The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell ARC Review!

 

Title: The Dark King (Deviant Kings #1)
Author: Gina L. Maxwell
Publish Date: September 27th, 2022
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review! 

For Bryn Meara, a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas should’ve been the perfect way to escape the debris of her crumbling career. But waking up from a martini-and-lust-fueled night to find herself married to Caiden Verran, the reclusive billionaire who owns the hotel and most of the city, isn’t the jackpot one would think. It seems her dark and sexy new husband is actual royalty—the fae king of the Night Court—and there’s an entire world beneath the veil of Vegas.

Whether light or shadow, the fae are a far cry from fairy tales, and now they’ve made Bryn a pawn in their dark games for power. And Caiden is the most dangerous of all—an intoxicating cocktail of sin and raw, insatiable hunger. She should run. But every night of passion pulls Bryn deeper into his strange and sinister world, until she’s no longer certain she wants to leave…even if she could.

Penelope's Review

Oooh this was a good one. A smart, sexy fae king and a strong, independent woman... what more could you ask for?! This book will give you all the feels lol. 

Caiden Verran is a billionaire fae king ruling over Las Vegas when he spots a human in the lobby of his hotel and is inexplicably drawn to her. One thing leads to another, and the next thing he knows, he's waking up married to the woman. Bryn Meara receives an invitation for a free stay at Nightfall hotel and casino in Las Vegas and jumps at the chance to escape the difficulties of her every day life. Little does she know, her life is about to change forever.

Caiden is such an excellently written character - he's funny and charming, commanding yet respectful... he's someone you root for. And the sex appeal as a Dom... phew! So. Good. 

And then we have Bryn! Sweet, independent, sassy Bryn. She was also such a great character - though I wish she would have stood her ground a bit more in a couple of scenes when Caiden's being a dick.... but that was part of her character's development as the story went along so it ended up working!

Absolutely loved every side character we met - Caiden's brothers were fantastic and I can't wait to get Tiernan's story. This book is definitely character- / romance- driven which is great if that's what you love! As many readers before me have said, I would have loved to delve a little deeper into the world that Bryn and Caiden are in, but the worked well regardless!

Overall, great read for some sexy characters, and a great erotic novel with a steady plot! Looking forward to my next read by Gina Maxwell!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas Book Review!

 

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publish Date: May 2nd, 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Purchased my own copy!

FEYRE WILL BRING VENGEANCE.

She has left the Night Court - and her High Lord - and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

BUT WHILE WAR RAGES, IT IS HER HEART THAT WILL FACE THE GREATEST BATTLE.

Penelope's Review

Wow... yet another 5 star read. That's three for three with this series lol! Usually, even with a really fantastic series, I find that there's a 4 star in there somewhere.. but so far these books are KILLING it. I will say that I was a little iffy at the start - it was a bit on the slow side, and I felt myself going into "meh..." mode.. and then BOOM. Book saved lol. 

So this book is all about the battle - Hybern's forces are ready to go and the good guys are struggling to get a leg up. Alot of strategy, war talk, etc. in this one (and mayyyybbeeee it couldv'e been a slightly shorter book) but I'm still happy with it! Feyre is her usual strong, independent, badass self. Rhysand is sweet, loyal, and willing to sacrifice anything and everything to save his family. And then we have all of our LOVELY side characters - Nesta and Elain, Mor, Cassian, and Azriel, Amren and Lucien, and so on. I love that Maas has so many characters and yet each and every one of them is so distinct and unique. I never struggle to recall someone's name or their purpose - I know them all and love all of their different personalities.

In terms of plot, there is SO MUCH that goes on in this book... obviously I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers (for all of the readers who are late to the game like me lol!) but I'l just say that the revelations and twists and turns this book takes are INSANE. The last half of this book is definitely a page-turner. We don't leave off on any kind of cliff-hanger so I actually wasn't sure where this series was going, but it looks like we are switching gears in the next book and Nesta is taking center stage! I'm SO excited to get into her head lol I feel like she's going to be such a dynamic character. Anyway! This book was amazing, this series is amazing, and I will forever be a Sarah J. Maas fan. See you guys for the next one!

Rating: 5/5 Devils!

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas Book Review!

 

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR #2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publish Date: May 3rd, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Purchased my own copy!

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Penelope's Review

OMG. I literally can't even with this series.... I thought the first book was good. Great. Fantastic even! But this book? This book blows the first book out of the water! Holy shit it has everything I need and want in a book - absolutely amazing characters, great plot, great writing, adventure, growth, romance, tension, and so on. You name it, this book has it! Yet again, I come here to say - Sarah J. Maas is so NOT overrated in my opinion. This series deserves ALL the hype.

So let's start with characters. I am LOVING Feyre yet again here - the growth, the maturity, the range of emotions... all so, so good. She really comes into her own here, realizing who she is, what she wants, and what she needs. Yes, she has some help in getting there but she does most of the grunt work. Honestly, when the inevitable Feyre/Rhys drama unfolded (you know, the scene where the main couple discovers something about the other that makes them storm away and stop speaking to the other) I was like oh here we go. Another completely over-dramatic, unrealistic way of handling things. But it DIDN'T TURN OUT LIKE THAT! Feyre realized what he had done wrong, and realized what she had done wrong, and was just so completely adult about the whole thing! I loved the maturity, it just made the conflict seem so much more realistic.

Rhysand... oh Rhys. I am a die-hard fan. Forever and always. I thought I was Team Tamlin... though I did have some doubts even in the first book... but now I'm like Tamlin who??? GIVE ME RHYS! And we get Rhys.... boy oh boy do we ever get Rhys... SUCH a well-written character. Honestly, he's just so perfect. Ugh, I love it. 

And all of our side characters? I genuinely love every single one. They are all so MEMORABLE! Which is really rare honestly, usually I only really remember the main characters and maybe one or two supporting characters... but this book gives stellar qualities to each and every one of them. Mor, Cassian, Azriel, Lucien, Amren, etc. There's so many characters and yet they are all written really well. I think Maas' strength really lies in her ability to write excellent characters!

Anyway, in terms of plot - amazing. I FLEW through this book, not a signle page had me slowing down, or bored in any way. I needed to know what was going to happen next at ALL times. And that ending?! Dear God I didn't even know what to do with myself... so I picked up ACOWAR and kept reading lmao! But seriously, I can't say enough good things about this. Excellent series, only two books in and already taking a spot in my top 5 faves.

Rating: 5/5 Devils!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Book Review!

 

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publish Date: May 5th, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury 
Source: Purchased my own copy!

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

Penelope's Review

Why did I wait 7 years to start this series you may be asking? Well firstly because I didn't know it existed until about 2 years ago and secondly because I was then convinced that it could not possibly live up to the hype. I was so... so wrong. This is very quickly turning into one of my favorite series (I am halfway through the second book as I write this review lol). 

So we have Feyre, a badass 19 year old who hunts out of necessity to feed her family, though what she'd really like to be doing is painting! She and her family, as well as most of the mortal world holds a deep hatred for faeries who live on the other side of the wall. When Feyre murders a faerie in the shape of a wolf one day, Tamlin comes to collect her and bring her to the Spring Court to live out the rest of her days as a sort of payment for killing one of their own. 

Phew... the drama gets so, so good from there on out lol! I absolutely adore Feyre - I think she's smart, sarcastic, and totally relatable. And Tamlin was also right up there for me - he's sexy, yet reserved, and has this control to him that's so much fun to watch come undone. I really liked these two - loved the buildup and tension between them, loved the eventual passion, and loved the loyalty and dedication. 

The plot itself was also great - I really liked the Beauty and the Beast ties, and loved the action and fast pace. I will say that when it came to a particular riddle... I found it really easy to solve which kind of took away a bit of the fun. But overall, this was just a really great read. I also really enjoyed the side characters - Amarantha was evil and badass, a fantastic villain really. Alis was sweet, and I liked her role. And then there was Rhysand. Boy oh boy am I excited to see more of him. I really and truly don't know who I prefer - Rhysand or Tamlin. I loved them both. Looking forward to finishing the second book and seeing where all of this goes!

Rating: 5/5 Devils!