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Afterlife Saga #2
The Two Kings
After facing her nightmares head on, Keira soon finds her troubles have only just begun, and if she thought mortals were dangerous, then being hunted by the world's most powerful beings will spin her further into a web of supernatural destruction.
Keira can't help seeing the handsome man before her, she can't help the dreams that consume her and neither can she stop him from wanting her. The controlling man that follows her every move isn't the man she's dating, but the man that's hunting her. Now it's down to the only man with enough power to keep her safe, and he doesn't play well with others. Nor does he take kindly to people trying to take what belongs to him, and Keira belongs to only one man... Dominic Draven. Will the fight for their love be enough to survive the new world she is forced to live in? And more importantly, can she survive being with the King of the Afterlife?!
Keira can't help seeing the handsome man before her, she can't help the dreams that consume her and neither can she stop him from wanting her. The controlling man that follows her every move isn't the man she's dating, but the man that's hunting her. Now it's down to the only man with enough power to keep her safe, and he doesn't play well with others. Nor does he take kindly to people trying to take what belongs to him, and Keira belongs to only one man... Dominic Draven. Will the fight for their love be enough to survive the new world she is forced to live in? And more importantly, can she survive being with the King of the Afterlife?!
714 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
2219 people are currently reading
2247 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Hudson
205 books2,325 followersStephanie Hudson is a #1 Amazon bestselling Author. She had dreamed of being a writer ever since her obsession with reading books at an early age. What first became a quest to overcome the boundaries set against her in the form of dyslexia, has turned into a life's dream.
Afterlife is the first book in the series of 12 books, with the story of Keira and Draven becoming ever more complicated in a world that sets them miles apart. The Transfusion Saga will also be a 12 book series once book 12 is released in May 2021. Other spin -off books and series are also available with lots more planned.
When not writing, Stephanie enjoys chatting with her fans and spending time with her friends. Being with her loving family as much as she can including her wonderful daughter Ava, sons Jack and Halen and supportive husband and personal muse Blake, who is there for her no matter what.
Afterlife is the first book in the series of 12 books, with the story of Keira and Draven becoming ever more complicated in a world that sets them miles apart. The Transfusion Saga will also be a 12 book series once book 12 is released in May 2021. Other spin -off books and series are also available with lots more planned.
When not writing, Stephanie enjoys chatting with her fans and spending time with her friends. Being with her loving family as much as she can including her wonderful daughter Ava, sons Jack and Halen and supportive husband and personal muse Blake, who is there for her no matter what.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
August 9, 2015
****SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!****
Okay, I thought I was gonna start this review by ranting about my dislike for Keira but I decided to start out with... HOLY CLIFFHANGER! I need to know who the traitor is, like right now! I am dying!
This installment in the Afterlife Saga has made me an addict and my addiction is this series! The first book I was iffy about because it took so long for me to really get into it but this one has me sold. It was so much better than the first installment and has definitely kept me on the edge of my seat THE WHOLE TIME. Also, in the first book I found the length of the novel dragging, but in this one I loved it and could've used more.
Okay, now that I've got that out of the way let me start with my dislike for Keira. I don't like her character. Plain and simple. I wanted so badly to throw my Kindle many many times and even had to refrain myself from deleting this book at one point. (And that's NEVER happened just because I hated the heroine so much)
I tried to put myself in her shoes to see if I would act that way if I was in the position she was in and it would work for some things but others, I just didn't understand, she is just a very weak female lead character. She easily makes the top spot for most hated heroines and the hard part is that I WANT to like her.
Here's why I can't stand her:
1.She cries through the WHOLE DAMN BOOK! Like seriously, I am not exaggerating, she cries at least every other page. If I thought she was whiny in the last book, well, she's worse in this one... at lot worse. She is always SOBBING! It is tiring, it is annoying, it makes her seem immature, and it makes her appear so weak when I want so badly for her to be strong. She cries over every little thing, if she's not full out sobbing then she is "tearing up". Gahhh, just stop it already and dry those damn tears up you big fucking baby!
2. She made horrible decisions. She never listened to anyone or even herself. She ran straight towards the wrong choice each time!
AND THE WORST OF THEM ALL.......
3. She has the backbone of a fucking jellyfish. She lets Draven treat her like poop! Don't get me wrong I love me a dominate alpha possessive hero but I also like it when the heroine clashes with him at times and proves that she is his equal NOT his OBJECT that is to OBEY HIM! I like it when the heroine can stand up for herself and defy her man. Ugh, so many times I was screaming at Keira to stick up for herself and put her foot down, but she was so scared of Dominic and so weak that she always did exactly as he said.
She would put her head down and stare at the ground like a little fucking kid and either "tear up" full out cry and do exactly as he said because she is nothing but a submissive pile of goo.... ugh!!!
She had a few moments where shetried to stand her ground but those were few and far between and only lasted two seconds before she submitted to him like a slave to her master.
Here's an example....
The scene where she goes back to the club after taking Justin home and Aurora (his ex-girlfriend) the bitch shows her where Draven and everyone is at and then Keira finds Draven sitting in the middle of a fucking ORGY with a female all over him I thought I was gonna lose my damn mind! It made me sick and I thought this was gonna be the scene where Keira FINALLY blew up and flipped out on Dom, I just knew it in my bones this was where she was going to surprise Dom, herself, and me by growing a backbone and not taking his shit! However, in true Keira form, he tells her he "set it all up to make her jealous" (come on, really Draven, really?) and she runs straight into his arms, like, okay whatever you say. UGH!!! I wanted to punch her in the face. Badly. Even IF he was telling the truth, he still did it to intentionally hurt her and she shouldn't had forgiven him so quickly. I wanted her to scream at him and go off because while he was being juvenile and practically cheating on her to "make her jealous" (<----such utter bullshit) she was getting attacked and visits from that evil bastard Lucius!
Okay, there's more that I can say that I couldn't stand about Keira and Dom but I don't think I would be able to finish this review if I listed them all.
Anyways, even though through most of this book I couldn't stand Keira nor Doms actions I still LOVED the story. They definitely won't be at the top of my favorite book couples list but I still love to read about them. I loved that we got more info on the Angels and Demons and their stories and pasts. I thought Sophia being the inspiration behind the Rapunzel fairy tale was pretty cool. I hated that we STILL have no idea what Keira being the "chosen one" means (besides being Dom's soul-mate). I hope in the next book we finally get around to the answers.
I can't wait for the next one to see what happens since we ended with Keira being kidnapped AGAIN. I just hope that in the next installment Dom gets her back fast because even though they are a disaster together(or more like a train wreck that I can't look away from), I am addicted and need to see where their story goes. (Plus, they had some pretty hot scenes!) So if most of the book is spent with Keira being with Lucius I will be sorely disappointed or if Keira hooks up with Lucius I will possibly destroy my kindle, so I'm sure she will since Keira loves for me to hate her.
In all I really enjoyed this book and so far the whole series and I think everyone should give it a try!
(Oh, and something that was a tidbit annoying was the author had the American characters speaking in an English accent when the only English characters were Keira, Libby, and their cousin. I'm sorry but no one in America calls a TV a telly, an ass an arse, or their mom mum. Just sayin'.) ;)
Okay, I thought I was gonna start this review by ranting about my dislike for Keira but I decided to start out with... HOLY CLIFFHANGER! I need to know who the traitor is, like right now! I am dying!
This installment in the Afterlife Saga has made me an addict and my addiction is this series! The first book I was iffy about because it took so long for me to really get into it but this one has me sold. It was so much better than the first installment and has definitely kept me on the edge of my seat THE WHOLE TIME. Also, in the first book I found the length of the novel dragging, but in this one I loved it and could've used more.
Okay, now that I've got that out of the way let me start with my dislike for Keira. I don't like her character. Plain and simple. I wanted so badly to throw my Kindle many many times and even had to refrain myself from deleting this book at one point. (And that's NEVER happened just because I hated the heroine so much)
I tried to put myself in her shoes to see if I would act that way if I was in the position she was in and it would work for some things but others, I just didn't understand, she is just a very weak female lead character. She easily makes the top spot for most hated heroines and the hard part is that I WANT to like her.
Here's why I can't stand her:
1.She cries through the WHOLE DAMN BOOK! Like seriously, I am not exaggerating, she cries at least every other page. If I thought she was whiny in the last book, well, she's worse in this one... at lot worse. She is always SOBBING! It is tiring, it is annoying, it makes her seem immature, and it makes her appear so weak when I want so badly for her to be strong. She cries over every little thing, if she's not full out sobbing then she is "tearing up". Gahhh, just stop it already and dry those damn tears up you big fucking baby!
2. She made horrible decisions. She never listened to anyone or even herself. She ran straight towards the wrong choice each time!
AND THE WORST OF THEM ALL.......
3. She has the backbone of a fucking jellyfish. She lets Draven treat her like poop! Don't get me wrong I love me a dominate alpha possessive hero but I also like it when the heroine clashes with him at times and proves that she is his equal NOT his OBJECT that is to OBEY HIM! I like it when the heroine can stand up for herself and defy her man. Ugh, so many times I was screaming at Keira to stick up for herself and put her foot down, but she was so scared of Dominic and so weak that she always did exactly as he said.
She would put her head down and stare at the ground like a little fucking kid and either "tear up" full out cry and do exactly as he said because she is nothing but a submissive pile of goo.... ugh!!!
She had a few moments where she
Here's an example....
The scene where she goes back to the club after taking Justin home and Aurora (his ex-girlfriend) the bitch shows her where Draven and everyone is at and then Keira finds Draven sitting in the middle of a fucking ORGY with a female all over him I thought I was gonna lose my damn mind! It made me sick and I thought this was gonna be the scene where Keira FINALLY blew up and flipped out on Dom, I just knew it in my bones this was where she was going to surprise Dom, herself, and me by growing a backbone and not taking his shit! However, in true Keira form, he tells her he "set it all up to make her jealous" (come on, really Draven, really?) and she runs straight into his arms, like, okay whatever you say. UGH!!! I wanted to punch her in the face. Badly. Even IF he was telling the truth, he still did it to intentionally hurt her and she shouldn't had forgiven him so quickly. I wanted her to scream at him and go off because while he was being juvenile and practically cheating on her to "make her jealous" (<----such utter bullshit) she was getting attacked and visits from that evil bastard Lucius!
Okay, there's more that I can say that I couldn't stand about Keira and Dom but I don't think I would be able to finish this review if I listed them all.
Anyways, even though through most of this book I couldn't stand Keira nor Doms actions I still LOVED the story. They definitely won't be at the top of my favorite book couples list but I still love to read about them. I loved that we got more info on the Angels and Demons and their stories and pasts. I thought Sophia being the inspiration behind the Rapunzel fairy tale was pretty cool. I hated that we STILL have no idea what Keira being the "chosen one" means (besides being Dom's soul-mate). I hope in the next book we finally get around to the answers.
I can't wait for the next one to see what happens since we ended with Keira being kidnapped AGAIN. I just hope that in the next installment Dom gets her back fast because even though they are a disaster together(or more like a train wreck that I can't look away from), I am addicted and need to see where their story goes. (Plus, they had some pretty hot scenes!) So if most of the book is spent with Keira being with Lucius I will be sorely disappointed or if Keira hooks up with Lucius I will possibly destroy my kindle, so I'm sure she will since Keira loves for me to hate her.
In all I really enjoyed this book and so far the whole series and I think everyone should give it a try!
(Oh, and something that was a tidbit annoying was the author had the American characters speaking in an English accent when the only English characters were Keira, Libby, and their cousin. I'm sorry but no one in America calls a TV a telly, an ass an arse, or their mom mum. Just sayin'.) ;)
August 15, 2021
This series shouldn't have sucked me in, but it did. It's not because of all the description filler which I totally I skip past - I don't give a damn about outfits, homes, or scene settings. It's not because of all the missing commas, typos and proofreading errors, or the hyper-dysfunctional relationship between Keira and Draven either. No, it's because the overarching story compels me to get to the bottom of it all!
Keira does NOT 1) stand up for herself enough, 2) ask enough questions and be persistent, 3) mention the weird things happening to her that are going to get her killed. I know this is Formula 01 for Fantasy special snowflakes, but it's just so freaking aggravating.
Keira does NOT 1) stand up for herself enough, 2) ask enough questions and be persistent, 3) mention the weird things happening to her that are going to get her killed. I know this is Formula 01 for Fantasy special snowflakes, but it's just so freaking aggravating.
October 8, 2012
BOOK REVIEW – The Two Kings (Afterlife saga #2) – Stephanie Hudson
DRAVEN IS BACK!
KIERA IS BACK!
VINCENT IS BACK!
SOPHIA IS BACK!
HEAR ME SCREAM…..
HA! Okay, so you get the picture, book two in the Afterlife saga has finally been released and Keira and Dominic Draven are now a very unconventional human vs. Demon/Angel demi-god couple. Unconventional being the height of emphasis here, because we learn something pretty special in book two – Dominic isn’t just the leader of the Supernatural world that reside within our realm as they walk and exist among us – he is their King. His word is law. His mission: to maintain a balance of Light and Darkness. Good vs. Evil. However, the scales have recently tipped, due to some extra added weight that came in the form of Kiera, the human girl who recently bounded into his life and set it spinning, even at times, out of his own monumental control. ‘His Electa’ – The ‘Chosen One’.
Kiera was born for Dominic, she was selected by the Gods to be his one true-love, and the Gods have a plan. However, he didn’t count on it being a feisty Liverpudlian girl from England, who has a knack for not doing as her told, and ruffling more than a few Angel feathers in the process. Nevertheless, his love for her is all-consuming, passionate and true. But with this love comes an overwhelming need to possess and protect what is his. No-one can touch her, anyone breathes on her or looks at her funny and not only do they feel the mighty wrath of a jealous lover, but his Demon side is, to be frank, a little scary…
Kiera is finally succumbing to the idea that the man she loves is, (although way out of her league), her soul-mate. Her Dominic. The man who had saved her life when the nightmares of her past had come back to haunt her. Now, Morgan (her ex crazy kidnapper) was dead, it seemed that Kiera and Dominic could now embrace their love, all the while adapting to Draven’s ‘otherworld’ in the club known as ‘Afterlife.’
As they spend countless nights together, the passion and love they feel for each other fuels some very steamy encounters that will make your toes curl! This also includes a brush with disaster involving some sexy underwear, an accidental kiss with the *cough* ‘Wrong’ Draven Brother, Demon shopping escapades, and oh, some new Demon stalker invading her dreams, it seems Kiera’s idea of leading a ‘normal’ life are slipping away, day by day.
There is also the little problem of Hilary, Libby and Kiera’s ghastly cousin, who is coming to stay for a week or two and who seems to make it her life’s mission of making Kiera’s life a total living hell, is just another thing to add to the ever expanding list of problems.
To help relieve the fear that still eats away at Keira’s core, and to help alleviate hidden threats, Dominic gifts Kiera with a little support, in the form of Ragnar, a Warrior Viking Demon who gets given the task of becoming her new Bodyguard.
With her life continually scrutinised and kept under close watchful eye, Keira feels herself, regrettably at times, succumbing to the pressure of being with The King, but nothing prepares her for the plans her new Demon stalker has for her. Lucius, is not just another Demon, he is also a being of formidable mind power, for he is also a ruler, known as: The Vampire King. Forged and reborn from the fires of hell by Lucifer himself, he is branded as being the only ‘other’ that can potentially rival Dominic’s powers.
Things start to take a monumental turn when Lucius up’s the stakes in his mind games. By controlling her dreams he threatens the promise that Kiera will soon belong to him – his quest for revenge on his nemesis is vital in his plan, and yet his power has the ability to wield Kiera into keeping quiet, and therefore making her unable to voice her troubles to Dominic, who is the only one that can protect her…
*
This is a stunning book. It’s a commendable second instalment that again, like its predecessor, is on the long side and will require another marathon read. Yes, because it is 1087 pages, and yet I was still sad when I had finished it. It also ended on a little cliff-hanger, so book three cannot come soon enough! Please don’t let the length deter you. If there is one thing that Stephanie Hudson is good at, that is her ability to throw you into each scene like you are living it. She has given each character a world of room to nurture and grow, and I feel now that I personally know every single one of them.
Kiera can be indecisive, and her self-doubt about Draven’s true feelings was questioned countless times when it wasn’t completely necessary. But she is a strong heroine, and her musings just made her feel more ‘human’, so I understand this aspect of her character and at times, when not an irritation, her naivety was rather endearing.
My only gripe is that I am a Vincent Girl. I am a sucker for Angel’s and I find his character not only the most beautiful, but he’s also the most elusive and I want his character to be further nurtured. I want to jump into my kindle, grab him and unleash that bad boy inside. But I have been assured by the author that she has an exciting ‘plan’ for him, so watch this space…
Stephanie Hudson, you have a fan for life. I am still ‘Craving the Drave’ so 2013 cannot come soon enough…
5 STARS.
DRAVEN IS BACK!
KIERA IS BACK!
VINCENT IS BACK!
SOPHIA IS BACK!
HEAR ME SCREAM…..
HA! Okay, so you get the picture, book two in the Afterlife saga has finally been released and Keira and Dominic Draven are now a very unconventional human vs. Demon/Angel demi-god couple. Unconventional being the height of emphasis here, because we learn something pretty special in book two – Dominic isn’t just the leader of the Supernatural world that reside within our realm as they walk and exist among us – he is their King. His word is law. His mission: to maintain a balance of Light and Darkness. Good vs. Evil. However, the scales have recently tipped, due to some extra added weight that came in the form of Kiera, the human girl who recently bounded into his life and set it spinning, even at times, out of his own monumental control. ‘His Electa’ – The ‘Chosen One’.
Kiera was born for Dominic, she was selected by the Gods to be his one true-love, and the Gods have a plan. However, he didn’t count on it being a feisty Liverpudlian girl from England, who has a knack for not doing as her told, and ruffling more than a few Angel feathers in the process. Nevertheless, his love for her is all-consuming, passionate and true. But with this love comes an overwhelming need to possess and protect what is his. No-one can touch her, anyone breathes on her or looks at her funny and not only do they feel the mighty wrath of a jealous lover, but his Demon side is, to be frank, a little scary…
Kiera is finally succumbing to the idea that the man she loves is, (although way out of her league), her soul-mate. Her Dominic. The man who had saved her life when the nightmares of her past had come back to haunt her. Now, Morgan (her ex crazy kidnapper) was dead, it seemed that Kiera and Dominic could now embrace their love, all the while adapting to Draven’s ‘otherworld’ in the club known as ‘Afterlife.’
As they spend countless nights together, the passion and love they feel for each other fuels some very steamy encounters that will make your toes curl! This also includes a brush with disaster involving some sexy underwear, an accidental kiss with the *cough* ‘Wrong’ Draven Brother, Demon shopping escapades, and oh, some new Demon stalker invading her dreams, it seems Kiera’s idea of leading a ‘normal’ life are slipping away, day by day.
There is also the little problem of Hilary, Libby and Kiera’s ghastly cousin, who is coming to stay for a week or two and who seems to make it her life’s mission of making Kiera’s life a total living hell, is just another thing to add to the ever expanding list of problems.
To help relieve the fear that still eats away at Keira’s core, and to help alleviate hidden threats, Dominic gifts Kiera with a little support, in the form of Ragnar, a Warrior Viking Demon who gets given the task of becoming her new Bodyguard.
With her life continually scrutinised and kept under close watchful eye, Keira feels herself, regrettably at times, succumbing to the pressure of being with The King, but nothing prepares her for the plans her new Demon stalker has for her. Lucius, is not just another Demon, he is also a being of formidable mind power, for he is also a ruler, known as: The Vampire King. Forged and reborn from the fires of hell by Lucifer himself, he is branded as being the only ‘other’ that can potentially rival Dominic’s powers.
Things start to take a monumental turn when Lucius up’s the stakes in his mind games. By controlling her dreams he threatens the promise that Kiera will soon belong to him – his quest for revenge on his nemesis is vital in his plan, and yet his power has the ability to wield Kiera into keeping quiet, and therefore making her unable to voice her troubles to Dominic, who is the only one that can protect her…
*
This is a stunning book. It’s a commendable second instalment that again, like its predecessor, is on the long side and will require another marathon read. Yes, because it is 1087 pages, and yet I was still sad when I had finished it. It also ended on a little cliff-hanger, so book three cannot come soon enough! Please don’t let the length deter you. If there is one thing that Stephanie Hudson is good at, that is her ability to throw you into each scene like you are living it. She has given each character a world of room to nurture and grow, and I feel now that I personally know every single one of them.
Kiera can be indecisive, and her self-doubt about Draven’s true feelings was questioned countless times when it wasn’t completely necessary. But she is a strong heroine, and her musings just made her feel more ‘human’, so I understand this aspect of her character and at times, when not an irritation, her naivety was rather endearing.
My only gripe is that I am a Vincent Girl. I am a sucker for Angel’s and I find his character not only the most beautiful, but he’s also the most elusive and I want his character to be further nurtured. I want to jump into my kindle, grab him and unleash that bad boy inside. But I have been assured by the author that she has an exciting ‘plan’ for him, so watch this space…
Stephanie Hudson, you have a fan for life. I am still ‘Craving the Drave’ so 2013 cannot come soon enough…
5 STARS.
March 21, 2013
I hate to tell but reading this book was for me very painfull, boring and frustrating experience:( I wanted to strangle Keira, why she has to be so damn stupid, childish, flat and weepy ??? You can ask me why I keep reading and I my answer is that I probably have twisted kind of curiosity:) I'm interested in whole Lucius character:)
September 12, 2014
I am 56% through the book and I don't know if I can finish it. I really want to like this book, and this series has so much potential, but the author gets lost in too many trivial details and I found myself skipping a bunch of pages. Not only that, but when something "big" happens she never really explains the significance of it. (Spoilers) Like when she gets lost in the temple and pricks her finger on the vine that allows her to enter and that mark shows up on her hand. Once she finally gets back to their bedroom with Draven and when he demands to know how she got down there she never shows him the mark or even mentions it and it is never brought up again. Another frustrating scene is when she catches Draven in Sophia's play room with another woman in his arms after experiencing a very traumatic evening. She runs away from him and then he blames her for his behavior and she starts crying and says she it's because she is so ashamed of herself. Seriously?!? I really don't like Keira's character. She is very immature and cries all the time, Draven is an overbearing ass and it seems like he is always laughing at her. The sex scenes are so over the top they are almost comical, and Keira gets embarrassed about everything and is either blushing, covering her face, or crying. And what's up with the whole period thing? I have never read a book where so much focus was put on that one little aspect. I'm not sure if I'm going to finish this book or not. I really like the story but I think I'll go write my history paper first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2018
Why did I do this to myself?
I picked up the second book in the series because I was sure that the main character Kiera was going to get better, that she was going to stop being a whiny b**ch. But no, nope, absolutely not. If you though that Kiera was stupid on the first book please do not read any further, this is so much worse.
All she does is cry and be scared of everything, even Draven. STILL SCARED OF DRAVEN!
Kiera does not evolve at all, her character does not grow out of this self pity that she always falls into.
Oh, and everyone has the hots for Kiera. I can count 5 so far. This drives me absolutely insane.
The Author still keeps us in the dark for as to why Kiera, and many many things is left unexplained.
I have also at this point given up on Draven as he is too overprotective and come off as a father figure sometimes because he is constantly coddling Kiera, and this is a big no no.
The Author is amazing with the visual details of the world around these characters, but the story lacks a a lot. The Author fills the page with pointless things that don't add anything to the story itself. Again.
I did not finish this book because when Kiera started to sob and cry for the millionth time, I could not go on.
And a warning to the ones that are thinking about the audio book. DON'T do it. JUST DON'T. The narrator is nasally and makes Kiera and Draven sound like kids. Annoying. Horrible. Painful.
I picked up the second book in the series because I was sure that the main character Kiera was going to get better, that she was going to stop being a whiny b**ch. But no, nope, absolutely not. If you though that Kiera was stupid on the first book please do not read any further, this is so much worse.
All she does is cry and be scared of everything, even Draven. STILL SCARED OF DRAVEN!
Kiera does not evolve at all, her character does not grow out of this self pity that she always falls into.
Oh, and everyone has the hots for Kiera. I can count 5 so far. This drives me absolutely insane.
The Author still keeps us in the dark for as to why Kiera, and many many things is left unexplained.
I have also at this point given up on Draven as he is too overprotective and come off as a father figure sometimes because he is constantly coddling Kiera, and this is a big no no.
The Author is amazing with the visual details of the world around these characters, but the story lacks a a lot. The Author fills the page with pointless things that don't add anything to the story itself. Again.
I did not finish this book because when Kiera started to sob and cry for the millionth time, I could not go on.
And a warning to the ones that are thinking about the audio book. DON'T do it. JUST DON'T. The narrator is nasally and makes Kiera and Draven sound like kids. Annoying. Horrible. Painful.
March 16, 2013
2.5 Stars
Jeez what happened? I was pretty excited to start book 2, but having finished it, I just feel underwhelmed and annoyed. This book was even longer than the first and while I wasn't too bothered by this in book 1, it really got to me here. There was just too much filler and repetitive things happening, I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. There were a few interesting twists, but they got lost somewhere amidst all those pages. I had to consistently skim to get to the point and/or some answers about things laid down in book 1, but even with a 700+ word count I got very little. Besides the love scenes, the story also felt like a YA book, even more so than the first one. I found a lot of the banter/actions simple, even immature. The hero became too much of a caveman for my taste and the heroine just too inept. The story kept highlighting the heroines purity, but provided only a few examples of this, which made me want to scratch my head every time someone pointed it. I'm sure that this will be addressed in later books, but I'm not sure I'll have the patience or desire to hang on for those answers. If you are hoping to learn more about 'Electus', you won't find much in this book. I might check out book 3 but not for some time.
Jeez what happened? I was pretty excited to start book 2, but having finished it, I just feel underwhelmed and annoyed. This book was even longer than the first and while I wasn't too bothered by this in book 1, it really got to me here. There was just too much filler and repetitive things happening, I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. There were a few interesting twists, but they got lost somewhere amidst all those pages. I had to consistently skim to get to the point and/or some answers about things laid down in book 1, but even with a 700+ word count I got very little. Besides the love scenes, the story also felt like a YA book, even more so than the first one. I found a lot of the banter/actions simple, even immature. The hero became too much of a caveman for my taste and the heroine just too inept. The story kept highlighting the heroines purity, but provided only a few examples of this, which made me want to scratch my head every time someone pointed it. I'm sure that this will be addressed in later books, but I'm not sure I'll have the patience or desire to hang on for those answers. If you are hoping to learn more about 'Electus', you won't find much in this book. I might check out book 3 but not for some time.
September 21, 2014
So, yes, I read on still trying to figure out what all these 5 star reviews are about.
I still don't know. I mean really, I don't care whether she washes her hair or not, what she's wearing or how long it takes her to pick out her outfit that is then described as dull, how often she uses the bathroom, what she eats etc etc etc. There are just so many really long dull descriptive passages in this book (and some bad spelling and grammatical errors).
But I kept going, it must get better, it must, but it didn't. Had this been a real book rather than on my Kindle I think I might have ceremoniously burnt it, or at least thrown it very hard at the wall. It was the same unhealthy relationship with two people who talk talk talk but can't seem to understand each other and so little real action that when it does come your brain is too fried to actually care.
I still have two more of this series on my Kindle but I have no idea whether I will actually read them.
I still don't know. I mean really, I don't care whether she washes her hair or not, what she's wearing or how long it takes her to pick out her outfit that is then described as dull, how often she uses the bathroom, what she eats etc etc etc. There are just so many really long dull descriptive passages in this book (and some bad spelling and grammatical errors).
But I kept going, it must get better, it must, but it didn't. Had this been a real book rather than on my Kindle I think I might have ceremoniously burnt it, or at least thrown it very hard at the wall. It was the same unhealthy relationship with two people who talk talk talk but can't seem to understand each other and so little real action that when it does come your brain is too fried to actually care.
I still have two more of this series on my Kindle but I have no idea whether I will actually read them.
March 28, 2021
Ok
, this one was good. Still have issues with the “stood” instead of “standing “ but it’s ok, I’m sure I’ll get use to it soon. This one opened up more of this world and looking forward to the next.
, this one was good. Still have issues with the “stood” instead of “standing “ but it’s ok, I’m sure I’ll get use to it soon. This one opened up more of this world and looking forward to the next.
June 27, 2021
<3 Draven, want to slap Keira
Please Stephanie change your ideas on heroines. Keira has everything going for her, and yet she just can't get out of her own way. She should have told Dominic about her dreams iinstead of lying to him! She is a magnet for trouble because if her lies and deceit. The saying "Oh what a tangled web we weave. When we practice to deceive."
Nobody I know likes stupid, nor can they relate to stupid. I gave no sympathy or empathy for Keira Dom would be better without her.
Please Stephanie change your ideas on heroines. Keira has everything going for her, and yet she just can't get out of her own way. She should have told Dominic about her dreams iinstead of lying to him! She is a magnet for trouble because if her lies and deceit. The saying "Oh what a tangled web we weave. When we practice to deceive."
Nobody I know likes stupid, nor can they relate to stupid. I gave no sympathy or empathy for Keira Dom would be better without her.
August 4, 2015
I enjoy these - all Free on Unlimited. The editing certainly leaves a lot to be desired, both in terms of the sentence structure and also the typical phoenetic problems. Anyway, I'm still into them and have the 3rd book ready to cast myself into.
October 4, 2012
I am giving this book a rating of 5 because I simply enjoyed reading it. I can't put it any other way. The Two Kings is the second book in the Afterlife Saga which to my understanding, will consist of 7 books. In The Two Kings, Kiera, the heroine, is with Dominic "Draven" who is half Demon, Half Angel. Keira struggles as she continues to have dreams that consume her and is hunted by a powerful being, Lucius, who wants to take her away from Draven.
Now there is more that happens in this book than Keira and her dreams. We are introduced to more characters. Plus we get a better insight to Draven and Keira's past and hings are constantly happening. I was not bored.
Keira, did get on my nerves First, it was her her constant insecurities on whether someone as stunning as Draven would ever want her. Draven, the poor guy :), constantly reassures her of his love for her and how beautiful she is, but she questions it to no end, which got very annoying. Keira is "The Chosen" yet she acts so immature when it comes to their relationship. She is this strong woman who fights against these evil creatures, yet can't get it through her thick skull that this guy loves her. However, when she wasn't questioning their love, the sex scenes were steamy hot. Draven is the overly jealous boyfriend, but I still love him.
There were parts that the author could have cut back on the descriptions and verbiage, but in all the book was 1,087 pages and I enjoyed 99% of it. This is why I almost gave it 4 stars, but I changed it after much thought because in all the book is awesome, wonderful and a great read. I think this is only the author's second book and for a new and upcoming author, she is doing a great job and I want people to read her books. Unlike many other authors, I think this author is going to get better and better.
I know I love a book when #1 - I rarely skim (I skimmed a little and I mean maybe a paragraph here and there because as I mentioned, the descriptions got of of control and information was being said more than once); #2 - I did not want the book to end (I was sad last night when I finished it); and #3 - I am thinking about the book the next day (I just got home from lunch with friends and was telling them all about the book). Yes, even after reading all 1, 087 pages, I was very upset that the book ended. I want the third book in my hands yesterday. I think the author mentioned on Facebook the third book will come out early 2013. That is too long for me to wait.
To the author: I would have liked a "bonus" chapter at the end of this book. The bonus chapter would be Vincent's (Draven's twin brother) POV of the time he walked in on Keira when she was lying on the bed "waiting for" Draven.
Ms. Hudson, do you think as a bonus on your website or on Facebook, you can give that to your readers (mostly me)??? It doesn't hurt to ask ;)
Now there is more that happens in this book than Keira and her dreams. We are introduced to more characters. Plus we get a better insight to Draven and Keira's past and hings are constantly happening. I was not bored.
Keira, did get on my nerves First, it was her her constant insecurities on whether someone as stunning as Draven would ever want her. Draven, the poor guy :), constantly reassures her of his love for her and how beautiful she is, but she questions it to no end, which got very annoying. Keira is "The Chosen" yet she acts so immature when it comes to their relationship. She is this strong woman who fights against these evil creatures, yet can't get it through her thick skull that this guy loves her. However, when she wasn't questioning their love, the sex scenes were steamy hot. Draven is the overly jealous boyfriend, but I still love him.
There were parts that the author could have cut back on the descriptions and verbiage, but in all the book was 1,087 pages and I enjoyed 99% of it. This is why I almost gave it 4 stars, but I changed it after much thought because in all the book is awesome, wonderful and a great read. I think this is only the author's second book and for a new and upcoming author, she is doing a great job and I want people to read her books. Unlike many other authors, I think this author is going to get better and better.
I know I love a book when #1 - I rarely skim (I skimmed a little and I mean maybe a paragraph here and there because as I mentioned, the descriptions got of of control and information was being said more than once); #2 - I did not want the book to end (I was sad last night when I finished it); and #3 - I am thinking about the book the next day (I just got home from lunch with friends and was telling them all about the book). Yes, even after reading all 1, 087 pages, I was very upset that the book ended. I want the third book in my hands yesterday. I think the author mentioned on Facebook the third book will come out early 2013. That is too long for me to wait.
To the author: I would have liked a "bonus" chapter at the end of this book. The bonus chapter would be Vincent's (Draven's twin brother) POV of the time he walked in on Keira when she was lying on the bed "waiting for" Draven.
Ms. Hudson, do you think as a bonus on your website or on Facebook, you can give that to your readers (mostly me)??? It doesn't hurt to ask ;)
December 11, 2018
This is the continuation of the exact day that Afterlife ended, and now The Two Kings begins. I didn't really have much hope for this novel because I was so disappointed with the first one. And in the beginning there really isn't much difference from the first one when it comes to the writing style. However I do not like the fact that Keira has changed so much, it's like her personality did a complete one eighty, and not in a good way. I really thought she was a lot less shy than the was she acts in this one. And again like I've said before the romance just went way to quickly, and now it seems to go even more quickly. But at least in this one you have more conversations between Keira and Dominic than in the first one and that is a good thing!
There were a few things that happened in this book that I really felt held no meaning to the story line. Like some of the stuff that happened between Keira and Vincent, just didn't make a lot of sense to me, and I thought really didn't need to be in the book it just took up time, and held no meaning. I was seriously frustrated with this book because Keira and Dominic just kept going back and forth, constantly arguing it was driving me crazy!
And the ending has a cliffhanger. I really just didn't like this book at all, it seemed too long and drawn out with different things that had no meaning to the actual story. I will not be continuing this series, because I just ended up not liking it at all!
There were a few things that happened in this book that I really felt held no meaning to the story line. Like some of the stuff that happened between Keira and Vincent, just didn't make a lot of sense to me, and I thought really didn't need to be in the book it just took up time, and held no meaning. I was seriously frustrated with this book because Keira and Dominic just kept going back and forth, constantly arguing it was driving me crazy!
And the ending has a cliffhanger. I really just didn't like this book at all, it seemed too long and drawn out with different things that had no meaning to the actual story. I will not be continuing this series, because I just ended up not liking it at all!
January 19, 2021
Just awful.
If u like reading books about abusive men this is for u. Im usually pretty open to strong and slightly controlling male characters but this is awful everytime this fool does something not ok instead of the heroine addressing it she fucking caves and its ALWAYS her fault in the end. Im sorry but purposefully fully setting up and orgy to have ur go walk in on and see u with someone else to "teach them a lesson" is an awful thing to do to someone and she agrees with him its her fault he had to do that. Like wtf.. intention plays a big part here why be with someone who feels they need to teach u a lesson like that? Awful just awful. Got tired of his bullshit and her taking his bullshit over it.
If u like reading books about abusive men this is for u. Im usually pretty open to strong and slightly controlling male characters but this is awful everytime this fool does something not ok instead of the heroine addressing it she fucking caves and its ALWAYS her fault in the end. Im sorry but purposefully fully setting up and orgy to have ur go walk in on and see u with someone else to "teach them a lesson" is an awful thing to do to someone and she agrees with him its her fault he had to do that. Like wtf.. intention plays a big part here why be with someone who feels they need to teach u a lesson like that? Awful just awful. Got tired of his bullshit and her taking his bullshit over it.
August 28, 2015
OMFG. I tried with this book. I really did, but it is filled with so much crap I couldn't take it anymore. I cannot stand how weak Keira is, how she is constantly crying and falling apart. She is beyond annoying. And sex is completely over played, I feel like it was mostly used as a filler to fill in the gaps. This book consists mostly of really long, descriptive passages, then sex, maybe some action, then some more really long, descriptive passages. I don't even have enough left in me to properly rant about how poorly written this book truly was. Ugh. If you were questioning the first book, just skip this one, NOT worth it.
March 15, 2013
Another fantastically written book from Stephanie Hudson thank God book 3 is out what a cliffhanger.
April 19, 2018
I am really enjoying this series, this book mainly explores the relationship between Keira and Dominic and the impending arrival of Lucius..... I love stories where you read about the mundane like cooking washing everyday tasks a person would do as it gives us time to take in whats going on before jumping to something else, i won't give this book anything less than a 5 as i really do love it, the characters are complex the romance is amazing.....
I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, considering how long it was i was expecting more to happen, or more light to be shed on characters i actually put this copy down a few times. Keira and Dominic argue more than anything else, It really did nag on me quite a bit by the end over stupid things, plus its always saying how pure she is, i get that she has been through alot but she acts like any decent human nothing more nothing less.
Still i do love this series the authors wring is exactly what i love, and i'm sure i will be reading book 3 until the late hours of tonight just a few things above that made it not as great as book 1.
I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, considering how long it was i was expecting more to happen, or more light to be shed on characters i actually put this copy down a few times. Keira and Dominic argue more than anything else, It really did nag on me quite a bit by the end over stupid things, plus its always saying how pure she is, i get that she has been through alot but she acts like any decent human nothing more nothing less.
Still i do love this series the authors wring is exactly what i love, and i'm sure i will be reading book 3 until the late hours of tonight just a few things above that made it not as great as book 1.
October 14, 2022
Haven't finished the book but just want to note that I found both Kazzy’s nightmare about Frank’s uncle’s death and details about her period unnecessary. Maybe they’ll be relevant at some point but right now they’re just page fillers. Also, what made her vomit? That’s not a common reaction to having one’s menses. It would make more sense if she had a migraine.
Further along I’m skimming pages because she hears a female screaming, gets out of bed, dresses and then proceeds to follow the sound which involves extensive travel throughout Dom’s enormous residence. Doesn’t it strike her a bit odd that the sound could travel not only a great distance but penetrate what seemingly are stone walls? Then she witnesses a sacrifice of the female. How could this be happening in Dom’s domain? It’s apparent that Lucius can reach her in her dreams. Is this also a dream? (Answered later in book) Agree with others about the stupidity of her getting some kind of special mark that’s never explained or shown to Dominic. You’d think he’d notice it at some point.
Not only in the above instance but in several places it’s hard to know if what’s going on is a dream or really happening.
It’s throes of passion, not throws. Gah! You’d think a romance writer could get this right.
Okay, Keira cries more than is humanly possible. Happy? Cries. Sad? Cries. Scared? Cries. You get the picture. Despite all the tea she drinks she’d be a dehydrated prune by now. I feel sorry for Dominic that fate has destined her for him. Nobody could love that hot mess unless supernatural interference was involved. I agree when he says he doesn’t deserve her. Nobody should get stuck with that. She’s not simply stubborn but TSTL. I’d hand her over to Lucius in a New York minute if I was in Dom’s shoes.
Favorite scene: Posing in the Victoria’s Secret ensemble. Reminded me of I Love Lucy had they ever done anything risqué.
Why won’t she call Dom by his first name most of the time? Why is she so ashamed to be seen naked? It’s not like he’s never seen her without clothing. Reminds me, I hate the boyfriend/girlfriend terminology. They aren’t in high school. Isn’t there a more mature reference?
She says they won’t be able to sleep together when visiting her parents. She also indicates that she has to sleep with him to avoid nightmares. How’s that going to work?
Further along I’m skimming pages because she hears a female screaming, gets out of bed, dresses and then proceeds to follow the sound which involves extensive travel throughout Dom’s enormous residence. Doesn’t it strike her a bit odd that the sound could travel not only a great distance but penetrate what seemingly are stone walls? Then she witnesses a sacrifice of the female. How could this be happening in Dom’s domain? It’s apparent that Lucius can reach her in her dreams. Is this also a dream? (Answered later in book) Agree with others about the stupidity of her getting some kind of special mark that’s never explained or shown to Dominic. You’d think he’d notice it at some point.
Not only in the above instance but in several places it’s hard to know if what’s going on is a dream or really happening.
It’s throes of passion, not throws. Gah! You’d think a romance writer could get this right.
Okay, Keira cries more than is humanly possible. Happy? Cries. Sad? Cries. Scared? Cries. You get the picture. Despite all the tea she drinks she’d be a dehydrated prune by now. I feel sorry for Dominic that fate has destined her for him. Nobody could love that hot mess unless supernatural interference was involved. I agree when he says he doesn’t deserve her. Nobody should get stuck with that. She’s not simply stubborn but TSTL. I’d hand her over to Lucius in a New York minute if I was in Dom’s shoes.
Favorite scene: Posing in the Victoria’s Secret ensemble. Reminded me of I Love Lucy had they ever done anything risqué.
Why won’t she call Dom by his first name most of the time? Why is she so ashamed to be seen naked? It’s not like he’s never seen her without clothing. Reminds me, I hate the boyfriend/girlfriend terminology. They aren’t in high school. Isn’t there a more mature reference?
She says they won’t be able to sleep together when visiting her parents. She also indicates that she has to sleep with him to avoid nightmares. How’s that going to work?
April 22, 2022
Wow!
Okay, I actually do love all the inner monologue that Keira goes through before she finally acts on whatever dilemma she's debating on, but I wish we could've also have Dom's inner dialogue/POV, too!! #AlternatePOVsNeeded %-D
There was SO MUCH DRAMA, especially when her cousin Hilary arrives. Man, Kiera is too nice to her and after that blowout at the club?!? I was actually cheering Kiera on! Hee-Hee She really did a number on her cousin, and the relationship between a Kiera & Dom is just too much for her to adjust to; I wish she would just accept it already.
He's a King for the Supernatural world and she's just a human, it's not a "normal" relationship whatsoever, but the love is there...in spades! Then the mental attacks from Lucius! So, so much is going on folks and I'm enjoying the ride! %-D
Only thing is the end...I was actually freaking out/crying for Ragnar and the decision that Keira had to make on his life! Cliffhangers are the worst, right?? On to the next! #HappyReading ♥
Okay, I actually do love all the inner monologue that Keira goes through before she finally acts on whatever dilemma she's debating on, but I wish we could've also have Dom's inner dialogue/POV, too!! #AlternatePOVsNeeded %-D
There was SO MUCH DRAMA, especially when her cousin Hilary arrives. Man, Kiera is too nice to her and after that blowout at the club?!? I was actually cheering Kiera on! Hee-Hee She really did a number on her cousin, and the relationship between a Kiera & Dom is just too much for her to adjust to; I wish she would just accept it already.
He's a King for the Supernatural world and she's just a human, it's not a "normal" relationship whatsoever, but the love is there...in spades! Then the mental attacks from Lucius! So, so much is going on folks and I'm enjoying the ride! %-D
Only thing is the end...I was actually freaking out/crying for Ragnar and the decision that Keira had to make on his life! Cliffhangers are the worst, right?? On to the next! #HappyReading ♥
December 4, 2015
The premise of this series is fun but my one complaint has been that she could write her books with a few hundred less pages and they would probably be better. After reading this second book I a thinking that this 7 book series could probably be well done in 4 or 5 books. There was almost nothing in this book that advanced the overall plot and there was almost no character development at all. Just the same people having the same conflicts over and over. I'm still interested enough to read the next book but if something doesn't happen soon this series is over for me.
November 12, 2013
omg!!!!! i have just finished this book!!! i loved it could not put it down... have had this series on my kindle for awhile and cant believe i havent read it until now.. i was totally lost in the story . were can i find a nightclub like afterlife so i can get my hands on dominic draven....cant believe the cliff hanger at the end ...will be starting the 3rd one today for sure....
April 17, 2022
Truly irritating and moronic heroine
Awful awful heroine. Petulant childish and immature
Would cross her arms like a five year-old and scream and shout to get her own way.
Would state she would not be told what to so then expect to be saved when her stupidity get her into trouble. Poured and sulked throughout.
Just horrible
Got my money back - seriously don't bother!!
Awful awful heroine. Petulant childish and immature
Would cross her arms like a five year-old and scream and shout to get her own way.
Would state she would not be told what to so then expect to be saved when her stupidity get her into trouble. Poured and sulked throughout.
Just horrible
Got my money back - seriously don't bother!!
October 10, 2012
Love it!! Can't wait for book 3 to come out!! The ending has me thinking I know who it is and after reading the 1st chapter of book 3 I'm quite sure but probably wrong!! Sneaky people work in the VIP! Love it!! Crikey, I wish Draven was my boyfriend, there would be no running away from him!
August 23, 2024
This was the most boring book in this series, after this book, if you can get through it, that is, it does get better.
November 22, 2020
Yes! A 3! I know right!
Ok so this is how I made descion. I do love the characters but at least in this story they are both particularly whiny and bratty. Kiera is making a lot of wrong decisions and her internal dialogue is ear piercing! Right now I do not see the point of a lot of things that were written about. Hillary for one. How Jack is easily turned. Then the jealousy game which is very very high school. This a demon that is ancient why would he behave as if he is a bratty high school kid!
I do not know what she has in store for us in The Triple Goddess, but this read has left me unfulfilled.
Many authors start storylines in one book that end the books that follow. Hudson's writing is awesome and I for one am willing to continue to read the series hoping that as many questions and situations that create new threads will be answered for in following books.
Did I mention the stoey is LOOOONG!
Ok so this is how I made descion. I do love the characters but at least in this story they are both particularly whiny and bratty. Kiera is making a lot of wrong decisions and her internal dialogue is ear piercing! Right now I do not see the point of a lot of things that were written about. Hillary for one. How Jack is easily turned. Then the jealousy game which is very very high school. This a demon that is ancient why would he behave as if he is a bratty high school kid!
I do not know what she has in store for us in The Triple Goddess, but this read has left me unfulfilled.
Many authors start storylines in one book that end the books that follow. Hudson's writing is awesome and I for one am willing to continue to read the series hoping that as many questions and situations that create new threads will be answered for in following books.
Did I mention the stoey is LOOOONG!
July 29, 2025
Keira has faced her nightmares and beaten them and now she's ready to just be a happy college student who gets to spend time with Draven. But, Keira is shocked when she realizes that her troubles have only just started. And if she thought that being hunted by humans was dangerous, then being hunted by the world's most powerful beings is going to spin her head and she's going to find herself thrown deeper into the world of the supernatural.
Keira refuses to stop seeing the handsome man that stands before her, and like she can't stop the way that she wants him she can't stop the way that he wants her and at the same time she can't stop the dreams that she finds consume her nights. But, there's a dark controlling man who follows her every step, and he isn't the man she's in love with rather he's the man who is hunting her. Now it's up to the only man who has enough power and strength to keep Keira safe and he doesn't play well with others and he doesn't share Keira with anyone. And most of all, he doesn't take kindly at all to people or other supernatural beings trying to take anything or anyone that belongs to him and Keira belongs to one man and one man alone...
Dominic Draven.
Will the fight for Keira and Dominic's love be enough to survive this new world that Keira is forced to live in?
More importantly, can Keira survive being with the King of Afterlife?
The Two Kings is the 2nd Book in the Afterlife Saga by Stephanie Hudson. So here I am, still craving the Drave. I am still hooked on this series, even though this was another long-haul of a book. I still find that Keira and Dominic are the most unlikely of a pair, I mean seriously, Keira is a 23-year-old human girl and Dominic is a centuries-old Angel/Demon Demi-God. And I have to say that they are unconventional given that we do learn something rather special about Dom. He's not just the leader of the Supernatural world that resides in our own world and sees Angels and Demons walking among us – no he's their King.
In other words, this means that his word is the law. So, what does that mean for his mission? He's to maintain the balance between Light and Dark, Good vs. Evil. And yet, we see that the scales have now been tipped, and that's due to some added extra weight, and that's because of Keira. Dominic's 'Electa' – The 'Chosen One'.
We learn that Keira was born to be a match for Dominic, the Gods selected her to be Dominic's soulmate, and as always the Gods have a plan. What Dominic didn't count on was that his 'Electa' was going to be this feisty girl from England, she has this ability to not do as she's told and she seems to enjoy ruffling Angel feathers as often as she can.
No matter what Keira does though, Dom's love for her is unfailing, all-consuming, passionate, and true. But, at the same time, he has this tendency to let his feelings overwhelm him and wants to protect her no matter what. He is constantly reminding everyone that no one can touch Keira but him and if anyone looks at her or her family wrong they will feel his wrath, honestly Dom's demon side is just a little scary at times.
Keira is finally adapting to the idea that while the man she is head over heels in love with is truly her soul mate. Dominic saved her from Morgan when he returned to haunt and hunt her and now he's dead and it seems like Keira and Dominic can finally settle into a normal relationship and just embrace their new love.
Together they spend countless nights wrapped up in each other's arms, the passion and love they feel for each other oozing off the page with lots of spicy encounters that will get your heart rate up and will make even you blush. And this does include an accidental kiss with the *opps sorry* wrong Draven Brother. We also get a fun shopping expedition with Keira and Sophia.
And then a new Demon dream stalker appears, invading Keira's dreams and what's worse, somehow this demon can prevent Keira from telling Dominic what's happening and about her dreams. Now Keira is realizing that her fantasy of this “Normal” life with Dominic is slipping away through her fingers like sand in an hourglass.
We also had this little problem of Libby and Keira's obnoxious cousin Hilary, who comes to visit for a week or two and makes their lives horrid. It seems like it's Hilary's mission in life to destroy everything good in Keira's life and it's just adding to the growing list of problems that Keira has in her life.
To help ensure that Keira is always safe, Dominic insists that she has a bodyguard and this comes in the form of former Warrior Viking King turned demon Ragnar. At first, Keira doesn't like this but slowly she adapts to her new bodyguard to the point that she doesn't feel at ease unless he is by her side or following in the next vehicle.
Keira's life it seems is constantly being probed and she's always got eyes on her, she finds that she is starting to feel like she is crumbling under the pressure of being with the King. But, when she learns who her new Demon Stalker is, she is shocked and knocked back a step, and what that demon has in store for her shocks her to her core.
Lucius is more than just yet another Demon who is after Keira, he is also known for his ability to control the minds of others, and more than that he is The Vampire King. He was forged in the fires of hell and reborn by Lucifer himself. Now, he is the only being that could potentially rival Dominic's powers.
Lucius ups the stakes in his games and turns the tables on Keira and Dominic. He begins to control Keira's dreams and reveals to her that she will soon belong to him and him alone – it's all in his mission to seek revenge on Dominic and it is vital in his plan that Keira be his. And he manages to control Keira's mind and prevent her from telling Dominic that he's been visiting her in her dreams. And Dominic is truly the only one who can protect her from Lucius and the plans he has for her.
My God this is an amazing book. It truly is the 2nd instalment we deserved to this saga, even if it is on the long side, and I still love that as we get to know our characters even better than we did in the first book, we get to know how they feel and what they are thinking, at least from the point of view of Keira.
I know the length of the book is over 1000 pages and to listen to the book is 33 hours to listen to it is a commitment to either read or listen to. But, it doesn't feel like it is that long to listen to it. (I have been listening to the series as I have been reading other physical books at the same time.) And Stephanie has this amazing ability to write scenes that just draw you in and make you feel like you are living them yourself, not reading or listening to them. Each character has this amazing amount of room to nurture their spirit and grow and at this point, I feel like I know Dominic, Keira, Sophia, Vincent, Libby, Frank, and RJ, and so many of the other characters that you get to see all the time.
Keira kind of pissed me off at times throughout this book. There were so many times that she needlessly questioned if Dominic really loved her and if his feelings were real. But, at the same time, she is such an amazingly strong FMC and there were times where her questioning just made her feel more real and honestly more 'human'. And when not irritating me to no end of the earth I found her naivety was really very endearing.
As I said, Keira really pissed me off in this book, and it's more than just how she keeps on questioning if Dominic loved her or not.
1. I found that she spent more time in this book crying than anything else. It felt as if she wasn't crying on every page then she was crying every other page. And it was just over done and it felt immature and annoying at times. And what's worse, you know and can tell how strong she is, but with how much crying she does, it just seems like she is so weak.
2. She is always making the wrong choice, even when everyone around her is trying to tell her not to do something, even when her head is telling her not to do something she still goes off running towards the wrong choice.
3. She doesn't have a backbone. She will let Dominic treat her like a child and like she doesn't have a voice of her own. Please don't get me wrong. I love a dominant possessive alpha hero. But, when our FMC has to fight with him just to prove that she is his equal, not a toy, not his object, not his subject that has to OBEY HIM.
Our FMC is supposed to be able to stand up for herself, stand on her own, not need a man for everything, she should be able to defy her man and not worry that he's going to break up with her. I just want to see Keira stand up for herself, put her foot down with Dominic, and yet all she ever did was what he wanted her to do.
She'd hang her head, stare at her feet like this little child, tear up or full out cry, and just do as she was told because she's just his submissive at this point and I need her to grow a backbone and stand up to him like she did Lucius.
I'm going to show a bit of a bias here. I love my reverse harems. And I am in love with Vincent. I am a sucker for any Angel and I just love his character and the way he interacts with Keira. Yes, he's elusive and I want to get to know him better and I feel like there's a bit of a bad boy in him. And we know that Stephanie has plans for him so I guess we just have to wait and see.
But, at the same time. I love the way that Vincent and Keira interact, the way they flirt, they have this natural chemistry and while I know that Dominic refuses to share and let anyone else touch Keira, I wish that Keira could have both brothers. I think this could be a great MFM saga. But, I know that's not the case, but I can't wait to see what Stephanie has in store for Vincent. I hope he gets his own HEA.
Even though Keira totally pissed me off in this book I still really liked this book. I am enjoying this Saga. I like longer series, I'm looking at you Zodiac Academy, and I'm looking forward to continuing on into the next booking. I'm enjoying Stephanie's writing style and I am hooked on the characters and the storyline and plot and subplot that Stephanie has created.
I do recommend this book and this series if you haven't already started it and I know that Stephanie has a lot of other series out there and I can't help but recommend anything else that she has written as she has an amazing writing style.
And I can't leave this review without talking about that CLIFFHANGER!!! OH MY GOD!!!! I need to know who the traitor is like yesterday. (OK, I'll admit I already know who it is as I'm already into book 3 but my lips are zipped.) All I am going to say is you will be shocked by who it is, I never imagined this person was the traitor.
Keira refuses to stop seeing the handsome man that stands before her, and like she can't stop the way that she wants him she can't stop the way that he wants her and at the same time she can't stop the dreams that she finds consume her nights. But, there's a dark controlling man who follows her every step, and he isn't the man she's in love with rather he's the man who is hunting her. Now it's up to the only man who has enough power and strength to keep Keira safe and he doesn't play well with others and he doesn't share Keira with anyone. And most of all, he doesn't take kindly at all to people or other supernatural beings trying to take anything or anyone that belongs to him and Keira belongs to one man and one man alone...
Dominic Draven.
Will the fight for Keira and Dominic's love be enough to survive this new world that Keira is forced to live in?
More importantly, can Keira survive being with the King of Afterlife?
The Two Kings is the 2nd Book in the Afterlife Saga by Stephanie Hudson. So here I am, still craving the Drave. I am still hooked on this series, even though this was another long-haul of a book. I still find that Keira and Dominic are the most unlikely of a pair, I mean seriously, Keira is a 23-year-old human girl and Dominic is a centuries-old Angel/Demon Demi-God. And I have to say that they are unconventional given that we do learn something rather special about Dom. He's not just the leader of the Supernatural world that resides in our own world and sees Angels and Demons walking among us – no he's their King.
In other words, this means that his word is the law. So, what does that mean for his mission? He's to maintain the balance between Light and Dark, Good vs. Evil. And yet, we see that the scales have now been tipped, and that's due to some added extra weight, and that's because of Keira. Dominic's 'Electa' – The 'Chosen One'.
We learn that Keira was born to be a match for Dominic, the Gods selected her to be Dominic's soulmate, and as always the Gods have a plan. What Dominic didn't count on was that his 'Electa' was going to be this feisty girl from England, she has this ability to not do as she's told and she seems to enjoy ruffling Angel feathers as often as she can.
No matter what Keira does though, Dom's love for her is unfailing, all-consuming, passionate, and true. But, at the same time, he has this tendency to let his feelings overwhelm him and wants to protect her no matter what. He is constantly reminding everyone that no one can touch Keira but him and if anyone looks at her or her family wrong they will feel his wrath, honestly Dom's demon side is just a little scary at times.
Keira is finally adapting to the idea that while the man she is head over heels in love with is truly her soul mate. Dominic saved her from Morgan when he returned to haunt and hunt her and now he's dead and it seems like Keira and Dominic can finally settle into a normal relationship and just embrace their new love.
Together they spend countless nights wrapped up in each other's arms, the passion and love they feel for each other oozing off the page with lots of spicy encounters that will get your heart rate up and will make even you blush. And this does include an accidental kiss with the *opps sorry* wrong Draven Brother. We also get a fun shopping expedition with Keira and Sophia.
And then a new Demon dream stalker appears, invading Keira's dreams and what's worse, somehow this demon can prevent Keira from telling Dominic what's happening and about her dreams. Now Keira is realizing that her fantasy of this “Normal” life with Dominic is slipping away through her fingers like sand in an hourglass.
We also had this little problem of Libby and Keira's obnoxious cousin Hilary, who comes to visit for a week or two and makes their lives horrid. It seems like it's Hilary's mission in life to destroy everything good in Keira's life and it's just adding to the growing list of problems that Keira has in her life.
To help ensure that Keira is always safe, Dominic insists that she has a bodyguard and this comes in the form of former Warrior Viking King turned demon Ragnar. At first, Keira doesn't like this but slowly she adapts to her new bodyguard to the point that she doesn't feel at ease unless he is by her side or following in the next vehicle.
Keira's life it seems is constantly being probed and she's always got eyes on her, she finds that she is starting to feel like she is crumbling under the pressure of being with the King. But, when she learns who her new Demon Stalker is, she is shocked and knocked back a step, and what that demon has in store for her shocks her to her core.
Lucius is more than just yet another Demon who is after Keira, he is also known for his ability to control the minds of others, and more than that he is The Vampire King. He was forged in the fires of hell and reborn by Lucifer himself. Now, he is the only being that could potentially rival Dominic's powers.
Lucius ups the stakes in his games and turns the tables on Keira and Dominic. He begins to control Keira's dreams and reveals to her that she will soon belong to him and him alone – it's all in his mission to seek revenge on Dominic and it is vital in his plan that Keira be his. And he manages to control Keira's mind and prevent her from telling Dominic that he's been visiting her in her dreams. And Dominic is truly the only one who can protect her from Lucius and the plans he has for her.
My God this is an amazing book. It truly is the 2nd instalment we deserved to this saga, even if it is on the long side, and I still love that as we get to know our characters even better than we did in the first book, we get to know how they feel and what they are thinking, at least from the point of view of Keira.
I know the length of the book is over 1000 pages and to listen to the book is 33 hours to listen to it is a commitment to either read or listen to. But, it doesn't feel like it is that long to listen to it. (I have been listening to the series as I have been reading other physical books at the same time.) And Stephanie has this amazing ability to write scenes that just draw you in and make you feel like you are living them yourself, not reading or listening to them. Each character has this amazing amount of room to nurture their spirit and grow and at this point, I feel like I know Dominic, Keira, Sophia, Vincent, Libby, Frank, and RJ, and so many of the other characters that you get to see all the time.
Keira kind of pissed me off at times throughout this book. There were so many times that she needlessly questioned if Dominic really loved her and if his feelings were real. But, at the same time, she is such an amazingly strong FMC and there were times where her questioning just made her feel more real and honestly more 'human'. And when not irritating me to no end of the earth I found her naivety was really very endearing.
As I said, Keira really pissed me off in this book, and it's more than just how she keeps on questioning if Dominic loved her or not.
1. I found that she spent more time in this book crying than anything else. It felt as if she wasn't crying on every page then she was crying every other page. And it was just over done and it felt immature and annoying at times. And what's worse, you know and can tell how strong she is, but with how much crying she does, it just seems like she is so weak.
2. She is always making the wrong choice, even when everyone around her is trying to tell her not to do something, even when her head is telling her not to do something she still goes off running towards the wrong choice.
3. She doesn't have a backbone. She will let Dominic treat her like a child and like she doesn't have a voice of her own. Please don't get me wrong. I love a dominant possessive alpha hero. But, when our FMC has to fight with him just to prove that she is his equal, not a toy, not his object, not his subject that has to OBEY HIM.
Our FMC is supposed to be able to stand up for herself, stand on her own, not need a man for everything, she should be able to defy her man and not worry that he's going to break up with her. I just want to see Keira stand up for herself, put her foot down with Dominic, and yet all she ever did was what he wanted her to do.
She'd hang her head, stare at her feet like this little child, tear up or full out cry, and just do as she was told because she's just his submissive at this point and I need her to grow a backbone and stand up to him like she did Lucius.
I'm going to show a bit of a bias here. I love my reverse harems. And I am in love with Vincent. I am a sucker for any Angel and I just love his character and the way he interacts with Keira. Yes, he's elusive and I want to get to know him better and I feel like there's a bit of a bad boy in him. And we know that Stephanie has plans for him so I guess we just have to wait and see.
But, at the same time. I love the way that Vincent and Keira interact, the way they flirt, they have this natural chemistry and while I know that Dominic refuses to share and let anyone else touch Keira, I wish that Keira could have both brothers. I think this could be a great MFM saga. But, I know that's not the case, but I can't wait to see what Stephanie has in store for Vincent. I hope he gets his own HEA.
Even though Keira totally pissed me off in this book I still really liked this book. I am enjoying this Saga. I like longer series, I'm looking at you Zodiac Academy, and I'm looking forward to continuing on into the next booking. I'm enjoying Stephanie's writing style and I am hooked on the characters and the storyline and plot and subplot that Stephanie has created.
I do recommend this book and this series if you haven't already started it and I know that Stephanie has a lot of other series out there and I can't help but recommend anything else that she has written as she has an amazing writing style.
And I can't leave this review without talking about that CLIFFHANGER!!! OH MY GOD!!!! I need to know who the traitor is like yesterday. (OK, I'll admit I already know who it is as I'm already into book 3 but my lips are zipped.) All I am going to say is you will be shocked by who it is, I never imagined this person was the traitor.
January 28, 2021
Keira and Dominic
Ugh...what an ending!! I was on the edge of my proverbial seat almost the whole of the book!!! I definitely felt like
Keira did when she felt like her like was a huge mood swing.
So since I am not willing to even spill a whiff of a bean here’s my favorite quotes from book 2:
Trust really could be one of the deadliest of things mankind had to offer.
Who’s the greater fool, the man who rises to the foolish behavior of others or the man who acts foolish when faced with difficult situations?
Feelings, no matter how horrific, that’s not the way to deal with them. You first have to face them before you can truly let them go or they will remain with you for an eternity and eat away at you until they’ve consumed every last piece of you.
Of course, some deserve it more than most but if I felt nothing then who would I be? Where would be my balance? Good does not exist without the evil and right does not hold weight without knowing the wrong.
Sometimes, people use pain and sadness to harbor it into something positive, while others hide it away and cry until they are empty.
Just from these little snip its (but important ones) that both Keira and Draven have been growing as they are learning from each other and the experiences they face together, along with, what each brings to the relationship from past experiences.
Ugh...what an ending!! I was on the edge of my proverbial seat almost the whole of the book!!! I definitely felt like
Keira did when she felt like her like was a huge mood swing.
So since I am not willing to even spill a whiff of a bean here’s my favorite quotes from book 2:
Trust really could be one of the deadliest of things mankind had to offer.
Who’s the greater fool, the man who rises to the foolish behavior of others or the man who acts foolish when faced with difficult situations?
Feelings, no matter how horrific, that’s not the way to deal with them. You first have to face them before you can truly let them go or they will remain with you for an eternity and eat away at you until they’ve consumed every last piece of you.
Of course, some deserve it more than most but if I felt nothing then who would I be? Where would be my balance? Good does not exist without the evil and right does not hold weight without knowing the wrong.
Sometimes, people use pain and sadness to harbor it into something positive, while others hide it away and cry until they are empty.
Just from these little snip its (but important ones) that both Keira and Draven have been growing as they are learning from each other and the experiences they face together, along with, what each brings to the relationship from past experiences.
August 16, 2023
Do i hear repetitive??
This book would be 400 pages less if ,only all of the repetitive material was cut out and, the story allowed to flow and would be so much more enjoyable for it!! I loved the actual story i just don't need to be told the same thing in differing orders throughout the book!!! Yes we get it, mind blowing orgasms and he's holding himself back, mind blowing orgasms and he's holding himself back mind blowing orgasms and he's holding himself back (see how annoying that is?!?) Oh, and how she loves his laugh!! Eurghhh!! Just nine of the mind blowing sex was any better or different from book one, but yes please remind us say a couple of times in the following books, cos it feels like she's just used this constant rewind and replay to fill the pages!! And the arguments?? How bored of her whiny self righteous ass are we to endure!?!? If she was my friend I'd have shook her senseless by now!! Some things I'd have agreed with, but the rest??? Oh hell to the no on that one!! I won't say that that's the end of it though, cos I'm actually expecting much of the same in the rest of the novels!! If you were to do a rewrite I'd scrub half of the screams and poundings and focus more on the story line because then this would be an excellent book.....well not off to see the wizard, but down to book three....just what is it going to hold
This book would be 400 pages less if ,only all of the repetitive material was cut out and, the story allowed to flow and would be so much more enjoyable for it!! I loved the actual story i just don't need to be told the same thing in differing orders throughout the book!!! Yes we get it, mind blowing orgasms and he's holding himself back, mind blowing orgasms and he's holding himself back mind blowing orgasms and he's holding himself back (see how annoying that is?!?) Oh, and how she loves his laugh!! Eurghhh!! Just nine of the mind blowing sex was any better or different from book one, but yes please remind us say a couple of times in the following books, cos it feels like she's just used this constant rewind and replay to fill the pages!! And the arguments?? How bored of her whiny self righteous ass are we to endure!?!? If she was my friend I'd have shook her senseless by now!! Some things I'd have agreed with, but the rest??? Oh hell to the no on that one!! I won't say that that's the end of it though, cos I'm actually expecting much of the same in the rest of the novels!! If you were to do a rewrite I'd scrub half of the screams and poundings and focus more on the story line because then this would be an excellent book.....well not off to see the wizard, but down to book three....just what is it going to hold
September 18, 2016
No, no, not again!!
I wrote a scathing review of the first book in this series, why I thought that this one would be better is beyond me. I know that I did want to know what happened next. However, pulling someone in with plot twists is very different from torturing them with blatantly bad writing.
This writer would do better to go back to a remedial writing course and learn more about English as a language before abusing any more readers. This writing was so bad that I frequently questioned whether or not English was the writer's first language.
Regardless of the inept use of English, I still like many of the characters, and most of the plot points, when they do not run off the rails. If, in fact, Ms. Hudson put as much effort into her writing as she does her storyline, this series could be actually successful.
I wrote a scathing review of the first book in this series, why I thought that this one would be better is beyond me. I know that I did want to know what happened next. However, pulling someone in with plot twists is very different from torturing them with blatantly bad writing.
This writer would do better to go back to a remedial writing course and learn more about English as a language before abusing any more readers. This writing was so bad that I frequently questioned whether or not English was the writer's first language.
Regardless of the inept use of English, I still like many of the characters, and most of the plot points, when they do not run off the rails. If, in fact, Ms. Hudson put as much effort into her writing as she does her storyline, this series could be actually successful.
September 26, 2020
The Two Kings: Afterlife saga
This is the second book I have read in this series. At first, I read it because it was in a genre I like and because it was free. I did not care for it because the main character had really been through the ringer but decided to keep reading because her sister was trying so hard to help her get over her trauma of what had happened to her when she was younger. Actually, she was doing alright, she was doing even better after she found the love of her life. These first two books in the Afterlife saga are similar to the Twilight series except they are not Vampires, it is so much better! Heaven and hell are not what you are expecting and well, you just have to read it for yourself.
This is the second book I have read in this series. At first, I read it because it was in a genre I like and because it was free. I did not care for it because the main character had really been through the ringer but decided to keep reading because her sister was trying so hard to help her get over her trauma of what had happened to her when she was younger. Actually, she was doing alright, she was doing even better after she found the love of her life. These first two books in the Afterlife saga are similar to the Twilight series except they are not Vampires, it is so much better! Heaven and hell are not what you are expecting and well, you just have to read it for yourself.
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