3.5 🌶spicy stars!

We’ve a Vampire Conquerer, a bad ass Princess and a world of hidden magic

I liked most of this book, it’s got a lot of typical romance elements and plots with a supernatural twist. Nothing new per say but still a decent read and I truly appreciate adult fantasy books because they can be rare

Adrian and Isolde are both characters who are easily likable and they are their true selves from the start.

The ending is nice because there isn’t a shocking cliffhanger, it’s somewhat settled.

That being said, this book is incredibly predictable from the beginning, there are no surprises at all.

Also, this is an adult book and I’m not sure we were given much credit as readers. A lot of things that we could easily infer from actions and dialogue are then straight up told or explained to us. It ended up making obvious things feel very redundant.

Personally, I am not a fan at all of reincarnation storylines but I liked this book enough that I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Isolde and Adrian.

*thank you so much to Scarlett St. Clair and Bloom Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review*

I was so happy to finally read King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair. I've loved her Hades and Persephone books for years, and when I heard she was writing a fantasy/paranormal romance book, I was so very excited. Even with all the hype, this book did not disappoint.

Princess Isolde knew when Adrian Vasiliev, the vampire Blood King, entered her father's territory, things would never be the same for her or her people. But just as the rest of the Nine Houses of Cordova fell to Adrian's power, Isolde fell in her own way: first by sacrificing herself as his bride in order to keep her people safe, then by learning to love Adrian and his people - the very vampires Isolde was raised to hate. Even as Isolde takes her rightful place as wife and Queen of Revekka, there are forces at work conspiring against her and Adrian. With centuries of history standing between Isolde and Adrian when the past comes back to haunt them both, they will need their love for each other if they are to survive.

I honestly was pleasantly surprised at how much I got into King of Battle and Blood and these characters. I had heard many people comparing this book to From Blood and Ash, and I really wasn't looking for another book like that. While there are some elements that can be compared (fantasy elements, vampires, heroine taken from her homeland by vampires, heroine realizes she's been lied to her whole life), I did not find myself actively comparing the two books while reading. I immediately loved and felt drawn into this new world that St. Clair created. Cordova was rich in detail, and it was very easy to visually imagine every little detail St. Clair put into her world-building.

Isolde was a solid heroine, for both herself and her people. I loved that she wasn't a prim and proper (and skinny) princess; she was a trained warrior with the curves to match. But even as she established herself as a fighter for her people, I loved the little hints right from the beginning that she didn't quite belong even among her own family and friends; she had darker skin than her father, she wasn't as pliant as her commander wanted her to be, she was willing to sacrifice her happiness for her people when they would not do the same for her. All of those little hints and details played beautifully into the ending of the book, and I loved how St. Clair wove it all together.

St. Clair borrows from several different vampire lore to create Adrian and his people, and that combination created a breed of vampire unique to any fantasy or paranormal story I've ever read. As Isolde grows more in her position in the next book, I can't wait to learn more about Adrian and the other vampires through her lens. I feel like we've only hit the tip of the iceberg on St. Clair's type of vampire, and I'm excited to see what else she adds to her own particular vampire lore.

King of Battle and Blood is a longer book, but for those wanting the spice, it surprisingly doesn't take too long to get there. As with any St. Clair story, the steam between the main characters was illicit, full of tension, and sure to please fans of forbidden romance.

After the way St. Clair concluded King of Battle of Blood, I can safely say I am counting down the days until the next book is released. Between the world-building, character development, and plot, I devoured Adrian and Isolde's story and can't wait to see what comes next.

A huge thank you to Sourcebooks (Bloom Books) for providing an advanced review copy of King of Battle and Blood. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

It was well done and perfectly spicy and exactly what I’ve come to expect from St. Clair—in a good way. This was a creative take on vampires. I just wish there was ~more~ to it.

I know world building without info-dumping can be difficult, and I never felt like it was too much info at once. At times it felt almost like there should be an explanation here or there that was just not included. Maybe I’ll feel differently by the time I reread this for book 2 to come out. I loved Adrian and Isolde as characters, and the enemies to lovers was *chefs kiss* perfection. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I’m trying my best to describe what I would compare it to, and what I come up with is a shorter version of FBAA and KOFAF mashed together with less-juvenile dialogue. I recommend this one to fans of FBAA, Scarlett St. Clair, and vampire romance in general.

King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St Clair is the first book in her new Adrian X Isolde series. King of Battle and Blood is an intense and steamy sexy romance between an unlikely couple (human and vampire) that were enemies to lovers.

Isolde de Lara, our heroine, is a princess of Lara, who loves her land, which she will one day become Queen. She is strong, tough, independent, savvy, and an excellent swordswoman; especially her ability to use knives. In the past year, the Blood King has attacked many of the other lands (The Nine Kingdoms), to take over control, and now they are approaching her kingdom.

Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, our vampire hero, is known as the Blood King, and after accidently meeting Isolde in the woods, he is obsessed with her, which we will learn more towards the end. Adrian approaches the king (Isolde’s father), and asks for her hand in marriage, promising he will not attack their kingdom. Isolde being human, hates the vampires and Adrian, but despite her father’s denial, Isolde agrees to marry Adrian, in order to save their country.

After the wedding ceremony, she will travel to Revekka, the Red Palace, Adrian's kingdom, to become its queen. The relationship between Adrian and Isolde becomes very steamy, as despite her hatred for him, she cannot resist him, nor he resists her. The chemistry between them was sizzling hot lust for each other and insatiable. During their travel to his kingdom, and upon arriving, Isolde will learn more about the kingdom and truths about the vampires, which was not how she was brought up.

What follows is an exciting adventure, that will pit Adrian and Isolde against his ruthless court, who are determined to stop him, even to the point of killing Isolde. Isolde finds herself falling in love with Adrian, especially after learning the truths of the past and what made Adrian choose her to be his Queen; but she knows the pressure from her father to kill Adrian. The more she learns, the more she distrusts her father and the kingdoms. I loved Isolde, as she was a strong fearless badass heroine, who stood up to anyone. I also loved Adrian, as he loved Isolde, and was patient in waiting for her to discover the truths of the past.
As we enter the last third of the book, everything escalates, including an evil witch from the past, who is hell bent to destroy everyone. So many surprises and twists that made the ending so phenomenal. King of Battle & Blood was a sexy steamy erotic, and fast-paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat. This was very well written by Scarlett St Clair, and if you enjoy fantasy, vampires, you should be reading this book.

First, I really like the cover, it's mostly why I got drawn into checking the book.

I do get that this title will appeal to those who adore From Blood and Ash, and those who like a bit of steam/spice and vampires. I thought the writing was okay for a fantasy, but unfortunately I felt the plot execution fell flat for me.

Yes there was a fair bit of smut in there, but I wasn't getting the vibes from it unfortunately as I felt like it was there to distract away from the plot (and that was really slow for me to get into). It did pick up pace in the last 30%, but I felt like the first half at least could've been halved - but I do get that this is the trend with fantasy books of late too.

Overall, it wasn't for me (sadly) but do check it out if you like vampires and smut.

Rating: 2.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and SourceBooks for providing an ARC in exchange of a honest review.
I wanting to read a Scarlett St. Clair book beacause I've heard a lot of mixing opinions and I wanted to make mine. After a look at the description, I thought that it was my jam. But I really didn't like it. For several reasons. I didn't like the writing, it felt not natural. The MC, Isolde, was sooooo annoying, the i'm not like the other girls speech is really something that I hate. The plots were so convenient, it was frustrating. I really wanted to like this book but I didn't :(

I thoroughly enjoyed this newest release by Scarlett St. Clair! I don’t like to compare different works of literature too much but I do think that it’s important to note that King of Battle and Blood improved upon the A Touch of Darkness series in almost every way. The romance was more captivating, the characters had more depth, and the world building was really well done. I feel like St. Clair really perfected her craft with this book and I’m so excited to see where this series goes. I feel like it has the potential to be one of the best fantasy romance series out there!

I was so excited to read this book based on its premise, and it delivered exactly what it promised: a solid high fantasy romance with spice throughout.

Premise:
Isolde is a beautiful warrior princess whose kingdom is in trouble. Her father is conceding his kingdom to the Blood King, a vampire who is taking over the Nine Kingdoms. After a chance meeting in the woods, the vampire king decides he wants Isolde to marry him to seal the bargain.

Things I loved about the book:
- Size representation. Isolde is not the standard thin heroine, but is also very fit and deadly in a fight. This shouldn’t be so rare in fiction but it really is.
- Isolde is also biracial—her mother was from an island kingdom far away, and her father is white.

Things I didn’t love about the book:
- While Isolde is biracial, there is no discussion of race throughout the book even though it seems she is the only person of colour in the vampire kingdom (and her own for that matter). Toward the end of the novel it is revealed that her mother’s people were enslaved and that her father knew and didn’t stop it. This really felt underdeveloped and potentially problematic (why did that have to happen?) but I assume this will be dealt with more in the next book so I’m trying to withhold judgment.
- I was very frustrated with the jealousy/potential cheating plot line with Adrian. Why did Adrian lie to Isolde when he said he would find a new person to drink from and then continue to keep Safira around? When Isolde confronted him I didn’t feel like it was properly addressed.
- I also feel like a lot of things happened without enough explanation for why or how it worked. I needed more about the past relationship, why drinking Isolde’s blood ties their lives together, what’s the full deal with the goddess?

Overall, I enjoyed the book but I had to adjust my expectations a little bit. It was definitely more of a “spicy book” than a “book with spice”—in other words, the plot entirely served the romance and there wasn’t much going on outside of that.

I can never decide on a star rating for anything, but this sits somewhere between 3 or 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This freaking book has definitely left me with a huge book hangover! We get enemies to lovers, vampires, witches, and arranged marriage. All elements that equal one amazing Adult Fantasy book! I loved the magic, the worldbuilding and the different creatures mentioned throughout.

I can not get enough of Isolde and Adrian. Their relationship was so 🔥! I loved how strong Isolde was and that she was a badass from the beginning. She has definitely become one of my favorite characters of all time. Adrian is just the right amount of wicked and sweet.
I am super excited for book 2 because the one thing I wish I got more of was a bit more information on some of the side characters. I loved all the characters throughout this book but one of my favorites is definitely Sorin. I need more about him lol!

This book had just the right amount of action, romance and twists that leave you wanting more. I can not wait for book 2 Queen of Myth and Monsters!
(Genre:Adult Fantasy Romance)

Thank you to netgally and sourcebooks bloom books for providing an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks/Bloom books for this free review copy.

I am such a huge fan of strong women who have thick thighs and will cut a man if they disrespect them. I thought for sure I had found my new favorite FMC in Isolde but basically right from the get go she was foiled by a generic vampire character and an insta love story that put me off.

Isolde was fun but for all of her independent spirit, Adrian had to be patient with her tantrums like a little kid and had to clean up her messes over and over.

The smut was graphic but kind of bland for my tastes. At least is was very female Satisfaction centric, which was a positive thing.

I love vampires and kick ass women but unfortunately this world and the characters didn’t hold my interest.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bloom Books and the author, Scarlett St. Claire, for providing a copy of King of Battle and Blood (Adrien X Isolde book 1). I have reviewed honestly.

King of Battle and Blood features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
○ Fantasy
○ Romance (Spicy)
○ Arranged marriage
○ Vampires
○ Witches
○ Curses and magic
○ Enemies to lovers
○ Kickass FMC
○ Royalty and Court Politics

My overall rating for King of Battle and Blood is…

4.5 Stars!

This book had me at vampires and arranged marriage, but the content was so much more. King of Battle and Blood was a fast paced adventure written to entice and tease. Isolde is an incredible young woman; she's loyal, strong, righteous and relentless. The fierce chemistry between her and Adrien, our battle hardened vampire King, makes for a passionate romance with aspects both spicy and sweet. This is my first St. Claire book and I was super impressed with the characterisation and world and plot building. I'm eager to see where this series will lead.

ARC acquired by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

“’I can be anything. Your jailor, your savior, your lover.’ His mouth was closer to my ear as he added, ‘Your monster.’”

I confess, I am a sucker of steamy vampire books. Have been for well over ten years now, so it’s hard to be overly critical with my reviews because I read them for pure entertainment and not for how well written they are. This one had some of the most talked about tropes, from enemies-to-lovers to arranged marriage (somewhat). Isolde, Princess of Lara is destined to be queen. Her father would conquer the entire kingdom for her well-being. So, when the Blood King comes and demands Isolde’s hand in marriage, Isolde’s father is ready to go to war for her. But Isolde makes the decision to accept the arrangement to save her people and leaves with Adrian to travel to Revekka, the empire of the vampires. Isolde feels an instant connection and attraction to Adrian and hates herself for how she feels toward her kingdom’s enemy. Upon arriving at the Blood King’s palace, Isolde learns more about why Adrian is conquering the lands and everything she had ever been taught is slowly unraveling before her.

Now, is this great literature? Absolutely now. But I don’t believe it’s meant to be. I think this resonate with its intended audience very much. There are a few plot holes that hopefully will be answered in the second book but other than that, this is pure spicy entertainment with vampires and witches and magic, and I am Living for it.


“’You are my light,’he said.
‘And you are my darkness,’ I replied”

The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

I received a free eARC of this book from Net Galley. I absolutely loved it!! It's a high fantasy book with an enemies to lovers romance. The love interest is an evil vampire king with BDE! There is a bit of intsalove/instant infatuation by one of the characters, but I thought it was done well based on how the other character's feelings were handled. I loved the variety of magical creatures in the world and think that the plot developed really nicely! I definitely recommend for fans of FBAA and other NA high fantasy with vampires!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloom Books, and Ms. St. Clair for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I liked this, but I did not love it. There was just too much missing. The flow of the plot was a little disjointed, and certain elements were brought up and dropped with no resolution or introduced from the blue. Adrian was facing so many various vampire-inspired monsters I couldn't keep them straight, and then a "red mist" on top of everything. Plus an evil witch. Plus a bad-guy King conquering and enslaving other kingdoms. Plus dissent in the ranks. Plus traitors. It was... a lot.

Some of the characterization was inconsistent, too: Isolde's father will literally give up his kingdom to save her, but then he does THAT at the end. Isolde herself stabs people for touching her, but lets her father's military captain talk to her like a two-year-old. She did a LOT of posturing and threatening him with reprisals if he continued to lecture her -BUT - he continued to lecture, and she continued to do nothing. Also, Adrian is apparently a bad-ass but needs his wife to save him (repeatedly). IDK.

The overall story was engaging, and I had no problem picking up the book and staying interested. I think the series has potential, but I hope some of the plot issues can be resolved.

“I feel in extremes—deep hatred and burning desire. There was no middle ground, no safe way to go about this. We would come together, and we would erupt.”
— King of Battle and Blood, Scarlett St. Clair

Woooooo. This book y’all.

Naturally, the spice level was off the charts, and I loved every single second of it.

Outside of that, I loved this story. Isolde is married to a vampire, a species she absolutely loathes, in order to save her kingdom.

But she comes to find that not everything is what it seems.

This was such a fresh take on enemies to lovers/marriage of convenience. The world building was amazing. St. Clair painted such a vivid picture, I felt like I was living in Revekka with Isolde and Adrian. There were secrets and revelations, a badass female MC, and a sexy vampire male MC. I loved the side characters, and watching Isolde and Adrian’s relationship change and grow was beautiful.

All in all, I truly devoured this book, and I cannot wait for the next one!

The story of Adrian and Isolde is full of all of my favorite tropes in the world of romance and fantasy. Isolde is a mortal princess who agrees to marry Adrian, a vampire king, to save her people. She very quickly learns that Adrian is more than just the Blood King and she struggles with her feelings for him in the face of her duty to her people. The book has vibes of Beauty & the Beast, Romeo & Juliet, Tristan & Isolde, and even the more recent From Blood & Ash.
At first, I struggled with The King of Battle and Blood because it felt so similar to other books in the genre. But about halfway through, the story really took on its own journey and I was hooked. I can’t wait for the next book in this series and to read the next phases in Isolde and Adrian’s story.

Thank you very much for an advanced copy of King of Battle and Blood.

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Pub Date: November 30, 2021
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️

I wish I had more favorable things to say about this book, but I really have nothing positive to comment. The characters were bland, the writing was sterile, and this book was so obviously a rip off of From Blood and Ash, I almost DNF'd this one. I stuck with the book until the end, though. Even though the story did have a fairly well-done twist, the other shortcomings were too much to overcome for me.

I understand to expect some similarity in stories about vampires, particularly in fantasy works, but there were just too many similarities between From Blood and Ash for me. When does artistic inspiration end and plagiarism begin honestly? I had these same concerns with The Gilded Wolves being a rip off of Six of Crows, and I just have a super hard time when authors don't even try for originality in their fantasy stories.

As for the steam in this book...I am surprised to see this author recommended for her steamy love scenes. The scenes were sterile and clinical in my opinion, and I don't think the supposed passion between the two main characters was well done at all.

I suppose if you're looking for a steamy (even if it's not well done steam) fantasy, you might enjoy this book; or, if you enjoyed the author's previous books, you know what you're buying by reading this book. For me, I finished this book feeling like I had just consumed diet version of From Blood and Ash.

I didn't realize this was a vampire book until a friend read it and told me that I needed to get to it. And well, this was everything I could have wanted.

I love love loved Isolde and Adrian. She stands up for herself, isn't afraid to fight, and is loyal. He's charming, vengeful, and ready to burn the world down. Together they have chemistry for days and enough UST to choke someone. I truly loved reading them fight and bicker and try to outmaneuver each other as they figured out what their relationship was going to be. There are several other characters here, but the story is all I & A.

Plot wise, it was good. There's loads of push and pull and it created the most delicious tension. I did want more open conversation, but it becomes clear why there wasn't. The conflict is interesting and while the ending sets up way more questions than answers, I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

Overall, I came for the vampires, stayed for the chemistry and characters. Book two is already on my want list.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

***I received a free advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

This book was SPICY! It had vampires, magic, and monsters. It was fabulous!

I discovered the author with her series on Hades and Persephone and being a fan of Greek mythology I necessarily loved his series but especially the writing of the author. So when she announced a new series with vampires, I counted the days until the book was released and I was so happy to be selected for an ARC.
And of course the author does not disappoint us.
Isolde is a strong woman, who knows what she wants. She is a good MC who has the potential to evolve. Adrian is a perfect anti-hero( but is he really?) that we start by hating but his behavior from the beginning lets us think that he is not so evil as it seems.
The introduction of this new fantasy universe is perfect, we are immediately immersed in the intrigues, the peculiarities of vampires, the existing magic .
If you are looking for a first volume of fantasy romance, jump on this book, you will not be disappointed.