A King of Beasts

Beauty & The Beast #3

by Beena Khan

My father murdered his, so the king took me, prisoner, as his wife.

Once upon a time...
A dark King ruled New York.

I used to believe in fairy tales until one winter night, a rival mob set my world on fire. I'm Roza Ivanova, the young prized Mafia Princess of the Russian Solntsevskaya Bratva, the Pakhan's daughter.

My happily ever after never came.

It wasn't prince charming that came for me, but the Mad King himself. The brutal Italian's dark beauty is violent and wicked. This is my life sentence for my father's sins. I must atone for a debt claimed because he always collects. The monster claims I destroyed his reality, now he challenges my sanity. A dark love that blurs the line between love and obsession.

My outspoken mouth gets me in trouble, and the bruises he gives me have become too frequent on my fair flesh, leaving scars behind. The people around me look away as he sheds my innocence until one stare lingers.

Bodyguards are meant to be protectors, not lovers.
One beauty. Two beasts. Three lives. One love.

Welcome to New York's Underworld.

Genres: Dark Romance, Mafia Romance, Romance, Dark, Retellings, Enemies To Lovers

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2021

About the author

Beena Khan is a storyteller that brings grim fairytales, myths, and legends to life. She writes crime and contemporary books. Her books are thrilling, painful, dangerous, emotional, and raw.

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Reviews

[Lady Raven RAVE! · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Style: Dark Mafia Romance
Story: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Dark Level: 3/5
Sexual Level: OK
Triggers: Yes
Violence: Yes (Mild to Medium)
Male: Cold, Dark & Unfeeling
Series: Book 3
Pages: 320
Audio: N/A
Kindle Unlimited: Yes


STORY:
You know, for this book, I had to put my hatred for a character to the side and look at this story as a whole across the board. I thought the story was told to me well. Did I care for the male character, no, but the author did a good job with this one regardless of how dark it got. The male character and I have a history together, and how I feel about him has carried over into this book. If you can’t tell yet, I detest him. This third installment was definitely darker and raw than the original two books in the series, and I know some will find it disturbing. To be honest, and this is just my opinion, it’s noted as a standalone, but I disagree. For someone who has never read any of the books, this will be a different experience; versus someone who has read both books and has an in-depth idea of the character and the history of the mafia world created. Also, for someone who has read the first two books, the ending and the epilogue hits a little different with a gasp because of what was revealed.

Enzo. If I were to psychoanalyze him, he has one emotion, hate. I am in awe this man raised Vlad. I think he does not know how to love or even express love. His emotions are wired differently, and I believe them to be screwed up. There is a moment from his past that explains a fraction of why he is the way he is. For Enzo, there was a difference between being obsessed and being in love, and he was obsessed not in a normal way ( not that there is a normal way to be obsessed). The things he did to Roza was UNBELIEVABLE. He DECONSTRUCTED that woman and though it was brief; we saw someone else RECONSTRUCT her back together. Roza. She was so strong in the beginning, but when I say that man broke her, he broke her and just kept taking from her. What she endured took the course of a year and some months, but honestly, it felt like 10 years went by while I was reading. Roza finds her HEA.


SEXUAL CHEMISTRY:
I really don’t give two shits about Enzo (yes, I’m that bitter). However, Roza’s other sex scenes, they were just ok. I needed more from that attraction. I need to really feel how someone wanted to show her differently. It felt too quickly done.


SECONDARY CHARACTERS:
We got to meet Enzo’s brother, Valerius as well as Roza’s sisters. For this section I won’t say too much as to not give anything away.

Message to the author. For the upcoming books listed at the back, ***filing my nails, with a side eye look*** Gabriel’s name is missing. You are working on his story, rightttttt?


OVERALL:
I have to say, reading book one, I wasn’t really sure if I would continue this series. The author, with each book or upcoming books, is connecting this world that’s becoming exciting to see. The way she is weaving and connecting the characters has caught my interest. I believe she is getting better with each story. With that being said, again, I did not want my hatred for a character to hinder my review for the book and the storytelling present to me. I enjoyed the storytelling for this one.


TRIGGERS: non con, domestic abuse, mention of rape, abuse, violence, self harm, mention of human trafficking, captive etc…


****I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read. I based my book reviews on my preferences and what I like, and while these preferences may not be the same for others, I hope this review was still helpful.

[Beena Khan]

This was one of the hardest books to write because Enzo Vitalli is complex and morally gray, and more monstrous than my previous characters. He is a negative character. An unconventional dark and gritty psychological gothic love story/thriller that focuses on an extremely toxic relationship.

I also hope you will like Roza. She is different from Dahlia. She's softer and kinder but fiery when provoked. I can't wait for you guys to meet the people who created Vlad Vitalli.

Welcome to the Origins.

TW: Domestic abuse, abduction, assault, torture, gore, bullying, violence, mentions of sexual slavery, mental illness, depressive episodes, and self-harm.

Released on June 15.
Available on Kindle Unlimited & Audible.
Order here: https://amzn.to/3dBQSyC

If you guys read & liked the book, please post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and/or Bookbub. It’ll help out an indie author! Thank you x

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was much darker than the other 2 books and I had to take a breath half way through because it was so full on.

From the very first chapter the story brings you in and it's pretty fast paste Enzo is so different from his son but we knew that from the first 2 books and he was no softer in this book. You do however get to see why he is the way he is which explained a lot for me.

I was a bit confused about Roza behavior most of the time but honestly the story was so gritty and raw that it kept me interested all the way through till the end.

Happy Reading 📗📕📘📚📙📖📗📔📕📘📗📓📚📖📘📗📔📕📗📖📚📖

[Cristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.

From the beginning I had mixed feelings about reading this book. Because Enzo was a horrible character in the first 2 books of the series. And I was right. I just couldn’t like him. At all... Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with either of the main characters, truth being told. And the fact that Enzo called Rose - Roza - reminded me of the Vampire Academy, which made me constantly think about other characters (Dimitri and Rose).

The book started with violence and it was way too much for my taste. A child witnessing the death of her mother in such a horrible way... Oh my God, it was harsh! And disgusting. And after that the book continued at some point with a rape. Moment in which Rose was left for 4 months caged in a room afterwards. And after those 4 months when Rose confessed that she loved Enzo it was the highlight of the disaster. How could a woman possibly fall in love with a man who raped her and left her locked in a room for 4 months?! This is impossible. Especially since she didn’t see him anymore.

So from my point of view, the first half of the book was a disappointment. The only moment when I felt a drop of connection with this book, was when the “bodyguard” appeared in the picture. He was the only satisfaction this book brought to me.

With regret, I can only give this book 2.5 stars.

[★ Jeanette ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

King of beasts is a cruel gothic mafia love story. I was already hooked by the idea of getting to know Vlad's (MC of previous books in series) parent's stories. Roza's father murdered Enzo's. He then took Roza and made her his wife as punishment. Like the previous books, this one is somehow more dark and morally greyer than the last. This novel was written fascinatingly. A king of beasts showed what a toxic relationship was in vivid descriptions. Especially in the ending. Again, praise to the author for writing in touchy sensitive topics into the novel and writing it accurately and outstandingly. The portrayal of the characteristics of our two main characters (Enzo & Roza) was written well. I also liked how we got to 'interact' with the actual mafias and see it descriptively. Rather than just saying "they're in the mafia" we got in-depth on what was going on in both the Italian and Russian Mafias. Beena Khan's writing is remarkable.
My rating for this book is a 4.5 mainly because small issues. One was that I found it a bit suspicious when Enzo wanted to take Roza as his wife. It was a bit confusing as to why exactly, other than she's pretty. In other words, I thought there would have been another motive to it. Another reason was at first I found it hard to actually like Enzo just because of the last two books but it did make sense in the end. Lastly, the other reason was just that I wasn't the biggest fan of Kaya. There wasn't anything wrong with him, he was nice. I just found him kind of unimportant.
Of course, this book does have some triggers so be mindful of that. You don't have to read the first two books in this series before reading this one. I would recommend it though. This is because A king of beasts is a prequel to the first installments.

Would I recommend this book? Yes! Definitely would to those who are looking for something dark and unique. An exception is I wouldn't recommend this book to younger audiences mainly because of some mature scenes throughout this novel. Along with those triggered easily.

ACTUAL RATING: 4.5 stars
I voluntarily received an e-ARC copy of this book from the Author in exchange for a review. Thank you so much!!!
All thoughts expressed are mine :)
EXPECTED RELEASE DATE: June 15th, 2021
REVIEWED: 5/28/2021

[Vee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay.. where do I start.

So the H was a heartless psycho. Like for real. Not like other books where they said the H was heartless but then he went soft on the h within seconds. This one is baaaaddddd. Like he hurt her, caused her to attempt suicide twice, raped her, being rough on her (pulling her hair super hard whenever she tried to challenge him, dragged hem until she fell and scrape her knee pretty bad that it was bleeding, choked her, etc) and the h was like... in love with him after all of that and out of the blue??? At this point I was confused and scared at her mental health. She was mute for 4 months after the rape and she was pregnant bcs of it. Then I reached chapter 16 and I was suspicious with how this book would end because after she told him she loved him and after she went into labor, (they were married already at this point) he still treated her quite badly like pulling her hair roughly when she behave 'badly'. So I skipped to the end of the book and yes. My fear was proven. Apparently there was a neg guy named Kaya and both him and h ran away together or sth. (He didn't appear anywhere in between chapter 1-16 so I don't know who he is) and they were going to get married one day and the epilogue was like 30ish years after the H and h was separated and they don't have their HEA. A veryyy pointless book. Reminded me of CoHo's book 'It Ends With Us'. I hate this kind of story. I WANT A HEA IN THE BOOKS I READ AND NO H CHANGES WHATSOEVER. IDC IF THIS IS UNREALISTIC, I PREFER UNREALISTIC STORY THAN THIS KIND OF ENDING. #annoyedreader. This is just not for me. Sorry.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thank you to the author for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Read the trigger warnings before starting the book!

Dark romances don't usually bother me. And I have read things more disturbing than this. However, maybe this is just an emotional time for me and the book got to me. I spent most of my reading it in tears.

A King of Beasts by Beena Khan is a dark and twisted mafia romance. When Bratva kills his father in front of him, the new Don of Italian Mafia retaliates and kidnaps their prized princess.

This dark twist of the classic Beauty and the Beast is beautifully written and hauntingly emotional. It gives us insight as to what happens in the mind of someone slowly developing Stockholm Syndrome, just to preserve what little sanity they have left.

Not to be dishonest, I was tempted to DNF this book. I am glad that I was too stubborn to do it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. And I can't wait to read the next one.

[This book, though part of the series is still standalone, and the rest of the series don't need to be read in order to understand it. I didn't read them yet].

[Selen | talesbysel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 love a surprise ending stars 🌟

2 enemy families, 1 tormenting captive. I love enemies to lovers trope if you also do, this is a good retelling of Beauty and the Beast but on the darker side.

I struggled a bit with the character development and the love developed between Roza and Enzo felt more of a convenience than a love story.

“He’d taken everything from me and replaced with himself.”

When Kaya came into the picture, the story got so elevated, I loved the surprise twist at the last pages and ended up writing a DM to the author 😅 I was so happy to hear , my favorite character will be getting his own books 💕

Thank you Beena for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. 🤗

[Laura Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beena Khan did it again! This author never ceases to amaze me with each new release in Beauty & The Beast Series. Although this book is something new, different and very difficult for me, but I think Beena did an excellent job portraying the relationship that develops between Enzo & Roza, in short this is not a love story or a romance, it’s a story of tragedy, violence, broken hearts and second chances.

I'm going to start with Enzo because he’s a very complicated character and whom we met, and hated, in A Beauty So Cruel as Vlad's father, and a ruthless, evil man who seems to have no love for anyone, not even his son. And while Beena gave us the perfect anti-hero with Salvi, with Enzo she gives us a main character who is the cruelest villain and evil in the story, a man who no matter what he does will never achieve redemption because he constantly lets his demons of the past control him.

And it is true that Enzo has not had a simple life at all and from an early age he has faced tragedies and situations that no child should experience, but that is no justification for the amount of atrocities that he puts Roza through, and many other people several years later, although I do believe that she is someone important to him, but revenge, resentment and hatred what is in his heart does not allow him to see beyond the inheritance and the legacy that runs through her veins, or express his feelings, because I really don't think Enzo loves Roza, is he attracted to her? Maybe, obsessed? Sure, and as that obsession grows the danger also grows and that is why it makes her more and more miserable, something that was always his goal.

One of the things I liked the most about this book was that Beena Khan was not afraid to give us a male character who is purely evil, and with whom definitely none, or few, readers could sympathize, but still managed to make him human through his love for his parents and the need to protect Valerius, perhaps a bit also with the decision he makes at the end of the book, which was a big surprise for me.

On the other side of the coin is Roza, an equally complicated character, a girl who is capable of everything to protect her sisters Irina & Galina, and who also is forced to do incredible things to protect herself from Enzo's constant abuse, threats and games. Like all survivors, Roza is a brave woman who fights from the least thought of places to stay sane and protected in a prison from which she cannot get out.

This woman suffers and endures many things during her confinement, she manages to deceive her mind and heart to save her life and Vlad’s, even when it seems that what she is looking for is the opposite. One of the things I liked the most about his character is the struggle he faces with respect to his true feelings for Enzo, I think she knows that the only way to survive is to develop feelings for him, forcing herself to miss him, desire him and love him, but deep down the old Roza continues to despise her confinement and fighting to find her freedom, and without a doubt I LOVED the way that opportunity comes to her.

And in the midst of so much darkness Kaya comes to illuminate the situation a bit. He’s a character who in a very short time managed to steal my heart, he’s kind, attentive, loving and the only person who is willing to face whoever is necessary to help Roza. Their story is short, intense and with an ending that I saw coming but still managed to surprise me a lot.

Valeirus was another character that I really enjoyed, I love his kind heart and the mention he makes of the name Gabrielle was beautiful, although it took a while to get to the moment of prominence, I love it, like this book, that although it’s with the one that I have suffered the most in the series, it has also become my favorite, and I cannot wait to read what follows from this incredible world.

ARC received from author for honest review

🇪🇸
Beena Khan lo hizo de nuevo! Esta autora no deja de sorprenderme con cada nuevo lanzamiento en Beauty & The Beast Series. Aunque este libro es algo nuevo, diferente y muy difícil para mi, pero creo que Beena hizo un trabajo excelente retratando la relación que se desarrolla entre Enzo & Roza, en definitiva esta no es una historia de amor o de romance, es una historia de tragedia, violencia, corazones rotos y segundas oportunidades.

Voy a empezar con Enzo porque es un personaje muy complicado y al cual conocimos, y odiamos, en A Beauty So Cruel como el papá de Vlad y un hombre despiadado, malvado y que parece no sentir amor hacia nadie, ni siquiera hacia su hijo. Y mientras Beena nos dió al perfecto anti-héroe con Salvi, con Enzo nos da un personaje principal que es el villano más cruel y malvado de la historia, a un hombre que sin importar lo que haga nunca alcanzara la redención porque constantemente deja que sus demonios del pasado lo manejen.

Y es que es verdad que Enzo no ha tenido una vida nada sencilla y desde muy temprana edad se ha enfrentado a tragedias y situaciones que ningún niño debería vivir, pero eso no es justificación para la cantidad de atrocidades que hace pasar a Roza, y a muchas otras personas varios años después, aunque sí creo que ella es alguien importante para él, pero la venganza, el rencor y odio qué hay en su corazón no le permite ver más allá de la herencia y el legado que corre por sus venas, ni expresar sus sentimientos, porque realmente no creo que Enzo ame a Roza, está atraído por ella? Tal vez, obsesionado? Seguro, y a medida que esa obsesión crece el peligro también y por eso va haciéndola cada vez más miserable, algo que siempre fue su objetivo.

Una de las cosas que más me gustó de este libro fue que Beena Khan no tuviera miedo de entregarnos un protagonista masculino que es puramente malvado, y con el que definitivamente ninguna, o pocas, lectoras podrían simpatizar, pero aún así logró hacerlo humano a través del amor por sus padres y la necesidad de proteger a Valerius, tal vez un poco también con la decisión que toma al final del libro, la cual fue una gran sorpresa para mi.

Del otro lado de la moneda está Roza, un personaje igual de complicado, una chica que es capaz de cualquier cosa para proteger a sus hermanas Irina & Galina, y que también se ve obligada a hacer cosas increíbles para protegerse a sí misma de los constantes abusos, amenazas y juegos de Enzo. Al igual que todas las sobrevivientes, Roza es una valiente que lucha desde los lugares menos pensados para mantenerse cuerda y protegida en una prisión de la cual no puede salir.

Esta mujer sufre y soporta muchas cosas durante su encierro, logra engañar a su mente y a su corazón para salvar su vida y la de Vlad, aún cuando parece que lo que busca es lo contrario. Una de las cosas que más me gustó de su personaje es la lucha a la que se enfrenta con respecto a sus. Verdaderos sentimientos por Enzo, creo que ella sabe que la única manera de sobrevivir es desarrollando sentimientos por él, obligándose a extrañarlo, desearlo y quererlo, pero en el fondo la antigua Roza sigue despreciando su encierro y peleando por encontrar su libertad, y sin lugar a dudas AMÉ la manera en la que esa oportunidad llega a ella.

Y en medio de tanta oscuridad llega a Kaya a iluminar un poco la situación. Él es un personaje que en muy poco tiempo logró robarse mi corazón, es amable, atento, amoroso y la única persona que esta dispuesta a enfrentarse a quien sea necesario para ayudar a Roza. Su historia es corta, intensa y con un final que veía venir pero aún así logró sorprenderme muchísimo.

Valeirus fue otro personaje que me disfruté muchísimo, me encanta su corazón amable y la mención que hace del nombre Gabrielle fue hermosa, aunque tardó un poco en llegar momento de protagonismo realmente lo amé, al igual que este libro, que aunque es con el que mas he sufrido de la serie también se ha convertido en mi favorito, y no puedo esperar a leer lo que sigue de este mundo tan increíble.

ARC recibida por parte de la autora por una reseña honesta

[Karla✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

No puedo con ese plow twist DIOS MÍO jamás se me había pasado por la cabeza que se relacionaran así wow Wow de verdad la autora me dejo super enganchada con esta historia y como al final te deja con la cabeza hecha un caos

[Bookish Barbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each installment of this series gets better and better.

This is a series, but can be read as standalones after the first two, which are more of a duet.

A King of Beasts, may be book 3, but is more of the beginning. This is Vlad's parents story. Enzo and Roza and how it all started. How our beloved Vlad became the half Italian, half Russian King to his empire.

Roza, went through a lot to ensure her sisters were safe. But ultimately it was for naught. She endured what she did not need too.

Enzo, disgustingly cruel. He knows what his mother endured but he still brought the same pain upon the rose he wanted. He spared her nothing. Not even when she produced his future.

Kaya, the knight in shining armor. Has come to claim what is rightfully part of the Bratva and ultimately ends up being rightfully his.

Roza does what most people don't like to read about in a romance book, but guess what folks. She deserves her happy ending regardless of how she got it.

This installment in the series has been my favorite so far. I can't wait for Miran's story. AHHHHH!!!!

Recommended for dark Mafia lovers, those that like to know the entire family history, and those that do not have trigger b/c there are some in here, so read responsibly.

The narrator did an excellent job, although I feel like this series would do with a duo narration, male and female, it was still dam good.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of A King of Beasts and I am voluntarily leaving a review. A King Of Beasts is not for the weak of heart. There are a lot of triggers. Anybody that is able to get through it however will not be disappointed. It's the third book in a series and reading the first two will be helpful. The ending was completely opposite of what I thought it was going to be and It was a shock however after reading it, the first two books make a lot more sense. I have never read a book like any of the books in this series and I cannot wait for the next book to come out

[bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
tw: this book contains triggers of rape, torture, kidnapping and abusive relationship

This is the third book of the series and it's a prequel telling the story of Vlad's parents. First of all, it's important to keep in mind that this is not a love story. It's a story about obsession and abuse. I must confess that at the beginning I was a little hesitant with this book because I didn't know where Beena intended to go with the story, but fortunately she didn't disappoint me, she didn't romanticize any of Enzo's actions and the story shows exactly how destructive their relationship was. It's definitely a dark and twisted book and a very difficult reading. I liked that it showed kidnapping in a more realistic way and pointed out issues like Stockholm syndrome. It was fascinating and at the same time disturbing to see her develop Stockholm Syndrome.

Roza is such a complex character and I absolutely loved her. She was strong but at the same time she was soft and kind. I just wanted to get her out of the book and protect her from all the evil in the world. I connected so much with her and I think that's why this reading became even more difficult. Everything was very intense and my heart ached for her throughout the reading. She was drowning and I felt like I was drowning with her, so several times I had to stop reading for a few moments and breathe. Fortunately, Kaya enters the story as a breath of fresh air for Roza (and for me). 
It was definitely an intense reading and I loved every second of it (which is kinda weird considering the amount of pain and suffering these characters have been through). My only complaint is that for me, Roza and Kaya's relationship was a little too rushed. I think it could have been more slow and developed. Probably that's the reason I'm not giving it 5 stars.

*spoilers*
Also, I didn't like that Roza had to leave Vlad :( I understand her reasons but I don't know... it just didn't sit right with me. And I wish we could've seen their reunion.


Just a random comment: every time someone called her Roza, it reminded of Rose and Dimitri from Vampire academy and it's impossible for me not to like something that reminds me of Romitri <3)

[Matteja LV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review on my blog: A king of beasts on blog

I really thought I won't like this one too much, because it's the darkest in series and I don't like arranged relationships but this book blown me away at the end!

The story is about mafia boss (beast) Enzo Vitali who wants to revenge father's death and kidnaps daughters of his rival (bloody scenes happening here, it was almost too much for me to read, I had to skip some lines). Enzo is captivated by the eldest daughter Roza and he keeps her as his prisoner. In order to keep her sisters safe, Roza obeys Enzo and they quickly start to write their own story.

That would be rough synopsis. We see glimpses of Enzo trying and starting to love and taking care of Roza. She is thorn between loyalty to her clan and growing feelings to Enzo.
Story was well written and author included some trigger warnings that happen in story. I was afraid there will be many bloody, cruel mafia scenes, but they weren't so harsh described as I feared. I was focused on romance and the book satisfied me. The story more focuses on Roza, about her life as "prisoner" and her own battles inside.

Later in story we meet Kaya and let me tell you- thanks to author Beena for bringing this character in story, who became friend, listener and safe haven for Roza.

Overall, book is intruiging, I read it in one day, you laugh, you cry and think about it after you put it down.


Book quote:

How was it possible to hate someone and love them at the same time? Enzo Vitalli. My enemy. My captor. My tormentor. My punisher. My husband. My soulmate.

Thanks to author Beena Khan for receiving ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely darker than the first two books in the series. If you've read the previous two books, you know Enzo is cruel, ruthless and determined. After seeing Enzo in the first two books, I was quite excited to read this because I couldn't wait to see why Enzo is the way he is. I don't want to give too much away, but there's a lot of surprises that will definitely keep you turning those pages!

Of course, you don't need to read the first two books in this series as this is a prequel to those, but I do definitely recommend reading them. This book is brutal, bloody and definitely not for everyone but if you've read any of Beenas work (or the previous books in this series) you know that you're definitely in for a ride and it's always so well written.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG... What a page turner! My first time reading a book by this author and would totally read more by her.... Absolutely love it...

[Romance Recs · Rating 5 out of 5]

🅰 🅺🅸🅽🅶 🅾🅵 🅱🅴🅰🆂🆃🆂 by Beena Khan is a 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤, mafia, gothic romance. It is the third novel in the 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 & 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 and is a stand-alone, however it would be best if you read this after reading 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐨 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝.

I 𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑳𝒀 recommend reading 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐨 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 prior to this book, 𝐀 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭s because you will receive information that correlates 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 with this story. You will also want to have the information you have on Enzo and Roza prior to reading this book (trust me). Vlad is Enzo and Roza’s son. You could also read the two books, A Beauty So Cruel and A Beast So Cold directly after this and it would still all make sense.

A King of Beasts is a prequel even though it was written and released as the third book in the series. Once you read it in order, you will be happy that you did. Also, you do not want to miss the epic, nonstop, masterpiece thrill ride that is A Beauty So Cruel and A Beast So Cold.

If you’ve read the prior books, you’ll know that Enzo Vitalli, Vlad’s father, is a cruel and vicious villain who tortures and hurts innocents. Enzo is the ruler “King” of La Cosa Nostra, the Italian Mafia. He becomes the king after his father was murdered by the Russians in a home invasion.

Enzo is… a madman, crazy, psychotic, evil and any other adjective you could think of that depicts pure darkness. Enzo is the case of the King gone mad. We see how it all occurs and learn lessons along the way of how someone’s choices can change the course of their entire lives.

Going in I had no idea how Enzo would treat Roza. Honestly… it’s not easy to read. Initially, we see qualities in Enzo we desperately hope will make him a good person. It’s funny because even though we know how it will end, you want something different for the MC’s.

Roza had a difficult experience racked with heartbreak, torture, pain, and loss. Her story was SO hard to go through! What I love about Beena Khan’s writing is that she tests the limits of our psyche as well as our ability to see all sides of a situation. There are situations where the characters need to make choices. It’s those choices that determine who they are and how they will go on with their lives. Oftentimes we see that Enzo had the choice to forgive, a choice to change and become kinder.

What does Enzo do? Will he become softer to Roza? Can Roza ever forgive him for what he did to her and her family? Can Roza ever escape, or does she even want to? All of these questions and more will be answered in the third book.

Once again, we are left with shocking news at the end of the book! I love it.

If you enjoy a dark mafia romance, read ALL of these books. This is a story that should not be missed. I truly enjoyed them all together allowing the story to become full circle. There are shocking and disturbing dark scenes. Some people crave this, some like me, go with whatever the author wants to write, and others mind find it too dark.

Everyone should read the Beauty & The Beast Series. It’s so good!
https://www.goodreads.com/series/3052...

I am so grateful to have received an ARC and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review

This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Beena Khan!

 

A King of Beasts is the third book in the Beauty & The Beast series and tells the story of Roza and Enzo. Although this is the third book in the series, it is a prequel story to the first two books in the Beauty & The Beast series. I do, however, recommend reading book 1 and 2 first before reading this book.

 

Enzo Vitalli was no hero. He was no prince charming. He was a monster.

 

When I first started reading A King of Beasts, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like this book or not. I knew from reading the first two books in the Beauty & The Beast series that Enzo wasn’t an amazing human. So it kind of bothered me that this book was about him, but after finishing this book I’m kind of speechless. I didn’t see the ending coming at all, and I loved it.

He said he was a monster … but it felt like he was protecting me from shattering.

 

A King of Beasts deals with some hard topics such as abuse and self-harm, and I loved that Beena Khan added a trigger warning at the beginning of the book. Self-harm is sometimes a difficult topic for me, but after reading the trigger warning, I knew that I could expect some parts with self-harm. Thank you Beena Khan!

He might be a monster, but he was my monster. He was my King, and I was his Queen.

Now, let’s talk about the characters. I still hate Enzo, even after finishing this book, but there’s a small part inside of my heart that likes him. A really, really small part. I really like Roza because she’s a strong character. She suffered through so much throughout this book, and I’m so happy with Roza at the end of the book. She never stopped fighting, even though it didn’t always seem like that. She was often a bit confusing, but a lot of abuse victims are. And Kaya… I’m not going to say too much about him, but I really love him!

 

Roses are meant to be cherished, not crushed.

 

I really liked A King of Beasts because so much makes sense now. After finishing this book, I saw so many connections to the first two books. The story itself is so dark and twisted, it’s kinda hard to say that I liked it. Although it was a bit hard to get into the story, I’m happy that I didn’t give up because the ending was so worth it! I’m really looking forward to the fourth book in the series, A Beauty So Cursed!

[Echo's Journey Through Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most soul crushing, heart shattering, punch to the gut books I've read. My heart was beating rapidly against by ribcage most of the time, tears were in my eyes and my gosh the writing is out of this world!

Roza is a strong character who cares for her sisters unlike anything else and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Roza is truly a survivor. Despite of everything, she doesn't let him own her soul.

We all have that small part of darkness inside us but most of us drown it with the light. This is not the case with Enzo. This is not a redemption arc and we know that from the getgo.

Enzo has these moments where you can see his humanity underneath and how he cares in his own twisted ways. For that one second it makes you fall for that little part of him that could be sweet but after that moment is over you are hit with the realization that he has truly let the darkness consume him.

It's so vivid, the descriptions and the emotions, it's like you are experiencing the toxic relationship alongside Roza. And that's what it is, it's toxic and it's abusive. The way she desperately wants, no, needs to believe there's some good in him, that he could be gentle with her, to love her like she deserves to be loved is so heart wrenching and damn was it hard to read.

And then comes the bodyguard and all hell breaks loose. Oh man, Kaya is everything! When he was introduced it was like I could finally start to see the light in the midst of the darkness and felt hope for Roza once again.

Those twists in the end came at me with a bang, I for one didn't see them coming. I feel like I was so consumed into the story that my mind couldn't even comprehend all of it immediately. But wow tears were falling down with the last words!

A King of Beasts is a mafia romance that shows the evil of the world and how sometimes monsters are just that, monsters. It's phenomenal and one to remember!

"I wish our story could have been a love story but it was an obsession."

*I received this ARC from the author but the thoughts are completely my own.*

[San (slikestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book I've read from Beena & I recommend it for the readers who have read the previous books of the series & want to know about Vlad’s mother & father to have the full story of the family.

If you want to know more about Vlad’s family this book is for you to get the whole picture of Enzo Vitiello & Roza. I’ve disliked Enzo since the first book for his actions, and this book only reinforced how cruel he was to Roza. The book takes us back to the past when Roza & Enzo met as their dark & twisted story unfolds. Later, after a year of captivity Roza mets her bodyguard Kaya & the forbidden love story starts. Honestly, I would’ve love to see more of Roza & Kaya, I felt that their love story was too rushed in the book since most of the book was centered around Enzo & Roza.

Be ware that this book as the previous is very dark & touched upon very dark/triggering subjects. Read at your own caution.


*ARC provided in exchange of an honest review*

[Arii | The Bookaholic Next Door · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark. Twisted. Addictive. Powerful. Emotionally Wrecking. Tragic. Time stopping. Mindblowing. Masterpiece. That's what I would describe this book, the rest of the books in the Series and Beena's writing in general. I rarely get emotional when reading books but Beena always seems to be able to hit the right spots. I got literal chills while reading this book. I read it out in a couple of hours. I couldn't get enough of it, and I still can't. Some things I just didn't see coming. I lost myself in this book and its characters. I think it is safe to say, I am probably obsessed with Beena Khan's writing. I am still blown away right now. I have so much to say and yet I can't seem to find the words for it. My mind is literally spinning. Holy shit. What the fuck. Oh my God. I can't get over these characters. Beena, as always writes the best and strongest characters. I'm still in awe. I need a minute to process how fucking spectacular that book was.

Enzo Vitalli. The King. Roza Ivanova. The Queen. Kaya. The Protector.

Enzo. Oh my God. I don't even know where to start with him. It was clear that from book one and two, I didn't like him very much. Then I met young Enzo. I actually liked him at the beginning. He was so cold, evil, brutal. Everything I loved in a Mafia Leader. He was just missing a little humanity. If he had just given and showed Roza that little bit of humanity. Ugh! I went through so much feeling for Enzo. I despised him, I liked him, I hated him, and finally, I understood him.

I despise Enzo for what he did, his past and present self but a small part of me still sees that little boy who's broken and got a fate he did not deserve. I want to help him, save him, fix him, but I can't. Some people are just too deep into the darkness. They crave the light sometimes, but then they purposely use the darkness to block out the light. They stay in the darkness and keep torturing themselves. Some are just unfixable. That is Enzo Vitalli.

Roza. She had to suffer for her family's sins. She was strong. It takes a lot to put up with what she had to face. There were so many times where she could have cracked but didn't. Unlike the mob, she was sweet, understanding. She was willing to go through suffering to fix others. Sometimes life just gets too hard for some people. Sometimes you will meet someone who is broken and traumatized and all you want to do is fix them. Make them better. Take their pain away. What you don't take into consideration is that even if you take someone's pain away, the pain still needs somewhere to stay. You may not be getting rid of the pain but simply changing who feels it. You have to remember, while trying to fix someone broken, you may just end up breaking yourself into a million pieces, and even then, you may still care about the person who broke you. That is Roza Ivanova.

Kaya. He was her protector. All he was hired to be was protection. Kaya was more than that though. To Roza he was so much more. He wasn't just a protector. He was a saviour. He was a reason for happiness. He was the reason that dimpled smile graced the beauty's face. Sometimes life sends something or someone to you when you feel lost. When you feel like you have nothing left when you think life couldn't get any worse when you become a shell of who you once were. A light is given to you. That is Kaya D.

The King and Queen. They are the definition of the bad toxic love. When it was good, it was amazing, but when it was bad, it was the worst. Except that isn't was this truly was. This was obsession and manipulation that resulted into a chaotic love that should never happen because all it causes is pain and suffering. This is a man who no longer knows how to love and a woman who was taken away from her world and dragged into one where she knew nothing. Its wasn't right, but it was still love. Just not the type of love that can be together. It was the type of love that would just leave you battered and bruised. This is Enzo and Roza.

The Queen and Her Protector. They were each other's light. They had the warm type of love that would heal you. This is the love she deserved. One where he saw her pain and held her. One where they would do anything to take away each other's suffering, and if they failed, they would suffer together. This is Roza and Kaya.

This book made me a manic. I honestly can't get enough of this world. I cannot wait to read the other books. One thing I love about Beena is that she brings awareness to certain situations in her books.

[R Huiszoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beena Khan, ‘A King of Beasts’.
A Modern-Day Billionaire Fairytale. Dark Mafia Crime Romance.
Beauty & The Beast, book three.

As an ARC reader I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily promised an honest review. Here it is.

Rating: 4,5 (of 5 stars).

In general: A Cruel Love Story .

Main characters:
- Roza Ivanov (20).
She’s the daughter of the boss of the Russian Solntsevskaya Bratva, one of the leading New York mafia organizations.

- Enzo Vitalli.
King of the Italian mafia, the Cosa Nostra, who rules the New York underworld.

Enzo meets Roza after her father killed Enzo’s father before Enzo’s eyes. In the battle between the two rivaling mafia’s Roza’s father was also killed. Then Enzo attacks the base of the Russians, kills Roza’s mom cruelly before her very eyes and kidnaps Roza after burning her family mansion. So the Italians defeated the Russians.

Roza and her two younger sisters are locked up in the Vitalli headquarters, a sombre black mansion. He abuses Roza mentally and physically, blackmailing her with punishment for her sisters if she doesn’t obey him.
Roza tries to keep her own values as much as possible, while Enzo - who is impressed by her exotic beauty - puts heavy pressure on her to do what he wants.

The author, Beena Khan, carefully builds a (sometimes horrible but original) story about the clash between two strong willed persons. Roza tries to hate him fiercely for his cruelty, but cannot deny a physical attraction for him during some meetings/struggles. Enzo knows that he has her in his power and can do with her whatever he wants, but his proud leads him to try that she voluntarily accepts him as her lover.
The author cleverly creates in the book an atmosphere in which Roza constantly wonders if she (and her sisters) will be killed or raped any moment, or that he has plans to worship her. The result is a lot of cruel scenes in which Enzo manipulates her while trying to break her. But also strange feelings of love when the few good aspects of Enzo’s personality sometimes hint in his actions. Not a ‘feel good’ story but fascinating in it’s darkness and the surprising ending of the book.

R. Huiszoon.

[Christie K.Rowling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ya he dicho cien mil veces que éstos libros enganchan mucho. Sin embargo, los errores son cada vez más palpables. Entiéndase por error, ese tipo de actuaciones en los personajes que me parecen incoherentes, especialmente en éste género, que no suelo leer, precisamente por eso.

-En primer lugar, éste libro es exactamente igual que los anteriores. Misma mecánica, mismas situaciones y mismos comportamientos. Los mafiosos son muy chungos hasta que un día, de forma repentina, vomitan purpurina sin que ésto resulte para nada creible.

-Los personajes femeninos dan la impresión de tener dos dedos de frente pero luego cambian radicalmente y se convierten en adolescentes en plena edad del pavo.

-No entiendo, especialmente en éste libro, la forma en que Roza afronta los abusos y violaciones...este punto sin duda, ha sido el que más subrealista me ha parecido. Enzo es probablemente la persona más despreciable de todos los personajes, su lado bueno es inexistente, cuesta creerlo. El síndrome de Estocolmo de Roza es exacerbado y poco creíble. Con solo un roze en la piel de un maldito cretino ésta mujer se sube a la parra. INCOHERENTE

-La trama en sí, entretiene. Pese a la repetición de la mecánica de los otros libros, uno quiere saber que va a pasar finalmente. Ésta entrega tiene mas crueldad y violencia y cuenta con varios plot twist inesperados. En ésta ocasión la autora nos cuenta la historia de los padres de Vlad (Roza y Enzo), como se conocieron y como fue su convivencia. La verdad es que me parece interesante éste punto de vista, sin embrago, como ya he dicho, la mecánica es la misma de siempre. La autora debería innovar un poquito más en ésto.

-Ya lo dije en el primer tomo, no sé porque (y no es propio en mi) pero estoy enganchada sin motivo. Es mi guilty pleasure de éste año,así que acabaré la tetralogía.

[Syabiblioholism · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, this hauntingly beautiful book deserves a post on its own. It's okay if you do not want to read my penned down emotions further, this is just my word vomit for all the sentiment(s); yes plural - that I've been feeling throughout the book.

I am unable to remember the last time I've shed a tear or wailed for a fictional world & characters that is so... broken. I'm mourning, for Enzo, for Roza, for Kaya, even for Vlad..

This book is so dark, sick & twisted; it feels I'm being eviscerated physically & emotionally. Hence, TRIGGER WARNINGS are there for a reason. I choose to ignore it & I'm glad I did.

I understand why Enzo is so vicious & cruel. Poor baby. Poor child 😢 It still doesn't excuse or justify his actions but I truly comprehend why he is who he is.

Beautiful Roza 💔 how do I even begin? My heart is in agony, reading about you. Sobbing uncontrollably with you, for you. You don't deserve anything that has happened to you. You were just born Bratva & fate has a cruel way to tarnish you 😭😭

I'm not okay, I'm still tearing while typing this. I'm ruined. I don't know how to feel...this grief, heartache, agony, suffering, woe & despair.

Yeap, it has affected me that much. Especially at 80ish-% of the book onwards~

The colour gray/grey is very heightened & enchanced in this book. It was crazy, you are a virtuoso in the linguistic world of Mafia/Dark Romance. I've said what I said. Here's a standing ovation from me, to you 👏🏻🥀🎻

Read it or don't read it. It's up to you, friends. SERIOUSLY, PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION. It broke me, tremendously. I need to mend my broken heart now.

[Dana McKee NOLA504NERDS · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, thank you to the author for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review. This was my favorite in the series! I’m almost at a loss for words at how brilliant this book was. This was a VERY dark book. But obsessively and deliciously so. There was a lot of internal darkness that made this audiobook so raw and brutally beautiful. I love that Beena Khan so accurately portrayed mental health conditions. She didn’t shy away from the harsh realities of mental illness and the challenges faced from it. This was an intense listen full of drama, tension, and suspense. Only Beena Khan could have you rooting for the coldest and most evil man ever. He’s a ruthless monster. I detest him but found myself rooting for him. The finale – wow! I didn’t foresee any of that happening in the end. For those who have read the first 2 books, trust me when I say this ending and epilogue just hits different. It was bittersweet and emotional. This is not your average dark mafia forbidden love story. Big trigger warnings here because of certain issues and themes. Enter at your own risk into this gritty and psychologically dark world!

“He’d taken everything from me and replaced with himself.”
“He might be a monster, but he was my monster. He was my King, and I was his Queen.”

The narration was nothing short of amazing. Alexandra Johnston was cast perfectly for this role. The pacing, tone, pitch, and timing were all excellent. The voices were fitting for each character and really brought them to life. I was captivated the entire time. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this story.

“How was it possible to hate someone and love them at the same time? Enzo Vitalli. My enemy. My captor. My tormentor. My punisher. My husband. My soulmate.”

5 Tragic Stars!
NOLA504NERDS BLOG

[K.J. Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to start with this one. This isn't a romance, I'm not sure that it's even a love story. It is twisted and dark. We've already met Enzo in the first Beauty and the Beast book, he isn't nice. This book is set earlier though and I did wonder if he might be different when he was younger. There are flashes of humanity in them and Roza certainly gets glimpses of him. He is very damaged though and right from the beginning of this book he acts in a way that seems to be beyond redemption.
I don't want to give things away. If you've read the previous books set after this one, then there will already be things that you know. There are still things to surprise you, or at least there were still things to surprise me. There were some things that I guessed but there were still some other things that I didn't.
There was one thing that did confuse me very slightly, I wasn't sure when this was set. Someone was texting at one point and as this is thirty years before the first books, that didn't seem right unless they are set in the future. I wasn't sure. This is a really minor point though.
I don't know that 'enjoy' would be the right description for this book. I found it gripping and interesting and didn't want to put it down. It worked well with the previous books, and I'm interested in finding out what's going to happen next.

[maru · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK!!!

I adore it and I'm brokenhearted after finishing it but it was worth it.

Roza, I'm so proud of you!!! You are the queen of this book. Such strong woman you are, full of love and compassion and bravery. Your journey was hard but you got your happiness at the end and I'm smiling thru tears for you. Your resilience even with those odds was something admirable.

I'm shocked about the plot twist of the last chapter and the epilogue, I swear I squeaked when I read it. It made me so happy and has me super curious for the next book and the other that are confirmed.

Surprisingly, I came to this book hating Enzo for everything he did to Dahlia, and that hate is still there because this man was cruelty at its finest, but I have to accept that a small part of me feels compassion for him. He became that way because of something horrible and he never knew how to heal, so he just hurt himself and those around him. The moment he learned he was capable of it, he was too far gone, so he chose to do the right thing and save and protect the only good pieces of him: Roza, Vlad and Valerius.

Better late than never man...

[Irma *Irma The Book Whisperer* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super intense!

A King of Beasts contains a lot of triggers, and those parts of the story were my favourite. The beginning when Enza was on his mission of revenge... the scenes!!! My goodness, that was such a thrill.

Enza! I've meet him as Vlad's father and I hated him then. I still do. And to me that only shows what a great writer this author is. Rosa was delicate but strong.

Overall I really liked the story. I was excited while reading and anxious for what was going to happen next. I loved the conflict waging inside Rosa and the personal battle she was facing. I'm a sucker for that "moment" when things click for the hero/heroine and this was a great one, with an outcome I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams. The author spinned this around a bit diferently and the outcome became intense and definitely intriguing. It was a crazy good ride!

[annel ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT THE HELL THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD !

I CANT—- LIKE MIRAN IS… I LITERALLY HAD MY JAW OPEN

AND ROSA I THOUGHT SHE— enzo told vlad that—- HE LIED

THIS BOOK WAS EXTREMELY DARK ! i put this book off bc i wasn’t sure if enzos story. but how was i liking and then hating him…..

enzo is ruthless and i knew he rlly didn’t have any redemption arc. i was rlly hoping so bad he’d change. but when he did what he did to rosa i knew NOTHING would change the fact that he did what he did.

and the fact he moved to prostitution and trafficking :/ i wish wish wish he changed but he didn’t

THIS BOOK WASSSSS OMG OMG OMG SO GOOD ANS RLLT SHOWS THE REALLL SIDE OF THE MAFIA

like THE STOCKHOLM
THE ABUSE
ALL THAT


WOW BEENA U DID GREAT !!!!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from the author for the promise of an honest review.

It was good, a little dark. This is the story of Vlad's parents, Enzo and Roza. Enzo is from the Mafia and Roza is from the Bratva. Roza's family attacks Enzo's family - killing his father. Years before, the Bratva had killed his mother. Upon taking the thrown, Enzo attacks Roza's family and takes her and her sisters as hostages. Enzo becomes weirdly obsessed with Roza. He forces her to marry him and then keeps her prisoner in their home. It is a very toxic relationship.

The book is written well. I do feel for Roza. I have gotten a better understanding of Enzo. It is a fast and easy read.