I borrowed an e-copy of Scarlett St. Clair‘s King of Battle and Blood from the library.
Their union is his revenge.
Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day to be her death day. To end a years-long war, she is to marry vampire king Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him.
But her assassination attempt is thwarted, and Adrian threatens that if Isolde tries to kill him again, he will raise her as the undead. Faced with the possibility of becoming the thing she hates most, Isolde seeks other ways to defy him and survive the brutal vampire court.
Except it isn’t the court she fears most—it’s Adrian. Despite their undeniable chemistry, she wonders why the king—fierce, savage, merciless—chose her as consort.
The answer will shatter her world.
This was entertaining enough. I wouldn’t call it overly original, but I enjoyed it. I liked that Isolde had a backbone and stood up for herself. Yes, she could come off as a petty bitch sometimes. But she was raised to be a queen. So, it felt appropriate. Adrian falls first and is a complete softy (only) for her. I liked that a lot.
I did find it overly long; the villain is a bit cliched, and the twist toward the end is predictable. Plus, it includes a plot device I dislike (but it’s a spoiler to say what). All in all, again, even if not original, it was a fun read.
