteenth time I read it as it was the first.
Meet our prodigies:-
Lily Ruckler
Ezra Zeller
Pearl Cooper
Jack Collins
Okay so to say that I was shocked would be an understatement.
I had recently reread all of the Shelly Laurenston and her altego GA Aiken books and I was hooked into the concept of alpha female. I have discovered it is my favorite genre since then but all ranting aside....
Holy lord and his mother....
This book was amazing. I went into it thinking it was going to be another one of those not bad but not good books but it took me by surprise and smirked at me while I was down on the ground and reeling from the sheer awesomeness that is Scarlett Dawn.
Lily Ruckler is a hybrid child, vamp and shifter, but in no way did she hog the book like the Ember from Darkness did. This book had a plot and that plot was good. SD let us get acquainted with all of her characters in this first book and didn't make the heroine virgin.
Thank the holy lord for that.
Not to mention, after the tragic incident in which Lily lost her mate, she didn't pull a Bella. She went out there on a....ahem....spree of fucking.
And oh my god that scene where she confesses that she had sex with a bird shifter and had bird for dinner after it?
Hilarious!
Lily was just an NA with all the new adult problems and no solution for them. But she grew up and owned the shit when it was clear that she was going to be the next Queen Shifter.
The bonds of friendship that this book demonstrates are to perfection. All of them love each other like family and all of them are open about it. All of them have a space of their own in the book and all of them get a voice.
And thank god that there were no miscommunication problems.
There were some spectacularly common scenes like the Graduation and then there were some spectacularly cool scenes like the building of the dome of water.
There were fights, babysittings, action, tears, hot daddies (read:Antonio and Cahal), backstabbing bitches, fangs, hot men and their hotter than shit bodies and thank god, not much drama. This book had everything, every little step of the transition that Lily made from being a Sophomore to a badass (know what I mean? huh?huh?huh?) Prodigy Shifter.
My favorite thing about this book is that it's heroine is not a helpless and spineless little bitch with too many hot men pining after her and her blushing virtue.
Cuz Lily had no virtue to speak of.
She has a sexual life, a Queenly life, a behind-the-walls life and she kept it all balanced with her focus on being queen, and she got the degree.
Speaking of degrees....
Was I the only one who wet my panties at Lily's and Ezra's dance or what?
And OMG all those embarrassing scenes with King Kincaid and King Venclaire catching Lily and Ezra together?
Ridiculously hilarious!
I can go on and on about my love of this book and Ezra and I do love him. Why would I not? He's perfect.
None of the heroes are assholes. There are no communication problems. Through it all, they know that the three people they can depend on are the other three of their Quartet.
That scene when all of them are charged with changing diapers?
And then when all of them fall asleep in the limo on the way to Washington DC?
Oh and when they wake up on top of each other, with more than a few wandering digits, while they are camping?
I have laughed, cried, held my breath and cursed more times than I can count while reading this book and I can honestly say that this book will stay with me throughout my adulthood like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson remained with me throughout my childhood.
I am going to read this book again and again and again and hope to god that I never run out of books like this.
Meet our prodigies:-
Lily Ruckler
Ezra Zeller
Pearl Cooper
Jack Collins
Okay so to say that I was shocked would be an understatement.
I had recently reread all of the Shelly Laurenston and her altego GA Aiken books and I was hooked into the concept of alpha female. I have discovered it is my favorite genre since then but all ranting aside....
Holy lord and his mother....
This book was amazing. I went into it thinking it was going to be another one of those not bad but not good books but it took me by surprise and smirked at me while I was down on the ground and reeling from the sheer awesomeness that is Scarlett Dawn.
Lily Ruckler is a hybrid child, vamp and shifter, but in no way did she hog the book like the Ember from Darkness did. This book had a plot and that plot was good. SD let us get acquainted with all of her characters in this first book and didn't make the heroine virgin.
Thank the holy lord for that.
Not to mention, after the tragic incident in which Lily lost her mate, she didn't pull a Bella. She went out there on a....ahem....spree of fucking.
And oh my god that scene where she confesses that she had sex with a bird shifter and had bird for dinner after it?
Hilarious!
Lily was just an NA with all the new adult problems and no solution for them. But she grew up and owned the shit when it was clear that she was going to be the next Queen Shifter.
The bonds of friendship that this book demonstrates are to perfection. All of them love each other like family and all of them are open about it. All of them have a space of their own in the book and all of them get a voice.
And thank god that there were no miscommunication problems.
There were some spectacularly common scenes like the Graduation and then there were some spectacularly cool scenes like the building of the dome of water.
There were fights, babysittings, action, tears, hot daddies (read:Antonio and Cahal), backstabbing bitches, fangs, hot men and their hotter than shit bodies and thank god, not much drama. This book had everything, every little step of the transition that Lily made from being a Sophomore to a badass (know what I mean? huh?huh?huh?) Prodigy Shifter.
My favorite thing about this book is that it's heroine is not a helpless and spineless little bitch with too many hot men pining after her and her blushing virtue.
Cuz Lily had no virtue to speak of.
She has a sexual life, a Queenly life, a behind-the-walls life and she kept it all balanced with her focus on being queen, and she got the degree.
Speaking of degrees....
Was I the only one who wet my panties at Lily's and Ezra's dance or what?
And OMG all those embarrassing scenes with King Kincaid and King Venclaire catching Lily and Ezra together?
Ridiculously hilarious!
I can go on and on about my love of this book and Ezra and I do love him. Why would I not? He's perfect.
None of the heroes are assholes. There are no communication problems. Through it all, they know that the three people they can depend on are the other three of their Quartet.
That scene when all of them are charged with changing diapers?
And then when all of them fall asleep in the limo on the way to Washington DC?
Oh and when they wake up on top of each other, with more than a few wandering digits, while they are camping?
I have laughed, cried, held my breath and cursed more times than I can count while reading this book and I can honestly say that this book will stay with me throughout my adulthood like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson remained with me throughout my childhood.
I am going to read this book again and again and again and hope to god that I never run out of books like this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 739 reviews