Dark King

Court of the Sea Fae #1

by C.N. Crawford

A snarky fae, a sexy king, and forbidden desire deep as the sea.

Once, I was a fae princess with sea-magic at my fingertips. Now? I’m a hunted supernatural in a squalid shop, stripped of my power. My only comforts are stale cookies, Elvis records, and my hula-hoop. Until a lethally sexy fae king arrives and rips even those away. 

After the brutal king throws me in prison, I strike a bargain with him: my freedom in exchange for helping him find a magic blade. What Lyr doesn’t know is that the blade might restore my stolen magic.

But as we journey, the gorgeous jerk is starting to make me feel things I’ve never felt. When Lyr touches me, desire ignites. I see raging passion in his eyes, too. If I give in, I risk losing my chance at reclaiming my power. Even worse... I could be forfeiting my life.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Paranormal, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Urban Fantasy

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 22, 2019

About the author

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C.N. Crawford are Wall Street Journal bestselling authors of romantasy books, including books with fae, demons, and magical academies.

We write fantasy romance, urban fantasy, and portal romance. Our books often include trials, banter, and enemies to lovers stories.

CN Crawford’s books are perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, K.F. Breene, and Laura Thalassa.

Note: We are actually two people--a former biologist (Nick) and a former school psychologist (Christine).

Reviews

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

reviews: it's really not that good
me: i'm probably not gonna like it but the blurb says there's a lethally sexy fae king and i just can't resist this combination of words
reviews: you shouldn't read it just bc of that
me: i know but lethally sexy fae king
reviews: that's not a good reason
me: of course but what about lethally sexy fae king
reviews: look, it real-
me: l e t h a l l y s e x y f a e k i n g



___

Serious review time: this wasn't even that bad, after all.
We all know I read it because I was severely and shamelessly captured by the 86-pack on the cover, but there's more in this than a lethally sexy fae king.
Aenor was a good mc although I can't say she's unforgettable. I liked that she cares infinitely about her human friend Gina (who I couldn't read about without being reminded of my 70-year-old uberly religious neighbor) and that she didn't feel the need to hide her dubious past.
I also appreciated that this wasn't an insta-love situation. I'd say it was more about insta-lust, but that's something that could happen in real life, too, so it's not that condemnable.
One thing, though, I've got to point out. For a book that promises adult themes and a lethally sexy fae king, I've got to admit there's really little sexy times and even too much plot, especially at the start. A good portion of the book goes by and you only learn what you need about the plot and that Aenor is a bit thirsty over Lyr's perfection who wouldn't be tho but nothing much aside from that.
The ending was okay, nothing to rip your hair out for. Maybe a tad too rushed; like, nothing much really happened and then the last ten pages are packed and everything is solved within twenty lines.

I'm sure questions will probably be answered in the next book, but I won't be continuing the series. I'm not that interested and this book perfectly satisfied my reader needs of the moment.

Let's be honest. It's not like I started this for the plot.

*whispers* lethally sexy fae king


ACTUAL RATINGS 3,5/5

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. I was just here for the hot dude on the cover. But it was mostly a dud for me 🤨

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Lucie V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

✅ Lot of action
🆗 Characters
🆗 Plot
🆗 Pace (too fast)
🆗❌ Romance

This is a somewhat almost decent book, but I just couldn’t get into it. It took me over 5 days to read it and it’s not even 300 pages. I don’t know if it took me so long to read it because I couldn’t get into it, or if I couldn’t get into it because it took me so long to read… Maybe it’s both.

There is a lot of action, things never slow down for Aenor and Lyr, to the point where it affected the quality of the plot and the characters. I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters because I knew next to nothing about them. Sure, we learned about their backstories, but I hoped to have more insight into their thoughts and feelings, to see more character development. I think a slower pace would have helped to create more tension (or at least more emotions) because honestly, it was hard to feel anything for the characters because they are constantly running or fighting for their lives. So much action, yet it seems as if nothing major really happened.

A thing that bugged me a little bit is the fact that Aenor seems to be asexual at the beginning of the book, she says that she is not into men or women and that she doesn’t even love sex, but then after spending 3 days with Lyr, she has become a horny teenager who can’t think about anything besides the need to feel his hands all over her and the need to feel him inside her. I expected the romance of course, but it seems like a drastic change of character, and it happened over a few days only. Maybe the goal was to show how ridiculously hot and sexy Lyr is, so hot that he can turn her on, but it felt rushed for a girl that has been asexual for over 100 years to suddenly be obsessed by the idea of having sex with the sexy dude.

I would have enjoyed it also if Aenor holds on to her anger towards Lyr. She should be craving revenge over everyone that betrayed her or stop believing in her, but she just rolled with it and fell in love with Lyr despite everything he did. As I said at the beginning of my review, I need more emotions to go with all this action.

Overall, it is an okay book. There is potential, but it fell short for me, and I will not continue with this series.


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[Maca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a fan of fairies, but I didn’t mind them here. So it was not the problem, but the problem for me was that the plot was dragging and it seemed to me like almost nothing major really happened during the whole story.
I was still waiting for something big to happen, but it never came and there was also cheating so it’s a no for me (there are people who count it as a cheating and people who don’t count it as a cheating, but in my opinion it is).
And I didn’t especially care about the characters.
I don’t know why but the MC Aenor and her love interest Lyr kind of remind me Feyre & Tamlin and Salem reminds me Rhys (ACOTAR)

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 3.5/4 stars to Dark King! ★ ★ ★ ★

The Ankou in his true form left me breathless with awe. Sublime. It was the closest word in English to convey a concept unique to the fae: the terrifying beauty of the gods. Horror and perfection mingling together, demanding devotion. The sight of him stoked a primal fear in my mind, part of me desperate to run shy from him. Monsters lurk among men, my mother’s voice whispered in my memories. He will destroy you. Kill him before he kills you. Another part of me just felt compelled to worship him. My knees felt weak, like they were pulling me down to the concrete floor. The gold around him grew brighter, and I could see his scars healing before my eyes. I knew I was watching something not meant for the eyes of ordinary fae like me. It was dizzying, really. Watching him felt like a violation. I was trespassing on the true face of a god.'

'...She raised me with one lesson burned into my mind. Don’t trust anyone—but especially don’t trust men. At the time, I thought she was mistaken. But when I got to London in the 1800s, I saw things that would make even your blood curdle.” Lyr was listening attentively. “And that’s how I knew my mother was right. There are wolves all around us. Wolves who’d kill you as soon as they got the chance.” And that was why I’d be keeping the dagger as close to me as possible. Because sometimes the wolves were very beautiful indeed.'

Dark King by C.N. Crawford is a story that trails the history (and mystery) of a drowned kingdom, a fearsome demi god In pursuit of a powerful Fae relic, a mysterious arsonist and destroyer of lands, a disgraced heiress of the sea lynched of the roiling power that once had her an empress of those wild waves and a string of Fae supernaturals who all have something to gain. Or destroy? I had a reading friend with a particular fascination for the C.N. Crawford partnership, and after starting with the opener to the Court of the Sea Fae series I can see why. The authorship promises a geyser of great potential, and in spite of possibilities unrealised, I had a lot of fun reading this. Dark King was very readable, not flawless, well-purposed or actuated in an always well-materialised or even established way, but a gripping introduction to their style of supernatural romantic literature for me. Simplicity meets the supernatural, and I can't wait to see what else pours forth from their well of the imaginal. I know I could quite easily sink my way through their published books with the ease of swift comfort and without an ounce of reluctance or pause on my part. The Fae just seem to do it for me. They always have. And C.N. Crawford just served up a complimentary ambiance of surrounding temptations to anchor these paranormal creatures of magic, influence and seductive supremacy. Here, the sea Fae assume leadership. For the most part Dark King is quite actionable, the plot pursuits push at the characters from the start, and it only moves forward with reciprocating suspense, levity and action. What succeeded in action and plot didn't always equate to other elemental areas of progression or resonating relationships I will say. There was a great feel of intrigue, interest and creativity but unsupported by that which was left untouched. There was a sense of absence within the story that didn't meet a fuller possibility. What it did do from the very beginning, with interesting world building, character construction, a unique setting, a strongly introduced heroine with a fun, comical (but equally resilient) spirit was push me with invisible hands to stay the lane. I'm glad I did, because even with some shortcomings, I was compelled enough to purchase the follow up immediately. I really can't wait to see how the second installment takes the lead for more than just a few reasons. One of them being an unexpected twist of a potential anti-hero who may have just unwittingly reordered and reshuffled this deck from a sea Fae twosome to a maybe love triangle. Did I just say love triangle? I think I did. And I'm very excited about it. Our mysterious third wheel is the ambrosial forbidden fruit, and I've decided I might just like to plant a tree in his honour to grow more of said fruit in abundance.

Where there's intense plot movement, there's always a lighter humour that swiftly appraises the heat of the danger by engaging itself with an entertaining levity by way of Aenor's narration. There's strife, struggle and complication aplenty, and yet Aenor take it in stride with the bearing of someone who knows how to lighten the load despite the troubling pressure and inner distraction. It breaks up the regret of all that's lost of her golden years, all she could gain by possibility, the present threat of being acquired by the very powers of paranormal authority she's been outrunning and unwillingly pairing up with a powerful demi god to keep her human friend and companion safe. The characterisation was equally interesting, if a bit formless and flat, but that sense of speculation does lend itself to a suspicious sense of the indefinite. Aenor's characterisation was more abtruse than clear; my brain wasn't always quite sure how to perceive her or her motivations. Or whether I was even supposed to. Nonetheless, she remained an interesting heroine to me; dynamic, independent, well-placed, survivalistic leading lady with a taste for Elvis and his musical magic. Doing her best to hold her ex-royal head high while nesting in her underground hidey hole. And does she do so with spunk, spirit and the quiet echo of a once-loved life behind her. Providing a rogue, self-sanctioning service for victimised women, and after being violently attacked herself, she has few qualms over dispatching the wicked. After shallowly escaping her destroyed kingdom without her powers intact she's been drifting through human lands for as long as she can remember, doing what she could to adapt and survive from era to era, befriending human women and taking vigilantism upon herself to safeguard them from the horrors they were unable to protect themselves from. But she's an illegal supernatural, ripe pickings for being hunted by fae enforcers. While it's a good thing her underwater abode at least houses her struggling business, her sorry state of a livelihood becomes tarnished beyond livability when her life (and her humble underground living) becomes the target of a foreboding creature she killed with a hard iron bullet to the heart. He's back, filled with wrath, darkness and fury, and he's offering her few choices but to help him secure an item of power that could save his people. As if Aenor wasn't a struggling immortal before, she has some major problems on her sea Fae hands now. Where Aenor's relationship with her people and kingdom held a searching dialogue in the story, I didn't feel any real sense of discovery on that front. I can only hope that we get some intervention between her and the people of Nova Ys considering her damaged reputation and an entire community of Fae who believed the worst in her. That doesn't seem an easy feat to manoeuvre.

I did appreciate the Aenor's hyperbolic villain story. Among the Fae, and very unfortunately for Aenor, a seductively rewilded lie has sown an entire culture of Fae in the grip of a grape-vine invented fable. Word is considered truth that she destroyed her own kingdom and carelessly turned her back on her own people on the demand of a previous lover. As bewildered as she was to find out that lie dressed as common belief, she doesn't have a great deal faith in the opposite sex to begin with thanks to a mother who schooled her in the ways of male manipulation and monstrosity. As such, our Aenor lives a life of celibacy, trusting nobody but herself. While I appreciated the commentary of male bavardage often usurping the authenticity of a woman's story - even rewriting and retelling it to sheer proportions of scandal - I did struggle with Aenor's personal perspective on male hate. And comparably, her impossibly quick transit as an immortal of lifelong sexual abstinence to burning with immediate lust for Lyr a tad too swift to challenge that long-lived way of being. As much as a story can play agreeable to the role of female empowerment one also has to consider the other extreme of immortal celibacy and male discrimination as a result of that. A glorious male can of course turn a head and rally those hormones but that particular response posed an unrealistic challenge to her characterisation. Her mother of course nursed the belief by nurturing within her a deep sense of dubiety and suspicion. But as we later learn, said mother's sense of normalcy is a deeply questionable thing in and of itself. Poor Aenor. I'm not a foreigner to the urges of fictional carnality, but I digress that the representation sat in conflict with who we believe Aenor to be. She was interestingly and agreeably morally gray however. Power hungry in the way she thirsted for the return of her sea magic, in a temperament which often left me questioning her truest desires and a possible darker shade to her character. Where many play haste to the martyrdom of the female role, I liked the experiential mix of a self-serving heroine, self realised in her secret desire for power but also quick to dole out her own sense of justice. I didn't anticipate her to desire Lyr's trust as quickly as she did and would have liked to see a more believable sense of resistance from her, but I still enjoyed her perspective as the story's heroine.

The romance did feel more lust laden than it did progressive but the steam never failed to ripen the story and eroticise the budding companionship between Aenor and Lyr, even as they're not fully convinced of each other. And even as I'm not fully convinced of them. Our male love interest was equally a source of intrigue but perhaps not as interesting as I was hoping he'd be, and even after completing the book I'm still unsure of him. Godlike in presence, faithful in duty but also irresolutely questionable. The dubious Lyr, enemy or ally? There's a rather large question mark there despite his romantic partnership with Aenor. Is Lyr really the loyal protector to the house of Meriadoc's true heir? What's so arousingly suspicious about that major sense of the divine within him that encourages mistrust? I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what becomes of this cursed and curious demigod. He is darkly compelling and beautifically divine in appearance and essence, so there is that. But after the welcome of The Evening Star I'm suspecting the representation of Lyr and Aenor's romance may have been deliberate. There's just something about the setting of modernity as it melds with ethereally long lived creatures that I enjoy. There was a nice side-by-side between Aenor's life and the indulgent realm of the fae. Aenor's thirst for her power also pulled our heroine into the line of questioning so we'll see what transpires with her quest to re-inherit those aquiline gifts. Where this book opens up with Aenor so removed from her place of royalty and yet longing for what she once had, I'm hoping the story has an interesting way of moving forward with it and her place as a woman of power. Considering she found her name to be as soiled as the sewer-drenched undergarments she finds herself in as she's towed along as captive, I'm intrigued to know how the authors might reintroduce her as an heir with the inhabitants of Nova Ys. A vengeful prophecy, reluctant co-cooperators, a fallen princess, a cursed (and resurrected) Fae warrior, veiled motives, a Fae-crafted relic and a quest to re-establish power. Personally, I did feel that the story didn't make the most of its potential in a few different ways with this one but I was still engaged with every part of the story. Aenor is no longer the daughter of a queen with a great power that calls to the wild waters. She's powerless, and her most recent and pressing situation reminds her of the fullness of a Fae with imperial power in her blood. Going into this I had zero expectations for a love triangle, my thoughts prowled along the lines of boy hunts girl, girl shoots boy, boy hunts her again, they hate each other but must work in resistant partnership, she mentally plans various attempts at death and they become mistrustful companions to very willing bedmates. That is, until a second foreboding interest entered the fray and I found myself deeply intrigued by the curious welcome. The Nameless One really gave this book an edge. After scanning the blurb for Fallen King I'm more than just a bit excited by the fact that while Dark King is single POV, in its sequel, Aenor shares the telling with none other than Salem. I'm already impatient for this coming dual perspective!

Content Warning/Listing: violence, blood, death/threats of each one. Mentions past instances of violence and assault (including an act of violence against the heroine resulting in permanent scarring). Also mentions and exposes violence and crimes against women (including an attempted on page rape via non-pivotal side characters). Female on female hate.

SOME FAVOURITE QUOTES!

I stared at the stranger, who moved toward me with an elegant grace. His beauty felt like glass shattering in my heart. Dark hair swept over his forehead, and the morning light blazed over his face. His eyes were dusky hues—purple streaked with gold—and his cheekbones were blade-sharp. Possibly the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. I realized I’d simply stopped walking. “I believe those two fae were bothering you,” he said. “I had to kill them.” “Thanks,” I said. I still clutched tight to the bloodied knife. His eyes gleamed, and he arched a dark eyebrow. “You look like your mother.” My stomach swooped. He knew way too much about me. “Who are you?” As I stared at him, the sound of a low drum pulsed in time with my heart. It seemed to me that it was a sacrificial drum, a sound echoing off rock. I had no idea why that word popped into my mind—sacrifice. I felt dreadfully hot, and phantom flames seemed to rise and burn around me. Boom, boom, boom…. A drumbeat to drown out screams. However gorgeous the man standing before me was, the drum was telling me to run

“I don’t get along with men, and I never have,” I said. “I don’t get jealous of other women’s beauty. And I definitely didn’t drown a kingdom because I was jealous. Was this story told to you by a man, by any chance? This sounds like a dude story. The girl who was sooo slutty she broke the whole world.” I breathed in slowly through my nose. “And this all brings me back to my previous point. I don’t get along with men.”

I stared out the window, where the dark sea crashed against a rocky shore. Right now, I wanted to leap into it. It seemed impossible to clear my name. This was the thing with men, as my mother—Queen Malgven herself—had warned me. It didn’t matter who you really were; they wrote their own stories about you. They cast you in one of several roles: the innocent girl who needed teaching, the lunatic who needed calming, the whore who’d break your heart. Or, in my case, the demonic prostitute fueled by rage and jealousy. A fallen woman. That was my story, whether or not it was true. And as Gwydion had said, wasn’t it a good story? But why should I care what they thought? I knew the truth. Gina knew the truth.

When the song on the radio changed, I felt like the gods were blessing me. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” began playing. “Can you turn this up?”
“This music is terrible.”
I popped a bubble. “You shut your godsdamn mouth, or so help me Elvis, I will shoot you again with iron bullets.”
“You like this?”
“Elvis is the god of music.”
“El-vis.” He said the name like he’d never heard it before. “I haven’t heard of this god.”
“I touched his shirt once.” I giggled, then focused on the road again. “You should probably stop distracting me while I’m driving.”
I glanced at him quickly out of the corner of my eye and saw a smile curling the corner of his lips. “I thought you hated men.”
“Not all men. There are exceptions. Elvis being one of them. And the Horseman of Death is nicer than you’d imagine, given his title.”
“Is that right?”

“I made you coffee.” He pointed to a mug on the bed next to me. “You seemed keen on it earlier.” I raised my eyebrows. “You know how to make coffee?” He glared at me with the offense of someone who was just asked if he knew how to read. “Coffee is a Ysian delicacy. Its ancient traditions were passed down to me by the finest coffee makers. Also, I found Nescafé.”

I stared at it in his palm, entranced. I wanted to snatch it up in my hands. “What is it?”
“A gem that once belonged to my mum’s family. Beira said it would stop you when you try to take my head off.”
I arched my eyebrow. “If I’m such an evil threat, then why are you telling me how I can be stopped? I could just steal that from you and I’d be unstoppable.”
He shrugged. “Two reasons. One, I can overpower you easily even without a magic gem, and two, maybe I like the thought of you crawling all over me and frantically trying to get into my trousers.” I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks heated, too.

I knew the key had to be worth a ton of money. Worth risking your life over. “You slit her throat and hung her from a wall because she tried to steal your necklace?”
“Are you judging me for killing? You have slaughtered plenty, Aenor, Flayer of Skins.”
“For very naughty things. Murder, disfiguring other people. Not, like, pinching jewelry, you know?”
His stare cut right through me, like every sentence I uttered was some kind of crushing disappointment to the entire fae race.

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[❤️Emma Book Lover ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS ⭐️

This is my first book by this author.. and I must say I wasn’t very impressed. I mean it wasn’t bad but didn’t kept me on the edge of my seat either.

What I liked was the world , where sea fae were the rulers . I haven’t read before a book with sea immortals and I liked it to be honest, was different, interesting and captivating.

I don’t have much to say about the storyline, was a continuous running: Lyr and Aenor trying to escape evil spirits . The plot was predictable and after 150 pages I already had an idea where the story goes 🙄.

The H and h didn’t seem to be good for each other imo , no chemistry, no sexual tension, doubting all the time, murderous thoughts and so on.
I was more interested and intrigued by secondary characters like Gwydion (sassy , funny, charming 😬) oh and the villain ,Salem, now that is something to look forward 😍.
So yeah, we have some torture, violence, ow drama, veryyy low on steamy scenes ( just one) excluding the dreams the h had .

I m not sure I ll continue reading this tbh... but then only time can tell for sure.

🤗🤗

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked Lyr just fine. And he’s hot - look at that cover. But I sure hope Salem is on the next cover.

Why do I always like the baddie more than the designated love interest in the series?

Ok let’s get to the story.

Aenor is a fae living as a refuge in the human world. She’s close to her human friend Gina - who she rescued from demons a few years ago.

But fae aren’t to live with humans or do magic with them. So the fae enforcers are coming after her.

She shoots and kills Lyr right away. He’s a death demigod though - so it’s a bit awkward when he comes back.

His breath warmed the shell of my ear.
“You killed me.”
The dark power in his voice rushed over my skin. “With iron. Fucking… shot me.” Animal rage imbued his words.

Whoops?

So in exchange for Gina being taken care of, Aenor agrees to help Lyr find a magical knife that has her ancestral powers.

Did I forget to mention that Aenor is a lost princess whose powers were stolen after her nation was destroyed?


Even though it has a lot of stereotypical fantasy tropes, it’s a lot of fun. And it has a great villain.

But I’m really interested in Salem.

I stared at the stranger, who moved toward me with an elegant grace. His beauty felt like glass shattering in my heart.
Dark hair swept over his forehead, and the morning light blazed over his face. His eyes were dusky hues—purple streaked with gold, and his cheekbones were blade-sharp. Possibly the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. I realized I’d simply stopped walking.

I’m such a sucker for a villain romance. Or antihero. Or villain redemption arc. So I see what I want to see. But man, if that intro didn’t remind me of Rhysand - Rhysand when he was bad and interesting.
If he’s on the next cover I’m gonna squeal.

It’s hard to recommend the first book of a series when I don’t know where it’s headed. Also it’s not about mermaids- I wasn’t sure of that before reading. But I enjoyed it and it’s free on kindle unlimited.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Dark King is a story I have on my kindle for a while and I just grabbed it merely on a whim when I saw the cover (yep this is a book I picked up solely due to the cover, I am vain and not that ashamed :)) But I have to say I have no clue why I waited so long for this book because it was superb in many ways. At first I didn't know what to make of it, but it definitely is an enemies to lovers romance and even though its not necessarily my favorite trope I actually had a blast with this story. Its a book that won't be for everyone but this was one entertaining ride. The gist of the story that we have here is that our hero Lyr, is a fae king and a brutal one at that but fair in his own way. Our heroine, was once a sea princess until she lost everything and now is barely surviving as it is. But then finds herself captured when Lyr comes after her and she tries to kill him. Yeah not a great starting point but its kicks booty in seeing how these two at war with each other, trying to save what matters to them most but along the way while fighting for their lives ....they find a beautiful love worth fighting for and a destiny neither expected to find.

I will be honest in that I had such a fun time with this one, sometimes the angst in the beginning could be a bit draining at times, but the author(s) here really made it entertaining as all get out and you get swept up in a story of intrigue, danger and mythological fantasy to curl your toes. I don't read too much of this type fantasy here but I truly do love it dearly. I am eager to continue on with the trilogy and see where it takes us. There was such a level of mystery that really pulls you into the story especially with what happens to our heroine and the whole magical world believing something different about her. And boy the villain? didn't expect that either but it definitely showed something unique to the story that you won't predict to happen.

Overall I found such delights in "Dark King" and I am eager for more, if you are looking for a hidden treasure within the Kindle Unlimited Subscription, grab this beauty up!!















Sweet Annie is a book that has been on my TBR shelf at Goodreads for the longest time along with its duo companion novel "His Secondhand Wife" which I will be grabbing up very soon. I have been in sucha  mood for a sweet western and this book definitely fit the bill here. I had such a blast with this book and I honestly couldn't put this sweet romance down at all. Its a story that while there is low heat (which I am totally cool with) the romance is on fire. I really loved the way this story was written and I definitely need to read more of this author. In Sweet Annie we have a story where our heroine was born lame, or rather its difficult for her to walk. Her family is way overprotective and stifling her spirit. And then she meets a boy, and he is sweet and kind and takes her on a ride and she falls for him quickly but her brother is furious and their love is forbidden. But now they are adults, and their love is still vibrant and strong and they are determined to find their own way towards their happily ever after despite the barriers.

Sweet Annie is a story that I was really wondering how it would progress but thankfully the tension of the story isn't dragged all the way through especially with the conflict dealing with her family and I was thankful for that in many ways. I honestly fell hard for this story here to be honest. Its such a strong yet sweet love story and seeing these two overcome the obstacles was so empowering. I loved how protective Luke is, but always encouraging Annie to LIVE life. Her family while loving her has only harmed her in some ways by treating her as an invalid. When she is anything but. She finds her own path and way and a life worth carving for herself with the man she loves. Seeing Annie and Luke come together and fight for their love was beautiful and inspiring. And you do fall for her family eventually, except her mother, never cared for her at all. But the rest of them did redeem themselves. Definitely eager to see what the next book will bring.

[Just Josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crawfords stories are usually a great sort of entertainment for me. The world creative building, the story simple yet full of plot twist and magic. Inventive and compelling characters.
But this one was sadly not that for me.

2.5 stars.

I was confused most of the book, and I felt like Aenor discovered absolutely nothing about her fate, her kingdom, and the one that destroyed her life.
She learned something when someone “told her of their master plan.” And to me that almost felt like a spoiler😅

Not only that -I simply could not wrap my head around Aenor as a character.
She simply just annoyed me.

Lyr was a more intriguing character. This is what I mean with Crawford building some pretty cool and creative characters. The Ankau part was awesome. Super creative and original. That is why I continue to read their stories.
Again I couldn’t really believe his character though. Couldn’t believe this so called love interest.
I wasn’t invested.
I liked that most of the story took place in London and Jerusalem.
But that was about the most I liked about it. Sadly, this book was a total miss for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Didn’t even like the jokes😅

Read: 09/04/2021
1st rating: 2.5 stars
Genre/tropes: Paranormal/Fae/demigods/romance/magic
Cover: 4 stars
POV’s: Single -1st person (Aenor)
Will I recommend: No

[Princess under cover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh... as pretty as that cover is, I don't think I'll be reading another fantasy novel for a while. Just not my speed.

It wasn't bad.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Sexy fae, assassins, interesting world building, and a mystery plot? Yes please.



So in this story we have Aenor, a disgraced fae princess, who has been living amongst humans since good ole Victorian times- and is now living with her human friend Gina- when two mysterious fae assassins show up at her doorstep to take her out.

See in this world only a small group of fae are allowed to use their powers in the human realm (mostly to hunt down other fae), while anyone one caught using their powers is usually sentenced to death.

This is a problem for Aenor, because she has a serious sense of justice/revenge and has been helping mostly human women escape from danger for decades. Often by killing said abusers and killers.







x----------------------------------------------x




So I really liked Aenor as a character- and I liked that she was strong in the face of so much sexist bull crap

"This was the thing with men, as my mother—Queen Malgven herself—had warned me. It doesn’t matter who you really are. They write their own stories about you. They cast you in one of several roles. The innocent girl who needed teaching. The lunatic who needed calming. The whore who’d break your heart. Or in my case—the demonic prostitute fueled by rage and jealousy. A fallen woman. That was my story, whether or not it was true."

Bbbuuuttt....I'm still not convinced by Lyr...something about the way that they ended up getting together was a little off for me. Like how Aenor would suddenly be overcome with the need to sleep with him. I'm not buying his nice guy routine- and I mean come on he did lie to her a lot and keep stuff from her.

So not team Lyr atm. Suspicious....





I am interested in where the story is going, and what is up with Salem and his whole backstory!

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had so much potential. The plot was really well thought out and interesting, however, the execution was severely lacking. The main character and writing style were the most unbelievable parts. I found the main character's snark, while it had the potential to be humorous, was just childish and unbelievable. One minute she described herself as super powerful, but then the next she was explaining how weak she was. Lots of contradictions. Next, the actual writing style was very weak. There was a lot of telling instead of showing, and not a lot of detail. Most of the characters were written to be very shallow and air-headed, but also very powerful? This didn't work for me. It again, was unbelievable and childish. The writing was also very simple and rushed.
Would I recommend this book? That depends. I would say this book would be a good option for those who mainly read the romance genre. The quick attraction between the two main characters is very similar to what I have seen in other romance books. But here in lies the problem: I have not had a good experience with the romance genre ever. I find the genre to be too simple for me, with too much focus on the two love interests, and not enough focus on the actual story. Because of this, I usually find the actual plot to be very underdeveloped. So yes, if these sorts of things do not bother you, yes I would recommend this book. If you are looking for a book with thought provoking, believable characters with intricate plots and well developed writing, this is not the book for you.

[Melissasfandomworld · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

So this was quite an entertaining read, I must say! It reminds me a bit of Gena Showalter’s Lord of the Underworld series combined with Amelia Hutchin’ The Fae chronicles books.

It has the same kind of set up when we compare first books; a feisty female lead, an alpha male who’s destined to be our lead’s enemy but can’t help himself falling in love with her even though he won’t admit it, lol. The alpha male is surrounded by brothers/friends who form a strong group together, that can take on anything. In this book these minor characters haven’t had the chance to really develop much yet, but I’m hoping that’ll come in the next book and later on in the series.

It has action, adventure, and a really interesting magical world which revolves around the Fae. The writing was quite good as in; it definitely kept me entertained and made for a fast-paced read. So those elements were definitely something I really enjoyed. It’s all quite typical to blend these kind of elements together in PNR, but it just works you know?

Overall, I did think that this was just an average read. I really liked a lot of elements, but I’ve also read better developed books in the genre. But it’s definitely a book still worth mentioning, when someone’s interested in a PNR and especially likes to read about Fae, Gods, demigods and magic. I’d definitely recommend to pick it up if you’re looking for a new PNR series to get yourself aquatinted with.

Book 2 is already waiting to be opened, so lets see how it all continues!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Struggling with what to write because I just loved this book! It was absolutely superb! Writing style is amazing, with the appropriate level of intrigue and mystery that you’re on the edge of your seat and can’t put it down! I made the mistake of starting my journey through this book on my lunch break and almost ended up being late back to work because I completely lost myself in this fantasy world. Highly recommend this book and can’t wait for more!!

[jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

random pick up as i was in the mood for something fae related and this showed up under the browse section. not bad, but nothing amazing either. i think i just compare every fae male to rhysand and, honestly, its probably not fair. lol. i maaaaaay continue the series. who knows.

↠ 3 stars

[Elke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book from C.N. Crawford that I've ever read and I can't wait to read some more!

I usually have a list of things I did or didn't really like in a book, but this time I only have one: there is a character called Gwydion and creatures called gwyllion. The first time I read about the creatures, my mind was going to the character and I really didn't understand what was going on. But thats about it really.

The story was amazing, I really liked that the characters each had their own flaws and I can't wait to read more from Lyr and Aenor!

[Lien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what it was... I stayed awake until 4am cause I couldn't stop reading but then the 2nd part somehow fell flat to me. It was kinda predictable but not in the oh-I-saw-that-coming-way but more like I wasn't really wowed or shocked by the revelations. The tension between the h and H was good until they did the deed and I found myself suddenly not as invested in them as before. Idk it was weird. This is probably a it's-not-you-it's-me situation.

[Jess | jadecanread · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book I read.

Kinda regretting my endeavor to complete series in their entirety in 2024 because I have zero desire to continue this one.

Writing was choppy, plot wasn't moving, characters were immature and shallow. And most disappointing of all: the romance was lacking...but there is a spice scene on page!

I'm going to give this the benefit of the doubt since it's the first in a trilogy. We can only go up from here?

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Cannot say I enjoyed this very much. Nothing was outright bad but I was bored and uninvested the whole time.

This starts out very much in the action with no real-world building or setup of the characters. Because of this I never really cared about any of the main characters. I didn't care about Aenor's relationship with Gina. I didn't feel any connection between her and Lyr, plus all their scenes together felt really rushed. All of this meant I just couldn't get into the story.

There were some issues with the writing. There were a lot of unnecessary and misused em-dashes.

I started singing—Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball.” I changed the lyrics, letting her know I was on my way to find her. The music wended its way through the water, vibrating through the scrying reflection.

This quote is funny for many reasons - Aenor is sort of a siren but the only song she ever sings is Wrecking Ball, which is such a weird pop-culture reference - but it also shows the em-dash misuse that is all over this book.
Another quote that bothered me that illustrates some writing problems was
“Hmm. Mayyyybe not.” He held my gaze.
I really don't like the repeated yyyy's in maybe. Just say "he drawled while holding my gaze" and let me insert the extra vowels.

there were a few other issues with the plot that really didn't make sense to me. The reason other fae don't like here is a little ridiculous and the work wasn't put in to make it seem reasonable. Based on the end of this book, there is clearly a budding love triangle that seems very derivative of the A Court of Thornes and Roses series. At the end of book one of that series the heroine get's a tattoo that connects her to a different love interest and at the end of this book the heroine eats food that connects her to a different love interest. Derivative stories don't bother me that much, honestly, there are only so many things that can be written but this wasn't even well disguised.

I doubt this is a series I'll be continuing with. All the books are on Kindle Unlimited so it's possible that someday I'll read book two but when a book bores me, I rarely want to keep reading.

[Pineappleapprovedbooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oookay!! Characters where terrible - like little kids who in one moment hits another and then five minutes later plays with toys together. All I want to say is that some things shouldn't be to0 easy to forgive. And I don't mean to be a bitch to a person who made you hit your head against bricks, I mean also two bystanders who just watched and where calling her in degenerative names. Main hero just later in book was like best friends with them and while still namecalling was included, it felt more in an almost friendly way. So it was then that I decided that main heroine is stupid and lets others off the hook if enaugh time is passed and doesn't even care if they appologies.
Another fragment that made me hit my head against the wall:
when she was trown into the prison first time, she was described to wear panties that were too big and where HANGING down and where stinking. First image in my head is she is wearing a diaper. Later when she isn't even washed clean with soap, we have this first "EROTIC" moment with the hero...yeah she - stinking, wet and with a diaper, he - licking her and in his eyes DESIRE.
My mind just shuts down....
In conclusion - this book is just like other "no deep characters or story" and is just MEAH

[★Me Myshelf and I★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It was good and I enjoyed it but something was missing. Maybe it was those extra two - or five- males I need in a book to really enjoy it.

Big feminist themes and lots of running for your life from fae out to kill you. The romance was kept in suspense which was good but I don’t think it’s an epic love.

Well written and easy to pick up on the world building if you haven’t read any other series by this author.
Not sure if I’ll go back or not yet. I did like it but not sure if there’s anything to keep me reading or not?
Time will tell.

[Books & Vodka Sodas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

I really enjoyed this book and it will make me read the shadow far series! I loved all the characters and it had a rich mytho that I got lost in! Highly recommend!!!

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was like a car crash: awful, but I couldn’t look away. I wanted to like this. I really tried, but I just couldn’t. Honestly, I bought this book and its sequel on a whim. After reading the synopsis, I wasn’t sure what to think, but it sounded interesting enough to give it a try.

The major downfall of this book was that the entire plot was super predictable. So much so that I started guessing what would happen next and mentally gave myself a pat on the back when I was correct in my assumptions. I’m a huge fan of fae books, but Dark King just didn’t do it for me.

The characters were unremarkable and bland. I didn’t like the main character, Aenor, at all. She was very childish and immature. Her sarcasm came across as rude and, again, childlike. Throughout the book, she constantly declares that men are evil and that she shouldn’t trust them. Yet, as soon as a male betrays her, she immediately goes running back to him and actually apologizes, as if *she* was the one to do something wrong. WTH. What happened to girl power and all that???

Lyr was a typical fae male, brooding and all-powerful. But that’s about it. There wasn’t anything special about him. I wasn’t rooting for him. I didn’t care if he died or not. He was just...there. That’s never a good sign. I want to read about characters that inspire me, not ones that make me want to hit my head against a wall. Also, if I hear Lyr described as “powerful” or “golden” one more time, I’m going to scream.

Another problem with this novel is that there was quite a bit of inner dialogue throughout the book that was unnecessary and repetitive. I became annoyed with that rather quickly. The setting was nothing spectacular. In fact, I had a hard time imagining the world that Dark King was set in because the physical details were severely lacking. What a shame.

Aside from that, this book had several grammatical/spelling errors that distracted from the story. I wasn’t impressed with this book at all, but like I said earlier, I couldn’t look away. Since I already bought the second one, I may as well read it and see if it’s any better than this one. The typical fae stories that I’ve read in the past have been compelling, brilliant, magical, and beautiful. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for this one.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit, this book may have rated slightly higher if it hadn’t come at the end of a long list of similar books with the EXACT same character traits. Seriously, does every author nowadays truly believe that to have a strong female character she must be snarky and nasty? I promise, women can be strong and still give a kind word now and then. They can even talk in paragraphs without being rude! SHAEESH!!

So, here’s the basic story. H/h hate each other and do really awful things to each other but realize they must work together for a common goal. They fight, hurt, fight (each other and others) and continue their nasty banter, BUT.... each think the other’s body is HAWT so they must give in and have sex. After which, they continue to hate and mistrust the other - fight more, then final conflict. Ta DA! They’re in love (or at least in bed together.) The end.

Now, if this trope hasn’t numbed you yet, the book will more than likely rate MUCH higher for you. The overall plot, world-building, creativity, action etc. are all done very well. It’s probably just my mood.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing beginning and I'm definitely invested in what's to come. I especially liked the humour that's mixed in with the danger and brutality. I adore Aenor she was such a breath of fresh air resilient and pragmatic with a healthy dose of cynicism. She's loyal practical and a survivor I think I had a little bit of a girl crush. This is all told from her POV and she was such a relatable character. 

Lyr a half-god Fae is the other main character here and he had so many misconceptions regarding Aenor he was also rather self-righteous and quite superior in his behaviour and I was pissed that he never gave our girl the benefit of the doubt naming himself judge and jury from the beginning also the way he initially treated her was bloody awful, especially considering he's not exactly an angel himself so he had no right to condemn her so harshly.

This was a great beginning to the series and I'm excited to discover where we go next there are quite a few story threads in play here so it will be interesting to see how this evolves. I'm especially intrigued with Salem and what he will bring to the table. This was well written urban fantasy romance and I'm totally on board now for the rest of the series.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Miss Kitten’s Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was honestly my first fae book and it was fun!

Dark King was a fun read for me because I read most of it in a day and the fact that it is fast-paced. I very much disliked how everything started happening after that 70% mark in the book. I appreciated how the romance was building up in the book, but that didn't make sense to me was how they suddenly had a desire for sex and they sudden;y wanted to fuck each other like what?!

And aI might have over missed this too but I don't recall the 'dark king' taking off his clothes before 'thrusting into her'.

I also liked how violent these sea creatures were because for some reason it made me laugh. I would highly recommend to those who are looking for a fun sea fae creature action-packed book.

[Geo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice change of pace

Another amazing book!! This book was hilarious. I wasn't expecting the fae knights to use such modern slang but they did and it only made it that much better. Aenor is my kind of girl though she is just a tad power-hungry. I hope there's more of Gina in the next book, that girl is funny. The romance between Lyr and Aenor was more faster-paced than the usual romances of C.N. Crawford which only makes me think that they're going to have troubles ahead. In any case, I look forward to more about them.

[Kayla Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark King was a wickedly good read, I honestly couldn't put it down. Aenor is an absolute bad ass and the chemistry between her and Lyr is intoxicating. Can't wait for book two!

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars because its less romance than I wanted.

[Zen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Aaron was the best part of this. Being honest, this was one of the first books I have read in a while that does not have multiple points of view, but I did not miss it. This is the first book of the Crawford's that I have read, but I will be changing that soon.