Broken by the Horde King

Horde Kings of Dakkar #4

by Zoey Draven

Nine years ago, he broke my heart and never returned. I vowed to forget him…if only I could.

When I was a child, I fell in love with a Dakkari boy. The prince of our clan. Rukkar, we called him. For he was destined to become the greatest horde king of our time.

He was Kiran of Rath Okkili. My friend. My strong, unyielding protector. His mischievous smile and golden eyes made my heart flutter and my soul sing. And just when I began to believe he returned my love…he shattered me so completely and never once looked back to see how I’d survived.

Nine years later, he’s returned.

Only, he’s not a prince anymore.

He’s a horde king. Cold and cruel. With molten eyes like sin and a body made for war.

I promised myself I’d never love him again.

He intends to make a liar out of me.

Because he not only wants my love again…he also demands me as his queen.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Aliens, Science Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Second Chance, Fantasy Romance

466 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2021

About the author

Zoey Draven has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Her love affair with the romance genre started with her grandmother's old Harlequin paperbacks and has continued ever since. As a Top 100 Amazon bestselling author, now she gets to write the happily-ever-afters—with a cosmic, otherworldly twist, of course!

When she's not writing, she's probably drinking one too many cups of coffee, hiking in the redwoods, or spending time with her family.

Sign-up for Zoey Draven's newsletter for new release announcements and bonus content: http://bit.ly/2lkn8M4

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grrrr I do not want to write this review. I HATE second chance tropes and even though I am really enjoying this series, I probably should have skipped this one. But I’m so methodical that I HAVE to read every book in a series, in the order they are published. Darn my stupid brain.
So this book totally summarizes why I hate second chance romances, because no matter how you sell it, someone (usually the heroine) gets her heart broken, usually for stupid reasons, and I am NEVER satisfied with the resolution. To me the hero can always apologize more, be more contrite, and earn his woman’s love back. I’m a petty bitch, what can I say?
This book follows the pattern above precisely. The hero and heroine are childhood friends but everyone knows he is destined to be the next Horde King. Their friendship is sweet and the beginning of the book is nice, until she catches him kissing HER SISTER in THEIR SECRET SPOT. But angry as I was by this, I thought, they can overcome this. The blurb on the back says he goes off to become a Horde King after breaking her heart and returns to claim her as his Queen. SPOILERS: this is NOT how it goes.
That kiss I mentioned, with her freaking sister, that’s not how he breaks her heart. No that’s just one small douche bag move prior to the actual DISGUSTING heartbreak he delivers when he becomes Horde King.

NOTE: THE REST OF THIS REVIEW CONTAINS A SHIT TONNE OF SPOILERS

So this newly minted Horde King comes back to his little village before going off to start his own Horde. During the festivities (if you’ve read any of the series you will know about the goblet presentation) the Heroine gives her goblet to the hero. If he drinks from it, that means he wants to either bag her or make her his queen. If he doesn’t drink from it, well that’s rejection, which sucks, but hey, that’s life right? So with those two choices for the hero to make, he decides to go another way with choice 3: complete and total humiliation of the heroine - his supposed best friend. When she gives him her goblet at the feast he angrily yells at her and drags her away IN FRONT OF HER ENTIRE VILLAGE. He then proceeds to yell at her some more, she declares her undying love for him, and instead of being sensitive to his young lifelong friend and letting her down easy, he kisses her, she strips naked in front of him and he sneers at her and walks away in anger never to speak to her again. From this point further there was very little that the hero could do to redeem himself in my eyes other than living the next 9 years in celibate misery and then grovelling for maybe two or three years at the heroine’s feet.
Sadly, this is not what happened. Our fearless hero goes off into the world, leaving her behind -shattered - while he fucks his way through his Horde. Oh and did you also know, while she had been loving him and being his devoted best friend, he had been fucking women throughout his King training as well. And the heroine, how many dudes did she fuck to recover from her broken heart? A sum total of ZERO! Yes my friends, she is another victim of the lovely romance double standard which decrees that while the hero sticks his dick in any available woman, the heroine must sacrifice herself on the temple of the hymen and remain lonely, virginal, celibate and loveless until our brave asshole hero finally deems himself and his dick broken in enough to come back and claim her.
Oh and he doesn’t come back and claim her as his queen either, he comes back for other reasons and while there asks her to be the healer for his horde. But the blurb on the back of the book says he comes to claim her as his queen, right? Wrong. He doesn’t. That happens later. After minimal grovelling and no good reason given for the initial rejection other than, he was young and didn’t feel worthy of her 😢 poor baby. I guess he needed a higher odometer reading on his cock to be truly worthy of his ‘one true love’.

So this book was well written and we get more information on the continuing story of the Horde kings and the goings on on the planet, but the love story itself…garbage. Utter and complete garbage.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 Smut Stars

After really enjoying books one and two and then not really loving book three, I had fairly low expectations for this installment. That said, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

I like the second chance trope...and any time there is potential for groveling?



I thought Maeva was a lovely character and I thought she and Kiran had a really great backstory and solid chemistry. Also, I am just a sucker for the whole horde king shtick. Always have been. I remember reading and enjoying the Warprize seres back in the day FFS.

But I digress.

This is one of those books I can see myself re-reading and upgrading later. Which is definitely a relief after not loving book three. Already downloaded book five.

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1 Captive of the Horde King ↠ 3 stars
#2 Claimed by the Horde King ↠ 4.25 stars
#3 Madness of the Horde King ↠ 2.5 stars
#4 Broken by the Horde King ↠ 2.75 stars

tropes: childhood best friends to lovers, unrequired love, but it's actual mutual pining, but the Hero is dumb af and doesn't understand his feelings, indifferent cold heroine

(~ 1-12%): 4 stars

The beginning was so promising, because Maeva and Kiran know each other since childhood. Maeva has always been in love with Kiran, but he never returned her feelings. I loooove reading about that part, because the feeling of hurt when it comes to unrequired love is like nothing else. Maeva's heart broke the first time when saw Kiran kissing her sister at a place that belonged to them, I was like YES GIVE ME THAT PAIN!! Or another time when Maeva basically threw herself at Kiran and he rejected her. My masochistic heart loved it.

“I do not love you, Maeva,” he said, his words slicing through the air like a blade. Coming right at me. “Not in the way you want me to.”

(~ 13-40%): 3.5 stars

After the night when Kiran rejected Maeva, he went away with his Horde to do Vorakkar duties. Nine years later he returns, cause Kiran needs a new healer and he wants Maeva for that. Maeva is a much different girl than the one Kiran left behind. She's colder after getting her heart smashed. I liked that Maeva held her ground and tried to put distance between her and Kiran. But for whatever reason this part I already felt myself getting less invested in the story.

“I do have a mate,” I informed him, staring at the blood on his back, at the deep wound he’d taken when he’d shielded me from the ungira attack. He stiffened, his head whipping towards me, the muscles in his arms bunching and tightening. “I’ve chosen myself,” I said. “And only myself.”

(~41-75%): 3 stars

With these alien/dystopian romances the plot gets repetitive. The plot of all the Horde King books are just the every day life of the camp and going from one place to the next. For the first two book that is fine, but after that it's boring. I have the same problem with the Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa. All Maeva does here is taking care of a pregnant human and try to help as much as a healer while having sex with Kiran, but that's it. With every chapter my interest went down a notch.. it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.

“I thought that I was worse than them. Because you were my seffi, my Maeva. And suddenly, all I thought about was fucking you, mating you. Because I wanted you for my own and I wanted every inch of you. And in my mind, I could never have you. It felt like I was betraying you. It felt like I was dishonoring the trust you had in me, breaking an unspoken promise between us.”

(~ 76%-end): 2 stars

Eh, nothing wrong with this part. I just didn't care about the romance, the characters or any of it anymore. I liked that the there were some characters cameos from the other books, but honestly I probably skimmed the most here, cause I just wanted to be done with the book.

“In case it wasn’t obvious, Maeva,” he continued, “you have my vokking heart in your hands. Lo kassiri tei.”
I love you.

Conclusion

I have a little hope for the next book that there is going to be a different plot with everything that was hinted in Broken by the Horde King with the red mist and all the dangerous creatures luring and getting closer to the horde camps. So for now, Claimed by the Horde King is still superior in my eyes. 💫

[🅙𝔲𝔩𝔷 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really disliked the storyline. Heroine is in love with hero since a child. Hero knows but still sleeps with lots of other women even kissing the heroines sister. Hero decides after 9 years he wants heroine. He hasn’t been celibate. Heroine is a virgin. It was the worst horde book of the series. Very disappointed

[bookaddict lass (kate) · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book got me so excited that i had to make a conscious effort not to fall asleep. friends-to-lovers and clueless heroes aren't my cup of tea, i guess.

[Izzie d · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay.
They know each other as children/teenagers, the heroine is a few years younger.
She thinks she's in love with him from a young age but he rejects her publicly.

During the separation, 10 years I think.
He gets to have loads of sex with various females while she remains a virgin.
She does kiss someone else but once he tries to take it further she flees.
She finds out later that he warned most of the men off when he was there, partly as she was a bit of a fascination due to her being human.
But he hasn't kissed anyone since her.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
There is a lot of sex.
Small other woman drama, a member of the horde plus mention of a few escapades though not detailed.
And before he leaves he kisses her sister, intending on more but is disturbed.
The Hero pushed her away as he was destined for leadership and wasn't sure he could fulfill that if he revealed how he really felt and got involved with her when they were younger.
It sort of works better than other explanations of this troupe due to their culture.

Something that did irritate me was the Hero's comment that he admitted that each time he was with another woman during the separation after he felt unfaithful.
He also claimed he thought of her all the time which is inconsistent with hooking up with other women.
HEA.
Enemy plot thread has been through the series remains unresolved but progressed.

ARC.

[Sonia]

I haven’t read this author but seeing spoilers made me wanna cry for the heroine… I don’t know if I could read this without getting angry 😩

So…

The heroine remains a virgin and pines away for the hero for many many many years. He rejects her twice. He, at some point, gets a vision of being with the heroine but continues to sleep around? 😒

The heroine remains a virgin for the nine years since she basically offered herself to the hero and he has some kind of feelings for her but continues sleeping with all these women? Gosh. It makes my stomach hurt even writing this.

At some point, he catches him kissing her sister on *their* spot. I really wanna read this series, but now I just wanna cry 😩.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so wonderful. This may be my favorite Childhood friends to Lovers ever.

Just so powerful.

Great grovel.

Beautiful romance.

5 stars
3 on the spice scale

CW: grief, loss of parent, traumatic birth by side character (both live but its intense)

[Mindy Lou's Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so impressed with this alien series. It has so much depth to not only the continued storyline in each book, but also with each character we get introduced to. In my experience, that is a rare thing to find in this trope.

The romance in this one in particularly is probably one of the most romantic couples I have come across. The love that Maeva feels and expresses for Kiran just felt so pure. Even after he breaks her heart, you could tell she was soul bound to him even as she tried to harden her heart and forget him.

Kiran made many mistakes and I hated how he broke Maeva's heart over and over, and yet I never gave up on him. I'm usually one to pass on a hero that starts out in this way, but there was just something there I could see in him that I knew it would be worth the wait for him to come around. And boy was it ever worth the wait.

If you love a good grovel story, this is it. When Kiran realized his love for Maeva was different than what he thought it was, he really redeemed himself. The author did such a great job of truly expressing his regrets.

I can't help but want more books in this series. I hope the author has big plans because I don't see myself getting tired of this series. I will say that Kiran and Maeva are going to be a hard couple to beat when it comes to such a strong love.

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Whipping (punishment on MMC), death of loved one, violent animals with gorey wounds, parental abandonment, rough sex with virgin

“The last thing I ever wanted was to hurt you,” I said quietly, the lines of my face drawn, the cut on my thigh beginning to throb.
“I know. I believe that,” she whispered. “But you did it anyways, Kiran. And you made it hurt so much worse.”


HELL YEA THIS BOOK WAS SO DAMN GOOD


I was in a reading slump and I didn’t know what to read and I heard this had grovel. I decided to pick it up and IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I EVER MADE, the grovel was crispy, the angst was delicious, EVERYTHING WAS JUST GOOOOOD. The way the setting was described was so bloody beautiful, Zoey Draven’s writing is EVERYTHING. I just wish there was a glossary, some of the words are not defined properly but it didn’t take me outta the story. This book was so different. I only read Claimed by the Horde King so far and the grovel was so good that it was in my top grovels list, but this is higher up than Claimed by the Horde King now. You do not have to read the books in order, they can be read as standalones. I only read the second book and skipped to this book and it was fine. The grovel takes up a majority of this book, the MMC, Kiran, wasn’t your typical asshole.


The FMC, Maeva, and Kiran, were childhood friends. Maeva is a human that was found by the Dakkari and the family takes her in. She was made fun of because she was human and the first person to show her kindness was Kiran. Kiran wasn’t an asshole, in fact, he was Maeva’s best friend. They met when she was 8 and he was 13, but their relationship was so pure. Despite Maeva loving Kiran from the beginning, he didn’t feel the same way. He loved her as a friend, and he hung out with her. But after they get older, Maeva finally gets the guts to confess, and once she does, Kiran publicly rejects her. He isn’t an asshole when he does it, yes what he did was messed up, but he also didn’t want to hurt Maeva. It was so refreshing to see Kiran be so conflicted. But heartbroken, Maeva tries to move forward after Kiran leaves to train and become a leader. 9 years later, he is back and they have both changed. Maeva is no longer the girl Kiran once knew and Kiran is no longer the boy Maeva once knew.


The thing is, a lot of people are pissed that it took Kiran 9 years to come back. I agree, especially because some of his reasoning wasn’t that great. I also wasn’t a fan of the fact that Maeva is a virgin while Kiran slept around, I wish Maeva also got her own action. It’s so common in romance books to have the FMC waiting for the MMC. It’s not bad to be a virgin but it’s so common for the guy to get the action while the girl doesn’t. There is a lot more plot to this story, but I feel like it was a perfect balance. I appreciated that this book was long since it was satisfying.


Now for spoilers


Maeva was a sweetheart. I was so surprised to be following a character that was human that grew up as part of the Dakkari. I thought her family would treat her horribly, but they were so sweet, even her sister was nice. When her sister’s friends came to make fun of her, Kiran, the prince, took her to a hidden place and cheered her up. When Kiran gave his given name to Maeva and looked out for her since that day, it was so damn sweet. I didn’t find their relationship to be grooming. Maeva met Kiran when she was 8 and he was 13, but their relationship felt so pure. Maeva had a crush on Kiran, but the entire time, they were just friends. It was later on, when she got older, that he was attracted to her. His love for her as a friend turned into something more. I loved how they played games, how their families were so close. Maeva wasn’t seen as less by Kiran’s parents, Kiran treated her as an equal, and I found it adorable how she was the one who named his pet.



Kiran knows the whole time that Maeva has a crush on him but he doesn’t treat her differently. But when they got older, and he started changing, it was sad to see Kiran become cold and quiet, having a harder time laughing. Despite it all, he always made time for Maeva, he came back once a year and nothing changed. They would hang out the entire time and she would also send him letters. I loved how Maeva realized she wanted to become a healer and finally found something outside of Kiran to focus on and how supportive he was. My heart dropped when Kiran kissed Maeva’s sister. Maeva was young then so it made sense why he wasn’t attracted to Maeva, but kissing her sister was just fucked up. He knew she had feelings for him and they had this friendship, and yet he did it anyway. And it was sad seeing her sister kiss him as well when she knew Maeva had a crush on him. But then again, Maeva was underage, they were both older and it made sense. I appreciated Kiran for feeling guilty instantly and running to make sure Maeva was okay. That’s when I realized this book is different. He truly cared about Maeva and didn’t wanna ruin their friendship, he hugged her and apologized. Anyway, when they were at the feast years later and people started presenting their cups to Kiran, he was just very cold and didn’t make a move. I cringed when Maeva got up. And despite Kiran publicly rejecting her and embarrassing Maeva, I loved how her family didn’t yell at her or shame her even though they felt ashamed. Maeva’s family was affected since the whole group gossips and talks shit. Kiran called Maeva to meet alone, and they kiss, and you knew instantly that Kiran was also attracted to her. But when Maeva undressed and Kiran rejected her yet again, I cringed so hard. I liked how Kiran still tried to make amends, but it was just really cold. He gave her mixed signals at that point, Maeva was scarred for life. I loved how Kiran can’t stand when Maeva cries, even though he was an asshole, he wasn’t a terrible asshole, he was just stupid. He even asked her to join his horde and I loved how she’s like nope, I’m not gonna be a doormat.


I was surprised that this book takes place 9 years later. It was nice but also sad to see how emotionless Maeva had become. She was so done, what Kiran did hurt her so much that she no longer felt anything for anyone. She didn’t wanna love or have a family, she just wanted to become a good healer. When she goes to the forest and helps the random guy, I was so proud of how far she came. When she sees Kiran for the first time, damn was it angsty. Kiran thought he could just show up again and go back to the way things were. But homeboy didn’t realize that Maeva was pissed. Over the years, she lost her mother and begged for him to come and he didn’t. He never said goodbye before he left. I was furious for her too. But of course, we find out that Kiran couldn’t say goodbye because Maeva’s dad didn’t let him near Maeva, I loved the dad for being protective, he was so sweet. Maeva lost her mother and tried to get her message to Kiran, but Kiran’s mom didn’t tell him since Kiran was facing difficult times with his horde. When Maeva reveals the death of her mom to Kiran, it was just heartbreaking.


When Kiran came back as Vokkar and said he came back for both Maeva and to share the news about the attacks, I rolled my eyes. So yes, he needed a healer so he asked for Maeva, but he mainly came for the attacks. When he told Maeva he came back for her too, I was like how the hell did it take you 9 years to come back? He said the bullshit about the goddess guiding him with his dreams but I dunno. He constantly mentions he regrets not fucking Maeva that day 9 years ago and how he thinks about her constantly. The one thing that was never addressed was him not answering her letters. Yea he doesn’t hear about the news about her mother or say goodbye, but we find out that both their parents played a role in separating them. But what about the unanswered letters? Why did he take his sweetass time to come and reconcile? Also, Kiran literally fucked the whole nation while Maeva was celibate. But he hasn't kissed since it was too intimate. I was relieved she at least kissed a coupla guys but the fact that she couldn’t fuck someone because she thought of Kiran just pissed me off. And Kiran being all possessive and relieved that she didn’t have a mate or have sex just pissed me off.


Seeing Kiran’s guilt eat him up was really satisfying, especially because Maeva held her ground. It was so cute how he called her Seffi, I loved that, and I loved how no matter who was around, he was so affected by Maeva he couldn’t hide it. He went to their spot and was surprised she wasn’t there. Even though he showed her sister that one time smh. I loved seeing Maeva be pissed off, Kiran told the healer he would take Maeva and she no longer had a chance to be the top healer. Seeing her sister have a mate and a child was so nice. Even Laru felt bad for kissing Kiran and apologized even though she didn’t really have to. I loved that Maeva loved her family and how they took her in with open arms. I loved how sassy Maeva was with Kiran and how he liked it when she talked back. When she accepted his offer to be his healer for his horde, I was excited. When they are going to leave the horde and Kiran said she had to ride with him, I loved it. Seeing how much Maeva’s cold demeanour bothered Kiran was so damn satisfying, especially since he constantly asks her to be friends again and apologizes for what he did. She doesn’t even let him call her by her nickname.


When he protected Maeva from the animal and got cut, I loved how she had to take care of him. The fact that he had whip marks on his back was just sad, that’s why he was quieter every time they met. His asshole comment about how she wanted him before and will want him again pissed me off. She distanced herself immediately and wouldn’t let him touch her much. But that didn’t prevent her from doing her job and taking care of the wound, she was mature. Kiran vowed that she would become his mate by the end of the frost when she had to leave. Seeing Maeva go to the horde and how they immediately judged her was interesting. I LOVED how badass she was by calling people out for talking shit since she spoke the language. I loved how Kiran took in humans, and how Maeva’s first language wasn’t English. It was interesting seeing the humans be so confused since she had a Dakkari accent. Kiran slept around, but the second Maeva came back into his life, he didn’t look at another woman once. I was scared he was gonna fuck someone while she was there. But he was celibate for a year which was surprising.


I liked how Kiran immediately dismissed the girl that was hitting on him while continuing to flirt with Maeva. Kiran wanted to keep everything about Maeva private, but it was nice to know that Errok knew that some girl haunted Kiran. It just didn’t make sense that it took Kiran so long to come back. When Maeva got her own voliki I was so happy for her, and Kiran was ready to get her anything she needed, I loved how he couldn’t say no to her. And I loved how Roon loved and protected Maeva since he remembered her. When Kiran assigned Maeva a piki, I was like bruh. I liked how for every decision, she fought him and continued to tell him she was no longer the same person and wouldn’t fall for him. And it was nice to see Kiran determined, and show his vulnerable side to her. I liked how he was frustrated he couldn’t read her that well and both Kiran and Maeva would try to read each other throughout the book. When Kiran begged Maeva to stay with him when she needed to stitch up his wound and was touching her and Maeva was so affected by his touch, you could feel the tension. I really liked Gabe, Addie, Nevir, Essir, Laru, and Hinna. I felt bad for Gabe, especially since two of the women he was interested in weren’t available. But I was happy he had Hinna in the end, but poor Essir was alone, he had a huge crush on her. I loved how he respected her choice.


So I can’t lie, I’m not a huge fan of tails or claws. Especially since in sex scenes, Kiran would finger Maeva and I was cringing. I also was overthinking how the tail would work or where it would be cuz I’m stupid like that. But I was surprised the tail was used in the sex scenes LMAO, he was able to use his tail to hold her and stuff and I’m like ok I’m gonna pretend he’s human and has three hands.


Seeing all the things Kiran did to win Maeva over was satisfying. When Errok told Maeva how Kiran slept around, I was just annoyed with Kiran. I liked how Maeva is like, yea he kissed my sister too and Errok was like dafaq? I was really anxious about Maeva taking care of Addie’s pregnancy since it was a hybrid. She risked her life to get the tonic for Addie and almost died. Maeva never thinks about herself, she always thinks of others. She even begged Kiran to keep the guard at his rank. I loved how Kiran freaked out and was so affected. At the dinner, seeing Kiran get goblets while he jealously stared at Maeva and Gabe dancing was satisfying. When he tried to get Maeva to himself and she left, I liked how he followed her and was always concerned about her safety. Even when he first sees her, he sends Errok to follow her even though she said she was fine. When she breaks down and cries in the lake, my heart hurt. I loved how he wasn’t willing to let her go but it was messed up how he got her voliki taken down without her permission and forced her to stay with him. But I liked the cuddling even though he kept groping her at times. Eventually, they start having sex and his tail was all in it I’m like ok son. I liked how despite rejecting Gabe, it wasn’t weird between them. Maeva kept asking Hinna about Kiran’s sex life and I’m like bruh just ask him. I liked how Maeva refused to kiss Kiran to put some distance, and how much it bothered him. But obviously, at some point, he is determined to kiss her and when their sex got intense, he goes in for it. I don’t blame Maeva for getting mad but Kiran finally admits he loves her and how he knows how she feels now when feelings don’t get reciprocated and it was just really satisfying to see.


When she followed him outside because she felt bad for hurting him and they finally kiss, I was happy for them. Seeing them both together after everything was nice, it was nice to see how guilty Kiran was and how much he regretted everything. Most of the misunderstandings were resolved, he told her he never got her letters, he told her he went to visit her but couldn’t cuz Maeva’s dad beat him. I loved how Kiran respected the dad despite being a Vokkar. And he told her he felt regret and was ashamed of himself for feeling things for Maeva since he didn’t wanna ruin their friendship. But he shoulda known the second Maeva took the step to confess, things changed, he might as well have gotten together with her then. She woulda came with him to the horde and they wouldn’t have had all these issues. Throughout the book, Kiran does put his horde before anything, but he comes to Maeva whenever he can. If he knew Maeva’s mom died, he would’ve come even if it put his title and horde in jeopardy. There was a side plot about how the animals were all coming and there was red mist. I didn’t really care for it but it was pretty interesting. I was more focused on romance. When he went on his journey and he made Maeva promise not to put herself in danger, I liked how he didn’t lash out at her for leaving since she found out her father was sick.


Addie successfully gave birth and Maeva saved her life, I was so proud of her. And the entire time, Kiran gave her quiet support. Seeing Kiran take care of her after she got hurt was so sweet. When Laru sent the message about their dad, I was afraid the dad would die. Seeing Errok send men because he knew Kiran would be worried was so sweet. I also loved how Kiran told Errok he can leave whenever he knew he was fit to be a leader. Kiran showing up and giving Maeva the support she needed was everything. It was so funny to see the dad be rude to Kiran and how he just took it like a champ. The dad was so sassy it was funny, he loves his daughters so much. Kiran confronted his parents, I could understand where his mom was coming from, but she never apologized to Maeva, which was disappointing. It was realistic, not all relationships can be mended. I think she avoided Maeva out of guilt. But Kiran still stayed away for so long. Seeing Kiran ask the dad and sister to come to join his horde because Maeva would be sad was the sweetest thing. I thought Maeeva would have to sacrifice her homesickness for him but she didn’t. I loved how the dad was willing to come despite the fact that he visits his wife’s grave every day. Maeva’s mom was so sweet and always gave Maeva the best advice. When Maeva said “I love you” when they were at their meeting spot and told Kiran she is gonna be his mate, I was so happy. The necklace he got for Maeva was so sweet. The ending was super sweet, seeing them travel and all, but I wonder what’s going on with the red mist and shit. Maeva’s pregnant and when they get older, they’re planning on just staying near the sea which is perfect for them. This book was so good I’m so glad I read it.



Stay safe folks

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @20% (ragequit)

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In the past, there was one main reason why I dropped a book: boredom.

But that was before I started working full-time while also juggling my thesis. Now I just don't have time for crap, period. So I started not only quitting books that bored me, but also those that gave me only negative feelings like anger and indignation in the first few chapters, with no real hope of it improving.

Broken by the Horde King pushed all my rage buttons in very little time.

It's a childhood friends romance. Maeve, the heroine, is a simping, watery-eyed doormat that hero-worships the everloving hell out of her Horde King (who saved her from bullies).

When she catches him making out with her stepsister on their special spot, she's upset but undeterred. Fast forward a few years and Horde King dude is back from Horde King training. Maeve, who wrote him letters he never answered, takes her cup and sets it at his table, which is kinda like a proposal in their culture on the first day he's back. He rejects her publicly, together with all the other hoes who tried. Maeve is undeterred. She finds him at their special spot again, this time without her sister schmoozing him up, and after he asks her what the hell she was thinking, she awkwardly kisses him, which leads him to reject her YET AGAIN.

And I wanna say, at this point, I don't even blame the hero guy. He was shouting off the rooftops to her that he just doesn't see her this way. Gurl just won't take the hint. I wanted to just shove her away and tell her to move on.

But in Romancelandia, Maeve's "young romance" with the Horde Prince turned King apparently ruined her for other men, because get this: 9 years later, she is a simping, still virginal healing professional, who wags her metaphorical tail at the idea of working for Horde King dude's camp as the hot nurse.

I CANNOT

Why on earth would I want to read about a whimpering abused puppy who keeps loving the same distant dudebro she barely even knows and who just doesn't love her back?

That's not a romance, that is a therapy reason. Some women don't need cock, they need A LIFE.

And don't get me started on the fact that the author decided to let her heroine *wither away* for NINE YEARS while the hero boinked himself through half the world. Abstaining from sex forever because a childhood crush rejected you is SAD and CONCERNING, not to mention utterly pathetic. It's not romantic.

I won't finish this book, because I know that I cannot applaud for a woman who wasted away in unrequited yearning for over a decade finally getting laid by the guy she wanted all along.

NO MAN IS WORTH YEARS OF SUFFERING

Girls really need to put themselves first, 24/7, because fuck this kind of narrative where, if you just wait long enough, your magical alien prince will turn around and change his mind about you and fuck you all better.

[Rayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread:
This one isn’t my favourite of the series but only because of one thing. The story overall was on par with the rest of this series, I loved the angst and, the grovelling was perfection. I just wasn’t as big of a fan with how the MMC handled the years of them being apart.


(Minor Spoilers)


I dislike above all else (besides cheating) when the MCs have some time apart and the one who hurt the other continues living as if nothing happened while the other is stuck heartbroken and pinning. In this case, while Maeva is unable to move on and is still a virgin, the MMC went off, had sex with a bunch of women and didn’t even look back for 9 years until he had a vision with her in it. In my opinion, what made it worse is that whenever he was with another woman he felt like he wascheating on her. So while she couldn’t even bring herself to be with a man that wasn’t him even though he broke her heart, he was having sex with all these other women but hey, at least he felt a little bad while doing it? I think if he didn’t see her as anything but a friend at first and grew to love her when she went to help his horde, it would have been a five star read for me.


(Minor Spoilers Done)


I did really like Maeva though. It was interesting getting to see her as a healer and I liked how she didn’t fall right to his feet. There was some serious - and much deserved - grovelling and I liked that Maeva didn’t give in too quickly. I will say though that the necklace he gave her was very sweet.

I love the series and this book was a very enjoyable read. I love how each book shows different point of views of this world and introduces new concepts of how they live. In this case, our FMC grew up in a saruk (a village) and became a healer. I love getting to learn about this world Zoey Draven has created.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated review from February 2023

I think this is my favorite romance of all time. And I don't say that lightly! But there's something so absolutely perfect about this book to me. I've read it countless times since I first picked it up in March of last year, and yet every time I re-read it - especially when I actually re-read it, not just skim through my highlights - I am MOVED by this book.

The emotions are so powerful. The friendship they shared as children, her deep love and adoration for him. His longing for her. The awkwardness and hurt between them.

Did I still cry while reading it this morning, as if I haven't read and re-read the words before?? Yes.

This book works as a standalone though you'll be missing out on the worldbuilding of this alien-barbarian world (think a people all like Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones, with a tail, set on a world with humans who immigrated there and are now second class citizens).

ITS JUST SO SO BEAUTIFUL.

--

Original review from March 2022

I’m kind of shocked that this book is now my new favorite in the Horde Kings series… because I don’t usually enjoy second chance romances. BUT, childhood friends > adult friends > lovers is one of my all time favorite tropes and this is that, with a few twists along the way.

What made me love this book so much?

The heroine - Maeva - for one. She was found as a toddler by a hunter, and raised by him and his wife as his daughter alongside another daughter. She’s brilliant. She’s apprentice to the healer of her clan, with sights on being the head healer. She’s smart and funny and capable and kind.

The aforementioned childhood friends trope was too good. I was glad we only had a few flashback scenes, because I don’t love books that flip flop between past and present. We set the stage of the friendship between Maeva and Kiran, who had been the price of the clan before he became a leader. Their friendship, his protection and love for her as children and then his confusion as she grew into a woman, was so real.

And the groveling… the regret… MWAHAHA. It basically stretched the entire book, which I loved. I love a good grovel.

The overarching plot in this book kind of took a back burner - we learned more about the issues on their planet, a red mist that is coming and driving dangerous creatures west/south), but nothing is resolved by the end of the book. I wonder how the author will tie the overarching issues to the romantic storylines because for couples, they rarely intersect - the exception being in book 3, because the heroine had a power she harnessed from Kakkari, the goddess of the world.

Also I’m finding I wish we had more rap ups on the characters. We never got a satisfying conclusion between Kiran and his mother, or his mother and Maeva.

[CB-13's Book Blog!!! · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I'm gonna say is he did way to little WAY WAY WAY WAY too late. Hell no man ho you did not deserve her love, like at all. From a romance perspective I would not recommend but I like the world and there are some great side characters. I just really hope that in the next book the hero isn't a huge asshole (I like loveable antihero's not cowards).

[AvidReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3.75 to 4 stars ⭐️
A winner!
As always with this author this was a well written, passionate, romantic book with a kaleidoscope of emotions and plenty colorful and complex characters.
I Absolutely adored the heroine. After publicly humiliating and breaking her heart hero didn’t expect anything from her and that’s what he got initially- Indifference. And that made me so happy. Though later he slowly and steadily won her heart it was no easy feat as heroine didn’t trust him again. She was such a strong character with a heart so big.
I liked the hero but he didn’t steal my heart. His actions on that fateful day was cruel and also he didn’t return for her for 9 years. Then also I felt he was dragging his feet.
Loved loved the secondary characters.

Initially I had doubts about reading this book because I suspected long separation and was in trepidation about the safety of the book. And I wasn’t wrong. But safety in this book was tricky. He wasn’t celibate during separation though they weren’t in a relationship before but heroine loved hero almost all her life and he knew it. Still he wasn’t faithful during their friendship or later. Though he admitted that each time ‘after’ he felt unfaithful. He also claimed he thought of her all the time (during separation) and all but I was still stuck on his hook ups.
And it also didn’t help that heroine was a virgin though not intentionally, she just wasn’t interested in any male after hero.
Still I would absolutely recommend this book as it is worth it.

[readabookonce · Rating 3 out of 5]

My complaints are the same as everyone else’s: the hero is a complete nincompoop.

I knew going into this that it wouldn’t be my favorite. I am not a fan of second chance romance, nor do I like the friends to lovers trope. The reason I read this at all was because I couldn’t stand the idea of missing out on worldbuilding. I read some reviews, but I couldn’t find any that talked about what happened outside of the romance.

Equipped with the knowledge of his shitty behavior, I dived in. And…it wasn’t so bad. Being warned took the sting out of his actions because I expected them. Don’t get me wrong, the moments were still nauseating, but they weren’t as devastating as they would’ve been had I been unprepared.

Some of Kiran’s Transgressions:

✦ Kissed Maeva’s sister in their special/secret spot

✦ Embarrassed her in front of the horde by rejecting her publicly

✦ After rejecting her, he took her to their spot where they kissed; when she took her dress off, he acted disgusted and told her he would never love her romantically

✦ Scared off men who wanted to court her

✦ Slept around while they were friends (he supposedly loved her during this time) and after their estrangement while she remained “untried”

✦ Admitted that he was relieved she was a virgin because he would’ve been jealous thinking of any male who had gotten to know her in that way

Some of these sound harsher than they are, and Kiran does have some sweet moments, but if you go in with low expectations, maybe you can find enjoyment out of what you normally wouldn’t like.

I certainly did.

★★★

Spoilers for What Happens Outside of the Romance

A mysterious red fog/mist has taken over the Dead Lands in the east. It has completely enveloped the mountains where the Ghertun’s reside, and no one has seen a Ghertun emerge since it started.

Creatures who lived in the area have evaded the territory, and they’ve changed. Formerly docile, they are now aggressive and fearful. Any being that comes into close contact with it are extremely fatigued.

The only ones who are unaffected are the people who have a gift from Kakkari (their Goddess)—Davik & Vienne from Madness of the Horde King. Vienne believes the fog to be a retribution from when she wielded the heartstone in the area months prior.

Oddly enough, the displaced animals and all of the Vorrakars have all settled near each other in the South, as if Kakkari is guiding them to safety. In this area is a permanent horde settlement. The leader possesses a heartstone. Maeva thinks the animals were attracted to the safety the heartstone possesses.

The Vorrakars examine the fog, and they realize it is spreading. Quickly.

Oh, and a new Horde King just passed The Trials. It’s the king’s bastard son. It’s prophesied that he will be the greatest Horde King of all time. With the growing threat of the fog and war, The Trials started immediately after this new Horde King was inaugurated.

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick(ish) Review

I liked this much more by the end of it than I did at the beginning, and I'll tell you why. I, a longtime resident of Romancelandia, avoid certain tropes because I already know it's not my jam or jelly, you know what I mean? And one of those tropes is a second chance romance where the hero acts like the town doorknob while the heroine pines on her own. It irks me. Greatly. And this? This was basically that.

Now, did Ms. Draven manage to salvage this romance for me by making Kiran acknowledge his asshattery? Somewhat. But he also spent some time being all high handed and nudging Maeva into making certain decisions, and I wasn't a big fan of that either. Kiran's Pretty Woman-ing his hoe days and not kissing other women felt like a token gesture to assuage my rage, and there were several moments where I felt like I was in an AU of Twilight, but I wasn't completely bitter by the end.

I'm still a fan of the 'verse, though, and I'm intrigued with the breadcrumbs that Ms. Draven left for future books, even if Kiran and Maeva's romance wasn't exactly my cuppa.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

⤅ The hero deserved a good smacking on multiple occasions, but the heroine was EPIC.

I did know, going into this book, that there would be tropes I don't like: virgin heroine, heroine celibate while hero screws around, etc. Nevertheless I've heard that Zoey Draven writes a good grovel, so I was keen to see how it went.

Verdict: decent-ish grovel, and a heroine who was definitely a lot stronger than I expected.

29-year-old Maeva is an aspiring healer in the saruk, a village inhabited by Dakkari aliens. She however is human: she was found crying in the forest by her adoptive father when she was a child. Growing up, she befriended now 34-year-old Kiran, son of the village leader, who eventually had to go off in order to compete at the trials to become a horde king.

(Draven has a solidly built world here which I won't go into too much detail about, but I found it really interesting and I think it's described well.)

Maeva has always had a crush on Kiran, but he's five years older and never looked twice at her. Her heart keeps getting crushed when she sees him with other females - notably, he kisses her older sister Laru, which I can't quite get over because of how f*cking stupid it is, though he was only 21 then - but when she's 20, she decides to offer herself up to him. He rejects her, and they don't see each other for the next nine years.

I also found this separation difficult to fathom. True, he shows up again later, but that's only because he received a vision from the goddess Karkari. Before that he was perfectly happy with his horde and his women, even though he apparently felt 'like he was cheating on Maeva' this whole time. She of course had sex with nobody, though she did have a bunch of kisses, which is an activity he avoided.

Usually at this stage I would DNF, but Draven's writing is good, and Maeva was NOT a pushover. She made Kiran work for her forgiveness somewhat more than I can recall reading about from other heroines, and it isn't until about 70% in that she fully forgives him. Before that, she keeps a bit of her heart constantly separate: he can sense it and remarks upon it.

So yes, while I'll always be an advocate for more grovelling heroes and vengeful heroines, Maeva wasn't half bad and Kiran (if not quite redeeming himself) didn't make me want to murder him. I'll call that a win.

[❀ Rose ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate these covers with my entire being sidhajjsjs

[Niki {Still a Widow but reading more} · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost DNFed this.

I get that this was a second chance trope but did the H have to be such a douche-canoe?! I wanted to throat punch him on numerous occasions. Not to mention my pet peeve of having so many of his little fuck flings thrown in the h's face. Did the h have to be such a sad doormat as well?! Poor girl was just stuck frozen almost for a decade after her heartbreak. She broke my heart.

All I can say is the second half at least got better. There was a lot of grovel, though I still felt the h was a doormat again in giving in way too soon. My overall biggest pet peeve was the premise of all the suffering to begin with....that the H wasn't good enough for the h. Why? For what reason? He didn't do anything bad. Hadn't done something wrong. So in truth he was just a big ol' fucking coward until he saw other Vorakkars who had balls enough to claim their human hs and make them Morrakaris, did he decide he could claim his human love finally. Pathetic

[Athanasia ♥︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favourite books!!!

Zoey Draven's Broken by the Horde King, is in my opinion not only the best in this series, but a unique book on its genre.The trope of childhood friends to enemies/stangers to lovers in combination with the beautifully constructed world of Drakkar and Draven's magnifiecent writing offered the most unparalleled and sentimental narrative. Kiran and Maeva's story was a beautiful tale of how complex the relationship between time and feelings can be, as well as how different people experience love in different ways.

Moreover, the characters's development in this part of the series was done far better comparing to the rest of the series. Maybe due to the fact that the couple knew each other for many years so the process and timeline appears more realistic. Each character had a well established persona and purpose, without losing the main theme of time and love, both unrequired and not.

However, if you do not like second chance romance,pinning, groveling and flawed characters, you might want to skip this one... but you will be missing a gem!!!

ALSO THE SPICE WAS FANTASTIC!!!! But Kiran was such a dickhead at first...for real so many red flags dude!But i still love him.

if you, by any chance noticed how many times I have reread this book, mind your business... i just love it too much and it is my comfort read... and by comfort I mean it makes me cry like a baby


Tags:
Virgin FMC 🌮💦👅
Paranormal MMC🧛‍♂️🧞‍♂️ 🧜‍♂️
Second chance romance🔁💏🏽🥰
Childhood friends to Strangers/Enemies to Lovers❤️‍🩹💔
Miscommunication😵‍💫⚠️
Angst😐😑😬
Parental death❤️‍🩹 💔
Interesting anatomy👀✨🥵
Learning intimacy💁👌😍
Dirty talk😈🎇🗣
Monster smut👺👾🤤
Alien romance 👽👽👽
weapon use 🗡 ⚔️🔫
HEA🔔🤵🏼👰🏼
Pregrancy trope🤱🏽🤰💦

[✰ Liz ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so thoroughly addicted to this world!





For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Jena]

Avoid.

Rasa has spoilers. Another sexist author.
The doormat pines and remains celibate for 9 yrs😂 after separation. H is a ho, because a man has needs🙄.

- H kisses her sister on their secret spot.

Books a complete garbage - read this https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[❤️Emma Book Lover ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 "seffi" stars

Second chance / friends from childhood romance is not really a trope I go for, but damn! I love this aliens 😅 so I couldn't miss this, also unrequited love is not holding my interest, I m like " just move the f on ", but back to this instalment.
Maeva and Kiran are best friend since childhood, but she has a huge crush on him since forever, love that unfortunately he doesn't share. She was found as a little baby and been adopted by a family in the sarruk,so she is the only human living there which makes her the target of lots of taunts for being different , series easily, is why and very soft.

" It was then that I gave Kiran of Rath Okkili my heart. That day when I was eight years old. Right there on that sun-dappled cliff overlooking Drukkar’s Sea, in a private little corner of the world I never knew existed. Like a fool, I believed he would never break it. "

He kind of brutally rejects her, breaks her heart and leaves the sarruk to begin his life as a Vorrakar.
9 years later he comes back for her, a little to long a little to late if you ask me.
In the years since he left she became a healer and much more independent, hardened and cold, so the groveling takes pretty much 70% of the book.

Now.. I enjoyed this , but was 400 pages of I m sorry 's and of I can't love you anymore . I wanted more action, more details about this new threat -the red mist over we read lands- , more plot development.

"She’d claimed she would never have me. I wanted to make a liar out of her. I wanted to show her that I had been worthy of her love all those years ago. Because her love had been the most beautiful thing in my life. I knew that now. I wished I’d known it then."

Also I m not sure I believe Kiran suddenly realised his mistake.What I think happened is this: he didn't wanted to be tight to anything and anyone when he started his new life as horde king ,he wanted the freedom and to be able to explore and obviously he couldn't do that with a morrakari in his tail. From what I understood he came back for her because of the dream he had.
Kinda pisses me off that he wet his di@k for 8 years and She was a virgin still.

Anyways, the plot continues in the next one I assume, so I 'll definitely read it🙄

[Kate V · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 Stars!

This is the fourth book in the Horde Kings of Dakkar and I think it might be my favorite so far. Maeva is a human but was taken in by the Dakkar when she was an infant. She grows up with Kiran and what starts out as a deep friendship between the two of them slowly morphs into more for Maeva. But Kiran is destined to be a king of his own Horde and on the day that Maeva puts her heart and soul on the line, Kiran brutally rejects her.

For years, Maeva tried to forget Kiran...tried to suffocate the love she has for him. Slowly the bleeding wound started to close but the scars were permanent. Kiran was everything to her and the betrayal and pain she felt the day Kiran turned and walked away broke her. Nine years later, Kiran returns and he is not the boy he once was. There is now a coldness and ruthlessness to him. Yet, her heart still yearns for him despite her head telling her to stay far away.

Kiran knows he walked away from the best thing to ever happen to him and when he returns home seeking a healer for his Horde the only choice is Maeva who has studied for years to be one. He manages to convince her to come for the frost and be the Horde's healer but he will demand a lot more of her. Kiran doesn't just want her to be the Horde's healer but also his Queen. With mounting fears that something is amiss outside the Hordes and clans, can Kiran keep his people safe and win back the heart of the only woman that has ever made him feel?

I really love when an author does second-chance romance right. There was so much tension and deliciousness between Kiran and Maeva. I loved that Kiran finally realized she was it for him and I loved that Maeva made him work for it. Their tumble back into each other was realistic, sweet and painful. I know that some reviewers were upset about the time apart and the fact that Kiran wasn't celibate but honestly that didn't bother me because Kiran redeemed himself in my eyes. His actions and words were more than enough to convince me that what he feels for Maeva despite his past transgressions meant more to him than life itself. I also understood his reasons for pushing Maeva away just as I understood Maeva's reasons for being guarded and making him win back her love. The steamy scenes between them were HOT when it did finally happen but the sexual tension up until that point more than made up for the smut that I originally found lacking.

This story was very much relationship based but the growing threat outside of the Horde's walls was well written and opened the door for more stories. My only complaint is that the story lagged in a few places but really I just enjoyed this story. Overall, if you like steamy second-chance romances with an arrogant alpha and a stubborn and fierce heroine then definitely snatch this one up.

[Cheesecake · Rating 2 out of 5]

.
She's human, adopted by and raised with aliens since she was a toddler. She was childhood friends with H but when her love changes to romantic love, his turns to others, including her sister.

Honestly, despite his grovel and devotion when he comes back, I just couldn't get past his trying to get in her sister's pants, then his humiliating her when she professed her love at 18, then his hiding from her for 9 years like a coward.
He could have grovelled for another 9 years and it wouldn't have made me change my mind about his weak character.

His mother was a total bigot.

And frankly he was too.

I guess he grew out of it 9 years too late, but it took a dream from the goddess to get him to admit his love and return for her.

And then we come to her side of things. I got tired really fast of the author saying how the h would never accept him, but then having her act the opposite. Like, I will never forgive him, but darn my traitorous body syndrome. Blah!

If she could have been less wishy washy, or if he could have come back a few years earlier and NOT because the Goddess told him to...

Well anyways, the last thing that sank this for me was the usual double standard. And this is a society that doesn't preach about virginity. So there was no excuse.
He has had LOTS of sex over the years including with some of the ladies in his Horde. We only meet one briefly though. But it gets brought up a lot. She caught him having a heavy petting session with her sister when they were teens. It was the sister who turned HIM down because she saw how it hurt the h.
He didn't kiss any of his flings cause that's supposed to make sex more special with the h.
She is a virgin because she couldn't bring herself to move on... in 9 fricken years.
Sigh.
i'm so over that shit.


Other than her not being able to move on after he left and her waffling whenever he was near, I really liked the h.

[Sweet and Salty Reviews by DD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want a Horde King!!!

World build:
Continues to be well laid out. Draven is adding to the layers beautifully and introducing new aspects with each book thus far.

Storyline:
One of my favorite in the the series. We have a relationship which began in their childhood. They grew up together leading one to fall in deep unwavering love, and the other wanting to protect and hold their friendship sacred. This leads to a climatic moment that changes their lives completely causing a near decade separation. When the two meet again the roles have reversed and the fight begins to win back what was lost.

FMC:
Maeva was incredibly interesting! She is not a warrior but a healer. Very bright and determined Maeva will do what it takes so save her people. Fearless and driven she is on the path to getting all she has ever wanted until Kiran shows up. He strips her of everything, again. Refusing to fall for his games she focuses on what she can contribute to the horde not its king.

MC:
Kiran knew nearly a decade ago he destroyed the one that was most precious to him. As the years passed Maeva was never off his mind. Knowing the pain he caused her he would not allow himself to return home and face her. Then the dreams became too much. The need for her became to strong. No matter the fight he would win her love back. Cause a Horde King gets what he wants.

*SQUEAL*

Loved it! Want more! Go get it!

Happy reading,
DD 💕

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hero was an ass, and would never have even come back for the heroine if not for a magical dream. Talks about sleeping with other women, including the heroines sister, with a "eh, it's what we do" type of attitude. Even if it was before he officially was with the heroine, he admits he had always wanted her and for reasons just kept on doing his thing. Hate books like this.

[Ruth♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se conocen desde que eran niños, Maeve y Kiran formaron un vínculo muy especial pero con los años y ahora que Kiran se tuvo que ir para cumplir con sus obligaciones se desmorona cada vez más y todo cae cuando él el rompe el corazón a ella, pero años después regresa con la intención de solucionar, veremos si Maeve lo permite.

Yo aplace mucho está historia por qué sentía que no era mi tipo pero igual quería avanzar con la saga así que me propuse leerlo y me encantoooo, creo que es mi favorito hasta el momento, la conexión entre estos dos es hermosa, tal vez un poco más de arrastrate por parte de Kiran no me hubiera molestado pero a la vez entendía el por qué hizo todo, pero nos dieron un poco de todo aquí y fue muy bueno, lo disfrute bastante (quería decir más cosas pero olvide hacer la reseña pronto y lo olvidé muchas de las cosas) solo se que fue buenísimo y estos dos se merecían ser felices después de todo lo que pasaron 🥹

[Jac K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread to freshen up for book #5 (released earlier this month) I still enjoyed it, but I also LOVE the rejected mate trope… which isn’t for everyone. Although, this is a smidge different (he doesn’t knowingly reject his mate) it still has several of the standard ingredients.

*****Original Review****
All I knew going in was that the H had broken the h’s heart publicly, and that a lot of my safety friends were not amused. I love the messy stuff, so I made some assumptions (that were mostly wrong) and dove in. I did experience some “feels” because the h was devastated, but it wasn’t nearly as juicy as I thought it would be. Instead of epic love, it read like a young unrequited crush (he didn't lover her in the way she wanted him to), and the “public humiliation” part lost most of its steam (for me) because she was one of many that were rejected that night. (offered goblet was ignored-he ignored them all) Basically, they were childhood besties, no romantic relationship…BUT, if you have ZERO tolerance when the H has lovers (nothing ever on page) while the h has none… you might want to skip.

Broken by the Horde King is Maeva and Kiran’s story. It was unique in that Maeva was raised in a Dakkari saruk (village), and already knew the language and customs (which I TOTALLY loved). It’s also the first couple with history and baggage, and the only one with no backlash/resistance for having a human queen. There’re actually humans in his horde.

I did find myself sucked in and stayed up late to finish... but I felt like there were several areas that needed more development. (and she uses rasped too much... and the cover = epic fail. Why do they have short hair when all are described like Jason Momoa?)

❓Why was there a bigger deal placed on her goblet being ignored? She was humiliated and the people either made fun or pitied her. Why was she singled out, when several girls were also rejected?
❓ I felt the journey was believable, but I needed more of the “why” for his change of mind from sister-love to lover-love. ( I understood the how but needed the why) I think maybe a few flashback scenes of him over the years thinking about her would’ve helped.
❓Why was there so much animosity from his mother? This was never explained, nor were the two that contributed to their separation ever confronted. There was one tiny paragraph where the individual didn’t even respond. I felt like “his” actions were just as bad because he allowed Maeve to feel like Kirin never cared. We get a general “they thought they were doing the right thing” but I needed more.

Bottom Line- I love a second-chance romance but needed more of a transition from unrequited love to romantic love. There’s a fair amount of angst in the beginning because she’s built the relationship so BIG in her head that the fallout is harsh, but he’s with the program by the start of the present so the angst morphs more into drama. I never hated him, BUT if you are a strict safety reader, hate second-chance romances, or prolonged misunderstandings- you might not like this. He’s the pursuer and grovels quite a bit. This one has a lot more of the ongoing mystery of what’s going on with the planet.