Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - King of Battle and Blood

My expectations were very low for this book, but I enjoyed it. There is more plot and emotion than I expected. I found the cuts between the emotional moments and the sex scenes jarring, but hey different people cope in different ways I guess. The MC felt very realistic to me. She takes her emotions out on others by starting fights when she's upset, so I can see why some people found her annoying. She also took forever to figure out the very-foreshadowed reveal, but I thought that was supposed to be some dramatic irony where the reader knows before the character.

Throughout the book, I always felt the need to know what happened next. I picked up the sequel asap. I really love some of the supporting characters, though I feel several are under-developed. Overall, I'd say it's mostly well-written prose. There are a few glaring flaws, but if you can look past them, it's a fun read.

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fayeelizabeth's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

would have been 4 stars but killing off one of the lesbians and leaving the other to suffer is a crime i cannot forgive

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katerinovaaa's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

1 POV, ich-form, longer chapters
I loved the storyline and I really wanna read the second book but I'm not a fan of angst. Was it slightly cringy at times? Yes. But I didn't mind at all. The smut was pretty vanilla but I liked their connection and desire. So if you just wanna read comforting hard vampire smut then this is not a book for you.

Issa is so badass I freaking love her. And as Adrian said: "I like my wife and her knives."

"What if I miss the sun?"
"Then I will find it for you."

I cried my eyes out in the first 50 pages ngl. 😂 Even though it was insta-lust, the slow-burn was so slow I was scared I'll have to wait till the second book.

Tropes:
🩸orgasmic bites (not used between MCs unfortunately.)
🩸one horse
🩸enemies to lovers
🩸fated mates
🩸forced marriage
🩸witches, vampires, monsters
🩸disrespect my queen and DIE (unless she kills you first)

Trigger warnings:
JEALOUSY - it's there all the fucking time. He says he's not interested but his behavior is sure questionable. However, there is no cheating.
burning alive
sword fights, gore
alcohol (wine, mentioned)
death of a parent
death of a loved one
Killian has anger issues and grabs her once, bruising her arm. Adrian is NOT impressed.
betrayal - NOT between MCs

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ardhyahayu's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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meg_k_white's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I liked this, but I wasn't blown away, and some things really bothered me. The fantasy and paranormal aspects were fun to read, and the spice was spicy and sprinkled throughout. I also really liked the personal growth Isolde went through as she learns the truth about the world she was apparently sheltered from. I didn’t like the petty girl fights or the fixation on Isolde’s breasts.

***SPOILERS***

I really didn't like the reincarnation trope in the sense that everyone knew who Isolde was except her. And even after she did realize who she was... She was still Isolde? But did her entourage like her for who she was or for who she is? This lowered my rating.

I also didn't like that Isolde's people are enslaved... And that they are the only POC in the story. And that her father kept it a secret not only from her but also from her mother... And was everyone else in the kingdom kept in the dark? Or did they not tell Isolde either? This lowered my rating even more.

Bottom line, I won't be reading book two.

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hanschub's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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