Prey

by Katey Hawthorne

Lead guitarist Robin is a broody, beloved fan darling. He’s also the only member of The Rade who doesn’t have a love story so far. While fans and the press speculate, Rob’s busy dealing with his traumatic past as a real-life prince of Fairyland. His mother, the queen of the Winter Court, has finally had enough of his self-imposed exile.

Kay was raised in the queen’s palace, stripped of his history and sharpened like a blade to become the perfect assassin. Nevertheless, when the queen sends him after the exiled prince, Robin and his friends turn out to be too much for Kay to handle.

Robin sees his own past, his own flaws in Kay’s charming mix of innocence and bloodthirstiness and thinks he can be saved. The rest of The Rade aren’t so sure, but with patience, music, and compassion, Robin proves to Kay that there’s more to life than what he experienced in the narrow confines of the queen’s service. In the process, he gets closer to the angel-faced assassin than either of them ever thought possible.

But there’s no future for any of them until they deal with the fairy queen who wants them dead.

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 23, 2025

About the author

Hi! I'm Katey. I write superpowered and fantasy romance of an LGBTQIA bent. I live at Superpowered Love -- kateyhawthorne.com.

I know, I know, it looks like I don't read anything here at GoodReads. But I do, I swear. My reviews and stuff are all over at my other GoodReads thingie, KV Taylor. Relevant shelves to Katey Hawthorne stuff:

Romance
LGBTQ
and
Comics, Graphic Novels, and Trade Paperbacks

Reviews

[Nate Elune · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I love fairies, I love queer romances, I love Katey's books, I love The Rade. So this is an easy sell for me. Of course I enjoyed it. I love this found family dearly, and I was very curious to find out more about Robin, who's definitely the most aloof of the band.

And I love a good enemies to lovers, which I absolutely thought we were going to get, from the premise. (And by 'good' I mean either deliciously fucked up and aware of it, or properly addressing the issues at stake. Which I trust Katey to do, completely.)

But that wasn't the take Katey went for. Kay isn't portrayed as Robin's enemy; he's another victim. He's been groomed to a terrifying degree. And that's where I start struggling a little. I enjoyed this book, but.

I enjoyed this book, but I wish things had been more complicated. Kay seems to recover from trauma and learn to grow and be a person in record time, and extremely smoothly, and that is a lot more simple than I expect something like that to be.

I enjoyed this book, but I also realised, after a comment from a friend who was also reading it, that what I wished I was going to read about was not a sexual relationship and romance, but a queerplatonic relationship. Because there's something a little icky about the power imbalance there - not of Robin as a prince and Kay as a servant, but of Kay as recovering from long-lasting trauma and Robin being "his saviour", so to speak, someone Kay depends on. It's very clear that Kay is giving enthusiastic consent, and initiates things, even, because Katey is good at this and knows what she's doing. But for me, it remains a little icky in the medium to long run.

Also, I just wanted that qupie rep, lbh.

That said, none of that was enough to stop me from enjoying the book! It follows the queer romance formula and does it well, with found family, hot sex scenes, middle fingers to tyrants, sass and gender fuckery and love. So much love.

Long may the Rade love! I'm gonna miss them.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

Prey is the fourth and final book in Katey Hawthorne’s The Rade series and I think this one is my favorite of the four. I love the set up here, and the way that Robin is trying to extend the happiness he has found to others who haven’t managed to escape the fae realm. He should be furious at Kay for trying to kill him, but instead, Robin is sympathetic about the life Kay has led. He knows that Kay was raised to follow commands, to be indoctrinated into total dedication to the queen. Kay knows no other life and couldn’t even begin to conceive of having any sort of choice about anything. Rather than punish Kay, Robin would rather help him escape that life, and he knows the only way is to help Kay realize he can live a life for himself and have his own desires and wants and opinions.

I have really enjoyed this series and found it a fun combination of contemporary rock star romance and fae fantasy. I think Hawthorne ties things up really nicely here in this final book and I can definitely recommend the series.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great final book for the series as Robin and Kay find love and rid themselves of the Queen and Fairy Court. My Full Blog Review

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This final instalment gives Robin the spotlight he’s long deserved, and it’s a brilliant, heartfelt conclusion to the series. Robin has always worn his shadows like armour, the moody, enigmatic member of The Rade whose past felt too heavy to touch. Here, those layers are finally peeled back, revealing a character who’s far more fragile, wounded, and yearning than he ever lets on.

Kay is the perfect foil for him, lethal, lost, and quietly innocent in ways he doesn’t yet understand. Watching Kay step out of the only life he’s ever known and begin to shape an identity of his own is incredibly compelling. His gradual awakening, guided by Robin’s patience and compassion, gives the story a beautiful emotional core. Their connection grows with a gentleness that contrasts sharply (and effectively) with the danger that follows them.

I also enjoyed the glimpses of the rest of the band, grounding the story in the camaraderie and chaos that have defined the series. Even with the looming threat of the Winter Court, the book balances tension with humour, music, and genuine warmth.

Emotional, atmospheric, and unexpectedly tender, this is a satisfying, romantic wrap-up that celebrates healing, self-discovery, and finally finding the person who truly sees you. A fantastic finale to a richly imaginative series.
I received a free arc copy and this is my honest review

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prey is the final book in the series The Rade, and Robbin and Kay's story is another winner.
Robbin is the escaped fairy prince of the Winter Court, and his mother, the queen has decided to send an assassin to end his life. Luckily, the attempt fails, and now the band and their partners have a dangerous but innocent fairy on their hands. Robin wants to give K (who later adopts the name Kay) a chance to learn about the kind of life he could have in the human realm.
I love this series, including this book. The Rade and their partners understand the importance of friendship, love, and music, and they happily share those feelings with Kay. It's wonderful to see Kay become his own person. It's lovely to see Robin let go of some of his sharp edges, as he also begins to plan how to make sure he and those he loves can be truly be safe and free. While all this is happening, Robin and Kay are falling in love, and it's a sexy, glorious ride.
I have loved every minute of this series, and I'm sad to see it end. That said, the ending was satisfying and sigh-worthy. All our fairies and their partners are happy, and that makes me happy. I will definitely be re-reading these books!

[L H · Rating 5 out of 5]

​In previous stories Rob has appeared as an intriguing guy. Robin is a fairy prince keeping himself away from his mother, the queen who has decided she is done with his self-imposed exile and has sent Kay, a trained assassin after Robin. They are not enemies per se and Kay comes with his own issues including not a lot of autonomy over how his life has gone until he and Robin meet. The guys in the Rade have dealt with a lot over the course of this series and still Kay ups the anti somewhat. Still these guys are there for one another and they are fighters, not only for one another but also for others who have had a tough time. The evolution of the relationship between Rob and Kay is paced well and the care taken with someone who could have been dismissed as a threat provided the perfect way to bring this series to a close. It was good having other members of the band pass through while continuing to read about the special dynamic that exists in this found community.
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't enemies to lovers. Robin gets his turn at love in this book, foiling an assassination attempt by his mother and keeping the assassin. Saving the assassin, since he's failed in his only purpose and would be killed if he returned to the Winter Court. Kay is clever, wickedly intelligent, but he's been bought up with a singular mission: obey the Queen. Eat, sleep, train. Aside from his mother's necklace he's never had an opportunity to learn about his own likes and dislikes, wants and needs, or to consider how his experiences have shaped him. He's not entirely a person, just a weapon. The Rade and their loves help him to discover his self, and scheme to outwit the Queen when she comes after Robin again. This book is so much about found family; the blood of the covenant and so on. Beautiful to see how they held each other up and didn't hesitate to help when one of them needed it.

[Mari Cardenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

Prey is the thrilling conclusion to The Rade series, and it needs to be read in order. 

This is not exactly an enemies-to-lovers story, but Kay has been conditioned by Robin's evil mother to kill him, and thankfully, he fails in his mission. Robin becomes Kay's savior, and Kay goes from traumatized assassin to crushing on Robin in record speed, not that we can blame him, after all, Robin is amazing, LOL. Anyway, I loved seeing Robin have his time to shine and find the love he deserved. Kay was perfect for him, and I loved them together. 

I was happy to catch up with the other Rade guys and their significant others, and that they all managed to take care of the loose ends. 

Overall, a great ending for an amazing series that I highly recommend.  

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure; a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked all the books in the series, but this one is my favorite.
Kay is an amazing character, how he evolves after being in our world, how he gives himself time and space to heal.
The way he goes about seducing Robin, asking his friends is heartwarming, he earns their trust and the reader can see how fecked his life has been.
Robin is a bleeding heart, he needs someone harder than him to help him to be more present and to self care better.
The way they all fight for their freedom against the Winter Queen is comforting, the trust they have en each other and their significant others is astounding.
Loved how the author wrote about it, the use of their true names, the way the queen is presented...
A great book!

[Jvles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good last chapter in this series about the Rade. Robin has always been a little closed off and it was nice learning more about him while seeing all the others as well. Kay was not who I expected as a match for the prince. It was fun seeing him experience the world for the first time. I didn't really buy this super smooth and fast transition from traumatized assassin to eager puppy dog, though. I also felt that there were several unresolved things. Now I'm wondering if there will be more books in this universe. This was a light-hearted, gripping story that doesn't go too deep and delivers big time on found family.

[brownsoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author was new to me three books ago. I am glad I tried someone new. I was looking forward to the 4th installment of the series. Robin was character I was waiting, what seems like for ever. I wanted his HEA. The damaged, lonely for love prince that hid his pain with smile and a affable nature. His luck changes when his mother sends Kay to assassinate him. Kay groomed from birth to be perfect at his profession. He is unable to think or dream of a different life. Robin is the prefect fairy to give him choices and hold him close. I love the progression of their relationship from mentor to love. I am sad my ride with The Rade is over. Solid series.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kay and Robin are an excellent wrap to the series... plus still get to touch base with all the rest of the band. Kay was wonderful to watch as he explores who he him and funding himself while truly seeing Robin. Robin has always come off as slightly moody and dark but this let's us see deeper and has him funding that person who makes him feel seen.

[K-Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really got to see how much Robin really did need some tender loving care from someone special. Kay might not have really known what he was doing, but he was a natural with Robin. They connected in unexpected ways, and it was emotional and lovely to see them both open up. I really enjoyed how this series brought the realities of a rock band and melded it so well into a fantasy world.

[Stephanie W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final installment of this series was quite a ride. Robin's mother, the Queen, was all kinds of messy. To see Kay and Robin connect with one another and work to rid themselves of this hot mess was worth waiting on the edge of my seat trying to get to the end. A worthwhile HEA.

I received this arc from GRR for my honest feedback.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic conclusion to the series. Robin finally gets his story and romance but it definitely isn't with the person he expects. When the Queen sends her assassin after him, who could ever expect that found family protection, music and empathy could change Kay's whole world? Watching the group become stronger and take care of the threat against them made for a superb story.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is a real life prince but he ran away and now his mother has had enough. She will sent them, an assassin after him but things may not go the way she wants it to. He will show them a new way to live so see how it will all go

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth and final book of The Rade series and we finally get Robin’s story as his mother the queen sends an assassin after him but him and Kay connect with each other and it gives us a good conclusion to the series as Robin and Kay get their Hea and get rid of the Winter fairy queen.

[b00ks_in_nature · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
I have loved the Rade books, and I've been excited for Robin's story. It played out a little differently than I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it a lot. This was a great final book to conclude this series. It was also fun getting to see characters from the prior books.

[Samantha Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this final book in The Rade series from Katey Hawthorne! It was a fantastic ending to a great series! Robin finally got his HEA and it was so satisfying. Can't wait to see what Hawthorne does next.

[Anonymous Booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really loved this book! it was emotional, funny and romantic and more :) really loved this whole series and I hope you will take chance on this series.

[Adoraboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great final book for the series!!! I loved this whole series it was well written.

[Geboyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great final installment to an enjoyable series.

[Dee Your TBR Wrecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin and Kay’s story is another great installment in this series. I love faeries and enjoyed this book.

[Reatha Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loving this series and this was the best by far. I loved this book so much!