I bow down to Gina L. Maxwell and the Dark Fae King. Holy shit this book blew my mind in all the best ways. I ​can't believe this was my introduction to reading a paranormal romance that centered around fae, but I'm so glad that it was my first. Gina L. Maxwell had me begging for more of the sexy and dominating Caiden Verran.

In the Dark King, we meet Bryn Meara and Caiden Verran. Bryn is a sassy and confident woman who is headed to Vegas. She received a letter in the mail to stay at the sleek and seductive Nightfall hotel. It's an exclusive hotel and super hard to book a reservation so she can't say no to this offer. She just lost her job and is single so she is ready to live it up in Vegas. Her life is turned upside down when she meets the sexy owner, Caiden.

Caiden is sexy as hell and you can tell he likes to be in charge. He is also the fae King of the Night Court, aka Dark King. He became king and takes responsibility seriously never letting a human or female get in the way. When he lays eyes on Bryn he feels a connection. This has never happened and it's more than unnerving.

After meeting at the casino, Caiden and Bryn can't fight their attraction so they don't shy away from flirting and spending the night together. The kicker is when they wake up it turns out they are married. And it seems like they share a bond that only fae and fae can share.

As the pair spend more time at his manor, Midnight Manor, they are at odds with each other and themselves. Caiden is closed off which makes Bryn want to tear his walls down. And of the other side, Bryn's devious and rebellious nature makes him furious and turned on at the same time. Of course, this makes the sexual tension that much more apparent. Maybe if they give in their urge will simmer down. That doesn't work and it ignites their passion. Caiden is dominating in the bedroom and Bryn loves to submit to him. They are just starting to find their groove when an elder hits him with a plot twist. Bryn is more preternatural than everyone assumed and it wasn't just fate that helped them meet.

The story is full of ups and downs, sensual scenes, and tender moments between the two. Throw in a bit of suspense and action and you have yourself a compelling book that you won't be able to put down. And when I say the sex scenes are amazing I mean it. They will leave you feeling hot and bothered. ;)

I give The Dark King all the Fae King stars. It's a seductive and irresistible paranormal romance. I was totally engrossed in this fae world. This was my first time reading Gina L. Maxwell and it for sure won't be the last. I am thrilled that there will be another book in this series. If you have never read about fae characters and are nervous to pick up a copy of this book (this was totally me before reading The Dark King), fear not because the author will pique your interest like never before. I promise that you won't regret reading this book.

Fucking fabulous book!!!!! This was my first Gina L. Maxwell book and it won't be the last!!!!!!! Caiden Verran is magnificent!!!! This dark fae badboy had my panties soaked from beginning to end ! He's one of the sexist fae kings of all time with killer good looks and a body made for all kinds of sinful fun. He's into some hard kink and has very dark tastes but he always takes care of our girl Bryn from giving her multi Orgasm's to caring for her needs like the great Dom he is but he can also be a first class asshole! Everything goes great until he wakes up married to Bryn and then in her words he becomes " Mr. Morning-After Asshole" 😂 But before you feel sorry for Bryn don't!!!! She is so fucking awesome!!! She doesn't take shit from day one from this King!!! She's fisty, beautiful,smart and can run fucking circles around this scary as hell dark fae and his punishments for her brat attitude and smart mouth end with her pleasure and him falling farther down the rabbit hole unable to control his need to make her his! Do yourself a favor pre order this book! Don't let the fact that it's a fae romance fool you. 50 shades of grey has nothing on this on this kinky and BDSM romance and Caiden makes Christian seem tame! He's a 6'5 walking wet dream with fangs!!!!!!! And he's not the only hottie! Theirs his two brothers Tier and Finn and both are hot! Theirs also the two woufle brothers who are just as yummy! Gina Maxwell is my new obsession and I intend to read more from this amazing author! Not only did she write some great cliterature but she made me laugh out loud quite a few times!!! I especially loved when Bryn threatened to castrate caiden if he ever tried to manipulate her again during sex!!! And I love her wheeling and dealing to get unlimited ebooks and then a beauty and beast inspired library and oh ya, two cats!!! This chic cracks me up!!!! She's my muse for future relationships!😂 I want to thank Netgalley and the beautiful and talented Gina Maxwell and the publisher for this early copy! I knew after seeing the cover and reading the blurb that I had to have it! Until next Luv's 💕💋

I loved this!!!!

My first book by this author, and it won’t be my last!!
I loved reading this book. Honestly had a hard time putting it down and lost a lot of sleep in this one!

It had Spice. Enemies to Lovers. Forced proximity. Paranormal. Fae. Others. And more!!
All yeses from me!!

I loved their relationship, all aspects with the bdsm intertwined. The venerability shown as well as the respect.
The storyline kept me intrigued and anxious to flip to the next page.
Can’t wait for the next book to see where this while story will be going

Great story. There's instant attraction between Caiden and Bryn. They have a wild drunken night and wind up married. Unfortunately, Caiden is king of the dark fae and now is bonded to Bryn.
There's so many questions and ups and downs in this story, but all is explained so don't worry! I loved the back and forth and figuring out why they're so drawn to one another.
It's a series, but it looks like each book will be a different brother but also continue the overall story.

For the most part, I liked it. I'm still new to fantasy books. I struggled to start it. It seemed a bit long to read. I would be interested in more books like this.

Wow! Fantastic read! I couldn’t put it down. I loved the royals from the start. Their tough exterior hides their cream puff hearts and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for us next.

Bryn has been down on her luck, so a free trip is definitely worth it. Add in a sexy male who seems verrrry interested in her, and we have ourselves a story.

I enjoyed a fae story with a twist. We always get the “lost in the woods and stumbles into their world”. But this one is dark fae who were kicked out of their land and creates sin city. Plenty of twists and turns to keep the story flowing.

All in all, a great read. Thank you Gina Maxwell for giving us a new world to love.

Gina L. Maxwell created a world in which much of Las Vegas is owned by Caiden, the fae King of the Night Court. When Bryn, a young woman from Wisconsin, receives a promotional offer to stay at the exclusive Nightfall hotel and casino, she is thrilled, especially since she’d just lost her job. Soon she is overwhelmed by getting an upgrade to a VIP suite and given an expensive necklace. When she meets Caiden, they click spending the evening talking, drinking, and dancing. The next morning, they discover they are married, even though they have no memory of anything after dancing.

I liked how positive Bryn tended to be, with a natural desire to help people. Caiden is understandably upset to find out his is married to a human, plus a curse will result in his death if/when Bryn dies. Caiden was irritable and angry, under so much pressure as King and now with an unwanted wife. I enjoyed his family and friends and how they all related to each other. Two of his guards actually turn into huge wolves. And through it all, Caiden can’t deny his desire for Bryn, while Bryn is equally attracted to him, but feeling pushed away. Finding their happy ever after will take work.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced ready copy of the book. These are my opinions.

I read this book super fast and really really loved it. The only thing that I didn't love about this book was the miscommunication trope. Everything else in this book was wonderful, from the spice to the plot. This book was everything that I didn't know that I needed and I just couldn't put it down. I am so excited for book 2 because I think I know what direction this is going to go in and I'm so excited for it. I would really recommend this book if you like spice and a book with pretty decent plot.

We start off this story by meeting Bryn Meara who, after receiving a free trip to the Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas after losing her job, thinks the universe is giving her just what she needs, a break before the job search begins. As she checks into the NIghtfall she locks eyes with the owner of the hotel and the best-looking man she's ever seen, Caiden. After checking in and heading down to the game floor, Caiden can't stay away.

The next morning Bryn wakes up from a drunken vegas night to find herself in a cliche marriage to Caiden that they both can't remember is just the beginning. Caiden flies off to a business meeting after promising to have the marriage annulled... Only to have his guards grab Bryn after realizing that their marriage activated a blood curse. Bryn finds herself kidnapped and led to her new husband's home and locked away while her new husband who is actually the fae king of the Night Court works to break the curse.

This is such a great story, I loved how Bryn is a strong character and really becomes even stronger as she learns more and more about herself as the story moves on, Caiden may be the King, but she is not afraid to stand up to him when needed. I received the ARC from NetGalley and will definately be picking up more of Gina's books especially the next Deviant King book.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

i enjoyed this for the most part!

i am a sucker for fae stories, and i liked the lore behind this, but there wasn’t much depth beyond just mentioning what powers caiden had.

bryn and caiden’s dynamic wasn’t anything new, but it was still nice to read (although their sex scenes might’ve been a bit much for me - i prefer fluff to explicit smut like this).

i would read something from this author again - it reminded me a lot of scarlett st clair’s a touch of darkness series, actually.

- Fae romance
- Magic
- Forced proximity
- Drunk Vegas wedding 😂

This book was such a fun quick read! Definitely a sultry read as well. I liked the world building and the mix of fae living in Sin City! Some of the banter was a little cliche for me personally, but overall really enjoyed the book and the characters!

Would recommend

3.5 stars
Quick Summary: Fae in Las Vegas, plus treachery, humor, and crazy hot chemistry...what's not to love?!?

Let me start by saying, just in case anyone missed it, this book has sex scenes that feature bondage, dominant/submissive roles, and punishment. I think it is very tastefully done...the right amount of explicit content mixed with scorching hot scenes, but it may not be for everyone.

This is my first Gina L. Maxwell book and I really enjoyed her writing. She does a great job of breathing life and movement into her scenes. I am a visual reader, and I was able to "see" the book very easily without getting overwhelmed.

Maxwell also takes the same care with her characters. None of them are perfect, but *most* of them are very likable and have relatable qualities (even the Fae). I feel that the characters are well-rounded and while they stay true to themselves, they grow and adapt to the situations.

As far as pace goes, this book starts at a jog and just speeds up from there. I like a fast-moving book, but what is great about The Dark King is that it manages to keep its pace while showing time passing. Both the MCs have a lot of things to process internally, and we get to see that process without sacrificing the book's movement.

I only have a couple of minor gripes. The first is that some parts seem overly similar to ACOTAR and Fifty Shades of Grey. Obviously, there would be some parts that cross over with those books, but there are a couple of places where the story felt too close. My other frustration was that the vast majority of the plot was the result of poor communication and refusing to listen. I'm not a fan of that trope personally.
Overall, this book was fun and I will be on the lookout for the next book!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, my opinions are given freely.

OMG, what a beautiful story!
I did the error of starting this before bed and offcourse I didn't sleep until I finished it. It grabbed me from the start and it kept me glued to my kindle until 1am. It has a very good plot with delicious smut level, which is a win-win for me, as lately I can't seem to find such good balanced books. Totally recommended it!

5 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

If you loved Holly Black's Folk of the Air series but want something a bit spicier, The Deviant Kings series is perfect for you. Morally dark fae who would murder for their mates, but still somehow don't understand how to get the whole "I Love You" thing across.

AHHH!! Gina Maxwell just killed me with The Dark King!!! This story had everything I love in a PNR and then some!! Caiden was an dominant alpha hero to die for and Bryn was a sassy heroine that gave as good as good as she got!! She did not let his power and wealth intimidate her. I was hooked on every word!

I absolutely loved this story and the scorching sexy times. Bryn was real and relatable and Caiden was absolutely delicious. I just adored their connection, how they met and all the extended characters we met in this novel! Overall, I loved Caiden and Bryn and the rest of the Verran brothers. Now I can't wait for more in this series! This is definitely one of my top books of 2022 for sure!! 5 stars! ~Ratula ❤️

* I would like to thank Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. *

I’m not a huge fantasy fairy reader fan…. But 50 Shades take made me read it. It was pretty good and most of the time forgot it was even about fairies. I’ll look for the follow up book to read it too

Rhys? Sorry. Rhys? Sorry.

I flew through this book and while the blurb recommends it as a Neon Gods feat. Fifty Shades story, I think it was more of an ACOTAR meets FBAA meets a better done Fifty Shades.

Bryn is a 26 yo PR woman who lucked out and gotten invited to a very exclusivist hotel in Vegas, checked into a VIP room and had a casino winning streak. Cue the dark, handsome, screams-danger owner of said hotel: Caiden, King of the Night Court and overall grade A a**hole. They seemingly have a magical connection that concludes with them getting married without ever consenting to it. Too bad it could prove deadly to our broody fae king.

What I liked:
- the story was more than I expected and it developed into a mystery to find out what Bryn actually is, because clearly there was more to her than even she knew. With a fairly consistent plot and a few turns here and there, the action kept an engaging pace and willed me to find out more
- both the main and the side the characters were refreshing and provided some witty banter to break the longer periods of action or smut
- even though it's marketed as a smutty romance, the balance between plot and spice was well done

What I didn't like:
- the dom/sub dynamic between Bryn and Caiden had one particular consent issue that got mixed with using your power to get answers, which bumped Caiden down a good few places in my eyes. He was aware he shouldn't do it, Bryn ultimately called him on it but the scene still developed and it was never fully talked about between them
- I felt like there were too many references to different stories. And I'm not talking about the various amounts of fae myths about lying, iron and such, or the resemblance to ACOTAR's worldbuilding and ranking, or even FBAA's hat tip to blood drinking between mates. I'm talking about alluding to children's stories mainly through nicknames. This one was Beauty and The Beast (throw in her wanting a library and seeing him as a beast in the first few chapters) and, judging by Tiernan's nickname for Fiona, we might be in for a sprinkle of Little Red Riding Hood next.
- even though this is a standalone in terms of the relationship between the characters, the plot is spreading throughout the series and I didn't particularly enjoy that. I would've liked it to end with this novel or have a little warning that this is not where the main storyarc ends.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

***I received an ARC, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.***

Content Warnings: Sexual scenes, BDSM, degradation, and violence. Mention of: drug use, abuse of power, loss of parents, car accident, torture, and murder.

Wanting a break from reality Bryn jumps at the chance of a free weekend getaway to Vegas. What better way to relax and unwind before getting back to reality and hunting for a new job? Little does Bryn know this weekend getaway is about to turn into something so much more than she bargained for.

Caiden, the King of the Dark Fae, has a lot on his plate but when he makes eye contact, across a crowded hotel lobby, with Bryn he’s determined to learn more about her. What starts out as a few drinks and a great conversation turns into… waking up married?! With fuzzy memories of the night before Caiden is determined to put some distance between them…no matter how much he craves more of Bryn’s time and attention.

Bryn is all sunshine while Caiden is a grumpy alphahole. I absolutely loved watching Caiden try to deny his growing attraction to Bryn. Everyone, except Caiden, can see just how much he wants and needs her. There’s just something so gratifying about reading a grumpy alphahole brought to his knees by his growing affection for his partner. Then we have Bryn blossoming as she learns more about herself and her desires as Caiden awakens a passion in her she’s never experienced before.

This book gives us a steamy Fae novel with the grumpy/sunshine trope, waking up married in Vegas, trying to fight a mating bond, and so much more. I had so much fun reading this book and cannot wait to see what else this series has to give us!

This was such a good book! Totally not my normal style as it is heavy into sub and dom but those scenes were handled very elegantly. So I was definitely here for it for once!
This book has it all; found family, BDSM, forced proximity, instant attraction, a grovel scene, and HEA and fantastic side characters. The royal brothers are dreamy broody and funny. What more can you ask for!?

Caiden has my entire soul. He’s so broody and serious but then bursts out with humor and such a sensitive side for Bryn.
Also, if someone nicknamed me beauty, I’d probably just die happy. That goes into one of my top favorite pet names found in a book.

I do wish that the world building had been a bit more developed, but I did enjoy seeing where the next in the series was headed! This is a standalone set in a series, which just happens to be my favorite style of series.

I devoured this book! I loved the concept, think spicy ACOTAR, and 50 Shades done right.

The Dark King follows Caiden, the Dark Fae King of the Night Court, as he rules over Vegas after his family's exile from the land of Faerie. Here he sees Bryn for the first time, in a seemingly innocent chance meeting. The characters in this book are sexy, witty and oh so charming. I loved the twins, I wish we saw a bit more of them (own book, yes please!) and Fiona, a housemaid that didn't seem to do much work. Honestly it's been a long time since I've read a book where I like so many supporting characters!

Bryn and Caiden are both likable characters, despite Caiden's desire to keep everyone at an arms length. I loved the banter between the two, and Bryn's terribly-thought out plan to get Caiden to send her home by having mind blowing sex with him.

The forced proximity trope has never been one of my favourites, but now I realise that all this time, I've actually really needed the 'forced proximity with shapeshifter guards' trope... Seriously I need a separate book featuring the twins.

Loved this book, and I can't wait to see what comes next. If the sneaky end chapter is anything to go by, the next book is going to be freaking amazing. Highly recommend.

Huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book.