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Horde Kings of Dakkar #6
Throne of the Horde King
The final book of the Horde Kings of Dakkar series is here…
High in the icy northlands of Dakkar, I’ve lived a sheltered, predictable, and safe life. My days are spent caring for an ancient temple and staying out of the priestesses’ way. My nights are spent pouring over the great stories of warrior kings and the queens that stole their hearts.
But I have a secret.
I’m a hybrid female. Half-Dakkari, half-human, the first of my kind. The priestesses have risked everything to keep me hidden from the dangerous hordes that roam the wild lands and the greedy king that sits on the throne in Dothik. I am the secret they could never let free.
Then a horde king—with molten eyes and the body of a battle god—shows up at the temple’s gates, demanding entry.
He’s the one I see in my dreams, all ruthless, merciless strength and a tempting smirk to match. Only, he’s not the gentle male I always imagined. He’s cunning, sensual, cruel…and he thinks that everything has a price. Even me.
With a growing danger in the east and a precarious throne in the west, he steals me away from the sacred temple with daring plans all his own.
He thinks I’m a naive temple girl, who will bend easily to his demands. Instead, I fight him at every turn, showing him claws of my own. Instead of fear, lust begins to rise between us—hot, addicting, and forbidden. His teasing touch makes me tremble. His stolen kisses make me weak.
But the horde king of Rath Serok is as mysterious as he is devilish.
And he has his own secret…one that will forever change the future of Dakkar.
High in the icy northlands of Dakkar, I’ve lived a sheltered, predictable, and safe life. My days are spent caring for an ancient temple and staying out of the priestesses’ way. My nights are spent pouring over the great stories of warrior kings and the queens that stole their hearts.
But I have a secret.
I’m a hybrid female. Half-Dakkari, half-human, the first of my kind. The priestesses have risked everything to keep me hidden from the dangerous hordes that roam the wild lands and the greedy king that sits on the throne in Dothik. I am the secret they could never let free.
Then a horde king—with molten eyes and the body of a battle god—shows up at the temple’s gates, demanding entry.
He’s the one I see in my dreams, all ruthless, merciless strength and a tempting smirk to match. Only, he’s not the gentle male I always imagined. He’s cunning, sensual, cruel…and he thinks that everything has a price. Even me.
With a growing danger in the east and a precarious throne in the west, he steals me away from the sacred temple with daring plans all his own.
He thinks I’m a naive temple girl, who will bend easily to his demands. Instead, I fight him at every turn, showing him claws of my own. Instead of fear, lust begins to rise between us—hot, addicting, and forbidden. His teasing touch makes me tremble. His stolen kisses make me weak.
But the horde king of Rath Serok is as mysterious as he is devilish.
And he has his own secret…one that will forever change the future of Dakkar.
578 pages, ebook
First published July 5, 2022
1240 people are currently reading
1917 people want to read
About the author
Zoey Draven
34 books4,021 followersZoey Draven has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Her love affair with the romance genre started with her grandmother's old Harlequin paperbacks and has continued ever since. As a Top 100 Amazon bestselling author, now she gets to write the happily-ever-afters—with a cosmic, otherworldly twist, of course!
When she's not writing, she's probably drinking one too many cups of coffee, hiking in the redwoods, or spending time with her family.
Sign-up for Zoey Draven's newsletter for new release announcements and bonus content: http://bit.ly/2lkn8M4
When she's not writing, she's probably drinking one too many cups of coffee, hiking in the redwoods, or spending time with her family.
Sign-up for Zoey Draven's newsletter for new release announcements and bonus content: http://bit.ly/2lkn8M4
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 809 reviews
July 15, 2022
4 stars
I liked this ending to the series.
If it were another standalone and not the final book, I don’t know if I would have the same opinion and maybe that’s a weird thing to say, but I think this worked for me because it did tie up loose ends and I expected the main couple to have this trajectory of saving the world together - which is a plot I don’t really love (the whole quest for something is my least favourite fantasy trope).
As I said, I think the plot worked and another reason for it is because of the heroine - I think the heroine made the book. She was such a perfect mix of clueless but intelligent, strong but firstly wise, and she had a spirit which didn’t really tend towards the dramatic nor was she too meek and mild. Her character was just very well written. I felt like I knew her, like I understood her and I really liked her. Oh, and I also loved her relationship with her mother (not bio mom, but the priestess who raised her) - it was one of my favourite things to read about in the story - how those two respected, protected and loved each other. It was a nice mix of love and admiration that they had for one another.
The hero on the other hand.. I’m not gonna say he was a bad lead character, it’s just that he didn’t wow me much. I think among the horde kings from previous books there are better picks for male leads who feel like the king in a fantasy book about a brutal (almost barbarian) world and who are perhaps more in line with my image of a king of all kings which is what the hero in this one was supposed to be.
I didn’t admire him much to be honest - a lot of his accomplishments came from the fact that people sided with him because they wanted him to eventually dethrone his father. As much as we are told he won everything he has, well… he didn’t really. He was helped by armies of friends and allies to do what he did. He was no mastermind, that’s what I gathered. There is an argument to be made about how true power is acquired by having the support of many, and I agree but I’m just saying that they didn’t side with him because of his infinite potential but because of his bloodline. The people around him made him into a king because he was the best option and nobody can change my mind about that.
In my opinion, the heroine would actually have made a better Queen than him a King - with the proper training, she would be unstoppable.
As to the relationship these two had, I loved the heroines’s straightforward approach. She wasn’t silly with notions of undying love but when she felt like they passed that threshold into something serious and possibly long lasting, she didn’t hesitate to be honest.
On the other hand the hero, was easily swayed by others and by foolish ideas of duty and he quite literally started seeing her as a danger to his rule over Dakkar because he loved her and well ”me man, me king, me no love woman, me no weak” - I swear that’s how they sound in my head when they invoke those shitty reasons. (the first horde king in the 1st book is still one of the best in this regard, he knew what he wanted and needed and no one was gonna sway him). Not to mention that I hated the fact that he picked and chose which prediction to believe. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that the heroine has visions of the future and he so conveniently believes the ones that fit his needs and narrative but turns a blind eye to the ones he doesn’t want to be true (if you read the book you know what I’m talking about and I was livid at his dismissal)
Ok, so, overall I did like the book and the ending. It was a good read but it wasn’t exciting. That’s what I kept thinking in the aftermath of reading it. The stakes never really felt high, although they supposedly were.
The relationship didn’t really have that intense quality I seek either, but that’s not to say the writing wasn’t excellent because it really was. I think this series won me over in the long run because I love the writing style, the descriptions and the slightly philosophical attitudes that the characters have. They all had depth of some kindand that’s my catnip.
I’m actually very excited for the new series that Zoey is working on which is set in the same world as this one but in the very far future. There are so many things to explore in this world and the potential it has for the future is massive. Apparently that series is set to release sometime in 2023, so fingers crossed.
I liked this ending to the series.
If it were another standalone and not the final book, I don’t know if I would have the same opinion and maybe that’s a weird thing to say, but I think this worked for me because it did tie up loose ends and I expected the main couple to have this trajectory of saving the world together - which is a plot I don’t really love (the whole quest for something is my least favourite fantasy trope).
As I said, I think the plot worked and another reason for it is because of the heroine - I think the heroine made the book. She was such a perfect mix of clueless but intelligent, strong but firstly wise, and she had a spirit which didn’t really tend towards the dramatic nor was she too meek and mild. Her character was just very well written. I felt like I knew her, like I understood her and I really liked her. Oh, and I also loved her relationship with her mother (not bio mom, but the priestess who raised her) - it was one of my favourite things to read about in the story - how those two respected, protected and loved each other. It was a nice mix of love and admiration that they had for one another.
The hero on the other hand.. I’m not gonna say he was a bad lead character, it’s just that he didn’t wow me much. I think among the horde kings from previous books there are better picks for male leads who feel like the king in a fantasy book about a brutal (almost barbarian) world and who are perhaps more in line with my image of a king of all kings which is what the hero in this one was supposed to be.
I didn’t admire him much to be honest - a lot of his accomplishments came from the fact that people sided with him because they wanted him to eventually dethrone his father. As much as we are told he won everything he has, well… he didn’t really. He was helped by armies of friends and allies to do what he did. He was no mastermind, that’s what I gathered. There is an argument to be made about how true power is acquired by having the support of many, and I agree but I’m just saying that they didn’t side with him because of his infinite potential but because of his bloodline. The people around him made him into a king because he was the best option and nobody can change my mind about that.
In my opinion, the heroine would actually have made a better Queen than him a King - with the proper training, she would be unstoppable.
As to the relationship these two had, I loved the heroines’s straightforward approach. She wasn’t silly with notions of undying love but when she felt like they passed that threshold into something serious and possibly long lasting, she didn’t hesitate to be honest.
On the other hand the hero, was easily swayed by others and by foolish ideas of duty and he quite literally started seeing her as a danger to his rule over Dakkar because he loved her and well ”me man, me king, me no love woman, me no weak” - I swear that’s how they sound in my head when they invoke those shitty reasons. (the first horde king in the 1st book is still one of the best in this regard, he knew what he wanted and needed and no one was gonna sway him). Not to mention that I hated the fact that he picked and chose which prediction to believe. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that the heroine has visions of the future and he so conveniently believes the ones that fit his needs and narrative but turns a blind eye to the ones he doesn’t want to be true (if you read the book you know what I’m talking about and I was livid at his dismissal)
Ok, so, overall I did like the book and the ending. It was a good read but it wasn’t exciting. That’s what I kept thinking in the aftermath of reading it. The stakes never really felt high, although they supposedly were.
The relationship didn’t really have that intense quality I seek either, but that’s not to say the writing wasn’t excellent because it really was. I think this series won me over in the long run because I love the writing style, the descriptions and the slightly philosophical attitudes that the characters have. They all had depth of some kindand that’s my catnip.
I’m actually very excited for the new series that Zoey is working on which is set in the same world as this one but in the very far future. There are so many things to explore in this world and the potential it has for the future is massive. Apparently that series is set to release sometime in 2023, so fingers crossed.
July 28, 2022
3.75 Smut Scale Stars
This was a solid conclusion to the series and I enjoyed it. As I've said before, I am a sucker for the whole barbarian horde shtick and there really isn't all that much barbarian horde romance out there...so it's not like I'm a hard sell on the smutty barbarian romance scale.
FYI.
But still.
I thought the world-building Draven did for this series was fairly decent, you know, for a smut series with covers featuring naked men. Although the red fog did feel a little too much like Brandon Sanderson's epic mist of Mistborn...
But, I mean...
Regardless. I really liked Arik and Kara and the way their relationship evolved. I also thought this book came through with some fairly solid groveling at the end. So really, it was like a Val double whammy: barbarian horde smut AND groveling.
In short, I really enjoyed this series (except for book three, which I will just pretend didn't happen) and I'm sad it's over.
This was a solid conclusion to the series and I enjoyed it. As I've said before, I am a sucker for the whole barbarian horde shtick and there really isn't all that much barbarian horde romance out there...so it's not like I'm a hard sell on the smutty barbarian romance scale.
FYI.
But still.
I thought the world-building Draven did for this series was fairly decent, you know, for a smut series with covers featuring naked men. Although the red fog did feel a little too much like Brandon Sanderson's epic mist of Mistborn...
But, I mean...
Regardless. I really liked Arik and Kara and the way their relationship evolved. I also thought this book came through with some fairly solid groveling at the end. So really, it was like a Val double whammy: barbarian horde smut AND groveling.
In short, I really enjoyed this series (except for book three, which I will just pretend didn't happen) and I'm sad it's over.
March 20, 2023
Finally finished this stinking long-assed, angst filled book. I’ve been reading this for over three months! It was a good ending for the series, but it was super long and the characters were so much the same as the previous, that I question why it needed to be over 500 pages.
Anyway I will write a deeper review tomorrow, maybe. It was good, I enjoyed it, if you are reading the series this wraps everything up nicely. But I can’t take the angst and the cowardly hero who’s afraid of his feelings and the naive heroine who throws herself at him and wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s the formula for every book in this. Ugh! But I’m glad I’m finished. The ending was good and he grovelled enough for my liking. I could have used some updates on the other couples at the end, maybe have them there for his coronation, but that wasn’t even covered, except in a flashback. This was a very creative and detailed series, and I’d recommend it for the most part, except book four.
Update: I didn’t write a deeper review tomorrow.
Anyway I will write a deeper review tomorrow, maybe. It was good, I enjoyed it, if you are reading the series this wraps everything up nicely. But I can’t take the angst and the cowardly hero who’s afraid of his feelings and the naive heroine who throws herself at him and wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s the formula for every book in this. Ugh! But I’m glad I’m finished. The ending was good and he grovelled enough for my liking. I could have used some updates on the other couples at the end, maybe have them there for his coronation, but that wasn’t even covered, except in a flashback. This was a very creative and detailed series, and I’d recommend it for the most part, except book four.
Update: I didn’t write a deeper review tomorrow.
July 9, 2022
This one is a bit different as the heroine is not wholly human.
Dual POV.
Virgin heroine.
Hero has not been intimate with anyone in his horde.
No intimate details other than the Hero and heroine.
No other woman drama.
Push/pull, mixed signals from the Hero.
Small other man drama.
HEA.
ARC.
Spoiler
*
*
*
I did feel that there wasn't enough grovelling.
The heroine has a vision of the future so the reader and the heroine know at a certain point the Hero and heroine won't be together, but it actually happens a bit late to have enough time to grovel more, in my opinion.
Dual POV.
Virgin heroine.
Hero has not been intimate with anyone in his horde.
No intimate details other than the Hero and heroine.
No other woman drama.
Push/pull, mixed signals from the Hero.
Small other man drama.
HEA.
ARC.
Spoiler
*
*
*
I did feel that there wasn't enough grovelling.
The heroine has a vision of the future so the reader and the heroine know at a certain point the Hero and heroine won't be together, but it actually happens a bit late to have enough time to grovel more, in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 15, 2022
⤅ Honestly, this one was rather cute, although I definitely misread the blurb.
I thought the hero being all 'sensual' and stuff meant he'd seduce the heroine, who's a temple-raised virgin adopted by the head priestess. Instead, SHE'S the seducer, who keeps throwing herself at a reluctantly honourable hero. Not a bad setup, and she doesn't do it in a way that makes me want to forcibly graft onto her a sense of self-respect.
So yeah, she's extremely sheltered, and they meet when he shows up at her temple to beg help from the priestesses. There's a lot of worldbuilding going on in this one, which is why I had to put it down for a while and read an earlier book in the series first, so I wouldn't be totally lost. This one's the grand finale - there's a lot of political plotting, a regime to overthrow, etc. The hero is one of my favourite types, a roguish charmer who calls the heroine 'darling', while she's quite endearing in her naivety. Their earlier conversations, while they're getting to know each other, are adorable.
He does mess up and have to grovel, but Zoey Draven writes grovels that are decent, quite proportionate in light of the fact that her heroes don't tend to mess up too badly. All in all, I can't believe it took me so long to pick up this series. I blame my natural aversion to alien romances, which was only conquered here because the heroine is also half-alien.
I thought the hero being all 'sensual' and stuff meant he'd seduce the heroine, who's a temple-raised virgin adopted by the head priestess. Instead, SHE'S the seducer, who keeps throwing herself at a reluctantly honourable hero. Not a bad setup, and she doesn't do it in a way that makes me want to forcibly graft onto her a sense of self-respect.
So yeah, she's extremely sheltered, and they meet when he shows up at her temple to beg help from the priestesses. There's a lot of worldbuilding going on in this one, which is why I had to put it down for a while and read an earlier book in the series first, so I wouldn't be totally lost. This one's the grand finale - there's a lot of political plotting, a regime to overthrow, etc. The hero is one of my favourite types, a roguish charmer who calls the heroine 'darling', while she's quite endearing in her naivety. Their earlier conversations, while they're getting to know each other, are adorable.
He does mess up and have to grovel, but Zoey Draven writes grovels that are decent, quite proportionate in light of the fact that her heroes don't tend to mess up too badly. All in all, I can't believe it took me so long to pick up this series. I blame my natural aversion to alien romances, which was only conquered here because the heroine is also half-alien.
August 23, 2023
Y'all...
I freaking loved this series (except book 4, let's not discuss book 4 lol)
Can I just say at the end when all the ladies were taking care of bidniss I kept thinking....
But oh LAWD, I love me some Barbarians too!!
As much as I loved Arik and his hard-won fight for Dakkar, Kara stole the show. I loved her innocent and sweet naivete. The way she hungered for life and new experiences was lovely. Also, it was cute and funny seeing her reactions through Arik's eyes and as the reader. She was a beautiful person inside and out.
This also may have been the dirtiest. It's always the sweet quiet virgins that turn into the nymphos lol.
I loved this one and I thought it was a great ending to a great series.
I freaking loved this series (except book 4, let's not discuss book 4 lol)
Can I just say at the end when all the ladies were taking care of bidniss I kept thinking....
But oh LAWD, I love me some Barbarians too!!
As much as I loved Arik and his hard-won fight for Dakkar, Kara stole the show. I loved her innocent and sweet naivete. The way she hungered for life and new experiences was lovely. Also, it was cute and funny seeing her reactions through Arik's eyes and as the reader. She was a beautiful person inside and out.
This also may have been the dirtiest. It's always the sweet quiet virgins that turn into the nymphos lol.
I loved this one and I thought it was a great ending to a great series.
July 9, 2022
Well, what a great conclusion. I'm sad it's over but I'm ready for what's next.
I do think there is a significant slow down in the 60% range of the story. We began the book with one mission and then things take a hard right turn which was distracting from the main goal. It just felt like it dragged the story in a way we didn't need to go.
As always though, Zoey Draven has great chemistry and sexy steam in this book. Kara and Arik were so good together. It was only when we got taken away from that that they story seemed to drag.
4 stars
3 on the spice scale
I do think there is a significant slow down in the 60% range of the story. We began the book with one mission and then things take a hard right turn which was distracting from the main goal. It just felt like it dragged the story in a way we didn't need to go.
As always though, Zoey Draven has great chemistry and sexy steam in this book. Kara and Arik were so good together. It was only when we got taken away from that that they story seemed to drag.
4 stars
3 on the spice scale
July 1, 2022
This series has quickly became a favorite of mine, every time someone is looking for an adult fantasy/sci-fi series to read, this is what I recommend. I have loved every book and this last one didn't fail me.
Throne of the Horde King is the last book in the series, Zoey Draven did say she would write a spin-off series because she didn't want to say goodbye to this world just yet (and thank god for that!), but technically, this is the conclusion. And what a great ending it was!
I do recommend reading these in order, just because the general storyline will make so much more sense and you'll be able to enjoy it more.
I don't want to say too much because a lot happens in this book and I feel like you really need to just go in blind and enjoy, but man, I loved it so much. Zoey's characters are always a blast and her world-building is a work of art. I adore her writing style, and the way the words just flow on the page effortlessly.
This entire series is actually quite complex, there are a lot of different characters/species, with a brand new language she invented, and Zoey just maneuvers everything perfectly. It's never confusing or annoying, I'm never lost and I legitimately never want to stop reading.
Kara, our heroine, was amazing. I usually have a harder time with the heroine than the hero (shame on me), but I loved Kara from the start. She was smart, knew what she wanted, but didn't make stupid or irrational decisions if she couldn't have it, she was sheltered but not naive, she was brave, and I fell in love with her.
Serok (not revealing his given name) was just as great, but let's face it, you give me an alpha-male scarred hero, who's a leader and has never fallen in love before but sees the heroine and can't stop thinking about her, I'm all in. I loved how he couldn't resist her but tried to be a good guy still. I loved how soft and sweet he was with her. I loved how he apologized when needed. He had his assholish moments, but I think the grovel was great.
And let me tell you, this book was h.o.t! Like, seriously sexy, be it the actual sex scenes, or the sexual tension. I couldn't get enough.
All in all, a brilliant conclusion to this amazing series. I cannot wait to see what Zoey has in store for us next!
Thank you to the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Throne of the Horde King is the last book in the series, Zoey Draven did say she would write a spin-off series because she didn't want to say goodbye to this world just yet (and thank god for that!), but technically, this is the conclusion. And what a great ending it was!
I do recommend reading these in order, just because the general storyline will make so much more sense and you'll be able to enjoy it more.
I don't want to say too much because a lot happens in this book and I feel like you really need to just go in blind and enjoy, but man, I loved it so much. Zoey's characters are always a blast and her world-building is a work of art. I adore her writing style, and the way the words just flow on the page effortlessly.
This entire series is actually quite complex, there are a lot of different characters/species, with a brand new language she invented, and Zoey just maneuvers everything perfectly. It's never confusing or annoying, I'm never lost and I legitimately never want to stop reading.
Kara, our heroine, was amazing. I usually have a harder time with the heroine than the hero (shame on me), but I loved Kara from the start. She was smart, knew what she wanted, but didn't make stupid or irrational decisions if she couldn't have it, she was sheltered but not naive, she was brave, and I fell in love with her.
Serok (not revealing his given name) was just as great, but let's face it, you give me an alpha-male scarred hero, who's a leader and has never fallen in love before but sees the heroine and can't stop thinking about her, I'm all in. I loved how he couldn't resist her but tried to be a good guy still. I loved how soft and sweet he was with her. I loved how he apologized when needed. He had his assholish moments, but I think the grovel was great.
And let me tell you, this book was h.o.t! Like, seriously sexy, be it the actual sex scenes, or the sexual tension. I couldn't get enough.
All in all, a brilliant conclusion to this amazing series. I cannot wait to see what Zoey has in store for us next!
Thank you to the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2022
I’m sad to see this series come to an end. It has been a favourite of mine since I first read them last year and I loved every second of it. Claimed by the Horde King it still my favourite of the series but this one did not disappoint!
I didn’t know how this book could wrap everything up plot wise while still introducing an interesting romance but Draven did an excellent job with it. I prefer the romance aspect in books more than plot so I was worried I wouldn’t like this book as much since there was so much that needed to happen but I enjoyed every single page of this nearly 600 page book. It didn’t have a lot of excitement or action but I don’t think this book needed it as it first is a romance.
Now for the romance part, I really enjoyed the MCs’ relationship. It was refreshing to have a book where they were not instantly attracted to each other and didn’t jump right into bed from the rest of this series. Although it had a similar template to the previous books with the push and pull and a certain trope that’s in all the books, it still held up on its own and was just as interesting to read. I also love some good grovelling and when the FMC doesn’t give in too easily which this book had.
Now that this series is over and there aren’t any more for me to look forward to for a while, I’m going to try and fill the void that these books left me with!
I didn’t know how this book could wrap everything up plot wise while still introducing an interesting romance but Draven did an excellent job with it. I prefer the romance aspect in books more than plot so I was worried I wouldn’t like this book as much since there was so much that needed to happen but I enjoyed every single page of this nearly 600 page book. It didn’t have a lot of excitement or action but I don’t think this book needed it as it first is a romance.
Now for the romance part, I really enjoyed the MCs’ relationship. It was refreshing to have a book where they were not instantly attracted to each other and didn’t jump right into bed from the rest of this series. Although it had a similar template to the previous books with the push and pull and a certain trope that’s in all the books, it still held up on its own and was just as interesting to read. I also love some good grovelling and when the FMC doesn’t give in too easily which this book had.
Now that this series is over and there aren’t any more for me to look forward to for a while, I’m going to try and fill the void that these books left me with!
November 30, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Das beste Buch der Reihe. Auch wenn es für meinen Geschmack 100-200 Seiten zu lang war und es etwas viel Hin und Her gab. :) Besonders die erste Hälfte hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen.
Das beste Buch der Reihe. Auch wenn es für meinen Geschmack 100-200 Seiten zu lang war und es etwas viel Hin und Her gab. :) Besonders die erste Hälfte hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen.
July 20, 2022
3.5 ⭐️ This was soo long and descriptive only to then have a rushed ending and unsatisfying epilogue. And this is the last book in the series its freaking depressing 🤧.
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July 26, 2022
4-4.5 stars
Omg this was nearly 600 pages long. As I was finishing this I was wondering how the author was able to fit so much more storytelling, plot and character development into this book than previous ones and sure enough this was longer than any other book in this series which makes sense since it was the last one, but wow.
This book had a much different feel for me than the previous books. Kara was a unique heroine and I loved her. She's the first human/Dakkari hybrid born 30 years ago and kept a secret by growing up sequestered in a remote temple her whole life meaning that she's only ever interacted with the priestesses and never met or talked to a man. Kara loves to read and believes pleasuring herself brings her closer to the goddess Kakkari so she's not a complete stranger to sexual pleasure or romance (at least accounts she's read between the pages of books), but she's still naive and her social skills are a bit limited. She was giving very much Rapunzel leaving her tower for the first time vibes, but like the R rated version. Once she meets Arik, the hero in this book, Kara's innocence coupled with her forwardness and lack of awareness of appropriate questions/interactions between newly acquainted men and women made for some pretty funny interactions. Naive, but sexually forward heroines are a comedy combo I enjoy and I loved seeing her shock Arik constantly.
Arik was a much needed character in this series. Finally we have a Vorakkar (though he was barely a horde king...iykyk) that loves the captial city, Dothik. Not only that, but he has grand plans for how to reshape society on Dakkar and build the capital up to it's full potential. We found out in the last book that Arik, one of the Dothikkar's bastards, survived to adulthood and duped the king by competing in the Vorakkar trials and succeeding all without him knowing who he really was (because he would've had him killed if he knew). Throughout this series all of the Vorakkars have loved the Wildlands, hated Dothik, constantly talking about what a shithole it is and how they could never imagine living there, but they all also hate the Dothikkar and want a new king so I was confused about how one of them could ever depose him because it didn't fit their character at all to take on that role. Finally Arik, the bastard Vorakkar steps up and makes a shitty Vorakkar if we're being honest, but he's the only really candidate who's passionate about the role of Dothikkar and he has the birthright to back it up so that was exciting.
*There will be some **spoilers** from now on*
Something this book didn't satisfy for me was why there were all these human queens all of the sudden. As a human (lol) I enjoy an alien H/human h pairing, it's fun and ~relatable~, but I think having Vorakkars fall in love with humans for the first time ever and all at the same time with no cosmic reason or explanation was a bit weird. Humans have been on this planet for over 30 years so why have all these human queens right now all at the same time? I was starting to feel bad for all these Dakkari women that wouldn't get to be horde queens this generation even though they were mostly depicted as power hungry hoes. Especially since we find out at the end of this book that only two of the human queens (+hybrid Kara) were important for the fog and healing of Dakkar. In each book even with the non-magical human queens there was usually some implication that the humans were 'selected by Kakkari' in some way for each horde king, but then if they didn't have an effect on the over arching plot what's the significance of them all being human? Random gripe, but I had to mention it.
Also, Kara is our first look into what a human/Dakkari hybrid actually looks like and it's a bit worrying in some ways because throughout the series there's been a lot of talk about Vorakkars wanting 'strong heirs', etc. so it's a little weird to have a hybrid who's described as "small and weak" compared to full Dakkari. I mean naturally that's what I expected when you combine a weaker species with a stronger one, but it doesn't seem promising for these babies in a race that prides physical strength and ability especially in these long lines of horde kings, but maybe that's something that will change now that Dakkar is changing? Idk. Since this was the last book I would've liked to check in more with previous couples and get to know the hybrid babies they're all popping out. I love pregnancy and kids in a book and lil alien hybrids would've been fun, but we were left hanging on that one.
Speaking of babies, something I've always wondered about on this planet is birth control. In previous books everyone always seemed so surprised that having sex constantly lead to pregnancy, but there was never any mention of prevention so I just figured birth control did not exist on this planet. But then finally in the last book one dude has the presence of mind to be like actually take this tea please I don't want babies, but jokes on him because the birth control did. not. work. 🤯 Why even bring up a birth control method in the ninth hour if it's magically not going to even do anything for your plot line? lol.
I think this book had the most depth in terms of plot and had a much different feeling than the other books in the series. There were very long thought out plans coming to fruition, secrecy, espionage, a coup. It all felt much more like a YA fantasy novel (plus smut), but in a good way. I was impressed by the more robust storyline and characters that were woven together to tell this final story. I was getting a little worried at the end about how it was going to come together romantically because Arik was really letting me down. I didn't think we were even going to get good grovel and I was pretty damn disappointed with his first attempt, but in the end he delivered.
Overall, this was a pretty satisfying ending to the series and I might be down for some spin-offs because I'm still so curious about all those hybrids...
Omg this was nearly 600 pages long. As I was finishing this I was wondering how the author was able to fit so much more storytelling, plot and character development into this book than previous ones and sure enough this was longer than any other book in this series which makes sense since it was the last one, but wow.
This book had a much different feel for me than the previous books. Kara was a unique heroine and I loved her. She's the first human/Dakkari hybrid born 30 years ago and kept a secret by growing up sequestered in a remote temple her whole life meaning that she's only ever interacted with the priestesses and never met or talked to a man. Kara loves to read and believes pleasuring herself brings her closer to the goddess Kakkari so she's not a complete stranger to sexual pleasure or romance (at least accounts she's read between the pages of books), but she's still naive and her social skills are a bit limited. She was giving very much Rapunzel leaving her tower for the first time vibes, but like the R rated version. Once she meets Arik, the hero in this book, Kara's innocence coupled with her forwardness and lack of awareness of appropriate questions/interactions between newly acquainted men and women made for some pretty funny interactions. Naive, but sexually forward heroines are a comedy combo I enjoy and I loved seeing her shock Arik constantly.
Arik was a much needed character in this series. Finally we have a Vorakkar (though he was barely a horde king...iykyk) that loves the captial city, Dothik. Not only that, but he has grand plans for how to reshape society on Dakkar and build the capital up to it's full potential. We found out in the last book that Arik, one of the Dothikkar's bastards, survived to adulthood and duped the king by competing in the Vorakkar trials and succeeding all without him knowing who he really was (because he would've had him killed if he knew). Throughout this series all of the Vorakkars have loved the Wildlands, hated Dothik, constantly talking about what a shithole it is and how they could never imagine living there, but they all also hate the Dothikkar and want a new king so I was confused about how one of them could ever depose him because it didn't fit their character at all to take on that role. Finally Arik, the bastard Vorakkar steps up and makes a shitty Vorakkar if we're being honest, but he's the only really candidate who's passionate about the role of Dothikkar and he has the birthright to back it up so that was exciting.
*There will be some **spoilers** from now on*
Something this book didn't satisfy for me was why there were all these human queens all of the sudden. As a human (lol) I enjoy an alien H/human h pairing, it's fun and ~relatable~, but I think having Vorakkars fall in love with humans for the first time ever and all at the same time with no cosmic reason or explanation was a bit weird. Humans have been on this planet for over 30 years so why have all these human queens right now all at the same time? I was starting to feel bad for all these Dakkari women that wouldn't get to be horde queens this generation even though they were mostly depicted as power hungry hoes. Especially since we find out at the end of this book that only two of the human queens (+hybrid Kara) were important for the fog and healing of Dakkar. In each book even with the non-magical human queens there was usually some implication that the humans were 'selected by Kakkari' in some way for each horde king, but then if they didn't have an effect on the over arching plot what's the significance of them all being human? Random gripe, but I had to mention it.
Also, Kara is our first look into what a human/Dakkari hybrid actually looks like and it's a bit worrying in some ways because throughout the series there's been a lot of talk about Vorakkars wanting 'strong heirs', etc. so it's a little weird to have a hybrid who's described as "small and weak" compared to full Dakkari. I mean naturally that's what I expected when you combine a weaker species with a stronger one, but it doesn't seem promising for these babies in a race that prides physical strength and ability especially in these long lines of horde kings, but maybe that's something that will change now that Dakkar is changing? Idk. Since this was the last book I would've liked to check in more with previous couples and get to know the hybrid babies they're all popping out. I love pregnancy and kids in a book and lil alien hybrids would've been fun, but we were left hanging on that one.
Speaking of babies, something I've always wondered about on this planet is birth control. In previous books everyone always seemed so surprised that having sex constantly lead to pregnancy, but there was never any mention of prevention so I just figured birth control did not exist on this planet. But then finally in the last book one dude has the presence of mind to be like actually take this tea please I don't want babies, but jokes on him because the birth control did. not. work. 🤯 Why even bring up a birth control method in the ninth hour if it's magically not going to even do anything for your plot line? lol.
I think this book had the most depth in terms of plot and had a much different feeling than the other books in the series. There were very long thought out plans coming to fruition, secrecy, espionage, a coup. It all felt much more like a YA fantasy novel (plus smut), but in a good way. I was impressed by the more robust storyline and characters that were woven together to tell this final story. I was getting a little worried at the end about how it was going to come together romantically because Arik was really letting me down. I didn't think we were even going to get good grovel and I was pretty damn disappointed with his first attempt, but in the end he delivered.
Overall, this was a pretty satisfying ending to the series and I might be down for some spin-offs because I'm still so curious about all those hybrids...
July 9, 2022
This was definitely the weakest book in the series, imo. The plot and pacing were kind of all over the place, and the characters didn’t feel as well-defined as those in previous books in the series.
The most obvious issue with this book, though, is the quality of the writing, which is markedly different (worse) than that in the other books of this series (except maybe the first). It was distractingly bad and constantly took me out of the story. I frequently wished I had a red pen on me. Reading this book was like if you had to stare at a crooked picture frame on the wall for five hours, but you couldn’t straighten it. I’m honestly really shocked that I haven’t seen any other reviews mentioning this.
I go into the issues I had in more detail below, in the notes I took while reading the book.
———————————————
18% - Something is weird about this book. The writing is noticeably different from the others in the series; I’ve noticed so many typos and grammatical errors and it seems like every other sentence is just poorly constructed. Draven’s writing is usually very solid so I’m very confused as to what happened here. Has anyone else noticed this?
36% - I can’t tell if it’s better or if i’m just acclimating to it.
Some examples from later in the book:
“This has backfired spectacularly in my face” is a mixture of two sayings (“to blow up in one’s face” and “to backfire”). An editor or beta reader should have caught this.
“I clutched my hands on the table behind me” should be “I clutched the table behind me”. You don’t clutch your hands, you clutch something WITH your hands.
There are countless examples of these errors throughout the book in addition to more glaring grammatical errors and typos. This kind of writing isn’t atypical in self-published romance, but it is atypical for Zoey Draven.
60% - I just want this book to be over lmao. I don’t even care about what’s happening anymore.
95% - Arik’s betrayal storyline was weird. I don’t think his character has been really well defined (I don’t know how to explain it, I guess he seems generic and not like a real, complex person), and yet his sending away Kara still felt out of character somehow. And his apology felt insufficient, I think because he didn’t send her away to keep her safe, really. He sent her away because he was convinced she was going to betray him. His groveling would have felt more sufficient if the former had been his motivation, but in the face of the latter it just makes me feel like their relationship has unresolved issues that will inevitably lead to conflict at some point in the future.
The most obvious issue with this book, though, is the quality of the writing, which is markedly different (worse) than that in the other books of this series (except maybe the first). It was distractingly bad and constantly took me out of the story. I frequently wished I had a red pen on me. Reading this book was like if you had to stare at a crooked picture frame on the wall for five hours, but you couldn’t straighten it. I’m honestly really shocked that I haven’t seen any other reviews mentioning this.
I go into the issues I had in more detail below, in the notes I took while reading the book.
———————————————
18% - Something is weird about this book. The writing is noticeably different from the others in the series; I’ve noticed so many typos and grammatical errors and it seems like every other sentence is just poorly constructed. Draven’s writing is usually very solid so I’m very confused as to what happened here. Has anyone else noticed this?
36% - I can’t tell if it’s better or if i’m just acclimating to it.
Some examples from later in the book:
“This has backfired spectacularly in my face” is a mixture of two sayings (“to blow up in one’s face” and “to backfire”). An editor or beta reader should have caught this.
“I clutched my hands on the table behind me” should be “I clutched the table behind me”. You don’t clutch your hands, you clutch something WITH your hands.
There are countless examples of these errors throughout the book in addition to more glaring grammatical errors and typos. This kind of writing isn’t atypical in self-published romance, but it is atypical for Zoey Draven.
60% - I just want this book to be over lmao. I don’t even care about what’s happening anymore.
95% - Arik’s betrayal storyline was weird. I don’t think his character has been really well defined (I don’t know how to explain it, I guess he seems generic and not like a real, complex person), and yet his sending away Kara still felt out of character somehow. And his apology felt insufficient, I think because he didn’t send her away to keep her safe, really. He sent her away because he was convinced she was going to betray him. His groveling would have felt more sufficient if the former had been his motivation, but in the face of the latter it just makes me feel like their relationship has unresolved issues that will inevitably lead to conflict at some point in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2022
7/7/22: Although not my favorite, this book still made for a super satisfying end to the series. I’ve heard that we’ll be getting a spin-off series. Fingers crossed the rumors are true. 🤞🏼🤞🏼
Now that I've had time to think about it, I can formulate why this book didn't totally do it for me - it's 10000% a personal problem. As a romance purist (lol), I'm not really interested in much outside the romance between the two main characters. Therefore, books in this series that focused more on moving along the larger plot didn't interest me as much. I just couldn't find it in me to care much about the fog or the Ghertun, which is why I think I didn't like book 5 and the finale as much as others in the series - since so many pages are dedicated to an external problem. The ones I loved best (books 2 and 4 btw) were imo more focused on the romance between the respective horde king and love interest. Regardless, this final book in the series was still satisfying. Thank you, Zoey Draven for an amazing few years engrossed in the world of Dakkar.
….
Omg can’t wait for this one!! Sad to see it’s the last installment 😢
Now that I've had time to think about it, I can formulate why this book didn't totally do it for me - it's 10000% a personal problem. As a romance purist (lol), I'm not really interested in much outside the romance between the two main characters. Therefore, books in this series that focused more on moving along the larger plot didn't interest me as much. I just couldn't find it in me to care much about the fog or the Ghertun, which is why I think I didn't like book 5 and the finale as much as others in the series - since so many pages are dedicated to an external problem. The ones I loved best (books 2 and 4 btw) were imo more focused on the romance between the respective horde king and love interest. Regardless, this final book in the series was still satisfying. Thank you, Zoey Draven for an amazing few years engrossed in the world of Dakkar.
….
Omg can’t wait for this one!! Sad to see it’s the last installment 😢
August 25, 2022
5 STARS!
The relationship between Arik and Kara was highly entertaining . . .
I'm sad the series is done.
"I can freely admit that I need you when I have never needed anyone before in my life."Such a great series and this final book was really wonderful.
The relationship between Arik and Kara was highly entertaining . . .
It was possible I had a kink for females who hated my guts because I felt my cock only thicken with her rage.. . . and I could have easily read another few hundred pages of them bickering.
I'm sad the series is done.
February 21, 2023
3.5 Stars
I have enjoyed this series but am glad the author completed it. I feel like so many authors drag series on too long making them confusing, inconsistent, and overwhelming. I thought it was pretty good (dragged some at times), but I was hoping for more with the final book. (More answers/closure, more from the previous characters, a better epilogue) The blurb is a smidge misleading. She asked him to take her with him, so he helped her sneak out but didn’t kidnap her. So, this isn’t a captivity situation.
Both mc’s have been introduced in previous books. Kara is the first Dakkari - vekkiri hybrid mentioned in Broken by the Horde King (book 4) and Arik is the Vorakkar of Rath Serok the King’s bastard. I liked Kara, she was a complex/dynamic, thoroughly developed character. She was sheltered/naive yet strong/direct. I loved her, but Arik felt a little flat. He wasn’t bad, I just expected more from the future King of Kings. He didn’t have an interesting personality or seem uber badass.
The first half was slow going at times. It’s a slow burn, so the smut takes about 50% to get going, and they’re on a road trip of sorts for much of it, so there aren’t many secondary characters around to spruce things up. There’s also a fair amount of info dumping the history of Drakkar.
Bottom Line- Pretty good, but I was left wanting more. (especially more passion/action) The red fog was addressed, but I was still left with some questions… like what caused it. And I felt like there were loose ends left with Arik’s “friends” and their distrusts.
I also felt that it was a bit weird that the solution only required 3 of the 6 h’s, and left the h’s of books 1, 2 & 4 nonevents/unimportant. In truth, I was disappointed by the lack of updates/page-time with the previous couples. I would’ve preferred less time with their road trip and more with the couples all actively contributing to the red fog situation. IMO, after building up for six books, it was dispatched way too quickly/easily. I thought the last 20% was great but was disappointed in the epilogue which was one month later and offered no updates for anyone. It just felt sort of unsettled.
Jac's Notes-
Vorakkar of Rath Kitala - Arokan Captive of the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Tuviri – Seerin Claimed by the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Drokka- Davik Madness of the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Okkili – Kirin Broken by the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Rowin – Wrune Taken by the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Serok- Arik Throne of the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Loppar – leader old creating saruk
Vorakkar of Rath Dulia -horde recalled-supporter of former king
Drakkari dictionary
Alukkiri = sort of like a cold season lover- oil applier
Arakkari = wife/queen of saruk
Dothik = capital city
Dothikkar = King of Dakkar/ King of kings
Deva = penis
hanniva = please
Kakkari = their god
kalles = female
kassikari = mate/destined mate
kassiri = love
Lakkari = queen of Dakkar
leivaki = Small, beautiful one
Lirilla = female acquaintance
lloma = mother
lysi = yes
melir = vagina
Morakkari = queen/wife
neffar = what
nik= no
pattar = father
Prikri = The Dothikkar’s lead advisor
Pujerak = horde king advisor
Pyroki = their version of a horse
Saila = darling
saruk = permanent villages (retired hordes)
sika = sister
sorakkar = saruk leader/king
rei = my
veekor = sleep
vekkiri = human
vok = fuck
voliki = tent
Vorakkar = king/leader of hordes
Old tradition for unmated females to offer their goblet to the Vorakkar at feasts if they’re interested in hooking up. If he sips from the goblet- he’s down. If he ignores it- he’s not.
I have enjoyed this series but am glad the author completed it. I feel like so many authors drag series on too long making them confusing, inconsistent, and overwhelming. I thought it was pretty good (dragged some at times), but I was hoping for more with the final book. (More answers/closure, more from the previous characters, a better epilogue) The blurb is a smidge misleading. She asked him to take her with him, so he helped her sneak out but didn’t kidnap her. So, this isn’t a captivity situation.
Both mc’s have been introduced in previous books. Kara is the first Dakkari - vekkiri hybrid mentioned in Broken by the Horde King (book 4) and Arik is the Vorakkar of Rath Serok the King’s bastard. I liked Kara, she was a complex/dynamic, thoroughly developed character. She was sheltered/naive yet strong/direct. I loved her, but Arik felt a little flat. He wasn’t bad, I just expected more from the future King of Kings. He didn’t have an interesting personality or seem uber badass.
The first half was slow going at times. It’s a slow burn, so the smut takes about 50% to get going, and they’re on a road trip of sorts for much of it, so there aren’t many secondary characters around to spruce things up. There’s also a fair amount of info dumping the history of Drakkar.
Bottom Line- Pretty good, but I was left wanting more. (especially more passion/action) The red fog was addressed, but I was still left with some questions… like what caused it. And I felt like there were loose ends left with Arik’s “friends” and their distrusts.
I also felt that it was a bit weird that the solution only required 3 of the 6 h’s, and left the h’s of books 1, 2 & 4 nonevents/unimportant. In truth, I was disappointed by the lack of updates/page-time with the previous couples. I would’ve preferred less time with their road trip and more with the couples all actively contributing to the red fog situation. IMO, after building up for six books, it was dispatched way too quickly/easily. I thought the last 20% was great but was disappointed in the epilogue which was one month later and offered no updates for anyone. It just felt sort of unsettled.
Jac's Notes-
Vorakkar of Rath Kitala - Arokan Captive of the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Tuviri – Seerin Claimed by the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Drokka- Davik Madness of the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Okkili – Kirin Broken by the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Rowin – Wrune Taken by the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Serok- Arik Throne of the Horde King
Vorakkar of Rath Loppar – leader old creating saruk
Vorakkar of Rath Dulia -horde recalled-supporter of former king
Drakkari dictionary
Alukkiri = sort of like a cold season lover- oil applier
Arakkari = wife/queen of saruk
Dothik = capital city
Dothikkar = King of Dakkar/ King of kings
Deva = penis
hanniva = please
Kakkari = their god
kalles = female
kassikari = mate/destined mate
kassiri = love
Lakkari = queen of Dakkar
leivaki = Small, beautiful one
Lirilla = female acquaintance
lloma = mother
lysi = yes
melir = vagina
Morakkari = queen/wife
neffar = what
nik= no
pattar = father
Prikri = The Dothikkar’s lead advisor
Pujerak = horde king advisor
Pyroki = their version of a horse
Saila = darling
saruk = permanent villages (retired hordes)
sika = sister
sorakkar = saruk leader/king
rei = my
veekor = sleep
vekkiri = human
vok = fuck
voliki = tent
Vorakkar = king/leader of hordes
Old tradition for unmated females to offer their goblet to the Vorakkar at feasts if they’re interested in hooking up. If he sips from the goblet- he’s down. If he ignores it- he’s not.
dnf
November 21, 2023I’ve lost interest. DNF 30%
January 14, 2023
This book would’ve been 25% shorter if Arik and Kara just communicated with each other.
I was excited for the Repunzel-esque aspect (a heroine who’s been kept from the world getting to experience everything for the first time with the help of a jaded male), but Arik really took advantage of Kara’s naivety by not making his intentions clear.
Arik never quite got over his trust issues, and their relationship suffered for it, especially toward the end. That being said, Arik’s moment of pure vulnerability was greater than even the previous heroes’ displays of remorse and affection.
The psychic main character is stale at this point. It happens the same way every time, and it just makes it boring. Initially, I enjoyed the politics of this one, but it felt completely disconnected from the series. It is by no means a poor addition. It just tried to be more than it was.
This series still feels incomplete, but the Afterword mentions a spin-off series in the work, so perhaps some of the background plot will be explored and expanded.
It’s been a ride. I went through this series in less than a week, but it felt like so much longer. In this short time, ’ve fallen in love with the world, and I am sad this chapter of it is over.
★★★
I was excited for the Repunzel-esque aspect (a heroine who’s been kept from the world getting to experience everything for the first time with the help of a jaded male), but Arik really took advantage of Kara’s naivety by not making his intentions clear.
Arik never quite got over his trust issues, and their relationship suffered for it, especially toward the end. That being said, Arik’s moment of pure vulnerability was greater than even the previous heroes’ displays of remorse and affection.
The psychic main character is stale at this point. It happens the same way every time, and it just makes it boring. Initially, I enjoyed the politics of this one, but it felt completely disconnected from the series. It is by no means a poor addition. It just tried to be more than it was.
This series still feels incomplete, but the Afterword mentions a spin-off series in the work, so perhaps some of the background plot will be explored and expanded.
It’s been a ride. I went through this series in less than a week, but it felt like so much longer. In this short time, ’ve fallen in love with the world, and I am sad this chapter of it is over.
★★★
June 28, 2023
3.5 stars
January 17, 2023
Kara has been raised in isolation by priestesses she is the adopted daughter of the high priestess of Dakkar she is also the first hybrid child of two species. Plagued with visions all of her life she is the key to finally overcoming the red fog that currently has the planet in a stranglehold.
Arik is the Vorakkar of Rath Serok new to horde life after completing the trials he longs to return to his birth city Dothik. Illegitimate and unrecognised son of the current ruler he and his allies have spent years moving pieces like pawns into place all to ensure Arik claims his rightful place on the throne.
When Arik and Kara’s paths collide duty and love will become intertwined and Kara’s place by Arik’s side put in jeopardy by the very person she thought she could rely on as the final reckoning for all of Dakkar draws to its inevitable conclusion Kara will have to place all of her faith in Kakkari and hope the strength of her and her allies is enough to save them all.
This final book managed to wrap things up well. I was satisfied with the closure offered here and overall I found this an enjoyable well written read. incredibly imaginative with some fabulous world-building that has evolved over the course of six books it has easily managed to pull me on capturing my imagination completely. This one though not my top read of the series was also a good solid effort that I enjoyed a lot.
I liked Arik and Kara as characters they had definite chemistry together and this had enough occurring here to keep my attention focused and fully engaged. I especially appreciated the grovel Arik truly messed up here his actions hurt Kara immensely but I did feel he managed to redeem himself laying bare what was in his heart and realising that he was wrong.
Overall this series is one I highly recommend reading especially if you like the barbarian vibe as this series has that feel in spades. I’m also glad to finally get the closure I was after here but equally sad that I’ve now finished and it’s all come to its inevitable end.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
February 28, 2023
“I need you. I need you because I love you. I need you because these last few weeks have been the purest of hells without you. I need you because I cannot imagine waking up without you, not a single day more. I can’t, Kara. I won’t.”
(…) “And I can freely admit that I need you when I have never needed anyone before in my life. I will gladly tie myself to you in whatever way I can. If you can find it in yourself to forgive me. If you can find it in yourself to love me again.”
(…) “I have kneeled before no one. Not as the head of the southern district. Not as Vorakkar. Nor as Dothikkar. But I will kneel to you, Kara,” he began. “I will kneel to you. Because you are who I will worship until the day I die and beyond even that. As my love. As mother to my children. And I hope as my queen. As my wife.”
(Sigh)
(…) “And I can freely admit that I need you when I have never needed anyone before in my life. I will gladly tie myself to you in whatever way I can. If you can find it in yourself to forgive me. If you can find it in yourself to love me again.”
(…) “I have kneeled before no one. Not as the head of the southern district. Not as Vorakkar. Nor as Dothikkar. But I will kneel to you, Kara,” he began. “I will kneel to you. Because you are who I will worship until the day I die and beyond even that. As my love. As mother to my children. And I hope as my queen. As my wife.”
(Sigh)
April 11, 2023
I read the first book in the series, liked it enough. Took a few months to pick up the second but then couldnt put the series down. I was hooked. Some books I liked more than others, but goddamn do I love a character series with an over arching plot line that wraps up in the final book. These are alien books technically but read very much like historical? Idk what genre but not sci fi? You forget they are aliens.
Anyways. This book was solid. Maybe would have been a 4 but it’s the last book in the series and there was 10/10 male groveling.
Highly encourage reading this series IN ORDER.
Anyways. This book was solid. Maybe would have been a 4 but it’s the last book in the series and there was 10/10 male groveling.
Highly encourage reading this series IN ORDER.
July 14, 2022
Incredible, fantastic series and I am sorry to see it end. I look forward to what Zoey Draven dreams up next for the World of Drakkar. I could nitpick about little things here and there, but from beginning to end I really, really enjoyed this series, the love stories, the world, the language and the characters. It is a fantasy world with a little bit of sci-fi tossed in. At its heart, this book - and this series - is all about the romance. Just wonderful.
August 18, 2024
3.5/5.0
The first half of this book the storyline is pretty much lost amidst all the yearning and obsessing between the two main characters (see highlights). The second half picked up and by the 70% mark or so it was the awesome, wonderful Horde King stuff that I fell in love with in the first couple of books of this series. All the feels for that last 30%!!
The first half of this book the storyline is pretty much lost amidst all the yearning and obsessing between the two main characters (see highlights). The second half picked up and by the 70% mark or so it was the awesome, wonderful Horde King stuff that I fell in love with in the first couple of books of this series. All the feels for that last 30%!!
December 13, 2024
I can’t believe this is officially the end of this gem of a series! I found this book (and the author) back in 2019, since then I’ve been a huge fan. Thankfully the author said in acknowledgment that there will be a brand new spin-off series- yaay!
Where do I even start? The plot? the characters? The climax? The writing style? The grovelling? Ugh, EVERYTHING was PERFECT. Writing above on point, characters with depth, 500+ pages and it flew away. It was that addictive.
Hero Arik at one glance may look charming and uncomplicated but he was moody, complex and powerful. Illegitimate son of the Dothikar itself he had many obstacles to overcome in the story. But from his first meeting with innocent heroine Kara their fates are entwined or I would say it was always entwined, just bidding its time.
Loved the beginning of their relationship, it was beautiful, poignant and playful. Especially the way they argued about Dakkar history.
Kara was complete opposite of Arik. Loved the contrast because they complimented each other perfectly.
The characters and story was very complex and I loved the pace and how it unfolded. So many players, different motives but interconnected by an enraged deity.
Loved that heroine didn’t forgive the hero easily. She made him realise his mistakes and work for her forgiveness.
Epilogue was sweet and I absolutely recommend the whole series.
Safe.
Where do I even start? The plot? the characters? The climax? The writing style? The grovelling? Ugh, EVERYTHING was PERFECT. Writing above on point, characters with depth, 500+ pages and it flew away. It was that addictive.
Hero Arik at one glance may look charming and uncomplicated but he was moody, complex and powerful. Illegitimate son of the Dothikar itself he had many obstacles to overcome in the story. But from his first meeting with innocent heroine Kara their fates are entwined or I would say it was always entwined, just bidding its time.
Loved the beginning of their relationship, it was beautiful, poignant and playful. Especially the way they argued about Dakkar history.
Kara was complete opposite of Arik. Loved the contrast because they complimented each other perfectly.
The characters and story was very complex and I loved the pace and how it unfolded. So many players, different motives but interconnected by an enraged deity.
Loved that heroine didn’t forgive the hero easily. She made him realise his mistakes and work for her forgiveness.
Epilogue was sweet and I absolutely recommend the whole series.
Safe.
July 20, 2023
I was sad thee series was ending but excited to start this . Unfortunately, out of all the books this is probably my least favorite . Although i was able to get through the audio pretty easily, i found the plot boring & it was entirely too long to exclude the necessary groveling.
I wasnt a fan of the fact that Kara was a hyrbid i felt it took some of the allure away from the human x barbarian dynamic . Also wasnt the biggest fan of Arik . He was kinda trash , some people probably wouldn’t have forgiven him
Regardless , I think it did an OK job wrapping up the Series. Honestly, I would have preferred the past Couples to have better relationships/ friendships with eachother . I don’t know. Felt really underwhelmed. I’d still read anything she wrote.
I wasnt a fan of the fact that Kara was a hyrbid i felt it took some of the allure away from the human x barbarian dynamic . Also wasnt the biggest fan of Arik . He was kinda trash , some people probably wouldn’t have forgiven him
Regardless , I think it did an OK job wrapping up the Series. Honestly, I would have preferred the past Couples to have better relationships/ friendships with eachother . I don’t know. Felt really underwhelmed. I’d still read anything she wrote.
January 29, 2026
Después de cuatro años acabé está saga.
Toda su vida Kara ha estado muy protegida por las sacerdotisas, ella es una mezcla que no todos aceptarían por lo que no le permiten el contacto con nadie, pero su mundo está en peligro y ella hará todo lo que está en sus manos ayudar y cuando llega un rey de la horda que quiere lo mismo unirán fuerzas para cumplirlo.
A pesar de lo largo y de las quejas que podría tener con esta saga la disfrute muchooo, en especial este libro que creo que es mi favorito de los seis, siempre me atrapan mucho.
Me gustó que la autora cambio varia cosa aquí, el como inicia la relación amoroso, la protagonista también es diferente a las otras chicas, siendo alguien que creció muy protegida cuando sale al mundo tiene muchas preguntas y es me gustó por qué igual vamos aprendiendo bastante con ellas y vemos una parte del mundo que casi no conocíamos, casi todo ocurría en las hordas y aquí no, hacemos un viaje.
Este libro tenía potencial de ser un 4.5 pero la autora otra vez nos metió la falta de comunicación y es algo que ha utilizado en sus otros libros así que yo estaba de YAAAA, pero bueno no quita el disfrute de tuve con estos dos 🥰
Estoy emocionada por leer la siguiente saga.
Toda su vida Kara ha estado muy protegida por las sacerdotisas, ella es una mezcla que no todos aceptarían por lo que no le permiten el contacto con nadie, pero su mundo está en peligro y ella hará todo lo que está en sus manos ayudar y cuando llega un rey de la horda que quiere lo mismo unirán fuerzas para cumplirlo.
A pesar de lo largo y de las quejas que podría tener con esta saga la disfrute muchooo, en especial este libro que creo que es mi favorito de los seis, siempre me atrapan mucho.
Me gustó que la autora cambio varia cosa aquí, el como inicia la relación amoroso, la protagonista también es diferente a las otras chicas, siendo alguien que creció muy protegida cuando sale al mundo tiene muchas preguntas y es me gustó por qué igual vamos aprendiendo bastante con ellas y vemos una parte del mundo que casi no conocíamos, casi todo ocurría en las hordas y aquí no, hacemos un viaje.
Este libro tenía potencial de ser un 4.5 pero la autora otra vez nos metió la falta de comunicación y es algo que ha utilizado en sus otros libros así que yo estaba de YAAAA, pero bueno no quita el disfrute de tuve con estos dos 🥰
Estoy emocionada por leer la siguiente saga.
August 10, 2025
C’était vraiment à 2 doigts d’être un coup de cœur.
Il a coché tout ce que j’aime dans les alien romances.
De la tension, de la jalousie de la part du mmc, la prota était rafraîchissante même si des fois j’étais gênée pour elle parce ce que elle avait trop la boca, et surtout un prota masculin qui se retrouve minable à un moment. Le seul petit détail qui m’a gêné c’est que l’autrice a vraiment trop le don pour rendre les hommes très réalistes dans leur façon de penser. Et son premier réflexe après qu’il lui ait brisé le cœur c’était de lui sortir le « tu crois que j’ai pas souffert moi gneugneu » ferme ta gueule en fait 😃 bien heureusement Kara lui a bien fait lire l’heure même si j’aurais aimé qu’il galère plus !
Il a coché tout ce que j’aime dans les alien romances.
De la tension, de la jalousie de la part du mmc, la prota était rafraîchissante même si des fois j’étais gênée pour elle parce ce que elle avait trop la boca, et surtout un prota masculin qui se retrouve minable à un moment. Le seul petit détail qui m’a gêné c’est que l’autrice a vraiment trop le don pour rendre les hommes très réalistes dans leur façon de penser. Et son premier réflexe après qu’il lui ait brisé le cœur c’était de lui sortir le « tu crois que j’ai pas souffert moi gneugneu » ferme ta gueule en fait 😃 bien heureusement Kara lui a bien fait lire l’heure même si j’aurais aimé qu’il galère plus !
July 15, 2022
I don't know if its because I haven't read a "romance genre" book in awhile that engaged me so quickly or because this actually is that good, but I absolutely fell in love with this story and this couple.
Ending the series we get the final showdown which effectively cleanses their world from a mysterious mist destroying their planet. Though it takes characters from the entire series to do this, we actually don't see them much. Which is fine by me- clearly, this couple was all the story needed.
Sheltered her entire life in abbey for priestesses to the goddess of this world, Kara none the less recognizes her destiny when it enters in the form of a horde king. Having visions of him since childhood, and craving a life outside the abbey, she immediately leaves with him when he senses she is the one who will help him rid his world of a life threatening red cloud destroying life on their planet.
He is drawn to her though he knows his destiny is to rule alone and drawn even more so when she doesnt even attempt to hide her overwhelming desire to be with him- in every way possible, including the bedroom.
Yet his duty to his bloodline eventually wins out and though he sends her away, his heart will eventually teach him that some duty, though noble, is empty when love is lost because of it.
I loved Kara's honesty and altruism, the hero's pull toward her, and his jealous possessive feelings. And yes I love even the fact he was an ass and sent her away- because when he grovels, I'm right back in the old school romance novels I fell in love with oh so many years ago.
Dont dismiss this series because of the cheesy horde barbarian feel. Its well done and worth a read if you like romance novels.
Ending the series we get the final showdown which effectively cleanses their world from a mysterious mist destroying their planet. Though it takes characters from the entire series to do this, we actually don't see them much. Which is fine by me- clearly, this couple was all the story needed.
Sheltered her entire life in abbey for priestesses to the goddess of this world, Kara none the less recognizes her destiny when it enters in the form of a horde king. Having visions of him since childhood, and craving a life outside the abbey, she immediately leaves with him when he senses she is the one who will help him rid his world of a life threatening red cloud destroying life on their planet.
He is drawn to her though he knows his destiny is to rule alone and drawn even more so when she doesnt even attempt to hide her overwhelming desire to be with him- in every way possible, including the bedroom.
Yet his duty to his bloodline eventually wins out and though he sends her away, his heart will eventually teach him that some duty, though noble, is empty when love is lost because of it.
I loved Kara's honesty and altruism, the hero's pull toward her, and his jealous possessive feelings. And yes I love even the fact he was an ass and sent her away- because when he grovels, I'm right back in the old school romance novels I fell in love with oh so many years ago.
Dont dismiss this series because of the cheesy horde barbarian feel. Its well done and worth a read if you like romance novels.
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