Le roi de la guerre et du sang: Adrian x Isolde Tome 01

Adrian x Isolde #1

by Scarlett St. Clair

Leur union est sa revanche.
Isolde de Lara considère le jour de son mariage comme celui de sa mort. Pour mettre fin à une guerre qui dure depuis des années, elle doit épouser le roi des vampires, Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, et le tuer.
Mais sa tentative d'assassinat est déjouée, et Adrian menace Isolde de l’élever au rang de morte-vivante si elle tente à nouveau de le tuer. Confrontée à la possibilité de devenir ce qu'elle déteste le plus, Isolde cherche d'autres moyens de le défier et de survivre à la brutale cour des vampires.
Mais ce n'est pas le tribunal qu'elle craint le plus, c'est Adrian.
Malgré leur indéniable alchimie, elle se demande pourquoi le roi – féroce, sauvage, sans pitié – l'a choisie comme épouse.
La réponse va bouleverser son monde.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Paranormal

480 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2021

About the author

International and USA Today Best Selling author Scarlett St. Clair is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and the author of the HADES X PERSEPHONE SAGA, the HADES SAGA, KING OF BATTLE & BLOOD, and WHEN STARS COME OUT.

She has a Master's degree in Library Science and Information Studies and a Bachelors in English Writing. She is obsessed with Greek Mythology, murder mysteries, and the afterlife.

If you are obsessed with these things, then you'll like her books. You can find pictures of her adorable dog Adelaide on her Instagram at @authorscarlettstclair.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to confess: I did not read the last 50-60 pages of this book. I'm sorry. I tried to finish. But I also knew that even if those last couple of chapters were AMAZING, it would not make a difference to how I feel about this whole book.

The first mistake was my own. I truly thought King of Battle and Blood was a fantasy, likely with strong romantic elements. Not a vampire erotica. But this is basically a book of sex. The fantasy politics and wishy-washy mythology feel like filler around the sex scenes.

I told myself I didn't mind that much at first. Hell, I've read worse plots than "nekkid vampire sex" for sure. But it is super cringey. From the use of the pet name "sparrow" 🤮 to the anthropomorphised clitoris.

It strained against my touch, sensitive with need, still so tight, practically preening.

It's not sexy if I'm torn between laughing and throwing up.

The magic and random mishmash of supernatural creatures in the background are clearly trimmings and not meant to distract our focus from Adrian's cock. So naturally they are ill-conceived and the mythology underdeveloped.

Also, as a romance/erotica, I personally would have liked to have seen a bit more will they/won't they to drag out the tension. A bit of teasing never goes amiss and would probably have grabbed another couple of stars from me, let's not lie. But Isolde goes from hating Adrian with a passion (supposedly) to sitting on his face in a matter of hours, and from being disgusted by the notion of letting him drink her blood to but will I like it, though? in a matter of minutes.

So, to conclude: this is a vampire erotica and, in my opinion, not a very good one.

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

you know that saying about pizza that says even when its bad, its still good?

yeahhh, that also applies to this book. lol.


nothing about this story is unique. ive read it all before. the plot in ‘the shadows between us,’ the twists in ‘city of thorns,’ and the overall vibe and world in ‘from blood and ash.’ this book is literally a combination all of these three with nothing that is new.

but heres the thing. even if the material is recycled and the writing and characterisation not the best, i still ate. this. up. i loved those other books, so theres no reason why i wouldnt enjoy this one. my tastes are pretty simple when it comes to needing some easy entertainment and this hit the spot.

↠ 4 stars

[Kelsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I prefer a bit of plot with my smut.

[Laura Thalassa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated books this year, and my God, did it exceed my (high) expectations! I’m all for a good enemies-to-lovers story. Throw in an arranged marriage and you got me, hook, line and sinker.

Isolde is the ultimate female power fantasy—strong, just, wise, and willing to get her hands dirty when need be. Adrian, meanwhile, is the perfect anti-hero—he’s not simply evil, but he’s no saint either. It makes him unpredictable and really just enticing. Their chemistry was just 🔥!

There’s a twist in the novel that I just went WILD over, and man did it wrench my heartstrings in the best way. Also, side note, but the writing itself? *chef’s kiss* So good. Scarlett St. Clair writes enviable fantasy!

The only hard part now is the book hangover I have to deal with—and settling in for the wait to the sequel!

***

GIVE IT TO ME.

OH MY GOD. THIS LOOKS SO FRIGGIN' GOOD. DID IT JUST OFFICIALLY BECOME ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED READS?

HELL MOTHER-F*CKING YES.

P.S. NO, I WILL NOT TURN CAPS LOCK OFF BECAUSE I. AM. NOT. CHILL. RIGHT. NOW.

[❀ Rose ❀ · Rating 1 out of 5]

“All the stars in the sky are not as bright as my love for you.”

🔹Overall feelings:
📚 I was so disappointed by this book. I’ve been seeing it on Bookstagram non-stop lately and the premise sounded so interesting to me that I decided to pick it up. I mean, come on; an enemies to lovers marriage of convenience where the girl is sent to kill him?!?! That sounds right up my alley. And on top of it all, it’s paranormal AND has vampires in it… *mindblown*. This is the sort of book that I normally genuinely love to read. That said, after actually reading it… I have to say that I was extremely let down.

🔹The plot:
📚 The second I read the synopsis I actually immediately thought of “The Bridge Kingdom” by Danielle Jensen. The latter is one of my absolute favorite romantasy books because it was brilliantly able to (in my opinion) balance the romance with a very engaging and intriguing plot. Since both books deal with similar tropes and topics, I thought this one would also be a win for me. Safe to say, that was not the case.

📚 I was promised a paranormal romance filled with political intrigue. What I got however, is smut…with absolutely nothing else. I’m not even joking. I understand that this book is now well beloved by many but you guys cannot tell me that this had a decent plot. In my opinion (pls don’t attack me lol), the only plot in this entire novel revolved around how horny the two main characters could get.

📚 Nothing happens throughout the entire book. We just follow Isolde as she pretends to hate her husband until she suddenly and out of nowhere realizes that she actually loves him. Nope, still not joking. As for the whole “witches” side plot and the big reveal at the end, the only thing that would surprise me about this “twist” is if anyone actually was surprised by it. It was not so subtly “hinted at” from the very beginning. Also, I’m just gonna say it: it was such a stupid twist. I usually love this sort of plot but it was not well done in here… at all. We don’t even understand how she got back (at least I didn’t—I might be the only one though, so I won’t dwell on this.) Also, I’m very aware that this is the first installment which means that many of my questions should be answered in the sequel— I won’t know for sure though since I’m not planning on reading the sequel but, you know, oh well.

🔹The characters:

Isolde:
📚 My God I could not stand her. Here’s the thing. I absolutely love strong heroines. Honestly, who doesn’t?! Give me a strong, independent heroine all day everyday. I eat that stuff up. However, what I have come to find is that there’s a very thin line between being a powerful and fierce heroine and being aggressive and mean for no reason whatsoever. Authors often struggle with this line and this simple mistake can make me go from loving a character to absolutely hating her. This was the case with Isolde. We’re supposed to see her as this amazing, independent woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone but all I saw was a mean character who genuinely attacked everyone she meets for no apparent reason. And I hated that. She always felt the need to assert her dominance even when the situation did not call for it.

📚 Another thing that I want to mention here is the non-stop girl on girl hate. This is one of the most frustrating “tropes” (and I say trope because that’s literally what it is at this point) to read about. Can authors please stop doing this? It’s not realistic and not enjoyable to read about. Women are not like that in real life. I would understand if Isolde only met like, one woman who was mean to her and who had to be “put in her place” but in this book, the author made it seem like pretty much all women were against the heroine (not even because the latter is human—a lot of the hate also came from human women— but simply because they felt like it). That said, this is another thing that I hated about this book.

📚 Also, this novel gave me flashbacks to the “Blood and Ash” series with how they glorified (?) the whole “pulling a knife on someone” trope. Don’t get me wrong, although I love that trope, I hate when it’s mentioned repeatedly or when it becomes something “cute” that the heroine did. It’s cute the first time it’s mentioned but after that, let’s just get over it please.

Adrian:
📚 Very one dimensional and boring. Again, I felt like the author was inspired by FBAA and based her characters off Casteel and Poppy. And although I now hate that series, I have to say that Jennifer Armentrout did a better job with the characters. Adrian’s whole personality trait in here is that he’s supposedly violent and that he loves his wife. I finished this whole book and I still know absolutely nothing about him as an individual character...

🔹The romance and other stuff:
📚 Isolde goes from hating her husband to loving him in the span of a few pages.
📚 Isolde goes from completely rejecting vampires to accepting them and their way of life in the span of a few pages.
📚 Isolde goes from not remembering anything to remembering everything and accepting the whole “plot twist” in the span of a few pages (by the way, the way she remembers and realizes who she is was SO anticlimactic).
📚 There is absolutely no chemistry between the characters. All they do is have sex. There is not one meaningful conversation between them.

🔹Final thoughts:
📚 This book had no plot whatsoever. The characters were not likeable or interesting in my opinion and I have to say, the writing style did not work for me for most of the book. In other words, the premise was extremely interesting but the execution was lacking and left much to be desired. That said, if the premise sounds interesting to you then I still won’t tell you not to read it. My opinion is unpopular (as always) so chances are, you’ll end up enjoying this more than I did (which I hope you do)!

📚 By the way, please excuse this very messy review. I’ve been focusing on my bookstagram lately so I feel like I haven’t written a proper review in a while — which means that I’m very aware that this is kind of all over the place lol.

“Never forget, my queen, that goddesses are just humans with great power.”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rose_books2/

———————————
Why does this sound so good?

[Brittany Taft · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book… *shakes head and laughs*

I cannot even review this properly.

Pros:
-vampires
-mixed race, bigger (?) mc
-was literally so cringe-worthy and terrible that it was funny/entertaining and that was the ONLY thing that kept me reading

Cons:
-read like a literal horrible, cheesy fanfic in the worst way possible
-the sex scenes were also not good at all
-big “I’m not like the others girls” vibes
-corny reincarnation trope (and pretty much any other corny / overused / dried up trope you can think of, this book had it)

The very first 10% of the book can be summarized as….

Oh I’m a princess of a country but I’m like not a normal princess or girl because I’ve been trained to fight and I can handle myself and I’m capable. I have a sexual relationship with the captain of the guard but he’s boring and not good in the sack and I’m not satisfied. My father the king is meeting the conquering vampire lord and I’m having a fight with my asshole boyfriend and I sneak out on my own and find a feral vampire and it attacks me but I kill it because I’m so capable but I’m injured and this sexy vampire man just so happens to find me in the woods and licks me and heals my wounds but I say he’s an evil creature and he disappears but he made me so horny with horny magic I cannot even think straight and can barely walk home and every brush of my thighs is too much and the next day we meet the vampire lord and he just so HAPPENS to be the vampire I met in the woods that I want to fuck so badly and oh yeah I HAVE to marry him to save my country and this is such a great ordeal because he’s an EVIL CREATURE and disgusting but oh no we have to consummate the marriage whatever will I do!!!

I’m not above some good vampire smut books in the right mood but dear god… this was SO BAD. Even with the vampire/forced marriage tropes, there ARE ways to write them and pull it off, but this decidedly failed in every regard.

This did not read or feel like a work by a published, popular author, and felt exactly like something you’d read on fan fiction sites as a 13 year old, written by a 14 year old.

But hey, at least I could read it in a satirical way, and that was the only thing giving me the strength to finish.

Needless to say, it confirmed my worst fears and assumptions and I will NOT be reading any of this author’s other works.

[Ashlee » libraryinthecountry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me describe this book poorly: woman gets new boyfriend, old boyfriend is jealous, woman is jealous of new boyfriend’s female acquaintance because he goes to her for his fix, but woman doesn’t want to help him, she just gets mad at the other woman. Oh and turns out new boyfriend was interested in woman because she reminds him of his ex. Oh and there’s vampires and witches and magic and stuff.

Look, this book is damn entertaining, and I think it’ll hit its mark with most of its audience, but I was frustrated that so much of the plot is devoted to other woman/other man drama. I was wavering on what to rate it and had initially gone with 4 stars, but after more thought I am going with 3 stars because what I see in this book is some of the same mistakes I felt Scarlett St. Clair has made with her Hades X Persephone series. Far too much of her writing is spent on relationship drama and it hangs over the rest of the story like a dark storm cloud.

In fact, I get tired of seeing characters like Isolde labeled “strong female characters” when they devote so much of their time to woman vs. woman drama. Isolde is jealous, she’s petty, and rather than help a specific character and realize she’s a product of the station she holds, she belittles and embarrasses them. Isolde is a victim of patriarchal womanhood and it frustrates me that plots like this are still being written—we’re well past the days of stories like this. It isn’t 2006 any longer. I can’t recall once in this book that I felt Isolde treated another woman as an equal, that’s not to say she doesn’t have female friends, but the women in this book are either threats to her or subordinates. This book would have really hit the mark for me if that part of the plot had been cut, or simply rewritten to show Isolde being altruistic and understanding, despite the petty drama around her.

On top of that, the first half of this book devotes quite a bit of time to traveling. I am one of the few individuals that actually really loves traveling plots, but it just didn’t feel realistic or necessary in this book. A lot of it felt convenient so things could be set up (which is totally fine!), but by the end of the book, I felt as though not much happened once they arrived at the Red Palace. I was just expecting quite a bit more, and would have recommended cutting a lot of the traveling back, or simply writing more after their arrival, to balance with the traveling, so the pacing doesn’t feel so disjointed.

The characters in this are fine overall, but Adrian especially reads as Hades v2.0. The story overall is very much similar in themes to the Hades & Persephone myth, which reads as repetitive, if you’ve read Scarlett’s other series. I think one way this could be improved is if the witches part of the plot were introduced earlier on (I loved that spin!), but right now it feels late in the game. It’s one thing to stick with the same themes throughout it a series/world, but this is a new series and read as recycled.

On another note, I am disappointed by the sex scenes in this book. I know a lot of people rave about them in Scarlett’s work, but since reading A Touch of Ruin and now this book, I just can’t help but be reminded that quantity does not equal quality. The sex scenes are repetitive (pull tab, insert in hole, repeat), and I noticed that once again, several serious conversations are happening while the characters are having sex. Look, I will be the first to admit that I am 80% here for the spice, and it doesn’t take much to entertain me—but I just scratch my head at characters who can’t talk to each other unless their clothes are off.

Again, I imagine this book is absolutely going to hit its mark amongst the audience it’s intended for, and I *was* absolutely entertained. But personally, the woman vs. woman subplots were frustrating and degraded the women in this book.

If you love this book, I am happy for you! I wish Scarlett all success with this release and future books. I think I’ll definitely be continuing the series (I even have a couple exclusive editions coming that I am excited for!), it just missed its mark for me in too many areas.



Original, April 2021:
I am looking forward to this book and love the cover, but it’s difficult not to see how similar it is to another popular fantasy series with vampires. 😬🧐

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars💫

isolde and adrian are the definition of “stay toxic” and i GOBBLED!!!

stay toxic friends💅🏻

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stab me in the eyeballs



follow me on booktok
follow me on booksta!

[mina reads™️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

How does one manage to make vampires and murder and smut boring? Idk ask Miss St. Clair

More thoughts can be found here: https://youtu.be/-PadPNCZIZQ

[aly ☆彡 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"History is just a perspective. It changes depending on your side"

Considering that I'm not a big fan of the author's previous works, I really delve into this with zero expectation. A surprise it was when I found myself feeling okay as I read further, though a few things still irked me. But let me be fair in my review by starting with what I enjoy and like first.

If I were to compare it to her Hades & Persephone books, King of Battle and Blood was written competently. I liked that it was such a fast-paced and easy reading. Clair came out with a political conflict in the worldbuilding which made it all enthralling. Bonus point — because as far as I am not concerned, there were no typing/spelling/grammar errors like how it used to be so apparent in her previous books. I'm not a grammar nazi, I just expected better from an author who is publishing their books that I paid for it. Everything is finally falling into place.

Then, we have all these mysterious creeps surrounding the book with the crimson mist to the orange-haired woman on the mirror; which I liked how it seeks adventure and answers as we go on despite the book being a paranormal romance. Although, it was a bit dismay at how the truth is not in the balance so you don't have to spark your inner Sherlock to spot the elephant in the room. All the same, I enjoyed it still because I am an absolute rampage for reincarnation trope. There's just something melancholic and beautiful about being separated from your true loves and reunited lifetime after lifetime; because who doesn't love pain. Well, at least that was the expectation right?

However, I hardly feel that sense of connection between Adrian and Isolde since they were not given the delicate build-up for their romance. And it does not help that Isolde is feeling horny all the freaking time and everything was just so rushed and insta-lust. Wait, did I say I set off with zero expectation? Well, I take that back. I very much expected the vampire porn this book has to deliver (why else do you think I'm reading this?) but if that's really the case, then everyone can just watch one on pornhub or something. But we still opt for those inks between pages because we need the plot, the emotional development as well as character growth! But Adrian and Isolde are not even working for their love which is quite vexing. Where's the angst that the audience asked for?

Another thing that got me popping my vein is this branding that Clair had for coming up with the most condescending, crude heroines. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Do you hate women so bad as to pit me against all these female characters ceaselessly? I hate to give all the encomium to a man that hardly exists in the real world today so WHY? No, cause I get the hidden message forth; women empowerment, strength, knowledge versus ignorance, war, and sacrifice, yada yada.

But despite that, Isolde is one overbearing, pretentious, and annoying heroine instead; it's hard to empathize with her. I'll cut the slack if this is some YAs but that's barely the case. Isolde is a 26 years old grown-up who is set to be a queen mind you — but acted merely off her assumptions and emotions. Incidentally, she's also that person who likes to speak when needn't ask to or do so for the sake of hurting the other party. Like, place a bet with me how long her kingdom would last this way. And I know I am not nitpicking, Adrian pointed it out and Isolde realized it.

"You make many presumptions, wife" — no shit, Sherlock.
"Fine" I said feeling silly"
"I had been insensitive" — [also me: pretended to be shocked].

Please don't talk about character development because it's hardly so till the end and I am tired of excusing asshole people by discarding it as "their personality and that people are different." Because oh yeah? That still doesn't give you the license to be rude.

This book hinted a bit at the feminist message but Isolde has been tearing other women down and being such a bully instead of doing the opposite. And that's so much on creating a "badass heroine" (please don't). I get if we were talking about antagonists, I hate Killian and Nadia but who cares about them. If they're the villain the author made to be, let them be. But a heroine who's set to reign? Spare me from being a citizen.

Anyhow, two things I wanted to point out though it's neither on my good nor bad side is — i) the representation in this book. We have POCs and queer characters which I extol for the diversity. But then, I can't help to feel that it's didactic. Meh, not a big deal though.

Then — ii) this book suffered from having a massive cast, I was a little jumbled on trying to remember who’s who. Especially all these lords in the council. Best bet, I'll have no memory of these characters' existence in the next book.

You can serve me a crappy plot, but characters who aren't flattering can be a major undoing. I very much bargain for a rage; coming from this author which is why it isn't as bad compared to if this was your first time with Clair's work. I can see why it's not working out for some readers. It worked well for the physical aspect but failed to persuade me of the deeper connection. Fix Isolde's attitude, and this book may be in the cards for me. Anyways, expecting better things in the second one (only doing this for Adrian).

[Mary Skinner · Rating 2 out of 5]

extremely poorly written. needed a strong editor. spice scenes were repetitive and unimaginative. plot was directly taken from FBAA - actually shocked that this was allowed to go to print without a copyright violation. plagiarism is an immediate no from me

[Paige ♠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems to be really polarizing, with people either loving or hating it. I didn’t have super high expectations going in, but I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews comparing this to FBAA and saying it was too similar. I actually think it was more similar to A Shadow in the Ember… but either way, I felt like they are all a little similar in that they involve vampires and gods and are in the new adult genre, but the storylines and characters are still unique. There are only so many ways to make vampires different and I think this was different enough to still be good.

✅ ISOLDE WAS GREAT and I thought she was written as a strong and interesting morally-grey character. You could tell from her mannerisms and the way she spoke that she was actually raised to lead and be a queen.

🆗 THE MAIN THING that bothered me about Isolde was her nonstop horniness. Seriously, she was either leaking or aching for like 80% of the damn book

❌ IT SEEMED TOO OBVIOUS that Adrian and Isolde had some weird and historical connection. It felt like it was supposed to be this mysterious reveal but to me all the foreshadowing just had me rolling my eyes

🆗 I READ THIS FOR the smut and I definitely got some smut 😉 If anything, there was a bit too much smut because it kind of got repetitive after a while

✅ ADRIAN WAS SURPRISINGLY not as alpha as I thought he would be, which actually made me like him more. I was worried he was going to be a douche-lord like Knox from Flames of Chaos, but he was very respectful but still macho enough to be sexy

❌ UNFORTUNATELY, THE ROMANCE left something to be desired for me. There wasn’t enough build-up or longing between the two of them to make me actually feel like it meant much more than sex. Basically, they got together too quickly

I thought the overall story was entertaining and I read this all in one sitting but it’s definitely not going to be a new favorite of mine. I was in the mood for something smutty and this delivered on that so I’m pretty happy with it.

[Lucie V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

✅✅ Smut
✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Pace
✅ Vampires (and a few mentions of witches)
(✅)🆗 Plot
🆗 Politics
🆗❌ Romance / Hate to love
🆗❌ Main character
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: deaths and mentions of burnings

I apologize in advance for the length of this review. I had a lot to say about Isolde and this “romance” between her and Adrian…

“Do not tremble under the gaze of the Blood King. Surrender today, live to conquer tomorrow.”

Hoping to end the war and bloodshed that ravages Revekka, Princess Isolde agrees to marry the Blood King Adrian Alexander Vasilia, even though he is a vampire and her kingdom’s sworn enemy. Isolde plans on getting close enough to him to find a way to finally end his life, but as she travels with him and spends time in the red palace, she comes to realize (of course), that there is more to their land’s history than what she was told, and that Adrian is not simply a bloodthirsty monster. Things get even more complicated and tough for Isolde when she realizes that there is an enormous sexual tension between Adrian and her and that they cannot seem to keep their hands off each other, even though she hates herself for wanting him.

There is politics in this book, but it is your usual and predictable YA/NA fantasy politics. Some vampires do not like the fact that Adrian brought back a human queen, and they are trying to get rid of her, but they are not very subtle, and their identities were never a secret. Besides the threats on Isolde’s life, it was your usual court politics, but not very detailed or developed. There were also a few twists and even a betrayal, but sadly, I saw most of them coming because of the hints that were dropped here and there. The foreshadowing was way too evident for me not to guess what was coming.

Isolde is not a main character that I liked. I liked her in the first few chapters; she was strong and independent, and saying how she wanted to rule without having to marry because she was raised to be a good ruler… Then I stopped liking her when she started traveling with Adrian and his vampires because she couldn’t stop acting like a jealous teen, and she was so contradictory! All of her driven side disappears, and instead, we get a whining teenager facing mean girls and bullies. She describes herself as a “strong woman”, but she is petty and so jealous, and believes she should rule because it is her right and she was raised to do so, and because of that I didn’t see her as a kind and altruistic ruler, but rather a jealous teenager seeing every other women as threats or people there to help and serve her. I was really not impressed with her, but also with the other women's petty behavior.

-Many women went to Isolde to brag about the fact that they had sex with Adrian before and they knew how to please him, and it made Isolde jealous, so she lashed back at them and got revenge. Firstly, those women are either being mean on purpose, or they are completely oblivious to what is acceptable, but still, did Isolde expect Adrian to be a virgin? How is it the other women's fault if he had sex with them before he even knew Isolde?
-Adrian’s vassal (the one he was taking blood from since Isolde refused to let him drink from her) was trying to make Isolde jealous by talking about her “special” relationship with Adrian and of course, it worked and Isolde spent the rest of the book being jealous of the vassal, while the vassal spent the rest of the book lying and trying to make herself appear more important than she was (typical teenage drama).
-Adrian and his vampires did not tell everything to Isolde because she made it no secret that she still considered them to be her enemies and didn’t trust them, so of course, they wouldn’t trust her with their secrets and battle plans. Yet, Isolde was hurt every single time she learned that they didn’t share something with her.

At least, most of the time, Isolde realized that her behavior and jealous/hurt reactions were ridiculous, but the fact remains that I had to read wayyyyyyy too much about her jealousy and her whining about her hurt feelings for me to like her.

“I am many things,” he said. “Man, monster, lover.”

Adrian is not a bad character, and he didn't annoy me as Isolde did, but I am pretty indifferent to him. He had potential, being a dark and ruthless "villain" with a fiercely protective side and a lot of sex appeal, but his character was not developed enough to be really interesting. We know a lot about his sexual prowess, but I wanted more depth and layers, not just smut and some sexy or swoon-worthy moments every once in a while.

“You assume I want a wife,” he said. “But I came for a queen.”
It was my turn to stare. “So our marriage will be one of pageantry?”
“Oh, I think we are both too passionate for that.”

The author spent too much time focusing on the relationship drama and not enough time on the plot and developing the characters. Also, the fact that many significant conversations between Isolde and Adrian happened while they were having sex just feels weird. They obviously have this very physical and intense connection that makes it impossible for them not to rip their clothes off when they are together for more than a few minutes, yet they can take the time to chat while having sex? And once the sex part is over, don’t ask them to sit and talk seriously because, of course, suddenly all feelings-related discussion is just impossible to have. It only added to the immaturity I felt from Isolde, but from Adrian, it was a little harder to explain, considering how old he is.

This romance is a hate-to-love on Isolde’s part, but I feel that the “love” part did not develop entirely because of Adrian’s actions or words, or because Isolde realized that he wasn’t so bad. It mostly develops because they kept on having great sex together, and Isolde couldn’t endure being apart from Adrian because of the sex, not because she cared that much about him. That is, until the last 20% of the book, where she suddenly realized that he was meant for her and she for him, and that nothing would ever tear them apart. It just felt sudden, and a little too intense considering the lack of conversations and meaningful relationship-building between them during the first 80% of the book.

“You dishonor her,” he said. Adrian offered a shrewd smile. “In what way? By fucking her against a wall? It feels like worship to me.”

This book is mostly smut, with a side of plot, and a dash of action. It is not a bad book, but I was expecting more. I was expecting a smutty book, sure, but with a decent plot and likable characters at least. Instead, I got a smut-fest with vampires. Isolde is the horniest, most hormonal young adult I’ve read about: most of the time, she’s either masturbating, having wet dreams, thinking explicitly about having sex or having sex. The horniness just never stops and quantity does not mean quality when it comes to smut in books. There is A LOT of smut in this one, and by the 50% mark, it even started to feel a little repetitive.

Even though I only gave this book 3 stars and my many complaints in my review, this is still an entertaining, quick read. It’s just that I was hoping for something a little more developed and layered instead of this smut-fest with a side of predictable plot. Still, if you are looking for an easy-to-read hot and smutty book to get your mind off things, this is definitely a good choice for you.



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[Vivienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Y'all rating this book higher than 3 stars are such liars. I cannot trust any book hyped on Instagram or Tiktok ever again.

Let me just start by saying that I read A Touch of Darkness (because how can you resist that beautiful cover?) and found the book to be absolute shit. I hated it so much, I swore I'd never read anything from this author again. Months later and this book circulates around Instagram with WILD hype. The blurb is *chef's kiss*. Like I legit shook from excitement when I read the summary and when the book was finally released. But it took me almost one week to finish this. Be warned that this will be a long, all-over-the-place review with a lot of spoilers, so watch out.


THE GOOD!
~ Concept
Honestly if it wasn't for the blurb, I would not have touched another work from SSC. "Their union is his revenge" immediately gave me enemies-to-lovers vibes, which this book was apparently about, so that's a tick. Vampires? TICK. An assassination attempt? TICK!

~ Writing
I have to say, after reading ATOD from the 3rd person perspective and this book from the 1st person, I think SSC does much better writing in 1st person. While this is not something that will matter to some people, it made a big difference to me because this book is such an improvement from ATOD. Some of the sentences in this book really wowed me. Like "I met him beneath jasmine and kissed him under stars, and we made love in the dark, and that love ended in fire and damned the world" just made me speechless because I think this might be the best sentence in the whole book for me.


THE BAD...
~ Characters
Right off the bat from chapter 1 I hated ISOLDE so much. I didn't like her and I had no respect or any connection to her. She was supposed to be this strong warrior princess but instead she was just this horny, man-hating, jealous, spoiled bitch who gave major i'M nOt LiKe OtHeR gIrLs vibes and looked down her nose at every female character that didn't side with her. Literally 2 minutes after meeting the male lead and she's so horny she can't think. And it became even worse when in chapter 2 as she was just thinking "between my thighs" and "my breasts" and then she's touching her "preening" clit? 2 MINUTES! WOMAN! She made it sound like they'd had a full on proper conversation before her vagina took the wheel. The whole book, she was just SO horny. Every. Single. Chapter. I just cannot describe or explain how she made me feel with the way she was always singing praises about her husband's body or constantly touching herself when he wasn't there. I am not against sexual characters, but the way she was written is just... no words man. I can't even think. In one chapter she walks into the king's council room and she's immediately disgusted because they're all men. Okay??? Also the way she thought of Killian just because he was a "mediocre lover"? Yes, he was really annoying, but the way she thought about him was just really shitty. Speaking of shitty, her treatment of women who were wither a threat to her or she didn't like. I HATE HATE HATE this sort of thing. The first time she confronted Safira was okay, but still the things she thought and said just made me hate her more. And then there are more women in the book who she treats horribly, and it's "justified" because they disrespect her or want to make her jealous or "mock" her. And the way she threw "I am your queen" at everyone who mildly disagreed with her. At some point I was going to lose my jams if she said it one more time! I know she's a queen, but that doesn't mean she should treat everyone like they're below her, especially women because her treatment of the men was a little better. That was shit. How am I ever supposed to connect with her like this? I could write essays about my hatred for her but I'll stop here. In conclusion: she's a bitch, not a badass.
ADRIAN reminded me so much of Hades from ATOD. I didn't like him either. When he asks for Isolde's hand and she refuses, and then he threatens to kill her people...???? I'm supposed to swoon? AND MY SWEET? 🤮 SSC character's, to me, seem to lack any depth or substance or actual personality to make them stand out and make me connect with them. I couldn't give one shit about anyone in this book. Two books I've read from her, and I HATED her female characters and couldn't give a damn about the males. Who am I supposed to root for?

~ Writing
Was all over the place. I know I gave it some praise, but that was some. Sometimes things were said out of nowhere that I had to go back and read not just one paragraph but sometimes a whole page to see what I missed. Other times the dialogue just did not flow or really make sense or feel natural. The flashbacks were written poorly. Again, I had to go back and reread to see if she was dreaming, actually experiencing this, or just having a flashback. Speaking of rereading, I did that the most with the "spicy" scenes. One paragraph she's crying and the next she's up against the wall getting railed. One paragraph she's sleeping and then she's touching herself with him watching. Sometimes I genuinely could not figure out if he was fingering her or fucking her, or if he came at all. The spicy scenes happened so quickly that I couldn't understand who finished when or what position they were using or what they hell they were doing. There was no tension. No teasing. No build up or excitement or anything. People praise SSC for the spice and it just makes me think some of y'all have never read actual spice in your lives if you call this spicy. ALSO, THE AMOUNT OF SAID THIS AUTHOR USES! It's fine to use said, but to use it more than 5 times in one goddamn page on my phone is just bad. Here's an actual example from the book:
"Because I danced with Lothian," I said. "When I was supposed to dance with you".
"Hmm," he said, understanding. "You are lucky I like him."
"I promised to protect his balls," I said.
"Suddenly, I like him less," Adrian said.
"I am angry with you," I said.
Adrian raised a brow. "As if I could not guess by your actions. Safira?"
"You said you would cease feeding from her."
"I have," he said.

Was this honestly edited? Also, this book either dragged or skipped things through. The pace was all over the damn place. 20 chapters were not enough because it felt like the book was rushed. Not much was revealed or explained, and even then things were glossed over. Final chapter was absolute shit. I read the last line and went "that's it? Are you serious?" Because nothing happened. This book should have been longer, should have showed more of what happens at the red palace other than her wearing lavish dresses that enhance her big breasts and walking around the garden or fucking Adrian. 2 weeks is not enough to make me believe Isolde has changed or now loves Adrian. Everything felt and sounded forced. Honestly, why was this executed so bad?

~ Concept
I was not given what I was promised. This was insta-lust and fast. No slow-burn or tension or actual hate from any side. Enemies-to-lovers? How? He was in love from ch1 and she was horny for him. Even her hatred didn't last long. Vampire culture? Hardly much was explored and not enough bloodsucking happening. The spice everyone praised? Where? The assassination attempt? PLEASE WHAT WAS THAT! "His union was his revenge" AGAINST WHO?! Because the whole thing made it sound like he was getting revenge against her people or something, but god this disappointed me so bad, it hurt. It was just not what the blurb promised.


Also I just want to add that anyone who read From Blood and Ash will see a lot of similarities here. A lot. Isolde is a "thick" girl who cannot fit to slim standards, has been trained to fight and mostly uses knives and daggers. Okay, that's fine, though she sounds like Poppy. The starless forest sounded way too similar to that forest in FBAA. The whole thing with the goddesses was also very similar. Not to mention the cover, which many have pointed out. All in all, this kind of reads like a fanfic of FBAA?

I swear I was 50% confused while reading this book. I think that's why it took me a week to read it- because I had to reread a lot, and because some days I put the book down and couldn't be bothered reading it.

Overall, it was an improvement from ATOD, and I did enjoy some parts of it. But will I read the next book? No. Will I read anything from this author again? Also no. This book did not deliver ANYTHING it promised, and it was not entirely original.

2 stars because I enjoyed some parts of this book and the blurb concept.

Thank you for reading my report.

[pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

was gonna do a 4 but I enjoyed Adrian so much I gave him the extra .25

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh, I'll take just a side of plot with my vamPorn, thanks.







ACTUAL RATINGS 3,5/5

[Gamar ❤ · Rating 1 out of 5]

*opens mouth* *closes mouth*

I don't really know what to say . once again I find myself a minority in my opinion of this book among my friends but I would still say : don't waste your time with this folks .

Its like some horrible rip off of the shadows between us and from blood and ash . It has no definite plot , no intrigue or excitement and read like some fanfiction by a 13 year old and fell FLATT. The rest of the book was just smut and not good smut at that either . It was so very rushed and had these leaps between scenes and odd conversations that were just confusing . I was promised enemies to lovers but all I see is insta-lust (and oh boy do I hate this) Isolde supposedly hated him while he 'loved' her for absolutely no reason but yk going at it means nothing . THE FUCK?? and his use of 'my sweet' was so godamn cringe and weirdd .

I think I was gonna barf from our FMC . This girl is so wrongly confident of herself and utterly stupid . She tries to give off 'I'm not like other girls' vibes and OH MY GOD , like can u please use your head to think and not your vagina instead of master baiting all the time . I usually love dramatic babes but not her . she was excessively aggressive , spoiled and petty . those scenes between her and the vassal were so unrequired ? she absued her power alott . The characters lacked depth and personality and the only people I didn't hate is probably the trio. It bothers me to have to open that book once again to look for any supporting evidence but here are some thing that reminded me tooo much of FBAA :

1. She's thick - ok ok that's fine , that's good I cant say that belongs to fbaa only . its a feature right ?

2. Her kingdoms enemy is a vampire male who she meets without knowing his identity and his race is misunderstood . not bad

3. Trained in weapons and prefers daggers . pretty much half the female leads in YA , so ? its the overall effect points 1 to 3 make combined with the rest of the points that I just couldn't ignore

4. She stabs him , he survives , everyone thinks its cute and is amused as she is flustered . hardy har har , cuuuteee 😊😒

5. That scene in the starless forest where he touches her underneath the cloak as they ride on horseback is almost an exact replica of the scene in the blood forest

6. Even the cover is similar ! and Fbaa does it much better in general

I don't think I can even hate this book , the feeling is closer to disbelief and pity ?

[Kezia Duah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
I think this was pretty solid. I haven’t read all of St. Clair's books, but her writing is one I would recognize. I liked this writing way better than in the Hades and Persephone series but I still didn’t love the writing in this one.

The characters were weird and problematic, just the way most of us like them. There was a passion in Isolde that I felt throughout the book whereas Adrian gave me more of a calm vibe. Usually, I will immediately call out insta love, but after some twists and reveals, a lot of things definitely made sense. The twists and reveals were actually some of my favorite parts of the story.

The world-building was pretty cool and added to my overall interest in the book. I mean most worlds filled with vampires and other creatures are not usually that hard to fascinate me.

The jealousy parts have got to go! They are incredibly cringey.

Most of the fun happens at the end but the anticipation for all of it was on point. I currently have no immediate interest to read the next book. I would still recommend.

[maegan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was porn with no plot

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book was so disappointing. It was like it used all of the popular fantasy components and couldn't make a plot out of it. The heroine has to marry this vampire king and is told to kill him. But she can't. They hate each other, but they have an insta-love relationship and there are so many things that start and are never fleshed out. The hunting? What was that??? There was no point whatsoever. It just happens to add some steam and more pages to the book. The plot really doesn't start moving until the last 50 pages when all of the action actually happens. Then all of these secrets are revealed and that's it. I felt no real connection to the characters and their romance, probably because they spent a majority of the book just sleeping together and not really having a serious connection. All of the characters felt very surface level and I didn't really connect with any of them. This had so much potential but didn't actually flesh out in execution.

[A Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Isolde never wanted to be married, but when the vampire king Adrian and his army arrive on her kingdom’s borders, she realizes that she must sacrifice herself to save her people. After a failed assassination attempt, Isolde is informed that if she tries to kill him again, he’ll turn her into the very undead that she despises. Forced to join him and his court, she struggles to defy him and survive, denying her growing feelings for him and uncovering devastating secrets that will change life as she knows it.

I admit it – ever since I read Dracula at the tender age of eight, I’ve had a thing for vampires and will read almost anything with them in it. This was a fast-paced and easy read. The author incorporated some decent worldbuilding and mysterious aspects (killer crimson mists and a mysterious red-haired woman who appears to Isolde sporadically in mirrors) that added to the depth of this read. However, the twist was obvious and wasn’t a big reveal.

I disliked the relationship between Isolde and Adrian, mostly because it wasn’t a relationship/romance, it was just sleeping together. There didn’t feel as if there was a real emotional connection between them. Instead, they both just wanted to be in bed together. Constantly. While I don’t mind some spice in my books, this felt like the author just wanted to write vampire sex scenes then build a story around it to sell a book. Thankfully, the sex scenes were well written overall (I’ve read some truly awful ones) and easy to skim. The characters were also lacking. Isolde was a frustrating protagonist, who was supposed to be 26 but acted like she was 15. She’s also touted as being a “strong female lead,” but instead treats other women awfully while being petulant and demanding (this isn’t feminism, so please don’t advertise it as such – are we still in the early 2000s?). Adrian was relatively bland as a character, and there was no real character development or growth until the very end of the work.

I thought this read was fine overall, but I couldn’t call it as good as my other 3-star reads (it’s more like 2.5). If you like super spice, then you’ll probably enjoy this read.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I read this in one day because it is addictive as all heck. Omfg. It wasn’t a perfect five for me, but it has been a hot minute since a fantasy romance captured me so entirely. This was such a fun ride and while I was able to predict the twist early on, it didn’t hinder my enjoyment.

If you were a fan of The Bridge Kingdom but wanted it much smuttier and more magical (aka: Vampires), you will ADORE this book because it gave me VERY similar vibes.

I would rate this a 3.5/5 on a spice scale, especially because I appreciated all the ~self love~ scenes. I also adored how s3x positive this book was and how heroine refused to be shamed for it. That is always a hallmark of a stellar book and I adore heroines like Isolde so much. She is a warrior first and a queen second, she isn’t afraid to take action and ask for approval later.

The romance was good and I liked how the tried to avoid miscommunication as much as possible. Their chemistry was immediate and you could tell how much he loved her from the very start. It isn’t my fave romance of all time, hence the 4.5 star, but it has so much potential. I also loved that Adrian always cleaned her blade for her whenever she killer someone—so sweet of him.

Like I said, it is super fast-paced and a total page turner. However, that does mean that sometimes thing aren’t fully explained. This didn’t totally bother me because things were continually revealed as the book went on, and I know any plot holes or threads left over will be dealt with in further books.

My favourite character, other than Isolde, was Sorin. My baby brought so much comedy and had me laughing. He was so open and sweet to Issa, too. I swear, if anything happens to him, I will cry.

This is my first book from St. Clair and I look forward to checking out her backlist. That being said, I NEED BOOK 2 NOW BECAUSE OMMMG THAT ENDING WAS INTENSE. Okay. Thank you.

[Sofia · Rating 1 out of 5]

wow... THAT was bad

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 2 out of 5]

“All of the stars in the sky are not as bright as my love for you”.

King of Battle and Blood nos cuenta la historia de Isolde, la heredera de un reino, que se ve obligada a casarse con el rey de los vampiros, Aleksandr. Todo hace parte de una extraña negociación disfrazada de amenaza para proteger al reino de aquellos seres de la noche. Isolde, que siempre ha sido toda una guerra, acepta este trato con la idea de matar a esa criatura tan pronto como pueda, pero cuando sus intentos de matarlo fracasan, Aleksandr le dice que la convertirá en uno de ellos si sigue por ese camino. A pesar del odio que hay allí, Isolde y Aleksandr sienten una conexión innegable entre ellos y pronto le darán rienda suelta a sus pasiones, pero, claro, detrás de todo esto hay un secreto que tendrá que salir a la luz eventualmente.

A decir verdad tenía muchísimas ganas de amar este libro porque lo escribía la misma autora de A Touch of Darkness, el retelling de Hades y Perséfone, pero esta historia fue bastante mediocre… ¡Es que ni siquiera los momentos hot redimían el aburrimiento que sentía! No sé qué sucedió aquí, pero todo me pareció tremendamente apresurado, predecible, sin un fondo real… Y sí, lo que les digo, el libro está llenísimo de momentos spicy, pero como no lograba que me importaran Isolde y Aleksandr, pues me daban bastante igual.

Ahora, lo que más detesté de este libro es que tiene el típico final que lo cambia todo, esa clase de final que te hace replantearte lo que leíste y que te hace querer darle una oportunidad al siguiente libro de la saga. Pero, joder, luego pienso en que quizás el siguiente sea igual de aburrido y que solo tenga un final explosivo y vuelvo a examinar si vale la pena… En fin.

Mi recomendación: si van a leer algo de esta autora, empiecen por su historia de Hades y Perséfone que es infinitamente mejor

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ If Bram Stoker's Dracula and JLA's A Shadow In The Ember had a baby…this would be it


"All the stars in the sky are not as bright as my love for you.


Summary:

To end a years-long war, Princess Isolde of Lara is willing to do whatever it takes, even if that means marrying her enemy, the ruthless vampire king, Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him.⁠
⁠
Upon meeting this monster, instead of feeling horror Isolde is inexplicably drawn towards Adrian. However, even their undeniable chemistry won't deter Isolde from her mission. ⁠
⁠
But during their journey back to Adrian's land, Isolde learns that there is a man behind the monster and the truth about the world she lives in has been twisted by magic and lies. ⁠


My Thoughts:


If you like enemies to lovers, the arranged marriage trope, insta-sexual attraction, a feisty dagger-wielding female MC, and vampires/witches/gods, then you’ll probably enjoy this book. I am a sucker for all these things, so the story hooked me from the start.


However, there were a few things that hindered my overall enjoyment.


The writing was a bit choppy, there wasn’t a lot of character development, and there were a few issues with plot continuity. In all honesty, I felt like I was reading a vampire story posted on Wattpad. It's readable and entertaining, but not exactly what I'd call 'fine literature'.


The story is predictable. I literally called every single ‘shocking’ revelation and plot twists because the foreshadowing is so obvious. This was frustrating because who doesn’t love that moment in a story when all the pieces come together and things finally make sense. But in this book, these plot twists are alluded to so frequently that when they finally happen, you’re not surprised. It was also really frustrating knowing what was going on before the main characters and watching them fumble around the truth.


There were a lot of elements to this story that just didn't make sense or required more explanation. Here are a few major ones:

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

-How is Commander Killian able to talk so boldly to Isolde and her father, the king, and get away with it? There's no way any royal would allow this because at the end of the day his opinion on their personal life doesn't matter.

-Adrian says he spent a long time searching for Isolde/Yesenia, which means he knew eventually they would be reunited. So if that's the case, and he has spent the last two hundred years exacting his vengeance because of his love for Yesenia, why was he banging other people? Sure, I get that vampires are incredibly sexual, but I feel like he would have been more of a recluse and bitter while he waited, instead of screwing half the kingdom. Idk.

-Why did Adrian still have Safira hanging around him after Isolde told him not to feed from her? I don't understand Adrian and Safira's past relationship and it's never quite established.

-Why does Isolde drinking Adrian's blood mean their lifelines are tied together? It's a curse but tell me more about it.

-I still don't understand the reincarnation stuff. When did he make this bargain with the goddess Dis? I need to know more.

-There's no way Isolde's father would try to kill her. He legit was going to go to war so she didn't have to marry Adrian. Also, wouldn’t he trust his daughter and talk with her about why she hasn’t tried killing Adrian? Isolde was supposed to be queen of Lara, so I feel like her father would respect her enough to have a conversation about all this. Not just make a rash decision to kill her bc it would lead to Adrian’s death as well.

-Why the fuck would Yesenia write The Book of Dis? Seems like an incredibly stupid thing to do, especially since she's a seer and could foresee what would happen.



I may have given this an average rating, but overall, it was an entertaining, quick read. And regardless of the book's flaws, I’m invested enough to continue on with the next in the series.


A special thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

”Your queen is a warrior first, a noble second. I suggest you keep that in mind if you decide to place your fate in her hands.” Then he looked at me. “And if, by chance, she spares you, I will not.”

i think the plot and some of the characters had potential and that’s why i decided to give this book a 3 star by the end. it really got dragged down by the fmc Isolde and her overly sexual thoughts and behavior.. this book was so horny without actually having that much sex. i did like Adrian, i knew immediately that there would be more to him than what people had been saying and the things Isolde had been told. i loved that she found friends of a sort with Adrian’s vampire crew, i also loved that Adrian always backed and supported Isolde in public and didn’t embarrass her at any point. i found a couple things in the plot to be predictable and kind of random at the same time?? im curious enough to continue with the series but i’ll be cautious about it tbh.

[Khadidja · Rating 2 out of 5]

you know in fantasy romance books when the main character goes through something life changing that sends her spiraling into hysterics something that has her sobbing crying and throwing up and then...the minute that she stops the male love interest says something like "you know...I've always liked strawberries" and this is exactly why im giving it 2 stars instead of 3 stars cuz you could've been anything but you chose to be a corny mf that can't read the room.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

“Will you take a wife for every house you conquer?” I countered. Adrian seemed amused, his brows lifted, his lips pursed.
“I think you will be challenging enough. Why would I wish for more?”
“Why me?”
He stared at me, and I got the impression he did not know how to answer my question. “You assume I want a wife,” he said. “But I came for a queen.”

If you follow my reviews, you already know how much I love a good fantasy romance/PNR. I've had this author on my TBR for what feels like forever. So when I read the blurb to King of Battle and Blood, I knew this would become my first Scarlett St. Clair book. Now generally, I don't like to read a book knowing the series is not yet finished and it's not a standalone. But I just couldn't resist this one and I'm so happy I didn't.

You’re supposed to say no, at least to my face. Unless you wish to conduct our marriage openly. In which case, shall I start scouting for potential lovers?”
Adrian’s mouth hardened. “Are you demanding fidelity?”
“I will follow as you lead,” I said.

Marriage of convenience.
Enemies to lovers.
Fierce warrior heroine.
High fantasy.
Rich World building.
All of the chemistry.

This book had it all and I was so here for it.

Isolde is a heroine that you love immediately. She's a beautiful princess, but she's not sheltered by any means. This is a woman who's fierce. She's battle hardened. And she's also a woman that owns her sexuality and isn't a shy virgin ingenue. And I absolutely loved that about her.

The Blood King is a monster among men. His name is whispered in fear. His reputation as a ruthless, bloodthirsty monster spans villages. And Isolde isn't excluded from the list. So when the vampire who is demanding surrender from her kingdom, is willing to trade protection of her people in exchange for her as his bride, she accepts. She would do anything for her people. Even walk willingly into the arms of a monster who she's been taught to hate and fear all of her life.

I can be anything. Your jailor, your savior, your lover.” His mouth was closer to my ear as he added, “Your monster.”

Adrian was just...gah. I fell so hard for this man. This supposedly ruthless vampire who isn't at all what he appears to be. I loved discovering every new layer about this man through Isolde's eyes. The story is told in first POV only from Isolde's perspective. The pacing was perfection and I simply devoured this story.

The sexual chemistry between Isolde and Adrian was on a whole other level. These two were insidiary. This hate lust that Isolde has for Adrian in combination with his reverence for her was simply delicious. There's action, rich world building, incredible secondary characters, and sizzling romance. This book was nothing what I expected and everything I had wanted. It ends on a satisfying enough note but still leaving me desperate for the next one. I'm not sure why I haven't read this author before, but I plan on rectifying this mistake immediately with her backlist. If you love a steamy PNR/Fantasy romance, you don't want to sleep on this one. Trust me.

ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review

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[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a welcome relief after all the melancholy and deaths I have been encountering in more than half a dozen books that I read prior to this.

Entertaining but nothing new if you have read PNR for a long time.