I have mixed feelings about this sequel. I can't deny I enjoyed it, as evidenced by the fact I binge read it in a day. We have some chapters with Adrian's POV in this one, which I enjoyed. If I'm fully transparent, I don't gel 100% with the narrator chosen for his POV but that's probably just me. I also really liked Isolde's character development throughout this book, she definitely has that female rage necessary for her to become a badass FMC. That being said, and I can't believe I'm saying this (because I truly do prefer my books spicy and typically the more the better), but I felt like the spicy scenes in this one, while still really good, were a lil gratuitous! Given what is revealed about Isolde and Adrian's relationship, I can understand why the author didn't spend a ton of time building up their relationship but I would've still liked to see more of it than what was included. I feel like that would've helped me connect with them more and be more invested in their relationship. As is, I feel like, a lot of the time, sex was used as "the easy way out" in order to avoid addressing the real issues between them. While I don't expect a huge developed plot with this type of book, I also felt like the plot suffered a bit in this one versus book 1. Some "big problems" were just resolved way too easily hahaha. That being said, I still have questions that need answers and will clearly be reading the next book to see what happens.

Content warnings are provided at the beginning of the audiobook and include: violent themes such as rape, assault, torture, infant loss. It also lists resources for anyone who might be struggling, which I though was a really nice and thoughtful touch.

Rating: 3.75 stars/5 (rounded to 4)

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Tantor Audio and RB media for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

I received this book as an ARC from netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

If you want a series that has immaculate smut and world building, this is for you. Wow. 10/10. You need to read this book.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting Queen of Myth and Monsters after devouring King of Battle and Blood.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it suffers from middle book syndrome in that we end up with so many more questions than answers offered. That being said, there were some surprises in here that I was NOT ready for including a certain betrayal that hurt like hell.

I loved that the banter and angst between Adrian and Isolde was still top notch even though now they are settling into married life and are no longer enemies. I really enjoyed watching Isolde remember more about her past and abilities. What I didn’t enjoy so much was Adrian’s constant need to treat Isolde as a fragile object including hiding key information from her.

All in all, I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series, and I have a funny feeling that this author is going to continue to rip my heart out along the way.

This book. I received an audiobook arc, and I mostly read e-books, so I am curious if my opinion of it will change after I read the kindle version. The problem I have noticed with audiobooks is that they highlight grammatical errors and editing issues. St. Clair should fire her editor for not catching the repetitive phrasing, which is frankly unacceptable. I am an editor by chance, and it's not even my main job. The first thing I do beyond basic spelling and grammar is check for repetition - words and phrases used repeatedly. And this book fails with a CAPITAL F.

I want to give a shout-out to the narrator. She was fantastic, and her voice was soothing, but I do have to wonder if she got exhausted saying "she said, she said, she said, she said" over and over again. It was like nails grating on a chalkboard. It also frequently took me out of the story because it also meant that the dialogue was without any other characteristics.

This book also falls victim to the second in a trilogy trope. Authors must stop listening to their publishers when they tell them to break up the story into three parts. Nothing happens in this book besides a massive 300+ page tantrum thrown by Isolde. I liked her in the first book, but by the end of the second book, I was hoping that Adrian would put her out of her misery. She bitched the entire time and started random fights with him that didn't progress the plot other than to show that she has no emotional sobriety.

We get several reveals, but frankly, they weren't well executed, and the author left them on the table.

I am still planning on reading this book because I am curious if I will feel differently processing it differently. I do think the audio listening affects my world-building capabilities. It's just a different way of taking in information and, unfortunately for me highlighted the terrible editing. Look, dialogue is hard to write. I couldn't 100% say that if I sat down and wrote some, it would be perfect, but that's what the editor and the alpha readers are there for - to point out these areas for improvement.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. The narrator was great and cohesive with the first book in this series. I loved the first book and this one moved the plot forward great, but was definitely a slower pace than the first book. There was more world building this time around and it ends with a clear setup for the next installment. I’d recommend if you loved the first book and these characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Scarlett St. Clair has become one of my absolute favorite authors! Her characters are wonderful and the worlds she creates are immersive and amazing. I love Isolde and loved this book so much! I cannot wait for the next book or for anything else Scarlett publishes.

Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook!

This book picks up right after the ending of KoBB. Isolde and Adrian have to fight battles on many fronts while also balancing their relationship.

I wanted to love this book but I just didn't. It definitely feels like the second book in a series. Lots of action but somehow it still feels like nothing happens. Just a ton of world building with smut interspersed with little to no connection to the plot. The audiobook has a bonus chapter at the end that is a winter holiday special.

The cover is gorgeous! The narrators are the same as the first book. No complaints! I can hear some feedback occasionally but it doesn't ruin it for me.

💙 Queen of Myth and Monsters Audiobook ARC Review 💙

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Scarlett St Clair for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook!!

Queen of Myth and Monsters is the second book in the Adrian X Isolde series by Scarlett St Clair! This story picks up right where King of Battle and Blood picks up and I loved getting to spend more time with Isolde and Adrian, her sexy vampire! I loved where this story went after the ending of KoBB!!!

The narrators are the same as the KoBB audiobook. I enjoyed their pacing, emotions and portrayal of the story! While I want to leave this review as spoiler-free as possible, I can honestly say that there were lots of twists that I didn’t see coming and I loved every minute of it!!

Just like KoBB, this book has delightful spice and a plot that sucks you in!! I loved the additional depths we saw in the relationship between Adrian and Isolde, as well as with the side characters that I fell in love with in KoBB

Overall, this is a five star read for me, I adored KoBB and Queen of Myth and Monsters lived up to the first! Four flames for spice - this book was just as delicious as the first!! If you loved the first installment in this series, you will not be disappointed in Queen of Myth and Monsters!!

This review will also be posted on Amazon upon release!

After reading and enjoying King of Battle and Blood, I was so excited to get an ALC of this one. I have a slight obsession with vampire books.

Though this one missed the mark for me. It was overly steamy. I remember book one being filled with lots of tension, this was next level. It’s much more smut than plot and I need more plot.

I was so excited to jump into this sequel. I loved the first book and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. Unfortunately, I just didn’t like this one as much. I felt like the plot was just underwhelming. I will still pick up the next book to come out because I do like the story. I just felt this was not nearly as good as book 1.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This definitely reads like the middle book in a series- you need the background of book one, and there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered in the third book. Lots of twists at the end of the book - it’s going to be hard to wait until 2024 to see how this all plays out.

There is a devastating death, an even more devastating betrayal that I was definitely not expecting, a “twist” I definitely WAS expecting, and lots of cliffhangers.

As expected, I really enjoyed the the love hate dynamic between Adrian and Isolde. He gives off the classic “touch her and you die” vibe. However there was less of their relationship in this book than there was in King of Battle & Blood.

Very early in the book there is a battle where Isolde is bitten by a creature reminiscent of a werewolf, and gained new abilities as a shifter. I would have loved to see more of Isolde learning how to shift and spending time in that form. The battle scenes in this book were great.

I loooove Soren. Definitely my favorite character in this series. I liked Adrian less in this book - probably because of how many secrets he keeps from Isolde - like she is a child.

This book was more balanced than the first in terms of plot and smut - but some of the smutty scenes still felt a little random. Not that I am really complaining. They are just a little awkward on audio when there isn’t a lot of pretext.

Overall a solid read that was very enjoyable - I liked this one better than the first, as the action really picked up!

👏🏼👏🏼𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 to readers who enjoy fantasy romance with battle and betrayal.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

5⭐️ 3🌶️

I finished the audiobook about an hour ago and I’m still feeling a little shell shocked. I loved this book so much, I love these characters so much!

Scarlett does such an amazing job of writing characters I care deeply about. I have become so invested in Isolde and Adrian’s relationship and I was so excited to read about how things would change now that she wasn’t fighting her attraction to him and embraced their relationship.

I love Isolde, her fighting spirit, and her eagerness to protect others even when it mean endangering herself. But sometimes she would frustrate me with her impulsive decisions and explosive temper. Then I realised that despite learning more about the history of her soul, she is actually quite young. I think she grew a lot in this book. She was willing to ask others for help, find sympathy for those who scare her, and forgive others who have wronged her in the past. My heart broke for the betrayals she is still trying to recover from in the last book and broke again as she and Adrian were betrayed again by those closest to them.

After the last book Adrian could do no wrong in my eyes. He was the perfect morally grey character who would burn the world for his love. In this book we really got to understand his ruthless strategy and prioritising usefulness instead of things like loyalty. I would get so defensive whenever Isolde lashed out at him in anger, but sometimes he really did deserve it. I still love him to bits though and can probably justify away any of his actions.

This book ended so abruptly. I am now desperate for the next one. But the bonus chapter at the end was a little bittersweet but really helped wind me down.

Lilly Drake did a fantastic job of narrating. I love listening to her. Curt Bonnem’s voice is amazing too and had me wishing we had more chapters from Adrian’s POV.

I was given an Arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my goodness! I finished this book in 24 hours! I was so looking forward to this one and it did NOT disappoint. I love how everything Scarlett writes sucks you in from the first chapter and doesn’t let you go until it’s over!!

5/5 stars! Will be buying a physical copy for my shelf and will definitely be recommending this to everyone.

I absolutely loved listening to this book. I've been eagerly awaiting the second in this series and it did not disappoint. I commend Lilly Drake and Curt Bonnem for doing an excellent job narrating and bringing the story to life.

I love the bickering of Adrian and Isolde. There was so much growth and development with these two characters in this book. It was a roller coaster of emotions throughout the entire book diving into Adrian's and Isolde's past lives. 5 stars!!!

I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book, so that I can add it to my collection.

Starting off right where we left off in KBB, this sequel answers A LOT of pertinent questions in regards to Adrian and Isolde's past. The action was there from the beginning, and I truly enjoyed how there was almost no down time. My only complaint comes with Isolde's powers (hard to explain without spoilers atm). It almost feels like Scarlett tried a little too hard to make her this all powerful badass. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE her, but I do think some aspects introduced in QMM seemed a bit forced for no reason. However, the spice is exactly what one might expect from a Scarlett St. Clair book, and I'm here for it. 🥵

There's a few twists in the book, one of which I feel like you can see coming from a mile away, while another slapped me pretty hard right at the end. All in all, the ending didn't feel like a cliff hanger, which I appreciate, and yet at the same time does leave me excited for what comes next!

5/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶️

Whelp, this book may have unalived me... I'm gutted. It was fantastic and heart-wrenching and everything I was hoping for. I loved what answers we got, the questions we started asking and I fell even more in love with Adrian and Isolde. I did receive this as an audiobook arc and was quite impressed with the narrating, especially Lilly Drake.

I really loved all the character development we got from QOMM, especially from the side characters. I loved watching Adrian and Isolde grow, their banter was perfect. Isolde is so young in this lifetime, at times in the beginning she was a bit whiny and immature... However, I felt as the book went on she really grew and started truly embracing her role as Queen. I also really loved Killian's growth. I despised him for so much of KOBB and found myself quite fond of him by the end of this one.

There's a lot of suspense and action. I will say, you'll want to grab some tissues and a punching bag, because the amount of utter betrayal in this story will cut you to the bone.... We find out so much about the book and what their roles are in the future of the kingdom. One of my favorite parts was when Isolde gathered an army and the events surrounding that. It felt like such a turning point in her rule as queen.

I can't wait to see where we head in the next (and final?) book in this series.

Queen of Myth & Monsters (Adrian X Isolde #2) by Scarlett St. Clair Narrated by Lilly Drake; Curt Bonnem (audiobook review)

Since this is the second book in the series, I came into this reading blind. The plot was easy to follow even though I hadn't read the first book. There is something delicious about the love story between Adrian and Isodle. If you love spice, this audiobook definitely has plenty, but it is so much more. Scarlett St. Clair's writing is atmospheric and captivating.

Lilly Drake and Curt Bonnem are both to be commended for bringing the story to life with their excellent narration. Listeners are immediately immersed in the story due to the amazing voices. Whenever I see books with vampires, I get excited and can't wait to pick them up. The audiobook did not disappoint, and I am eagerly awaiting the release of book three.

Queen of Myth & Monsters (Adrian X Isolde #2) audiobook is available on December 20th.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Recorded Books for sharing this audiobook with me. This is a story you don't want to miss.

#Queenof MythAndMonsters #ScarlettStClair #LillyDrake #CurtBonnem

A wonderful follow up, and somehow this one builds on the world and the characters even more. AND THE SPICE! but how dare Scarlett end the book this way, IT IS A CRIME.