What do you think?
Rate this book
A King's Ransom
Kaidos Vailinn is a man trying hard to overcome his past. But being a Wanderer-born thief does not leave him many opportunities in life. So when a stranger comes bearing a contract to kidnap a prostitute and deliver “her” overseas, he’s hard-pressed to find a reason to turn it down.
Veyl is the highest paid “companion” at the Silver Tree Manor, an upscale brothel in the village of Aaullsworthe. At the tender age of twenty, he is steeped in ennui and still reeling from a broken heart. When he is called to a room at the local inn, he is charmed by the handsome dark-skinned man who has paid for his services. However things get ugly once Kaidos realizes it's not a woman that he's brought to his bed.
What begins as a journey full of discord slowly evolves into love. But when the ruthless ambition of a dying tyrant tears the lovers apart, Kaidos must convince an army to help him rescue the man who is worth more to him than a king’s ransom.
Veyl is the highest paid “companion” at the Silver Tree Manor, an upscale brothel in the village of Aaullsworthe. At the tender age of twenty, he is steeped in ennui and still reeling from a broken heart. When he is called to a room at the local inn, he is charmed by the handsome dark-skinned man who has paid for his services. However things get ugly once Kaidos realizes it's not a woman that he's brought to his bed.
What begins as a journey full of discord slowly evolves into love. But when the ruthless ambition of a dying tyrant tears the lovers apart, Kaidos must convince an army to help him rescue the man who is worth more to him than a king’s ransom.
432 pages, ebook
First published February 1, 2014
32 people are currently reading
424 people want to read
About the author
Lia Black
10 books145 followersLia Black tends to do everything the hard way; beginning with being born backwards into the world and now raising a teenage daughter by herself in conservative Upstate NY. Her career choices are no less extreme, including occupations of fine artist, computer geek, firefighter, and mortician’s assistant— just to name a few.
A fellow Author describes Black's mind as "a glorious kaleidoscope of f*ckeduppery"; she loves the challenge of writing about people who probably have no business being together on the same planet, and who occasionally deal with questionable sanity/morality. It’s fun to glue broken things together and try to make something interesting and new.
--She especially loves broken boys who have lots of fascinating pieces.
Her characters often suffer through the worlds she creates for them, which leaves them a little cranky and sometimes less lovable than others in a romance genre. Yet Black swears that someday, "there will be comedy."
A fellow Author describes Black's mind as "a glorious kaleidoscope of f*ckeduppery"; she loves the challenge of writing about people who probably have no business being together on the same planet, and who occasionally deal with questionable sanity/morality. It’s fun to glue broken things together and try to make something interesting and new.
--She especially loves broken boys who have lots of fascinating pieces.
Her characters often suffer through the worlds she creates for them, which leaves them a little cranky and sometimes less lovable than others in a romance genre. Yet Black swears that someday, "there will be comedy."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 21, 2024
*4.5*
It seemed that everyone wanted a piece of Veyl. Kaidos only wanted his heart.
While this story isn’t perfect, this author has a beautiful way of writing complicated relationships.
Kaidos the thief is offered a high price to kidnap a highly prized and sought after prostitute, Veyl. He wrongly assumes Veyl is a woman because of his slight build and mixed elven heritage. I cackled at the scenes where Veyl is asked to build a fire and (gasp) skin an animal. City raised, he has no idea how to survive in the wild, yet he has such a deep desire to feel confidence in himself. The gentle, nuanced way these characters help each other grow was done so well.
Fantasy universe
Political intrigue
Physically/emotionally wounded heroes
Kings, warriors
Elves, bear shifters, magic
Dark and violent
Prejudices and homophobia
Graphic intimacy
HEA
He knew that Veyl believed his only power came from sex. It was as natural a defense to Veyl as Kaidos' knives were to him. Both, he understood, could cut equally as deep.
There are multiple gay characters in the story, which was a refreshing change of pace from the usual fantasy romances. This story feels almost an homage to gay men who have struggled with their sexuality.
This is a long book that could’ve done with a bit of editing. There were a lot of characters and a quick change in plot halfway through.
While this book ended with an HEA for the main couple, there were certainly some loose ends left flailing about. In particular, the ancient sorcerer, Aegeus and his mysteriously hard-to-kill ward, Finn.
TW: violence/gore, rape and torture
While this story isn’t perfect, this author has a beautiful way of writing complicated relationships.
Kaidos the thief is offered a high price to kidnap a highly prized and sought after prostitute, Veyl. He wrongly assumes Veyl is a woman because of his slight build and mixed elven heritage. I cackled at the scenes where Veyl is asked to build a fire and (gasp) skin an animal. City raised, he has no idea how to survive in the wild, yet he has such a deep desire to feel confidence in himself. The gentle, nuanced way these characters help each other grow was done so well.
Fantasy universe
Political intrigue
Physically/emotionally wounded heroes
Kings, warriors
Elves, bear shifters, magic
Dark and violent
Prejudices and homophobia
Graphic intimacy
HEA
He knew that Veyl believed his only power came from sex. It was as natural a defense to Veyl as Kaidos' knives were to him. Both, he understood, could cut equally as deep.
There are multiple gay characters in the story, which was a refreshing change of pace from the usual fantasy romances. This story feels almost an homage to gay men who have struggled with their sexuality.
This is a long book that could’ve done with a bit of editing. There were a lot of characters and a quick change in plot halfway through.
While this book ended with an HEA for the main couple, there were certainly some loose ends left flailing about. In particular, the ancient sorcerer, Aegeus and his mysteriously hard-to-kill ward, Finn.
TW: violence/gore, rape and torture
November 17, 2014
A King’s Ransom was a reminder of the time I had my wisdom teeth pulled out, before the local anesthetics were able to work. It was a lot of unnecessary pain, and I was just glad when it was over.
The basis of the story is this: Kaidos is a Wanderer, a group of nomadic people looked down upon by humans. He is a thief who is fulfilling his last act of crime by kidnapping a prostitute for an amount of money that would allow him to retire. His assumption that the prostitute is female is but one of many misunderstandings Kaidos will encounter when he steals away Veyl.
Part 1 of the book deals mostly with Kaidos and Veyl – their introduction, their feelings for one another, recognizing those feelings, and falling in love. Part 2 is where the plot begins to progress: we are introduced with a whole new cast of characters, are dropped onto new lands, discover the ways of the elven tribes, and learn of everything that has led to Veyl’s true captor.
There is betrayal, deceit, magic, adventure, ect. – pretty much the makings of a great fantasy novel. But when something sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. But in order not to spend too much time on a review for a book I didn’t particularly enjoy, I will just list all the reasons I did NOT like this book:
-Veyl. He is pretty much a chick-with-a-dick. Damsel in distress. The person who acts before thinking, which then ultimately screws everyone over. And his solution and reaction to everything is crying. Lots. Of. Crying. Fuck, it got to the point that I wanted to cry from my frustrations with him.
- What’s worse than introducing a whole new cast of characters after half-way into the book? How about spending even MORE time establishing these characters’ romantic relationship with one another? Meanwhile, the spotlight on the main issue between Kaidos and Veyl is pretty much pushed into the backburner while we are busy worrying about the love between characters that weren’t even there for the first half of the book. WTF? At this point, I don’t CARE about these other characters. Not that I liked Veyl at all, but let us at least stay focused on the main issues here, and not diverge into all these other issues.
-How conveniently every important character happens to be gay. Especially in a world where the major groups of people (humans, elves, wanderers) tend to be homophobic or have some issues with homosexuals. It just felt a bit iffy is all.
-Late world building. Seriously, we didn’t even KNOW much about the elves and magic until the second part of the book. It just felt like the author was dumping a bunch of information to conveniently allow the plot to progress in part 2 instead of taking the time to construct things accordingly towards the beginning of the novel.
How about the positives? Um, well…the concept was interesting enough. And I liked the plot, just not the execution of it. And despite my ramblings of this book, I can say that my dislike of it is NOT because this is a bad book. Just that it didn’t work for me.
Meh.
The basis of the story is this: Kaidos is a Wanderer, a group of nomadic people looked down upon by humans. He is a thief who is fulfilling his last act of crime by kidnapping a prostitute for an amount of money that would allow him to retire. His assumption that the prostitute is female is but one of many misunderstandings Kaidos will encounter when he steals away Veyl.
Part 1 of the book deals mostly with Kaidos and Veyl – their introduction, their feelings for one another, recognizing those feelings, and falling in love. Part 2 is where the plot begins to progress: we are introduced with a whole new cast of characters, are dropped onto new lands, discover the ways of the elven tribes, and learn of everything that has led to Veyl’s true captor.
There is betrayal, deceit, magic, adventure, ect. – pretty much the makings of a great fantasy novel. But when something sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. But in order not to spend too much time on a review for a book I didn’t particularly enjoy, I will just list all the reasons I did NOT like this book:
-Veyl. He is pretty much a chick-with-a-dick. Damsel in distress. The person who acts before thinking, which then ultimately screws everyone over. And his solution and reaction to everything is crying. Lots. Of. Crying. Fuck, it got to the point that I wanted to cry from my frustrations with him.
- What’s worse than introducing a whole new cast of characters after half-way into the book? How about spending even MORE time establishing these characters’ romantic relationship with one another? Meanwhile, the spotlight on the main issue between Kaidos and Veyl is pretty much pushed into the backburner while we are busy worrying about the love between characters that weren’t even there for the first half of the book. WTF? At this point, I don’t CARE about these other characters. Not that I liked Veyl at all, but let us at least stay focused on the main issues here, and not diverge into all these other issues.
-How conveniently every important character happens to be gay. Especially in a world where the major groups of people (humans, elves, wanderers) tend to be homophobic or have some issues with homosexuals. It just felt a bit iffy is all.
-Late world building. Seriously, we didn’t even KNOW much about the elves and magic until the second part of the book. It just felt like the author was dumping a bunch of information to conveniently allow the plot to progress in part 2 instead of taking the time to construct things accordingly towards the beginning of the novel.
How about the positives? Um, well…the concept was interesting enough. And I liked the plot, just not the execution of it. And despite my ramblings of this book, I can say that my dislike of it is NOT because this is a bad book. Just that it didn’t work for me.
Meh.
May 28, 2025
Points for an ambitious plot, creativity and a complicated relationship however the execution makes me feel conflicted. This is such a mixed bag of a story that had a lot of elements crammed into it. Part 1 and part 2 are quite different to each other and in total it’s 500pages. I felt like a rail car spinning off the tracks at multiple points here. And we are still left with some unfinished plot points! I’m not sure if there was ever a sequel but it definitely leads towards another book in this universe.
I don’t even know how to really review this accurately. There are some good parts and at the heart an engaging story and relationship but many other aspects didn’t work for me and I just don’t feel satisfied with my reading experience at the end. It does sadden me to give it 3 stars (and I’ve debated that rating for a while) as I do love an author trying an interesting storyline with wildly different elements.
I enjoyed Mercury’s Orbit by this author, for all its craziness, so not giving up on them yet!
Many trigger warnings, please be aware.
I don’t even know how to really review this accurately. There are some good parts and at the heart an engaging story and relationship but many other aspects didn’t work for me and I just don’t feel satisfied with my reading experience at the end. It does sadden me to give it 3 stars (and I’ve debated that rating for a while) as I do love an author trying an interesting storyline with wildly different elements.
I enjoyed Mercury’s Orbit by this author, for all its craziness, so not giving up on them yet!
Many trigger warnings, please be aware.
February 6, 2014
Life is not always one road, but most of the times, it's full of alternatives, secondary roads
The plot
What could be easier than kidnap a whore, take the money and go have (finally) a peaceful live? That's how this story begin. Kaidos Vailinn is a Wanderer, a thief from this infamous clan of nomads. He must decide which path he must take... have the money... or do what is right?
But... that's just one little part of the plot... the only part I can tell you, do don't ruin the amazing experience of reading the book.
The story is so complex I can't even spoil any little details, but be aware... the path all characters take is full of suffering
Kaidos past and the present is heartbreaking.. be prepare to the worst... I'm adding a "abuse" tag to this book (not just for his past) but I think he is the only one I really cry for. Something horrible happened to him, and it's so horrible because... it was someone that should protect him that did it. That's my warning, because I can deal with abuse when it's (like in this book) something the character is dealing with, not living in the narration. It's horrible. I can use two words to describe it, but will put inside a spoiler (just to readers wanting badly to know what I'm warning about) .
Closing the quick parenthesis about the warning let's me tell you this is not just a fantasy, full of magic creatures (elves, shifter, mage) but also a romance.. with more than one couple.
Kaidos is desperate to have his money, but he must ignore his feelings? Ignore Veyl?
I have no words to describe Veyl... androgynous, lonely, tired of his useless life? How can I describe someone that I took more than 200 pages to know? better don't even try... go on, look at him...
.. yep, the closer person on real life I can find to describe Veyl is Andrej Pejic.
But Veyl is much more than just androgynous and impossible to understand... he is half breed, loved by humans (man and woman) and used just as a tool to have pleasure because of his elf half, ignored by elves because of his human half. He is both, he is nothing, he is... lovely. I love him, from page one to the last one...
The common idea, that link all the plot and the romance is the struggle to be accepted... to be able to loved... and with luck, be loved back... no one can have it easily, all races, places and people must fight for it. There is no easy place to two men that fall in love... none. Or there is? A place... they must create for themselves?
Divided in two parts, the story became much more dynamic, and I appreciated it but...it's also the reason I'm not giving 5 stars, but 4. Because I'm always waiting complete explanations to all details... like.
I don't want to be too perfectionist, this is a book with more than 400 pages! I know many details can be left out, or it would be 1000 pages :D But... it's my nature... read a book wanting that all details, even the smaller one, will have a reason to be there, in the book.
So, it's a book that will be in favorite shelf.... because I really loved it. I know it may sounds crazy, but I will certainly re-read it. Yes, now I know how it end, I know it's a long book... but it's a marvelous book.. and a heartbreaking love story. A love story that show us that yes, live is full of roads and most of them lead to suffering... but one little road, that one we may take just for desperation and trusting our feelings can lead to love... read it to know how Kaidos did it... found his love
P.S: OMG... OMG! The last page.. the last big revelation... I'm speechless... this book took me by surprise, page by page, UP TO THE END! Up to the last page! wow... just... wow!
The plot
What could be easier than kidnap a whore, take the money and go have (finally) a peaceful live? That's how this story begin. Kaidos Vailinn is a Wanderer, a thief from this infamous clan of nomads. He must decide which path he must take... have the money... or do what is right?
But... that's just one little part of the plot... the only part I can tell you, do don't ruin the amazing experience of reading the book.
The story is so complex I can't even spoil any little details, but be aware... the path all characters take is full of suffering
Kaidos past and the present is heartbreaking.. be prepare to the worst... I'm adding a "abuse" tag to this book (not just for his past) but I think he is the only one I really cry for. Something horrible happened to him, and it's so horrible because... it was someone that should protect him that did it. That's my warning, because I can deal with abuse when it's (like in this book) something the character is dealing with, not living in the narration. It's horrible. I can use two words to describe it, but will put inside a spoiler (just to readers wanting badly to know what I'm warning about) .
Closing the quick parenthesis about the warning let's me tell you this is not just a fantasy, full of magic creatures (elves, shifter, mage) but also a romance.. with more than one couple.
Kaidos is desperate to have his money, but he must ignore his feelings? Ignore Veyl?
I have no words to describe Veyl... androgynous, lonely, tired of his useless life? How can I describe someone that I took more than 200 pages to know? better don't even try... go on, look at him...
.. yep, the closer person on real life I can find to describe Veyl is Andrej Pejic.
But Veyl is much more than just androgynous and impossible to understand... he is half breed, loved by humans (man and woman) and used just as a tool to have pleasure because of his elf half, ignored by elves because of his human half. He is both, he is nothing, he is... lovely. I love him, from page one to the last one...
The common idea, that link all the plot and the romance is the struggle to be accepted... to be able to loved... and with luck, be loved back... no one can have it easily, all races, places and people must fight for it. There is no easy place to two men that fall in love... none. Or there is? A place... they must create for themselves?
Divided in two parts, the story became much more dynamic, and I appreciated it but...it's also the reason I'm not giving 5 stars, but 4. Because I'm always waiting complete explanations to all details... like.
I don't want to be too perfectionist, this is a book with more than 400 pages! I know many details can be left out, or it would be 1000 pages :D But... it's my nature... read a book wanting that all details, even the smaller one, will have a reason to be there, in the book.
So, it's a book that will be in favorite shelf.... because I really loved it. I know it may sounds crazy, but I will certainly re-read it. Yes, now I know how it end, I know it's a long book... but it's a marvelous book.. and a heartbreaking love story. A love story that show us that yes, live is full of roads and most of them lead to suffering... but one little road, that one we may take just for desperation and trusting our feelings can lead to love... read it to know how Kaidos did it... found his love
P.S: OMG... OMG! The last page.. the last big revelation... I'm speechless... this book took me by surprise, page by page, UP TO THE END! Up to the last page! wow... just... wow!
November 14, 2014
...A fun, intriguing, enchanting and sexy story that twists pain and love perfectly. I'd seriously love a sequel, omg! Highly Recommended.
February 20, 2014
Lia Black takes established fantasy tropes and crafts them into a smart, highly readable, sexy tale, with plenty of action and surprising touches along the way. Veyl especially is a new favorite character: I’m a city gal myself, so I’ve a soft spot for pampered creatures of civilization who are forced into situations requiring something called “camping” or, heaven help us, “roughing it” in that woefully misnamed entity, the “great outdoors.” (The scene where Kaidos orders Veyl to skin a dead animal was priceless.)
Black takes her time bringing these two together, with plenty of gay for you/out for you angst and lively love/hate banter. Both Kaidos and Veyl are more than they appear, and the book is full of unexpected moments of pathos and sweetness to offset the conflict and violence of the story. Those who have read Worthy know that Black writes wonderfully sensual, sizzling erotic scenes and King’s Ransom definitely does not disappoint.
That being said, it’s a long book at 150,000 words, and it would not have hurt the story to sacrifice some pages during the journey section, though in truth I was always engrossed reading it. With the arrival of Captain Engel at 40% with its kidnapping within a kidnapping and hints of a love triangle, the story becomes action-packed, with a small host of new characters (the wizard and his apprentice were particularly effective and moving), all racing towards a highly suspenseful and satisfying denouement.
Bottom Line: Lia Black writes a fun, sexy story that will satisfy fans of high fantasy and M/M. Highly Recommend.
Black takes her time bringing these two together, with plenty of gay for you/out for you angst and lively love/hate banter. Both Kaidos and Veyl are more than they appear, and the book is full of unexpected moments of pathos and sweetness to offset the conflict and violence of the story. Those who have read Worthy know that Black writes wonderfully sensual, sizzling erotic scenes and King’s Ransom definitely does not disappoint.
That being said, it’s a long book at 150,000 words, and it would not have hurt the story to sacrifice some pages during the journey section, though in truth I was always engrossed reading it. With the arrival of Captain Engel at 40% with its kidnapping within a kidnapping and hints of a love triangle, the story becomes action-packed, with a small host of new characters (the wizard and his apprentice were particularly effective and moving), all racing towards a highly suspenseful and satisfying denouement.
Bottom Line: Lia Black writes a fun, sexy story that will satisfy fans of high fantasy and M/M. Highly Recommend.
July 23, 2016
This is exactly the kind of book that I love. A fantasy/adventure/road-trip/enemies-to-lovers story. And I generally enjoyed it. It tells the story of Kaidos, a wandering gypsy-type thief who is paid a lot of money to kinnap Veyl, an extremely beautiful and androgynous prostitute for reasons unknown. They inevitably end up developing a connection, random adventure and occasional angst ensues. Some of if is exciting, some of it is dirty and I was suitably entertained.
The first half was great, but later on things get a bit muddled with the eleventh-hour addition of lots of secondary characters. There is also quite a lot of side plot that lends the book length, but doesn't necessarily advance the story. It also becomes a wee bit cheesy in its old age. And just a minor personal niggle - there are a few silly editing and grammar errors that were briefly annoying.
For all that though, it was a good read and if you, like me, like fantasy/adventure/road-trip/enemies-to-lovers stories, then you'll probably like this too.
The first half was great, but later on things get a bit muddled with the eleventh-hour addition of lots of secondary characters. There is also quite a lot of side plot that lends the book length, but doesn't necessarily advance the story. It also becomes a wee bit cheesy in its old age. And just a minor personal niggle - there are a few silly editing and grammar errors that were briefly annoying.
For all that though, it was a good read and if you, like me, like fantasy/adventure/road-trip/enemies-to-lovers stories, then you'll probably like this too.
March 15, 2017
It is done. At last. Oh dear, so many things to complain about this book. I'll keep this review short because... I read it about a month ago and it failed to impress me so much that I've forgotten half of it.
First of all, why so many plot lines? If trimmed down to its basics, this would probably have been about 200 pages tops. As it is, there were pointless fragments, additional romantic lines added, action scenes heaped on for gratuitous effect. I'll expand on this.
Flimsy plot lines that struggled to make sense and coagulate into a whole. Too many distractions and points of view. Weak characters that failed to engage me emotionally.
First of all, why so many plot lines? If trimmed down to its basics, this would probably have been about 200 pages tops. As it is, there were pointless fragments, additional romantic lines added, action scenes heaped on for gratuitous effect. I'll expand on this.
Flimsy plot lines that struggled to make sense and coagulate into a whole. Too many distractions and points of view. Weak characters that failed to engage me emotionally.
March 22, 2019
A King’s Ransom is a longish book separated into two parts. Part One was awesome—I adored it. Veyl and Kaidos are sexy, quirky well-developed characters that captivated me and had me thoroughly invested almost immediately. I was absolutely riveted watching them fall in love on their journey across the kingdom to an unknown end. As their pasts are revealed in all its delicious angst, they had me enthralled. Then about midway through came part two and everything changed.
At that point, the book shifted from a tightly focused love story to a sprawling Lord of the Rings style epic set within a complex world of elves, werecreatures, mages and demons in a kingdom of political intrigue. The storyline complexity bumped up to encompassed three m/m love stories, and to facilitate that there are several new POV characters introduced. None of them were bad, in fact, all were interesting and well-drawn. But I’d become so completely invested in Veyl and Kaidos, that this shift threw me.
The entire book is well-written with compelling characters, wonderful storytelling and world-building. Part two just wasn’t the story that I personally craved after having become engrossed in part one. Having the main couple separated for nearly the whole second part of the book had me itching to hurrying through all the other fun stuff going on in order to get back to the relationship of Veyl and Kaidos again. In the end, the brief time on-page after they were reunited left me wanting just a bit more.
Veyl and Kaidos are an awesome couple. I enjoyed them so much that my only niggle with this book centers around my annoyance at having them share the spotlight with any other couples no matter how interesting and fun they were.
Part One = 5 stars
Part Two = 3 stars
Overall = 4 stars
At that point, the book shifted from a tightly focused love story to a sprawling Lord of the Rings style epic set within a complex world of elves, werecreatures, mages and demons in a kingdom of political intrigue. The storyline complexity bumped up to encompassed three m/m love stories, and to facilitate that there are several new POV characters introduced. None of them were bad, in fact, all were interesting and well-drawn. But I’d become so completely invested in Veyl and Kaidos, that this shift threw me.
The entire book is well-written with compelling characters, wonderful storytelling and world-building. Part two just wasn’t the story that I personally craved after having become engrossed in part one. Having the main couple separated for nearly the whole second part of the book had me itching to hurrying through all the other fun stuff going on in order to get back to the relationship of Veyl and Kaidos again. In the end, the brief time on-page after they were reunited left me wanting just a bit more.
Veyl and Kaidos are an awesome couple. I enjoyed them so much that my only niggle with this book centers around my annoyance at having them share the spotlight with any other couples no matter how interesting and fun they were.
Part One = 5 stars
Part Two = 3 stars
Overall = 4 stars
March 22, 2019
This had such a strong start, so I really hate giving it only three stars, but once we hit part two, I had difficulty not falling asleep from how dull it started to get. I really enjoyed the slow burn aspect of the romance, but I do wish the plot itself had been a bit quicker paced.
February 7, 2014
This is a wonderful, dark, fantasy-romance tale. It combines some of the things I enjoy most in fantasy with some of my favorite romance standbys. In this story you will find a couple of broken heroes who you want to weep for, an elf who has been exiled from his homeland, a gentle shape-shifting giant who personifies patience and kindness, a guard captain torn between honor and love, and a wizard who pays for his magic in blood and pain.
In an attempt to gain himself enough coin to break away from a life of thievery, Kaidos takes a contract to kidnap a prostitute and deliver her to a foreign nobleman. It doesn’t take Kaidos long to discover that “she” is a “he”, and he soon finds himself fighting long-buried feelings of desire for the beautiful man he has promised to deliver to an unknown fate.
As an orphaned half-breed, Veyl has never had choices in his life. He was raised in the brothel he works in, and as a high-class prostitute, he’s never been loved for who he is, but only for what he can do.
Kaidos and Veyl are well-drawn characters, each struggling to overcome a tragic past. Their path to love is not easy, but through the story, their relationship slowly develops and grows. In the end, each of them must dig deep within himself to survive not only the perils of their journey and the schemes of a dying tyrant, but the ghosts of his own past.
In an attempt to gain himself enough coin to break away from a life of thievery, Kaidos takes a contract to kidnap a prostitute and deliver her to a foreign nobleman. It doesn’t take Kaidos long to discover that “she” is a “he”, and he soon finds himself fighting long-buried feelings of desire for the beautiful man he has promised to deliver to an unknown fate.
As an orphaned half-breed, Veyl has never had choices in his life. He was raised in the brothel he works in, and as a high-class prostitute, he’s never been loved for who he is, but only for what he can do.
Kaidos and Veyl are well-drawn characters, each struggling to overcome a tragic past. Their path to love is not easy, but through the story, their relationship slowly develops and grows. In the end, each of them must dig deep within himself to survive not only the perils of their journey and the schemes of a dying tyrant, but the ghosts of his own past.
February 6, 2014
This very long book is full of detail and description. Often an author can be guilty of rushing the narrative, the attraction between the MCs and most of all, the ending.
This is not the case here. It's not a fast paced book, but I also wouldn't call it rambly either. Each event, each sidebar helps to build clear images in our minds, and allows a full picture to emerge.
The two heroes are very different. But both are lonely and looking for purpose. Although the beginning of their relationship is kidnapper and victim, the situation soons becomes protector and survivor, and ulitmately friends and lovers.
Kai's ethnicity marks him as an outcast, and we learn something of his troubled childhood. That part was actually quite difficult to read. Veryl's inevitable slide into prostitution is well handled and we can see that he controls as much of the circumstances as he can.
Sometimes, things were spelt out too much for me, and towards the end, I was confused by some character's motivations. And that last chapter is a killer. But overall, I engaged with the story.
This is not the case here. It's not a fast paced book, but I also wouldn't call it rambly either. Each event, each sidebar helps to build clear images in our minds, and allows a full picture to emerge.
The two heroes are very different. But both are lonely and looking for purpose. Although the beginning of their relationship is kidnapper and victim, the situation soons becomes protector and survivor, and ulitmately friends and lovers.
Kai's ethnicity marks him as an outcast, and we learn something of his troubled childhood. That part was actually quite difficult to read. Veryl's inevitable slide into prostitution is well handled and we can see that he controls as much of the circumstances as he can.
Sometimes, things were spelt out too much for me, and towards the end, I was confused by some character's motivations. And that last chapter is a killer. But overall, I engaged with the story.
January 14, 2018
I underestimated this one. But I'm glad I trusted my instincts on this one, to find it out myself instead of trusting random strangers' negative review. The negative reviews had convinced me I won't like this one, and I had approached it with wary eyes and lack of expectations, but turned out I love it, lol, especially part 2. Part one is quite good, I gave it a 4 stars though, it's long but it's necessary for its romance... but after I had reached part 2, it's when I couldn't tear my eyes off the book, completely. Why, part 2 has more meats to chew than just romance in part 1, there's so much more going on in this part when I finally met the dying tyrant, and what's more, here I got my fantasy creatures, from elves, bear shifter, mage, and even demon. Give me my fantasy, and surprised me, I will bestow you 5 stars, lol.
I actually enjoyed Barlan the bear shifter and Crow the elf's romance more than Veyl the crybaby half elf and Kai the thief's. And not because Veyl is effeminate guy, damsel in distress and crybaby, nope. I have no problem with effeminate man or crossdresser or crybaby men in my books. In fact, imo it's not wrong at all to be a crybaby, regardless the sex. Crying doesn't mean a person is weak, but it means a person has a heart and is honest with their feelings. Veyl actually had good reasons, well, he had been strong for too long, he even tried to commit suicide several times. And being raised as a whore since he was fourteen, raped when he's just a child, and with an appearance like a woman, more beautiful than women even (his beauty is soooo otherworldly, *well he's half elf*, that I can't put a face on it, as there's no man like that in RL who looks like half elf, not even Andrej Pejic), and everybody also had treated him like a fragile and pampered princess. Not that I hate his romance with Kai, it's just that he and Kai had an endless sex drive, lol. Both just can't get enough of each other to the point they even fucked in their dream, lol. I skimmed the sex scene because well, kinda boring after they done it for sixth time... Their first time is very delicious though after the UST, they just succumbed to their lust for each other after Kai finally admitted he wanted it despite his initial denial due to his dark history as rape victim. Their second time is to erase Veyl's memories of his first love, Engel. Third time is to realize their love for each other. Fourth time is for healing Kai's trauma of his dark past. Fifth time is for plot device, lol. Sixth time is in their dream, the purpose is to show us readers how Veyl can connect or link through dreams with his lover, it has a significant meaning to Veyl, Kai, and Engel. This is the part when I learned most of Engel and I like that. Thankfully this is the last time they had sex in the book, lol.
I also like Aegeus and Finn's part, they're not lovers though. I even cried for Aegeus the mage in the end, for all his and everyone's belief he has no heart because of his bloodied hands yet he was capable to offer love and affection for Finn his foster son whose parents were murdered by his hands. His POV moved me to tears most of the times, very touching for me, I'm always weak to this kinda character.
I actually enjoyed Barlan the bear shifter and Crow the elf's romance more than Veyl the crybaby half elf and Kai the thief's. And not because Veyl is effeminate guy, damsel in distress and crybaby, nope. I have no problem with effeminate man or crossdresser or crybaby men in my books. In fact, imo it's not wrong at all to be a crybaby, regardless the sex. Crying doesn't mean a person is weak, but it means a person has a heart and is honest with their feelings. Veyl actually had good reasons, well, he had been strong for too long, he even tried to commit suicide several times. And being raised as a whore since he was fourteen, raped when he's just a child, and with an appearance like a woman, more beautiful than women even (his beauty is soooo otherworldly, *well he's half elf*, that I can't put a face on it, as there's no man like that in RL who looks like half elf, not even Andrej Pejic), and everybody also had treated him like a fragile and pampered princess. Not that I hate his romance with Kai, it's just that he and Kai had an endless sex drive, lol. Both just can't get enough of each other to the point they even fucked in their dream, lol. I skimmed the sex scene because well, kinda boring after they done it for sixth time... Their first time is very delicious though after the UST, they just succumbed to their lust for each other after Kai finally admitted he wanted it despite his initial denial due to his dark history as rape victim. Their second time is to erase Veyl's memories of his first love, Engel. Third time is to realize their love for each other. Fourth time is for healing Kai's trauma of his dark past. Fifth time is for plot device, lol. Sixth time is in their dream, the purpose is to show us readers how Veyl can connect or link through dreams with his lover, it has a significant meaning to Veyl, Kai, and Engel. This is the part when I learned most of Engel and I like that. Thankfully this is the last time they had sex in the book, lol.
I also like Aegeus and Finn's part, they're not lovers though. I even cried for Aegeus the mage in the end, for all his and everyone's belief he has no heart because of his bloodied hands yet he was capable to offer love and affection for Finn his foster son whose parents were murdered by his hands. His POV moved me to tears most of the times, very touching for me, I'm always weak to this kinda character.
probably-not
August 8, 2015NTS: dear god was that sample cringe-worthy. Soooo full of cliches and nonesuch.
And all of the whorephobia, ugh.
Seriously, even if you don't (*waves around hand hoping to snag a tactful way to phrase this*) favor or champion sex worker issues, the number of "whore"'s being dropped has well reached drinking-game level. 38 "whore"'s in the first three chapters. The count up's to 50 by Chap 4. That's an average of 12.58 per chapter (done with lazy math. I found the average for the first three chaps, then the first four, and then averaged those two). That's 50 "whore"'s in 44 pages of this online sample. There are 613. ...Damn, the rate of "whore" appearances better slow down at some point, because otherwise, that is a damn lot of "whore"'s being slung around. Honorable mentions go to the lovely few that popped up after Veyl introduced himself rather civilly. Way to ignore the dude and remain wallowing in your prejudice.
Actually, you know what? That really is a damn lot of "whore"'s. But just...isn't the author tired of typing it over and over and over? Or is commitment to this homophobic, whorephobic effect more important than one's sanity? Does "whore" even still look like a word to the author anymore? Because I know I've long gotten past the point of semantic satiation. Wore. Hore. Wuh-Hore. Wor-ee? I mean, is "whore" branded in the author's muscle memory now? Do they start typing "wh" and their fingers just automatically type the "ore" to follow? Are they haunted by this word at night? Is it branded on the insides of their eyelids when they close their eyes? Does the word in large block letters chase them in their sleep? Do they feel better about themselves as a person?
You know, now that I think of it, I never did get "jaded" from Veyl. Nor did he quite seem "reeling from a broken heart." Like, it was explicitly stated to be there, but for some reason, I feel like his actual actions didn't quite seem to demonstrate that? Or maybe I got so distracted by all of the "whore"'s being thrown around that I have no idea what went down. Actually, I think at this point, I've got enough "whore"'s in this review to make it a sister to one of the chapters in this book. I think I'm right there at the average, more or less.
And all of the whorephobia, ugh.
Seriously, even if you don't (*waves around hand hoping to snag a tactful way to phrase this*) favor or champion sex worker issues, the number of "whore"'s being dropped has well reached drinking-game level. 38 "whore"'s in the first three chapters. The count up's to 50 by Chap 4. That's an average of 12.58 per chapter (done with lazy math. I found the average for the first three chaps, then the first four, and then averaged those two). That's 50 "whore"'s in 44 pages of this online sample. There are 613. ...Damn, the rate of "whore" appearances better slow down at some point, because otherwise, that is a damn lot of "whore"'s being slung around. Honorable mentions go to the lovely few that popped up after Veyl introduced himself rather civilly. Way to ignore the dude and remain wallowing in your prejudice.
Actually, you know what? That really is a damn lot of "whore"'s. But just...isn't the author tired of typing it over and over and over? Or is commitment to this homophobic, whorephobic effect more important than one's sanity? Does "whore" even still look like a word to the author anymore? Because I know I've long gotten past the point of semantic satiation. Wore. Hore. Wuh-Hore. Wor-ee? I mean, is "whore" branded in the author's muscle memory now? Do they start typing "wh" and their fingers just automatically type the "ore" to follow? Are they haunted by this word at night? Is it branded on the insides of their eyelids when they close their eyes? Does the word in large block letters chase them in their sleep? Do they feel better about themselves as a person?
You know, now that I think of it, I never did get "jaded" from Veyl. Nor did he quite seem "reeling from a broken heart." Like, it was explicitly stated to be there, but for some reason, I feel like his actual actions didn't quite seem to demonstrate that? Or maybe I got so distracted by all of the "whore"'s being thrown around that I have no idea what went down. Actually, I think at this point, I've got enough "whore"'s in this review to make it a sister to one of the chapters in this book. I think I'm right there at the average, more or less.
Read
April 30, 2015A King's Ransom is now up on Smashwords . I'm offering a 40% off coupon until February 16th, coupon code:LV74S
:-)
:-)
September 8, 2016
I think this was well written. It's romance for grown-ups, for people who want more than fluff. There is tension and conflict, and an ending that makes it all worth it.
I liked how this story was full of real people. Real people aren’t perfect, and real relationships aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. Real people have emotional ‘scratches and dents’, have stuff in their past, and sometimes struggle to do the right thing. This book is full of such people, with all their glorious scratches and dents, who are making the most of their situation and fumbling toward happiness, just like us. The characters are portrayed in a way that’s evocative and believable.
It’s a bit of a challenge for the author: two protagonists who initially have no reason to like each other. In fact, they have every reason not to like each other. Through the storytelling, they slowly come together and form a bond which is promptly tested by circumstances.
The supporting cast is just as well-drawn as the protagonists: they’re multidimensional characters with their own pasts, motivations and hangups, who have stories and relationships of their own. They’re not plot devices, but people. I’m hoping some of them get their own books someday.
This is a story about a fantasy world populated by real people, who have real relationships. The characters' journey isn't straight and effortless, but the destination is rewarding and satisfying.
I liked how this story was full of real people. Real people aren’t perfect, and real relationships aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. Real people have emotional ‘scratches and dents’, have stuff in their past, and sometimes struggle to do the right thing. This book is full of such people, with all their glorious scratches and dents, who are making the most of their situation and fumbling toward happiness, just like us. The characters are portrayed in a way that’s evocative and believable.
It’s a bit of a challenge for the author: two protagonists who initially have no reason to like each other. In fact, they have every reason not to like each other. Through the storytelling, they slowly come together and form a bond which is promptly tested by circumstances.
The supporting cast is just as well-drawn as the protagonists: they’re multidimensional characters with their own pasts, motivations and hangups, who have stories and relationships of their own. They’re not plot devices, but people. I’m hoping some of them get their own books someday.
This is a story about a fantasy world populated by real people, who have real relationships. The characters' journey isn't straight and effortless, but the destination is rewarding and satisfying.
March 20, 2014
An excellent adventure story featuring a likable group of heroes and their engaging efforts to save the day whilst combating both enemies and prejudice.
July 7, 2017
DNF at 45%
July 26, 2021
Very uneven book. The first part, the love story of Veil and Kaidos, is weak and boring. The second part is like a different book: adventure plot kicks into gear, new strong characters appear. In the end I understood that I would have read the story of magus Aegon and his adopted child Finn with much more enthusiasm.
March 3, 2017
2.75 stars
I didn't hate it but I barely liked it. The story just feels out of the place. More than half way part the MCs story gets dropped to introduce what could be the story for two other couples. It seems the author intends to write a sequel but here we are 3 years later and nothing. As a result what you have is a story that seems unfocused with a finish that feels rushed and open-ended.
I didn't hate it but I barely liked it. The story just feels out of the place. More than half way part the MCs story gets dropped to introduce what could be the story for two other couples. It seems the author intends to write a sequel but here we are 3 years later and nothing. As a result what you have is a story that seems unfocused with a finish that feels rushed and open-ended.
January 1, 2015
★★★★☆
I'm not much of a fantasy reader so the fact that I stuck with this just shows that I was invested in Veyl and Kai's story.
All Kai had to do was abduct a prostitute and deliver her and he'd have enough money to get out of the thieving business and build a nice house somewhere. Instead he got the adventure of his life, resolution of past trauma and love of his life.
Veyl was a half-elf orphan who was brought up in a brothel and eventually became a highly-paid prostitute but he wanted out of this life but didn't know how to do so. Kai abducting him gave him new choices and paths. One thing that was heartbreaking . Yikes!
Both Kai and Veyl were damaged souls but slowly and surely, they healed each other.
Along the way, we meet some other wonderful (and not so wonderful, Lirin) characters, Barlan and Crow and Kai and Veyl's adventures change their path as well.
Not what I was expecting and thoroughly enjoyed.
I'm not much of a fantasy reader so the fact that I stuck with this just shows that I was invested in Veyl and Kai's story.
All Kai had to do was abduct a prostitute and deliver her and he'd have enough money to get out of the thieving business and build a nice house somewhere. Instead he got the adventure of his life, resolution of past trauma and love of his life.
Veyl was a half-elf orphan who was brought up in a brothel and eventually became a highly-paid prostitute but he wanted out of this life but didn't know how to do so. Kai abducting him gave him new choices and paths. One thing that was heartbreaking . Yikes!
Both Kai and Veyl were damaged souls but slowly and surely, they healed each other.
Along the way, we meet some other wonderful (and not so wonderful, Lirin) characters, Barlan and Crow and Kai and Veyl's adventures change their path as well.
Not what I was expecting and thoroughly enjoyed.
October 2, 2014
First half was slow but still going somewhere. Two MC sounded very alike for me and even their history was alike. At around 60% two more POV are introduced, which was confusing by itself. In addition, the level of magic incorporated into this part of the story increases significantly, which makes the first part look like it happened in different universe.
I will not go into details, but behavior of the MC after this point became illogical and childish from one side and pointlessly cruel from another.
DNF
I will not go into details, but behavior of the MC after this point became illogical and childish from one side and pointlessly cruel from another.
DNF
May 7, 2017
4.1 stars.
February 13, 2015
Well done with great world building. The secondary characters were complex and full of dimensions. Loved the MCs
April 21, 2015
2.5 The characters were interesting and I liked the world enough to get to know more about it and there are scenes where I really could sympathize with the characters but as well as the single characters were created their interaction was not. The most believable part was the scene from one harbor to the next. There I was able to join Veyl and Kai and Engel. The emotions were believable and the atmosphere quite right. Before that the author wote about developping feelings, about changes in the the relationship but only presented the result of the development never the development itself and often enough the reason for the change came sometimes later.
Starting with the audience in part 2 the story became a blur when new characters were introduced. Again: the characters were interesting, some even necessary to make the fantasy world richer and some of them I would even have liked to see in their own short story but somehow their scenes prescreened from the main romance. Sometimes I lost the connection with Veyl completely, didn't cared about Kai anymore and failed to understand Aegus completely. I don't want to start asking why the archduke and his sons do their appearance at all and won't comment on the final conclusions which I don't really like. It could have been a real good story with nice twists and promising characters but somehow it came across as a sketch, single pieces that ignite my curiosity but couldn't deliver.
Starting with the audience in part 2 the story became a blur when new characters were introduced. Again: the characters were interesting, some even necessary to make the fantasy world richer and some of them I would even have liked to see in their own short story but somehow their scenes prescreened from the main romance. Sometimes I lost the connection with Veyl completely, didn't cared about Kai anymore and failed to understand Aegus completely. I don't want to start asking why the archduke and his sons do their appearance at all and won't comment on the final conclusions which I don't really like. It could have been a real good story with nice twists and promising characters but somehow it came across as a sketch, single pieces that ignite my curiosity but couldn't deliver.
December 13, 2016
This book feels more like two books:
the first one is what you expect when you read the summary: hunk who does shady business kidnaps pretty young man and they fall in love against all odds, including tragic pasts, jealous ex-lovers, giggling prostitues and mean half-brothers.
Just barely 3 stars for that because, frankly, it's boring. It doesn't feel like the plot advances, things happen but they are all ultimately inconsequential, and the usual UST and slow burn isn't written well enough to keep it working.
Then comes the second part of the book, roughly 65% in, where all of a sudden a whole bunch of new and interesting side-yet-occasionally-POV-characters are introduced, who, frankly, make the actual main ones and their fate seem boring.
It's about what happens after the kidnapping, after the main couple has already confessed their love, after they found out what's going on - now they just need to solve the whole mess, with the help of new friends, acquaintances and others.
There are still issues in this part - like how all of a sudden magic is a thing, or a new religion is introduced, or characters spill out their heart's content just to never appear again - but I adored the side-characters and their stories, so I'm giving this part 5 stars, thus overall rating A King's Ransom with 4 stars.
the first one is what you expect when you read the summary: hunk who does shady business kidnaps pretty young man and they fall in love against all odds, including tragic pasts, jealous ex-lovers, giggling prostitues and mean half-brothers.
Just barely 3 stars for that because, frankly, it's boring. It doesn't feel like the plot advances, things happen but they are all ultimately inconsequential, and the usual UST and slow burn isn't written well enough to keep it working.
Then comes the second part of the book, roughly 65% in, where all of a sudden a whole bunch of new and interesting side-yet-occasionally-POV-characters are introduced, who, frankly, make the actual main ones and their fate seem boring.
It's about what happens after the kidnapping, after the main couple has already confessed their love, after they found out what's going on - now they just need to solve the whole mess, with the help of new friends, acquaintances and others.
There are still issues in this part - like how all of a sudden magic is a thing, or a new religion is introduced, or characters spill out their heart's content just to never appear again - but I adored the side-characters and their stories, so I'm giving this part 5 stars, thus overall rating A King's Ransom with 4 stars.
December 1, 2015
Long slash fantasy with a bit of everything: tragic pasts, love triangles, sexual confusion, thieves, elves, mages, a bear shifter, some funny circumstances (mostly "oops, wrong gender"), some political intrigue, lots of fighting and running off on quests, and lots more. I think if you like the genre it's impossible not to like at least some aspects of this story.
Must stay away if you're looking for something sweet and cute, because though it does have its lovey-dovey moments the book is about a poor abused halfbreed boy that was raised in a whorehouse and a thief with his own neglective or abusive relatives.
I'm very interested in a sequel or spin off or anything really, because there were characters introduced that seem fascinating and I'd love to see their story unfold. The ending is a tease in itself because it introduces a surprise character... but that doesn't really make the book open ended because the main plotline ended at an ok spot.
Must stay away if you're looking for something sweet and cute, because though it does have its lovey-dovey moments the book is about a poor abused halfbreed boy that was raised in a whorehouse and a thief with his own neglective or abusive relatives.
I'm very interested in a sequel or spin off or anything really, because there were characters introduced that seem fascinating and I'd love to see their story unfold. The ending is a tease in itself because it introduces a surprise character... but that doesn't really make the book open ended because the main plotline ended at an ok spot.
December 14, 2014
First, I was surprised by the typos scattered within the book. As for the breaks being used within the chapters to change the point of view between characters - they seemed to be unnecessary and made the flow of the novel fractured and, on some occasions, jarring. A two or three sentenced paragraph would have done the trick. And the one time it should have been used (the first dream sequence between Veyl and Kaidos) it was not.
With that being said I think the novel could have been crafted a little better. To me it never felt like a M/M romance but a M/F one. Almost wish the relationship between the two Main Characters was that of the relationship between two characters that were added in book two.
Also, think that the last chapter with demon and Aegeus was not needed. No relevance to the rest of the novel except as a way for author two tie up some loose ends. Could have been the beginning chapter for a new novel. . .
With that being said I think the novel could have been crafted a little better. To me it never felt like a M/M romance but a M/F one. Almost wish the relationship between the two Main Characters was that of the relationship between two characters that were added in book two.
Also, think that the last chapter with demon and Aegeus was not needed. No relevance to the rest of the novel except as a way for author two tie up some loose ends. Could have been the beginning chapter for a new novel. . .
January 13, 2017
Too long. Confusing or inadequately explained motivations for characters. Too many elements seemingly just stuck in for the hell of it. Why are shapeshifting bears, demonic mages, whole cultures of elves just thrown in to the second half? Why does everyone have so many issues, and then suddenly seem to get over them? Also, why did everyone like Veyl? He was a spoiled brat with no real gumption. Also, How does a kingdom under a tyrannical ruler become so powerful when he has neither popular support, nor money? The army would revolt or the peasants. How can the king pay such a high ransom if his economy is crumbling. The politics are way too simply glossed over. Also, this mix of highly prejudiced and extremely accepting secondary characters leads to a bit of topical whiplash between the elf queen and the Archduke and sons.
Other things too.
Other things too.
September 10, 2014
This is an excellent M/M fantasy romance novel, the twists and turns of the story were unexpected and the description of magic and the toll it takes on the sorcerer were one of the best I have ever read. If you are a fan of fantasy books and can keep an open mind about the romantic M/M aspects of the book, you will truly enjoy reading this book. I heartily recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews