King of the Dark

Entertaining, though it took awhile for me to get into the story at all.

This review has many spoilers (somewhat).

First, let's clear something up. Do I have choice words for this book? Yes. Am I immediately proceeding to book 2? Absolutely.

Ugh, this book is cheap! It just doesn't commit. Wavers on the edge but cops out so many times.

The obvious comparison to make here is Captive Prince. I'm not going to make it. Captive Prince is better, because it fucking commits.

I spoiled it for myself a while before reading the book, so I knew Julian was a bad guy and could see the suspicious moments before they happened. But still cheap! I want betrayal to sting. It can't sting when Niko and Julian's relationship is just kinda...there. And I'm like, ok yeah, cool. I practically skimmed their sex scenes too.

Niko is a moron. How tf could he leave that girl like that? It's so cheap. It's so cheap. I could see from a mile away that she'd be offed before he returned. Everyone could see it.

How did Vasili save Niko? Seemed like Julian would keep him close. Man just rides up on a horse and whisks him away like where are all the other elves hello?

So Niko is the Butcher of Blaviken, oh wait sorry, wrong guy? Ok. For a guy with such a name, man didn't do a lot of butchering. He fucking walks out at the end. Just straight up leaves through the front door. Jesus Christ. All the times to leave and he chooses the right then. Wow.

Amir running in at the end is some bullshit. Some cheap bullshit come on, come the fuck on. So fucking cheap. He's like some low grade villain that just won't die even though there's ample opportunity. Why is he still alive at the end of this book? Kill this man omg. And he's apparently a big bad in the next book. He's cartoony at best. Nothing scary about him. Not a good villain. This Carlo I hear of, may have been the better brother to leave alive.

There is no urgency in this book! Seems like Niko can take a vacation anytime he wants for any length of time and come back and everything is where he left it. A couple weeks out on injury, nothing happens. Man takes his time healing. Weeks building a whole ass house. Nah, no progress on the mystery. A whole fucking year after walking through the front door, and the plot has not moved! Casual bickering at the castle. Hello somebody kill somebody so that somebody cares! (Carlo doesn't count. Literally no one cared). Oh my Lord.

Man just rides his horse at the end and I'm like, tf, where you going? Why the fuck are you going NOW WHEN IT'S PROBABLY TOO LATE YOU MORON.

Also, the word professional was used TOO MANY TIMES in this book. Is this contemporary or what? What do you mean by professional exactly? Because I imagine a suit and tie, and I know Niko doesn't wear a suit and FUCKING TIE. I'm breaking into caps. I need to drink water and begin book two. Same with the word domestic. Too contemporary idk. I want more thees and thous (not literally obviously) in the dialogue. This seems like high fantasy, and there's nothing it it to make me accept the use of the words professional and domestic. Niko the Professional. Omg.

Also Niko please do something badass in book 2. I never flew out of my seat for you. Or Vasili. I want to.

Sigh. Also that escape from the castle scene? Cheap. Omg so cheap! And the scene before that? I physically cringed when he spoke to Talos. Pushed my phone away and wrung my hands in pain.

Am I still giving this a four star? Yes. There's promise here. Especially in the love story. If it works out well, it'll have been a nice little slow burn.

But omg someone kill Amir pls.

4.5 stars

This book is so similar to Captive Prince that it's difficult not to compare the two. Just like CP, it has so much that I love in a book, and I couldn't put this one down. I think with a little more polishing, it'd be a 5 star for me, but I loved it nonetheless.