Throne of the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar #6) by Zoey Draven

Throne of the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar #6) Reviews

• 
  Giorgia Reads

  4 stars
  
  I liked this ending to the series.
  
  If it were another standalone and not the final book, I don’t know if I would have the same opinion and maybe that’s a weird thing to say, but I think this worked for me because it did tie up loose ends and I expected the main couple to have this trajectory of saving the world together - which is a plot I don’t really love (the whole quest for something is my least favourite fantasy trope).
  
  As I said, I think the plot worked and another reason for it is because of the heroine - I think the heroine made the book. She was such a perfect mix of clueless but intelligent, strong but firstly wise, and she had a spirit which didn’t really tend towards the dramatic nor was she too meek and mild. Her character was just very well written. I felt like I knew her, like I understood her and I really liked her. Oh, and I also loved her relationship with her mother (not bio mom, but the priestess who raised her) - it was one of my favourite things to read about in the story - how those two respected, protected and loved each other. It was a nice mix of love and admiration that they had for one another.
  
  The hero on the other hand.. I’m not gonna say he was a bad lead character, it’s just that he didn’t wow me much. I think among the horde kings from previous books there are better picks for male leads who feel like the king in a fantasy book about a brutal (almost barbarian) world and who are perhaps more in line with my image of a king of all kings which is what the hero in this one was supposed to be.
  I didn’t admire him much to be honest - a lot of his accomplishments came from the fact that people sided with him because they wanted him to eventually dethrone his father. As much as we are told he won everything he has, well… he didn’t really. He was helped by armies of friends and allies to do what he did. He was no mastermind, that’s what I gathered. There is an argument to be made about how true power is acquired by having the support of many, and I agree but I’m just saying that they didn’t side with him because of his infinite potential but because of his bloodline. The people around him made him into a king because he was the best option and nobody can change my mind about that.
  In my opinion, the heroine would actually have made a better Queen than him a King - with the proper training, she would be unstoppable.
  
  As to the relationship these two had, I loved the heroines’s straightforward approach. She wasn’t silly with notions of undying love but when she felt like they passed that threshold into something serious and possibly long lasting, she didn’t hesitate to be honest.
  On the other hand the hero, was easily swayed by others and by foolish ideas of duty and he quite literally started seeing her as a danger to his rule over Dakkar because he loved her and well ”me man, me king, me no love woman, me no weak” - I swear that’s how they sound in my head when they invoke those shitty reasons. (the first horde king in the 1st book is still one of the best in this regard, he knew what he wanted and needed and no one was gonna sway him). Not to mention that I hated the fact that he picked and chose which prediction to believe. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that the heroine has visions of the future and he so conveniently believes the ones that fit his needs and narrative but turns a blind eye to the ones he doesn’t want to be true (if you read the book you know what I’m talking about and I was livid at his dismissal)
  
  Ok, so, overall I did like the book and the ending. It was a good read but it wasn’t exciting. That’s what I kept thinking in the aftermath of reading it. The stakes never really felt high, although they supposedly were.
  The relationship didn’t really have that intense quality I seek either, but that’s not to say the writing wasn’t excellent because it really was. I think this series won me over in the long run because I love the writing style, the descriptions and the slightly philosophical attitudes that the characters have. They all had depth of some kindand that’s my catnip.
  
  I’m actually very excited for the new series that Zoey is working on which is set in the same world as this one but in the very far future. There are so many things to explore in this world and the potential it has for the future is massive. Apparently that series is set to release sometime in 2023, so fingers crossed.
• 
  Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️

  3.75 Smut Scale Stars
  
  This was a solid conclusion to the series and I enjoyed it. As I've said before, I am a sucker for the whole barbarian horde shtick and there really isn't all that much barbarian horde romance out there...so it's not like I'm a hard sell on the smutty barbarian romance scale.
  
  FYI.
  
  But still.
  
  I thought the world-building Draven did for this series was fairly decent, you know, for a smut series with covers featuring naked men. Although the red fog did feel a little too much like Brandon Sanderson's epic mist of Mistborn...
  
  But, I mean...
  
  
  
  Regardless. I really liked Arik and Kara and the way their relationship evolved. I also thought this book came through with some fairly solid groveling at the end. So really, it was like a Val double whammy: barbarian horde smut AND groveling.
  
  
  
  In short, I really enjoyed this series (except for book three, which I will just pretend didn't happen) and I'm sad it's over.
• 
  Izzie d

  This one is a bit different as the heroine is not wholly human.
  Dual POV.
  Virgin heroine.
  Hero has not been intimate with anyone in his horde.
  No intimate details other than the Hero and heroine.
  No other woman drama.
  Push/pull, mixed signals from the Hero.
  Small other man drama.
  HEA.
  
  ARC.
  
  Spoiler
  *
  *
  *
  I did feel that there wasn't enough grovelling.
  The heroine has a vision of the future so the reader and the heroine know at a certain point the Hero and heroine won't be together, but it actually happens a bit late to have enough time to grovel more, in my opinion.
• 
  Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]

  ⤅ Honestly, this one was rather cute, although I definitely misread the blurb.
  
  I thought the hero being all 'sensual' and stuff meant he'd seduce the heroine, who's a temple-raised virgin adopted by the head priestess. Instead, SHE'S the seducer, who keeps throwing herself at a reluctantly honourable hero. Not a bad setup, and she doesn't do it in a way that makes me want to forcibly graft onto her a sense of self-respect.
  
  So yeah, she's extremely sheltered, and they meet when he shows up at her temple to beg help from the priestesses. There's a lot of worldbuilding going on in this one, which is why I had to put it down for a while and read an earlier book in the series first, so I wouldn't be totally lost. This one's the grand finale - there's a lot of political plotting, a regime to overthrow, etc. The hero is one of my favourite types, a roguish charmer who calls the heroine 'darling', while she's quite endearing in her naivety. Their earlier conversations, while they're getting to know each other, are adorable.
  
  He does mess up and have to grovel, but Zoey Draven writes grovels that are decent, quite proportionate in light of the fact that her heroes don't tend to mess up too badly. All in all, I can't believe it took me so long to pick up this series. I blame my natural aversion to alien romances, which was only conquered here because the heroine is also half-alien.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Jenn (The Book Refuge)

  Well, what a great conclusion. I'm sad it's over but I'm ready for what's next.
  
  I do think there is a significant slow down in the 60% range of the story. We began the book with one mission and then things take a hard right turn which was distracting from the main goal. It just felt like it dragged the story in a way we didn't need to go.
  
  As always though, Zoey Draven has great chemistry and sexy steam in this book. Kara and Arik were so good together. It was only when we got taken away from that that they story seemed to drag.
  
  4 stars
  3 on the spice scale
• 
  Pinky

  THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE LAST BOOK KILLS ME😖😖😖I love this series so much I’m saving the other books to savour it. Imma read and catch up super slowly
• 
  Rayne

  I’m sad to see this series come to an end. It has been a favourite of mine since I first read them last year and I loved every second of it. Claimed by the Horde King it still my favourite of the series but this one did not disappoint!
  
  I didn’t know how this book could wrap everything up plot wise while still introducing an interesting romance but Draven did an excellent job with it. I prefer the romance aspect in books more than plot so I was worried I wouldn’t like this book as much since there was so much that needed to happen but I enjoyed every single page of this nearly 600 page book. It didn’t have a lot of excitement or action but I don’t think this book needed it as it first is a romance.
  
  Now for the romance part, I really enjoyed the MCs’ relationship. It was refreshing to have a book where they were not instantly attracted to each other and didn’t jump right into bed from the rest of this series. Although it had a similar template to the previous books with the push and pull and a certain trope that’s in all the books, it still held up on its own and was just as interesting to read. I also love some good grovelling and when the FMC doesn’t give in too easily which this book had.
  
  Now that this series is over and there aren’t any more for me to look forward to for a while, I’m going to try and fill the void that these books left me with!
• 
  Tami

  3.5 ⭐️
  Das beste Buch der Reihe. Auch wenn es für meinen Geschmack 100-200 Seiten zu lang war und es etwas viel Hin und Her gab. :) Besonders die erste Hälfte hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen.
• 
  Naomi

  This series has quickly became a favorite of mine, every time someone is looking for an adult fantasy/sci-fi series to read, this is what I recommend. I have loved every book and this last one didn't fail me.
  
  Throne of the Horde King is the last book in the series, Zoey Draven did say she would write a spin-off series because she didn't want to say goodbye to this world just yet (and thank god for that!), but technically, this is the conclusion. And what a great ending it was!
  
  I do recommend reading these in order, just because the general storyline will make so much more sense and you'll be able to enjoy it more.
  
  I don't want to say too much because a lot happens in this book and I feel like you really need to just go in blind and enjoy, but man, I loved it so much. Zoey's characters are always a blast and her world-building is a work of art. I adore her writing style, and the way the words just flow on the page effortlessly.
  
  This entire series is actually quite complex, there are a lot of different characters/species, with a brand new language she invented, and Zoey just maneuvers everything perfectly. It's never confusing or annoying, I'm never lost and I legitimately never want to stop reading.
  
  Kara, our heroine, was amazing. I usually have a harder time with the heroine than the hero (shame on me), but I loved Kara from the start. She was smart, knew what she wanted, but didn't make stupid or irrational decisions if she couldn't have it, she was sheltered but not naive, she was brave, and I fell in love with her.
  
  Serok (not revealing his given name) was just as great, but let's face it, you give me an alpha-male scarred hero, who's a leader and has never fallen in love before but sees the heroine and can't stop thinking about her, I'm all in. I loved how he couldn't resist her but tried to be a good guy still. I loved how soft and sweet he was with her. I loved how he apologized when needed. He had his assholish moments, but I think the grovel was great.
  
  And let me tell you, this book was h.o.t! Like, seriously sexy, be it the actual sex scenes, or the sexual tension. I couldn't get enough.
  
  All in all, a brilliant conclusion to this amazing series. I cannot wait to see what Zoey has in store for us next!
  
  Thank you to the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  ✰ Liz ✰

  
  
  
  
  This series!!!! This ender!!! I loved every second of this series!
  
  
  For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Hanna

  7/7/22: Although not my favorite, this book still made for a super satisfying end to the series. I’ve heard that we’ll be getting a spin-off series. Fingers crossed the rumors are true. 🤞🏼🤞🏼
  
  Now that I've had time to think about it, I can formulate why this book didn't totally do it for me - it's 10000% a personal problem. As a romance purist (lol), I'm not really interested in much outside the romance between the two main characters. Therefore, books in this series that focused more on moving along the larger plot didn't interest me as much. I just couldn't find it in me to care much about the fog or the Ghertun, which is why I think I didn't like book 5 and the finale as much as others in the series - since so many pages are dedicated to an external problem. The ones I loved best (books 2 and 4 btw) were imo more focused on the romance between the respective horde king and love interest. Regardless, this final book in the series was still satisfying. Thank you, Zoey Draven for an amazing few years engrossed in the world of Dakkar.
  ….
  
  Omg can’t wait for this one!! Sad to see it’s the last installment 😢
• 
  Lisa

  3.5 ⭐️ This was soo long and descriptive only to then have a rushed ending and unsatisfying epilogue. And this is the last book in the series its freaking depressing 🤧.
• 
  Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus]

  4-4.5 stars
  
  Omg this was nearly 600 pages long. As I was finishing this I was wondering how the author was able to fit so much more storytelling, plot and character development into this book than previous ones and sure enough this was longer than any other book in this series which makes sense since it was the last one, but wow.
  
  This book had a much different feel for me than the previous books. Kara was a unique heroine and I loved her. She's the first human/Dakkari hybrid born 30 years ago and kept a secret by growing up sequestered in a remote temple her whole life meaning that she's only ever interacted with the priestesses and never met or talked to a man. Kara loves to read and believes pleasuring herself brings her closer to the goddess Kakkari so she's not a complete stranger to sexual pleasure or romance (at least accounts she's read between the pages of books), but she's still naive and her social skills are a bit limited. She was giving very much Rapunzel leaving her tower for the first time vibes, but like the R rated version. Once she meets Arik, the hero in this book, Kara's innocence coupled with her forwardness and lack of awareness of appropriate questions/interactions between newly acquainted men and women made for some pretty funny interactions. Naive, but sexually forward heroines are a comedy combo I enjoy and I loved seeing her shock Arik constantly.
  
  Arik was a much needed character in this series. Finally we have a Vorakkar (though he was barely a horde king...iykyk) that loves the captial city, Dothik. Not only that, but he has grand plans for how to reshape society on Dakkar and build the capital up to it's full potential. We found out in the last book that Arik, one of the Dothikkar's bastards, survived to adulthood and duped the king by competing in the Vorakkar trials and succeeding all without him knowing who he really was (because he would've had him killed if he knew). Throughout this series all of the Vorakkars have loved the Wildlands, hated Dothik, constantly talking about what a shithole it is and how they could never imagine living there, but they all also hate the Dothikkar and want a new king so I was confused about how one of them could ever depose him because it didn't fit their character at all to take on that role. Finally Arik, the bastard Vorakkar steps up and makes a shitty Vorakkar if we're being honest, but he's the only really candidate who's passionate about the role of Dothikkar and he has the birthright to back it up so that was exciting.
  
  *There will be some **spoilers** from now on*
  
  Something this book didn't satisfy for me was why there were all these human queens all of the sudden. As a human (lol) I enjoy an alien H/human h pairing, it's fun and ~relatable~, but I think having Vorakkars fall in love with humans for the first time ever and all at the same time with no cosmic reason or explanation was a bit weird. Humans have been on this planet for over 30 years so why have all these human queens right now all at the same time? I was starting to feel bad for all these Dakkari women that wouldn't get to be horde queens this generation even though they were mostly depicted as power hungry hoes. Especially since we find out at the end of this book that only two of the human queens (+hybrid Kara) were important for the fog and healing of Dakkar. In each book even with the non-magical human queens there was usually some implication that the humans were 'selected by Kakkari' in some way for each horde king, but then if they didn't have an effect on the over arching plot what's the significance of them all being human? Random gripe, but I had to mention it.
  
  Also, Kara is our first look into what a human/Dakkari hybrid actually looks like and it's a bit worrying in some ways because throughout the series there's been a lot of talk about Vorakkars wanting 'strong heirs', etc. so it's a little weird to have a hybrid who's described as "small and weak" compared to full Dakkari. I mean naturally that's what I expected when you combine a weaker species with a stronger one, but it doesn't seem promising for these babies in a race that prides physical strength and ability especially in these long lines of horde kings, but maybe that's something that will change now that Dakkar is changing? Idk. Since this was the last book I would've liked to check in more with previous couples and get to know the hybrid babies they're all popping out. I love pregnancy and kids in a book and lil alien hybrids would've been fun, but we were left hanging on that one.
  
  Speaking of babies, something I've always wondered about on this planet is birth control. In previous books everyone always seemed so surprised that having sex constantly lead to pregnancy, but there was never any mention of prevention so I just figured birth control did not exist on this planet. But then finally in the last book one dude has the presence of mind to be like actually take this tea please I don't want babies, but jokes on him because the birth control did. not. work. 🤯 Why even bring up a birth control method in the ninth hour if it's magically not going to even do anything for your plot line? lol.
  
  I think this book had the most depth in terms of plot and had a much different feeling than the other books in the series. There were very long thought out plans coming to fruition, secrecy, espionage, a coup. It all felt much more like a YA fantasy novel (plus smut), but in a good way. I was impressed by the more robust storyline and characters that were woven together to tell this final story. I was getting a little worried at the end about how it was going to come together romantically because Arik was really letting me down. I didn't think we were even going to get good grovel and I was pretty damn disappointed with his first attempt, but in the end he delivered.
  
  Overall, this was a pretty satisfying ending to the series and I might be down for some spin-offs because I'm still so curious about all those hybrids...
• 
  Melanie A.

  5 STARS!

  "I can freely admit that I need you when I have never needed anyone before in my life."

  Such a great series and this final book was really wonderful.
  
  The relationship between Arik and Kara was highly entertaining . . .

  It was possible I had a kink for females who hated my guts because I felt my cock only thicken with her rage.

  . . . and I could have easily read another few hundred pages of them bickering.
  
  I'm sad the series is done.
• 
  ↬ Ⓛ *hiatus*

  Edit: on a sec note I’m so glad Zoey decided to end this series with the 6th finale book because let’s be honest, the series was going down hill (if it ain’t already have)!!
  
  Update: came to the conclusion of giving this finale book 3.5 stars!!
  
  Stuck b/w a 3 or 4 stars in this bish. I was reading to finish & still dk how I feel about this yet…
• 
  Jac K

  3.5 Stars
  I have enjoyed this series but am glad the author completed it. I feel like so many authors drag series on too long making them confusing, inconsistent, and overwhelming. I thought it was pretty good (dragged some at times), but I was hoping for more with the final book. (More answers/closure, more from the previous characters, a better epilogue) The blurb is a smidge misleading. She asked him to take her with him, so he helped her sneak out but didn’t kidnap her. So, this isn’t a captivity situation.
  
  Both mc’s have been introduced in previous books. Kara is the first Dakkari - vekkiri hybrid mentioned in
  Broken by the Horde King (book 4) and Arik is the Vorakkar of Rath Serok the King’s bastard. I liked Kara, she was a complex/dynamic, thoroughly developed character. She was sheltered/naive yet strong/direct. I loved her, but Arik felt a little flat. He wasn’t bad, I just expected more from the future King of Kings. He didn’t have an interesting personality or seem uber badass.
  
  The first half was slow going at times. It’s a slow burn, so the smut takes about 50% to get going, and they’re on a road trip of sorts for much of it, so there aren’t many secondary characters around to spruce things up. There’s also a fair amount of info dumping the history of Drakkar.
  
  Bottom Line- Pretty good, but I was left wanting more. (especially more passion/action) The red fog was addressed, but I was still left with some questions… like what caused it. And I felt like there were loose ends left with Arik’s “friends” and their distrusts.
  
  I also felt that it was a bit weird that the solution only required 3 of the 6 h’s, and left the h’s of books 1, 2 & 4 nonevents/unimportant. In truth, I was disappointed by the lack of updates/page-time with the previous couples. I would’ve preferred less time with their road trip and more with the couples all actively contributing to the red fog situation. IMO, after building up for six books, it was dispatched way too quickly/easily. I thought the last 20% was great but was disappointed in the epilogue which was one month later and offered no updates for anyone. It just felt sort of unsettled.
  
  Jac's Notes-
  
  Vorakkar of Rath Kitala - Arokan
  Captive of the Horde King
  Vorakkar of Rath Tuviri – Seerin
  Claimed by the Horde King
  Vorakkar of Rath Drokka- Davik
  Madness of the Horde King
  Vorakkar of Rath Okkili – Kirin
  Broken by the Horde King
  Vorakkar of Rath Rowin – Wrune
  Taken by the Horde King
  Vorakkar of Rath Serok- Arik
  Throne of the Horde King
  Vorakkar of Rath Loppar – leader old creating saruk
  Vorakkar of Rath Dulia -horde recalled-supporter of former king
  
  Drakkari dictionary
  
  Alukkiri = sort of like a cold season lover- oil applier
  Arakkari = wife/queen of saruk
  Dothik = capital city
  Dothikkar = King of Dakkar/ King of kings
  Deva = penis
  hanniva = please
  Kakkari = their god
  kalles = female
  kassikari = mate/destined mate
  kassiri = love
  Lakkari = queen of Dakkar
  leivaki = Small, beautiful one
  Lirilla = female acquaintance
  lloma = mother
  lysi = yes
  melir = vagina
  Morakkari = queen/wife
  neffar = what
  nik= no
  pattar = father
  Prikri = The Dothikkar’s lead advisor
  Pujerak = horde king advisor
  Pyroki = their version of a horse
  Saila = darling
  saruk = permanent villages (retired hordes)
  sika = sister
  sorakkar = saruk leader/king
  rei = my
  veekor = sleep
  vekkiri = human
  vok = fuck
  voliki = tent
  Vorakkar = king/leader of hordes
  
  
  Old tradition for unmated females to offer their goblet to the Vorakkar at feasts if they’re interested in hooking up. If he sips from the goblet- he’s down. If he ignores it- he’s not.
  
  
  
• 
  Bex (Beckie Bookworm)

  
  
  
  Kara has been raised in isolation by priestesses she is the adopted daughter of the high priestess of Dakkar she is also the first hybrid child of two species. Plagued with visions all of her life she is the key to finally overcoming the red fog that currently has the planet in a stranglehold.
  
  Arik is the Vorakkar of Rath Serok new to horde life after completing the trials he longs to return to his birth city Dothik. Illegitimate and unrecognised son of the current ruler he and his allies have spent years moving pieces like pawns into place all to ensure Arik claims his rightful place on the throne.
  
  When Arik and Kara’s paths collide duty and love will become intertwined and Kara’s place by Arik’s side put in jeopardy by the very person she thought she could rely on as the final reckoning for all of Dakkar draws to its inevitable conclusion Kara will have to place all of her faith in Kakkari and hope the strength of her and her allies is enough to save them all.
  
  This final book managed to wrap things up well. I was satisfied with the closure offered here and overall I found this an enjoyable well written read. incredibly imaginative with some fabulous world-building that has evolved over the course of six books it has easily managed to pull me on capturing my imagination completely. This one though not my top read of the series was also a good solid effort that I enjoyed a lot.
  
  I liked Arik and Kara as characters they had definite chemistry together and this had enough occurring here to keep my attention focused and fully engaged. I especially appreciated the grovel Arik truly messed up here his actions hurt Kara immensely but I did feel he managed to redeem himself laying bare what was in his heart and realising that he was wrong.
  
  Overall this series is one I highly recommend reading especially if you like the barbarian vibe as this series has that feel in spades. I’m also glad to finally get the closure I was after here but equally sad that I’ve now finished and it’s all come to its inevitable end.
  
  
  
  Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
  
  https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
  
  www.beckiebookworm.com
• 
  Tessa

  This was definitely the weakest book in the series, imo. The plot and pacing were kind of all over the place, and the characters didn’t feel as well-defined as those in previous books in the series.
  
  The most obvious issue with this book, though, is the quality of the writing, which is markedly different (worse) than that in the other books of this series (except maybe the first). It was distractingly bad and constantly took me out of the story. I frequently wished I had a red pen on me. Reading this book was like if you had to stare at a crooked picture frame on the wall for five hours, but you couldn’t straighten it. I’m honestly really shocked that I haven’t seen any other reviews mentioning this.
  
  I go into the issues I had in more detail below, in the notes I took while reading the book.
  
  ———————————————
  
  18% - Something is weird about this book. The writing is noticeably different from the others in the series; I’ve noticed so many typos and grammatical errors and it seems like every other sentence is just poorly constructed. Draven’s writing is usually very solid so I’m very confused as to what happened here. Has anyone else noticed this?
  
  36% - I can’t tell if it’s better or if i’m just acclimating to it.
  
  Some examples from later in the book:
  
  “This has backfired spectacularly in my face” is a mixture of two sayings (“to blow up in one’s face” and “to backfire”). An editor or beta reader should have caught this.
  
  “I clutched my hands on the table behind me” should be “I clutched the table behind me”. You don’t clutch your hands, you clutch something WITH your hands.
  
  There are countless examples of these errors throughout the book in addition to more glaring grammatical errors and typos. This kind of writing isn’t atypical in self-published romance, but it is atypical for Zoey Draven.
  
  60% - I just want this book to be over lmao. I don’t even care about what’s happening anymore.
  
  95% - Arik’s betrayal storyline was weird. I don’t think his character has been really well defined (I don’t know how to explain it, I guess he seems generic and not like a real, complex person), and yet his sending away Kara still felt out of character somehow. And his apology felt insufficient, I think because he didn’t send her away to keep her safe, really. He sent her away because he was convinced she was going to betray him. His groveling would have felt more sufficient if the former had been his motivation, but in the face of the latter it just makes me feel like their relationship has unresolved issues that will inevitably lead to conflict at some point in the future.
• 
  Aou

  “I need you. I need you because I love you. I need you because these last few weeks have been the purest of hells without you. I need you because I cannot imagine waking up without you, not a single day more. I can’t, Kara. I won’t.”
  (…) “And I can freely admit that I need you when I have never needed anyone before in my life. I will gladly tie myself to you in whatever way I can. If you can find it in yourself to forgive me. If you can find it in yourself to love me again.”
  (…) “I have kneeled before no one. Not as the head of the southern district. Not as Vorakkar. Nor as Dothikkar. But I will kneel to you, Kara,” he began. “I will kneel to you. Because you are who I will worship until the day I die and beyond even that. As my love. As mother to my children. And I hope as my queen. As my wife.”
  (Sigh)
• 
  Celestine

  Incredible, fantastic series and I am sorry to see it end. I look forward to what Zoey Draven dreams up next for the World of Drakkar. I could nitpick about little things here and there, but from beginning to end I really, really enjoyed this series, the love stories, the world, the language and the characters. It is a fantasy world with a little bit of sci-fi tossed in. At its heart, this book - and this series - is all about the romance. Just wonderful.
• 
  Ane Vass

  3.5 - 3.75 stars
  
  

  ~Soulful characters, great world building and the steam~

  
  
  This was a great conclusion. Everything came into place and we got our HEA. I only wish our leads could have spent more time together before they fell for each other that deeply.
  And even though I love all Draven's characters, the king this time around was a bit crass and unmemorable and didn't quite fit the role of the world leader. We were told he was very capable, but didn't quite see it.
  
  Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the story and this whole series. I 10/10 recommend it to every sci-fi romance lover. It's well written and well thought through.
  And I simply can't wait to see what Zoey has in store for us in Brides of the Kylorr next.
  
  * * *
  
  Horde Kings Ranking:
  
  01. Claimed by the Horde King (Book 2)
  02. Broken by the Horde King (Book 4)
  03. Madness of the Horde King (Book 3)
  04. Throne of the Horde King (Book 6)
  05. Taken by the Horde King (Book 5)
  06. Captive of the Horde King (Book 1)
• 
  Zeek

  I don't know if its because I haven't read a "romance genre" book in awhile that engaged me so quickly or because this actually is that good, but I absolutely fell in love with this story and this couple.
  
  Ending the series we get the final showdown which effectively cleanses their world from a mysterious mist destroying their planet. Though it takes characters from the entire series to do this, we actually don't see them much. Which is fine by me- clearly, this couple was all the story needed.
  
  Sheltered her entire life in abbey for priestesses to the goddess of this world, Kara none the less recognizes her destiny when it enters in the form of a horde king. Having visions of him since childhood, and craving a life outside the abbey, she immediately leaves with him when he senses she is the one who will help him rid his world of a life threatening red cloud destroying life on their planet.
  
  He is drawn to her though he knows his destiny is to rule alone and drawn even more so when she doesnt even attempt to hide her overwhelming desire to be with him- in every way possible, including the bedroom.
  
  Yet his duty to his bloodline eventually wins out and though he sends her away, his heart will eventually teach him that some duty, though noble, is empty when love is lost because of it.
  
  I loved Kara's honesty and altruism, the hero's pull toward her, and his jealous possessive feelings. And yes I love even the fact he was an ass and sent her away- because when he grovels, I'm right back in the old school romance novels I fell in love with oh so many years ago.
  
  Dont dismiss this series because of the cheesy horde barbarian feel. Its well done and worth a read if you like romance novels.
• 
  readabookonce

  This book would’ve been 25% shorter if Arik and Kara just communicated with each other.
  
  I was excited for the Repunzel-esque aspect (a heroine who’s been kept from the world getting to experience everything for the first time with the help of a jaded male), but Arik really took advantage of Kara’s naivety by not making his intentions clear.
  
  Arik never quite got over his trust issues, and their relationship suffered for it, especially toward the end. That being said, Arik’s moment of pure vulnerability was greater than even the previous heroes’ displays of remorse and affection.
  
  The psychic main character is stale at this point. It happens the same way every time, and it just makes it boring. Initially, I enjoyed the politics of this one, but it felt completely disconnected from the series. It is by no means a poor addition. It just tried to be more than it was.
  
  This series still feels incomplete, but the Afterword mentions a spin-off series in the work, so perhaps some of the background plot will be explored and expanded.
  
  It’s been a ride. I went through this series in less than a week, but it felt like so much longer. In this short time, ’ve fallen in love with the world, and I am sad this chapter of it is over.
  
  ★★★
• 
  AvidReader

  I can’t believe this is officially the end of this gem of a series! I found this book (and the author) back in 2019, since then I’ve been a huge fan. Thankfully the author said in acknowledgment that there will be a brand new spin-off series- yaay!
  
  Where do I even start? The plot? the characters? The climax? The writing style? The grovelling? Ugh, EVERYTHING was PERFECT. Writing above on point, characters with depth, 500+ pages and it flew away. It was that addictive.
  
  Hero Arik at one glance may look charming and uncomplicated but he was moody, complex and powerful. Illegitimate son of the Dothikar itself he had many obstacles to overcome in the story. But from his first meeting with innocent heroine Kara their fates are entwined or I would say it was always entwined, just bidding its time.
  Loved the beginning of their relationship, it was beautiful, poignant and playful. Especially the way they argued about Dakkar history.
  Kara was complete opposite of Arik. Loved the contrast because they complimented each other perfectly.
  
  The characters and story was very complex and I loved the pace and how it unfolded. So many players, different motives but interconnected by an enraged deity.
  Loved that heroine didn’t forgive the hero easily. She made him realise his mistakes and work for her forgiveness.
  
  Epilogue was sweet and I absolutely recommend the whole series.
  Safe.
• 
  Kat

  2.5 ️⭐
  
  𝙄'𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙨𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄'𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮.
  
  Kara our FMC, is a half-Dakkari female and raised by Seta Kalliri - the high priestess - and her inner circle of priestesses. They live in what is virtually an ice palace prison located in the coldest regions of the Northlands. Far away from any civilization and never allowed to leave, Kara is restless. Because her Kalloma refused to allow her to take the priestess' vow to Kakkari, their goddess. Feeling unworthy of living in the Dakkari holy place, Kara spends most of her day trying to be useful by doing everything asked of her. She cleans, transcribes books, reads, explores, prays, anything to fill up her time. Since there is nothing for entertainment aside from reading, Kara has an insatiable curiosity and love for the history of Dakkar; Bekkar and Lessa's story her most cherished. The premise of her character arc is to defeat the red fog and help a dakkari male that she's been seeing in visions and dreams her whole life.
  
  The MC of the book is a dakkari Vorakkar, king of the horde of Rath Serok. Arik's goal has always been to bring back glory to the capital Dothik, which is like the equivalent of Gotham City, and enact vengeance over his father - the king of Dothik. In his anger and resentment, Arik built up a network of people to overtake the kingdom and flush out the poison so that they may begin anew. Before he and his friends could execute their final plans, however, the red fog descended in the Eastlands. It is now jeopardizing not just his horde but everyone on the planet. In his desperation to stop the fog, he travels to the Northlands, the place of the priestesses, to see why they haven't answered all of the different horde kings and their calls for help.
  
  While this final edition was enjoyable, the story didn't feel completely finished. Irritatingly, a lot of time is taken away from the plot to focus on the fmc Kara, as she tries to convince the Vorakkar, Arik, to take her virginity. 
  
  I felt like this was such a disservice to Kara's character as she is actually highly intellectual, earnest, rational, selfless and gifted with Kakkari's blessing of foresight. The relegation of a 30+ yr old professional woman to a base, horny female was frankly pretty insulting. Kara's character, minus all of the erotica, was extremely well established once she was separated from Arik. Her strength and fortitude were admirable and I felt that the sudden focus on sex when the situations were serious or self-reflecting detrimental to the story as a whole. The tension and smut were 'okay'. Had both Arik and Kara's characters been able to build up to flirtatious banter and then exploration of each other, the smut would have hit the mark for me. Frustratingly, a lot of the sex scenes didn't have an impact on the story or any meaning other than giving and taking pleasure mutually. Basically, Kara wanted to experience sex as many times as possible. Her partner didn't really matter as long as she had that experience before being sent back home to the northlands. What made this worse to me is that Arik just wants a quick release. He knows Kara's vulnerability, feeds into it, and then uses it. It's just toxic all around. The main argument is that Kara desires Arik and would prefer him to anyone else, but she would have slept with anyone and nearly does. This is confusing as much as it is a MASSIVE plothole because of what we learn from the first few ch. when Kalloma tells Arik: **𝙄𝙁 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙎𝙇𝙀𝙀𝙋 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃 𝙃𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙃𝙀 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇 𝙉𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍 𝘽𝙀 𝘼𝘽𝙇𝙀 𝙏𝙊 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆 𝙃𝙊𝙈𝙀**. Arik knows that he can never commit to Kara, her only home would then be with the priestesses. Basically, Kara must stay a virgin but Arik never tells Kara this until it's too late. This idea is pushed so much that the reader is very likely to come to the same conclusion. Why? Because all of the priestesses have taken a vow of celibacy. Apparently, remaining virginal brings the women closer to their goddess and strengthens their powers. No unchaste male nor female is otherwise allowed entry into the palace. So the general idea is, that despite Kara not being allowed to take her vow to Kakkari, she must remain pure to be allowed to dwell in the northlands. Of course, Arik knows this and 'tries' to resist Kara, but since he hasn't been laid recently he finds that he has a lack of control...
  
  𝙎𝙊 𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙀𝙉𝙎 𝘼𝙁𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙆 𝙎𝙇𝙀𝙀𝙋𝙎 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃 𝙆𝘼𝙍𝘼?
  
  Not only is Kara able to go back home, but nothing awful actually happens that isn't emotional. So much time is spent on this topic that it was difficult for me to not feel like I'd been cheated. In sum, this was a bandaid solution to explain why Arik doesn't have sex with Kara the first time she throws herself at him at the start of the book -and oh, believe me, it happens endlessly. Their first actual conversation is about sex right out the gate.
  
  There are several plot holes and extremely confounding wrap-ups to many of the conflicts faced in this series with little to no explanation (i.e. getting pregnant despite taking a tea that literally prevents pregnancy and has always worked the entire series, until now). A great majority of these issues are handled in a rushed 2 chapters. We were promised a meeting of all Vorakkars but that doesn't happen. We never actually see Arik meeting with the other Horde kings, they just are there in the final showdown and mentioned in passing. Several of the gifted women throughout the series were also left to the wayside which was an extreme disappointment. In the end, aside from her Kolloma, two of the human mates - WHO LOST THEIR ABILITIES - somehow gained back their power in order to defeat the fog. Again, much was left unexplained. I at least was left speechless and baffled as to how events played out so cookie-cutter perfect despite all the previous issues and obstacles. If you read these books back to back you will notice the very obvious lack of consistency here. Even the final showdown was anti-climatic because for the majority of the 'battle' they're fighting an ambiguous enemy - one that is never explained outside of vague guestimations and prophecies. A personality of Kakkari herself could have been the enemy they were facing, and they used another side of her personality through the heartstones to defeat ... herself. There's a lack of foundation being laid out for the structure of the story that the previous books 1-4 had. Each one normally explained the fundamental questions most readers have when connecting characters, places and situations. Instead, what we have here is a lot of writing that tells us 'this is connected' without the necessary framework in place for it to work or come across as believable. Yeah, that's how mystifying the actual conclusion of the storyline turned out to be. The lack of rational formatting of the plot regarding the how-what-when-where- and-why is slightly alarming.
  
  It took me until around 60ish percent of the book to have a grasp of these two as individuals. The point of their struggles, the heartstones, planning. everything. I was starved for answers and I needed more plot-wise. There was too much filler here to say that the ending was satisfying. Honestly, the Horde King series doesn't feel finished. The plight of the Vekkiri, Dakkari, Ghertun, and the many beasts that live on the land didn't get a conclusion. They're left in a heap of chaos and unrest as the story ends with Kara and Arik loving on one another. I am sorely disappointed because the world-building of the Horde series, the characters, the inner dynamics of the people, and everything was beautiful and wonderfully constructed. I hate that this lovely world may never get the ending it deserves.
  
  If you want to read a book for the smutty content you'll definitely enjoy this, but if you are the type of reader that needs something more you may find yourself upset with this final novel.
• 
  daemyra, the realm's delight

  🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹😫🥺💕 RTC.
  
  ***Full Review***
  
  !!! In the afterword, Zoey Draven says her next series will be an offshoot of Dakkar with some "biting" aliens? I hope it's vampire biting aliens, not wolf biting aliens... Draven excels at the love bite scene. Oof. Hot. Anyways.
  
  I am a big fan of Draven's Horde Kings of Dakkar series, and I am glad to report that this is a series that has stuck its landing. I will be rereading. When Draven gets it right, she excels at angst, adventure, and stakes.
  
  Kara is a unique heroine for Draven because she is strong. Now, the other heroines in this series are strong too, but what was interesting was that although Kara is also at a lower footing, to start, like many of the other heroines (a hybrid without any worldly experience), she never questioned her worth to the point of being paralyzed or messing up.
  
  There were many times when we were in her POV that I was like, YES. At one point, she talks herself out of a moment of doubt, by thinking something to the effect of: I grew up with strong women in my life. Yes you did, Kara!!
  
  Yet she wasn't TSTL. She wasn't stubborn. Pretending she was a man. She had her moments, but she was practical. All this to say, I feel like she is a heroine a lot of readers will enjoy.
  
  And I loooved how guilelessly open she was about her sexual attraction to Serok.
  
  And Serok! Ugh handsome, arrogant... We needed a horde king like this because I was expected the mad horde king to deliver but he was mostly mad in his own book. He had some lovely dirty talk and obsessive, of course. I find this book much more erotic than what is marketed as erotica lol.
  
  I loved the story. I love temple girl and king vibes - brings me back the perfect romance story that was The Tombs of Atuan. I love political intrigue, deposing of a corrupt king. And I was mightily impressed with the depiction of the mother-daughter relationship. Oftentimes, mother figures are dead angels, nice and all but empty-headed domestic goddesses, or conniving, selfish creatures. I liked that Kara's mother figure was a strong woman, in her own right.
  
  And the storybuilding. In a GR review for one of the horde kings, someone said this is Dothraki copy and paste. I don't think so. And even if it's a nomadic culture, so what? Zoey Draven has created a unique world. One of the best parts of this series has been learning more about the culture, politics, environment, populations!
  
  In fact, if we have to pull from popular culture, the heartstones reminded me of the infinity stones in Marvel: 1) Both are ancient stones powerful beyond measure and 2) a central plot device, the thread that weaves throughout the whole series.
  
  Horde Kings has just been so fun. I love the angst between the MCs, I love the adventure (getting rid of the fog), and I liked the characterization of the side characters. Everyone was interesting, and had their moments. Just read it.
  
  This is my rating of all the Horde Kings. Note I haven't read the first one and note that I plan to reread the books to see if I enjoy them more/less. Particularly interested to see if I will enjoy Broken and Madness more - these are less consistently angst-heavy, more insta-love, which wasn't what I was expecting.
  
  1. Throne of the Horde King/Taken by the Horde King/Claimed by the Horde King
  2.Broken by the Horde King
  3. Madness of the Horde King
  
  If you like Horde Kings of Dakkar, I've said it before and I'll say it again, check out Alice Coldbreath's Brides of Karadok. While they are completely different, they both drop you in the world where you are interested in the culture, the food they eat, the customs that they have, and there is some delicious angst. Both series contain excellent as well as decent reads, never a dud.
  
  July 4, 2022 Update:
  
  One.
  
  More.
  
  Day.
  
  🫣🫣🫣👏🏽
  
  July 2, 2022 Update:
  
  There's only one left in the series and it comes out in 3 days? 😢 But omg does the blurb excite me. SO excited for a heroine who is also Dakkari!! (half Dakkari, half human)
• 
  Kristiej

  I have loved each and every Horde king book Zoey Draven has written and I’ve been with since her first one. For me Ms. Draven is my go to SciFi romance author. But I think she saved her best book for last. It took me longer to read this one as I was enjoying it so much I didn’t want to rush things.
  
  Over the course of these six books, Zoey has built and layered this amazing world and this book is the culmination. Arik, our hero is the bastard son of the evil king of Dakkar. The king has made many attempts on Ariks life over the years so Arik has lived in the underbelly of the city, slowly building a powerful network, planning on making sure the corrupt king is disposed of and taking over and cleaning up the corruption in the city and making it a good and fair place for all people on the planet. Part of the end goal is to become a Horde King and work towards making the different hoarders into a strong, unbeatable force.
  
  There has been a plague slowly taking over the planet and he has been tasked with seeking out the priestesses that is believed are the key to eradicating the plague. He travels to the northern district, their headquarters so to speak. It is there he meets Kara our heroine. While not a priestes herself, she has lived there her entire life, hidden. She’s unique you see. She is part human on her mothers side and part Dakkari on her father’s side. Such a hybrid has never been seen before. When Kara and Arik meet, she begs him to take her with him that she is part of the key to getting rid of the plague and also, she has lived her entire life hidden and she wants to experience what life really is. There is an incredible connection and attraction between these two and he very reluctantly agrees. Their story follows.
  
  I love this book so much. I just adore Kara. Because of the way she was raised, she’s quite naive and innocent. Yet at the same time, she is wise and older than her years. She has mysterious abilities we see throughout the story. She is incredibly loyal to Arik. She sees the greatness in him and what a great leader he can be. At the same time she is completely open with her intense attraction to him, making for many a delightful scene.
  
  And Arik is truly worthy of her almost hero worship as he is everything heroic. He truly valiant character. His childhood was tragic at times, always aware his life was in danger of assassins, watching his mother be brutally murdered trying to save him. The trials he went through, indeed all the Horde kings go through to become leader of a Horde are brutal. He is loyal to his core group of supporters and he really is a true leader. And when he finally lowers his resistance to his attraction to Kara, wowzers, are they a hot couple.
  
  This book is a brilliant wrap up to this series and I’m so sad to come to the end. Zoey Draven is an outstanding romance writer and does such an amazing job in this genre. Although this is the last book in this series, she does have more planned in this world. And I’m a huge rereader, I can still visit all the wonderful characters in all six books. If you have never read a book by Zoey Draven before, I truly urge you to try her with the first book, Captive of the Horde King. I was completely hooked from the very beginning and never let go. As the series builds on itself with each successive book, I wouldn’t advise starting with this one, but I would be rather shocked if fellow romance readers aren’t as blown away as I am with all of them.
• 
  Cat Hoffpauir

  4.8 stars.
  I loved it.
  I mean. Duh.🥹
  I can’t believe this series is over.
  I’ve loved every single book for different reasons.
  
  This one was so fun and full of adventure and sass and growth.
  The world building in this series is insanely satisfying.
  There’s a whole language, and culture, and traditions, and superstitions. Plus the politics.
  I just loved every bit of it.
  
  Plus the sex. The sex is hot and totally spicy.
  
  I’m just so sad it’s over.
  That’s why it’s taken me so long to write this review.
  That ending was perfection.
  I Was hoping for an epic epilogue where we get to see everyone happy and loving their best lives, but the epilogue that we did get was pretty great too.
  I’m still holding out hope for a bonus epilogue, though.
  
  I don’t know what else to say.
  It was a fantastic last book of a really spectacular series and I’m sad it’s over, but I can Not wait to read the spin-off series she says she’s writing.
  I will 100% be reading any and every book that she puts out next.
• 
  Ingasha

  The five stars are mainly for the first 3/4 of the book. I loved the dynamic between Arik and Kara.
  Everything was perfect.
  
  What I didn't like.
  The drama towards the end. Kinda felt unnecessary and apparently, I'm not as big a fan of grovelling as people seem to be and the big misunderstanding... for heaven's sake, there are beloved human Horde Queens why would you think people wouldn't want you because you're a hybrid? It has literally not been a problem all through the book
• 
  MissClo

  I loved this so much 😭
  
  I can’t believe this series is over.
  
  The grovel was so good, the hero so bad 🥵
  
  I don’t want this series to ever end and am anticipating the spinoff like crazy!