As a new convert to Scarlett St Clair after reading the A Touch of Darkness series, I was thrilled to read this new novel from the same author. Mythically inspired wirh a vampire twist - it is the start of another thrill ride!

King of Battle and Blood is essentially a story about a enemies to lovers where the main character (Isolde) has to marry the King of Blood (Adrian) who is described to be a formidable enemy to protect her people. However, Adrian is no ordinary guy, he has conquered many people hence his nickname, the King of Blood but there is more to Adrian than what Isolde and most people know. While Isolde hates Adrian and only agrees to marry him to save her people from Adrian and his vampire army she also finds herself becoming attracted to Adrian which is problem because her people expect her to kill Adrian and return back as their queen.

This books is great for those who love the enemies to lovers troupe, reincarnation and vampires ( troupes that I also really like). For me things that I did enjoy include the world that Scarlett St. Clair built. and I found the history of how Adrian became a vampire and the stories about the different goddesses and their roles and the roles of witches really interesting. It is definitley a unique take on vampires for me with the storyline about witches too ( I really liked that!). I also did like how the main character, Isolde was confident and independent and her struggles to be true to her feelings for Adrian and for her people was interesting and added depth to the storyline.

However, this book does contain a lot sexual content so it would not be appropriate for teens and this is also the issue I had. When I picked up the book I was not expecting a lot of explicit scenes so for those who like erotica this would be a good recommendation for them. Unfortunately for me it was a bit too much, and while I appreciate romance I found the sexual content too explicit and too much for me., That being said, the storyline is interesting and I am curious about what will happen to Isolde and Adrian (especially since Isolde is now literally his weakness). I also want to read more about Isolde and Adrian's past and about Isolde's past life as a witch which was definitley an interesting aspect of the book!!!!

This is 100% Scarletts best book yet. Isolde is such a strong, confident female lead and Adrian is such a good book boyfriend. The heat between them is palpable and the chemistry undeniable. The plot was rich and immersive and I’m so excited for book 2!

Absolutely stunning! Adrian has my whole heart and literally made the whole book for me. I do feel like it was a little bit insta-lovey and I wish that there was more tension building up to the romance. The plot was sometimes predictable as well, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment too much.

I liked this, it was a fast read and I flew through it so fast, It had a lot of potential and I do feel like there were moments were it lost me a bit but I stuck to it and it was enjoyable in the end. Dramatic at times, yes, but that's sometimes expected with an enemies to lovers romance novel.

Perfect for fans of ACOTAR and From Blood and Ash. Nothing groundbreaking, but definitely entertaining.

I mean who doesn’t love spice AND fantasy, the best of both worlds.

Vampires, an arranged marriage, everything you need basically.

This is the first book in a new series and I am very much looking forward to book 2 !

Thank you @authorscarlettstclair, @read_bloom & @sourcebookscasa for the ARC❤️

I will start by saying I REALLY enjoyed St. Clair"s other series, "A Touch of Darkness", which is why I was excited to read this. And when I read the premise for this one, I was even more excited: Vampires? Enemies to Lovers? YES! All the things I love! Unfortunately, "King of Battle and Blood" fell short for me.

The overall idea for the plot was good, but it really needed fine-tuning. Will I read the second book? Probably.

This book gave me everything. Morally grey, yet kick-ass characters and a romance for the ages. Adrian and Isolde compliment each other so well, that I honestly think (not completely) that they could give Rhys and Feyre a run for their money. It was perfectly smutty, but also had an intricate plot that unfolded nicely. Scarlett St. Clair set up the series so well, that I'm absolutely losing the game of patience waiting for the next book. The world building was also excellent, complex enough to where I only had to go back and look for stuff a few times. Which, full disclosure- world building isn't world building if you don't have a few head-scratching moments.

If you're looking for a dark romance that delivers on the spice but also a quick escape fantasy, this is the read for you.

I LOVED this book! The romance was well paced, the spice was steamy, and the story telling was well rounded! I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

Fans of Scarlett St. Clair will definitely like this new series. I haven't read an epic vampire fantasy in a while and thoroughly enjoyed it. While the information and world building was a lot to take in and keep straight at times- it was still an exciting read.

An enemies to lovers romance with plenty of steamy sex and an often unlikeable heroine at its center, King of Battle and Blood surprised me in ways I wasn't expecting. It's also full of worldbuilding and fun supporting characters - much more than I'd expected from some of the descriptions I'd seen. A nice surprise, and a series I'm looking forward to continuing!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for an ARC of this book!

Y’all.. this book was straight 🔥🔥. I am so glad I requested and received an ARC of this book! I wasn’t a fan of Scarlett St. Clair’s other book A Touch of Darkness (and I loveeeee anything Hades and Persephone.. it’s my fav fav). I really wanted to love it but I didn’t, so I was a little hesitant to read this one. But I am so glad I did.

I loved the world with all the different creatures and kingdoms that the author created. The characters were really well developed and enjoyable to read. Isolde, the MC, is a total baddy… even though she’s a bit stubborn at times. And Adrian, even though he has blonde hair (which is not my favorite), is just 😍.
Oh and the seggs scenes.. 🥵🥵🔥🔥🔥🤌🏻.

Throughout the book, there is this background mystery device at play (like something more to the story is going on) that I was able to pick up on and figure out pretty quickly, which is fine. I’ve been reading these types of books wayyy too long not to pick up on it. I’m just excited to see where the author goes with it!

I will definitely be reading the next one, especially since St. Clair left the ending wide open anndddd more importantly because of the seggs scenes 😂😉.

Author: Scarlett St.Clair
Puntuation:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
English Level: B2
Recommended age: +18

The book tells the story of Isolde de Lara, a princess who has lived in the castle all her life since the kingdom is at war with the vampire King Adrian. Both have to get married due to an event and Isolde will have to learn to live and get along. This is the first book I've read by the author, although I've heard great things about her other books. Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcerbooks Fire for giving me the opportunity to read this book before publication.
This book has:

>Enemies to Lovers
>Fantasy World
>Vampires and other creatures
>romance
>Scenes +18

I loved this book from start to finish, one of the things I liked the most is the relationship that is being formed between Adrian and Isolde because although at first they couldn't stand each other, over time they realize the things they have in common and their past. each.
Isolde the protagonist is a very strong woman who will do anything to defend her kingdom and the people she loves. Isolde's development was very good, she felt confused, frustrated, sad but she was healing and learning that if she wants to achieve her goals, she is the key to fulfilling them.
Adrian, on the other hand, is presented to us as a seductive boy who is not afraid of anything, but the truth is that behind that armor of a strong man there is a boy who lost everything and is not willing to fall back.
I would like the author to work on the fantasy world more, since although she mentions the wars, the creatures and a little magic, she focuses more on the love relationship, which in most cases are sexual scenes, I would love to see more of how she plans to take it .
The end left me shocked, I don't want to give spoilers so you can go right now and read it. But that plotwist blew my mind and I almost got mad but uff I loved it!!!

Gahh! I wanted to like this one so badly, but sadly it just wasn't for me. I felt that the story was to slow and dragged on for to long. I also didn't like the characters. I don't think that this style of writing and this kind if plot isn't for me

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel.

DNF @ 60%

I'm absolutely gutted to be DNF'ing this book, but I've been "currently reading" it now for the last 3 months and I have no motivation to pick it up at all.

When I first started this book I thought it was going to be a 5 star for sure, but after the 50% mark the plot went downhill for me, so I've decided to put this one down for good.

Overall, I totally see why people love this and I'd definitely recommend checking it out if it sounds like something you'd enjoy! Unfortunately it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I just couldn’t get into this one and ended up DNFing 25% of the way through. I loved the Hades & Persephone series from Hades point of view and I’m so sad I couldn’t get into this one.

Although I found this entertaining, the writing is a bit clunky compared to other romantic fantasy horror novels I've read. It could be a gateway read to better books.

The first book in the Adrian x Isolde trilogy, King of Battle and Blood is a high fantasy vampire world that feels traditionally European in its world building. Gods with hierarchies, vampires created by one such god, vampiric creatures, and witches inhabit the kingdoms.

Isolde is the only daughter of the King of Lara. In order to save his kingdom, her father marries her to the King of Vampires, Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev. She hates him immediately both for his campaign to conquer the continent and the fact that he is a vampire. Like any good enemies-to-lovers romance, they spar physically and verbally. She cannot deny her attraction and they consummate the wedding despite her attempt to kill him.

Queen Isolde and King Adrian travel to the Red Palace - the seat of Adrian's power - and she begins to learn that her understanding of history may not be accurate. She also starts to have visions and eventually realizes she previously lived life as Adrian's lover Yesenia, who wrote The Book of Dis. This book is stolen by a different witch at the end of the book and sets up Book Two.

The most interesting piece of world building is that the creation of vampires occurred only 200 years prior, but due to secrecy and misinformation (and a lack of ways to communicate like telephones!), no one knows what really happened except for a select few characters. The reader doesn't really know the full story of the origin of vampires by the conclusion of the novel.

I'm hesitant to call this a romance. The couple is sort of Happy For Now? But I would really classify this as Fantasy with a strong romantic subplot. Clearly the relationship is going to somehow save the world, but this is such an unsatisfying ending for a reader looking for a relationship to be in a happy, stable place at the conclusion of the book.

I appreciated that not all sex was on the page; that Isolde's character grew in the process of each scene of intimacy. She got overwhelmed at one point and asked for a break. More of this representation please! St. Clair demonstrated how Isolde can learn, grow and change in the relationship. I hope we will see growth from Adrian too in the next two books.

I felt there was too much foreshadowing with the reveal that Isolde had lived before. It was not a surprise at all. Please let things be surprises that have hints but not reveals earlier on in the story.

This was a fun read to start 2022.

I received this ARC as a reward for the Bonkers Romance podcast.

I went into this reading experience with no expectations other than I thought the premise of the book sounded intriguing. I am happy to say that it did not disappoint. It is one of my favorite troupes--enemies to lovers--and it is developed quite well. The world building and magical elements are unique and interesting and it held my interest with the plot and character development from the first chapter. I very much look forward to reading the next book in this series!