| Title | : | King of the Dark (The Princes Assassin #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 354 |
| Publication | : | First published July 10, 2020 |
| Awards | : | Rainbow Award Gay Fantasy (2021) |
"Your love is worthless, it's your hate I need." ~Prince Vasili Caville
When King Talos Caville surrendered the war to the elves, soldier Nikolas Yazdan vowed never to serve the royals again. He said the same to the prince who tried to buy his loyalty, and learned the Cavilles don’t take no for an answer.
Whipped for his insolence, Nikolas is forced into slavery in a palace full of vicious, brutal royals. And Prince Vasili Caville is the worst of all. Malicious and cruel, the prince is more viper than man, and someone inside the palace wants him dead. Nikolas would kill the prince himself if not for one thing: Julian, the prince’s personal guard and Niko’s light in the dark. If Nikolas doesn’t submit to Prince Vasili and discover who is plotting against him, Julian will suffer.
But there’s more wrong in the palace than just the prince. The king is on his deathbed, the ferocious elves are creeping closer to the great city of Loreen, and madness stalks the hallways. There’s poison in the Caville court, and if Nikolas doesn’t discover the real reason Prince Vasili tried to buy him with a bag of coin, the palace, the city, and everything he loves, will be lost forever.
King of the Dark is the first book in the slow burn, enemies-to-lovers Prince’s Assassin series. A gay Game of Thrones with a hint of Witcher thrown in, there are triggers, including but not limited to: reference to past abuse, attempted rape, dubious consent, reference to incest, torture, drug use and PTSD. High heat sexual content. The Prince’s Assassin is for 18+ only.
Reading order:
King of the Dark
Reign of Darkness
Curse of the Dark Prince
The Cottage (novella)
King of the Dark (The Princes Assassin #1) Reviews
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“I prefer the enemy I can see to the one behind my back.”
Game of Thrones meets The Witcher, but make it gay and smutty.
King of the Dark was nothing but fast-paced, easy to read through, fun, and overall entertaining. If I had the chance to go back and re-read it for the first time, I definitely would. That gay fantasy romance hits different, and it's exquisite if you ask me.“Imagine, if you will, you’re the cuckoo in the nest. But the nest doesn’t belong to kindly songbirds. It belongs to vicious raptors, the type who will shred you should they learn who and what you really are.”
After battling in the war and seeing many of his loved ones die, ex-soldier Nikolas Yazdan has vowed never to serve the royal again. When one of the princes offers to pay him to kill someone for him, Niko denies and is then thrown by force in the palace, forced to become a slave under Prince Vasili Cavilles, the heir. He’s cruel and vicious, and while many want him gone, there is someone in the palace trying to kill him. Forced to become the assassin Prince Vasili wants him to, Niko befriends his bodyguard, Julian, who later becomes someone much closer to Niko than he anticipated. But as the elves make their way closer to the palace, the king remains on his deathbed, and Vasili remains a target, Nikolas will begin to see how much he is willing to go for himself, Julian, and even Vasili. Throughout, he will learn about the secrets hidden under the people he trusts. Remember what they say: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.All the Cavilles were cruel. All but the queen, who’d died, leaving behind an ailing king and three vipers in his nest. They were supposed to be guardians of this land and its people, but these royals were parasites, feeding off it instead.
The description of this drew me in. It also features gay, slow-burn romance, so I knew I wouldn't be able to say no. Then I read some of the quotes and can finally verify they did not disappoint. While it had more than what I expected, King of the Dark is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read. It carries its plot with a well-balanced tone and pace, never missing a beat, and always offering one thing after another. It features dark themes such as slavery, abuse, PTSD, rape, and more, while also some blissful moments here and there.
But there is more than just those dark themes in the book as part of the plot. Niko is an ex-soldier, and he’s seen his home, his family, and his past lover die in front of him. He’s held crying bodies as their lives are slowly dying, and his memory and heart always carry a guilt. While he may express himself as cold during some times, he’s vulnerable and weak on others. While he may not trust Vasili, he trusts others too easily. With that being said, he stands tall and strong for himself and the people he’s lost, always expressing an attitude when it comes to people like Vasili or his brother, Amir. Even with the king is Niko sometimes unfriendly.“I asked you… Nikolas.” He peered into Nikolas’s eyes and blinked. “Because I recognize a killer when I see one. And if you speak of this task outside of this room, nobody will believe you.”
Similarly, Prince Vasili is ruthless, reserved, unfriendly, and overall cruel. His intentions are nothing but unsympathetic and violent as he wants to find the person who murdered his brother, Carlo. He’s unwelcoming to everyone, including Niko, but we know the time for their friendship to develop and blossom into something more will come eventually, especially as so many hints of shy smiles, glances, thoughts, and kisses are shown. He has his own past, full of violence and hatred as well, and it’s made an impact in the type of person he is. The reputation people have of him is made by assumptions, and while Prince Vasili may be cold and express no emotion, it’s all hidden behind him, put on the side. He uses sarcasm and threats as a way to cope, but as we begin to learn more and more about his past, about his family, and about the people around him, you begin to understand him more. Even Niko saw this when Vasili started talking to him more about Vasili, not Prince Vasili.
Whether you hate or love him, I applaud Ariana Nash for her capability to write a complex character like Vasili. Perhaps we're supposed to hate him, but the way he expressed himself makes it a little difficult. Even though he had Julian as a companion, he needed someone else. He needed love, but also care. He needed to feel strong and honored, as well as safe and protected. While he may not have shown it page after page, he cares about his people and his country, and he wants to bring an end to the elves bringing madness into it. I'm really excited to see how he develops as a character. We got glimpses into his past life, but not enough to understand him completely.“They fear Amir. What you have… it’s more than fear, Vasili.” Perhaps Vasili didn’t see it because he was so close to the nightmare, but he did have people in the palace who would listen to him, perhaps even follow him. “There’s loyalty but it needs to be forged into a purpose. Out of all the Cavilles in that vipers’ nest, you are the only one whom the guards and the Loreen people trust.”
I really liked the relationship between Julian and Niko. I know that Niko and Prince Vasili get together, and while I am excited to see how their frenemies phase turns into a friendship which then turns into a relationship, I won’t deny the scenes between Julian and Niko were quite something, regardless of what happened. Julian is also an ex-soldier, like Niko, and he became a shining light for Niko, an armored prince in disguise. He became the person he confided in.
All the eye-fucking, the tense stares, the "I want to fuck you but I can't" moments? Please give me more Nash, please. And you know, I'm not really a fan of insta-lust/insta-love, but I didn't mind it. It's been a long time since I read a book with insta-love/lust, and the kind in this is making me more excited to read about the relationship between Niko and Vasili.Niko kissed him long and slow and careful, not wanting to break him. “I don’t deserve you.”
Julian brushed his chin against Niko’s nose and looped his arms around Niko’s neck, locking him close. “No, you don’t. But fuck me like that some more and we’ll call it even.”
And also, the underwater bath scene? I get it now.Niko would do more than touch. He dropped beneath the water’s surface again and took Julian into his mouth, licking and sucking the crown while pumping the shaft. He emerged once for a breath, and caught Julian’s fraught, desperate expression.
I shouldn't be too surprised that I enjoyed this. I guess it's because almost none of my friends have read it. After all, it's fantasy, and fantasy is such a hit or miss for me now. Also, it was my first m/m fantasy romance, so I went in with high expectations. I had never heard of Ariana Nash nor her books until last year, but I'm really glad I finally read this. If I could find more books like this one, I would add them to my tbr in a heartbeat. I never found it to be boring, and while I started anticipating and guessing the plot twist, I was still in for more surprises than just that. I’m excited to read the rest of the trilogy. I'm really looking forward to three things in particular: (1) appreciating the fantasy elements in the next books. While there were mentions of the elves here and other things such as the fiend, I wanted more exploration on it, but I'm sure there will be more of it in the next two books. (2) Hopefully there will be more about Vasili and his flames. (3) The slow-burn tension between Vasili and Niko. That kiss on the field? I need more, please and thank you.“Fear is useless.”
“I disagree.”
“Then you have not experienced real fear.” -
“your love is worthless. it’s your hate i need.”
“oh, you have that, my prince.”
♚ this was SO good, but honestly who’s surprised… Ariana Nash clearly knows how to write damn well!
this is a dark fantasy MM romance, which follows Nikolas, who is an ex-soldier who agrees (agrees is a strong word, more like is forced to lmao) to help prince Vasili Caville find out who has been trying to kill him.
this book has:
♚ captive/captor (the beginning of this book had very similar vibes to Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat).
♚ hate-to-love/enemies-to-lovers. 🔪
♚ a slow-burn romance.
♚ an intriguing plot and a fast pace.
♚ a pretty cool fantasy world. (hope to see some more of the world in the next books though).
♚ elves!! (they’re the enemy though, but still cool).
♚ an absolutely mad royal family (lots of manipulations, lies and betrayals happening within the palace).
♚ magical elements!
♚ hot smut!
♚ great characters with interesting dynamics! the main characters are both amazing!
my favourite - Vasili -
• I LOVE HIM!! my beautiful, vicious, damaged, lethal blond prince!🖤
“this man was like none Niko had ever met before. he claimed to be hunted, and yet he didn’t look like a man afraid. if anything, he was the only person Niko had met who wasn’t afraid. he reminded him of a fox among chickens. the kind that didn’t kill to eat. it killed because it could. Niko knew killers too. he’d comanded many of them. this Caville prince was the kind who enjoyed the killing a little too much.”
• unpredictable and unapproachable, can be cold and cruel.
“is there a problem?”
whenever Vasili asked that question, it usually meant someone was about to have their throat cut.
• manipulative, just like the rest of his crazy ass family.
• thinks ahead and is always one step ahead of everyone else.
• possibly has powers?? 👀
• pretty sure he loves animals. his horse Adamo is clearly very adored by him.🥺
• loves bitchslapping people. he can be violent as hell in general tbh, but i don’t wanna spoil too much of anything, so imma just stay QUIET...💀
“yes, i’m afraid of you, and that prison you call a palace. how’s that for honesty? you fucking terrify me. i’d rather face an elf than look you in the eye sometimes because there’s something in you, Vasili. something dark. something you keep bottled up and hidden, but it’s waiting, and i do not want to be nearby when you lose control of it.”
• has a traumatic past, which obviously still affects him a lot. he did have a couple of vulnerable moments in this book, but i hope we get to see more of unguarded Vasili in the next books.
the other mc - Nikolas -
• Vasili’s pet guard, assassin, captive, doulos, advisor and eventually lover.
• stubborn as hell, strong, brave & honest.
“you might be the most honest man i know,” Vasili said, level tone lifting.
Niko laughed. “that’s hardly a compliment coming from a Caville.”
• tends to speak his mind regardless of the consequences.
• gets angry easily.
• can be pretty fucking badass.
• can fuck you up not only physically, but verbally too.
• definitely has a very sensitive side and tends to sometimes fall for people easily & quickly. (as we get to see in this book)
♚ as i mentioned, this is a slow-burn romance. this had a lot of angst and i feel like there will be even more in the next books. i can’t wait for the moment the wait pays off and Niko and Vasili get together, they are definitely intense as hell together and i’m super into their overall dynamic!
“Vasili kissed like he wanted to carve Niko open and devour him from the inside out. he tasted of citrus and bitterness. of Caville poison. and Niko had never wanted so desperately to fuck a man raw as he did this prince. how could it be that he hated someone so passionately and yet wanted to ravish him?”
“he gets to me, somehow gets under my skin…"
on to book 2!!
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first picture is by MorganLee-Art (@morganlee-art on deviantart);
the second one is by the artist named Dominique Wesson (@dominiquewesson on instagram). -
”Your love is worthless. It’s your hate I need.”
Ahh don’t you love that quote? I for my part do! It’s so typical Vasili and I love this man so much! <333 But I’m getting ahead of myself here, so let’s start at the beginning! XD I went into this book expecting an m/m romance that would be similar to “Captive Prince” and in some ways it was but in others it totally wasn’t. I mean there are a few similarities. Vasili being a seemingly cold-blooded and cruel prince that fights against his family and their machinations and Niko an ex-soldier being his doulos (some sort of pleasure slave) who has to serve him because he offended Vasili at a tavern.
”Niko shoved the man off his stool and trapped his body against the bar, pinning him rigid. Long, lean legs and hard muscle didn’t yield. He felt like a drawn bow, but he had enough strength to capably resist. Niko leaned hard into him, ramming a knee between his thighs. The royal’s chest heaved, breaths ragged.”
That’s where the similarities of those two books end though. For one Niko’s love interest is obviously Julian who was already mentioned in the blurb and the fantasy element with elves and magic is certainly something entirely different than the plot in “Captive Prince”. Plus Vasili as well as Niko might seem to be similar to Laurent and Damen on first glance; once you dig deeper they are different though. For instance Vasili gives off a really dangerous vibe and he’s more predator than Laurent ever was and Niko is definitely not as innocent as Damen was. *lol* Anyway, let’s jump right into the fun of this book and talk about the characters because they were amazing and I loved Vasili to bits and pieces! XD
”You’ve thought about killing me,” the prince said. “Many have. Many more dangerous than you. Yet here I stand, very much alive.”
I LOVE and ADORE Vasili Caville so damn much!!! Here’s a prince who’s fiercely loyal to his people and this even though they are certainly not loyal to him! He’s an enigma and everyone who knows me, also knows that I love myself some good puzzle. *lol* So ahh, Vasili is kind of my kryptonite and I just wanted to get more of him. My scarred and partly blind prince that looks like a faerie! <33 Alone the fact that he’s not perfect and has visible as well as invisible scars made him so damn intriguing for me! XD What fascinated me the most was that we sometimes even got a glimpse at his true self. A moment when he smiled or a situation in which he showed kindness even though you would have never even expected him to be kind.
”Look at me.” An order.
Vasili’s gaze drilled into him. The prince was intimately close now, his eye observing, reading Niko’s face, studying him. Looking for the best place to thrust a blade, no doubt.
“Thank you,” Vasili said.
Nico didn’t know what to say.
Of course his relationship with Niko is sort of strained (understatement of the century) which is to be expected if you take an ex-soldier and force him to serve you. *lol* I mean Niko is a strong and fierce character, maybe sometimes naive but certainly not innocent and he is at least as stubborn as Vasili! Add his blunt and brutally honest nature into the mix and you’ll know why he got into trouble! XD Still, no matter how hot-headed and strong-willed Niko is, deep down he’s an honourable soul and I think that’s exactly why Vasili was drawn to him.
”Hm,” the guard said. “I’ve watched you a great deal. Seen you furious, stoic, repulsed. I prefer you like this.”
“Scrawled on my back, at your mercy?”
“Exactly.”
Unfortunately Niko’s attention is drawn towards another and Julian – Vasili’s trusted guard – and Niko start a relationship. So as good as all the m/m action we get is actually between Julian and Niko instead of Vasili and Niko, which is a shame because damn, the few moments they had together were as charged as the air after lightning. <3 You could basically feel the electricity sizzling! *lol*Also I got kind of annoyed by the pedestal Niko put Julian on. XD I like my men not perfect but with character, baggage and a thoroughly tortured soul! Thank you very much! ;-P
”Afraid of me.”
“Yes, I’m afraid of you, and that prison you call a palace. How’s that for honesty? You fucking terrify me. I’d rather face an elf than look you in the eye sometimes because there’s something in you, Vasili. Something dark. Something you keep bottled up and hidden, but it’s waiting, and I do not want to be nearby when you lose control of it.”
This said I loved the conversations between Vasili and Niko. They had so much chemistry and I loved the fact that they always seemed to gauge each other’s reaction yet could be totally blunt while they were in each other’s company. As for the other characters: I hated King Talos (Vasili’s father) because he’s a really vile creature and I detested Amir (Vasili’s brother)! I’m sure we’ll get to see more of Amir in the next book though and I’m pretty sure my hatred for him will only grow even more. Especially after everything that happened at the ending of this book!
”Vasili kissed like he wanted to carve Niko open and devour him from the inside out. He tasted of citrus and bitterness. Of Caville poison. And Niko had never wanted so desperately to fuck a man raw as he did this prince. How could it be that he hated someone so passionately and yet wanted to ravish him?”
I really hope that we’ll get more of Niko and Vasili in the next book and I can’t wait to meet Adamo – Vasili’s horse – again! I loved his connection with Adamo and I think he’s probably the only creature Vasili actually trusts. Well, aside from Niko of course. ;-) THAT KISS between them screamed for more and the fact Niko defended Vasili against the people who spread rumours in his village is a good indication that I’ll probably get a few hot and steamy scenes between them in the next book?! ;-P
So excuse me while I run off to Amazon and buy the second book in the series! XD
Trigger warnings:
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This was ridiculously intriguing. *lol*
No, seriously it was great! I loved Vasili and Niko so much. And yes I still think “The Captive Prince” vibes were strong in here.
I'm pretty sure this was more tame than CP but at the same time I can also say it was worse?!
I need to collect my thoughts, but I can already tell you that I’ll read book 2 as soon as it’s out!
Full review to come soon! ;-)
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I already know this will get me on Santa’s naughty list but I just couldn’t resist this:
- An m/m high fantasy
- The enemies-to-lovers trope
- A war against elves
- A cruel prince
- An enslaved former soldier
- Court intrigues at every corner
- super dark content (18+)
- And it’s described as “Game of Thrones” meets “The Witcher”. (Even though I get a lot of “Captive Prince” vibes from the blurb too)
I blame my sudden urge to read this on Devanshi! *lol* ;-)
To my young audience: Ignore the updates, though I’ll try to keep them as G-rated as possible.
To my adult audience: Read my updates if you dare to. *lol* ;-P It might get you on Santa’s naughty list as well though. XD -
Thanks to Ariana Nash for the ARC. This is an honest review.
Review:
So. I got this exactly 12 hours ago when I checked my email. Finished it in 3.5 hours. Yes I'm a speed reader. But I read every word. It's rare that I read every word of a novel, but this writer as well as her counterpart (are there 2?) from the Silk & Steel series, is one of those authors whose writing makes me (usually) read every word. She is literally 1 out of 2 authors who can consistently make me do that. The other one, in case you are curious, and as my GR buddies would know -- is the incomparable
Aja James.
I have gobbled up this author's work since discovering her from my GR friend Monique's
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4... currently-reading updates. Back to Back to Back. It's been awesome! My go-to MM fantasy romance writer!
That being said, this first in this new series didn't fully scratch my itch. Which is why it's 4 stars. This author has averaged 4-5 stars for me, with the Silk series being all 5s, but this one is solidly 4, and as I progress in my review, I might be mad enough to take it to 3.5, but I'm happy enough with the story's entertainment value to round it to 4.
What I liked:
As you can tell from the only pics I posted below for a character and my updates commentary, I'm reading this for the mysterious Prince Vasili. Screw Niko and Julian and etc. Prince Vasili is the Hero and he ticks all my boxes:
* Tortured
* Difficult to decipher, complicated
* Hot (and generously hung)
* Got a mean streak but a soft spot
So he's the reason I kept reading.
Second thing - the fast-moving story, the twists and turns. Kept me entertained if not emotionally involved beyond Vasili
What I don't like as much:
* Niko. I don't hate him, obviously or I would have quit, but I don't love him. And given he's THE Hero of the story (told exclusively from his POV 3rd person), that's a big red mark.
Why? bc he's an IDIOT!!
See my rant in updates below. Come ON! Falling "in love" with the wrong dude, who's . The connection between him and Julian didn't feel real AT ALL, and way too sudden. Kinda insta-lust turned suddenly into insta-love. And now I know that perhaps it was meant to be superficial. But man did I hate reading about it. It went ON! All the sex scenes are between Julian and Niko.
I felt that was a bit much. Could have had the same "climax" without all the rest of it. OR make it more believable, really keep the reader guessing. Cuz I KNEW this from VERY early into the novel (see my updates). So then the whole time I felt like Niko is stupid.
Not only that, he's NAIVE!! I get that one of his strengths is supposed to be directness, honesty, etc. But he just does the STUPIDEST things!! And it doesn't make me appreciate his strengths, turning them into weaknesses instead - like why the hell does he confront the wrong ppl all the time??? Prince Amir, IN YOUR FACE. The King! IN YOUR FACE. Other slaves, IN YOUR FACE. And of course, breaking the wrist of a man he KNEW was royalty in the beginning. Gah!!
IDIOT!!
* Some of the scenes were a little disjointed. I felt like the Silk series and also the Angel one was more... developed. Whereas there were moments I felt kinda jarred here, like there's a rush to get to some place, vs. taking the time to really paint the picture. This includes the whole Julian/ Niko thing. And also, why did Vasili pick Niko in the first place? Out of all the soldiers in all the realm, why him?? Bc of his reputation in the front lines? It's not really all that explored. Niko himself doesn't even seem to wonder about it much. And whatever explanations we got -- not assassin, not this any that... it didn't REALLY explain why NIKO in particular.
But overall, 4 stars for the entertainment value. Not a fan of "series" where the story or romance is incomplete and drags into multiple books esp. when books are not out all at once (and even then too). But, I'll likely recall this series and be on the lookout for the next installment.
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This is an ongoing review as I read... let's get started!
This is Prince Vasili: long silver hair, facial scar (1 blind eye, not shown)
Notice I didn't post any pics of Julian --WHO THE F CARES ABOUT JULIAN??
But at 45% J and N did the nasty (BJs and hand jobs)...ugh. 😑
FINISHED!! ONE SITTING... RTC -
“You have not been subtle in your hatred of me, but that I can trust. I prefer the enemy I can see to the one behind my back.”
✅✅ Vasili
✅ Characters
✅ Captor / Captive
✅ Hate-to-somewhat allies
✅ Smut and romance
✅ Politics, scheming, lies, and betrayal
✅ Plot
✅ Pace
✅🆗 World-building
❗️❗️ Trigger warning: rape, imprisonment, drug use, forced drug use, and mentions of torture.
Strong 4.5 stars“I’m not an assassin.”
The royal leaned in so close Niko could smell the sweetness of rosewater. “You are whatever I order you to be, or nothing at all,” the man said with the confidence born of having never been denied.
Nikolas is an ex-soldier trying to forget the last 8 years he spent fighting the elves. He is full of anger towards the royal family after the king decided to surrender to the elves even though his army was winning, ignoring the sacrifices of all the soldiers who fought his war. When Prince Vasili Caville finds Nikolas and asks him to kill someone for him, Niko tells him in no uncertain words to go fuck himself. Vasili is not one to accept "no" as an answer, and after being imprisoned and starved, Niko is forced to accept the deal and ends up working for Vasili as a spy and guard, all while pretending to be Vasili’s sexual slave to avoid suspicion. Nikolas might have survived 8 years of war against the vicious elves, but nothing could prepare him for the nest of vipers that is the Caville family.
The plot is dynamic and compelling, the pace is good and there is a good mix of action, scheming, lying, and politics between the member of the Caville family. There is also a bigger political plot involving some of the Caville and the elves as the peace between humans and elves is still very fragile. I couldn't stop reading it once I started, the story never misses a beat, and there is always more to it. It's full of political intrigues, conspiracies, assassins, spies, betrayals, and dark magic.“Yes, I’m afraid of you, and that prison you call a palace. How’s that for honesty? You fucking terrify me. I’d rather face an elf than look you in the eye sometimes because there’s something in you, Vasili. Something dark. Something you keep bottled up and hidden, but it’s waiting, and I do not want to be nearby when you lose control of it.”
I really like Niko. He is strong, very honest, and has a sweet and vulnerable side while also being scarred and ruthless because of his traumatic years at the front. He also does not give a shit about royalty and protocol and says whatever he thinks... One could say that he does not really have a sense of self-preservation, but I also think that it’s part of why Vasili wants to keep him close. He’s brutally honest and will not hold back because of who Vasili is. With his whole “I don’t give a shit” attitude and his internal reflections, he also gave a vibe that seemed much older than his 23 years old, probably because the war forced him to mature, and he’s seen so much already, but it worked well for me because I felt like reading a story about characters in their late 20s instead of their early 20s, which I really liked.And Prince Vasili is the worst Caville of all. Malicious and cruel, the prince is more viper than man.
“You’ll pay with your life if you betray me again.”
“I can’t betray those who haven’t earned my loyalty.”
Vasili’s laugh was hollow, like the man it belonged to.
I LOVE Prince Vasili, the tragically tortured hero who appears to be vicious, cold, and callous, but is in fact trying to save his country. He is cold because he needs to be in order to survive his horrible family, but we can clearly see near the end that he cares for his country and his people. Thankfully, he is sneaky and very clever, always one step ahead of everyone else, and always scheming. He is a master manipulator all wrapped up in a very sexy package. He has this “I’m deadly and you know it but you can’t help but be attracted to me and want more of me” quality, and of course, I fell in love with him! Ariana Nash has a way to write complex and compelling characters with many layers and shades of grey, and I fall in love with them every time.He was back to hating Vasili, Julian was still looking at the prince like the sun shone out of his ass, and Vasili was looking at Niko like he wanted to scrape him off his boot.
I liked the relationship between Julian and Niko. At first.
Julian is also an ex-soldier, but he managed to remain more carefree and soft than Niko, despite the horrors he endured too during the war. Niko has been forced into a less than ideal (not to say horrific) situation at the palace, and Julian becomes a shining light, a confident, and a steady and caring presence. Julian was a sweet love interest, but despite that, I cared less about him than I did about Vasili and Niko, probably because he showed fewer layers and depths in general. Thanks to his presence though there were some steamy moments in the book.
Julian and Vasili also appear to have a complex and very complicated relationship, which added even more confusion when it came to romance, and also when Niko was trying to figure out what was really happening in the palace (because Julian and Vasili obviously knew more than they were telling him).“Your love is worthless. It’s your hate I need.”
Rage burned the back of Niko’s tongue. “Oh, you have that, my prince. Now leave, before I make you.”
“I hate you, your highness,” Vasili tensed again, his back straightened, “but you have my blade,” Niko said softly.
While there is no romance between Vasili and Nikolas for the moment, I LOVED their complex relationship and how they walked a thin line between hate and forced allies. Nikolas hates Vasili, and yet he knows that Vasili is what's best for the kingdom (the other choices being his crazy father or his lazy and arrogant brother). Vasili does not seem to care at all about Niko and does not hesitate to use him however is more beneficial, yet he cares about his wellbeing. I am really eager to see how their frenemy relationship will evolve in the next book, and I can see the awesome hate-to-love romance slowly building. There is some sexual tension between them, but it's hidden under all the hate and resentment, so it will surely be a delicious slow-burn to read in the next book. 🖤
Second and third fanarts by Krabat and Bloodwrit
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4,5 'Love at first chapter' stars
This book grabs you by the neck on the first page and doesn't release you until the last word. Politic intrigues, conspiracies, assassins, dark magic... I couldn't ask for more. I was completely enamored with this cruel world full of war, pain, and fear but also sprinkled with the rays of hope, loyalty, and even love.“I’m not an assassin.”
The royal leaned in so close Niko could smell the sweetness of rosewater. “You are whatever I order you to be, or nothing at all,” the man said with the confidence born of having never been denied.
The story begins with an ex-soldier Nikolas Yazdan being recruited by prince Vasili Caville for an assassin (and pretty much everything else Vasili needs him for). It's important to mention that this first meeting didn't go well because it ended with Niko being whipped as a punishment. However, that was the start of a very unique relationship between Niko and Vasili, which could be described as enemies-to-still (and slightly) less enemies. But I'm getting ahead of myself and let's stay with Niko for now.“My sword.”
“You want a sword? Vasili won’t—”
“Vasili doesn’t have to know, and not just any sword. My sword. It’s in the room I rented. I’ll give you the address.” He offered his hand. “Are we agreed?”
“You’re a fool,” Julian clasped his hand around Niko’s and smiled. “But I’ll get your sword, Nikolas Yazdan.”
Niko is an ex-soldier, a mercenary, who spent eight years on a battlefield fighting vicious elves. He lost everything to this war - his parents, his lover, friends, home... all this lost for nothing when king Talos surrendered and stop fighting. Now, at 23, he's determined to not have anything to do with the king, nor the royal Caville family, nor the war anymore. But this changes when Vasili tasks him to help him find who is trying to kill him. And Niko is thrown into the middle of the palace intrigues, where everyone wants everyone dead and where you cannot identify a friend from a foe.“You’ll pay with your life if you betray me again.”
“I can’t betray those who haven’t earned my loyalty.”
What I like the most about Nikolas is his I don't give a fuck about anything attitude. I think he looked death in the eyes one too many times and he really doesn't care anymore whether he lives or dies. He has quick temper, never knows when it's time to shut up, and is prepared to go toe to toe with everyone, including the king, the princes, or the whole fucking royal court. He's reckless, he makes mistakes all the time and knows he will do even more of them in the future. He's also brave, fearless, loyal to those who deserve it. He lives too hard, loves too fast. And I couldn't adore him more. My Niko 🖤🖤“I hate you, your highness,” Vasili tensed again, his back straightened, “but you have my blade,” Niko said softly.
The only person inside the palace walls whom Niko trusts is Julian, a fellow ex-soldier, and prince Vasili's personal guard (and maybe more). Julian lost everything in the war as well, and like Niko, he's trying to survive in the vipers' nest (also called the royal palace) anyway he can. He's cute, he's sweet, he can melt your heart with one mischievous look, and he has way more skeletons in his closet than you would imagine at the first impression.“I don’t deserve you.”
Julian brushed his chin against Niko’s nose and looped his arms around Niko’s neck, locking him close. “No, you don’t. But fuck me like that some more and we’ll call it even.”
Watching Niko with Julian was a delight to read. Teasing, flirting, eye-fucking each other while sword fighting. Hell yeah, baby! Also, bonus points for the underwater blow job *grinning*Julian withdrew, making Niko moan for more.
“Hm,” the guard said. “I’ve watched you a great deal. Seen you furious, stoic, repulsed. I prefer you like this.”
“Sprawled on my back, at your mercy?”
“Exactly.”
I might like Niko the most but Vasili is one of those characters that you can't help yourself but be drawn to them even knowing they will stab you if you come too close. He is viciousness, darkness, coldness, manipulation, power, all that wrapped in a very pretty looking package. He's as deadly as he's beautiful. And the only thing sharper than his blades is his sarcasm.“Is there a problem?” Whenever Vasili asked that question, it usually meant someone was about to have their throat cut.
Vasili is an enigma. He thinks one thing and says the other. He keeps secrets and tells lies. He lets you close, just to be able to strike you better. However, this icy façade hides a man who fights with all he has, every day and every night, not to let his kingdom fall to the elves.Vasili wet his lips. Niko watched the viper’s mouth part, watched the tip of his tongue stroke over his bottom lip. “You’ve thought about killing me,” the prince said. “Many have. Many more dangerous than you. Yet here I stand, very much alive.”
“Yes, I’m afraid of you, and that prison you call a palace. How’s that for honesty? You fucking terrify me. I’d rather face an elf than look you in the eye sometimes because there’s something in you, Vasili. Something dark. Something you keep bottled up and hidden, but it’s waiting, and I do not want to be nearby when you lose control of it.”
There's no romance between Niko and Vasili, not even affection or friendship but I'm all here for the bang when these two will realize they are meant for each other. We saw a glimpse of a tiny spark and let me tell you, the firework will be epic for sure.Vasili kissed like he wanted to carve Niko open and devour him from the inside out. He tasted of citrus and bitterness. Of Caville poison. And Niko had never wanted so desperately to fuck a man raw as he did this prince. How could it be that he hated someone so passionately and yet wanted to ravish him?
Is it now time to stop fangirling the hell out of this book? Ok, ok, just a few thoughts more. This book is AMAZING! The story is gripping, it twists your perspective and takes your mind and fucks with it. It's action-packed, fast-paced, full of unexpected turns. A huge bow down for the fantastically written villain. No, I totally didn't see that coming. No, I'm not gonna tell who I have in mind.
I'm looking forward to learning more about elves in the next book. So far they were pretty much nameless, faceless bad guys in a manner of - because someone has to be (hence minus the half star). I hope we'll learn more about their motives and maybe get to know them better.
And of course, I can't wait to spend more time with my precious babies (you know who you are) and see where the story will take us next.“Your love is worthless. It’s your hate I need.”
The ARC of this book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Pippa!!
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Pre-review
Edit: WE HAVE THE COVER!!!!!!!
Me reading the blurb...
-
YOU GUYS GOT ME AGAIN.
I picked up this book because YOU told me it was like Captive Prince. It is not. I feel like it's personal now guys.
Let's start with the good stuff: I enjoyed Vasili's character (even if later on in the review you'll get the feeling that I didn't.) I liked the writing, the descriptions, and the themes. I think the story had a lot of potential that would've been reached just by changing some small things in the outline, which on the novel seem huge.
It took me like a century to finish this book. It took me even longer to write this review. I thought I’d keep more people from being misled. Here’s why I would never compare the two.
Saying this book is like Captive Prince is like saying that the Spiderman movies are the same as the Thor movies. Technically, they’re both about superheroes, but would you say they’re the same? They have different themes, different character arcs, they’re even different genres.
I’ll break King of the Dark down for you to the best of my ability, and then you can decide.
Niko is an angry soldier who's very angry because of a one-dimensional war he went to against some evil elves. He is approached by some stranger, who is Prince Vasili in disguise. The prince asks him to help him with something. The conflict starts: will Niko ever help the royals he hates to save his country? (or something like that...)This is the plot of the story.
In King of the Dark, Niko is immediately recruited by Prince Vasili in a whorehouse for no apparent reason. He declines,also for no reason. Breaks Vasili’s wrist in a fight because, you guessed it, who the fuck knows. Then Niko’s taken under some sort of arrest.
It’s not clear why Niko is chosen by Vasili to help him. It’s not clear to me why Niko gets violent and breaks Vasili’s arm. A lot of what happens in this book seems to be there for shock value, and not because it advances the plot in some way. Nothing feels like it happens naturally. There’s no action-consequence sequence. That’s why I couldn’t connect with the story, because the progress feels unnatural.
Niko is not Damen. Why? Damen is a prince. Niko is a soldier. Why is this important? So glad you asked. If you haven’t read Captive Prince, Damen is the prince of a land called Akielos who’s betrayed by his half-brother and given to Laurent as a gift. Laurent is the prince of Vere, which is a former enemy nation, but there’s still a bit of animosity, to say the least. The biggest difference with this book and Captive Prince is that even if Damen is forced to be a slave for a big part of the story, he’s a prince. He behaves like a prince, thinks like a prince, reacts like a prince. Laurent and Damen are always equals because of how they were raised. Niko is a soldier but he doesn’t behave like a soldier, he behaves in my opinion like someone who has always had everything would. The reality of the situation though is that Niko is in a much lower rank than Vasili. This already creates a power dynamic that is hard to manage right. It's not impossible, lots of books do it well. This one doesn't.
Also, even if Niko hates Vasili, (Niko hates Vasili. He's angry. He hastes him. We got it ok?) I think he takes too many liberties towards Vasili that a soldier wouldn’t (or at least not without more explanation). It doesn’t matter how much of a dick the prince is, he’s the prince and you address him as so, like all the other characters in the book do (even if they hate him too!) Niko is rude, he fights Vasili, he physically abuses him several times. and the reason is he hates him. OK, BUT WHY???
I wasn't satisfied by the reasons that were given.
Niko acts like he’s Vasili’s equal even though he isn't. This is where it starts to feel out of character. Damen is allowed to behave violently, especially at the beginning, because he’s a prince, and being subdued and forced to be a slave is something he would never EVER accept or allow under normal circumstances. When he's violent, it's not at Laurent, and it's not with the intent to hurt, it's with the intent to fight and free himself. Niko was not forced to be a slave, he was just asked to help in some way, and he broke the prince’s wrist. Feels like a bit of an extreme reaction, don't you think? (By the way, Vasili does practically nothing about this guy breaking his arm, and said arm is healed in like one day.)
Many say Vasili is basically Laurent, and here’s where you lose me completely. How is he Laurent? He’s not clever, he’s not quick on his feet. He almost seems like he’s not good at anything. He’s rude and he’s kind of a brat and people talk about him having had his dick cut off, cause he has no sex. Maybe the sex part is the only similarity to Laurent. Not true, he also fights his family (in Vasili's case it's his brothers) and he is seemingly cold even if you get the feeling that there might be more to that. His brothers are so much worse than him, and I would've liked to see more of these relationships rather than so much of Niko and Julian. Anyway, back to comparing. Where Laurent is cruel with purpose, this guy is cruel so that you’ll say, “wow, how cruel.” Laurent would chew him and spit him out with three words.
Nevertheless, I do have to admit Vasili was my favorite character in the book. He's much better than all the others, and there are some spoilery things he does that are not too bad. Just don't compare him to Laurent ok? Thank you.
But the hugest difference between CP and King of the Dark is that everything that happens in Captive Prince has a point. There's a reason for EVERYTHING. Every. Single. Fucking. Word. That's how well thought that plot is. Here, things just happen randomly.
The promise of the book is that there will be blood, rape, and violence from the start. It has dark themes, which is not a bad thing by itself. I see a lot of people rating this book low based on how much they hated the dark themes, and I don’t think that’s fair. If you don’t like romance, you won’t enjoy romance novels. It doesn’t matter if they’re amazingly written books, you’ll hate them. So don’t pick up a romance novel. That’s a matter of taste. What is not a matter of taste, are some basic elements:
1. Characters need character arcs. If a character’s arc is that they don’t change, that’s still an arc and it needs to be done well. A character just walking around doing stuff and having stuff happen to them with no sense of motion or sense that this is going somewhere, that at some point I’ll get the payoff, falls flat for the reader. All the characters in this book are flat.
2. There has to be a promise, and what it is needs to be clear from the beginning. The promise of this book was that there was going to be a love story (sort of) between Niko and Vasili. This wasn’t delivered. You’re going to say that’s slow-burn, just like in Captive Prince right? Honey, if your slow burn is so slow that it makes me want to put book 1 down, do you think I’ll ever get to book 2? And the problem is not even that’s it’s a slow burn. The problem is most of the scenes in this book are useless.
3. You need to know as a reader what to expect from a book, and a writer does that by setting the tone and the protagonist’s motivations very early on. This is a good time for readers that don’t enjoy that specific theme or genre to walk away from the story. This is something the book managed well. The tone is pretty clear from the first page. I gave one star for this. 🌟
4. Settings need to be at least existent because characters can’t be floating through space. This is another star. I think the author manages to write well, and the descriptions are fleshed out towards the book.
It’s really a shame that the story is so poorly structured because it could’ve been great. 🌟
Let's talk about Julian.
***Big spoilers that I need to absolutely talk about ahead***
Julian and Niko’s relationship feels unnatural. It’s not clear why they fall in love (fall in love? More like lust after each other since the second they see each other.) It’s like Niko needs to fall for this guy so that he can be raped by him in the end and make for a huge plot twist, but his relationship with Vasili comes much more naturally. I think the book would’ve worked better without Julian. He’s supposed to add conflict, some sort of vague love triangle, and as a plot twist when it turns out he’s a bad guy. It doesn’t work because none of the characters seem convinced of any of these things. What he brings to the table is cringy.
Anyway, conclusions? I wasn't a fan of this obviously. I really wanted to be. I talked about it with a bunch of people, got them to read it with me (they finished ages ago. It's been months since I've started this OMG.)
Some of them loved it though, they got those CP vibes. I did not.
If you've read the trilogy tell me, does it get better? Do you think I should keep going? Is there any payoff? -
OUT NOW!
If The Witcher and Game of Thrones were 100% more gay, they'd be King of the Dark. Vicious princes, an emotionally scarred mercenary, reluctant love, heart-wrenching betrayal, and a splash of magic.
Nikolas Yazdan survived 8 years fighting the elves, but nothing could have prepared him for surviving the Royal Caville family. After catching the eye of the heir and acting regent, Prince Vasili, Nikolas is thrown into the prince's world of lies and betrayal. Someone is trying to kill Vasili. Nikolas would gladly help them, if not for the kind, loving royal guard who healed Nikolas's broken heart. Now, Nikolas must obey Vasili or risk losing everything he loves.
King of the Dark is the first book in the new dark fantasy Prince's Assassin Series, perfect for fans of Silk & Steel and Captive Prince. -
Re-read: 29.06.2021
**MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS** I only re-read this book to catch myself up again in order to read The Cottage as I didn't remember everything that happened. That said, I skimmed quite a bit, especially the scenes with Julian. I could barely stand him - now more so since I knew what would happen. Niko falling in love so fast was annoying. Who trusts that easy? But at least it was fixed in the end, yeah? Was the "re-read" aka skimming worth it? I'm not sure. I felt like I cared less with this book this time around. The triggers don't really do it for me. Perhaps I truly should stay away from dark themes?
New rating: 2.5 stars.
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Contains Spoilers*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
First read review:
I am glad to say that I don't regret reading this book even though my original thought was not to read it - had even shelved it as a 'checked won't read' book. I had originally thought it would be too dark with too little emotions and progress for me like, like for example Captive Prince series by C.S. Pacat and Beautiful Monsters by Jex Lane, with torture, rape and so forth. And while this book had dark themes, it wasn't completely in your face either. I didn't feel like I wanted to throttle someone or rip their heads off and that is a good sign in this genre. I liked it; it was interesting, had good characters and didn't go to far to my liking. It bordered on it with the ear almost cut off and rape, but as the ear is still there and Niko killing his rapist, it was... readable. However, it was a bit predictable; I immediately suspected who is was so when that person was revealed, I wasn't surprised. I will definitely continue the series as I'm curious as to where it'll take us.
Some of the main characters:
→ Nikolas ‘Niko’ ‘Nik’ Yazdan (23), forced to become Prince Vasili’s doulos; a derogatory term reserved for criminal slaves—thieves that had been pressed into service instead of having their fingers severed as punishment for their crimes. Though this is only a cover so that Niko and Vasili can talk in private and no one caring.
→ Prince Regent Vasili Caville (22/23?), first born prince.
→ Julian, Vasili's…personal protection and guard. Becomes Niko's lover.
→ Lady Maria, Vasili's aunt.
→ Prince Amir, Vasili's younger brother (the middle brother).
→ King Talos of Loreen, Vasili and Amir's father, a mad man.
What I don't like:
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Dark FantasyRomance(M/M).
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
Triggers? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Nikolas ‘Niko’ ‘Nik’ Yazdan.
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes, I believes so.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes, if you like dark themes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows.
Rating - 3 stars. -
4.5 stars and boy was I unhappy when I realized I couldn't go right on to book 2! *cries*
-
***4.0 rating***
“A free lesson, from me to you. Call it a gift. I’m always one step ahead.”
Well, this book was interesting. My first book that I have read by Ariana Nash. With new authors I read, I don't know what to expect from them.
This one had glowing reviews so I was persuaded to read it. If the Witcher (the gay version) and the Captive Prince had a love child it would be this.
The slow-burn gay fantasy "romance", with a hint of enemy to lovers trope was enough to hook me in.
The characters in this book are very well written and complex, especially Vasili. You don't know whether to love him or hate him. He is portrayed as a cruel, calculating and ruthless prince. Always two steps ahead of everyone else. The circumstances in his life have made him out to be who he is, the product of his environment. I think he was what I really liked about this book. His cunning intelligence, and manipulative tactics to fool everyone that he is a weak royal is in my opinion his lethal weapon. I applaud the author for writing this character that way, because you cannot help but be fascinated by him.
Niko, the "butcher" ex-soldier was too trusting in my opinion. I hate what happened between him and Julian, whom I knew was sketch from the beginning. That betrayal hit deep😔😭.
The enemies to lovers trope is done very well in this book. Mind you, we are still in the "enemies"stage in this first book, but the hate and lust between the mains was intriguing and 🔥.
"Vasili kissed like he wanted to carve Niko open and devour him from the inside out. He tasted of citrus and bitterness. Of Caville poison. And Niko had never wanted so desperately to fuck a man raw as he did this prince. How could it be that he hated someone so passionately and yet wanted to ravish him?"
How the author will turn these two into lovers will be interesting. I hope it unfolds more in the other books because this book was more focused on the elf drama and vengeance (which I enjoyed). But still, I wanna see some romance, hopefully 🤞🏻 lol.
I hope that Niko isn't as trusting in the second book and isn't used as a tool for the Prince's personal ambitions. Anyways, this was an intriguing fast-paced book I couldn't put down.😩
Book 2 here I come 😜. -
Reread 2022
3.5 stars. Didn’t love it quite as much the second time around. Maybe because it’s all familiar? What has not changed though: I still love Niko and Vasili and I still hate Julian.
What promoted this reread? I only recently realized I had stopped about halfway though the second book and I can’t, for the life of me, remember why. So here I am, rereading book 1 and hopefully finishing book 2 this time around. I really want to find out more about the elves and I hope they don’t just remain a faceless evil. And I want Niko and Vasili to finally get together, of course.
Original review
4 stars. I love fantasy and I love romance – give me both in a neat package and I am hooked! Throw in that it’s dark and MM and I’m completely sold. Sometimes life and work really mess with you, inconveniently at the same time, and if it weren’t for the universe interfering with my reading habits, it wouldn’t have taken me two weeks to finish this.
As it is, I can’t provide a detailed review because my memory is sadly not a steel trap. What I do remember: I loved Prince Vasili, the tragic (literally) tortured hero, outwardly vicious and callous, and strong, honest, battle-scarred ex-soldier Niko. Julian, the prince’s bodyguard, I merely tolerated – I found his warm, kind manner a bit of a stretch, considering he witnessed and presumably partook in a horrible war against the evil elves just as Niko did. He functioned too much as a foil to Vasili which just seemed too... convenient.
The whole character triangle reminded me somewhat of Throne of Glass: the Prince, including some mysterious gift of dark magic (Dorian – Vasili), the personal guard (Chaol – Julian), the outsider and love interest to both Hs (Celeana – Niko). Even an evil father figure/king makes an appearance. But, overall these two books are still very different to their core.
Sidenote: This is not a standalone (with a mild cliffy) and book 1 of 3. And even if it takes me another two weeks, I will definitely read book 2.
Warning: It is a dark fantasy, so disturbing shit happens. -
So King of the Dark is Ariana Nash's latest book. I'm still not done crying about Silk & Steel and here comes another series, ready to stomp all over my feelings.
This book is about an ex-soldier, a prince and a murderous plot. The tagline "gay Game of Thrones" is accurate as this is an inner politics, court secrets, and manipulative romance type of novel. However, even though the pace is slower than Silk & Steel (I promise, I'm going to stop comparing the two now), a lot goes down and there are hardly any dull moments. Ariana Nash manages to dance between fantasy and romance, adding in sorcery, trauma and just enough angst. This ability is where Ariana Nash truly shines.
The fantasy elements aren't very prominent here next to the descriptions of castle life (again, like GoT). We get to see the dynamics of the kingdom, especially Vasili and his brother Amir. Things aren't what they seem and we get to experience it all through Niko, who is skeptical about everything and easily irritated.
I can't speak much about romance here without spoiling things so I'll just say that Niko is such a precious ray of sunshine, I just want his life to be happy. And let's be real, his "I'm done with this castle, I'm leaving" attitude is a big mood. Like heck yeah, I'm gonna leave everything and go be a blacksmith.
Our second main character, Prince Vasili is not an easy character to love. However, Ariana Nash's careful characterization gives us just enough in order to care deeply about him while still leaving a trail of mysteries. That's quite impressive, considering Vasili has tons of fairly dark secrets.
Without getting too deep into analyzing this book, Roger Fisher has the famous idea of putting nuclear codes into a volunteer's heart so that the president would have to kill someone with his own hands in order to use a nuclear bomb. I think that's a fantastic idea because ultimately, there's such a gap between leadership and real life consequences and maybe that would help fix it.
In this book, Niko is constantly angry at the kings for the war and the personal price he had to pay for it. There's an echo of Fisher's idea in Niko's urge to make sure they know what he's sacrificed. I wanted more of that theme, more of a conversation about the difference between soldiers and kings.
All in all, I have to admit I liked Silk & Steel a little bit more but this is a great read. I'm already excited for the next one! If you want some LGBT+ fantasy romance, you really can't go wrong with Ariana Nash's work.
Thank you so much to Ariana Nash for providing me with a eARC. Receiving this book absolutely made my day.
Predictions for the Next Books (spoilery!)
- A big fight scene with Vasili and Niko against the elves, Niko saving Vasili and a reunion scene.
- I feel like Niko is eventually going to discover something terrible about his parents, perhaps with their involvement with the crown.
- So I don't entirely believe we're done with Julian, or at least his plans.
- I want to see more elves and more magic but that might just be because I miss Eroan.
******************
Man, I was not emotionally prepared for this book. Review to come!
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I have so much studying to do but I also have an ARC of this, ahhh. I'm so ridiculously excited and very ready to spend this night sobbing about elves, sword fights and hopeless romances! -
🗡 4.25 "my prince" Stars! 🗡
“I will not ask or order you, Nikolas Yazdan, but you will return, all the same.”
First things first, I want to say thank you to
Saint Moni! Her
review of not only
King of the Dark, but the rest of
Ariana Nash's books is the whole reason I actually decided to pick up this gem in the first place! So if your thinking about reading this book or another one of ARIANA NASH's books take a look at
Saint Monique's reviews!
✰ Initial Thoughts ✰
Ummmm why has it taken my ass so long to read a book, ANY BOOK, written by ARIANA NASH?? SERIOUSLY, why?!?!
Okay so I'm being slightly overdramatic. I know why. . .basically while I do love me a good fantasy-romance they tend to be "special occasion" reads for me. That reason being fantasy-romance - lets throw urban-fantasy in there as well - tends to be VERY plot heavy. And look, I love a good plot. I'm not a heavy plot hater! BUT, I tend to like romance driven plots better, #sorryNotsorry. Therefore, when I read a "fantasy-romance" I'm mostly there for the romance but usually the author is there for the fantasy. HOWEVER, sometimes you'll stumble across the authors that can do both. They can deliver on the fantasy PLUS the romance, and I have to say, I think ARIANA NASH is that unicorn of an author!
there she goes. . .so majestic
✰ The Highlights ✰
✦ Character Spotlight - Prince Vasili Caville ✦ - All hail the fucking Cavilles.
Well it's official. . .I have an intense weak spot for slightly evil princes who force their future love interest to serve them in some capacity, thank you for that
Captive Prince #IwillNotfeelShame. While Vasili is no Laurent - Laurent is truly one of a kind - he still gives off major "i will stab you if you stare at me for too long" vibes for a majority of the book. Due to that most of his character moments are. . .snarky and cutting -
Vasili’s backhand was a thing of beauty, which Niko could appreciate now that it wasn’t directed at him. The thwack cracked so loudly that everyone surely felt it.
However, what MS. NASH does so brilliantly is she peppers in subtle deep character moments that show that beneath Vasili's icy exterior lies a deep, slightly-broken, individual who cares deeply for his kingdom.
“You have a tendency to say exactly what you’re thinking.” Vasili smiled, and it was a strange thing to see, because it warmed his face, even softened his sharp lips, etched so deeply by a lifetime of sneering.
Suffice it to say, despite Vasili being a pretty mysterious character for most of the book I truly ended up loving him, and I was actively wishing death to anyone who caused him a sliver of discomfort.
✦ Character Spotlight - Nikolas Yazdan ✦ - “I hate you, your highness [. . .] but you have my blade.”
Niko, Niko, Niko. Oh you sweet summer child. Before I even delve deep into his character psyche I need to give you your well earned internet hug. You seriously deserve it!
Seriously guys give poor Niko a giant internet hug. All this poor guy wants to do is reopen his fathers blacksmith forge and fix horseshoes for the kingdoms horses. See he's just finished fighting the elves in a war that cost him everything. However, due to his reputation of, honor and loyalty, he's sought out by Prince Vasili to serve as his personal. . .assassin. . .yeah let's go with that. What I liked about Niko was that he almost serves as a "Ned Stark stuck in the House of Lannister" without truly realizing it. While he might be battle hardened and rough around the edges -
Niko’s knuckles impacted the fool’s nose, shattering bone [. . .]
“It appears one of the doulos spoke ill of you, my prince.”
He had this naïveté and blind faith that made him a bit frustrating, but also really endearing. However, I don't think this book would've worked if he was just a Vasili personality type, but in a different body. Niko's strength, honor, and extreme loyalty really balances out Vasili's guarded and untrusting nature.
Was nobody in this palace honorable, or was Niko the fool to look for honor in such a dark place?
While Niko is most DEFINITELY to good to be in that vipers pit of a palace, I couldn't help but be glad that his brand of chivalry was protecting Vasili and the city of Loreen.
✦ The World Building ✦ One of my main gripes about "high-fantasy romance" novels is that either the world is not descriptive enough, or to damn descriptive. However, as with the rest of the book ARIANA NASH did a fabulous job crafting the world of
The Prince's Assassin.
Seriously there's dark elves, a medieval kingdom, the Cavilles are a seriously twisted family, there's court intrigue, there's a war, different kingdoms, the flame, etc. etc. What made me even more intrigued and invested in the world that MS. NASH created was that she didn't info dump all the information at once. Instead as the book goes on the world becomes clearer and clearer and you begin to figure out what's going on, so to speak.
✦ The Romance ✦ Okay so. . . However, despite knowing the big plot-twist / big reveal I still really enjoyed the snippets of romance we got between Niko and Vasili. While it wasn't the main focus of the story Niko and Vasili had undeniable chemistry and insane U.S.T.
Niko’s startling realization that he’d desperately wanted to fuck him so hard, he’d make Vasili scream his name.
Both men have truly electrifying chemistry and they have the kind of relationship that I love, that push and pull / i want you but i hate you type of love. What makes it even more compelling is the fact that even though Niko "hates" Vasili and Vasili "distrusts" Niko, they both can't stop protecting one another and/or needing one another.
I won’t leave Vasili. I can’t. I’m asking if you’ll still have me, even with the horrible parts of me I can’t ignore. It’s who I am.
KING OF THE DARK sets up one hell of a romance between Niko and Vasili so I can't wait to see the way it progresses in book 2.
“We have other means of deterring attackers.” “Your personality?” Niko mumbled.
✦ The Plot - yup you read that right ✦ Well this hasn't happened in a while. . .I really. . .liked the plot of this book 😱 ✨
If you follow my reviews then you know typically my main complaint with any book is that I liked the romance, but was meh on the plot. Here. . .not so much. From the very first introduction of the plot -
“You’ll pay with your life if you betray me again.” “I can’t betray those who haven’t earned my loyalty.”
I was hooked. Between the politics happening in the palace, the slight mystery, and the way in which no character is truly trustworthy, I immediately got sucked into what was happening. Once I started reading KING OF THE DARK I literally couldn't stop. I wanted, nay, needed, to know what fate was going to befall my baby Niko and his lovebug Vasili. My main complaint about "high-fantasy-romances" is usually, the plot. However, what MS. NASH smartly did was keep the plot contained to the palace -at least for book 1 - that way there wasn't to much thrown at us - ie. me - at once. KING OF THE DARK is a true double threat. It has both an engaging plot, and a compelling romance.
✰ Why, pray tell, ONLY 4.25 Stars? ✰
✦That Bait & Switch ✦
Regardless of the "bait&switch" I still think this book is worth reading. If anything it is one hell of a life lesson poor Niko was forced to learn.
✰ My Closing Thoughts ✰
KING OF THE DARK was a great start to what is sure to be an amazing series. Even though I'm a bit pissed that it took me so long to pick up this book I'm glad I was finally able to fully comprehend the awesomeness that is THE PRINCE's ASSASIN series. This book had it all, action, court intrigue, romance, blood & gore, elves, fighting, witty banter, and a bit of a mystery. I'm really excited to see what direction ARIANA NASH decides to take the series. Oh and once I finish book 2 I will most definitely be starting her
Silk & Steel series.
“We’ll wash separately, obviously,” Niko added. “Vasili’s lily-white ass can wash up first.” “I appreciate that,” he said, his dry tone making it clear he didn’t appreciate any of it.
✩✩✩✩ king of the dark
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reign of darkness
✩✩✩✩
curse of the dark prince
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the cottage -
Did I like it? debatable.
Did I hate it? Almost possible.
Did I want to dnf it at times? I dnfed it in the past.
Am I going to read book 2? FUCK YES.
God, I want to throw this book, stomp my feet over it and yell it out in frustration, all the damn while I couldn't put my phone down, barely ate cus I needed the next damn sentence, screamed and bellowed to my pillow in rage, in amusement, and the fucking, SMALL, TINY, ITTY BITTY LEMON SQUEEZY feels this book had gave.
Oh man, I need justice from this book.
Vasili wet his lips. Niko watched the viper’s mouth part, watched the tip of his tongue stroke over his bottom lip. “You’ve thought about killing me,” the prince said. “Many have. Many more dangerous than you. Yet here I stand, very much alive.” He seemed to gain a twisted sense of glee from that statement, then threw back his second glass of wine in several gulps. His throat undulated, so delicate for someone full of poison.
The saving grace of this book, every time, like clockwork, like a force of nature, was Prince Vasili Cavile That man is cruel, unapologetic, lethal, broken, cold, so many words, so many adjectives and not enough time in this world to explain nor the depth of words to describe. I always knew there was more to Prince Vasili Cavile and that man didn't disappoint. To a lover to true, powerful Villain, Prince Vasili worked like magic.Vasili didn’t announce. He lurked like the snake he was.
He couldn’t imagine Vasili’s sharp exterior ever thawing enough to let anyone close. Niko had found rocks with more empathy.
“Don’t worry,” Vasili purred. “There will be many more chances for you to defy me.”
“Am I here just for you to torment?”
He chuckled and rested an elbow on the arm of his chair, propping his chin on his knuckles. “What a delight that would be.He saw Vasili standing by the door, the prince’s unblinking glare oddly comfortingly.
God, everything else in this book can burn to hell. Because whatever the hell Julian and Niko was? No. Absolutely not. The second it flickered, I wanted to thaw and freeze it out. I FEEL LIKE I DESERVE A MEDAL FOR READING THIS BOOK because it goes against EVERYTHING I DON'T Like. Don't ask me how I read this.Niko was dark to Vasili’s light, but neither of them could be called good.
His gaze finally settled on Niko. “I am still your prince.”
Adamo shifted, and the sun caught Vasili’s sharp mouth, revealing a small, crooked smile. The smile he’d shown only to Niko.
Or maybe, that's a good question. Wanna know why I read? Who the hell holds that kind of power over me? Good ole Narky Nark who said such good things about this book, about this series and my Sadistic Emo Partner in Crime will be the death of me when it comes to books.
So this is to you, narky, and READ YOUR GOD DAMN MESSAGES YOU WOMAN. I sent you a 100+ of me screaming bloody murder.
(Also, Niko can just GO TO HELL. At least, thank fuck, he saved Vasili every . damn . time.)
Like I said, If this book was a person, I'd slap it so hard, I'd kiss it in the next second to make it all better.“Sweet fucking gods.” Niko ran a trembling hand through his wet hair. Why was it every time he spoke with Vasili he was left feeling like the bastard had rooted around in his soul and torn out his vulnerabilities?
Vasili continued to surprise him. Niko had thought he’d seen every side of the prince, but now he wondered if he’d merely scratched the surface of who the prince really was.
The prince was unavoidable. His very presence made Niko’s skin burn.
Honestly, y'all, DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE ANGST OF THIS BOOK. Everyone I know says this is so angsty and I went into it fully expecting: do you worst.
Holy fuck, it did it's worst.Vasili kissed like he wanted to carve Niko open and devour him from the inside out. He tasted of citrus and bitterness. Of Caville poison. And Niko had never wanted so desperately to fuck a man raw as he did this prince.
SPOILERS********
IM TALKING ABOUT: We see our MC fall in love with another man the ENTIRE BOOK and have ONE, TINY, ITTY BITTY LEMON SQUEEZY SCENE of Vasili and Niko together AND HOLY FUCK, THAT SCENE WAS WORTH THE LUDICROUS OF A BOOK.
Onto book two because FUCK MY SANITY IS ROBBED AGAIN. -
What the sh*t, Ariana Nash. Is there some kind of deep state conspiracy by you authors? Why is it that every time I read a brilliant book and think I've discovered my new favorite series that's when the rest of the books aren't out. I can't make it out as an investigator , it seems.
This book was great. I knew there was going to be some sort of twist but I wasn't prepared for it. By the gawds, the level of plotting in this kingdom is something. I loved Niko, he was awesome. I wish we had dual POVs though , I would have loved to see what Vasili was thinking.
I am about to crawl back and read the Silk and Steel series, even though I hated the first book. I have started two new series by this author so maybe something was off with me when I read that book.
Can't wait to see what comes next. -
Ok, that was a one sitting read and I'm telling you the synopsis does not even justify how wonderfully this story moved. At first glance it has the looks of Captive Prince but except the dark court politics, nothing matches CP and in a better way. I really want the next one after that last line soon. Review to come if I form any coherent thoughts.😅
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*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Ariana Nash should be an auto-buy for everyone who enjoys reading dark, intricate M/M romance. She’s one of the few authors whose work haven’t let me down ONCE. Seriously, I don’t know how she does that. Every story is better than the last, and King of the Dark might be her best book yet. It’s definitely my new favorite, and I’m really excited to be one of the first people to read and review it.
As soon as I got my copy (and stopped fangirling…), there was only me and the book - I could not put it down and finished it in one sitting. The blurb promised great things - a gay GOT/Witcher combo - so the bar was set pretty damn high, but it somehow surpassed my expectations!
A couple of chapters in, I was already thoroughly immersed and enjoying the lovely worldbuilding, but I was also experiencing a vague déja vu. Vasili kind of reminded me of Captive Prince’s Laurent - he was this cold, untouchable prince with a dark and mysterious past, carrying most (but not all) of his scars on the inside, always a few steps ahead of his enemies. Niko shared some of CP’s Damen’s characteristics, too, but to a far lesser degree - Vasili’s complete opposite, he was a blunt, no-nonsense soldier with a short fuse, who took no shit from anyone. Despite being pretty jaded after all he’d been through in the past, on some level he was still too trusting.
Fortunately, any similarities ended here. The plot was wonderfully dark and twisted, and completely unpredictable. Suffice to say that just when the author had me totally convinced the story was moving in one direction, it did a complete one-eighty - which, in retrospect, was something I should’ve expected, as she seems to delight in stringing her readers along (and they secretly like it, too)! Here’s my advice to my fellow readers: do not fish for spoilers, and just go in blind - that way, you’ll get the most out of this one.
There’s no need to go on at length about Nash’s wonderful writing style. Her voice is unique and very engaging, here even more so than in her previous works. The book was also beautifully edited and typo-free - truly a balm for this finicky reader’s eyes. I really liked Niko’s POV, but it’d be even better if the future installments allowed the readers a glimpse into Vasili’s complicated mind. That man is a complete enigma, and I can’t wait to get to know his inner workings.
King of the Dark is a strong start to a fantastic series, and I can’t recommend it enough. As always, I’m on the lookout for more releases from this amazing author. -
3.75 stars ⭐️ Wow! This book is fast-paced and beautifully written. I read this book in just one sitting.
Niko is the bravest and stubborn man I've seen in a book for a long time. I like when my MCs are like him.
For me, the enemy vibe between Vasili and Niko was great. And still, there wasn't anything happening between them, and that means this book was a slow burn.
Surely, I'm going to read the second one.
But there is one thing that didn't make me love this book. I didn't like Niko falling in love with Julian, having sex with him, and the author making me read them. Because this series revolves around Niko and Vasili and Julian should be the third wheel. God, I hate him for deceiving me, Niko, and Vasili.
Julian betrayal?? I didn't see it coming. -
Damn. I did not expect to like this one as much as I did.
The tone reminded me of Captive Prince, so if you liked that series, you might wanna check this one out. It's KILLING me that we have to wait until December for book 2, though!!! -
So....I love absolutely everything about
Ariana Nash's books - from the way she writes, the language she uses, the wholly endearing and often highly infuriating characters she creates, the complex worlds, the high fantasy elements, the yummy relationships and overall heat factor 😈 and not forgetting the AMAZING cover art on all her books - seriously,
King of the Dark probably has the most stunning cover of them all so far. So no surprises that I inhaled yet another
Ariana Nash book in a day😁
King of the Dark is the first in a complete trilogy (love me a series 🥰) so there's lots more to come, but be prepared for the ending. I found
King of the Dark to be a little different to other Ariana books, in that it moves away from the usual high fantasy elements of elves, dragons and angels (although we DO have some evil, twisted elves as the bad guys in this one, but they really aren't developed as characters just yet).
This first book focuses on developing the princes and soldiers as our key characters - love love love Vasili and Niko (even though Niko is a bit slow on the uptake at times!) - but that said, we still get a heavy dose of magic thrown in for good measure, as well as a slave/master vibe, enemies to (sort of) friends, lovers to enemies and the best slowwwww burn that is still building into book 2...
If I have any complaint it's that
King of the Dark is too damn short - lots more pages required in book 2 please Ms Nash 🙏🏼
4.5 rounded up to 5 sparkly ✨✨✨✨✨ -
King of the Dark (The Prince’s Assassin #1) has an intriguing setup that's supported by an exciting buildup but is tarnished by a lackluster climax and an underwhelming ending. Regardless, the main characters are real and well-fleshed out, and the execution of integrating the romance into the plot is nothing short of superb. King of the Dark is recommended if one is looking for a very slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance set against a backdrop of trauma, mystery, danger, and betrayal.
Final rating: 4 stars | Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Plot: ⭐⭐⭐ | Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review:
The writing style is like that of a surgeon's cut— it's clean and precise. Nuanced but without nuisance. The deliberate use of specific words,phrasing, and sentence structure is effective in achieving its intended effect on me as a reader. This allows for a smooth, almost seamless reading experience. The story is written in a third-person limited POV narration that is quite immersive; it almost reads like a first-person.
The main characters, especially Niko, have that extra depth that I look for in characters. Their desires and fears and motivations are splayed on the page. They are so real, Niko more so than the others, that I am more occupied with what's happening inside their heads than what's happening around them. Consequently, I particularly like the introspections that, despite the type of narration, are engrossing.
I can't remember ever having read a type of "romantic atmosphere" like the one in this book. It's refreshing, to say the least. The romance is so well done under the given circumstances that I would be fine if the enemies-to-lovers prospect never happened. Still, throughout most of the book, I'm wondering and anticipating how that romance will transition or morph from one type to another. And again, the manner in which the romance is utilized in achieving one plot element is so, so good.
The plot starts good and it builds up even better. There's trauma, then suffering, then intrigue, then danger, then mystery. But sadly, the part of the book around climax and ending is a bit rushed and therefore lacks intensity and conviction. There's more than enough emotion, but it's not given proper "page time" to actually move me as a reader. The general antagonist is reputed to be savage in their ways, and this part could be an opportunity to demonstrate that live, but I discover nothing more about them than what I already have prior. Nevertheless, I have never been surprised by a twist the way I am by the one in this book.
I've watched every second of Game of Thrones and The Witcher, and King of the Dark has little to no significant resemblance to both TV series. This book has not an ounce of Game of Throne's blatant ruthlessness and deceitful maneuvers, and neither has this book a drop of The Witcher's thrilling monster hunts and action-packed adventures. With that said, King of the Dark is a compelling story all on its own and doesn't have to be falsely compared to other stories to draw readers.
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2,5. Nikolas fue un gran guerrero una vez, pero la guerra le arrebató lo que más quería, a Marcus. Esta cruenta guerra contra los elfos acabó con la derrota del ejército del rey Talos Caville, que acabó postrándose ante ellos. Nikolas aseguró no volver a luchar en nombre de la casa real, pero un día Vasili, el príncipe heredero, se presenta ante él "invitándolo" a que se convierta en un asesino bajo sus órdenes.
Todo pintaba muy bien pero, ¿cuál ha sido el problema? Pues que la trama se centra todo el tiempo en el erotismo. Todo suena a excusa para conseguir que los protagonistas se acuesten, o que Nikolas, la persona que más se excita del mundo mundial, no pase más de una página sin ponerse a tono. Entonces, lo que acaba ocurriendo es que todo te suena vacío, y una historia que a priori podrían ser bastante interesante y que podría tener mucha chicha, en cuanto a drama y ambientación, se convierte en erotismo con un atrezo fantástico de fondo.
Y este problema lleva a otro, al estar todo orquestado para que cada segundo acabe en tensión sexual no resuelta o tensión sexual más que resuelta, las relaciones entre los personajes se forjan con la rápidez de un mirada o un "hola", y eso consigue que ni siquiera puedas agarrarte a los personajes y la unión que nace entre ellos. Creo que el personaje que más me ha gustado ha sido Amir, el hermano super villano de Vasili, que me ha parecido el más interesante. Pero Nikolas me resultaba cansino, y que se ponga cachondo con todo lo que se mueve, animado o inanimado, no ayuda a que canse menos.
Pero no todo va a ser malo, y la historia es bastante ágil y es agradable de leer, y como va a toda pastilla, directa al grano (perdiendo todos los matices, eso sí), no resulta aburrida. Y lo mejor, sin duda, es el giro de las últimas páginas, no solo porque me pillo por sorpresa, y una cosa que no te esperas siempre se agradece, sino porque la historia resultaba tan obvia hasta ese momento, que oye, se valora el mérito de conseguir la sorpresa. Consigue este subidón final que tenga ganas de seguir con la trilogía? Pues no especialmente. ¿Lo haré? El tiempo dirá. -
In the red corner we have Niko, in the blue corner we have Vasili and in the rainbow corner we have Julian.
I have to admit to being as gullible as Niko, believing in the lies, fooled by the smoke and mirrors and devastated by the betrayals. This is such a twisty story, that sometimes it was difficult to know which way was up. Whilst this isn't truly a love triangle, it is one heck of a complicated situation. It also goes to show that there is a very fine line between love and hate. Niko's scenes with... well you'll have to read and find out.. they were in parts tender and sweet, but also scorching hot and passionate. So unexpected from such a reserved and aloof man.
The story is written entirely from Niko's point of view, and whilst I would have liked at least one other point of view, it was necessary to retain some mystery and an element of the unknown. Strangely enough, I felt as though I knew Julian and Vasili better than I did Niko, even though I'd only seen them through his eyes. It also turned out that both of them managed to surprise me more than once! I'm not sure why I struggled to connect with and understand Niko for a chunk of the book, though I suspect it was partly because he was so adrift and didn't really know himself anymore.
There's a part of me thinks Niko should just stay at his smithy, but that man is a soldier through and through. Loyal to his country, if not the crown, and determined to honour his fallen comrades. Just thinking through that last scene at the castle and it made me realise that Vasili has a long way to go before I like him. We can see throughout that he is a slippery fish, but he was prepared to I have a feeling there is a lot more to learn about our erstwhile heroes, not to mention a lot more deceit, manipulation and heartache. Role on Reign of Darkness. -
"Your love is worthless, it's your hate I need."
I really enjoyed this one. It's like Captive Prince and Foxhole Court had a baby.
This is a fast paced fantasy story about Niko.......an ex-soldier who's emotionally scarred from the years of war he spent battling the fae (and the fae here are dark, dark creatures). Prince Vasili needs an assassin and forces Niko to work with him. Once Niko gets to the palace he soon realizes everyone there is terrible and the king and his sons are cruel and violent people. Niko gets sucked in to a game he doesn't want to play but he has no choice if he wants to get out alive.
The characters are complex and entertaining. I liked the world and it wasn't super complicated to understand. There were a few twists and turns I didn't see coming and it drug me in so much that I immediately started book two in the series. (It's on Kindle Unlimited if you have that)
If you have triggers please note the authors content warnings. This is dark in some places. -
Dearest Vasili, I live for characters like you <3.
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I’m quite unsure how to rate this.
The writing was very good. The story was also quite good. But there were also a few things that bothered me.
I absolutely hated that Niko fell in love
There are a lot of similarities between this and Captive Prince, but while I loved Laurent in CP, I’m unsure about Vasili.
I’m now halfway through the second book and I’m not sure I should continue. Mostly because there isn’t much happiness in these books. I know a lot of readers love dark books like these, but I need a bit more than what we are getting in this series. -
3.5 stars
King of the Dark is a dark fantasy MM romance, following Nikolas an ex-soldier who agrees to help prince Vasili and his guard Julian, in finding out who is trying to kill the prince himself.
In the kingdom things are amiss and elves, their old enemies, might not be that appeased.
The writing was good. The book was interesting, but as much as I've enjoyed it, the story was dragging out a bit, especially the unresolved mysteries of Vasili and Julian.
The dynamic between the characters, at some point, was too much as well, which is one of the main reasons this wouldn't work for me
But, I was intrigued by Vasili, and there were some unexpected twists and turns in the story that I've quite enjoyed.
Overall a good read. I do plan on continuing with the series, and see where will it take the characters. -
Definitely not approaching anything like the Witcher or SoIaF... more like Captive Prince Lite, minus compelling characters and plus dialogue that veers too often into using modern terminology. Perhaps it picks up as characters/plots are developed, but nothing in particular held my attention, so I returned it to the KU ether from whence it came.
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Bollocks.
