King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair (Review by Sara D’Onofrio)

Rating: 4.8/5

Mortals vs. Vampires. Enemies Vs. Lovers. Good vs. Evil… But what if what you thought was evil, turns out to be everything opposite of what you were expecting? This book was my introduction to the Fantasy genre, and wow, it did not disappoint. The sexual tension between Adrian and Isolde is literally palpable, and I found myself thinking about this book even when I wasn’t reading it. I could not wait to pick it up and continue reading to see what happened next. Isolde’s character was confident, strong, and honestly, a badass.

I loved how the author showed that women can be sensual, sexy, and feminine, and then on the flip side be independent, capable, and in charge. Let’s be real, Adrian embodied everything that readers look for in a book boyfriend too. Loyal, , patient, enamored, and the “you touch her and you die” energy was next level. I was nervous at the beginning that I wouldn’t be able to keep all of the characters straight, but the back stories were so interesting, and it did not take me long to fall in love with characters from both sides, mortal and immortal. The scenery was so well described that there were times that I felt I was truly in the story and could picture everything with such vivid detail in my mind.

The only SMALL note that I had was that I wish there would have been slightly more build up to their initial intimacy. She hated him so much and he was supposed to be the epitome of her enemy, and while it was obvious her body wanted him, it just felt a smidgen too easy for me. I was enthralled from the beginning, and I cannot wait to dive in to the sequel!

Favorite quote: “Your father told you to find my weakness,” he said, a lithe finger twining around a piece of my hair. “Little did he know… it is you.”