Bride of the Corpse King

by Emily Shore

"I will have you on my throne. And worship you like the goddess you are."

Flowers have followed Isla Adayra her whole life. Things are no different in the City of the Dead.

After volunteering to be Bride of the Corpse King to save her family, Isla sets a course to woo the God of Death. From seducing him with her corpus roses to accepting his mark of Death, Isla must keep him from reaping her soul.

With Death in his cursed form, the Corpse King, Allysteir, meets his match with Isla and her passion. It isn't long before his feeble heart falls for the girl who eats forbidden fruit and grows roses and thorns from her flesh. But cou ld she truly tempt Death? And break their land's Curse?

A dark and rapturous fantasy retelling starring a brooding and tortured Corpse King and a heroine strong enough to conquer the God of Death...

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Retellings, Paranormal, Monsters

536 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2022

About the author

Emily used to be the good little church-going girl who snuck peeks of smutty romance at the bookstore. Now, she proudly writes smut and has forsaken the religious cult of her past. Emily includes a trauma-healing theme loosely based on her own experiences in all her work.

In 2020, Emily found her voice while writing dark fantasy romance. In 2021, she rebranded on Kindle Vella and has been a Vella bestseller for two years. Her writing always features enemies to lovers with heroines who don't need a sword to be strong, monsters and villains with "burn the world for her" vibes, and trauma healing.

Emily's bestselling books on Kindle Vella include: The Sacrifice, Bride of Lucifer, Bride of the Corpse King, Courting Death and Destruction, and Grymm Beauty. Learn more at “Emily’s Vella Verse” on FB or connect with her on social media to learn how you can become a super fan and get super fan treats!

An abuse survivor and trained advocate, Emily has worked as an awareness speaker all over Minnesota. Identifying as bisexual and feminist, she loves to showcase sex and kink positivity and normalized LGBTQIA+ inclusivity.

When not writing enemies to lovers, Emily is addicted to the Enneagram, rewatching Schitts Creek, cuddling with her kitty, and spending time with her online sisterhood where she can exercise her big empath heart. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband and two daughters—one is a budding author.

Please subscribe to Emily’s newsletter at - www.emilybethshore.com - to keep up with her series projects, author promos, and prize contests. Or follow her on Tiktok at @authoremilybshore.

FUN FACTS ABOUT EMILY:
This list gives you a little peek into the crazy brain of this author. If you find yourself relating to any of these, reach out to me on any of my pages and we shall go forth and bond!

1. I am an extrovert with unlimited psychological energy. (I also stockpile Pinterest memes!)
2. HUGE Enneagram fan, so if you want to connect more, prepare to be asked to take the test so I can better understand you and speak your love language . (My tritype is 847 - which makes me Deadpool's female twin!)
3. My favorite authors on the YA side are Laini Taylor and Susan Dennard. My favorite authors on the adult side include: Amelia Hutchins *Queen*, Pam Godwin *Goddess*, and Elayna Gallea.
4. Up until 2020, I used to write strictly YA. I had a major identity transformation, wrote three books in three months (back to back), found my true VOICE, processed my identity, healed from past trauma, and came out as bisexual. Now, I love writing spicy fantasy romance and bridging the gap between the heterosexual and queer audience by offering them badass heroines taking on the dark alphas and literally *everyone* in my books is queer and polyamorous because #whychoose? It's normalized, it's respected, and it's beautiful!
5. My favorite film is The Princess Bride.
6. I am Disney-obsessed, especially Marvel and the Princess movement.
7. I started writing The Aviary over twelve years ago after a visit to Germany and learning about the Red-Light District. These books were evidence of my sexuality screaming to be let out.
8. My favorite Broadway is The Phantom of the Opera followed closely by The Scarlet Pimpernel.
9. Songs to describe me: Unbreakable by Fireflight, Warrior by Demi Lovato, Ready or Not by Brit Nicole and Lecrae, Speechless by Naomi Scott (Aladdin), Show Yourself by Idina Mendel (Frozen 2), This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, and The Sound of Silence.
10. I’m a mom to two little girls. I fight for a better world for them and for myself.

Reviews

[Jenna🦇 · Rating 1 out of 5]

could not get past the style of writing but that’s not the reason I gave it 1 star. less than 50% through and I swear every chapter just HAD to mention isla’s tits in some way. allistair is annoying at best and ary just seems like an afterthought most of the book.
isla is supposed to be this temptress but all they do is almost bust from the seams of her dresses? like having big tits doesn’t make you a temptress.
the former queen (allistar’s mom) fingering her to orgasm to make sure she was “ripe and ready to produce heirs” while he was there watching it all go down was just downright weird and awful.
the former queen also telling isla to just let ary “rape her soul” was such an unnecessary choice of words, the queen seems over all just an character that wasn’t needed.
isla is supposed to be a badass fearless mc, maybe she comes out later on, but in the 50% that I read, I did not get that vibe from her. if she can fight off monsters at her family farm, why can she not put up a fight over the elder who tries to “ruin her maidenhood”??
all three of the main characters together just seem to lack so much chemistry plus in the way that they spoke in this book was off putting?

[ruffles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only other Hades and Persephone retelling I’ve read is Twilight. Bella and Edward are compared to this forbidden romance couple. I would definitely recommend Bride of the Corpse King to Twilight fans like me who have grown into adults and are now ready for more intense stakes, and many more bedroom scenes. Especially if you’re a fan of love triangles!

On the one hand, Isla has Franzy, her girlfriend and love of her life.

On the other hand, Isla is introduced to Allysteir, the regretful Corpse King who is just trying to keep the God of Death and the Void at bay, but in order to do so, he has to take a new bride every year. None of them survive.

Isla might survive and be able to break the curse for her people forever, so no more brides are taken.

Every. Single. Kindle Vella Episode ends in a way where I NEEDED to keep reading!

Once Isla volunteered to be the Bride of the Corpse King, I was worried we wouldn’t see Franzy again until the end. I’m glad that Franzy stayed involved in the Corpse King’s court as their relationship in the midst of Isla trying to conquer the God of Death and break the curse added excellent story tension and intrigue.

I enjoyed it from start to finish and can definitely see myself re-reading to soak it all in again because there is so much fabulous world-building and intricate fantasy world elements.

All fans of fantasy, paranormal, and dark romance including LGBTQ+ romance would greatly enjoy Bride of the Corpse King: A Hades and Persephone Retelling

[Kristine · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I had high hopes and tried so hard to finish this book with only 150 pages left, but I just couldn't. For starters, I couldn't connect with Isla AT ALL. There wasn't a whole lot of backstory on her. Her "relationship" with Franzy seemed more like the real romance than with Allisyter. In my opinion, we didn't need to have several love scenes between the two, and it washed away the built-up with Ally (not saying she didn't have small moments where she felt bad to breaking his sternum). She had Allystier's character. On the other hand, I connected with so much more. He had an amazing backstory, and you could tell he did genuinely care for Isla. His emotions were so raw that I couldn't help but love his character. The spice was average, but nothing crazy. Overall, if you're looking for a HEA romance with the main characters both loving one another and it's not one sided; this ain't it.

[MC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an Advance Copy of this Book.

If you like retellings with Spice, this is a book you need to buy. If you like Hades and Persephone retellings with scenes that would make Hades blush, this is your book. I will never look at pomegranates the same again. Honestly, read these other reviews. They are much more eloquent. You will fall in love with these characters. I loved them so much I have already preordered a copy. I want the Beautiful Cover. Thank you, Emily Shore, for this World, the characters, and the imagery that will stay with you

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big fan of retellings, and Persephone and Hades's story is one of my favorites, so I was very excited to get an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to love this book, but the story did not capture me at all, unfortunately. The pacing was slow and lacked significant and constant plot progression. I found the ending infuriating, but that was because the book ended with a trope that I hate, so that's more of a personal nitpick. I was not fond of the main characters (and most of the supporting characters), and there was a distinct lack of romance considering the genre. There was plenty of sex and characters being in love, but I felt like the romance, the falling-in-love phase, was lacking, and this was not an insta-love, fast-burn romance.

My favorite part was the world and society Shore created. Despite being influenced by Greek myths, the world was unique and convoluted, with its own mythology, all-powerful deities, and language. I applaud authors who take the time to develop their worlds so thoroughly. However, Shore dropped the reader into her world with little to no explanation about anything, which was a confusing way to start a book. I had to do a bit of rereading at first to acclimate myself to the world and writing. There was a character guide, but I would have preferred a language guide and/or a breakdown of the holidays and festivals that featured prominently.

I was really bothered by the inconsistent timeline because certain scenes and plot points dragged on, while some scenes I was more interested in were glossed over. Each chapter ended on a cliffhanger, but not all chapters resolved the preceding cliffhanger. Instead, chapters skipped forward by days, and cliffhangers were resolved with brief flashbacks. The timeline jumped ahead at the oddest places! Additionally, the main villain and nefarious plot for Isla felt like an afterthought overshadowed by the drama between Allysteir, Isla, and the God of Death. Had the romance been more nuanced and separated from the other conflict, I don’t think focusing on it would have been so all-consuming. However, since the villain's involvement was the catalyst of Isla offering herself to Allysteir and the God of Death, I thought the two plots would intermingle more since they were so involved. There lacked a balance between the relationship progression and handling the threats against Isla, which lessened Isla’s triumph at the end against her would-be killers since it almost felt like an afterthought to Isla’s primary worry about her role as Queen.

I wasn't fond of the main characters. Isla was seen as this strong, badass, feminist heroine by other characters, and the writing reinforced this perspective, but I didn't see it. Isla's actions were very predictable, she was outspoken and confident, but I couldn't see her as a boundary-pushing, strong heroine. She read like a series of tropes instead of a unique, strong female heroine. Most of Isla's actions were self-serving, which she eventually acknowledged, and her initial motivation for self-preservation was understandable. But, I didn’t feel like her motivations ever changed, and she never really evolved as a person. Even though she said she was going through this metamorphosis phase after experiencing hardships, she never really changed or adapted; her (already high) confidence increased, and she used her powers more.

Allysteir was not much better, I liked him at first, but halfway through the book, he doubled down on making naive decisions and became even more tedious and brooding. It never felt like Allysteir and Isla had much chemistry, nor did Isla’s and the God of Death’s romance feel real. Isla deducted that to live, she needed to appeal to the God of Death by not giving him what he wanted. Great plan, but then suddenly they're in love?! I wanted more romance! Since Isla essentially falls for a shadow spirit, and there were only a few instances of direct communication, it was hard to see their relationship progress and thus hard to believe. The elimination of romance just made the whole story very dry, and I didn’t feel like rooting for them like I usually do for most main couples. I liked Fanny and her ending, but her delightful and surprisingly strong character was not enough to keep me interested.

Maybe I read too many dark smutty romances, but I expected a lot more dark smut from this book than I got. The sex scenes had too much flowery purple prose and not enough dirty details for me, and there were fewer explicit sex scenes than I expected based on the writing. I liked Franny and Isla’s relationship, but it was unbalanced. At one point (if I interpreted this right), Franny tells Isla she’s not a lesbian but likes sex with Isla because Isla loves it, and Franny loves making Isla happy. So I assumed Franny could be demisexual. Yet, the author never acknowledged this possibility or Fanny much outside of the relationship with and actions regarding Isla, which I thought was a missed opportunity.

I was excited to read the Bride of the Corpse King, but I could not get into this book. I would be willing to try another of the author's books because they come up with excellent ideas, but I don’t think their writing style is for me and the sex scenes were highly disappointing. If you like books with slow development, time jumps, flat but consistent characters, good sexy times, and a huge cliffhanger ending, then you’ll like this book.

[Crystal Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving this 5 stars because the author is a gem of a person. I really loved the synopsis of this story and the characters by themselves were great! Isla is so strong, I adore her. Allyister is basically a big badass softie haha! I feel like the story as a whole needs a bit of editing. Knowing it began on Kindle Vella, it makes sense how detailed and long winded it tends to be...I feel like I could jump ahead during multiple parts and not really be lost. But overall it's unique.

[Laci Steimel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! I love the world that Emily created, and the story bringing it all together. There were a couple confusing moments, but it all clears up. Isla's sass and fire had me cheering for her from the very beginning, and she was a strong female character that I really enjoyed reading. This story has multiple POV, dark steam, and some pretty major plot twists. It kept me ensnared and I cannot wait to see where it goes next!

[Katherine C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be granted a Ebook ARC by the author in exchange for a honest review.

To start off within just the first few chapters it was a big dump of information that had me absolutely confused… I like having information dragged out throughout the book. The first chapter with Isla was also very hard for me to read and wrap my brain around. Information and style of writing made my brain hurt.
When switching over to Allysteir’s POV it flowed much smoother. I really enjoyed his conflicting banter with Ary (god of death). Allysteir has a lot of trauma… his past brides keep him from wanting to take another bride.

Bam!!! Incomes our girl Isla who does a Katniss Everdeen and Volunteers to be the Corpse Kings new Bride!
Though are dear Allysteir (ally) doesn’t want to take a new bride he instantly wants our girl Isla. And so does the god of death he harbors 😜

Isla isn’t like any of his brides before. She’s strong willed and has a bunch of secrets and a special power 🌹✨

Through the course of the book I was blown away. The writing style though different grew on me. I also loved our girl Isla, I didn’t favor Allysteir but I think that’s because I was immediately drawn to Ary the got of death.

While reading I enjoyed the story and thought the plot was well thought out. It gave us a new spin on Hades and Persephone. Though I did enjoy the book itself and the story when it came to the down and dirty scenes they were not what I expected.
The use of words ( such as Vulv@, Clitori@l Hood, Sex, mound, phalanges, Pubic Lips, Buxom and many more ) choices and writing flow was a big turn off.
I felt like I was reading a anatomy book and not a intimate scene that I had been waiting on for (if you know you know 💀) 🙈

All in all I did enjoy this book. The story drew me in after I got past the first few chapters and was able to read it smoothly. I would gladly recommend this book to friends but I would also let them know the smut scenes are a little different then the typical dirty scenes we’ve read.

This book had a lot of confusing moments and it was hard to keep up at points. The spelling seemed to change for some creatures. Angyl went to Angel later as did Dragyn and Dragon. But it didn’t effect the overall reading experience.

I gave this book a 4/5 because of those last two paragraphs.

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm)]

DNF 16%

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Bride of the Corpse King(BotCK) in exchange for my honest review*


I have to first say that I spoke a lot with the author Emily privately and got to know her as a person and she is so kind and such a sweetheart.

I am a sucker for a Hades and Persephone retelling. I absolutely adore them as a couple so when I found out about BotCK I knew I had to read this book.

I have to say this is a unique take on Hades and Persephone where our main characters weren't necessarily looking for each other and ended up in a situation where Isla our Female Main Character(FMC) was looking for a way to get herself and her family out of a bad situation. When the story starts Isla is in a relationship with her oldest friend Franzy and they both end up at a game tournament.

Fast forward, things happen and Isla has to make a choice to either be killed, married off to a terrible man, or volunteer to marry the (Corpse)King Allysteir our Male Main Character(MMC).

Now, marrying a king isn't usually a bad thing and a lot of women usually cherish the idea of becoming a queen. However, Allysteir is not your normal king. He comes from a line of cursed individuals and holds the God of Death inside him and must marry a new woman and consumate the marriage within one year otherwise their lands and Kingdom will fall. Overall, still seems not too bad right? Well, turns out if the woman that Allysteir weds and then beds isn't what the God of Death is looking for then he will kill her and the cycle will start again.

Over his life Allysteir has had 500 wives. What makes our FMC stand out is that she is the first woman to volunteer to marry the Corpse King in as much time. Isla is quickly shown as a character who doesn't run from much, has a back bone, and is written as someone who is very inquisitive but doesn't take crap from anyone especially her husband.

The story continues on as we learn more about Allysteir's brother Aydon and see more of Franzy and Isla's relationship while they are both married to each brother (fun little twist that I enjoyed).

I rated this book 4 stars because it was a very dense read for me. For the first 30% of the book I zoomed through it. I set it down and when I came back to it I found that the story was very thick and dense to read and follow along with so it required my full attention.

My suggestion to readers with this book is to write down what each word at the beginning of the book is so you know what character is what creature and what the lands and realms are called because that is where I struggled the most and I received an EBook copy and didn't think I would have as much trouble as I did with the creatures and lands.

This is a long book it is very detailed and honestly I think it could be shortened down but I understand that Emily is a Vella author and in order to get readers hooked they have to be more descriptive and longer chapters to entice readers to continue the story.
I, however, did enjoy the story but I did find there to be a lot of fluff to the story that could have been edited down and maybe not as many characters because that is where I had the most difficulty engaging in the story.


Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves Hades and Persephone just be prepared for a lengthy read with a lot of information being packed in.

[Katherine C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing read but not my normal taste

I was lucky enough to be granted a Ebook ARC by the author in exchange for a honest review.

To start off within just the first few chapters it was a big dump of information that had me absolutely confused… I like having information dragged out throughout the book. The first chapter with Isla was also very hard for me to read and wrap my brain around. Information and style of writing made my brain hurt.
When switching over to Allysteir’s POV it flowed much smoother. I really enjoyed his conflicting banter with Ary (god of death). Allysteir has a lot of trauma… his past brides keep him from wanting to take another bride.

Bam!!! Incomes our girl Isla who does a Katniss Everdeen and Volunteers to be the Corpse Kings new Bride!
Though are dear Allysteir (ally) doesn’t want to take a new bride he instantly wants our girl Isla. And so does the god of death he harbors 😜

Isla isn’t like any of his brides before. She’s strong willed and has a bunch of secrets and a special power 🌹✨

Through the course of the book I was blown away. The writing style though different grew on me. I also loved our girl Isla, I didn’t favor Allysteir but I think that’s because I was immediately drawn to Ary the got of death.

While reading I enjoyed the story and thought the plot was well thought out. It gave us a new spin on Hades and Persephone. Though I did enjoy the book itself and the story when it came to the down and dirty scenes they were not what I expected.
The use of words ( such as Vulv@, Clitori@l Hood, Sex, mound, phalanges, Pubic Lips, Buxom and many more ) choices and writing flow was a big turn off.
I felt like I was reading a anatomy book and not a intimate scene that I had been waiting on for (if you know you know 💀) 🙈

All in all I did enjoy this book. The story drew me in after I got past the first few chapters and was able to read it smoothly. I would gladly recommend this book to friends but I would also let them know the smut scenes are a little different then the typical dirty scenes we’ve read.

This book had a lot of confusing moments and it was hard to keep up at points. The spelling seemed to change for some creatures. Angyl went to Angel later as did Dragyn and Dragon. But it didn’t effect the overall reading experience.

I gave this book a 4/5 because of those last two paragraphs.

[Aimee R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, it's a good story with a compelling heroine and a really fun worldbuilding sandbox! (I edited to add some more after sitting on this a few days). WARNING - this review is rife with spoilers.
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Pros: evocative imagery, a great twist, and good enough I stopped my daily schedule to finish it! The religion and pantheon is just *chef's kiss* and is so so fun to visualize and imagine! The author's descriptions of scenes really makes me feel like I'm IN the scene with whoever I'm reading about. It's intensely beautiful. Isla is a great character who I really liked, and Franzya was also very likable. I liked the twist that Isla is a goddess - definitely good! And I loved that the gods inhabit the royalty - that is such a fun twist that made the story that much more elevated. The spice between Isla and Ary is just so good, I definitely wanted more of that.

Cons: some grammar and spelling issues that were hard to ignore (random instances of "he I'm me" mixed up in sentences, sheathe instead of sheath, a chapter in there twice, etc). And I know it's a personal problem, but I couldn't get into the wording the author chose for the spicy scenes. Some were anatomically impossible ("dilating clitoral nub" comes to mind), and a lot of repeat phrases (with nipples especially). Characters were extremely one note, I didn't feel as though I really got to know anyone aside from maybe Isla. There is also a LOT of information thrown at you in a very short time. I wanted to know more about the intricacies of the government and world that she had built, but it was mentioned in passing with a new fantasy name that was hard to keep track of, and then never explained. The bone magic is so COOL but I basically don't understand much of how it works aside from some bones are more powerful than others without a clear rule as to why. Basically, an incredibly loose magic system. And I just didn't feel the tension between Allysteir and Isla at the end. It felt like tying up a loose end and getting him out of the way for convenience when he left with Fenny and had her back.

Overall, what killed the book for me was that the CW/TW did not in any way include that there would be an abortion on page. Now, I'm pro-choice, that is not the issue I've had miscarriages and it really threw me for a loop - had I known it was coming I would've been mentally prepared. If you're going to have a CW/TW, please be more specific.

[Sydney (sydneysshelves) West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original review was accidentally posted to the Kindle Vella GR page. My bad.

** spoiler alert ** I got this book for review from the author herself. I was really looking forward to it as retellings are my jam. But I reached a point where I was forcing myself to stay engaged and ultimately decided to DNF this at the 53 ish % before my rating would be even lower.

I really feel like each reader comes to a book with their own set needs and desires so what wasn't to my taste may not bother you at all. As such, I'm going to list/discuss some of my issues/turn offs with this below.

1. There was ALOT of info dumping happening. Alot of strange words and phrasing used that seems to serve no point beyond showing that this world was 'different' and 'edgy'. It made it really hard to keep track of what was going on and what the hell everyone was talking about. There were MANY times I put this down because it gave me a headache trying to figure it out.

2. This is pitched as a a steamy fantasy romance. But I didn't see much actual romance happening. While steam doesn't bother me in the slightest and can move a relationship along in many cases I felt like here there was alot of gratuity just because. In fact in trying to be so sex positive I believed less and less that the heroine loved the corpse king. And honestly I felt like while they had instant attraction and quite a few moments of relationship growth, I never could quite believe that they suddenly loved each other.

This next one is the spoiler....

3. I went into this thinking that The Corpse King would be the Hades character as he is king of the Underworld. But by 35% I could see that the heroine was trying to tempt and taunt both her betrothed and the God of Death who cursed and then inhabited his body. And their interactions were supposed to seem dark and sensual but I just felt like they were the least romantic ever and not sexy at all. Sorry?

I'm sure there are readers out there who will fall in love with this novel and Shore's characters. But sadly I was not one of them.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted an ARC of this book by the lovely Emily for an honest review.

Persephone and Hades retelling.
Spice.
Pomegranates.
Loveable and realistic characters.

Bride of the Corpse King has all these things.

Isla is on a mission to save her family’s farm with the help of her friend Franzy, and through a series of events, Isla ends up proposing to the Corpse King at the Feast of Flesh. It’s been 500 years since a bride chose the King and not the other way around; naturally, the entire realm and beyond is curious about the human girl. She is noted by several characters as being strong willed, a lioness, a warrior. Allysteir, also known as the Corpse King, is quite taken with her but also fears for her life as he is possessed (thanks to a Curse) by the God of Death. Death, or Aryahn, has consumed the soul of every one of his brides when they consummated their marriage, and Allysteir wants more than anything for this to not happen to Isla.
The couple go through a lot during their time together – trials, obstacles, pomegranates… Isla proves to be both a challenge and a temptation that the Corpse King cannot fight.
Is Isla tougher than the God of Death? Can she break Allysteir free from his curse? Will Aryahn let Allysteir be happy? I guess you’ll just have to read it to find out!

Side notes: The world within this book was hard to keep straight and navigate in the beginning (I felt like I had been dropped into another country with no map), but once I was in the story, it came alive in my mind. I’m also not a big flesh-eater (zombie) fan, but the narrative grabbed me anyway. The story of Isla, Allysteir, Aryahn, and Franzy was engrossing and unique. The book does need some editing, but the story overall was great. I rooted for many of the characters, and some of their stories surprised me with how they turned out. But I did not like the ending. Why? BECAUSE IT ENDED ON A CLIFF HANGER. And now I must wait for the next book. Which is completely unfair.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. The excessive use of the letter 'y' actually pissed me off. It made the book incredibly hard to read, like stumbling over a new language because it took common words (ie Mother) and turned them in to unnecessarily complicated replacements (Mothyr). Why. You can create a fantasy world without integrating a weirdly complex language to get readers convinced of the realm. The linguistic approach in this book was generally odd to me at several points, but I pushed to finish the book.
2. I *really* wanted to like this book. I love Hades x Persephone retellings, and retellings in general. I loved the concept of a God of Death as a separate entity in a physical body but with it's own reach and power, that sounds so enticing. However, it was weirdly drawn out. I think I liked the last 30-ish% of the book more than the rest of the book combined. Generally hated Gryzelda, like I could not find a redeeming quality. Also, hated Kanat, but at least that served a purpose whereas Gryzelda was creepy weird unnecessarily (you don't need to SA your future daughter-in-law, that's weird, quit that). I appreciated Isla's character arc and coming in to her own, but sometimes it seemed like she went from a true badass to a simpering damsel without any particular reason, just to switch back in the next chapter. Knowing this was originally a Vella novel, some of the pacing makes more sense, but it needs some editing and condensing to make it more cohesive as a novel itself; nearly 550 pages was just too long for the story.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a love-hate relationship with this book. I truly loved the book but I really hated the main character, Isla. Yes, she is an amazingly strong female character that doesn't let anything stand in her way and she takes what she wants. But I found her to be incredibly self center and selfish. It annoyed be beyond belief that several times I had to put the book down and step away. Yet, I had to finish it. I wanted to know more. I loved the underwold that Emily Shore created and I loved that the gods were so cruel and unforgiving but I had no love for most of the characters in this story. I adored Allysteir at times because he was so tragic and pined for his one true love and the only other dead bride that wasn't afraid of the God of Death. I was hoping for more interactions with Narcyssa, the Sythe Queen as she seemed deliciously dangerous.

Eh. Don't listen to my rant. Read for the book for yourself. You might love it and it could just be the case where I'm overthinking Isla's choices and deeds.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devastatingly good

Once again another Emily Shore book that absolutely tears you apart while attempting to recreate the story you believe you are building in your head. One day I'll stop guessing but honestly where is the fun in that. Her strong female lead makes this story possible, giving isla the strength of Persephone and giving us a character that needs no man. And the token "pet" always wins me over. Absolutely loved the scene where the guardian monster made the mmc walk! I loved the "a typical" ending to this story and can't wait for more to come from this series. This was a great blend of sassy characters and twisted love with plenty of spice along the way.

[Crystal Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I’ve been looking for an retelling of my favorite Greek Myth for a while and in this story I found everything I didn’t know that I needed. I devoured it, getting up two hours early in the morning to read in quiet, I stayed up late, and when I finished it in two days I was ready to start it over. It was spicy, it always kept me guessing, there were plot twists, enough emotion to make you hurt and laugh with the characters, and the ending- my heart wasn’t ready. I cannot wait for it to be out in paperback so I can have it on my shelf!

[Elizabeth Bartrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved reading this book! Isla is beyond incredible in many different ways. I love all the different revelations throughout the story, many unexpected surprises but the way it was told was so subtle and smooth so it wasn't a total mind f***. There are a million aspects throughout the whole thing that I'm such a fan of. Definitely burning for a sequel to it! I mean the author makes you fall for both the corpse king and the God of death. That's pretty huge. Will definitely be consuming all other work by the author

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the author of an ARC copy of Bride of the Corpse King.

For me this is 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. There were a few moments in the last quarter of the book that were confusing to me. It eventually makes sense but I think a little editing will help. The nickname is what was most confusing since it seems it used for two characters?? The story is there and it’s good but it does need a little work.

[Karen McNl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried with this book I think I got half way and I'm just done. I feel like the H who is supposed to be this great god or who houses an god in his body is made out to be badass to everyone when he really isn't. The h as well was trying to give off I don't give a shit vibes but honestly was just a mess. Also she sleeps with her friend right before her wedding, just no I want my couples to be just it for each other

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I starting reading this story through Vella and I was lucky enough to get the ARC from the author. This is a retelling and I’ve said it before, I LOVE retelling and reimagining stories. The plot and the characters are titillating. A dark fantasy story that is pretty steamy. This was a breathtaking take of the retelling of Hades and Persephone myth. I am looking forward to book two.

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

[Chrissy Frye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Epic

From beginning to end, this book is rich with plot. Every chapter, every page, is filled with twists and turns that you never expect. If you like the idea if strong willed female characters journeying to find themselves and taking control of thier own destiny, this one is for you.

[Caty Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really hooked me in!!! I absolutely loved it and could not put it down 😍 I loved this world building and how attached I got to characters so fast! It was great to get to know them and what they were thinking in the dual pov!

[Shannon Courtney-Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh I absolutely loved this book! Isla is a badass strong woman! The story was so good and the spice and tension *chefs kiss* I couldn't put this down! Thank you so much for the arc of this book! Y'all need to read this one!

[Morgan Waddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love and hate this book! This is not how I wanted the story to go, but I loved every second of it!

My rational brain knows there was no other way for this to....not end...but my heart is aching for the beautiful character(s) left at the mercy of the gods.

[Dorothea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing! I loved it. Isla is such a strong character. It was a hard read for me at first because of the different terms/language but once that was established; I loved it!

Pulled me in and kept me turning the page.

[Anastasija Đurović · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is why I prefer new rookie authors and not the established ones wo went down the drain because they got too high on their own supply *cough* SJMaas *cough*

Keep up the excellent work and you might become my fave!

[Trista Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Everything about this book was amazing! Emily did a fantastic job of bringing her characters to life and developing the plot. Islam is a bad ass woman from the very beginning. This was the first book I've read of the author's, but certainly will not be the last.

[Tarah Cagnoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read!!!

This book is absolutely amazing! I loved the hate love relationship between Isla and the king and the seduction throughout the whole book!
I will admit there were times I had difficulty with the language and pronunciation it would definitely make an amazing audio