Man this book just didn’t hit for me. I didn’t like any of our main characters, and the storyline just felt so off. Could not get on with this book at all, and just felt like it wasn’t the one for me.

In Under everyone belongs to one of the six ruling houses. Unless you’re Lydia, and all I can say is wow.

The whole concept is amazing and I can’t get enough. Lydia is a badass who doesn’t give up on fighting and I love it.

I was drawn into Kingsley’s world and ate this whole book up.

I am hoping for more spice in the other books as there was essentially none in this despite claiming to be even spicier than before.

Overall

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I will start by saying I will read anything Kathryn Ann Kingsley writes at this point. Every time I see a new ARC come out I have to request it because I know I’m going to read it in one sitting and this one was no different.

I went into this with high expectations because I had just recently finished the Iron Crystal Series. I started this book and honestly had no idea what was going on in the beginning but once it got going I kind of figured it out. However I think it kind of added to the feeling of how confused our FMC was in the situation she was put in!

Lydia is a forensic autopsy tech and one day she wakes up with a strange tattoo on her…the next thing she knows she’s being hunted down because of the tattoo and taken to a whole other world of monsters and creatures. Not only is she in a strange new world but now she has attracted the attention of the King of Shadows and he’s not willing to let her go. Will she be able to find her way home or is she stuck in the Under for good?

I actually really loved this one and I can’t wait to read the next one! 4/5 stars for me and I would highly recommend this one.

This series has a ton of potential.

Lydia is an interesting character and I actually love her strength and grit. The world building was fascinating and I’m curious about how it will evolve.

That said, from the marketing, I expected more romance. I recognize this is book one and there is more to come but I found myself desiring more, especially with how the overview described the book.

I’d be keen to read book 2 to see how Lydia and her two dark kings develop.

What even was that? Definitely not the book for me. If this hadn't been an ARC via Netgalley I would've DNF'd. I truly hate leaving negative reviews but this was not enjoyable at all. Also, romance where??? Thank you, but no thank you.

3 stars - supposedly fantasy romance but I’ll get to that in the review.

Lydia wakes up with a mysterious tattoo with no memory of receiving it and is later forced through a portal to another world along with her friend Nick, who also woke up with a similar tattoo. Lydia learns this world kidnaps people to join their world, and the people who live there live longer and heal quicker but some people turn into creatures after the transformation. Lydia, meanwhile, is also having strange dreams about the worlds previous king who is due to reawaken.

I really liked the character of Lydia, I found her really funny and thought she remained strong as she went through the whole ordeal of being kidnapped and forced to confront her new reality. I found the story fast paced and easy to read.

The whole idea of the story seemed fascinating but I unfortunately couldn’t seem to click with it. Marketed as a fantasy romance, with this version being darker and spicer than the previous edition, I found no romance in the story and definitely no spice. I disliked the two potential love interests. Edu seemed to have slept with everyone in the kingdom and wanted to kill Lydia and also didn’t speak. Whereas Aon just seemed to want to hurt / torture Lydia and even though it was just a dream it felt real to Lydia.

Some people may enjoy true enemies to lovers / bully romance but I tend to be on the morally gray / misunderstood villain type of romance.

This book was fantastic! Although there was no spice (which is okay, I love fantasy without it too), it does set up potential in the next book and it didn't take away from the plot like a lot of others tend to do these days. This was a great first book in the series as it gives you an introduction to the characters and the world instead of just tossing you in there and expecting you to figure it out as you go. I like a good "setting the stage" type of book when I know there's a series planned. The characters were unique, and overall Kathryn Ann Kingsley did a great job.

“But this little thing? This mortal, who gazed at him in such terrified fascination?
She carried no hatred for him. No innate disgust. She would, soon enough. But for now, she was free of the corruption of the Ancients. He could have fun with this one.
And she was simply far too tempting.”

"I'm a prisoner in a world of monsters, so sue me if I have questions."

Loved it !! Absolutely brilliant!! Wonderful dark fantasy romance book where the romance is not there yet but all the seeds are there, ready to bloom!!! Wow !! We have Lydia, a forensic autopsy tech, waking up one morning with a red and itchy tattoo on her arm and a vampire corpse at work? what is that? Until she is kidnapped alongside her friend to the Under, a world similar to Hell, with monsters and creatures as hot and they are dangerous but which cannot reproduce themselves. So mortals are selected by the gods to undergo the Ceremony of the Fall and be part of their community. Only Lydia is not like the others? Why? Well, for starters she is visited in her dreams by a lord calling himself Aon, who’s as handsome as scary. And sooner rather than later she will find herself in the middle of a situation she really does not want to be part of. This book was dark, funny, entertaining, interesting and oh so unique !!! It felt a lot like getting back to the iron crystal series but this time with even a slower slow burn!!! Although I still don’t have enough information about the romance itself so … I find myself ever very intrigued !!! The writing style was very easy to read and the plot and action felt as effortless to get through as breathing!!! I read it in one sitting !!! And I already need more!!

“You are stronger than this, I can feel it.
Fight. Fight, Lydia. You and I are not yet done."

“This one was certainly not vermin.
How he wanted her.”

4.5 stars: Kathryn Ann Kingsley has been and will always remain a favorite author of mine. I liked the main female character in King of Flames and felt the fully revised edition only made this story better, spicier and darker. Bravo great work on the new edition

Wow. What a unique story. I devoured this book and am looking forward to book 2!
I give it 2 out of 5 on spice. There is banter, and brief descriptions of others, but no scenes with the main character and no heavy details. Seems like it’s lining up for more spice in subsequent books.
I loved the book, the unique story, the creature and world building. Dark book with well balanced story line.
Book ends on a soft cliffhanger and leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

I was given an advanced copy in exchange for my review, this is my honest opinion given voluntarily. The plot and idea for this book was exciting and new, however, the writing style and over explanation of everything really needed work. There is so much build up and hardly any explanation, the tone versus the dialogue did not match up. I had a really hard time finishing this. There was no character development, also a lot of telling how a character should act but not a lot of showing. For example a main side character is supposed to be her bestfriend and got sucked into this thing with her, yet she goes on a lot of dialogue and adventures alone with said bestfriend running the other way. There was a lot of idea behind it just no execution. With the writing style the way it is I do not feel the need to further read the series.