The Vampire King's Enemy

Ever Dark #3

by X. Aratare

Vampire King Daemon has returned! Now he must gather his allies even as his main enemy makes their move against him. Will he be able to win over the hearts and minds of the Vampires he left behind so long ago? Will people like Balthazar, who have suffered in his absence, be able to believe—and more importantly—trust in him again?

Even as Vampire politics heat up and the danger increases, Julian and Christian must deal with some of the practical problems of becoming Vampires themselves. Things like whether or not they tell Christian’s parents that they are now lords of the night.

WARNING: This is a long serial that is divided into book-length segments. Every single one ends in a cliffhanger. We anticipate there being 7 to 8 volumes.

Genres: Romance, Vampires, Fantasy, Audiobook, M M Romance, Paranormal, LGBT

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2023

About the author

X. Aratare is the pseudonym for Raythe Reign's Gay(M/M) books.

Reviews

[toointofiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

That hadn’t been just a peck on the lips. It hadn’t been just a brush of lips. It hadn’t been even a tender kiss. It was a kiss that was meant to make Julian know that he was Daemon’s forever and always.

⚠️Trigger Warning: Descriptions of Sexual Abuse

This is the perfect series to start when you want something brief to read, but still need a well-thought-out and stimulating story. Instead of full-length novels, this series comes in volumes and each one has fifteen chapters. These volumes aren't the only way to enjoy this series, though. There are also audiobooks you can find on the author's website, narrated by several voice actors. After much convincing, I decided to try audiobooks for the first time. I'm glad I chose this series to do so because the voice actors only added to the story. Also, for someone who gets a lot of headaches lately (from staring at a computer too long at work), this is the perfect way to keep up with my TBR.

As I've already mentioned this story is incredibly well thought out. The plot and lore are fantastic. I love how the story progresses little by little with each volume so there's no overload of info-dumping while remaining complex and interesting. Besides, the lore is much of the same. There are several vampire factions, each with their own magical abilities. They are all so amazing, I can't decide which one's my favorite. Also, the general vampire lore is a nice blend of the old and modern folklore that continues to develop in each volume.

Moreover, all the main boys in this series are as adorable as they have ever been. They have such emotional depth, and they are as sensitive as much as they are strong. Julian is wonderful, and his relationship with Christian is as strong as ever. His relationship with Daemon is also amazing, even though I am not a fan of insta-love. Even Christian, whose trauma left him afraid of forming strong bonds with anyone other than Julian and his parents, has finally allowed himself to trust Balthazar. However, my favorite relationship in this volume is the newfound bromance between Balthazar and Daemon. I could tell it was coming, yet it still had me squealing louder than any romance scene in the series. I can't wait to read more of all of them in the next volume.

[꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ vinnie hacker’s baby (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

with 3 books down, i can somehow say that i'm into these books. the romantic moments are barely surviving but i'm hella entertained so i can't really complain. i may not be swooning but i'm hooked. i'm sat. if you guys are familiar with the shows the vampire diaries and/or ahs coven, those are the major vibes that i'm getting from these books. will def read the others!

[ML · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 3 read and still no sex. Normally that would make me hesitant to continue with a series but the story has been holding my attention. The mythology is fascinating.
Daemon bonding with Balthazar has been super entertaining as well.

More back story on Christian. He was abused by a person he trusted at 15 and was never the same. 😩😩😩. Balthazar will help him to overcome his trust issues. They are the perfect ying & yang. Christian’s gift manifests itself too. Eeek he can read the minds of the dead 💀.


The legend of King Daemon grows.

Cliffhanger ending makes you want to jump into volume 4 right away… Off to read 👏🏻👏🏻

[BeckieLouLou · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Audiobook. Vampires and humans and love romances and bromances and friendships. Series of nine books with wonderful world building and a large cast of characters. Exceptionally well done character introductions, spaced out and different enough to keep them all straight, narration is with multiple actors, so that helped too. Low angst, low drama, a lot goes right for these characters and they actively try to fix hurts and heal emotional wounds for themselves and each other. Not OTT super sweet, but lots of support and caring. Felt like a mini series or soap opera since there were multiple romances and many different storylines with multiple POV. Really enjoyed the story, kept moving, stayed interesting. Totally binge-able, no tedious recapping. Recommend reading them all together or very close together due to the large cast and many plots, you need to remember who everyone is for the full impact at the end. Must read all installments for the HEA as many end on cliffhangers.

Sounded like there was a spinoff, Vampire Academy, that I would be interested in just to see what the characters are up to.

HEA, series, vampires, humans, m/m, urban fantasy vibes.

[Lucy Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Ever Dark series and honestly, I was pretty excited for this one and not really disappointed.

This story spent a lot of time developing more of the plot and not really a whole lot of the characters outside of Balthazar. We did get to see some more of Fiona rather than just a few scenes here or there like we did in the last book. I still can’t figure out what her problem is. I know we have some more background to her as a character, but something is missing to explain why she feels so strongly about what is happening with Balthazar and Arcius.

I really do want to see some more scenes with Daemon and Balthazar. I liked getting to see them attack the Kally stronghold not just because we get to see some really good battle scenes (although those were pretty interesting) but also because we got to see the friendship between Daemon and Balthazar deepen and I really liked getting to see that. The spicy rating was a level 5.

Overall, I would say that I really liked this book and would give it a 5 out of 5 star rating. It’s really rare that a story keeps me entertained at a five for all the books, but I should have never underestimated this author. I’ve always liked this author.

[JJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Enjoying the plot, and looking forward to finding out what happens. Still needs a round of edits though, and this one had a real WTF moment where Julian and Daemon told a human he was worse than his rapist buddies for being "too weak to rape a woman." Probably one of the dumbest statements I've ever read. I had to pretend I didn't read that so I could continue liking the characters.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I’m entertained without being really connected to the characters or their relationships. Though I’m hoping that becomes more with time, since I do like this author.

[Fudanshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

These audio books have no right being amazing as they are!

A cast of 12 narrators. Like listening to a play! ❤️

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m eating this shit UP

[John-Torleif Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does Armageddon do? And will Kaly find out first hand?

Does Kaly really believe that they have the power to confront Daemon? It’s pretty clear that the war against the Immortals was likely a power grab, on Kaly’s part, that doesn’t look like it worked out back then. And it isn’t likely to work out this time either.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julian and Christian have been dealing with changes in their lives but this book shows just as many changes happening now for Daemon and Balthazar. Things are moving along as Daemon is becoming more revealed to the vampire public, while at the same time the machinations of the Order within EverDark are becoming more known. The threat that Daemon is to the Order's power is beginning to clash with the very belief they have instilled in vampires, as well as the clear power of the man himself. As fledglings to these Immortals Julian and Christian find themselves learning about vampire society at the same time as being in the core of the changes to it. Certainly an interesting ongoing series with some major confrontations to come!

[369Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still interested in the story, but it’s starting to get a little tedious for me. Like whole scenes/events are described step by step that need only be a paragraph or two. Daemon is kind of losing some of his charisma for me. I’m hoping the story picks up the pace and becomes more complex. A lot of the characters are feeling one-note at this point.
Since I was so hooked by the first book, I’ll keep reading. Hoping the series picks up again!

[Anna Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 4.5 ⭐️ The more this world is built, the more I love it! The vampires are split into different houses (this has been discussed in each book, revealing more and more), and they are all choosing sides leading to what seems to be a war. The king is gathering those that were presumed lost. The newly turned are coming into their new vampiric selves quickly. This world is fun and brutal at the same time.

[He11zbelles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Things are getting good! This is the 3rd installment and still no spice! I’m thinking there won’t be any. But the writing and this world is so good that I can over look it.

I’m loving the banter between Daemon & Balthazar! The slow burn between the 2 couples is killing me though. But the audiobook is so fantastic that I can’t stop listening.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up- I am knee deep in vampires🤩 The storyline is interesting enough so I dont get hung up on typos or the smaller grammatical errors. I could do without some of the longer inner monologs, though🙄 Daemon is an enjoyable character and his burgeoning friendship with Blathazar is fun to watch.
Julian and Christian are (of course) fast learners, and there are some cliche moments in their romantic relationships, but again- really enjoying the story so...🤷🏼‍♀️

[Ch Likhs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is literally just events of one night..... Suprises me how much this didn't get me stopped but made me more intrigued about the next book....

[Sugarpop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am hooked.

[Denise White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting better and better off to the next book!!

[mazzina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 3.75 stars rounded up

Keep in mind it has still only been like 4 days since all this started

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2/5

[Christina Camann · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to review a story in progress but 3.5-4 ⭐️
Full review in last installment

[Adam Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looooved.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

Loved but got a bit hard to read in the end. And quite a bit of grammatical and spelling errors to get past.

[Precociousp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever Dark: The Vampire King's Enemy, the third installment in a planned series of 7 to 8 volumes, marks a pivotal shift in the storyline, offering a significant evolution for key characters. This volume takes a compelling turn as characters embrace their true identities and grapple with the complexities of their newfound vampiric existence.

Ever Dark: The Vampire King's Enemy not only maintains the series' thrilling momentum but also stands out for its exploration of leadership challenges and the pivotal role of King Daemon in navigating these tumultuous waters, setting the stage for an intriguing and dynamic continuation of the series."

In line with its predecessors, this volume maintains the series' trademark pace and gripping narrative, ensuring readers remain thoroughly engaged.

[SaintDelicate _Edits · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read, Oh I'm in love.