What if your bargain with a king is a deal with the devil?
I knew accepting that Aegis case could only mean trouble.
After her attack on the Colosseum, Valeria launched a campaign of cruelty on Draqaar. With every death, her army grows, and I’m the only one that can turn the tide of battle. I’m the only one that can break the daeva curse.
The bargain’s been struck, and with the Aegis men and a daeva king by my side, I’m beginning to feel like I’ve found my purpose. Maybe even where I belong.
But hunters are closing in on Haven, and when someone from my past bursts back into my life, I’m forced to question my future and my growing bonds.
The Arsyn Morgan Series is a slow burn reverse harem. The series is recommended for 18+ due to violence, bad language, and sexual situations.
Did I always understand what was going on? Not really. The book felt messy and jumpy, with abrupt scene changes that made it hard to follow. The pacing was weird. That said, we did get more men introduced, so… WOOHOO for that!
I liked Syn’s humor - she had some great lines. But her reunion with Seb felt strangely emotionless. Didn’t she say she thought he was the love of her life? Where was the emotion? She was the one who initially hurt him, and yet she barely reacted.
Syn mostly came across as having just three defining traits: witty, annoyed, and constantly tired from using or absorbing mana. That was pretty much it.
We still don’t know much about the guys either - they seriously lacked depth. Most of them felt interchangeable in pairs, except for Quillon.
Seb was my favorite… until the author turned him into a full-blown evil lunatic. I have no idea how it’ll happen, but I really hope he gets a redemption arc.
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Ranking of the Men: 1) Ari & Felix – The epilogue sealed it for me 2) Shael – The tears when he thought Syn was dying? Gut-wrenching 3) Cyrus – Possessive king energy 4) Quillon – Barely present for half the book, but still likable 5) Skye – Loved the jealousy, but otherwise he’s kind of just there 6) Seb – From fave to flop real quick
This series is amazing! Great story building, characters and plot love love it
Possible spoil ers ahead I could see sebs betrayel slowly coming tbh but I still kinda like him hahaha that's my toxic trait hoping he'll redeem himself and join the harem
Ari is my favourite so far, im excited to see how the tension builds with Skye I know they're gunna spicy once it comes to a head, and love all the other guys aswell
Devastated I have to wait for another book now but so worth it, will definitely be adding this series to my paperback library ❤️
For a debut series, J.A. Stowe is knocking it out of the park. Stowe focuses so much on world building and descriptions of people and feelings that you feel fully immersed in her novels. My heart was pounding during moments of this book and I was on edge reading this. I wanted to know what happened but didn’t want to finish the book. I don’t know how many more books are in this series, but I’m not sure it can be wrapped up with one more.
In The King’s Bargain, we finally start finding answers about Arsyn. We learn about her parents and the infamous Sebastian. “The brightest light and the darkest shadow of my past were on my doorstep.” The focus of this novel is breaking the daeva curse. I think the story flows a little quickly in parts, trying to focus on the curse and we miss a lot of interactions with the guys and their relationship building. There is a lot of action in this book, though.
Sebastian…. YES….and no! I was wondering who he was when he was on Stowe’s Pinterest board but there was no mention of him in the first book. At first, I thought he was just a character she created then decided not to pursue, especially since she didn’t have a board for Quillon. Sebastian is the psychopath this story was missing. He is absolutely devoted to Syn and will do anything she asks with no questions.
We still get to see Arysn’s humor alongside her strength. “I just hoped Sebastian hadn’t grown a mustache or something. I couldn’t take any more surprises this week.” We also see more puzzles and tricks come out of her sleeve on why she is the way she is and why she can do something that should be impossible. We have to remember that she is learning as she goes along. She heard a secret about her life that she is trying to process and there is no one to guide her and tell her answers, especially since she is still keeping her identity a secret. I hope we will get more clear answers on why she can do impossible things in the next book. “The only difference between a gift and a curse is intention.”
We get time with all the guys. “I learned there was no point in trying to dissuade an Aegis man when they wanted to carry you somewhere.”
Shael: He is the one that entertains Syn the most and keeps the lightness going. His arguments with Felix are funny to read and those two love our girl. He knows what he wants, and that is Syn. Skye: All I can say is stop fighting it! We know you are a softy! Syn sees it, stop playing with our girl’s heart. “Donald told me all about the demons of envy. Harpies were obsessed with their appearances but could never see themselves in a mirror. They despised anyone they thought was more attractive than them. I had yet to see Skye’s reflection, and he’d been prickly to me from the beginning. Yep, this theory was gaining traction.” Felix: I feel like Felix is the most blah of them all because I don’t really feel their chemistry, but he is clearly into Syn. There are a lot of questions surrounding his gift as the Raven Priest and his visions. I hope these get explored more in the next book. Cyrus: The stoic leader of our group is opening up a bit. Syn definitely challenges him and the tension between them is a crackling fire about to engulf in flames. I love their push and pull even though Cyrus likes to be in charge and control everything. He is the leader that is wise, as he should be based on his age. “Do what I say, Enchanter, or I’ll tie you to my bed and show you what it really means to be mine.” I do want to know how powerful he is since Syn says he always has a tight leash on his control. It takes about 4 hunters to subdue him. Ari: He was my favorite in the first book and still may be my favorite in the original group, sorry Cyrus. I want him to unleash and own who he is, and it seems like he may be ready. He shouldn’t be afraid of showing his scars or his power. It’s dang hot he has those. And the fact that he can speak into Syn’s mind? Yes, please! He clearly loves her and protects her and her secrets closely. “You’re worth fighting for, Arsyn Morgan.” Quillon: At first, I couldn’t figure out his intention with Syn. He is still very mysterious and has a quirky personality. I want to believe he is good, but he has his and his peoples’ interests to look out for first. He is into our girl though but will it be a lasting devotion?
Em is her best friend and still supports Syn. Her personality balances some of the darkness in Syn and helps keep her sarcastic wit sharpened. Their interactions are always so entertaining to read. She definitely takes a back seat to this story since the focus is not on breaking curses from exes.
The betrayal in this story is gut wrenching. I should have seen that twist coming, but like Syn, I was blinded. I really hope there is maybe some redemption, because I’m obviously a big softy, but I think we found another villain.
I will be thinking of this with story with so many emotions for weeks to come. I can’t wait to see what comes next. I hope we get a few more chapters in the next book from the guys’ POV. Stowe has made me a lifelong reader of hers.
*PS, I have received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and the verdict is in:
Absolutely amazing 2nd book to the start of this heart-clenching series! I still can’t believe this is a debut series because it is incredibly well-written!!
before you all start reading, A WARNING THAT THIS IS A SLOW BURN SERIES, there are still no seggs scenes in book 2, so please keep this in mind before reading!
with that being said, I am still incredibly amazed at how good the story and world-building are!! 🫶🏻✨
*SPOILERS MAY BE READ AFTER THIS LINE*
So the story of Arsyn, the Enchanter, continues from where we left off in book 1, she has gotten closer to the Aegis and the king, and with that, comes her growing fear of them learning her secret.
While trying to figure out a way to remove the Daevari curse, Arsyn gets to encounter her love from the past, Sebastian, and I just wanted to say, I loved his character very much! I think he was such a nice addition to the plot and truly gave us an insight into what happened to Arsyn in the past as well as gotten to learn more about the world of Hunters. As well as making the Aegis’ feelings more prominent. That scene where Felix was love bombing because of what happened was heart-wrenching!
I loved how determined and selfless Arsyn was, she’s not the dumb martyr, but her heart bled for the people she loved. What I liked the most was of course CYRUS’S CONFESSION!!!!!!! I wish Ari believed in him more because damnnnn that was such an emotional scene!!! I truly looooved how they all found out the big secret and the angst it got with all the revelations! Cyrus truly melted all my heart 🥺
I loved all of the guys’ different ways of showing affection, Ari is such a bundle of support and love from beginning to end. I really loved that surprise Ari POV we definitely needed that!!
I also think that the breaking of the curse was utterly anticlimactic,, I was expecting more angst or something to happen, but that scene with Cyrus truly made it all worth it!!
and that climax!! I wasn’t expecting it AT ALL!! It was so cruel of you, Stowe!! I really!! liked him!!! 😭😭 I almost feel as heartbroken as Syn! 😭 I’m glad she has the others’ support through it all 😭
and that ending,,, I also loved it!! I mean, the way Skye went out of his way to show his affection and Appreciation to Syn was so beautiful. Ending it with Felix was also such a great choice!! among all of them, Felix is the one who has shown just how much he loves Syn so openly and he filled the last few pages with love and hope for the next series!!
DNF 10%. I hate to say this but this couldn’t hold my interest at all. It was just so uninteresting and the story meanders without purpose or anything. I just couldn’t care less about these characters. Sorry, this is not for me.
Hopefully I managed this without spoilers. I don’t think it is uncommon for the second book in the series to have a bit of a lull. That is not the case in this book. It’s filled with character & relationship development as well as being fairly intense with the plot and very action heavy when it comes to the fighting. A lot is learned about Arsyn, who she was and how she left the cult-like society she was born in to and why & how she was able to open her eyes to the brainwashing she grew up with and reprogram herself without guidance from professionals. Where the first book seemed to struggle balancing the character, relationship, plot development, and world building (because it was so much, so fast), this book excels at it while further expanding on world development. More is learned about the politics and culture of the different worlds and the different races (species?) and we’re introduced to unknown situations that the characters don’t understand but seem heavily based on the history of the four worlds. It is a slow burn, which means the spice is very low still but it is starting to heat up a little. The sexual tension is very much there and it’s quite delicious. And deeply annoying in a very good way. Usually medium-large harems aren’t my favourite because there’s so many different relationships to manage and show, but this book manages it quite well. Beyond one of the men being a bit … conflicted about what’s happening (and thus avoiding her a fair amount) (and another who often is on a different planet), they all seem to get an equal amount of time on screen (or whatever the term is for on screen is for books) with Arsyn and building a relationship with her as an individual and as a group. I also found that the character voices in the alternate POV chapters to be unique and different from Arsyn’s. (I don’t think that’s a spoiler…?) Their syntax varies and you can see how their magic & personality influences the way they think & process events. Personally, as much as I love cliffhangers, having a book in series (that isn’t the final book) *not* end in one is refreshing. It still ends at a very appropriate place that leaves you wanting the next book asafp, but it feels like it doesn’t end in a place for shock value. Honestly - I can’t wait for the next book. (I cannot stress this point enough.)
The second book was better for sureeee! Syn, the Enchanter or Enchantress (honestly take your pick because thats what the author does STILL), is finding more and more power and abilities she’s not really sure how she can use. While trying to break the curse, she’s also trying to balance her hidden Hunter Sebastian with the Aegis men in her life plus Quillon lmao.
All very predictable stuff happens plot wise but it’ll be interesting to see where the next book leads after where this left off.
The men mostly have non existent personalities besides Ari and Quillon, maybeeee Felix. So I’m hoping that gets better as the series progresses.
3.75 I enjoyed the first 2/3rds of this book, but felt like the last third was a little disjointed. Lol! I feel like this review will be a carbon of my original review of book 1. I believe I said something to the effect of "all the dramatic parts were neutered right as they were getting good." Also, important pieces of information, such as the bad guy reveal, seemed to come out of left field. Finally, if Arsyn was overpowered in the first book she was underpowered in this one. That being said, I still enjoyed the book and plan on continuing the series.
Another good installment with plenty of action and adventure. Also angst. Also, for a RH, there is no sex. Hrmph. We better start some of that soon. Also, this novel has some of the worst cover art that I have ever seen. Mythical creatures reading challenge -zombie Wheels10 team reading challenge
The first book in the Arsyn Morgan Series had me hooked within the first couple chapters. Upon finishing it, I immediately followed the author on every social media platform. I then started counting down the days for the second book to be released. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised to see that book 2 was only a few months away. I love when authors are able to do that with a series.
J.A. Stowe has created a very unique world that is nice to see in the RH genre. Definitely a slow burn but the flames are fanned a lot more with each potential love interest in The King’s Bargain. It was great to see more of Arsyn’s interaction with each of the Aegis guys.
There’s a new character introduced. I loved how much Sebastian’s character added to this book. He brought out a different side to Arsyn and more of her back story came into play as a result of his involvement. It was nice to get some more answers about her past.
I’m extremely picky when it comes to a reread but I reread the first book before diving into this one(definitely recommend). It was even better because I felt like I was able to understand the world and each of the characters more the second time around. I have to absolutely love a book to give it a second go around so that’s saying something about this series.
All in all it was a wonderful read! I was lucky enough to receive an arc copy of this book. I am crossing my fingers that I’m able to continue my luck and get an arc of book 3 whenever it’s released.
This is the second book of the Arsyn Morgan series, and it picks up where the first book left off. After coming home to Haven and the Ringmaster and Matron dead, there are no leads to find Valerie. However, more trouble has found Haven in the form of hunters. With hunter now in Haven, the Enchanter must keep her identity even closer to her chest than before. All of this happening in Haven, and she still has to handle the bargain she made with the King and an old flame coming back into her life. After a hunter attack during one of the festivals, the Enchanter and her group of Aegis try to make a move against the hunters, however, it is a trap, and Syn is severely injured along with the Enchanter's most precious and closely guarded secret being revealed. Now the Aegis men know the Morgan heir still lives on as the Enchanter. With the betrayal coursing through them and the future unknown, the men leave Syn in Haven and head to the front line for the upcoming war. When Syn next wakes, she is unsure what has happened, but she knows she must finish destroying the anchor. Once Syn makes her back to the Aegis men, the battle is moments away, and they are all on high alert. In the middle battle begins, Syn discovers who is controlling the undead inside of the dome, and the betrayal she discovers almost kills her. Once the battle is over with the undead retreating, Syn is left with a whirlwind of emotions and pain to work through.
Wow! I’m so glad I re read the first book so I could fully appreciate this one. It was mostly written in the fmc’s pov, there was the odd chapter where it was one of the males pov. I loved this book. She’s stolen away at the end of the first book, and her journey brought her to a place where she rescued many Devasi, which is when her name started being whispered about. The Enchantress who stood up to the dead for them, even when she was stuck in her own world of trying to survive in the pits. Loved how the guys saved the day, altho it makes me wonder if Sebastian knew about her being in the pits before she sought him out. I didn’t expect that betrayal. It threw me for a loop, just like the fmc. She finally broke the curse for the Devasi. It makes me wonder if the guy who looks like her in the Aether vision is an ancient and wakes up because she broke the curse? Maybe all the ancients will wake up? Guess we will find out in the next book!
The King’s Bargain is the second book in the series, and I honestly enjoyed it as much as the first.
We get a lot more background into…well everything. The guys, their home worlds, how they got together as a team, Arsyn herself, what made her leave the Hunters to begin with, her past etc…
The spice is still verrryyyyy slow burn. I get the vibe that she hasn’t had much of any sexual experience which could explain why she’s taking so painfully slowly…but I’ll admit I need to see something happening besides the odd stolen kiss in the next book or I am going to be bored. Nah, that’s a lie…the story is great on its own. I’d still read it sans spice 😂
But they story is off to a great start for sure with the first and second book.
Cover Blurb: What if your bargain with a king is a deal with the devil? I knew accepting that Aegis case could only mean trouble. After her attack on the Colosseum, Valeria launched a campaign of cruelty on Draqaar. With every death, her army grows, and I’m the only one that can turn the tide of battle. I’m the only one that can break the daeva curse. The bargain’s been struck, and with the Aegis men and a daeva king by my side, I’m beginning to feel like I’ve found my purpose. Maybe even where I belong. But hunters are closing in on Haven, and when someone from my past bursts back into my life, I’m forced to question my future and my growing bonds.
I got confused a lot when she talked about skye not liking her or being rude, because I never really saw that in the other book. It’s like all of a sudden he’s not just a more shy character but hostile?
Also it went from a super big mystery on why she could do all these powers and then bam she’s like I’m going to take Cyrus mana and use it to do xyz so we never really had an explanation. It was obvious it was going that way so I go it but it was still odd.
But I do love the MC and her friend em! I think things go a tad fast paced but I also love that in books sometimes cause I want to get to the good stuff! Can’t wait for the next one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Again the slow burn is the only issue i have with lowering the rating, its like the whole book a few things happen but never to that point. I want some smut dammit (slams hand in the table, hahaha)
Spoilers ahead***** Sy is such a willful person honestly love her but mam, Sebastian was an whole who bit you and it wont happen again but always comes off aggressive. I did not expect him to be that evil but i did see some red flags right away. Major red flag was how he love bombed her then bit her, she had some blood else where as well very shady in my opinion. End of rant. Spoiler ends here*****
Cant wait for the next book (better see some smut, we want smut)
What an incredible book ! Follows on from The Enchanter's Blood and boy it did not disappoint just as much action and twists than the first wanting you to read and delve In deeper. Another slow burn and daymm it's a slow burner, just when you think something is going to happen between the Enchanter and the Aegis men something gets in the way!! I'm so invested in this series it has become one of my favourite reads this year and I'm so excited to see what happens next and hopefully we can enjoy in a Aegis feast as I'm feeling rather peckish 😋.
This was a really cool fantasy series with really cool characters. Arsyn and her men has that connection you crave to see and feel in RH books. Understanding the bonds in RH books can be tricky but this series was not the case. It also reminded me of really cool series such as The Mortal Instruments, a little bit ACOTAR, a little bit Air Awakens and a few more. I stumbled across this series by chance while my phone was broken and it kept me good company. I cannot wait to read more about Arsyn and her journey.
Entertaining read if you like magic and multiple worlds. The story picks up with Syn helping refugees with various curses and how to break the daeva curse for good. New characters are introduced and we get more backstory on Hunters and the magic drought, and visions that foreshadow the future. There's a twist at the end that will we have me preordering the next book. All in all, good character and plot development.
The King's Bargain, the second book of the Arsyn Morgan series, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). The odds in book two seem insurmountable, but this writer takes us on another fast action thrill ride. Lots of secrets revealed that strain the bonds of relationships still forming. While book one seemed very violent, this second installment felt more tense to me--and, yeah, there's blood and dead bodies walking.
Have you ever picked up a book and known with a chapter or two you’re reading something special? That’s how I felt with the first book in this series. You get layers of world building that make sense and take you through twists and turns while learning the characters on a deeper level as the story progresses. I’m excited to read how many ever books the author has planned for the series!
Well didn't see that ending coming. These books are great. A strong beautiful warrior running from a past she fights with every innocent she helps rid of a curse. And the group of men that should be her enemies that have taken her into their misfit family were only one knows the secret of who she REALLY is. It's a great read they are getting better as the series goes.
The plot thickens, the truth comes out, yet still there's nothing more than a few kisses. I'm actually upset at that betrayal at the end there, and curious to see what role the Hunters will all play in the end. Would really love to see more relationship development in the next book.
Really good read. I love the development of the characters and the addition of Seb as part of Arsyn’s past, which we also find out more about. More mysteries come through building on the previous book. Sad to have to wait for the next to come out. I love her growth which each of the guys as well. We get more nuances of their dynamics ❤️❤️
I really liked the progression of this story! I think the writing it a step up from the first book and you get a better feel of the characters. I also really loved the situational humor in this series, I love when books make me laugh and there are some really great moments. I can't wait to see where the rest of this story will lead I'm really excited for more!!
I really do like this series, i read both book in 2-3days... The action, the cursive writing, all of it But, when i find a good book and it ends in a cliffhanger and the next book is not live, is not my fav moment Hopefully it will be a release earlier rather than later so i won't have to wait long.
Another great book in this series. We have battles, love, friendship, betrayal, past resurfacing, loyalty and so much more. There are so many things that happened in this book (in a good way) I just don't know where to start. I will start and end with recommending that you read this series and then try to wait patiently with me for the next book.
This series got even better, this book was just as fast paced and their was allot more story development in it which was exciting. The character relationships developed further in this book and all the interactions between syn and her guys just the cutest. I would highly recommend this series and I can’t wait for the next book .