heameljon's review
4.0
What could possibly go wrong when you take all types of fantasy creatures (witches, dragons, shifters, vampires, fat, etc.) add in some humans and an end of the world scenario?
Katie Reus has taken three of my most favorite reading genres: dystopian, fantasy, and romance, and put them all in one book series for my pure reading enjoyment. At the beginning of the 'Ancients Rising' series we learn that there had been a devastating dragon attack. Populated areas all over the world had been destroyed. Those that survived are trying to pull together to create some semblance of a working society. Through the first three books we were introduced to Aurora, who has hidden her shifter side all her life due to the special power it brings her, and King, the alpha leader of his wolf shifter pack and also ruler of the rebuilding city of New Orleans.
King has a unique perspective to ruling, he hopes for a unity among the different species, he believes that together they can rebuild the world into a better place than it was before the attack, he allows for individuality but should someone get out of line he has no problem doling out a punishment. Aurora is struggling to overcome the terrors of her past. She feels a draw to King but doesn't know if she is healed enough from old wounds to let him become anything more than a friend.
When contemplating the current real world climate, I think Reus attempts to show humans how we can overcome our differences in appearance, beliefs, and culture to make the world a better, more peaceful place to live. Reus was able to check all my genre boxes while at the same time giving me hope that the world could be a better place to live if we all just put in the effort.
On a side note, I had mistakenly thought 'Ancient Vendetta' was to be the last book in this series but when I got to the end of the story, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new title listed in the 'Ancients Rising' section under 'Complete Booklist'. Reus made my day.
Katie Reus has taken three of my most favorite reading genres: dystopian, fantasy, and romance, and put them all in one book series for my pure reading enjoyment. At the beginning of the 'Ancients Rising' series we learn that there had been a devastating dragon attack. Populated areas all over the world had been destroyed. Those that survived are trying to pull together to create some semblance of a working society. Through the first three books we were introduced to Aurora, who has hidden her shifter side all her life due to the special power it brings her, and King, the alpha leader of his wolf shifter pack and also ruler of the rebuilding city of New Orleans.
King has a unique perspective to ruling, he hopes for a unity among the different species, he believes that together they can rebuild the world into a better place than it was before the attack, he allows for individuality but should someone get out of line he has no problem doling out a punishment. Aurora is struggling to overcome the terrors of her past. She feels a draw to King but doesn't know if she is healed enough from old wounds to let him become anything more than a friend.
When contemplating the current real world climate, I think Reus attempts to show humans how we can overcome our differences in appearance, beliefs, and culture to make the world a better, more peaceful place to live. Reus was able to check all my genre boxes while at the same time giving me hope that the world could be a better place to live if we all just put in the effort.
On a side note, I had mistakenly thought 'Ancient Vendetta' was to be the last book in this series but when I got to the end of the story, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new title listed in the 'Ancients Rising' section under 'Complete Booklist'. Reus made my day.
redhairedashreads's review
4.0
Series: Ancients Rising #4
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good
Alpha wolf shifter King has kept his New Orleans from collapsing. But every day is a new challenge but he never expects that an old enemy would return to destroy him and his town.
King and Aurora have been circling each other since they met and I loved seeing them finally come together. King has been taking it very slow with Aurora because he knows she needs her freedom after being captured. I liked that he was patient and never rushed her. Also King’s history was very surprising.
Aurora was a great heroine. She was kind, protective, and smart. She really is the perfect alpha mate because she tries to take care of everyone. She is always helping around the community and doing what she can to improve everyone's lives. I like that we also see her taking the alpha place with her family as well since Star is now in Scotland.
The enemy was very interesting and dangerous. I liked that this situation brought new allies for King’s territory. I am very interested in seeing if they will play a bigger role in future books. Overall, this was a great addition to this series and I really loved King and Aurora. I can’t wait to see how their mating will improve New Orleans.
Trigger Warnings: Aurora was kidnapped and held prisoner for over a year.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good
Alpha wolf shifter King has kept his New Orleans from collapsing. But every day is a new challenge but he never expects that an old enemy would return to destroy him and his town.
King and Aurora have been circling each other since they met and I loved seeing them finally come together. King has been taking it very slow with Aurora because he knows she needs her freedom after being captured. I liked that he was patient and never rushed her. Also King’s history was very surprising.
Aurora was a great heroine. She was kind, protective, and smart. She really is the perfect alpha mate because she tries to take care of everyone. She is always helping around the community and doing what she can to improve everyone's lives. I like that we also see her taking the alpha place with her family as well since Star is now in Scotland.
The enemy was very interesting and dangerous. I liked that this situation brought new allies for King’s territory. I am very interested in seeing if they will play a bigger role in future books. Overall, this was a great addition to this series and I really loved King and Aurora. I can’t wait to see how their mating will improve New Orleans.
Trigger Warnings: Aurora was kidnapped and held prisoner for over a year.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
onebookmore's review
4.0
Ancient Vendetta is the fourth book in the Ancients Rising series, and the stakes keep getting higher and higher. The story follows Aurora and King, and I was so excited to read their story! I loved them in the previous books, and I couldn’t wait for their slow-building friendship to turn into something more. It didn’t disappoint. Their story is romantic, suspenseful, dangerous, and lovely.
Enemies new and old threaten Aurora and King, and there are so many heart-pounding moments in the story. Reus continues to develop and expand the post-apocalyptical world, and it’s so intriguing. I love this world where shifters, humans, witches, vampires, and more all coexist. And there are pet dragons!! I love the pet dragons! They are so fun and sweet, and they have the best personalities. It’s so cool to see them grow and mature as the series progresses. I also really like the vision King has for the future of New Orleans.
King is the Alpha of New Orleans, and he is one of my favorite characters in the series. The story delves into King’s past, which is totally not what I expected! This was such an intriguing and, at times, heartbreaking part of the story. and it explained so much about his character. I love King’s strength and determination, as well as his deep understanding of others. He’s sharp and fair, and he has earned the respect of all who live in his territory. King wants to make his territory a better place for everyone, and he will literally give his life to ensure the safety of his people. Plus, the way he feels about Aurora is positively swoon-worthy!!
Aurora is such a fantastic heroine. Caring and kind, Aurora is well-liked by everyone. She has such a wonderful personality and is admired for her willingness to listen and learn, her acceptance of all, her eagerness to help, and her good intentions. She and King have worked so hard to rebuild New Orleans, and I think people have a lot of respect for both of them because of this. However, Aurora has been through a lot and doesn’t realize her own strength. After being held captive for a year, she suffers from PTSD, and she doesn’t know if she’ll ever be ready for love and a relationship. She struggles to forgive herself, but she never gives up hope, especially as her feelings for King come further and further to the surface.
King has been in love with Aurora for a while, but he knows she’s not ready, and he doesn’t push her. I love that King understands Aurora’s needs and never pressures her for more than she’s willing to give. You can tell he really cares about her, and he respects her. This is a woman he wants in his life for the rest of his life, and he never treats her as anything less than an equal deserving of respect and love. And they fit together so well and complement each other perfectly. I think she’s is going to be a great mate for an Alpha like King, and she’s already shown what a great leader she is. Aurora and King have such a swoon-worthy, slow-building friends-to-lovers romance, and is it (literally and figuratively) magical! Oh my word, their chemistry!
There are several other romances in the story that I totally loved, as well as hints of a few other possible love stories that I’m hoping to see in future books in the series. Reus creates such compelling characters and pairs, and I’m always eager to learn more about them and this new world they’re creating. I also really love the found families in the book. The story includes many amazing friendships and relationships, and there are a few new characters introduced, all of whom are connected to King and Aurora, that I’m super curious about.
This is a great addition to the series. It is suspenseful, layered, and romantic, and there are some fun and funny parts too. I would definitely recommend it to readers of paranormal romance, and I’m so thankful to NetGalley and the author for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Enemies new and old threaten Aurora and King, and there are so many heart-pounding moments in the story. Reus continues to develop and expand the post-apocalyptical world, and it’s so intriguing. I love this world where shifters, humans, witches, vampires, and more all coexist. And there are pet dragons!! I love the pet dragons! They are so fun and sweet, and they have the best personalities. It’s so cool to see them grow and mature as the series progresses. I also really like the vision King has for the future of New Orleans.
King is the Alpha of New Orleans, and he is one of my favorite characters in the series. The story delves into King’s past, which is totally not what I expected! This was such an intriguing and, at times, heartbreaking part of the story. and it explained so much about his character. I love King’s strength and determination, as well as his deep understanding of others. He’s sharp and fair, and he has earned the respect of all who live in his territory. King wants to make his territory a better place for everyone, and he will literally give his life to ensure the safety of his people. Plus, the way he feels about Aurora is positively swoon-worthy!!
Aurora is such a fantastic heroine. Caring and kind, Aurora is well-liked by everyone. She has such a wonderful personality and is admired for her willingness to listen and learn, her acceptance of all, her eagerness to help, and her good intentions. She and King have worked so hard to rebuild New Orleans, and I think people have a lot of respect for both of them because of this. However, Aurora has been through a lot and doesn’t realize her own strength. After being held captive for a year, she suffers from PTSD, and she doesn’t know if she’ll ever be ready for love and a relationship. She struggles to forgive herself, but she never gives up hope, especially as her feelings for King come further and further to the surface.
King has been in love with Aurora for a while, but he knows she’s not ready, and he doesn’t push her. I love that King understands Aurora’s needs and never pressures her for more than she’s willing to give. You can tell he really cares about her, and he respects her. This is a woman he wants in his life for the rest of his life, and he never treats her as anything less than an equal deserving of respect and love. And they fit together so well and complement each other perfectly. I think she’s is going to be a great mate for an Alpha like King, and she’s already shown what a great leader she is. Aurora and King have such a swoon-worthy, slow-building friends-to-lovers romance, and is it (literally and figuratively) magical! Oh my word, their chemistry!
There are several other romances in the story that I totally loved, as well as hints of a few other possible love stories that I’m hoping to see in future books in the series. Reus creates such compelling characters and pairs, and I’m always eager to learn more about them and this new world they’re creating. I also really love the found families in the book. The story includes many amazing friendships and relationships, and there are a few new characters introduced, all of whom are connected to King and Aurora, that I’m super curious about.
This is a great addition to the series. It is suspenseful, layered, and romantic, and there are some fun and funny parts too. I would definitely recommend it to readers of paranormal romance, and I’m so thankful to NetGalley and the author for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
bananatricky's review
4.0
Welcome back to post-apocalyptic New Orleans. Ancient dragons came and laid waste to humanity and finally exposed the supernatural world to the humans. King, a half-wolf shifter, is Alpha of the New Orleans pack and his vision has united the other supernaturals behind him. Slowly he is rebuilding a better, more ecologically sound city, in harmony with nature, and has raised the land to reduce the risk of flooding.
Aurora is one of the rarest shifters, a phoenix whose blood has regenerative properties. Having recently escaped from a crazed man who kept her captive for her blood for over a year she is suffering PTSD and fears that she will never trust another male enough to be intimate.
King knows Aurora is his mate, but as the Alpha he has to wait for her to come to him, meanwhile an ancient foe has arisen and wants to kill King. With a foe with powers beyond anything King has seen before can he and his allies defeat the vampire and save New Orleans?
Years ago I gave up on most PNR because it was all so same-same (J.R. Ward's 'mine, mine mine' epitomised the predictability of the genre) but there are a few authors that made it through the great PNR cull and Katie Reus is one. And I honestly don't know why, she throws every PNR cliche in the book into her novels and I just nod and smile and say 'yes, yes, yes very good, very good' Maybe it's the fight scenes? Or the epic list of characters? Who knows, I just lurve them and I'm never disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Aurora is one of the rarest shifters, a phoenix whose blood has regenerative properties. Having recently escaped from a crazed man who kept her captive for her blood for over a year she is suffering PTSD and fears that she will never trust another male enough to be intimate.
King knows Aurora is his mate, but as the Alpha he has to wait for her to come to him, meanwhile an ancient foe has arisen and wants to kill King. With a foe with powers beyond anything King has seen before can he and his allies defeat the vampire and save New Orleans?
Years ago I gave up on most PNR because it was all so same-same (J.R. Ward's 'mine, mine mine' epitomised the predictability of the genre) but there are a few authors that made it through the great PNR cull and Katie Reus is one. And I honestly don't know why, she throws every PNR cliche in the book into her novels and I just nod and smile and say 'yes, yes, yes very good, very good' Maybe it's the fight scenes? Or the epic list of characters? Who knows, I just lurve them and I'm never disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
thenaptimewriter's review
3.0
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
Dramatic & sensual, Katie Reus’s Ancients Rising series offers dependable entertainment for me.
Ancient Vendetta—her latest release, out yesterday—is the culminating moment I’ve been anticipating for Aurora, a Phoenix shifter, & King, a wolf shifter & Alpha, who’ve been crushing on each other for a long time.
While I enjoyed this one, especially seeing Aurora & King find their way to each other & how she has the power to bring the devoted Alpha to his knees, the story doesn’t feel as straightforward or tight as I would like, which detracted at times from the pace of the main story. Basically it just feel like there’s a lot going on.
The HEA between Aurora & King is satisfying after they’ve spent so long being attracted to each other, as is the sense of camaraderie between supernaturals trying to re-build the world after the Fall & fight against baddies. Despite some of the heavy topics covered here I did enjoy this one—it’s always fun being back in this world.
3 ⭐️. Out now!
CWs: Aurora’s trauma includes having had sex with her previous captor in hopes of using it an opportunity to escape. There are repeated references to this—& her “shame”—throughout the book. A vampire allegedly rapes two others. Lots of other CWs including attempted murder & murder.
Dramatic & sensual, Katie Reus’s Ancients Rising series offers dependable entertainment for me.
Ancient Vendetta—her latest release, out yesterday—is the culminating moment I’ve been anticipating for Aurora, a Phoenix shifter, & King, a wolf shifter & Alpha, who’ve been crushing on each other for a long time.
While I enjoyed this one, especially seeing Aurora & King find their way to each other & how she has the power to bring the devoted Alpha to his knees, the story doesn’t feel as straightforward or tight as I would like, which detracted at times from the pace of the main story. Basically it just feel like there’s a lot going on.
The HEA between Aurora & King is satisfying after they’ve spent so long being attracted to each other, as is the sense of camaraderie between supernaturals trying to re-build the world after the Fall & fight against baddies. Despite some of the heavy topics covered here I did enjoy this one—it’s always fun being back in this world.
3 ⭐️. Out now!
CWs: Aurora’s trauma includes having had sex with her previous captor in hopes of using it an opportunity to escape. There are repeated references to this—& her “shame”—throughout the book. A vampire allegedly rapes two others. Lots of other CWs including attempted murder & murder.
this_book_girl's review
4.0
I’ve been anticipating King and Aurora’s story for a long time and it did not disappoint! I’ve been anticipating King and Aurora’s story for a long time and it did not disappoint! The plot was well-paced, the characters were multi-dimensional, and the romance was a perfect slow burn.
The Plot:
As usual we had the plot that’s been going on since the beginning, of getting New Orleans back of it’s feet since the dragon attacks that revealed the supernatural. I liked getting to see more of the details of how this was happening since King and Aurora are both large parts of the effort to repair the city and improve it. The other main plot is someone that is threatening New Orleans to get to King. These two main plots balance each other out really well since one is slow going and the other is intense and happens quickly.
The Characters:
I absolutely adored Aurora in this book. She was just so kindhearted, strong, and determined. I really liked getting to see her come into her own and be the alpha to her crew and being King’s liaison between the supernatural in the city. Another thing I appreciated was that the trauma she experienced wasn’t just swept under the rug. She was still learning to deal with what happened.
As for King, I’ve been intrigued by him from the moment we met him. I loved diving into his character and seeing how loyal, brave, and strong he is. And the devotion he has to protecting the people in his territory.
The Romance:
King and Aurora’s relationship was the perfect slow burn. Things moved at the perfect pace and it was beautiful to see them open up to each other and get to just be. The only complaint I have is that we didn’t get to see more of them together. I know we’ll see glimpses of them in future installments in the series, but I want more of just them.
The Plot:
As usual we had the plot that’s been going on since the beginning, of getting New Orleans back of it’s feet since the dragon attacks that revealed the supernatural. I liked getting to see more of the details of how this was happening since King and Aurora are both large parts of the effort to repair the city and improve it. The other main plot is someone that is threatening New Orleans to get to King. These two main plots balance each other out really well since one is slow going and the other is intense and happens quickly.
The Characters:
I absolutely adored Aurora in this book. She was just so kindhearted, strong, and determined. I really liked getting to see her come into her own and be the alpha to her crew and being King’s liaison between the supernatural in the city. Another thing I appreciated was that the trauma she experienced wasn’t just swept under the rug. She was still learning to deal with what happened.
As for King, I’ve been intrigued by him from the moment we met him. I loved diving into his character and seeing how loyal, brave, and strong he is. And the devotion he has to protecting the people in his territory.
The Romance:
King and Aurora’s relationship was the perfect slow burn. Things moved at the perfect pace and it was beautiful to see them open up to each other and get to just be. The only complaint I have is that we didn’t get to see more of them together. I know we’ll see glimpses of them in future installments in the series, but I want more of just them.
stellasbookbinge's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Ms Reus has delighted us again with the 4th instalment of the Ancients Rising series.
This is the long awaited story of Aurora and King, it has been building for the last 3 books and fans have been eager to read their romance.
I adore this series and this is a great addition, but I think it lacks something that the other 3 stories had. I think I was let down with the climax (pun intended) of Aurora and King finally getting together. I didn’t feel the pull of them in this story as it was in the others. In the previous books the main characters had undeniable chemistry and yearning, and Aurora and King had that in the other books but in this one I felt it wasn’t as strong. I felt more between Cas and Jo.
Anyway I still loved this book and am glad to have read Aurora and Kings Story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an eArc to review.
This is the long awaited story of Aurora and King, it has been building for the last 3 books and fans have been eager to read their romance.
I adore this series and this is a great addition, but I think it lacks something that the other 3 stories had. I think I was let down with the climax (pun intended) of Aurora and King finally getting together. I didn’t feel the pull of them in this story as it was in the others. In the previous books the main characters had undeniable chemistry and yearning, and Aurora and King had that in the other books but in this one I felt it wasn’t as strong. I felt more between Cas and Jo.
Anyway I still loved this book and am glad to have read Aurora and Kings Story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an eArc to review.
nikkisbooknook's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
King and Aurora have been percolating in the background of the series so far, now they get to have their HEA!
Aurora was abused horribly by her abductor, naturally, this has made her wary around others. Weirdly she has never felt anything but safe around King. King, who makes lesser beings quake in their boots is wrapped firmly around her finger - they are only friends but there is that spark between them that neither is ready to acknowledge.
But an enemy from King's past has returned and is about to cause mayhem within New Orleans and the surrounding area. And there is an uppity Vampire who thinks he can abuse his coven - King has many plates spinning. He needs a partner, someone he can unload his troubles with, who has the respect and love of his people.
This is a great friends-to-lovers story. Both have a needs to protect their hearts from harm. They both have baggage they really need to unpack and King is finally going to get some answers about his childhood. There is always plenty going on and I love the way that other characters' stories are woven through, especially Cas and Mikael. All your favorites also make an appearance and when a certain fiesty Vampire's mate was revealed I was SHOOK!
Aurora was abused horribly by her abductor, naturally, this has made her wary around others. Weirdly she has never felt anything but safe around King. King, who makes lesser beings quake in their boots is wrapped firmly around her finger - they are only friends but there is that spark between them that neither is ready to acknowledge.
But an enemy from King's past has returned and is about to cause mayhem within New Orleans and the surrounding area. And there is an uppity Vampire who thinks he can abuse his coven - King has many plates spinning. He needs a partner, someone he can unload his troubles with, who has the respect and love of his people.
This is a great friends-to-lovers story. Both have a needs to protect their hearts from harm. They both have baggage they really need to unpack and King is finally going to get some answers about his childhood. There is always plenty going on and I love the way that other characters' stories are woven through, especially Cas and Mikael. All your favorites also make an appearance and when a certain fiesty Vampire's mate was revealed I was SHOOK!
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