A review by tough_cookie
King of the Dark by Ariana Nash
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This dark first installment in the Prince's Assassin trilogy introduces readers to Nikolas "Niko" Yazdan, an disillusioned ex-solder haunted by his time in the war against the elves (which, in the kingdom of Loreen, are vicious creatures). He's approached by Prince Vasili Caville, the eldest of the three Caville princes, to sniff out an enemy within the palace. Niko refuses and is arrested, starved until he agrees to work for the ruthless Vasili. But finding a king cobra among the viper pit of royals is no easy task, and the longer Niko investigates, the more extensive he finds the political web of intrigue. He finds refuge in Julian, Prince Vasili's personal guard, and although he isn't sure of his relationship with the prince, Niko nevertheless finds himself falling for Julian. Will he be able to find the would-be assassin and save Julian and Vasili?
This is a dark novel, no doubt. Between the PTSD flashbacks, torture, and sexual abuse, it's not for the faint of heart; I myself had to skip over several parts. I also found the plot annoying, especially the love triangle (I strongly dislike that trope) and the way Niko was always left in the dark, forced to unravel each mystery on his own. This resulted in the main character constantly being the last to know -- and ending up betrayed and/or as bait as a result (another literary device that frustrates me), and when very few of the characters are even likable, that gets old really fast. More than once I thought about dropping this book, but the dichotomy of Niko's character interested me just enough to keep me reading, and thankfully the pace of the story was quick enough that I could get through it quickly. However, I endured enough with this book and will not continue the rest of the trilogy.
This is a dark novel, no doubt. Between the PTSD flashbacks, torture, and sexual abuse, it's not for the faint of heart; I myself had to skip over several parts. I also found the plot annoying, especially the love triangle (I strongly dislike that trope) and the way Niko was always left in the dark, forced to unravel each mystery on his own. This resulted in the main character constantly being the last to know -- and ending up betrayed and/or as bait as a result (another literary device that frustrates me), and when very few of the characters are even likable, that gets old really fast. More than once I thought about dropping this book, but the dichotomy of Niko's character interested me just enough to keep me reading, and thankfully the pace of the story was quick enough that I could get through it quickly. However, I endured enough with this book and will not continue the rest of the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Gore, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder