King of Battle and Blood (Adrian X Isolde Book 1)

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He knew there was no need in fighting because they would be demolished if they tried, so he sought a more peaceful approach to save his people – to surrender. Scarlett St. Clair’s new novel, King of Battle and Blood, is a vampire tale that tries to straddle both of these worlds at once, mixing all the myth-making and bloody conflict of epic fantasy with the entertaining sexiness of a dark and dangerous romance. The result is something that feels surprisingly fresh: Fantasy aimed squarely and unashamedly at female readers, and stories that are as concerned with slow-burn romance and steamy sex as they are building a larger internal mythology. On another note, I am disappointed by the sex scenes in this book. I know a lot of people rave about them in Scarlett’s work, but since reading A Touch of Ruin and now this book, I just can’t help but be reminded that quantity does not equal quality. The sex scenes are repetitive (pull tab, insert in hole, repeat), and I noticed that once again, several serious conversations are happening while the characters are having sex. Look, I will be the first to admit that I am 80% here for the spice, and it doesn’t take much to entertain me—but I just scratch my head at characters who can’t talk to each other unless their clothes are off.

Don’t,” my father had snapped—the word was so harsh and sudden, I jumped. After a quiet moment and a breath, he added, “You are too important, Issi.” Overall, it was an improvement from ATOD, and I did enjoy some parts of it. But will I read the next book? No. Will I read anything from this author again? Also no. This book did not deliver ANYTHING it promised, and it was not entirely original.My jaw ached from clenching my teeth. I did not hate Killian, but I would not accept being caged. I was well-aware of the dangers in the world, and I’d been raised to fight every manner of monster, even vampires. Though I was no match for them, at least I knew it. If it were up to Killian, our armies would be battling the vampires right now, and likely, many of our people would be dead. From fan-favorite Scarlett St. Clair, the bestselling author of the Hades & Persephone series, comes a new fantasy filled with danger, darkness, and insatiable romance. I was still insanely uncomfortable, but it was probably best Nadia had interrupted me. Otherwise, I would have continued to masturbate to the monster in the woods—his touch and smell and feel—and would have hated myself even more than I already did for it. Some of his citizens saw this as cowardice and dishonorable, while the majority preferred their lives to be spared. Isolde de Lara, warrior and the princess of Lara, disliked this idea her father had come up with – she hated the thought of surrendering to the blood king, but just like everyone else, there was nothing she could really do about the situation.

Romance novels are often predictable, which often makes them enjoyable and fun to read. This book made me cringe, it made me guffaw, and I slammed it closed multiple times in protest. I would never burn a book, but I might have considered it for a hot second. I’m proud of myself for finishing it. Upon meeting this monster, instead of feeling horror Isolde is inexplicably drawn towards Adrian. However, even their undeniable chemistry won't deter Isolde from her mission. ⁠I’d survived an encounter with a vampire who had tasted my blood, and the worst part about it was that he’d been right. This book is mostly smut, with a side of plot, and a dash of action. It is not a bad book, but I was expecting more. I was expecting a smutty book sure, but with a decent plot and likable characters at least. Instead, I got a smut-fest with vampires. Isolde is the horniest, most hormonal young adult I’ve read about: most of the time, she’s either masturbating, having wet dreams, thinking explicitly about having sex or having sex. The horniness just never stops and quantity does not mean quality when it comes to smut in books. There is A LOT of smut in this one, and by the 50% mark, it even started to feel a little repetitive. Hoping to end the war and bloodshed that ravages Revekka, princess Isolde accepts to marry the Blood King Adrian Alexander Vasilia, even though he is a vampire and her kingdom’s sworn enemy. Isolde plans on getting close enough to him to find a way to finally end his life, but as she travels with him and spends time in the red palace, she comes to realize (of course), that there is more to their land’s history than what she was told, and that Adrian is not simply a bloodthirsty monster. Things get even more complicated and tough for Isolde when she realizes that there is an enormous sexual tension between Adrian and her and that they cannot seem to keep their hands off each other, even though she hates herself for wanting him.