Genre: fantasy/paranormal/romance
Release Date: December 20th, 2022
Pages: 432
Publisher: Sourcebooks Bloom Books
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the sequel to: King of Battle and Blood
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“The next book in the epic fantasy series by USA Today bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair.
Isolde, newly coronated queen, has finally found a king worthy of her in the vampire Adrian. But their love for each other has cost Isolde her father and her homeland. With two opposing goddesses playing mortals and vampires like chess pieces against one another, Isolde is uncertain who her allies are in the vampire stronghold of Revekka.
Now, as politics in the Red Palace grow more underhanded and a deadly blood mist threatens all of Cordova, Isolde must trust in the bond she’s formed with Adrian, even as she learns troubling information about his complicated past.”
My Review:
This is such a great sequel! It goes so much deeper into the lore and world-building, which is one of my favorite parts of this story. We also learn so much more about the characters and their backstories. Both Isolde and Adrian go through unpredictable changes from which they have to adapt and grow. The relationship between Isolde and Adrian is strained and tensions develop, but their bond is strong enough to endure.
There are new alliances forming, new foes coming to light, and the depth of the secrets and scheming takes us further into the twisty, volatile politics of this world. The stakes are even higher in the plot and it sets us up really well for the third book. The plot in this second book really shined and I felt it coming to the forefront of the story in an engaging way. I can’t wait to see how this all comes to a conclusion! I feel like we have reached a pinnacle where the world is set to implode and I’m excited to find out how everything resolves.
My only complaint is that sometimes the flashbacks are a little hard to follow. The sequencing of events gets a little muddled and hard to follow between what is happening in the present with Isolde and things she is remembering from her past. But this was minor in comparison to everything else that I loved about this story and didn’t take much away from my enjoyment.
I love Isolde’s character. She’s difficult and, some would say, hard to love, but that just makes me love her even more because it is so relatable. Adrian’s character feels more dimensional in this sequel, and we get to see some of this story from his perspective. This was an unsuspected and delightful surprise for me. I would love even more from his point of view in the third book.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves paranormal fantasy with equal parts epic kingdoms and spice.
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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