| Title | : | The King (The Original Sinners, #6) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 443 |
| Publication | : | First published November 25, 2014 |
| Awards | : | Lambda Literary Award Gay Erotica (2015) |
Bouncing from bed to bed on the Upper East Side, Kingsley Edge is brilliant, beautiful and utterly debauched. No carnal act or chemical compound can relieve his self-destructive heartache—only Søren, the one person he loves without limit or regret. A man he can never have, but in whose hands Kingsley is reborn to attain even greater heights of sin.
Kingsley's plan to open the ultimate BDSM club—a dungeon playground for New York's A-list—becomes his obsession. His expertise in domination can't subdue the one man who wants to stop him. The enigmatic Reverend Fuller won't rest until King's dream is destroyed, and so the battle lines are set; it's one man's sacred mission against another's…
The King (The Original Sinners, #6) Reviews
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5 Rolls Royce stars!
It’s no secret that Kingsley is my favorite out of the Original Sinners bunch. Nora is amazing, so is Griffin and Søren, but King is the best of the best for me! When I heard the next White Years book was The King I was so excited I couldn't’ stand it. After reading, I’m even more certain King is my favorite. I loved getting his perspective, seeing how things started with him and how he came to be King of the Eight Circle. Hell, I loved everything about this one!
“I have something to tell you. A story. And I can’t tell you why I’m telling you the story until after the story.”
Kingsley Edge is the owner of Circle Eight. The boss man. He’s an intriguing bisexual man, he’s a secret switch in the BDSM world and he is comfortable in his own skin. That’s who he is now. There was a time when he was just a man who owned a strip club in NYC. A man who had gone years without seeing his bestfriend/lover. A man back from war with no real direction. A man with no true path. But when Søren came back into his life, things changed for him.
I love the dynamic of Søren and King’s relationship. I am a huge fan of Nora, but in my heart of hearts, I have these incredible fantasies that King and Søren belong together and will end up with each other in the end. I know I’m delusional. I also know why it would never work and I know Nora and Søren are meant to be but I can’t help it. I love these two together so much.
Most of this was written pre-Nora. Nora was around, but it was before Kingsley had a part in her life. Even though Nora isn’t really in the book, she is still a big deal .
Back to Kingsley and Søren, I love the back and forth banter between these two...
“You know I have to have more sexy to make up for all the sex you aren’t having. Someone has to restore the balance in the universe.”
But I also loved the more sweet and loving moments too.
“The universe thanks you for your sacrifice.”
“When I met you,” Søren said again, “it was the first time I questioned my calling.”
This wasn’t only the Kingsley and Søren show, there was another huge character that we’ve only got snippets of in the past. Sam. Sam and Kingsley have a very unique relationship. Reading about them gave this a different kind of element. It just worked. I love how protective King was over Sam, even though she really didn’t need it. You could feel the love between these two.
Watching Kingsley grow from a man who had no real direction, who was broken from a war and a lost love, and turning into the powerful ruler of his kingdom was really something special.
I hope everyone who reads this book and maybe wasn’t the biggest King fan will end up loving him as much as I do. I mean really, how can you not love this man? He is full of so much love. It might be buried and sometimes come out in a funny way, but it’s there. When he loves someone, he loves them fiercely and unconditionally. He’s really a beautiful person.
Tiffany Reisz never ceases to amaze me with her brilliantness. Her writing is just so damn good. She is able to write taboo stories with BDSM, erotica and so much heart and she does it flawlessly. And her characters- I could read about them forever. this is one of those series I could never grow tired of reading. As long as she keeps writing them, I swear I will keep reading! The King was perfection.
His confession hadn’t been to a priest but about a priest, the priest he loved not despite all the sins they’d committed against each other but because of them, because the sins were what bound them together.
And the love. Of course the love. Always the love.
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4.5 stars!!
Having read the first five books and never giving much of a second thought to Kingsley, I was surprised but happy to finish this book thinking that he just might be my favorite out of the Sinners group. This book is all about Kingsley, his beginnings, his experiences, and how his kingdom, the Eight Circle, all began. I loved how dynamic his character was, and he’s so charming, playful, and witty and while crude and often times dismissive, he has so much love for the people he cares about. Though the book unfolds in the form of a story Kingsley tells to a side character, the plot didn’t feel narrative at all and I very much felt like I was physically in the book, on the outside looking in like a third wheel.
“Twenty years ago…it feels like yesterday. Yesterday and a lifetime.”
In present time, Kingsley is on a journey and his first stop is with Zach and Grace (first introduced in book 1), where he basically tells Grace his life story from his twenties and beyond. In the beginning, it’s revealed that he’s a lost soul. Damaged from war. Dying slowly bereft of the one man he loves. Living without a purpose. He drinks, he fucks, and he repeats the cycle. As destiny would have it, an incident involving a young Nora places Soren in King’s path again and like moths drawn to flame, he feels alive and invigorated to do what he was always meant to do: build his one-of-a-kind BDSM club for others that take pleasure from pain.
“A promise made long ago…A promise he would keep. A king must have a kingdom after all.”
With Soren back in his life, it was equally heartbreaking and heartwarming to see King’s interactions with him. There are just so many barriers preventing them from ever being together, and deep down I know Soren belongs with Nora, but sometimes I can’t help but want there to be a decisive, clean-cut way for Soren and King to be together. Just them.
I have to say though, this book and the rest of the series is probably the closest I’ll ever get to reading M/M. Not that I have anything against it, but it’s just not something that appeals to me for the time being so any erotic scenes with the two of them together I pretty much put on my big girl panties. They were hot. They were sensual. And the love and their ‘BDSM chemistry’ was 100% undeniable.
“You beat me this early before.
I was attempting to wake you up.
With your alarm cock?”
Though I didn’t expect to, I fell irrevocably in love with his character, every bit of him. He’s too irresistible, one minute charmingly witty and the next deadly serious. He’s such a people-person and no matter what side character that comes into contact with him, it’s always a joy to read, especially his banter with his assistant Sam (only briefly mentioned in previous books).
“Party time. Have fun fucking half your guests.
What are you going to do?
Fuck the other half.”
Just like the other books, this book will always be hardcore erotica first as the main genre with a very unconventional romance hidden within. While I do think some scenes were dragged out a little and towards the end the book lost a little momentum, nevertheless, this is a story that grabbed me from the beginning. And I mean the very first line. Tiffany Reisz’s writing is a true wonder and evokes so much emotion whether it’s laughter, pain, sadness, or love.
“…his confession hadn’t been to a priest but about a priest, the priest he loved not despite all the sins they’d committed against each other but because of them, because the sins were what bound them together. And the love. Of course the love. Always the love.”
One of my very best book decisions was choosing to read this series a year ago. Erotica has never been the same for me and any and all erotica books I read I hold to the standard of this series. Excellent, phenomenal writing became synonymous with Tiffany Reisz’s writing. And top-notch storybuilding will always be compared with the intricate plotline of this series. Reading these books truly make me feel like I’m coming home, and no matter what, I can always trust and count on Tiffany Reisz’s stories to be winners for me again and again.
The King is the 6th book in The Original Sinner series, 2nd book in the White Years quartet within the overall series. This is not a standalone and must be read after the first 5 books in the following order: The Siren, The Angel, The Prince, The Mistress, and The Saint.
ARC provided by Harlequin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Please note that all quotes are from an advanced copy and subject to change in the final edition. -
The King!
Long live the KING.
I Love Kingsley and I love The Original Sinners.
Kingsley has it all, looks, charisma, sex appeal..... At the beginning of the story he's 48.... It soon reverts to a younger period in his life when he’s living wild and free... “I drink to kill time. I fuck to forget....” and a little broken....
Kingsley is looking for a crew to work along side him at his dream club. Trustworthy people he can put his faith in, people with special talents. He gathers an eclectic mix showing so much care and integrity for each and every one of them. Kingsley has his own brand of saving. The question is will someone destroy his dream?
The King also exquisitely tells the story of a time when Soren and Kingsley come back together after a decade of being apart. It explores the reasons why...And so the story unfolds in all its captivating glory….
How it made me feel...
It made me love Kingsley even more than I did already, with his vulnerability and deep love for another forbidden human being. The character connection between Soren and Kingsley is stunning. The way they interact is sublime, their banter adorable and dialogue, perfection.
Kingsley has so much heart to give, it’s practically bursting out of him, often in the form of sexual pleasure, granted, but it comes from the depth of his soul, he’s genuine in all he does.
It’s emotional. Soren and Kingsley melted my heart As the layers are revealed we learn the exact reason Soren took his calling, why he considered it the right path… my heart was fit to break…. Soren and Kingsley have been slowly breaking my heart throughout the whole of The Original Sinners, and I found their story even more poignant in The King. Could things have been different? In my heart of hearts I want them to be together above everything else. Catholicism and all that it means evokes so many feelings in me.
It gave me goose bumps, especially when they refer to Nora... Nora was of course Nora… The way Tiffany Reisz has woven the three of them throughout this series and the decades of each other's lives is truly spectacular.
I enjoyed all the supporting characters, especially Sam. I love her relationship with Kingsley, it's truly beautiful. There's an aspect to the story, concerning her, that was fairly obvious, but I liked that I could guess, that it was laid out for me to deduce.
Some lines made me literally laugh out loud, especially ones involving Sam. Kingsley is hilarious in some of his ironic conversations which are cleverly written and at times quite poignant.
I have complete understanding and unreserved love for Kingsley now and always. This is a forever favourite series for me and Tiffany Reisz did not disappoint me with this chapter in their lives. I love all the nuances of the story.... the ending is wonderful showing the true caring, genuine gentleman that is Kingsley. Tiffany Reisz has not only created a forbidden love story, she's given us a dynasty of Original Sinners who've cemented themselves in my book heart. I'll always long for more from the Original Sinners.
Note: The King is book two of the White years.
The following is the order in which I read and adored The Original Sinners series….The 6 full length books are essential reading and the novellas, not to be missed.....
It worked beautifully for me!
(The five novellas of THE LAST GOOD KNIGHT can now be purchased as one book)
Arc received from the publisher Harlequin, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. -
5 "Kingsley" stars!
"I am nothing but scars."
If you would have told me a year ago that Tiffany Reisz would become a favorite and an auto-buy author for me, I would have laughed. But now, I am truly in awe of her talent. The way she weaves her tale, the way she uses her words, and the way she makes you accept things that you normally wouldn't accept is truly remarkable.
The King is the second book in the White Years Quartet and the sixth book of the Original Sinners Series. For those who are fans of the series, the King means only one thing -- or should I say, one person -- Kingsley Edge. Kingsley is the king of the New York BDSM scene. His club the 8th Circle is the creme de la creme. This book give readers a glimpse into how the 8th Circle came to be.
Told in Ms. Reisz trademark storytelling, the King touches on Kingsley's ascent to become the king of New York's BDSM scene. More importantly, this book also gives us more insight into Kingsley and Søren's relationship.
We all know from reading the Prince that after what happened with Kingsley's sister, the former lovers haven't seen each other. In this book, we witness their reunion of sorts. And my heart broke for Kingsley all over again because while Søren is definitely now back in his life, things between them have changed. And I just loved the tension and the lingering angst between them.
Oh, those flashbacks. Especially those flashbacks from when they were totally consumed with each other were delicious. The intensity of their emotions and their desperate need for one another was palpable.
Another thing that I really appreciated about this book was we get another perspective on Søren. In the previous books, we get to know him almost exclusively from Nora's perspective except for the Prince. But in this book, we get more of Søren from Kingsley's perspective. I've always loved knowing Søren from his perspective because I've always felt that Kingsley knew him best. Yes, Nora and Søren have this undeniable connection but Kingsley has always been a constant in his life.
Speaking of Nora, although we didn't get to see more of her, her presence is still felt throughout the book. And yes, I did miss her snark. As much as I loathe to see another man fall at her feet in worship, she is Nora and she very much a part of Søren and Kingsley.
Aside from Nora, there's one other woman who played a huge role in Kingsley's life, and that is Sam. We've only gotten a glimpse of her in the past books, but here, she figured quite prominently. Her relationship with Kingsley was one of the most surprisingly emotional aspect of the book. I kind of expected it with Søren but I wasn't expecting it with Sam and King.He saw a building, old, Gothic, crumbling, like he was - awaiting rebirth. And people filed into it, people with secrets. They needed him, needed his protection, needed his knowledge. They needed to kneel. They needed a king.
Overall, I loved this one. I fell in love with this series despite my initial apprehension and trepidation. I think that's a testament to TR's talent more than anything else.
Thank you, Feifei for reading it with me! Muah!
ARC provided by Harlequin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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3.75 King-Sized Stars
”It’s never easy – resurrection. It’s violent and it hurts.”
Kingsley Edge, French, American, bisexual, rich, kinky and one third of the unholy trinity is the star of this story. In this book we are gifted with the tale of how Søren comes back into his life after eleven years and how he resurrects himself and builds his sex kingdom. Kingsley travels to visit a certain new born and bestows a gift. Before the gift can be given, he tells the story of his resurrection and reasons why the gift is fitting for the infant.
“I have something to tell you. A story. And I can’t tell you why I’m telling you the story until after the story.”
Kingsley tale is of how he struggles against a crazy religious cult for the building he wants to make his sex club. Søren returns back into Kingsley life already smitten with young Eleanor. This story has a lot of relationships that King forms with a great new character named Sam, along with a few dominatrixs and both male and female lovers. Make no mistake that regardless of his lovers, Kingsley’s every thought and every action is always of Søren.
”Kingsley’s parents had named him after kings, but it was Søren who should rule the entire world. Søren was Kingsley’s king. Søren needed a kingdom of his own. Kingsley could give it to him, build it for him. A world of danger, secrets, of sex, of pain. He didn’t know how or when, but he would do it someday, give Søren a kingdom of his own.”
The depths of Kingsley’s love for Søren is limitless. He broke my heart over and over again always mentioning his priest, his childhood love and it hurt.
” ”…and I thought when he came here…I hoped, I mean…”
“You hoped you could pick up where you left off?”
“I did. But he’s in love with someone else.”
Overall, this story felt long and there were scenes were I was bored. Still, Kingsley is an amazing character and I just want Søren to give him more. I’m hoping in the next book Kingsley doesn’t have to play second or third to Eleanor and God. This kinky bastard deserves all of Søren!
*ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review* -
4-4.5 Stars
"I have something to tell you. A story. And I can’t tell you why I’m telling you the story until after the story."
What can I possibly say about this series or Tiffany's writing, that I haven't said before. She is simply phenomenal - she is one of those writers who can take me completely out of my comfort zone and leave me begging for more.
I think my biggest complaint about The King is that most of material felt reused, a retelling of things found in the previous stories. But, I still really enjoyed it. It was an entertaining and emotional ride, following King through a turning point in his life, the creation of his kingdom.
"You can be a new man, Kingsley. If he's dead, then he's dead. But you don't have to live the rest of your life walking around inside his corpse. You can have a new life.
The White Years are an excellent addition to The Original Sinners series, giving readers more insight into the characters we have grown to love. The King is another piece of that wonderfully complex puzzle.
A promise made long ago...A promise he would keep. A king must have a kingdom after all.
Engaging, poignant, and sexy, The King was a great read. These characters and their stories are complex and unconventional, I adore them all.
The Virgin can't get here soon enough!
"You're going to regret you ever met that girl. She's a tiger in a kitten's body." Søren smiled enigmatically. "I always liked cats."
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
5 STARS! ★★★★★
“The truest test of love is not always ‘Will you fight for it?’. The real test of true love is often ‘Are you willing to give it up?’”
Yet another phenomenal story brought to us none other by Mistress Tiffany, I swear the lady can do no wrong with whatever she puts out. Her books are exactly the kind that I wished I could read slower to devour every word but an absolute page-turner that I could not flip the pages faster enough. You'd think by now I'd be ready for whatever she throws at us but I'll be damned because TR can still leave me speechless after every book.
The King similarly brings us back to the many years before The Original Sinners series, but this time we get the backstory of the infamous Kingsley Edge. It goes way back to the times after Kingsley and Soren parted ways since boarding school, the life he led after his near-death experience in La Legion and it totally shed a whole new light of the Kingsley we all thought we knew.
If I didn't love Kingsley enough already, this book completely solidified my love for him. To be able to witness the person he was since he parted ways with Soren, my heart completely broke for him. There was just no questioning about his love for Soren since learning about their younger days in The Prince and all those strong emotions I had for them totally hit me like a freight train again.
“That night I felt like God put me on earth to show you why he created you like He did. You needed me as much as I needed you.”
I think one of the pivotal revelation from this read was how the 8th Circle was brought to life for this being the kingdom that Kingsley has built and knowing the motivation and the people behind it who drove this idea into a reality. No doubt it came with many obstacles but the biggest surprise for me was Sam's character. She was mostly in the background in the original series but I loved how much her role weighed in this one.
Honestly, I felt that Sam's character was actually a nice break from Nora and what's more comforting is that her spunky attitude reminded me a lot of Nora to the extent that I don't really feel her absence in this one. Sam herself was a mystery on its own with many layers that slowly peeled over throughout the read, I really loved her interactions with Kingsley and it was hard not to get affectionate with her character.
“But his Sam was always a creature of beautiful contradiction. She dressed like a man and yet was easily the most feminine woman he'd ever known.”
But above all, what made me fell so hard for this read is the dynamic between Soren and Kingsley. What they share is truly something that is undeniable and their love is the kind that you're willing to root for so hard even it means breaking all the rules and going against all odds. Just...GAH! It's heartbreaking and beautiful all the same, it sends my heart into an overdrive.
Seriously there is no other series out there that portrays taboo/forbidden romance as amazing as this. TR's godsent writing plus this group of characters that have made a permanent residence in my heart, I would never find myself disappointed after putting each read down. I'm definitely excited to read The Virgin next and see what else TR has in store for us!
The King is the second in The White Year series and this series is recommended to be read after finishing The Original Sinners series. -
I have always went into these books blindly. I usually have no clue what is going to happen and I like it that way, so this review will be completely spoiler free if you have read the first four books in the series.
5 King Stars
“The story starts twenty years ago.”
Kingsley has set out on a journey and his first stop is visiting Grace and Fionn. While visiting, Grace asks about the young King and Søren. King begins telling the story of how he built his Kingdom and became the Kingsley we know and love.
Kingsley begins with how became know as King. I loved this part of the story. I learned so much about Kingsley - where he is today and where he came from. I have always been a fan of King, I mean who can resist his infamous line, but now my love for him has increased tenfold. We see Kingsley the dominate.
Kingsley with Søren after years apart. If you remember from the first four books, Kingsley and Søren didn’t speak for years. Kingsley had joined the French Foreign Legion and Søren had pursued becoming a priest. In The King we get to see their reunion. Let me tell you, it completely gutted me, knowing Kingsley’s feelings…lord help me, it was heartbreaking.
After Søren tells Kingsley he has found their perfect girl, Kingsley has his reservations, but after meeting her Kingsley is happy that Søren has finally met his match.
I loved this part, because Kingsley always saw Nora for who she was, and I have always loved the bond between them.
One of my favorite parts of the story is King securing his Kingdom.
“A king must have a kingdom after all.”
You have never known love until you’ve known the love of a king…I think this pretty much sums of Kingsley. I love the way he loves. He loves unconditionally, with his whole heart and soul. I loved seeing more of that side of King.
“The truest test of love is not always ‘Will you fight for it?’ The real test of true love is often ‘Are you willing to give it up?’”
This book is heartbreaking, but it hurts so good. I swears the more I learn about this group the more I hope it never ends. Very few authors can write a story with so much heart and it still be so damn sexy it burns up the pages. As always I highly recommend this series!
Lastly, READ THIS you think you know, but you have no idea.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
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Yay, another story and this time it is Kingsley’s story. The King is about how Kingsley becomes The King we know him to be in The Red Years Quartet.
“I have something to tell you. A story. And I can’t tell you why I’m telling you the story until after the story.”
”The story is about …. and I can tell you the long version which is the true version or I can tell you a shorter, sweeter version.”
Kingsley story takes place before The Eighth Circle was even in existence. His story begins with him not having a focus in his life. Once his best friend and former lover returns Kingsley starts to find a mission for himself. Of course, this mission will lead him to try and build a kingdom. A kingdom fit for a king. As you know, a king needs a kingdom to rule.
“We need that in this city. Someone to watch over us. Someone who can protect us. Someone to stand between us and them. What’s the word for that?”
“A KING.”
Nothing comes free and definitely not a kingdom. A battle brews over the prospect of this kingdom. Kingsley shines when his willingness to set aside his wants for the greater good, of those around him, leads him to make a life changing decision. I loved how Kingsley showed us his worthiness to be KING.
RELEASE DATE: November 25, 2014
Pre-order | order:
http://amzn.to/1wCRjfE
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
The Original Sinners series is broken into 2 parts: The Red Years Quartet (The adventures of Nora Sutherlin, Dominant and erotica writer) and The White Years Quartet (The adventures of Eleanor Schreiber, submissive). Recommended you read The Red Years Quartet first.
Reading order between the two quartets:
{#1 Red}
The Siren |
My review
{#2 Red}
The Angel |
My review
{#3 Red}
The Prince |
My review
{#4 Red}
The Mistress |
My review
{#1 White}
The Saint |
My review
{#2 White}
The King |
My review
{#3 White} Untitled
{#4 White} Untitled
SERIES:
The White Years Quartet (The adventures of Eleanor Schreiber, submissive)
To find out when the rest of the books will be released
click here.
**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
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ALL THE 'DELIGHTFULLY KINKY AND EMOTIONALLY OVERWHELMING' STARS
Life. Death. Resurrection.
"I did my part by coming back to you," he said. "God did His part to keep you alive long enough for me to get here. Now you do your part and make yourself worthy of the second chance you've been given."
"You tried to drown me."
Søren smiled.
"It's called baptism, Kingsley. Welcome to the Kingdom."
First read: 27 Jan 2018 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Re-read: 24 Jan 2021 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The King is centered around Kingsley so it probably won't come as a surprise if I say that this book is my favorite in the series. Oui, je suis loyale à mon roi. There are a lot of things here that we already learned about from the previous books, such as how Søren met Eleanor, the opening of The Eight Circle... But it was exceptionally better to see them through Kingsley's eyes.“Have you ever had sex in the back of a Rolls Royce?” Kingsley asked, trying not to rip Søren’s shirt in his rush to unbutton it. He needed Søren’s skin on his skin right now.
“No,” Søren said. “But ask me that question again in an hour.”
Yes, the famous Rolls Royce scene or should I say the birth of King's distinctive question.
It was such a delight to watch Kingsley rise to become The King of Kink. Pleasurable? Yes! Sinfully erotic? Double yes!!Kisses and bites, bites and kisses. Pleasure and pain. Pain and pleasure. This was what he lived for, what they all lived for.
The highlights of the story were Kingsley's scenes with Søren. I always love to see them together but something in this book made their moments especially close to my heart.“Can I touch you?”
“Toujours.”
We've seen them as lovers, we've seen them as "enemies" but this in the first time we see them being true friends and it was so precious. Also, their bickering is golden.“Kingsley, it’s three in the morning,” Søren said. He sounded more annoyed than sleepy.
“What are you wearing?”
“An angry scowl,” Søren said.
“It’s a good look for you.”
I could read the whole book of only their phone conversations. No, I have one better. The wholebookseries of their drunken conversations.“I fucked a blond teenager because he reminded me of you,” Kingsley said. “That’s my drunken confession for the night.”
“I never let you fuck me,” Søren said, and Kingsley shivered at hearing Søren swear—a rare and erotic occurrence.
“Which is why I fucked him. What’s your drunken confession for the night?”
“If you’d begged hard enough, I might have let you.”
Of course, I mustn't forget about Sam. King's secretary, best friend, confidant, second in command, AND the woman who put Hessian boots on his feet, for which we are all eternally grateful for. I mean, what kind of king would he be without appropriate attire?“I like the boots,” he said, letting her go before he got too used to holding her.
“I don’t.”
“You don’t?”
“I love the boots. I want you to wear them every single day until they’re a part of you.”
“I will,” he said. Easy enough to do since they were a gift from her. They were already a part of him.
To wrap up this review I have to mention one more thing. Whenever I think about this book this song -
Genesis: Jesus He Knows Me - starts rolling in my head. Probably because of that scene, haha.“You and the padre got smashed? What was the occasion?”
“Clergy Appreciation Day.”
“That’s a thing?”
“Apparently so. Got drunk with a priest last night. Broke a televangelist’s wrist this morning. My new favorite holiday.”
I promise, just one more quote and then it's truly finished 🖤“He’s a bastard, that blond monster.”
“You know you love him.”
“Entirely against my will,” Kingsley said, “and with all my heart.”
B(R)R with my Sinner Ladies
Melanie,
Ursy,
Leila, and
Whitney. Merci for this royal budy reading! 👑👑👑👑👑 -
Kingsley's POV
Oh, how I love this Frenchman! Kingsley has consistently been the nice guy and a favorite of mine. Poor Kingsley! He just seems to always get overlooked. Despite his facade of a carefree, irresponsible playboy, it is Kingsley that is the rock for every other character, it seems. He's always there to help everyone else out and gives so much of himself. It's about time that we get to hear more from his POV!
Finally, we get to hear about the mysterious Sam that has been so frequently alluded to. I have to say that I really liked Sam, Kingsley's bartender turned assistant. Sam and Kingsley worked well together. It was like to see Kingsley have a partner in crime for a change. They added a lot of humor to this series with their colorful banter.
Unlike the last few books in this series, 'The King' had a lot of new material. Yes, there was plenty of "old" stuff in here too, rehashed and retold from Kingsley's perspective. Maybe it's just that Kingsley is such a unique character that his version of events sounded so much different than the accounts of the other characters, or maybe I just enjoyed his french accent on the audiobook so much that I would've been happy as a clam regardless of whatever was being read. Either way, this book didn't feel too repetitive or redundant to me.
All in all, I thought it was a great addition to the series. For what it's worth, the narration for this series in Audible format is fantastic also. I tend to switch back and forth between Audible and Kindle versions. I've listened to parts of each book in this series and the narration is great! -
4+ Stars!
Review to come soon.
*ARC provided the publisher in exchange for an honest review* -
FIRST WARNING: I'm about to fangirl the bejesus out of this book.
SECOND WARNING: Girl parts ahead.
Let me clear two things up right quick. See that blogger name? That "King" isn't just any ole king. This is my King. Kingsley Edge as he's known throughout his kink empire or Kingsley Theophilé Boissonneault, his given name or King as he's commonly referred to. Mon Roi. I could list all the reasons why I love him but why? It should speak volumes that part of my blogger universe name includes him. Secondly, I know there will be some tempted to just read this one. That's a mistake. The backstory of how King, Søren and Nora came to be was built in books 1-5. Starting here will be out of context and won't resonate. Alright. Enough about that let's talk about this book!
This book!
#Team King fans get ready. Ms. Reisz pulled out the big guns on us. The ongoing debate/feud/divide regarding Søren and King gets put front and center. I'll be the first to admit I've been part of that debate more than once and I had an epiphany of sorts while read this-it doesn't matter. Why? Because I'm always going to choose King. I'll always be on his side, so you see it doesn't matter if Søren's always loved him, or if Søren sacrificed his wants and his needs for King's safety or if he only used him. It matters not. Having said all that, I needed this book. I needed to know that Søren suffered. I needed to see this one on one relationship between them. I needed to see Søren's hunger. I needed to hear Søren say Jeg esker dig to King.
The King bridges the gap between #Team King and #Team Søren by focusing on their relationship after Søren comes to King for his help with Nora. King is spinning out of control-drinking too much, having reckless sex with too many people and is on a fast track to an early grave. He has no focus, no goals, nothing. Søren helps him define his goals and facilitates his becoming the king of the kink that we all know and love. They've been each other's family, they've been lovers, here they become friends. I was delighted to see Søren's sense of humor. He's always struck me as stiff, aloof, distant, unemotional, and intimidating. He seemed less so here. We also got to know Sam. Sam and King make quite the odd couple, but they're endearing together. I never realized just how much he loved her. They form a largely business relationship built on trust with the mutual goal of bringing down Reverend Fuller and his evil empire.
The whole Original Sinners series marries kink and religion. It sounds like a marriage doomed to fail, I know, but it works. Normally, it's centered around Søren's priesthood, but in The King it's centered on Reverend Fuller's evangelical empire trying to secure a base of operations in New York City to rid it of it's debauchery. Fuller buys an old hotel, The Renaissance, that King decides is the perfect setting for his kink sanctuary. And so it begins… As events unfold, we learn that not only does Fuller's wife write bestseller after bestseller on Christian values to include how to "un-gay" your child through starvation and exorcism, but they run reorientation camps wherein queer kids are tortured. How very Christian of them.
Really shouldn't underestimate King or his friends. They're all loyal and versed in chicanery. Thus, The 8th Circle was born. A place where all those who are kinky are welcome. Gay, straight or somewhere in between but, most importantly, for Søren. King built it to give Søren a place to… retain his sanity.
"Søren was Kingsley's king."
Was I disappointed that we didn't get La Legion King?
Yeah, for about thirty whole seconds.
Was I disappointed that we didn't get updated on the Nico/Nora situation?
Yes, actually. But I simply cannot complain after having been given this gift of an entire book about King from King's perspective.
Momma taught me not to look a gift horse in the mouth and I would like to thank Ms. Reisz for this gift.
Now, I often talk about writing style and world building. Sometimes plot is thin but characters are great. Sometimes the writing is good but it lacks emotionality or I don't connect with the characters. There are so many things that authors get tasked with, but this author has built a world and characters that aren't just three-dimensional, but real to a fairly large, and at times rabid, cult following, myself included. These characters are all flawed except for Michael who's a perfect angel. They're all capable of sending me through the emotional wringer. That's skill. Undeniable skill in my book. Every book in this series has surprised me and confused me and made me cry and made me think and made me want to re-read them. Some have even taught me a few things. No, not those things. Get your head out of the gutter. That's my spot.
They also bring the kink. Ms. Reisz knows her kink and all of her characters are kinky to some degree. Søren is THE sadist. King and Nora are switches in this bizarre love triangle, though Nora's not in this one. We get to meet a couple Dommes that have been mentioned a few times. We get flashbacks of King and Søren when they were kids and… mmmmmmmmhhhppppfffffff!!! King is a card carrying member of #teampain.
When he thought about it, it made no sense to him that he felt the freest and the strongest when on his knees and being hurt.
King hides his masochism. He's only ever submitted to Søren up until this point and won't to anyone else for fear of being judged weak. Heartbreaking but likely true. I respect what I think Ms. Reisz is trying to do by creating all these male submissives who are badasss motherfuckers you would not want to cross. And Michael. Sweet, precious Michael. I digress. There is an unexpected and delightful surprise here which I won't spoil, but it was very, VERY satisfying. I don't mind saying that it threw me for a loop. Naturally, there are submissives both male and female. The man is temptation personified and proud of it. He's French and vain as Narcissus himself. God, I love him. At any rate, King makes excellent use of all of them. Sexy beast that he is. AND what's more King put on a corset!!!!!
WAY!!!!
I might have reacted in an altogether embarrassing manner. Possibly. *side eyes*
I have one quibble which clearly isn't changing my rating, but it seems to me all the female characters are starting to sound alike. All witty and snarky and pithy and… like Nora.
Pish posh! Who cares?
I GOT A WHOLE BOOK WITH NOTHING BUT MY MAN!!!!!!!
Je t'aime, mon Roi. Je t'aime.
I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion. -
3.5 stars
No official review, there are already so many wonderful ones out there. I guess I just missed a certain character, it wasn't the same without them :( -
5 Vive le roi stars!
The King takes us back in time to learn how the infamous Eighth Circle was envisioned and became a reality.
"I have something to tell you. A story. And I can't tell you why I'm telling you the story until after the story."
As told to Grace, Kingsley recollects some of his darker times, before he became the king we've all become to love.
The story begins 11 years after Søren and Kingsley parted ways from St Ignatius. He is at an all time low. It's been a year since he almost lost his life while in the Foreign Legion. His days are spent drinking, doing drugs, and having sex as much as possible. He has not had contact with Søren during this time, yet he is always thinking of him.
When Kingsley arrives home one evening, he has the surprise of a lifetime when Søren is there waiting for him. Not only does he experience the shock of seeing his former lover after so much time, but the fact that he's dressed in clerics, is an another bombshell.
Søren also has another bomb to drop. The fact that he has found the woman that they once dreamed about, is in fact very real.
The loss of contact has not deterred the pairs friendship. Søren seems more at peace, and Kingsley can divulge honest feelings toward him.
With the help of Søren getting Kingsley get his life back on track, he is now open to what he wants to do with his life. What he foresees will start him on his path to becoming a king.
The road to creating his kingdom is filled with obstacles.
Kingsley is determined to make his dream happen...no matter what.
Yet another awe-inspiring book from the mind of
Tiffany Reisz. The relationships, the characters, the story, the interactions, the writing, the feelings....I could go on and on. I absolutely loved
The King!
I honestly don't know where to start. I guess I'll start with how much I'm loving the backstory to some of the things we first read about in The Original Sinners books. When you read about the Eighth Circle, you never really think about how it came to be, it's like a staple that was just there. Knowing what had took place, and that Kingsley did it primarily for Søren made my adoration for him and the story even greater.
With each book, we get more and more of the personalities of the characters. Kingsley is such a complex guy, more so than I realized. The depression he goes through and the pain he feels from not having Søren in his life, has your heart going out to the confident man. His sarcastic, dry, and dirty humor also makes you love him even more.
"Someday my prince will come. Preferably on my back."
"I went to an all-boys Catholic school."
"How did you survive that? "
"By sleeping with a teacher."
"Was she hot?"
"He was, yes."
Meeting Sam, Kingsley's personal assistant, was one of my favorite parts. The petite lesbian who wears men's clothing was an added bonus to this tale. I adored her charisma and quick wit. It was easy to see what Kingsley had seen in her. They were a good match.
"Then I like him. I've never met a kinky priest before. He has a nice voice. Stern but soothing. I want to call him 'sir' and serve him tea and crumpets and listen to him read The Hobbit to me."
But the absolute best part about this was how it made me feel a little bit better about the whole Grace issue. I think there was an understanding to why the situation went down the way it did, and it really did make sense. As the last two books left me in shock and slight rage, I'm glad this one not only didn't piss me off, but actually soothed part of the sting of one of my hot button issues. Also, as much as Nora bugged me in
The Saint, and I was glad to get a small break from her, I really wanted Kingsley's thoughts on when they eventually did meet. I did like how intuitive he was about the 15 year-old girl though.
"If that girl is a submissive, I'm a virgin. You're going to regret you ever met that girl. She's a tiger in a kitten's body."
Overall, a phenomenal portion to a wonderful series that leaves me speechless and begging for more. Love, love, LOVE!!! -
“Søren took a long deep breath. Meanwhile Kingsley considered falling asleep. Falling asleep and never waking up. The dead don’t dream.
“Can I touch you?” Søren finally asked.
“Toujours,” Kingsley said… Always.”
-
5 I-Love-Kingsley Stars!
It's fair to say, this book was the most anticipated release for me this year. It's no secret my love of all things Original Sinners, but Kingsley takes the absolute cake for me. I love that endearing Frenchman! So here are my thoughts...
If I didn't love Kingsley before, I do even moreso now. The King is part of the White Years series, taking the reader back to the years before Original Sinners takes place. It gives us the history of their relationships...this book being staged eleven years after Kingsley and Soren parted after boarding school. Kingsley is living his life painfully without Soren, stumbling along thru unprotected sex and alcohol. I never realized how lost he was without his Soren. I wanted to jump into my kindle and wrap my arms around him. My heart broke for this broken man. I guess I just never realized how affected he was by the loss of Soren after his sister died...
The King gives us great background stories to secondary characters we've seen in previous books but didn't truly meet from the start. Like Sam, Kingsley's personal assistant. I freaking loved her quirky character.
"You're a man flirting with a lesbian. That is the very definition of stalling. It's not going to work. I have a lock on my pants, and I threw away the key."
He looked down.
"I don't see a lock."
"It's an invisible lock."
"I'll hire an invisible locksmith."
If anything disappointed me in the book, it was the loss of Nora's presence and wit. She always added humor but this takes place before Kingsley meets her. I also wish I got more Soren and Kingsley time. Don't worry, Soren plays a fairly significant role in this book but I can't get enough...it's never enough with those two. Their dynamic is seriously one of my favorite taboo relationships ever. Two souls, both broken, coming together thru pain for healing. Gah! I guess I was hoping for more but won't discount the book for my crazy dependence on scenes with them.
Tiffany Reisz is a go to auto-buy for me. She has woven a story that's seriously one of my favorite erotic, taboo tales of all time. If you've lived under a rock (JOKING), been a castaway on some deserted island with no Amazon, whatever the reason...and haven't managed to read this series...start it. It's so freaking awesome!
And I thank you!
-
♥Love love love love it times hundred.
♥Before starting this book I knew I would love it, but the question was whether I will love it or absofuckinglutely love it. Glad to say it was the second case, and I really couldn't have asked for more. It was such a joy reading the book entirely from Kingsley's POV that I think I fell in love with him all over again. Really, the book was absolute
♥Full review to follow.
Pre-reading thoughts -
Long live the king!
To be completely honest, I wasn't entirely sold on the idea about prequel series for The Original Sinners. I was all: "What is there more to tell?" Well, I am not an stubborn idiot, so I can admit when I am wrong. So, here it is - I was wrong. (I am sorry, my dearest Mistress Tiffany, for doubting your decisions.)
Second novel in the White Years series brings us story about the one and only Kingsley Edge, my absolutely favorite character. I love him even more than Nora and, trust me, that is saying something, because I would totally turn into lesbian because of Nora. What makes this book fresh and so "unputdownable" is that it is not just The Prince all over again, but set into different decade. Tiffany Reisz introduces us to rarely seen version of Kingsley, man who we first meet as one of the most intimidating and influential and powerful people in New York. This is Kingsley before he became King. Or how he became master of his kinky universe. He is far from that polished bastard, but everything we love about him is there. He just needed a little bit of help to find his inner ruler.
There is absolutely no one among authors of the genre that manages to write captivating erotic story but without obvious, pornographic elements like Tiffany Reisz. Truthfully, this is probably the tamer book so far when it comes to the steamy scenes, but she still manages to pull you into this web of lust and wanting and longing so painful and heartbreaking, that you feel everything like it is happening to you.
My favorite part about The King is interaction between Soren and Kingsley. I wasn't Soren's fan in the beginning - actually, he scared me, but I still felt drawn to him. I didn't like him with Nora, but with Kingsley... Oh, my God, I turned into this creature that acts like One Direction groupie. Totally crazy! I adore them together.
Next book, The Virgin, should be published next year in March and I am already anxious to get my hands on it. Nora in convent? I can only imagine what sinful twists and turns will fill pages of that book. -
30% DNF
Unfortunately I don't like it as much as the previous books..I'm going to try and read it another time...I love Kingsley and Soren a lot...but I read only 30% and a lot of what happens is a bit of a repetition of the events in the previous books....
I hope the next time I start reading I will like it more -
4 STARS!!
"Even when you're begging, it sounds like an order."
Gotta say, this series has become so very near and dear to my heart!
And I want to send a HUGE virtual hug to my buddy readers for taking this journey with me....
MONI,
URSY,
LEILA, and
WHITNEY...you guys are everything I love about this reading community. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
I'll admit, though, that this installment of the series wasn't my favorite.
First, Nora, who I completely adore, was mostly missing."If she behaved like a normal person, she wouldn't be Nora, would she?"
However, Kingsley is a natural-born charmer. 😂 And he easily carried the story. Tiffany Reisz has an incredible sense of humor and I laughed out loud SO MANY TIMES!!
Second, there was no central love story. At least not from a traditional standpoint. And I wasn't a big fan of Kingsley's parade of miscellaneous bed partners.
However, TR did fill the void with Kingsley and Søren and these two had so many incredible moments in this book.If Søren, the one man on earth Kingsley respected and loved with all his heart and all his strength and all his soul . . . if that man could swear allegiance and loyalty to Kingsley, then how could he doubt his worthiness to be a king to their kind?
And last but not least, can I just say how much fun drunk Kingsley and Søren are? 😂😂
Nothing could stop me from continuing on with these characters!! Book 7 here I come. -
5 Incredibly Fabulous Stars
Kingsley Edge..........King........The King.........My King.......Damn, He's Fanfuckingtastic!!!!
I'm not sure I can properly review this book. It was just such a perfect book, pure and simple!!
This book is how The Eighth Circle came to be. Why and how it came to be and why King needed to build his Kingdom and for whom. The story of King is bliss, the story of King and Soren is extraordinary.
Tiffany Reisz.......my love for this author has grown exponentially. The characters that she created have woven themselves into my soul. I feel like they are people that I want to meet and befriend. I want to walk into The Eighth Circle and have King look at me and think I could be Sam or Blaise. But in my heart I know that no one could ever be Søren or Nora.......from what I know of King......his feelings, his love, his needs, his desires, his purpose in life, all encompass the trinity of Søren, Nora, and Kingsley. This book solidified the trinity and rectified the sanctity of King and Søren.
I will say that there is no Nora in this book. Kingsley sees her once in church youth group and in that brief meeting he was able to grasp Nora all those years ago…..
There was no way, none, not in a chance in heaven, hell or the purgatory they were living in right now that girl was a submissive. Soren had fallen in love with a baby domme who had a sadistic streak in her as wide as her smile. This girl would have men at her feet all her life by her will or theirs and whether they liked it or not.
I will say that this book show the most creative, loving, sarcastic, witty, evil, sincere, passionate banter I have ever read between characters. Whether it's from King and Søren, King and Sam, King and Blaise, King and Felicity, or King and whoever he connects with, it is sheer Magic and Brilliance!!! The way the Tiffany Reisz wrote this book, Utterly Magnificent!!!
This book was one of my Favorites of 2014.
Arc received from the publisher Harlequin, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. -
Nora might be the writer, but Kingsley tells one helluva bedtime story in The King. When Grace opens her door in the middle of the night, she finds Kingsley Edge standing on her porch and he has a story to share. The story of the rise of his kingdom, the inspiration that gave him life when he was slowly dying, the story of the creation of the 8th Circle and the battle to fulfil a promise he made all those years ago.
Kingsley was slowly killing himself until he came back. When the soft keys of the piano are heard and he sees the man that had owned him since he was sixteen, Kingsley is given a purpose again. A reason to live and fight to give something to the man that gave him everything he always wanted, even if he could never truly have him.
Kingsley wants to create a world where his kind are safe. A place where those that crave kink can be safe, a place where his Soren can be free. But this isn’t just the story of his creation of the 8th Circle and the fight with the religious group that stands in his way. This was the love story of Kingsley and Soren told in a way that we’ve never read before. This is the mystery unfolded behind the infamous Sam that we’ve heard mentioned in whispers. The story of the lengths one man will go to give himself to someone he loves, even when that someone can’t give everything back. This is Kingsley Edge’s story of becoming the ruler of his kingdom.
Tiffany Reisz’s The Original Sinners Series just keeps getting better and better. A storyline that has spanned two decades in her fictional world, a story that has given us countless characters that have all been cherished, well all except one – Grace... just can’t find it in my heart to like her, in fact I still loathe her a bit. As King tells the story we watch has he goes from this broken man into the man that owns his city. The vulnerability of his love for those he can’t have. The way he loved Soren, the way he fell in love with Sam. If you thought you loved him before, prepare yourself to love him even more.
So many gaps are filled in with this addition to the series, moments that we knew existed but had never before seen. The ability of the author to tell a story that has allowed her to retrace her steps, breathing life into parts of the storyline is absolutely stunning. The story is intoxicating and no one can deliver like Kingsley. This story was covered in his flair and style. The witty one line deliveries, the way he seduced everyone he met. Absolute perfection.
I don’t think I’ve ever devoured a series like I have with TOS. Once I started it was impossible to stop. Tiffany Reisz gives you the most taboo tightly bound in one helluva erotic package. The debauchery is served up with elegance. Beyond all the sex and the kink, there are countless love stories unfolding. These stories are filled with beauty even as they fester in the darkest of places.
I don’t think I could ever tire of this series and I hope that Ms. Reisz continues to give us more. Even if it is just simple short stories, I can’t see myself ever being ready to say goodbye to these characters. Nora’s story is up next in the Virgin. From the blurb it looks like we’ll get her story of the time she tried to escape the pull to Soren and I can’t wait. As much as I love each and every character in this series, my heart beats faster when these two are in the same room.
Some may think this series crosses lines that should remain uncrossed, that the love story that involves a catholic priest is just too taboo. Not true. Because this story shows you just why those lines can be blurred, exactly why they should be. This is not a series that is smut for the sake of shock and awe. There is a beauty that lies in the wake of the entangled love story of these characters. The characters, for as flawed as they are all, there is redemption in every action. If this series has sat unread because your head spun when looking at the numerous books and short stories...just dive in. Go to the first book in the series and just start there. The rest will all fall into place, because you are missing out by not experiencing this love story.
Graphics to be posted at a later date.
-
DNF. I won't rate this because if I had to go strictly by writing, it will be at least 4 stars. However, Nora's character is ruining the story for me. Even though this book promised to have very little of her in it, I still don't care to go on with the series where I wish violent death upon main heroine every time someone mentions her name. I am sorry but I just don't buy this whole 'I love everyone' thing and prude I am NOT but close your legs, woman! Give your overused vagina a rest already. Seriously. -
Cunning. Sex. Pure nerve. Only this potent threesome can raise him to his rightful place as ruler of Manhattan's kink kingdom.
25th November, come to me baby!!!!
~
Leave your mark, scar my skin, I will bow down to you, My King.
Ker Dukey
~~
Go read Miss Tiffany's interview NOW!! HERE:
kbgbabbles
TEASER-
“You’re a priest. A Jesuit priest. And I left the house for one hour and come back and I’ve got a girl with afterglow on my couch eating strawberries claiming my ex-lover who is now a Catholic priest gave her the best pain of her life. I can’t ever leave my house again.”
“You know from personal experience it’s in the world’s best interest I beat someone on a regular basis. I spoke to my confessor, and he gave me leave to ‘deal with’ this side of myself as long as I don’t break any vows. So there.”
“So there? No, not there. We’re not there yet. You-” Kingsley pointed at Søren. “You’re in a good mood all the time. And you talk. And you’re…nice. Well, nicer.” The word “nice” hurt coming out. “You’ve changed.”
“Kingsley-”
“It’s the girl, isn’t it? The Virgin Queen. I should have known.”
Søren eyed him with suspicion. “Kingsley, are you-”
“Give me a second.” Kingsley paced room. His mind reeled. What had happened under his own roof? He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out tobacco and rolling papers.
“What are you doing?”
“I need a cigarette to calm my nerves. They’re frazzled.”
“You’re not a dowager duchess. You shouldn’t have frazzled nerves at twenty-eight,” Søren said. “And you shouldn’t be smoking either.”
“My house, my rules. It’s a smoking house. Everyone has to smoke in my house. I won’t quit smoking, and if you stay here you have to start smoking.” Kingsley quickly rolled a cigarette and licked the rolling paper to seal it.
“Then I’ll go back to the rectory.”
Kingsley flicked his lighter, lit his cigarette, took a long drag, and glared at Søren.
“How do you give someone the best pain of their life without touching them?”
Kingsley raised the cigarette to his lips again.
He heard a snapping sound and the cigarette no longer had a flame.
For a long time he looked at his cigarette before slowly turning his head toward Søren who held a bullwhip in his hand. Casually Søren coiled it.
Cigarette lit.
Bullwhip snap.
Cigarette not lit anymore.
He held the stub in his hand split in two. He hadn’t felt a thing.
“Any other questions?” Søren asked with an arrogant lift of his eyebrow.
Kingsley pointed at the whip, pointed at his hand, pointed at Søren…
No more questions. Wrong. He had one more question.
“Can you teach me to do that?”
~~
25th November, 2014
154 Days
3,696 Hours > approx.
2,21,760 Minutes > approx.
1,33,05,600 Seconds > approx.
*dying*
-
OMG! This book was just too much...of everything!
The King is part of
Tiffany Reisz's erotica/BDSM series titled Original Sinners. It is book #6 in the series as a whole and book #2 in the prequel series distinguished as The White Years. This installment focuses on Kingsley's story. Kingsley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He might just be my favorite character in the series after reading this one. Ms. Reisz excels at building his character beautifully. He's far more complex (and generous) than I ever suspected.
Readers will visit each and every emotion on the spectrum while learning of Kingsley's experiences and motivations. His love for Søren simply cannot be measured and my heart broke for him time and time again. I was on the edge of tears so many times, but I was also on the edge of something else so many times... OK, I'm not a crude reviewer but the sex scenes in this novel were off the charts. Whether or not you are into mm, mf, mff, bdsm, and any other acronym that may apply, it really doesn't matter because the acts are so secondary to Kingsley's emotions. The scenes are beautiful, they are heart wrenching, and yes, they are orgasmic. Sorry...but they are.
The King is sexy, powerfully moving, passionate, and surprisingly very funny. Why isn't there a goodreads option for 10 stars yet???? Well-done
Ms. Reisz!
My favorite quote:
"It hurts coming back to life. It's a brutal, dirty business. Paddles on the chest pushing electric current into the dead heart. Doctor Frankenstein shooting lightening through his monster's corpse. Life is a force so strong, it can blow a stone off a tomb. It's never easy, resurrection. It's violent and it hurts."
The following is the recommended reading order for this series:
The Red Years:
1)
The Siren 2)
The Angel 3)
The Prince 4)
The Mistress
The White Years:
5)
The Saint 6)
The King 7)
The Virgin 8)
The Queen
The Original Sinners series includes the following installments as of December 2015:
0.5-
Seven Day Loan
0.6-
Little Red Riding Crop
0.7-
Submit to Desire
1-
The Siren
2-
The Angel
3-
The Prince
3.1-
Daniel Part Two
3.2-
A Christmas Maggie
3.5-
The Mistress Files
3.6-
Everything They Wanted
4-
The Mistress
4.5-
Poinsettia
5-
The Saint (White Years #1)
6-
The King (White Years #2)
6.1-
Christmas in Suite 37A (White Years #2.1)
7-
The Virgin (White Years #3)
8-
The Queen (White Years #4)
Note: Ms. Reisz offers a number of short stories associated with this series for free on her website. Click
HERE for more information. -
5 all hail the King stars
Ever wonder how the king became The King !?! If you are anything like me, I never really gave it much thought, I kind of accepted the fact he is The King simply because he is Kingsley. This story is all his, revealing to us the man, the myth and the legend. Who is Kingsley Edge,“French? American? Bisexual? Rich? Kinky? Pick one. Or all of them.”
Kingsley had all the money in the world with the demons to match; drowning them out with alcohol and men, women or both in his bed. He had no purpose, no plan but to survive one more day, he had nothing to give back, until one day...the day he was reborn.“It hurts coming back to life...It’s a brutal, dirty business. Life is a force so strong it can blow a stone off a tomb. It’s violent and it hurts.”
His gifts were in abundance“I’m a very giving person. Orgasms, beatings, rug burn,”
But the greatest gift he could give, was a place where people like him could freely be who they are and safely explore the endless possibilities of BDSM. However there are those who wish him to not succeed, but unluckily for them with the help of his amazing assistant Sam, he always gets what he wants...no matter the cost.“I don’t think your dick is going to solve this problem,” Sam said. “Why not? It solves all my other problems.”
The King, humanized Kingsley, we got to know the man before he was The King. I have to be honest, I didn't really want to read this because in my mind, he is who he is and I didn't really want to challenge what I made him to be. BUT in true Tiffany Reisz style, she delivers not only making Kingsley even more awesome than he already is but giving us a better understanding of just how his Kingdom was formed. Not to mention his kick-ass assistant Sam, I loved her and wish she was still with Kingsley today. This was delivered differently than the other books, I think because it was shedding light on the past. Awesome addition that just gives me a better understanding of this captivating world.
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
***Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.
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4.5 stars. To say Kingsley has been my favorite male character in this series is an understatement, so for me to give anything less than 5 stars actually hurts. I enjoyed reading about what happened between Kingsley and Soren when they became reacquainted. Kingsley wasn't the full fledged King that he is now and it was enjoyable to read how he changed and became the King. The dialogue between Kingsley and Soren was well developed and even though the subject matter was heavy at times, there was still comical relief thanks to Kingsley's sense of humor. Also loved the dynamic between Kingsley and Sam throughout the book. However, the storyline kind of lost its way at times and for that reason I dropped my rated .5 stars. Additionally, the Grace factor is still difficult - even if it wasn't the right choice for Nora, I still do not like her.
Back to the positive, I absolutely loved the first time Kingsley saw Eleanor!
"You little sociopath, Kingsley said under his breath. Not even Soren was so blithe about inflicting pain as this girl. Fuck me until I forget I'm French. There was no way, none, not a chance in heaven, hell or the purgatory they were living in right now that girl was a submissive. Soren had fallen in love with a baby domme who has a sadistic streak in her as wide as her smile."
I look forward to the next book in the White Years series: The Virgin. -
Recensione sul Blog Valentina Abbr
https://valentinaabbr.blogspot.com/20...
«Cos’altro hai sentito sul mio strip club?» «Ho sentito che c’è un’altra sala dove fate tutti cose kinky» aveva risposto il ragazzo, farfugliando intimidito.
«Sai perché questo club è chiamato così? Il nome proviene da Il nastro di Möbius. È un’illusione ottica. Sembra che abbia due lati, ma in realtà ne ha uno soltanto» «Non capisco ma mi hai incuriosito» «Allora seguimi. Sarò la tua guida turistica all’inferno!»
E così Kingsley, “Le Roi”, il sovrano incontrastato del regno sommerso del bondage, aveva fatto scoprire i piaceri della carne ad un giovane biondino inesperto, appena conosciuto nel suo locale. E ne era uscito appagato.
Una volta rientrato a casa però, aveva trovato qualcuno ad attenderlo. No, non qualcuno. Ma lui, Søren.
Kingsley aveva quasi perso la speranza di rivederlo. Negli anni si erano causati fin troppo dolore a vicenda, e qualcuno aveva finito per pagare il prezzo più alto per i loro segreti. Ma questo riguardava il passato. Adesso tra loro, probabilmente, sarebbe andata meglio. Kingsley gli avrebbe dato il suo cuore, il suo corpo e la sua anima, e questa volta non avrebbe chiesto niente in cambio.
Ma non avrebbe più accettato di doversi nascondere, era ora di finirla con le bugie e i segreti inconfessabili. Non ne poteva più.
Quando finalmente puntò gli occhi su Søren e lo vide in tutta la sua gloriosa bellezza, si rese conto che l’uomo non era più lo stesso. Qualcosa in lui era cambiato.
E la scena qui narrata dall’autrice è indescrivibile. Semplicemente perfetta
Kingsley lo fissò, incredulo. Tutto, ma non quello. Qualsiasi speranza ci fosse stata nel suo cuore un istante prima, di ritornare insieme a lui, si infranse e morì in un baleno, “come l’ultima nota vagante di una sinfonia”.
Ma nonostante la verità scioccante che gli si palesava davanti, l ’antico desiderio che nutriva per Søren riprese a scorrergli nelle vene, riversandosi nel cuore. Non c’era modo di fermarlo. Incontrò gli occhi del pianista biondo, rilasciò il respiro che aveva trattenuto e riuscì a dire soltanto: «Mon Dieu…»
Søren era diventato un padre Gesuita, ma perché adesso era lì? Kingsley era stordito per lo shock.
Se teneva gli occhi chiusi, riusciva ad andare indietro nel tempo, a undici anni prima, quando si trovavano nell’eremo, soli ma insieme, due amanti appassionati e inseparabili.
L’autrice, regina del kinky romance, in questa parte del romanzo ha fatto davvero un gran bel lavoro nel descrivere in modo vivido ed emozionante l’antico struggimento di Kingsley, un uomo dissoluto e lussurioso, che nel tempo ha cercato semplicemente di obnubilare la sua mente attraverso donne, uomini e alcool, al solo fine di poter dimenticare Søren, l’amore della sua vita. Ma senza avere successo.
Il romanzo prosegue con la rivelazione degli inimmaginabili retroscena che hanno preceduto la nascita dell’ Ottavo Cerchio, il più famoso club BDSM di New York, dove i clienti possono vivere liberamente la propria sessualità senza dover incorrere in alcun limite o pregiudizi, grazie alla volontà di Kingsley di riuscire realizzare una vecchio progetto frutto di un’ importante promessa fatta col cuore.
Mi è piaciuta molto la metafora della famosa storia che nella Bibbia è conosciuta come Il giudizio di Salomone. La Reisz ha ben saputo integrarla nel racconto come una morale. Del resto è nota la sua abilità nel trattare temi importanti e attuali, come ad esempio il fanatismo religioso, in modo diretto e con maestria, frutto di ricerche e un buon livello di preparazione.
Questo sesto volume della serie, potente e dissacrante, racconta di un’amicizia vera, profonda e leale, ma anche di un amore che dura nel tempo, passionale ed intenso, sul quale i due protagonisti riversano tutta la propria devozione. Un amore assoluto e devastante, carico di tormento ma capace di superare ogni genere di pregiudizi e falso perbenismo. -
“I have something to tell you. A story. And I can’t tell you why I’m telling you the story until after the story.”
I’m not really sure what I can possibly say about Tiffany Reisz and her writing which I haven’t said a million times before. She’s one of my all-time favourite Authors and her stories never fail to reduce me into an emotional wreck whilst feeling utterly captivated by her outstanding writing. Her words amaze, seduce and tickles my every fancy.
Upon finishing The King, I once again felt like I’d run a marathon; my heart and mind completely exhausted. Without doubt there’s nothing quite like this feeling in the world. Reading something so brilliant; so incredibly heartfelt and emotional it’s as if Tiffany Reisz literally touched me with her very words. Some softly; some with such an intense force that my heart’s been marked forever. Yet again.
There’s no-one quite like Kingsley but then I already knew this. The King is magnifique; he’s so much more than the classy pompous intimidating man he portrays so well. Kingsley has such depth and intrigue. Unravelling one layer at a time wow; his striking heart and soul; the way he hurts and his haunted mind. It was emotionally harrowing at times. Kingsley was lost – he feels almost fragile at times which was heart-breaking and overwhelming.
“Jeg elsker dig.”
So we know some of what transpires as The King follows a timeline we’ve been privy to already. We don’t know how or what made it so in respect to the King himself. However; Kingsley has a story to tell; his and to hear this beautiful and commanding man’s voice; feel his emotion and inner most secret thoughts – what an absolute treat to the senses. A man transformed into a King the catalyst being saved by a Priest once more.
“You used to scare me.”
The momentous love Kingsley has for Søren is both devastatingly consuming; all-saving and life inspiring. It’s as important as the next breath.
‘…while the man he loved with all his heart and all his soul and all his body held Kingsley’s very life in his hands. And it was as it should be, Søren holding the power of life and death.’
Being a voyeur to the most sacred of secrets and honest emotion felt like a gift and I wanted to jump into the pages of this story and kneel at Kingsley’s feet. This wicked wicked man with such arrogance and sexual flair for the dominating extravagance.
So much was revealed and some pieces in the longstanding puzzle fell into place in the most sensual; calculating and hauntingly emotional way. The origin and the beginnings of the BDSM club the 8th circle came to be but not without a fight – a betrayal and the affirmation of love and obsession.
‘…it had hurt so much he knew for certain he was alive again, as alive as he’d ever been and more.’
Tiffany Reisz never fails to deliver an absolutely stunning reading experience. There’s quite simply nothing like it. Her characters captivate me; the Lady herself fascinates me. Every time I finish one of her stories I’m already desperate for the next one and every time I begin the next I count myself lucky once more for discovering this brilliant awe inspiring Author.
**Reviewed from an ARC copy provided by the author via the publisher with thanks**
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