King Tomb

Forever Evermore #3

by Scarlett Dawn

From Scarlett Dawn comes the stunning, sexy, sensual, surprising, spellbinding conclusion to the bestselling, first Forever Evermore trilogy.  Queen Shifter, Lily Ruckler, has found solace in brutal warfare. Her bloodied fists and bared fangs fill the holes left in her memory, the blank spaces that leave her soul aching and empty. Her only pleasure is in blood; her only salvation is the relationship she has with her infant child, the baby of unknown origins who brings her solace and stability. When Elder Harcourt summons Lily and her protector Antonio back to the United States, Lily thinks nothing unusual about the change of location. But a standard reconnaissance mission leaves her trapped inside King Zeller's private quarters, and at his mercy. Surprise attraction rapidly turns to a battle of wills and an intense power struggle that leaves no clear victor but plenty of resentment. They are not allowed to nurse their wounds. In order to win the war against the Commoners, the King Vampire and Queen Shifter must work together. It should be easy. The war is turning, the battle is deadly, and both Lily and Ezra love the cold cleanliness of combat. But their chance meeting has led to more than an unlikely alliance. Secrets have a way of surfacing, especially on a torn-up battlefield, and Lily and Ezra are about to re-learn all they cannot remember. If they can't control their emotions and responses, it will be to their own ruin and the destruction of everything around them.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Vampires, New Adult, Romance, Magic, Paranormal Romance

394 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 8, 2014

About the author

New York Times bestselling author and award-winner, Scarlett Dawn, is the mastermind behind the Forever Evermore fantasy series, the Origin paranormal dystopian stories, the Vampire Crown paranormal romance thrillers, the Mark science fantasy saga, and the Lion Security contemporary romance series.

She lives in the Midwest, adores her music loud, and demands her fries covered in melted cheese.

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/4X1rv

Reviews

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth re-read: 16.04.2021
I only re-read this again for Ezra, Antonio and Cahal. I seriously don't care for Lily in this book. I also don't like the ending and that everything still feels so unresolved. I should really change the stars to two instead of three here...

Forth re-read: 18.01.2021
I still cannot stand Lily's treatment of Antonio. And I cannot for the life of me enjoy how changed Lily is. Ezra has always been a bit more on the animalistic side so I can more easily get on board with him being... well him, but Lily is such a different person that she isn't recognizable at all. I miss little old Lily. Oh btw, will Lily and Ezra have more kids? That said, I hated that in the end Lily and the Rulers still weren't able to make hybrids legal, nor mixed faction sexual relationships. I feel like nothing really was done. Oh and how powerful is John Smith really? Since his power rivals Rulers, with Ruler power, would he be more powerful than Antonio? He interest me a bit.... not enough to take Ezra's place but there's something about him...
New Rating: 2.5/2 stars.

Third re-read: 04.02.2020
*Contains Spoilers* I decided to re-read this one as well simply because of Antonio and Cahal. I very much want a book centering those two. That being said, I actually don't like this book. Lily is no longer the Lily we fell in love with in book one and two. Ezra is still Ezra, just more cold (which I love), but Lily's a whole new character that we no longer know. And then I felt like nothing was resolved - the hybrid law still stands and sexual interaction between different Mysticals (for example Shifter and Vampire) are still illegal.

Antonio pulled his hand from mine, shaking his head at me and sighing. “Try to be nice, Lil.” He waved a hand at King Zeller. “I know I raised you to have better manners than this.”
I snorted. “When?”
Antonio blinked. Stayed mute. Blinked again. “Well, I should have.” His head cocked at King Zeller. “So work with me and pretend as if I did.”
Elder Merrick chuckled quietly, staring at Antonio. “The similarities between you two are limitless.”
Antonio’s head teetered back and forth. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

All they managed to do was kill the bad guy (too quickly - the ending was anti-climatic) and end the war. Ezra and Lily's daughter will always have to hide (so will Lily) but she can never tell who her true father is, never be a true family in front of the world. Ezra can never claim Isa as his, can never show how much he loves his wife and daughter. On top of that, Jack and Pearl were BARELY in the book. In each book they are show less and less, but in this one... they only showed up in the end. I didn't like that.
New Rating: 2.5 stars.

Characters:
As the list is long, I put it in a spoilers tag.
→ Lily ‘Lil’ Shitz Ruckler (20), main character, the Shifter Queen (there a four rulers who rule the Mysticals together: shifter, vampire, mage, elemental. A Mystical hybrid, which is forbidden - law strictly states that hybrids are to be killed at birth.
→ King Ezra Cahal Zeller (22? 23?), Lily's best friend and husband, and the Vampire King.
→ Queen Pearl Cooper, Lily's best friend and the Mage Queen.
→ King Jack Collins, Lily's best friend and the Elemental King. After Both he and Pearl loses their mates: Gideon and Nikki, they become each others love interests - late in the book (around 90% into book two).
→ Elder Antonio ‘Tony’ Farrar (how old?) Mage and helped raise Lily along side her mother. Was King Mage and their Vizoac were eagles as Antonio was the most powerful of the four Rulers.
→ Elder Cahal Zeller (how old?), Ezra's father. He was King Vampire along side Antonio. They fought in the war together. Vivian, his mate and Ezra's mother. Vivian got killed in book two. Cahal and Antonio were in love before they met their mates - calls each other soul mates. Gets together towards the end of the book.
→ Elder Jacobs, was the King (air) Elemental along side Antonio.
→ Elder Merrick, was the King Shifter along side Antonio.
→ Elder Richard Harcourt, a most powerful Mage. The one who wiped the Kings and Queens' memories.
→ Elder Camden, Elemental. He, and possibly Elder Harcourt, were the oldest Mystical Elders remaining.
→ Dominic, Lily's mate who died early in book one. He was the shifter Prodigy but after his death Lily - because she was his mate - became the Prodigy.
→ Elder Kincaid, was the King before Lily's group. Shifter and Dominic's father. Fi, his mate.
→ Elder Fergus, was the King Elemental before Lily's group..
→ Elder Nelson, was the King Mage before Lily's group.
→ Elder Venclaire, the current King Vampire, and the most powerful of the four of the Rulers. . Also Lily's biological father.
→ Bindi, a Mage medic.
→ Isadora ‘Isa’ Marie Ruckler, hybrid (Vampire and Shifter) - Lily and Ezra's daughter.
→ Felix and Aros, part of Lily's protection - personal bodyguards - elite guards.
→ Finn, bear Shifter and previous lover of Lily.
→ Bonnie, Lily's Vizoac - a lioness. When Prodigies are in times of war, or when there will be a war during their ruling, they receive an animal (Vizoac) of protection. They magically recognize where to find their Prodigies. No one really knows where they come from, since they appear before the Prodigies are crowned. They’re only loyal to their owner. Anyone else who touches them will get an ugly surprise: Lily's group's Vizoacs like one another and get along.
→ Clyde, Ezra's Vizoac. As the most powerful one in his ruler group, the Vizoac is a lion; Whichever of the four Prodigies is the powerhouse of the group is how the Vizoac is determined. If the Shifter is the most powerful, the Prodigies receive wolves. If the Elemental is, they receive hawks. If the Mage is, they receive eagles. If the Vampire is, the Prodigies get lions. A Vizoac lives as long as its owner.
→ Bastard, Cahal's Vizoac.
→ Buttercup, Pearl's Vizoac - a lioness.
→ West, Jack's Vizoac - a lion.
→ Elly Belford, a lion Shifter. Her father is a high-ranking official in the MIA. She betrayed the Mysticals.
→ Philip Masterson, a Congressman in the United States. He tried to rape Lily. He's the leader of the Coms (Commoner/humans) who's been attacking the Mysticals and started the War. He’s a hybrid - Mage and Shifter.
→ John Smith, a hybrid (Shifter and Elemental). He challenged Lily at King Cave, and they had fought, but she had ended up letting him live. He pretended to be fully Shifter, as Lily did, but where she hid her Vampire nature, he hid his Elemental side. She hadn’t seen him since the challenge, but here he was at King Shadow. And he was one hell of a powerful being, his power damn near rivaling her own Queen’s power. He's a Spirit - the rarest of the rare Mysticals, even compared to a hybrid, which meant he was double rare. His power rivals Rulers. He starts working directly under Lily, by her command only. His position would be completely undisclosed, this decision, and any future missions, between only him and her - a spy/black ops soldier.
→ Julia, a com working (made a deal) for Elder Harcourt.

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Ezra owns my heart*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

Second re-read: 09.01.2018
The third book in the series centers around the Mystical world King and Queen, the born Mystical ‘Mys’ hybrid (which is forbidden), Lily ‘Lil’ Shitz Ruckler (20? 21?) and the wicked Vampire, Ezra Cahal Zeller (23?). With their memory loss, they've become cold and ruthless. Barely recognizable from the previous books (Lily, that is). When they finally met again, they hate each other some fierce, and can't understand why they have been so stupid and married each other. There's also the fact the there's a war going on and being close to each other makes them warm. But will they want the memories back?

“We should celebrate. We each married a sadistic killer.” His head tilted toward Isa as we drank our coffee. “I almost feel sorry for the poor bastard she ends up with.”

I think of one the reasons I don't like this book as much as I want, is simply because the characters - specially the main one - has changed so drastically that I can no longer recognize them. I understand why; the reasons, but they are no longer the characters that you fell in love with. Well, I actually mean character instead of characters. Lily just don't work for me, being all cold and heartless. But Ezra however, works just fine. I love that guy and the more ruthless and cold he is, the hotter. But I just can't relate to Lily anymore; I simply don't like her in this book.

“Hello, everyone.” I didn’t think lying was an option, appearing as I did, so I told the truth. “I’ve come to kill you all. It would be much easier if you would kindly stand still.”

We barely got any scenes with Queen Mage, Pearl Cooper (how old?) and King Elemental, Jack Collins (how old?). So I can't really say anything on them. Isadora ‘Isa’ Marie Ruckler (6 months) was adorable, though I wanted more interaction between her and her family. Specially Ezra. Elder Antonio ‘Tony’ Farrar (how old?) and Cahal Zeller (how old?) are bloody fabulous and I want my own book with them as the main characters. Overall, I'm still not interested in continuing the series, since there's other main characters than Lily and Ezra. I still like this book, but it's so far from being good that I can't like it much, much less love it.

Life was not pleasant. Life was not kind. It only gave you sips of joy when you were parched. And when it handed you a full glass, it stole it from you when you turned your head, only the remnants of condensation on your palm left to let you know it had been there in the first place.
Life was harsh, leaving not even a bitter taste in your mouth. Instead, it left a burning acid. That acid consumed you when you finally swallowed down the blissful ideals your parents had fed you.

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Paranormal Romance.
Series: - Series, Book Three.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - Yes, of sorts?
Favorite character? - Ezra Cahal Zeller (always).
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
New Rating - 3 stars.

Re-read: 13.01.16:
Still awesome, but book #2 will always be best in this series :)!
Rate: 4/3 stars.
First read review:
Not bad, but the second book is better.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start this review off, a few declarations…

First,
It’s series like Forever Evermore that make reading not only an awesome experience but worthy .
Worthy of my money.
Worthy of my energy.
Worthy of my time.

Second,
It’s series like Forever Evermore that really turned me into the book junkie that I am today.

Third,
It’s series like Forever Evermore that sink down into my soul and leave a little essence behind to forever be a part of me.

King Tomb Commentary:
FAIR WARNING: If you have not read the first two books in this series, continue at your own risk in regards to spoilers. King Hall and King Cave

On to the review…

First, I want to say that the Forever Evermore series is in my top five favorite series. However, I was disappointed with King Tomb. Now, saying disappointed with King Tomb is not the same as being disappointed with any other run-of-the-mill book. Let me restate: Forever Evermore is in my top five favorites. So while I believe King Tomb is not as strong as King Hall and King Cave, it's still a really good book. I just think certain expectations were not met...

1) Ezra and Lily’s romance. Now, I think they are a great fictional couple in the overall series. And I really enjoyed how they found each other again in King Tomb. And, for those who are curious, yes, there was a hot sex scene. BUT in the same vein here, a drawback I had personally with this book - because I'm a glutton for Lily and Ezra - is that I would have liked to have seen a lot more of them together after their memory was returned to them. I wanted to see that fire and passion that was in King Cave. When their memory was still lost in King Tomb, they had physical chemistry, and a hesitant and timid emotional attraction - which I totally get and understand. So, I really wanted/expected to see the big fireworks at the end when their memory returned. And I wanted to see them together with Isa, their daughter, AFTER they got back their memories. That was missing. And I was bummed out over that…

2) Another drawback I had was that I thought King Tomb lacked the presence of the secondary characters. And I'm not just talking about Jack and Pearl who were absent for the majority of this book. I thought other than Antonio, the secondary characters were cursory. I was disappointed here. I loved all the Kings, the Elders, other Mys and even Coms that played important roles in the first two books. Yet here, I felt everything narrowed onto Ezra and Lily. I think maybe more could have been done to bring in the other characters. It may have added more depth and breadth to the conclusion of this trilogy.

3) With King Cave, Dawn spoiled us by giving us such a hefty book at 400+ pages. King Hall sits at 280. In comparison, King Tomb comes in at 200 pages and I just feel that some things were missing in KT as a result. Or maybe it just was not as in-depth as it could have been. I feel certain things were rushed and/or could have been expanded more. For example, aside from the secondary characters and Ezra and Lily's relationship, we could have had more world building and descriptions. We also could have had more explanation and interaction with the war. Other than two "missions", there was no other action in regards to this. Overall, King Tomb did not have the depth that King Hall and Cave did.

The things I liked:
1) There have been claims made that the main characters in the first two books were too immature. That they acted more like high school kids than college-aged adults. I could see why some felt that way. I will say that in King Tomb, as I expected, there was growth in both Lily and Ezra in regards to their maturity. Scarlett Dawn makes this fairly blatant and references the "changes" quite a few times. I think this was done fairly well.

2) Stylistically, I wanted to acknowledge that I really enjoyed how Dawn juxtaposed the hard, cold ruthless nature of being King and Queen Mysticals in war and the love and compassion they display in parenthood. I thought this well done. And I love Dawns' writing style, so I had no complaints there!

3) I thought King Tomb had decent pacing. Too fast in some places, but there were no lulls or filler.

4) True to the series' form, this book continues to be angst-free. Which I love! I'm very tired of angst-ridden plots. This is one of my favorite aspects of this series.

And in concluding this trilogy, some answers are given in regards to the story and plot...and some are not...and we got a few more questions added. So, we can look forward to the next books in the series for more answers.

Overall, I thought King Tomb was a solid ending to this trilogy. It is not the best book of the trilogy. In fact, I think it is weakest of the three. That said, it is still a good book. I am truly looking forward to the next installments to see where Scarlett Dawn takes us!

This and That:
- According to the author, there are 10 books planned in the Forever Evermore Series. King Tomb concludes the first trilogy, Lily’s story.
For more info: http://scarlettdawn.net/2013/12/07/in...
- Classified as New Adult Fantasy and Romance
- Print length: 209 pages

First Trilogy of Forever Evermore Series Commentary:
It takes a lot for a romance author in any subgenre to hold my complete attention these days. Most likely due to the fact that (like many of us) I’ve lost count of how many romance books I’ve consumed over the years. An unfortunate side-effect of this mass consumption is that I now get relatively bored reading most books in the romance genre. You can only read the same plot lines so many times before reciting them in your sleep. Now I don’t want to come off as not appreciating all the romance books I read. The vast majority are good books. Plenty are great books. But the point I am trying to make honestly is that very few are stellar, mind-blowing, so-fantastic-that-you-dream-of-them-in-raving-technicolor books. And these perfect books are what keep me coming back to this genre simply because, when done to the reader’s definition of perfection, a romance book is unlike any other. So, it is why I persevere; to be able to find the diamonds that I know are out there - my ideal romance novel.

So, what is my ideal romance novel/series?
• For me, a standout story has to be complex, in fact the more layers the better.
• It has to have multi-dimensional characters.
• It has to have the perfect balance of dialogue and narrative.
• It has to have enough plot twists and turns to keep me engaged, and hopefully guessing.
• It has to have some kind of action.
• It has to have meaningful relationship development.
• I prefer a story about self-discovery/actualization.
• I prefer a story with some humor.
• I prefer a story with sex. Hot sex….
• A standout story needs to have that extra special essence that only an exceptional author can breathe into it – the X factor so to speak.
• But above all, and this is critical, I need to have my emotions evoked and my empathy unleashed. I need to feel like I am in the story, a part of the story.

While subjective, this list is still not an easy task to execute. Therefore, please understand the heavy weight of this compliment that I am giving when I say that this first trilogy of the Forever Evermore series makes my top five favorite romance book series. This includes the disappointment I have in King Tomb. The overall character development and plot in this series is really outstanding.

Happy Reading!
♥ Lisa

[Ahana M Rao (Heart’s Content) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half and some after that was reaaaaalllllly amazing.

Lily and Ezra were amazing. Their anger. Hatred. Sorrow. Pain. Everything was bittersweet, beautiful and gut wrenching. Their child was beautiful. The love they had for their child was beautiful.

And it hurts my heart to say this but the last few chapters with the whole time travel and the new characters that were rushed into the story...I just felt...like there was some more that could have been told.
That's the reason I knocked off a star. But this shall forever be one of my favourite series.
Forever and ever more.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Also reviewed for Addicted2Heroines.

I have to admit I was a teeny bit pissed off when I finished this one. Not that it wasn't excellent, but I missed one little word in the blurb...one word...and it nearly killed me.
What word?
First.
From Scarlett Dawn comes the stunning, sexy, sensual, surprising, spell-binding conclusion to the best-selling first Forever Evermore trilogy.
I thought this was it. The End. Bye-bye. No more. Over with. Adios. Close the door on your way out.
So when a few things didn't get wrapped up to my total satisfaction?
Hulk sad. Hulk SMASH!
'Cause this series is in my top 5 favorites of all time. Yep, right up there with Moning's Fever series, and Briggs' Mercy Thompson series.
So. If this was the end, then I wanted every little thing sorted out.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The ending was good.
But there was this BIG thread of the story that still wasn't FIXED.
And the worst part was, I couldn't even stomp around like I wanted to! I mean, how would I explain that to my husband?
See, there's this book about a sexy vampire and a hybrid shifter/vampire. They'loved each other, but it had to be all hush-hush, because it's against their laws to mix species. Also, they both happened to be the rulers of their particular species. There was this big war going on with the Coms (that means humans, Hon), and they'd both been mind-wiped as punishment for falling in love. Oh! And they had a baby! But she didn't know who the father was due to the mind-wipe. It all worked out, but I'm just pouting and throwing things, because there was still something that they needed to fix! And it's OVER! It's just OVER! And... Hey! Are you laughing at me? NO, this isn't like the time I thought Mac had killed Barrons. Seriously? How can you even bring that up right now?! Did you just mumble 'hormones' under your breath? I do not have PMS!
In other words, I had to be mature. Damn it.
But now that I've correctly read the blurb, it appears that there may be more books coming.
If there's a first trilogy, then there must be a second trilogy, right?
Right?!
*soothing music plays in the background*
Ahhhh. Much better.

Ezra.
Give me a minute here....
-------
K, I'm back. He is hands-down one of the sexiest men in literature today. And for those of you who are just now discovering these books, don't even bother trying to add him into your book-boyfriend harem.
He's MINE! ALL mine!
Don't worry about what happened at the end of the last book, ladies. The author doesn't keep them apart for long, and she doesn't drag out the who-are-you thing for any longer than necessary. I'm not say they get their memories back, I'm just saying...
Well. Read it.
Ezra and Lily sizzle.

Alrighty. The war with the Coms is in full swing, but other than a few scenes, it mostly fades to the background of the story. Everything is mainly about Lily and Ezra trying to figure out...all the stuff they need to figure out.
You know, there's not a lot I can tell you without spoiling the story. And it's a great story . These are books that I will definitely re-read again, and probably again-again. Like I said, these are a favorite.


So why not go whole hog, and give this 5 stars?
Ehhhh.
It kills me to say this. I mean that, but...
The last 10% of the book was iffy. There was a time-travel thing that wasn't very well explained, and felt almost smooshed in there to...I don't know...include time-travel?
I got nothin'.
I, quite literally, made a WhatTheFuck Face throughout the whole scene. Yeah, it served a purpose, but it just didn't seem all that coherent or well planned. Almost like an afterthought?

Ok.
I already whined about the untidy thread at the end, but I didn't knock any points off for it.
But there BETTER be more books on the way.

The next thing on my ververyvery short Didn't-Like-It list, was the way Lily seemed to turn into a sadist.
Sorry, but that turned me off.
I absolutely love bad-ass heroines. And if they gotta kill a shit ton of villains to save the day?
*shrugs*
That's just fine by me.
But this was something...else.
Lily had been put through the ringer in every sense, so I totally get that she was hardened. But there was a line, and she crossed it several times. Torture for sport? To prove a point? Because it's fun?
No.
Kill who you gotta kill, and move on.
And don't think I'm going easy on you, either, Ezra! Just because I have a shrine built to you in my closet, doesn't mean you get off scott free! I'm ashamed of you, young man!

Moving on.
The last thing I wanna say isn't so much a complaint, as it is a 'preference'. Jack and Pearl were such a huge part of the first two books, that this one felt bare without them in it. They do show up, eventually, but I wanted more time with them.
However, I will reluctantly concede that since I'm not the author of this book, my 'preference' counts for shit. Then again, I will also not-quite-so reluctantly, reiterate that there better be more books!

Even with those complaints, I still love these characters, love this world, and love this author.
Fans of the previous books will love seeing the chemistry flare back to life between Ezra and Lily, and learning a few shocking secrets about some of the other characters in the series.
I'm satisfied....for now.

I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Naoms · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally Posted at Confessions of an Opinionated Book Geek\


Forever Evermore is a series packed with entertainment. It’s funny and sexy with unique magical sequences and lore. King Tomb has all that, but it some how drops the ball.

Lily is the Queen of the Shifters, she’s in the midst of a war and she’s pregnant. That alone would be enough to make any woman stress, but Lily doesn’t know who her child’s father is. His identity and their time together has been completely wiped out. All she has is a blank memory, a mans t-shirt, a ring and a pregnant belly to tell her that she loved and had been loved by a man from another mystic fraction.

The premise of King Tomb is interesting, because it’s new for me. I’ve started a series where two people learn that they have a past they can’t remember, but I have never watched two people fall in love only to be physically and mentally ripped away from each other. It was entertaining but painful to watch Ezra and Lilly maneuver around each other without knowing or understanding what they meant to each other. That was all fun and well done.

What wasn’t fun? Everything else. These characters are in the middle of the war which they forget about for 90% of the book. Scarlett Dawn is just not very good at balancing her story lines. There’s just a lack of tension that should come with being at war and being the leaders of a war. Their subjects are barely ever seen and the characters don’t do a single kingly or queenly act. The kings and queens are like children and the elders are like parents running after them to stop them from dirtying their hands.

King Hall and King Cave have a similar “in a bubble” tone, but in those books the characters are supposed to be isolated, hiding or learning. In King Tomb, they are supposed to be in the thick of it. But they are still in this weird cocoon surrounded by only the same few characters.

All of that was manageable until the end, because Lily and Ezra’s chemistry is so fun even when they are strangers or hate each other. But then in the final act new characters are introduced and Ezra and Lily go on this whirlwind trip through time. It’s ridiculous, it is literally only a few pages and had no basis in the world that was set up in the first two books and 75% of King Tomb. Literally out of nowhere the genre changed and I was suddenly on a trip through time and one of the side characters I can’t remember from earlier books is pushed up to be like this grand master strategist who can see the future and arranges people like pawns on a chessboard.

As a fan of the series I can’t say that I hated all of it. I enjoyed the character dynamics and the few romantic surprises and twists, but as a whole this wasn’t a very good book and the ending is supposed to wrap up Lilly’s story but it doesn’t. I’m disappointed.





Liked a lot about it, but there is a 10 page adventure wity new characters that makes very little sense to me. Very little sense. Brought the book down. Also, the absence of Jack and Pearl. Besides that, entertaining and fun as ever. Review to come.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I finished King Tomb. And I must say, that all in all, I am very pleasantly surprised. After the ending to King Cave, I was incredibly worried about how this one would go. A lot of my enjoyment hinged on Lily/Ezra interaction, and I assumed that would be very limited in this installment.

I'm going to tell you right now--don't worry your pretty little mind about that.

Now I'm just going to list a few more things and I'll post a full review closer to the release date.

- Don't worry too much about how long it'll take to see Ezra and Lily in the same vicinity.
- When they ARE in the same vicinity...well, it didn't go the way I thought it would. (And that's all I'm going to say about THAT.
- There were some serious laugh out loud moments in this book. I've loved how the first two books held so much humor, so I was glad to see pieces of that still remained despite the change in tone this book had due to Lily's experiences.
- Oh, Antonio. ;)
- Ezra as a dad is just as heart-warming as you'd expect it to be.
- I wished there could have been more Jack and Pearl but understand why there wasn't.
- I did a fair amount of swooning.
- For a good amount of this book, you'll probably question the title. You'll think it should be named King Shadow. But I'm telling you now, King Tomb is PERFECT. Absolutely perfect. Just wait for it.
- Everything makes sense. Even things you didn't know needed sense to be made of them. IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW.
- There's one character who plays a huge part in everything that I never would have expected when I started this series. It's all tangled together, and as I said: IT ALL MAKES SENSE.
- THERE WAS EZRA AND I LOVE EZRA AND OHMYGOSH I NEED MORE EZRA IN MY LIFE, ALWAYS.

The more I think about this book, the more my heart feels happy with it. It's a nice feeling. :)

[Ari Reavis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler-Ish

The romance is this book broke my heart. To know how Lily and Ezra were with each other and to 'watch' how they were in this book drove me crazy. It took too long for them to find that love again. The passion was always there, but they were just too cold. The coldness was understandable considering what they'd gone through, but it hurt nonetheless. But, at the same time, it was cute to watch them fall in love again without their memories of each other.
While almost everything was wrapped up nicely, it was wrapped up abruptly... the war, them getting their memories back, them reuniting with Pearl and Jack. In the end, they were still forbidden to be together and I hated that they still had to be a secret.
But, all in all, a nice ending to this part of the series and Lily and Ezra got their HEA (I think), so I'm content.

[Chelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series, I really do, and it pains me to say this but I was a little disappointed with the last half of this book. Antonio and Cahal were absolutely adorable and I loved that storyline. I actually wish there could be a spinoff series with more details about their past, that would be amazing. But the reunions and the battle just seemed too rushed to me. The whole ending felt rushed. In King Cave we got a lot more detail and love and friendship but this one just seemed to be more lacking. As always I love Lily and Ezra and I think that's were a lot of my disappointment comes from. We didn't actually get to see them be together as a happily married in-love couple again and I just miss them. It kinda just feels like their story is unfinished which is unfortunate because their storyline is actually over. It's upsetting. I'll miss the relationships, the friendships, the kings constant teasing and betting and a certain group of elders that are hilarious. One more thing, I honestly thought there was going to be more of bond between Elder Venclaire and Lily when it was all said and done, that was also something I would've liked to see. Anyways, I'm honestly really gonna miss these characters and hopefully we'll see more of them in the future.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Tomb is the third installment in author Scarlett Dawn's Forever Evermore series. I am so happy the first book King Hall was recommended to me last year or else I may have missed out on all this awesomeness! King Tomb is a wonderful addition to an engaging series that I have come to love. I have devoured each of these books within twenty-four hours and the same goes for King Tomb- I just couldn't put it down! Scarlett Dawn is a goddess! There I said it.

King Tomb provides closure to ALL the craziness that happened in the last book King Cave. You all know what I'm talking about...and if you don't then you better download this series asap! The closure was much needed (and appreciated), but I have to admit that I kinda miss all that love and drama! King Tomb picks up some months ahead of where King Cave left off. We see an entirely different Lily and Ezra in this installment and while I miss their old selves, I have to admit that their new selves are total bad ass! War and loss have made them each cold and emotionless, but that allows them to be ruthless leaders, and that aspect was surprisingly fun to read. There is one scene in this book involving Lily dealing out a punishment that scared me a bit. I didn't even recognize her! But then there are other scenes of course that made me smile and appreciate the many roles she is filling.

As a forever loyal follower of this series, my only complaint with King Tomb was plain and simple: I needed more of Lily and Ezra! Yeah they found each other again - and that part was one of my favorite parts! But so much of this book was them together without their memories, and after witnessing their deep love in King Cave, I stayed in withdrawal for much of this book. The two of them interacting without their memories of each other was pretty entertaining in itself, and it also added some humor. But when they finally got their memories back, the story went a different direction with a focus on certain tasks that needed to be completed, reuniting with Pearl and Jack (who unfortunately I don't really care that much about anymore-I know it's just sad), and then a setup for the next installment Chosen Thief. I guess since King Cave was heavy on the relationship/romance aspect, I just assumed that King Tomb would resume some of that momentum. But you know what they say about assumptions...and I should definitely know better by now. I guess that was slightly more than just one "plain and simple" complaint, but it all boils down to my love for these two amazing characters. And did I hear correctly that this may be the last book centered on Lily and Ezra????? I'm desperately trying not to jump to any conclusions but after reading this possibility on another reader's review, and also seeing the blurb for Chosen Thief indicating it is Caro's story, I am seriously scared! I'm afraid that Ms. Dawn may have shot herself in the foot when she developed Lily and Ezra- How can we even begin to adore anyone else? I guess if anyone can make her readers happy it will be Scarlett Dawn. Just so you know Ms. Dawn, I have faith in you!!!

My favorite quote:
"Or better yet, tell me if King Zeller," asshole, "is my baby's daddy?" I spoke in a pseudo whisper to King Zeller when they stayed quiet. "It sounds awfully ghetto, doesn't it? Who's your baby's daddy?"

The Forever Evermore series includes the following installments: (as of October 2014)

[Jenette · Rating 2 out of 5]

The anticipation I felt for this book may not have been as great as my friend's but I was pretty psyched about it. Then I realised what this book held in store and I began to reconsider. I'm not going to lie, my reading of this book went something like this "okay this isn't bad...skim skim skim...am I supposed to care/be shocked/excited...skim skim skim...read the epilogue".

Incredibly disappointing after enjoying the first two so much.

[Roobie · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐3 stars⭐

Elder Harcourt didn't watch her go, his gaze steadfast at the Rulers. Only a golden eagle in the sky saw the wicked smirk that curved his lips..

*sigh*
I feel like I waited since book one for certain things to happen and when they finally did it was so rushed. It was like the last 20% was full of events that I expected from this book and waited for and I needed much more detail and explanation and kick-ass Kings and Queens in general.

[Andrea Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

The 1st was the best.

I'm disappointed in the third book of the series. I believe that Ms. Dawn must have ran out creativity juice on her third book. We were left in book two wondering how is she going to get the gang of four back together. Well spoiler alert, Not sure to do it give them a memory potion in a vial. Then put together relationships that make no sense. How does Elder Farrar and Elder Cabal even make sense. I don't mind the introduction of a gay relationship, but relationships have to make sense. Elder Cabal always loved Elder Farrar, but his bond with his mate Vivian got in the way. Then to top it off let's go back to the future and kill our adversary, so you can use the scene from the initial attack as an answer to that problem.
Ms Dawn's 1st book of this series is the best then one has to endure a pretty decent.2nd book and a horrible 3rd book.

[kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

God i hope i don't die before this book comes out.


ooohhhh! the cover is out.

I love this book.I just wanna read it over and over again.The only problem was i wanted more action.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Added to my to read list but have to figure out how to get an email, a phone call, a text message and of course snail mail to know when this book is coming out!

[Kristal & Charmaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received from Escape Publishing via Netgalley

I found King Tomb on Netgalley and nearly died from excitement - no joke. So I requested, crossed my fingers, and waited. THANKFULLY I got approved and I started it pretty much straight away. King Tomb is the conclusion to the Forever Evermore trilogy.

At the end of King Cave (Forever Evermore #2) Lily, Ezra and their fellow royals were in a pretty dire situation. I did wonder how this story was going to play out. I was expecting a reasonable amount of separation between Lilly and Ezra and I had mentally prepared myself for that. As it turns out, there was really no need to worry. I don't want to spoil the story-line for anyone so I wont go too much further into that but I know that often in sequels, the main couple spend a large chunk of the book separated but this wasn't the case in King Tomb.

Lily and Ezra are smack bam in the middle of Mystical/Commoner World War II, but this installment was definitely more romance focused and less focused on the battle side of things. It had just enough war info to keep the story-line interesting, without bogging the reader down in too much detail. The battle scenes that are featured lean heavily towards the 'fantasy' side of things and are written in a thrilling and engrossing way that will keep you flipping the pages.

I did miss Jack and Pearl in this story. They didn't feature heavily, but it wasn't really necessary to the story to have them involved in the entire book. I still missed the playful banter between the four of them that we got to see so much of in book one. Hopefully we will get to see more of these two in the future.

This book held quite a few surprises for me! Some of them I did NOT see coming but loved! One of my absolute favorite things about this series is the rich and diverse range of characters. Race, sexual-preference or age is no issue. We always get a varied and nonjudgmental mixture of characters that really bring this story to life.

The ending of King Tomb was a little different to what I thought it was going to be. Not quite as conclusive as I was expecting and slightly confusing until I did some research and discovered that this trilogy is the first Forever Evermore trilogy, meaning there will be more. The main characters story-lines were more or less wrapped up in this final installment but there is definitely room for more so I can't wait to see what the next trilogy brings!

<3 Full review - https://onceuponabookblog.squarespace...

<3 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/onceuponaboo...

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why can't Trilogies have 4 books in them? Strap in and get ready for Scarlett Dawn's King Tomb! It's coming and you will NOT want to miss a single page!

Up front, Scarlett Dawn can write! She has the imagination, the sense of timing and just the right amount of attitude that shines through once again! With the spotlight on Lily and Ezra, still spelled not to know each other, circumstances put them together once again, and I have to say, what a meeting! Life and the war between the Commoners and Mysticals has changed these two, they are harder, less trusting, but still, there is an intriguing chemistry that had me on the edge of my seat, chanting “Remember…Remember, darn it, REMEMBER!” Seriously, the Elders can truly be twisted. Thank heavens Lily’s baby shakes something lose in Ezra’s mind. The battle rages and there is nasty business to attend to, but lives are at stake and some things become necessary evils, not pleasant, but this is war and survival.

Where are Pearl and Jack, you ask? This isn’t their story, but they do make an appearance and have some revelations of their own! In the end, I admit to tapping my Kindle a few times to try to shake out some more pages. (It doesn’t work.) I hated leaving so much.

I have only praise for the mind of Scarlett Dawn as she leads us out of the maze that was the first Forever Evermore Trilogy. She has created more than a fantasy world, she made it come to life, made me emotionally involved, made me picture each and every scene, every action and every reaction. When an author causes you to leave reality behind and enter their world, they truly are gifted. Great journey, thanks for being such a talented guide, Scarlett Dawn!

I received an ARC edition from Escape Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Trilogy: Forever Evermore - Book 3
Publication Date: October 8, 2014
Publisher: Escape Publishing - Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd
ISBN: 9780857991898
Genre: New Adult, Sci Fi & Fantasy
Print Length: 209 pages
Available for Pre-order from: Amazon

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

King Tomb is coming October 8, 2014 and I had the sweet privilege to get an Advanced Reader Copy! Yes, this book is utterly amazing!!!

Lily and Ezra are still spelled against knowing each other. The war between Commoners and Mysticals have accelerated, making both Lily and Ezra harden, vicious warriors, and leaders of their individual armies. When the Elders have no choice but to put them back together, it becomes a battles of wills and power.

Although they might not remember their past, certain things have allowed each of them to know something is missing in their lives…I want to scream REMEMBER, over and over.

Ultimately, I was also screaming, “no, no, it can be over already,” as well.

I flat out loved this book. Favorite read shelf and favorite series shel!

Words cannot express the outstanding talent shown by Scarlet Dawn in her creation of the Forever Evermore series. King Tomb is bloody brilliant!

Although it is the conclusion in Erza’s and Lily’s story, I hold to the mindset that Pearl’s and Jack’s story still needs to be told and Scarlett Dawn isn’t going to leave us hanging.

Magnificent Adventure! Marvelous World Building! Thank you for taking us on this truly incredible journey! It is a story and series worth many re-reads.

I received this ARC copy of King Tomb from Escape Publishing in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication October 8, 2014.

I can tell you if Scarlett Dawn writes it, I will be reading it!

[Metessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genre: NA Fantasy Romance-

More of the same. I was enjoying the read for what it is and even considering 4 stars to convey my acceptance.

80% in, huge bombshell drops of the Kinsey scale variety! It's so out of character and goes from bad to plain out stupid. Homosexuality is not my thing but I can tolerate a cameo. What I can't tolerate is ridiculousness, it's cheesy and out of character... It's just too much and serves absolutely no purpose.

The last 10% is a cluster-f of bullshit, half the time I didn't even know what was going on.

[SecondBite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-order links: Amazon / B&N (N/A) / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play


Do not read this review without having read King Cave. It’s spoiler free regarding King Tomb, but I do brush upon how we left off at the end of King Cave. I have some more spoilery stuff that I would like to go over, but I will wait until the book is out on October 8th before adding them to my review at the very bottom underneath a spoiler tag.

This series is eventually getting its very own page on this blog, under recommendations. Yes, it’s that awesome. I’m also working on the finishing touches on my reviews of the previous books in this series. One of the things I love the most about this series is the characters. I remember while reading King Hall, I was so surprised by how much I liked Lily. Usually I’m all about the love interest, but in this series I’ve been team Lily all the way. I love her. So, so much. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t drawn to her love interest, though! Ezra’s in a league of his own…

Another thing with this series is that I’m instantly connected with the characters the second I read anything from their world. Whether it is a teaser, a quote, or an excerpt. There is only one other series that I connect this deeply with. Usually I can’t really get into it properly when excerpts or chapters are released early in anticipation for a release, so I never really bother even trying. With this though… I was so eager to read anything from this book that I practically devoured anything that was released.

. . .

This was my most anticipated read ever, and I cannot describe to you how thrilled I felt when I finally and unexpectedly sat with it in my hands. I’ve wanted to re-read the previous books since I read them the first time, but I wanted to re-read them closer to the release of King Tomb. Suddenly I was sitting there with the copy in my hands and I needed to read it right away, so I ended up re-reading them after. And even though I jumped into this book after being apart from the characters for months, it felt as if I never left. That was how deeply they stuck with me the first time around.

This was also the most emotional book of the three for me. It was when I started this book that I realized how deeply I really connect with these characters. There are few books that manage to tug on my heartstrings as much as this did. The end of King Cave was excruciating, and I got to feel that pain again in King Tomb even more powerfully.

. . .

When we left Lily last, she’d just figured out that she was pregnant. And the single thing she really knew about the father was that he was a vampire, her only clues being the mind rape and her ring. When we see her again in King Tomb, she is in labor, so there is quite a substantial time jump – which we should have expected anyways considering their punishment for breaking the law was being kept apart for no less than a year.

Life was not pleasant. Life was not kind. It only gave you sips of joy when you were parched. And when it handed you a full glass, it stole it from you when you turned your head, only the remnants of condensation on your palm left to let you know it had been there in the first place.

You will see Ezra again a lot sooner than you might think, though. Three months after Lily gives birth, she receives a letter that says she is to relocate to King Shadow, camp of the King Vampire.

He shook my hand firmly, his palm warm. “Queen Ruckler.” His grip tightened on my hand. “And unlike you, I will say it’s a,” glacial green eyes held mine, “pleasure to see you.”
Lie.
Damn man. “Oh, rest assured, King Zeller,” asshole, “the pleasure is all mine.”
Lie.

You won’t know if you should laugh or cry (not talking happy tears) at their reunion. I only know I was savoring every moment. I thought is was epic.

“Sorry. She thinks it’s cute.” I paused and blinked. “I mean, she thinks pinching noses is cute,” I waved a hand at his nose, “not that your nose is cute.” Well, hell. That hadn’t come out right, either. “I mean, not that your nose isn’t cute.” I choked, because that sure as hell didn’t come out right either. “Um, what I mean is–”
King Zeller held up a quick hand to stop my idiotic ramblings. Thank God.

Lily continues being her badass self (sometimes to the extreme), but we also get to see a more vulnerable side to her occasionally. Both she and Ezra had hardened because of what happened to them, and it was sad to see how it had made them callous and cold. There were very few things that could penetrate their walls built of wariness, mistrust, suffering and heartbreak.

“Hello, everyone.” I didn’t think lying was an option, appearing as I did, so I told the truth. “I’ve come to kill you all. It would be much easier if you would kindly stay still.”

Since both characters were so jaded from what they’d been through, what made it so powerful were all the small actions from the characters that said that they still were the same people underneath the tough exterior as they were in King Cave before they lost their memories.

“I wouldn’t expect someone who wore pink dancing bears on her lingerie and purple fuzzy socks that,” he stared at my feet, “hugged each one of your tiny toes to have,” his eyes went to my weapons, “three guns and five knives.”

We are introduced to someone new in this book, and she is the only one who truly manages to get through to both Ezra and Lily, and help them connect with each other. I fell in love with her instantly, and I sincerely hope we will get to see more of her in the following books.

“Tell me who they are!”
Again, not a word or expression was given, and I peered at King Zeller, bewildered. “Did we have a damn orgy or something?”

As in King Cave, there was a whole lot going on in this book. There were many scenes that brought tears to my eyes (one in particular still does as I’m typing this), some surprises (like a super awesome coupling that will make you want to re-read the previous books to look for tip-offs), lots of laughs, heartbreak, a surprising amount of steam, plenty of precious awing at interactions with a little one, and then some more laughs…

Elder Merrick pointed at the paper. “Queen Ruckler…what does it say your middle name–”
I snapped the paper over. “My middle name is not up for discussion.”
Elder Merrick started snorting, sounding like he was trying not to laugh.
My gaze darted to where he was hovering. “Seriously, not the time.”
He lifted his hands, backing away a few steps at my expression. “Okay.” He tilted his chin. “But someday I’m going to give you Shitz for it.”

. . .

King Cave is still my favorite in the series, however and here is the non-spoilery, but sort of cryptic reason: the first two thirds of the book were divine, but I had some issues with a few key incidents near the end. I felt like it was missing a little something-something, even more so since the first part was so powerful to me. I’ll be explaining this a little more in depth below, and I’m being as spoiler friendly as I can be.

This book started off so intense for me that it felt a little disappointing when we got closer to the climax and things got less exciting. It started out as a solid 5 and then some, but I thought the ending reduced the quality of the book as a whole. Which is why my final rating ends up being 4. That rating stings a bit for me, because I wanted so badly to give it a 5 (which I initially did do, but the more I thought about it, the more the ending bothered me). The majority of the book is truly great, but the ending is still a huge part of a book, and it determines your final impression of the story…

You all know the typical curve in a book: It gradually builds until the climax. The way I experienced this book was that it started at the top of the curve. This obviously isn’t unusual when it comes to books that end on cliffhangers. King Cave was the same way. But I experienced the cliffhanger of King Cave so intense, and I was completely fixated on how this could possibly come together properly – so much so that the book became extremely intense from the get-go. The build did start again, but at least for me it fell a bit flat when the climax was less thrilling than the rest of the book.

I also thought this book and these characters deserved a worthy conclusion to their story. Because even though this series isn’t over yet, this was the end of Lily’s story, and I feel like I would have been left with a different impression had this book ended with an epilogue that gave us a proper goodbye to the main characters of this story instead of raising questions about the next book. The epilogue honestly confused me more than anything. Good for intriguing readers for the next book, yes. Not so much for tying up the story of our much beloved characters that we’ve followed for three books.

. . .

I really don’t want to end this on a negative note though, because I love this series so much, and even though this wasn’t my favorite in the series, it doesn’t mean it’s not a great book. It’s easy to focus too much on the negative aspects and completely forget about the awesomeness that this book so undoubtedly has. These characters will always have a special place in my heart, and it’s a little bittersweet since this was the last book from Lily’s POV, but I’m very excited to find out more about the next book, Chosen Thief (expected pub. March 8th 2015)! I completely adore this world, and I’m always left with the feeling that I don’t want to ever leave it.



Older updates:

I almost can't believe how excited I am for this book. I have a countdown on my phone. On my freaking calendar. I now religiously follow Scarlett Dawn's updates on facebook, constantly hoping for King Tomb news. The book hangover I had from finishing King Cave has not gone away, and it's nearly three weeks and 9 books ago. I think it's safe to say I'm in love with this series.


The snippets that was released in anticipation for this book can be found on Scarlett Dawn's website.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come...I freak of love this woman.

**FULL REVIEW**

**WARNING!! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ KING CAVE, STOP READING NOW!**

“And all of this because I had slept with a Vampire. These were the bare bits of evidence I had; a black and red ring with an inscription that read The Beauty Is Found, and a man’s overlarge grey t-shirt that read Live Hard or Die Bored, which I had been wearing when I had woken from my mind sweep…we had loved each other. A useless emotion, if I ever saw one…because I sure as hell could not remember it with whoever was the father of my unborn child.”

Queen Shifter, Lily Ruckler, is 100% determined to be at the top of her game at all times. With the War in full swing, and a baby on the way, Lily has no room for mishaps…or feelings. It’s a good thing though, she can’t feel anything anyway. Her heart hardened and cold as ice toward everyone, a constant chip on her shoulder because with her memories gone, the only emotion she can channel is anger.

After the baby comes, Lily finds her heart warming…even if it’s just toward the little person she brought into this world. Alone. With no memories of the father, or her life that led her to be pregnant with a hybrid Mystical anyway. Lucky for her, the time frame for the spell cast upon her is about up…and her former self (along with others) set up ways to bring back not only her memories but hopefully change her thinking all together…problem is, to figure things out, she has to confront the very people who cast the spell in the first place. And ask questions she won’t get answers to…

“I had never met the two Kings and other Queen, but from what I heard around the camp through passing gossip, they were just as hardcore as I was. I could respect that, but it was still daunting to know I was to meet one of my co-Rulers, to go onto his turf.”

***

“Christ, it was truly an amazing feat that I could feel such abhorrence for someone as handsome as him, my face just as blank as his to easily hide my loathing, and I imagined he was doing the same.”

Meeting the first of the three other Rulers didn’t quite go as planned, but once Lily and Ezra formally meet (again), changes start to happen. Neither knows of their previous life, and honestly, neither has a desire to…but there is just this pull between them that is undeniable. And the baby…there is no denying that kid, Ezra is just as much in love as Lily. But is there room for what they lost in the cold, hard heart of two killers? Or will the love end at the child they share?

“I’ve been dead inside for what feels like forever, but since I met you a week ago, I’ve been overloaded with emotions and it’s freaking me out a bit.” I shook my head, closing my eyes again, and they stayed closed. “If we had sex right now, I’m not sure I could handle it. I need some time to cope with everything I’m feeling.” He hummed softly, and I felt his heat intensify before his forehead touched mine gently, his breath spanning my lips and cheeks as he spoke quietly, “The feeling’s mutual, so I won’t push right now.”

Seriously?!?! Seriously?!?! I am SO IN LOVE with this story, I think I could read about these four characters (and everyone else, both before and after) for years to come! The way Scarlett weaves her tales of star-crossed lovers plus making them badass Mysticals is unlike any other story I’ve read. I am sucked in from the very first page. Every. Single. Time. And I lose hours without a care in the world because where my mind is constantly changes and keeps me enraptured until the last page is turned…except one thing: Scarlett LOVES her cliffhangers! And this story takes on a whole new direction…finding out there is a “puppet-master” and a girl I suspect masks better than any Royalty? Yes, I am already wishing the next book was out!

King Tomb is definitely packed with surprises. The chemistry is off the charts, and add in the cute factor, it’s a recipe for not just a hot PNR, but one that makes you smile and swoon too! Fall in love with Lily and Ezra all over again…and hope to see them fall in love too.

**5 Thin Line Between Love & Hate, Stars**

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start this by saying that I have loved this series up until this book. It was exciting, romantic, and had a large mystery arc that connected all the books. I was a huge fan of King Cave and the best part of that book for me was all of the secondary characters, whether it be the previous King's, Jack & Pearl, or even Bonnie & Clyde I loved them all. Those characters brought so much to the story that I couldn't turn away.

For me some of the magic of the first two books was missing. This book picks up about a year after the last book ended with the memory wipes. You see that Lily has become a totally different character. Her life's course was irrevocably altered when she lost her memories. She lost part of herself that she would never regain. When she and Ezra meet again the are both mistrustful, and ruthless. They see a similarity in each other but both don't care to have love in their lives ever again.

When they discover who exactly they are to each other and what happened to them they aren't sure if they want their memories back. They have become the rulers that their world needed and they don't even recognize the people they once were. They must ultimately decide whether who they are is who they will be again or if who they were is exactly that someone they used to be.


While I did enjoy this book there was just so much that I wanted to happen that just didn't. Pearl and Jack were not in this book until the very end. That really broke my heart, I loved the relationship all four of them had together not just in their respective pairs. I really missed that and with this being the last book about them I really wanted more. The war also a little part where I would have liked a more complete ending. The war just ended so abruptly, and in such a strange manner that I was left feeling a little cheated not going to lie.

Overall I really enjoyed this series I just wished the ending could have delivered a little more for me. I saw that this was the first trilogy in this world the author created. I will definitely check in to see what other characters are getting their stories told because there were plot that left for the future of the series and I am intrigued to see where they lead.

[JadeShea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third and final book in the series begins with Lily being sent back to the U.S. to fight. She's unsure why she has to go, but she must. But then something bad happens on the night she wants to check things out, and that leads to a whole world of trouble. And her and Ezra meeting again, even though the don't know who the other is. The also must find a way to end the war before it is all too late.

This book was sort of a let down. I was very much looking forward to reading it, and I was hoping it would have been so much more. To be honest there wasn't much of a fight to end the war, it just sort of happened in a really weird way. And the HEA was there, sort of, but it just wasn't at all what I was hoping it would be. I did enjoy the book though, and I really loved getting to see Lily and Ezra come together again, but it just wasn't as good as the previous books.

[Kathylill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the first two books but...but this was just disappointing. It left me wanting in almost every aspect: as a continuation of a wonderful series up till now, as a fantasy /urban fantasy romance and especially in the action/adventure aspect. I wanted more, expected more and got very little instead.

Another reviewer summed it up quite adequately: “The kings and queens are like children and the elders are like parents running after them to stop them from dirtying their hands.”

And the time travel at the end? Fucking nuts, and not in a good way.

I did enjoy the first two books immensely; this one however … not so much.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my least favorite of the series. Like I said with King Cave, what really drew me to this series was the interaction and banter between the Kings and Queens. Pearl and Jack were basically nonexistent in this installment and Lily and Ezra did not know nor like each other. The magic was gone for me, unfortunately.

Also, there were a couple of things left unresolved (e.g., Lily never completed the final task given to her by the dark mage), which was weird to me since this is the end of Lily's story.

[vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I FINISHED AND THE CLIFFHANGER IS NOT OKAY.

[Danielle (Danniegurl) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok. So this is a rant. This will be a rant, because I'm pretty disappointed in this book. It shouldn't have been done this way. There really was 0 point to this book IMO. And this whole thing might be a spoiler.



Yep.

So, in the last book, which I still have to review as of right now (lol), we know that Ezra, Lily, Jake, and Pearl have all been mind wiped, like the whole population as well, and that the Elders who were with them that night, and Bindi, the medic, were all aware of what went down.

See there's this new thing called the 60025 protocol or something. The majority of Elders voted it in and thus any Mys who has had sexual relations with a Mys outside of their faction is to have their memories of the other person altered and they are to be separated. There's some dates involved and yadda yadda.

So Ezra and Lily are ripped apart from each other. And we know from the ending of the last book that Lily is pregnant, but she doesn't know who the father is. And she's aware that she has had her mind tampered with.

Now I expected the book to pick up shortly after that scene, instead we are greeted with Lily giving birth to her baby, so approx 9 months have passed since the last book we read. I was mildly disappointed in this because I wanted to see how Lily coped, I was really interested in knowing if she would feel something off, or missing, aside from knowing her memories were wiped.

Instead, I got cold as ice Lily. A Lily who doesn't feel. This book is spent talking about a war, and barely touched on the actual war.

The things that happened were boring and mediocre at best. There wasn't any romance, there wasn't any emotion, there wasn't any OMG moments. Everything lined up just so.

I am just super disappointed in this book. I wanted big epic moments. I wanted grand gestures, I wanted what Ezra had said before their memory wipe to happen. I wanted them to find each other on their own against all odds.

And instead, we get this blob of "adults" guiding the way, and someone orchestrating that they come together. SMH.

That's the other thing I expected. I expected that the four Kings and Queens would work together and somehow vote to change that Law. They are supposed to be a ruling power, and yet they aren't allowed to make new laws, and legislation within their system? It doesn't make sense. It's stupid that the Elders get to make this decision when the Kings and Queens are the rulers and should have the power. This irritated me. They have to continue to hide their relationships and possibly risk being separated again all because of some hybrid story, which was never really concluded and fully dealt with.

I would have thought with Lily being Queen she could have done some stuff for the hybrids, instead she votes against it, but they aren't the majority so they don't get to make this decision and this is how it is.



And the crap in the middle? We barely had Ezra and Lily moments, what we lived for. This could have been so much better. This could have gone in a hundred different directions and this is what we get.

And it ends in such an odd spot, nothings really tied up within the four. I wanted more time with them and I know the author is moving onto a new character for the next book. Which is super sad since I absolutely love Ezra and Lily. And what was done in book 2 was cruel. Gah.

[Lammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved in this book is that we got to see Lily and Ezra fall for each other again but as enemies to lovers.

I felt that the ending was rushed for the mys to com war and some of it didn’t make much sense to me.

Still loved the book though and highly recommend this series.

[Mariya · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the previous book, we had a hellish ending. There was a law passed like hours before with no public knowledge of it being passed that there are not to be any sexual relationships between Mysticals of a different race, so Elder Asshole Harcourt erases Lily, Ezra, Jack and Pearl's memory of them in love or ever being friends, they're whole life is complete altered, but since each pair is married they will sperated for no more than two years and no less than one year. But because of Antonio's spell, Antonio, Cahal, Merrick and Jack and Venclaire still have their memories entact, but Elder Harcourt's spell prevents them of saying anything if asked or wants to say something.

In KING TOMB this book is more about the King and Queen's coming into their own and being their own person without the weakness of love in the way. The book focuses on Lily and Ezra, and Jack and Pearl are the same way, but they have become ruthless rulers, cold and cunning and I think that was the main reason why Harcourt erased their memory, not because of the law. I think he wanted make them stronger in their own right. But I still hate the asshole. But their are clues for Lily that points to her being mind raped, one big clue is her ring and the fact that she ended up being pregnant. All she knows is that the father is a vampire. There were pieces in place with holes where she has to fill in the spot.

Lily and Ezra reunite quickly and work together to find out who did this mind swipe and put the pieces of their past life together. I liked KING TOMB, but it wasn't as great as the first two, but still a great read. I didn't like that Lily and Ezra's personality did a complete 180 turn. I guess it's what would happen because they are older now and their focus is on ruling and stopping war and stuff. I didn't like them cold and heartless. I miss the love and light that was brought to them in the first two books. Some of that was brought back to their characters soon after they started spending time together though. It was interesting watching them fall in love over again, be attracted to each other and stuff.

I totally have complaints this time around. Jack and Pearl were in the first book equally with Lily and Ezra. In the second book, I completely understand why they were absent. But in this third book, they are only in here in the part Lily and Ezra go see them to restore their memories. What.the.Fuck. It's like why even start with them being as one whole in the first book if you are going to abandon that in the last two books. The book could have been longer and had a few more chapters of them discussing stuff. The next thing is why bring Vanclaire to ask Lily to have dinner and talk sometimes, if we don't get that dinner and talk with them. You took the time to have that scene with them having a moment in there, and you don't expand to give us a second moment with them. Again. What.the.Fuck.

The main issues was the second book was over 400 pages long, this book was 200 pages long. I really felt like the author was trying to zip through this book so fast and didn't take the time to really make it as great as the previous book. It felt like it was all about Ezra and Lily getting their memory back, which it is about them, but it's not all about them, because the first book was about the four of the prodigies. I really wanted the author to respect that aspect. I mean, the ending was so rushed that it felt incomplete and this was suppose to be the final trilogy of Lily's story. So with it being her last book in my point of view, I'm really disappointed how rushed and incomplete the ending was. I think this book deserved much better than that.

What my favorite part of the book was Antonio and Cahal! Seriously?! Did anyone see that coming?! I loved that I didn't see it coming. With them, they were the best part and like many other things, I wanted this to be expanded on, but I didn't think it would, because when a gay side couple is thrown into a book, it's always so freaking short and the author never expands on it. All I want to say is, give us a freaking short story or write a book on them. I beg you! I loved them so freaking much! I am a Tony & Cahal fangirl now! KING TOMB still had the humor and moments that I loved, but like I said could have been so much better. I am so sad that Lily's trilogy is over, we will be moving on to a new set of Prodigies in the next book with a new heroine, and I hope it's just are great and these three books were. Looking forward to it!

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published @ http://megamad4books.com/2014/08/19/k...

I am incredible thankful to Escape Publishing for providing me with a copy of King Tomb in exchange for an honest review

The one thing that I love/admire/am secretly jealous of is Scarlett Dawn’s ability to draw you into her stories world within the first few pages. I am in awe of her brilliance! King Tomb was another such of these tales, so much so that in all honesty it will leave you on the edge of your seat and wanting more.

I have only this year fallen head over heals in book love with this series..where has it been all of my life? I have definitely been asking myself lately. I must have been in the wrong section of the bookstore for sure.

I was incredibly worried given the ending of King Cave as to how the last instalment of this series would pan out. Let me just say that my ability to predict story endings has been put to shame dear readers, and I am so glad it has been. I don’t know why I ever doubted you Mrs Dawn.

Secrets are revealed and a character I did not see having a major part had a massive part! I always love it when I am surprised and sort of stare at the pages of the book with an open mouth of pure amazement that the author has got me. (clearly because I again have a super power when it comes to predicting the end of stories…just not Scarlett Dawn’s…but you already know this)

But obviously what I really want to discuss is Ezra and Lilly, who will forever hold a special place in my heart. Why must fictional characters be written so well that you then look at all other men in your life and think ‘If only I had a machine that would transport me into my favourite book then I wouldn’t have to deal with real world douche-baggery’ … I apologise for clearly getting off point. But Segway dance – Dawn has a knack for creating rich characters that you can’t help but fall in love with, and these strong characters are carried throughout the whole series. As an added bonus she is incredibly funny, and this transposes famously into her writing.

I highly recommend this series, once you start it you will have to marathon them.

Happy Reading!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. King Hall was terrific, King Cave was less so and this book left me confused. I still enjoyed the characters and their twisted ways, but the best part of King Hall was the relationship between Ezra, Lily, Jack and Pearl, and the second book had less of Jack and Pearl, while the third book took them out completely.
**Spoilers**
The resolution of the continuing story line with Philip Masterson was a complete gyp, and I was extremely confused with the Epilogue between Elder Harcourt (who is apparently masterminding lives so far back that he got Lily's mom to send her to her abusive uncle to live so Lily would hate him then shoot him on graduation day thereby making a hole in the window for air during the attack on the Mys??? Completely whacked.) and whoever Julia is, that completely came from left field. I don't understand what we were supposed to get from that so I feel as though I missed some huge part of the story. I am left with mixed feelings.