Rating: 4.5/ 5 - Spice: 2/5 - Book #2 of Adrian x Isolde.

What a wild ride this book was! As a marginal fan of fantasy, I was surprised with how much I really enjoyed this book. The extended fantasy world we learn about, all of the mystery of Adrian/ Isolde's relationship, and the continued mystery of the witch history! I loved it all. The ending was a tad odd with Adrian's story changing a bit, and the romance is kind of unbelievable at times, but overall the book was incredibly enjoyable.

Brief Plot (May have Book #1 spoilers): Isolde is now queen, but he has lost her father and homeland in the process. Isolde is now fighting to figure out allies and enemies in her new world, and with mysterious memories popping up, and her growing relationship with Adrian, she cant trust anyone, even her own mind at times.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an eARC audiobook copy of Queen of Myth and Monsters, by Scarlett St. Clair, narrated by Lilly Drake and Curt Bonem. This is my honest review!

Listened to in English.
First of all, thank you to NetGalley for sending me this audiobook. I was really curious about this new story, and even though I wasn't a big fan of Hades & Persephone, I had to give this one a try. So I read volume one, which was ok, as it settles the world.
And then, I could dive into this audiobook. A rapidly, it became a big NO for me.
Nothing happens in the main plot : Adrian and Isolde only fight, disappoint each other, and then their only way to apologize is to have s3x. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind spicy reading, but here, I didn't get the point. No real steamy context, just fighting and then apologizing in the bed. Whatever.
And then, suddenly, you reach 70% of the book, and there, something happens. Not enough for me. I got bored. And I certainly won't read the next volume of this series.
Regarding the narrators, I thought they had pretty voices. But the narrator who told Isolde point of view had a really sweet and soft voice, that I didn't think matched with Isolde's character. She sometimes gave me the feeling that she was on the verge of crying. I had to push up the speed of the telling to find it finally correct.
I'm sorry I didn't like this book, I do feel so as I received it as an ARC, but sometimes books don't find their target, and that was the case for me here...

I received an audiobook Arc by the audiobook publisher Tantor Audio via NetGalley.

DNF @ 30%.

There was absolutely no movement further in the plot other than Adrian and Isolde fighting and then following it up with hardcore sex. It was the same with the first book which I slogged through before moving on to this Arc hoping there would be some kind of plot development but nope, no plot development or character development. It was just argue and then have sex.

I am the sort of person who tries to finish books because I don't like DNFing but 30% into this second book and I had enough!

I made it to 25% of this audiobook before I had to stop. This is my first attempt at a fantasy book on audio and I have found I just cannot focus and pay attention to the storyline. I definitely believe to be a me problem and am excited to get back into the story through the physical book.

Bring on the sexy fantastical smut!

QUEEN OF MYTH AND MONSTERS is the latest in the Adrian X Isolde series, featuring Isolde, the newly coronated Queen. She has finally found a king worthy of her in the vampire Adrian, but their love for each other has cost her both her homeland and her father.

It was so fun to jump back to this series, which picks up right where the first book left off. I loved that Adrian's character was dark and intense, and had a secret past. It had been awhile since I'd read this type of fantasy romance, so I binged it pretty quickly. The audio was great, and the narrator really brought both POVs to life!

*many thanks to Sourcebooks and Tantor Audio for the gifted copy for review

Queen of Myth and Monsters didn’t grip me like Queen of Battle and Blood did. My major takeaway was this novel was more smut and less plot - which isn’t bad it that’s what you are expecting but was a let down for me. Still interested to see where Scarlett St. Clair takes the Adrian X Isolde series. 3/5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had high expectations for this book. I have loved everything I have read by Scarlett St. Clair, but I struggled with this one. I feel like every issue was handled with sex, things never got figured out and were just looked over. I feel like this was a very unhealthy situation, that and sometimes it felt like Isolde didn't have genuine feelings for Adrian. It wasn't super believable for me. I also feel like the pacing for this book was so slow, not much happens until the very end. I did rate this as a 3-star, the idea is there but it could of been a bit better.

I'm going to be honest, this one was difficult to navigate for me. I'll preface by saying this is more to do with the audio book narration than anything else.
It felt different, and I actually really dislike the male VA that was used. I'm going to attempt it again as a physical book since I enjoyed 1 so much, that way I can change my review hopefully!

3.5 stars

Queen of Myth and Monsters is the second book in the Adrian X Isolde series and picks up where the first book ended. I listened to the audiobook of the first book and jumped into the second book with a fresh memory of what happened, but Clair gives a quick summary of the first book to refresh the memory of the readers who waited for the second book's release. The reader will be caught up and ready to continue this wild ride.

Isolde is the new queen to the vampire king and with new discoveries and threats posed to Revekka and Cordova, not only through the deadly blood mist but through loyalties being questioned, Isolde and Adrian have their work cut out for them. Amidst all of this chaos, Isolde and Adrian have their romantic moments but sparks fly when their fights take over.

Both Isolde and Adrian's characters have changed, Isolde reminds me of Persephone in A Touch of Ruin, sometimes she can be a lot to handle. Adrian has become darker and more intense. Once again the narrators nailed it and I loved their narration of the dual POVs.
There were some shocking twists I did not expect and I am looking forward to what happens next.
Not recommended for younger readers - includes mature content.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an audiobook of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t the right book for me, but I can see a lot of fantasy lovers enjoying it. I didn’t finish the book so it may get better. I just enjoy closed door romance before and this was pretty out in the open. The narrator has a great voice and I did like the storytelling elements to it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an Audio ARC of this book! I enjoyed this sequel and for fans of the romance fantasy genre is definitely scratches an itch. It's grittier and darker than a lot of other fantasy romance, which I appreciate, so points for that. I did find myself getting a little lost with the plot at times and I wasn't rooting for the main characters like I usually am. I can't exactly pinpoint why, but I think it has something to do with their dysfunctional relationship. I hate miscommunications and overreactions and Adrian is a walking, talking over-reactor. Ultimately, when I did find the plot again I was intrigued and I will continue with this series. I'm hoping for a strong third in this series and look forward to where the author will take this story.

I really enjoyed the continuation to this series-the history interwoven between this world and then. And it was much spicier which I also enjoyed.
The journey of finding power, betrayal, love just rolled this into a great audio book to start the year!
The narrators were beautiful! I’m ready for book three please!

I was extremely excited about this book. The King of Battle and Blood was the first SSC book that I LOVED with my whole heart. Everything about it was wonderful and I finally found an adult heroine who was capable and everyone knew it. I also adored the relationship that grew between Isolde and Adrian. It was beautiful.

That relationship was crushed into nothing in this book. Every single one of Isolde's relationships with people important to her EXCEPT KILLIAN who treated Isolde terribly the entire first book is destroyed. Why is EVERYONE pushed away EVEN THE FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS but the EX BOYFRIEND is now her BBF?! To say it was disappointing would be mild.
I do not and will never understand the reasoning of pitting all of these women against each other. Why must we constantly make women betray women for power? Why must the 2 main goddesses fight each other? Why does Isolde have to kill her soulmate because ANOTHER WOMAN is controlling him?
I could not get over these plot points.
The obsession with Adrian's beads of cum was also something I could have done without. Especially when through memories we see that Isolde's former self was SURPRISED?! she got pregnant? When she is obsessed with him finishing inside her? Ridiculous.
The positives of this book were returning back to the world. The world building is very fun and though so many elements of this story are the same as For Blood and Ash, (right down to the mist) this story even with the flaws is absolutely better.
I will eagerly read the next book in this series in the hope that there is a plan for all of this female betrayal and that Isolde losing every single female around her has a point besides complete isolation and reliance on men.

These were such fantastic reads! I've heard great things about Scarlett St. Clair's writing, but her other two series are still ongoing, and while this one is, as well, I got book 2 from NetGalley, so I had an added incentive to read this series first! And oh, I had a really excellent time reading them!

These books were so easy to read. I was reading King of Battle and Blood physically, and I was reading for less than an hour-and I'd read around 100 pages. I was just sucked into this world with these characters and their stories, and I couldn't put them down!

This fantasy world of vampires and Goddesses and magic was so interesting to read! The politics and the history, which become more and more relevant as the books go on, to why these characters are acting like they are. I just couldn't get enough!

Queen of Myth and Monsters was so fantastic, there was so much going on, we got Adrian's perspective a few times, we learned so much about these characters, though some of the reveals hurt. A lot. And oh, that ending? That was intense and so very cruel, and I need to know what's going to happen next!

These were so fantastic, and I can't wait for book 3!

Great story and plot, but again, too much sex!
I really enjoy this world, all the creations and how they have come to be. I didn't see the full plot twist at the end (only half) and it's refreshing to not guess how things are going to end.
But I do feel that the sex does not add to the plot but takes away from it.
I wish more time was put into deepening the connection between Adrian and Isolde. It's hard to believe that with all the levels to their relationships that they would be so centered around sex (this is just my opinion).
Overall I like these books and will continue as they come out.

Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair
Publication Date: December 20, 2022
Format: Audiobook

This book picks up shortly after the events of King of Battle and Blood and from there we don’t progress much in terms of plot. In fact it was like a dog chasing its tail except the cycle Adrian and Isolde were stuck in where “fighting and f***ing.” Which would have irritated me a lot less if it hadn’t been pointed out by the characters themselves. I’m not against smut but the scenes were monotonous and repetitive. How many times can one man growl “f***?” If I was Isolde I’d be rolling my eyes. Then again Isolde is the same character who states:

“It almost felt wrong to think about sex in this moment, but it was how I took control of my world, and no matter how dark or terrifying, I needed to reclaim it.”

The overall tone of the book is rather depressing and lacks any sort of excitement or optimism. One example is when Adrian expresses how everyone will betray them at some point, Isolde responds something along the lines of that being a sad existence to which Adrian retorts but it is our existence.
I also found the Isolde in this book wasn’t the Isolde of the first. She spent most of the book being unaccepting until we got to 300 page mark and suddenly everything was roses and sunshine but not before uttering this jem:

“A woman who wants to sleep with my husband does not make her an enemy, Safira. It makes her annoying.”

Adrian didn’t fare much better. He was elusive, brooding and secretive. He apparently has been keeping a number of major secrets from Isolde which attempted to be delivered as plot twists but lacked the depth to land such an achievement.

As for the narrators they were fantastic in terms of delivering the content provided however I don’t think I would have noticed the sheer amount of “I said” then “he said” if I hadn’t been listening to the audiobook (this wasn’t just a me problem this was also a problem pointed out by the person being subjected to the audiobook during a road trip).

Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was a nice continuation of the series. However, I think the plot suffered a little with the amount of spicy scenes in the book. A lot happened and while most was described very well I kept forgetting what was going on, because the plot was interrupted by spicy scenes every few pages. It seemed unfitting at some points. I liked the betrayal parts of the book, they were not too obvious and lifted the plot a little. Overall, I did enjoy the book, but I think the plot should be more of a focus.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 Stars.

I enjoyed the female narrator very much, and I’ll be honest, I am glad a majority of this book is told from Isolde’s perspective. The male narrator is ok, but I think my preference are female narrators. He was decent but not my favorite. I was able to listen to this audio book via the netgalley app. This was also the first time I could listen to a book past x1.75 speed. I listened to this audio book at x2.5 speed and it was clear and did not sound jumbled up. I did not have any issues with speeding up the narration.

I actually enjoyed this middle book. I like how we see Isolde grow power in this book and become more confident with her self. Adrian kinda takes a back seat this book, but I found that to be ok. I will agree with another review I saw, there is a lot of fighting and then smut between Isolde and Adrian and I don’t really feel they developed more of their relationship in this book. We also are told Adrian is not who we think he is. I found this was not explained well. There wasn’t anything said about him I didn’t figure out for myself in the first book. So perhaps more revelations in book three. Or it just really isn’t anything shocking to where I feel like it would ruin his relationships by keeping deep dark secrets. I was honestly expecting something super bad, but it just never happened.

All in all a decent middle book which sees our main character grow and also starts building questions and towards the final battle. Which I assume will be between goddess and Isolde. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a fantasy read.

This book is just WOW! I love both Isolde and Adrian. Their love story is epic and one for the ages. This book really focuses on character development, especially Isolde. So many things happen and she just keeps coming back stronger. More of Adrian's character and motives keep getting exposed layer by layer.

They started out as enemies, but are now passionate lovers that will need to battle their enemies in order to stay alive. These two deserve some happiness. However, it will not come without ferreting out the enemy, war and trust in one another. The sheer amount of obstacles they have had to endure in this life and the previous one is enough to make me literally pray they get their happy ending. We'll just have to wait for book 3.... It's a very good thing that adversity is a recipe for quality spice.

I really enjoy books with a dual POV. Lilly Drake and Curt Bonnem are both excellent narrators and brought Isolde and Adrian to life. The intonation and tone of their voices helped set the stage for this wonderous fantasy world.

5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.

#QueenofMythandMonsters #NetGalley #authorscarlettstclair #tantoraudio

DNF @ 80%

Thank you so much to Bloom Books & Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

This dnf absolutely break my heart. I loved book one. I thought it was angsty and fun and so damn readable. But this book was a huge bummer. I tried so hard to push through because I'm sure there's a big reveal at the end, but the repetitive nature of this was painful.

One of the things I loved about book 1 was the dynamic between the MCs. They grew up on opposites sides of a war with many layers of history. So their intense attractions and chemistry had an almost forbidden quality and left the heroine really inspecting her morals and knowledge of the world.

But after the big revelations in book 1, and the fact that our MCs are now together, I was expecting a NEW dynamic. Instead we got the same cycle and arguments for 100s of pages.

This entire 430 page book can be summed up as:

Adrian & Isolde fight, Isolde storms out, Adrian apologize, make up sex, demon encounter, repeat

Over and over and over and over again....

And it wasn't even new fights. But reworded iterations the same fights. And after awhile I was just annoyed. Rather than push through and give this a low rating, when I know I won't be continuing with the series anyways, I just decided to put it down.

I'm so sad this wasn't a win for me like I was expecting. But not every book is for every reader. Now I just wait for more Hades and Persephone 💙