| Title | : | The Umbra King (Vincula Realm, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 385 |
| Publication | : | Published September 20, 2022 |
After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Aurora “Rory” Raven spends years forging herself into a ruthless vigilante killer.
She never gave up her search for the man who killed her sister, but when she is convicted of thirteen murders and sentenced to five-hundred years in Vincula, the prison realm, she knows her sister’s death will never be avenged.
After arriving in Vincula, Aurora discovers her opportunity for retribution is closer than she thought.
Caius is the notorious Umbra King, ruler of Vincula, King of the Monsters, and the thing nightmares are made of. After being locked in his own realm for a crime he didn’t commit, his only focus has been revenge.
But when Aurora drops into his throne room, representing everything he despises, they begin a game of cat and mouse, and before long, their hatred turns into something else.
Circumstances draw them together, but revenge might tear them apart.
The Umbra King is book 1 in the Vincula Realm Duology and ends on a cliffhanger.
Not suitable for those under 18. Please check the author's website for content warnings.
The Umbra King (Vincula Realm, #1) Reviews
-
"I would set this entire realm ablaze to keep you safe, and if you think I'm bluffing you haven't
been paying attention."
WHY did I sleep on this book for sooo long?!! This book was such a mood! I can tell you what this book is and what isn't. It isn't the most cleverly crafted fantasy romance, and it isn't the most well plotted book, but honestly, I could not care less bc what it is, is ENTERTAINING AF and I had the best time reading it!!
"You will address me as Your Grace, or I will carve your tongue from that pretty mouth of yours."
Rory a vigilante serial killer who hunts down the wicked and exacts her own form of justice finds her luck has run out and has been caught and convicted of her crimes and is now facing 500 years in the prison realm of Vincula ruled by Caius, The Umbra King and a powerful monster in his own right. Their hatred for each other runs deep due to their preconceived notions of each other but there is also something else drawing them together that neither one of them are strong enough to ignore. Exterior conspiracies and sinister plots threaten to keep them at odds but can they overcome it all and learn to trust each other?
"I was looking for you." she said sweetly. His expression didn't change. "Most women are."
"Do they want to cut out your heart out too?"
Rory- Rory is such a badass murdery FMC. I loved her so much, she has zero chill when it comes to bad guys and does what she feels has to be done. (She's also completely unhinged, but in a really " her heart is in the right place" kind of way) I love her loyalty to her friends and the way she goes toe to toe with Caius is thrilling!
"The next time someone lays a finger on you, their death belongs to me."
Caius-This man has found himself at the top of the book boyfriend rankings! He is just dirrrtttyyyy hot!! Seriously the mouth on him is ridiculously filthy and I'm not mad at it even a little bit. AND THE SHADOWS!!! 🫠🫠🫠
But as if you needed any other reasons to love him, he is also loyal, caring, protective of his realm and his people. The way his relationship with Rory develops and how he comes to care for her and becomes devoted to her is so sweet and romantic and I was immediately owned by them.
"My name, say it again. It will be good practice for when you scream it later."
"Never lock me out again. I will always make your tears my own. We're in this together."
"When you realize you love me. I will drop to one knee wherever we are."
This book also had so many fun side characters, but the highlight was definitely the angel Samyaza aka Sam and Caius's best friend. He is lethal and imposing but somehow also so endearing and lovable. I can't wait to see more of him in the next book.
BIG shout out and thank you to my BESTIE
Deema for buddy reading this book with me! We had always have such a good time playing detective and talking about all the tea! Can't wait to start the next book with you babes! -
★★★.75
“I have been on my knees from the moment you landed in my throne room.”
This book surprised me in the best way. I’ll be honest, the first 25% was a little up and down for me. The writing took some getting used to, but I am so happy I stayed patient because the rest of this book was fun, the banter was top-tier, and the enemies-to-lovers romance was so worth it!
Quick premise: Aurora/Rory’s sister was brutally murdered ten years ago, and she has been looking for the killer ever since. Through her obsessive search, she has become a vigilante murderer: She kills men who pry on women and stops them before they can harm anyone. Eventually, she gets caught and is sent to Vincula: the prison realm ruled by The Umbra King. There she finds out a lot about herself, makes an amazing group of friends, and discovers that this prison and its king are not exactly what she has been led to believe.
“I am The Butcher, Your Grace, and I will not hesitate to string you up with a dagger in your heart.“
Aurora/Rory is a killer with a big heart, and I really liked her. She is strong, has a sharp tongue, and would do anything for her loved ones. She sees herself as a monster even though she’s a hero. She stood tall even when she was afraid and didn’t let people push her around.
“It is the only thing that matters. Tell me who did this to you, or I will raze the entire fucking town to the ground.”
Caius, The Umbra King, is so hot I cannot. At first, I thought he was a little too forward and aggressive, but wow this man had some of the best lines. I giggled and swooned so many times. He seems like an evil king, but the way he takes care of his realm, fell for Rory, and protected her was so sweet. “I will always make your tears my own. We’re in this together.” See what I mean? Sweet man.
Most of the side characters were awesome. There were several to keep up with, and a couple of their introductions were a little choppy, but the author took care to develop the important ones.
Sam is my favourite side character. He’s this massive, blonde, intimidating Angel. He’s grumpy and a smartass at times, but he cares a lot about his friends, protects them, and fusses over them—It’s the sweetest thing ever. I just wanted to give him cuddles the whole time.
The banter, threats, and progression from enemies to lovers were well done and entertaining. (more quotes and content warnings at the end of this review, in case you’re interested)
Oh, and this book is spicyyy. I rarely rate/mention smut, but it’s generously written throughout and it’s very hot! (except for one scene, but that was awkward on purpose.)
This story has a lot of magical characters including Fey, Alchemists, Angels, and more. The author does a good job building the realms and explaining each type of "mystic" character throughout the chapters. She also included a “World Guide” at the beginning of the book, and I appreciate that extra effort made for readers.
Even though the writing style isn’t fantastic, the character development and plot were well written and balanced throughout. That cliffhanger was so shocking, I might have died if I had to wait for book 2. I recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun enemies-to-lovers, dark adult fantasy.
. . . . . . . . . .
Thank you so much to my beautiful bestie,
Rebecca for suggesting this book for our buddy read. 💖 I am so excited to read book 2 together!
. . . . . . . . . .
More quotes:
“You will address me as ‘Your Grace’ or I will carve your tongue from that pretty mouth of yours.”
“Why are you here?”
“I was looking for you,” she said sweetly.
His expression didn’t change. “Most women are.”
“Do they want to cut out your heart, too?” She fluttered her eyelashes dramatically.
“How did you fit a banana in your pants?”
“My pants already carry something much larger.” Sam grinned as he peeled the fruit and took a large bite.
“My little butcher”
Content warnings:
Graphic violence and death; loss of a family member; a vigilante serial killer; explicit sex scenes; brief mention of sexual assault; attempted rape; mention of child abuse. -
4.5✨
I’m unwell. The ending of this book hurt me.
”I would set this entire realm ablaze to keep you safe, and if you think I’m bluffing, you haven’t been paying attention.”
The Umbra King follows assassin vigilante, Rory, after she is apprehended for killing 13 men. After watching her sister brutally murdered and soul stolen, she vows to avenge her and find her soul. Things obviously go sideways and she ends up thrown into the prison realm of Vincula and at the feet of the Umbra King, Caius. While a little slow to start, I ended up loving this.
This book is so unlike things I’ve read in the past! While there are some of my favorite tropes like enemies to lovers and hate to love, and my favorite mythological creatures (shifters, fae, angels, etc) the world building and magic system were so unique. The friendships in the book are also so so amazing.
Now onto the romance. Firstly, I love Rory so much. She’s a strong morally gray ASSASSIN who finds love in the prison realm with the Umbra King. Caius is moody, grumpy, powerful and has shadow magic. I love shadow magic (cough, hands). This book is so steamy and loved the two of them together.
”I have been on my knees from the moment you landed in my throne room.”
Read if you like strong morally gray women, men who simp for them, found family, forced proximity, and a hot enemies to lovers arc.
Thank you so much to Jamie, the author, for this arc!! It’s such a wild ride. AND THE CLIFFHANGER. I’m dying. -
DNF at 74%
This book had so much potential to be stellar, only to worsen as the story progressed. Multiple-POVs, enemies-to-lovers, and a badass MC. What's not to love? The multiple POVs covered minimally developed characters, however. The enemies turned to lovers (or at least lust-ers) far too quickly, and the badass MC seemed to have everything happening TO her but caused no change through her actions.
The worldbuilding of this novel was interesting at times—with the different races and their connecting attributes—but much of it felt like a cheap amalgamation of fantasy and reality. Potato sticks = french fries. Essenet = internet. Netsite = website. It's a pet peeve of mine to see modern-day technologies and devices used in a story with a "fantasy" name slapped on to make it seem developed. If this was going to be contemporary fantasy, it should've just been a contemporary fantasy. Maybe that's a niche issue only I dislike. It felt similar to when YA books come up with fake curse words to get around profanity usage (like reading Deep Blue, where badasses are bad-wrasses, a girlfriend is a merlfriend, and money is currensea). I cannot STAND that, minimal as it is.
My major issue, and what caused me to DNF the book, was our main character Rory. First of all, her name is Aurora Raven. Do with that what you will (again with the YA feeling). Secondly, she was built up (and admittedly started) as a badass vigilante character hellbent on justice for her murdered sister. While she began the story along those lines, I became less and less convinced of her competency and intelligence as the book progressed. Also, if I have to read one more enemies-to-lovers book where the MC has an uncontrollable physical attraction to (what is to her) a literal murderer, I'll scream. STAND UPPPP! Am I not horny enough to understand the appeal of that concept?!
Anyway, if I talk or think about this book any longer, I think I'll start losing brain cells. If you loved it, I'm genuinely happy for you and the author! If you hated it, welcome to the club. -
★★★★☆ - 🌶️🌶️🌶️
A solid 3.5 star book. The romance was pretty good and kept me invested in the story, and that smut was top tier, but the fantasy element could have used a lot of work. The closet comparison I could make is a YA, dumbed down version of the society Crescent City, mixed in with some predictable actions and narratives throughout the story. I am not sure if I will end up reading book 2, but I’m not opposed to it 🤷🏻♀️ -
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Dual 3rd person POV - but mainly our FMC, Aurora (Rory)
Oh my god, when I say this was fantastic - this was FANTASTIC. This is an urban fantasy, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, mistaken identity, female serial killer who's an all around badass and hellbent on revenge story told with fascinating world building complete with thorough history, multiple species with unique abilities and characteristics, well developed side characters that make you care about their story, a logical plot, and a dash of "Who did this to you?" In the very beginning there's a link to an audible pronunciation guide along with the text pronunciation guide for names and places, a printable world map, brief rundown of each realm, and a list of the different species with their attributes and characteristics. The detail that went into this is astounding!
Not only that, but our FMC is 25!!! She has been training for 10 years to find the man who killed her sister and exact her revenge. Along the way, she's been stopping other potential victims from meeting the same fate by tracking down and killing those with the blackest of souls. She's so brutal with her kills and consistent with her MO that she's branded The Butcher, as she strings them up on meat hooks. When she's unexpectedly caught, she's sentenced to 500 years in the Vincula realm, where our MMC, Caius, reigns as the Umbra King. Since no one remembers their time in the Vincula, Rory only has myths and speculations to go off of what her time there will be like and how the realm is ruled.
The enemies to lovers is done so well the transition feels authentic and entirely unavoidable as they surrender to their mutual attraction.
“You will address me as ‘Your Grace,’ or I will carve your tongue from that pretty mouth of yours.”
“Congratulations. You have been given the longest sentence of any mystic in the history of the realms.”
“I suppose she thought five-hundred years with you was worse than hell.”
Once Rory and Caius admit their feelings, the 🔥 heat 🔥 kicks up a few notches. While they still enjoy their banter (both in and out of the bedroom, my god the mouth on Caius is filthy), they also have (for the most part) very healthy communication. There's one moment where Rory is led to believe something false about Caius (you'll know what I mean when you read it) but it is quickly resolved and doesn't lead to a distressful chapter-spanning breakup. There's even the much coveted "Who did this to you" trope and Caius went off the RAILS 🥵 These two fall, and they fall hard.
Dume, Sam, Lauren, and Bellina may be side characters but they bring a depth to this world that completely levels the story up. The amount of novellas I would devour about some of these people should be shocking but it's not. That cliffhanger wasn't the worst, but oh my god do I need book 2 NOW!! If you haven't read this, read it now. You won't regret it!
“I would set this entire realm ablaze to keep you safe, and if you think I’m bluffing, you haven’t been paying attention.”
"We’ll always have the soulscape." -
WHY DO I NOT HAVE MORE HOURS IN THE DAY TO READ
-
DNF at 80%.
I had a feeling I wasn't gonna like this just based off of the vibes of the cover/title/blurb but everyone in the reviews was giving it 5 stars so I decided to give it a shot and it was just not for me.
The MC is supposed to be this morally grey badass, which is the main reason reason I picked up this book in the first place, but instead we're stuck with a pretty average woman swooning over a complete asshole that is essentially her prison guard.... wtf?
The entire relationship only really occurs because they're 'fated mates'. I mean they literally have nothing in common whatsoever. Their relationship is also possibly one of the worst cases of instalove that I've ever seen. Not much of anything happens in this book, it's just the MC complaining that she hates the love interest, being conflicted about it, and then pursuing him anyways.
Where was the morally grey serial killer behavior that we were promised? Where is the plot? Bottom line, this just didn't work for me. -
I think my expectations were too high. Either way, I am so disappointed...
⤏ What to expect:
∘ Adult Fantasy Romance
∘ Murder/Mystery
∘ Imaginative worldbuilding & different interesting creatures
∘ Dark king who controls shadows
∘ Action place - Prison
∘ Strong female MC - serial killer
∘ Morally Grey Characters
∘ Multiple POV
⤏ Tropes:
∘ Enemies to Lovers
∘ Slowburn
∘ Insta-Lust
∘ Found Family
∘ "Who hurt you?"
⤏ Trigger Warnings: graphic violence & description of crime scenes, mention of sexual assault, attempted rape, child abuse
— RTC.
(I'm not sure I'll continue this series) -
NO NO NO NO NOT THE ENDING. because of that crazy cliffhanger i’m giving this 3.75 stars. i’m gonna be honest, at first i was very confused about all of the terminology and world building, but about a quarter of the way in i understood. the urban fantasy in this was a little funky, but i do think the sun room in vincula was cool. also i feel like rory and caius’s relationship switched from enemies to lovers too quick.
i WILL be reading the next book because i’m so intrigued and want to know how everything is going to play out! -
Holy shit holy shit HOLY SHIT???????
This fantasy story is about Aurora (Rory) who witnesses her twin sister Cora's murder at the ripe age of 15. Left extremely traumatized, she makes it her personal mission to find and avenge her sisters' killers while also taking justice further into her own hands by murdering 13 men. Sounds awful, right? Wrong, all the men she murdered were in the process of murdering or attempting to rape someone. She unfortunately gets caught and is sent to prison with a sentence of 500 years. Let me be perfectly clear: I support women's rights AND women's wrongs.
The romance in this book was immaculate, the spice was a nice bonus because it wasn't too much, but it wasn't too little. The friendships and side characters really made you feel something, the prophecy and the murder mystery really kept you engaged in the story. Overall, it was amazing. The cliffhanger will have you salivating for the next book.
The worldbuilding was a little confusing at first, but thankfully there is a full glossary and the front that explains everything. There is even a YouTube video linked at the beginning of the eBook where it demonstrated how to pronounce all the names and places. The dedication is *chefs kiss*.
I am only knocking down half a star point because there were points towards the last 1/3rd of the book that felt very rushed. Some of the chapters could have been much longer with more inner dialogue and more time describing some of the setting.
4.5/5. Please read this book. -
2.5
I was promised a few things before reading this...
▪︎a morally gray character
▪︎enemies to lovers (not instalove 😾😾)
▪︎a baddie female lead (she was ok?¿)
▪︎someone to swoon over (🚬😔)
Did i get any of this? Sadly, no. Was it good? Meh. Will i read the sequel? Yeah, why not
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible... but it also wasn't good 🤷♀️🤷♀️ -
HOLY MF SH*T my 2023 fantasy reading has started off with not just a bang but a NUCLEAR explosion !!
4.5/5 ⭐️
2.8/5 🌶
I stayed up all night reading this. 7 straight hours of eyes glued to the pages. This book HOOKED me in.
This book gave off strong Crescent City mixed with a little Kingdom of the Wicked (but so much better) VIBES.
This has the BEST tropes and they’re done WELL —-
- touch her and I’ll kill you
- ENEMIES to lovers
I didn’t rate 5 stars because there were a few times where the plot was a little too predictable or just something I’ve seen a million times before. But it ended up going in a good direction and really made up for it so kudos !!
THE CLIFF HANGER!! I have to wait 2 months for the next one and it makes me want to pluck out my eye balls!!! -
I really wanted to like this book, mainly because many reviews were raving about it. Unfortunately, this book fell short in so many ways. The building of their relationship and the angst hooked me, but after they got together, every conflict or dialogue had me roll my eyes. The world-building was cool... ish. I think the concept was cool but kinda cheesy, if that’s ok to say? I can do with the destined to be together trope, but when it’s done right. The magic of the world I love, the different types, the power among them was gripping. But I think I’ve just read so many books with a similar concept that have done this but way better. Overall, this was very Wattpad, and --at the expense of this book’s rating-- I am very much past that stage of my life. It's not a terrible read; don't get me wrong, it just was not the type of writing and dialogue that tended to grab me.
-
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
I’m dead. I’ve died. This was perfect. I absolutely LOVED this read. Imagine my surprise when I saw an arc copy in my email and forgot I had signed up for it! Fair warning this ended on a MASSIVE cliffhanger that hurt my feelings. This book follows the story of a women who kills evil people while trying to find her sisters murderer, and then gets caught and sent to another jail dimension.
“Tell me,” he murmured. “Did you lure them to their deaths with the promise of a good fuck?”
Rory tried to burn a hole through his face with her eyes. “Why? Interested?”
I loved the relationship between the king and rory, the banter was good and we got a nice “who did this to you” scene after she was hurt. Rory isn’t a push over and can hold her own, is unashamed of her actions, and isn’t whiny as hell. She also isn’t a virgin!!! WHOOHOO!!! I think my only complain is there was a lot of insta-lust even tho she HATES his guts, and that just felt a little unrealistic. I would’ve liked some more resistance. Other than that? *chefs kiss*
“There will always be someone who thinks of me as their villain. The least I can do is be a damn good one.”
-shadow manipulation
-creampie’s
-primal chase scene
-overstimulation
-his shadow tentacle vibrates
-bondage (with the shadows😏)
-manhandling
-dirty talk
-praise
-she’s tall and there’s still a size difference
-my man KNOWS where the clit is -
Rating: 5 ✨
Spice: 2-2.5 🌶
Throughout the book, I kept thinking this was going to be a 4-4.5 star book. However, once I finished it, I couldn't stop thinking "how can this book be anything but a 5 star?? I am so thankful for those who recommended this book to me because I LOVED it. Like, I really enjoyed it and could not put it down... even while I was working, my kindle did not leave my side!
Rory was such a refreshing FMC and I loved that about her. She isn't wholly good and she isn't wholly bad. She is right in the middle, "a beautiful shade of grey". Seriously, whenever anything would anger or hurt her, I was ready to protect and attack because I adored her. Also, I saw so much growth in just this first book, I cannot wait to see what her journey holds in the next book. And the fact that she is a badass heroine who takes nothing from no one is what I loved about her.
Caius. My morally grey, sugar loving, lowkey a golden retriever on the inside with those he loves MMC who I love and adore and want one of my own. He can be a villain alright, and yet, you still look at him and are like, "YES, YOU GO KING." He is such a loving man when he cares about someone and seeing his character unfold was so beautiful. But also, don't think he is not the ruthless Umbra King because he is. He is vicious and I completely root for him.
I feel like both Rory and Caius are broken in their own way and yet they complete each other. Their story is one of my favorites and I really am looking forward to what is to come. Also, the development of all relationships in this book was written extremely well. Seriously, the friendships, the found family, EVERYTHING!
If you love morally grey FMCs and MMCs, this book is for you. If you love the found family trope, this is for you. If you love the "who did this to you" trope, this is definitely for you. If you love FMCs and MMCs who will do anything to protect one another, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!! 💛 -
This book was weird because at some points you felt IN IT and at others you felt weirdly detached from it all. The hopping around of POV to even some minor characters was useful to the plot but felt a tad bit off to me as well
-
DFN at 70%. The concept and the premises were super intriguing: Morally grey MCs, badass vigilante FMC, enemies-to-lovers, angst, I-hate-you-but-I-am-attracted-to-you? I’m sold.
Unfortunately my expectations were crushed while reading. Both the MCs were extremely childish, even though they were adults ( 25yo and +500yo ) and I tried very hard to like them but I couldn’t. Rory’s character started out really well as we get to see her in her vigilante duty, but everything went up in flames when she reached the prison realm or whatever it was.
From there, everything went downhill.
The prison realm was almost better than the normal realm. The sense in that? Apart from not seeing the sun, everything was pretty amazing. The interactions between the two MCs were so cringey I had to stop reading to take a breath (they helped me remember why I like being single btw). I can’t with the insta lust. The only cute one was when Caius asked Rory to identify the bowl’s color. That’s it.
Rory: couldn’t stand her.
Caius: couldn’t stand him even more.
The bunch of secondary characters: they felt flat and unimportant. I can’t remember any quality about them.
Even Sam - who had an important role in the book - was one-dimensional.
Nina: just think about all those Wattpad female characters who had been written like b!tche$ just because they had an interest for the MMC. That’s Nina. I pitied her cause she was the sum of all misogynistic stereotypes existing. I thought we were past that.
Maybe my expectations were too high, but unfortunately I didn’t like it. Even the writing felt off.
Pity, cause the idea was super interesting. -
Before reading on please keep in mind that all of my opinions on this book, are simply that, personal opinions that are relative to my preferences! I am absolutely HONOURED to have been allowed the privilege of reading an ARC of The Umbra King.
This NA fantasy, murder-mystery/revenge/romance is full of playful banter, intrigue, and loveable characters, and will very likely appeal to fans of books like A Touch of Darkness, These Hollow Vows, and Serpent & Dove.
I wish the information given during the first 5 or so chapters had been shown in smaller pieces throughout the book as needed, as opposed to being written as an aside to the story;The Umbra King is fast paced, almost too fast at times, and left me wanting for detail on both the side characters and the world itself! (That being said this is a personal preference on writing styles for myself!)
Regardless of my criticisms, this book very quickly captured my heart, with it’s unique take on fated mates, I fell in deep with Cauis and Rory, and cannot wait to read the next book in the duology.
I adore the world that Jamie is building, along with the morally-grey goodness, and I will CERTAINLY be adding a physical copy to my library once printed copies are released. -
• Morally grey character(s) • Serial killer FMC •
• Enemies to Lovers • Slowburn • Found Family • Who did this to you •
• Incredible world building •
I have no words for this book.
You love morally grey characters? How about a book filled with them?
This was hands down the most unexpected five star read for the year. I read this on a wim after seeing a reaction video. I went in knowing it would cause me severe emotional damage but it was so worth it.
The world building is top tier and so well thought out. The writing is addictive and the characters are perfection. I could not put it down and my only regret is not reading it sooner.
One of my favs for this year and I can't recommend it enough.
I'm not okay. -
✨I recieved an ARC for an honest review ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Umbra King is the first book in the Vincula Realm Series by Jamie Applegate Hunter.
Fantasy
Enemies to Lovers
Fated Mates
Slow Burn (but the kind that doesn’t let you blink because it’s so frustratingly good)
Flawless World Building about this Realm with great explanation of the magic that exist. I honestly think that anyone that wants to tap in into Fantasy books but it’s not sure yet should tap into this world. It’s such a great story, the FMC is strong, badass and totally relatable and just as hot as the MC who’s a misunderstood villain…The KING with control of his shadow friends 🔥 🌶🌶🌶 Extremely excited for the sequel. -
DNF there were so many inconsistencies and the pacing/storyline was not for me
-
I went into this read with high hopes.
The pace was perfection, the spice was soooo good and the world the author created is freaking phenomenal.
Unfortunately things didn’t stay perfect. As much as I LOVE the entire premise of our FMC, Rory and the fact that she’s a vigilante serial killer, she became a bit boring. The side characters are so cool but add almost nothing tot he plot and the MMC was your typical predictable aloha male.
On top of this there was no character development other than one moment with Caius at the very end of the book.
The plot started out really strong but fell away during the middle and until almost the end of the book.
At times the writing became questionable. I felt lost in-between multiple character pov’s, weird wording and having to reread sentences to understand it.
In terms of the romance we have insta-lust and a fairly quick and questionable transition from enemies to lovers. If this is right up your alley, you do you boo.
Me on the other hand, I would have liked some slow burn angst with a smoother transition into lovers. I do get this series will only be a duology, but maybe it was a bit rushed.
Overall I read the book quite quickly which is a good sign of enjoyment on my part and I will be reading the second book to get my fix of this really cool world and magic system.
I really hope the author either extends this series or writes more books in this world because it’s so unique and there is so much that can be done with it. -
4.5/5
Time out. Whatever prison Rory is at… SIGN ME UP!! Wow I did not expect this book to go down the way it did. The cover is VERY misleading 😂 Here I am expecting a dark broody romantasy, but instead I’m reading delicious and entertaining fluff. And I loved it. Devoured it. Not only were we gifted a morally grey King, but we also got a morally grey serial killer QUEEN and she was indeed a beautiful shade of grey. And the side characters were 🤌🏽 AMAZING. Sam stole my heart the second she set foot in Vincula. I honestly could give a fuck less that the plot wasn’t plotting hard because the banter and the spice were givinggg. It’s pretty easy to figure out where the story line is going, but you know what it’s a fun ass book. The fantasy isn’t intense in this and for some reason I couldn’t grasp that this was set in modernish time. I think the only thing that would snap me out of it would be when Caius would call her ‘baby’ bc when tf do we ever see that in fantasy?! Either way I loved this it was completely unexpected and I can’t wait to dive into the next one. -
First off, when a book starts with a pronunciation & realm guide, I just know it's gonna be a slap for me.
Secondly, I literally just finished the book and I AM CRYING SO HARD. When I read the last chapter, I wanted to yeet my kindle into outer space. The twist was twisting my heart out of my chest.
I fucking love this book. I'm actually so shocked it doesn't have more reviews because this is hands down one of the best urban-esque fantasy romance novels I've ever read. It gave me Rhapsodic vibes plus prison & steamier spice.
SHADOW DADDY TAKE ME TO VINCULA. READING THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT FUGGIN' NOW. -
i read this for a book club and i have so many regrets
the writing was juvenile, the plot was threadbare, the world building was so lazy and contradictory that i was getting actively upset, and then to top it off the author had the audacity to italicize every "fantasy" word as if we wouldn't be able to keep track otherwise. the only good thing about her sex scenes was that they went on forever and i could easily skip 5-10 pages without missing anything of substance.
i don't know who is out there giving this thing 5 stars but i have some serious concerns -
Ummm.
Jamie,
Your book was absolutely incredible. It made me forget I was working and not realize I read so much that I was 30 min late back from lunch.
I was addicted
The characters- incredible
Shadows and dream smut?!
A badass FMC and a broody MC with a filthy mouth that turns into a cinnamon roll?
All my favorite tropes are accounted for
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn
- found friends
I was completely sucked in and sold from the first few pages
But then Chapter 41 comes.. you warned me. I am not okay. And I’ll need book 2 to come out asap because I will be unwell and need to be sure my new favorite characters are okay. Because I am not.
If this haunts my dreams you’ll be hearing from me.
A major fan,
Katie -
I am completely obsessed with everything about this book! I devoured it in one day, I could not put it down. I just finished it, and I am struggling to formulate thoughts and words. I am so happy I got this ARC.
First of all, I loved the characters! They were all so well written and complex and completely charming in every way. Rory is such a badass, strong FMC. And Caius… I don’t even know where to start with him. Top tier book boyfriend that I will be in love with for eternity. I love Sam too and I cannot wait to read more about him.
The world building was amazing and so unique. The plot was fantastic in every way, captivating me with the fantasy, the mystery, the romance, all of it. The humour throughout was perfectly placed, with subtle moments and downright hilarious ones too.
I could spend hours writing about and talking about Caius and Rory’s journey, but I think it’s best for everyone if you just read the book and experience the emotional rollercoaster that I did.
That cliffhanger took me completely by surprise. I thought I had an idea of how she would leave things but boy was I wrong. And dang did it hurt haha *cries for the 13,000th time*
I CANNOT wait for book 2 and this is my first of many requests for an ARC for that when it is ready because I need as little wait time as possible! -
Wow! That is the only word that came to mind when I finished this book.
The world building in this book was done so well. I was never confused about it (which can be rare for me), and the handy dandy world guide was wonderful! There is a Mystic world and a Prison world ruled by two brothers. Their sister is the scales of justice who decides if criminals should do time in the prison world, or be sent directly to hell.
Our FMC Aurora (Rory for short) is a vigilante who is determined to remove all of the black souls from the world after witnessing a heinous crime. Caius (The Umbra King aka the king of the prison world) is not what he seems.
This book was full of so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat!
That ending has me anxious for the second book in this duology, and the first book isn’t even out yet (I did receive an ARC for my honest review). This is one of those books that I won’t stop thinking about. I want to start this over right now so I can catch all of the subtitles I may have missed on the first read through.
