This was such an engaging read! I had such a great time getting to know this world and these characters, and what was going on, what with him conquering her continent, basically, and all these events and results from that.

This book kicks things off with a bang, with her kingdom being taken over. That it then quickly goes to her being a slave, mining during the day and being horribly abused during the night, yeah, that was hard and so infuriating that she was going through it, not to mention that when she obtained the means of being able to leave, it's not honoured because the leader is obsessed with her.

So it makes sense that she's desperate to leave, to the point where she tries to make off with the king's dragon. Which of course didn't go as planned, but oh, I couldn't get enough! That she's got the power that he's looking for, yeah that complicates the situation.

That he wants her to be part of his army, to face the threat that was why he's done what he's done, for the dragons, yeah, is warring with the fact that he's why her father is dead, not that he knows that, because while he recognizes her, he doesn't remember from where. That they're also attracted to each other, just made the whole situation a tangle of emotions that I couldn't get enough of. Oh, but that ending? I'm anticipating seeing what happens next!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait for the sequel!

This is a steamy fantasy romance with lots of trigger warnings.

Calista is orphaned at 15 as a product of a forced takeover of her father's kingdom and ends up enslaved in the desert mines of the King that killed her family. A lesser of two evils, Calista travels back with the king to his palace so she can plot an easier escape. Lots of steam in this series, but I think this is the steamiest of them and also has the most trigger warnings. Almost every chapter that starts with the Death King has him sitting by the fire reading. The only exceptions are when they are not in his palace. Calista seems to suffer from a bit of Stockholm Syndrome, so proceed with caution. I will definitely continue reading this series, but I hope there isn't as much scene repetition in the future installments.

The audio narration was pretty good, but occassionaly the female narrator does the wrong voice and doesn't really change her voice at all for Kahzmuda.



Triggers: rape, dubcon, noncon, SA, abuse

I'm never one to warn about trigger warnings... SA and suicidal ideation abound in this one.

Now, with that out of the way, I still enjoyed this one for the most part. Talon was pushy about sex, but still sensitive about her past SA - and that was nicer than he could have been. Dragons and a sexy necromancing death king. A badass FMC who stands strong in the face of everything stacked against her. That's what I loved most about this book. Calista is a damn fierce woman! Can't wait to see where she goes from here.

Read the trigger warnings. This is not for everyone;
A very steamy read from the beginning, but it covers a time when the MFC is a minor and the abuse she goes through. So the story goes on and she keeps saying no, but as we've seen when a man makes up his mind that is the only option.
I tired giving this book 2 chances from the beginning but stopped half way each time.
While not the book for me, the blurb is a perfect summary of the book. Please read it, and reread it to know what you're going into.

2.5 Stars Rounded

This was sadly a miss for me. The pacing and character development were all over the place. There was limited world building, so when some background was shared it felt out of place. There was soooooooo much telling with little showing. I didn’t connect with either character. Their relationship was strained and full of gaslighting moments, which made their many spicy scenes feel forced and not authentic. The only parts I really enjoyed were the ones with Khazmuda (the dragon).

There were pros and cons to the narrators. The female narrator did a good job with Calista’s voice, but I had a hard time differentiating between her male voices. I wasn’t always sure if Khazumda was talking or the king. The male narrator’s voice didn’t match how I imagined the Death King would sound. I expected something deeper based on his introduction.

I got this one on audio after seeing an overall 4.4 rating on Goodreads. Before I talk story let me briefly discuss the audio aspects. This book has dual narration. Ramona Master reads for Calista, and Michael Ferraiuolo reads for Talon. (*Note, I'm not entirely sure about spellings since I don't have a physical copy of this book to double check.) I liked Ramona Master better than Michael Ferraiuolo. Although the panic and fear were audible in Ramona Master's narration of Calista's emotions (as well as her other emotions), sometimes I felt her performance was a bit too exaggerated in places for me. Michael Ferraiuolo was a little bit of a struggle. I liked his voice for Khazmuda better than her regular voice for Talon. Sorry, the voice didn't seem to fit the character to me.

Now let me say that I have no idea how The Death King has such a high overall rating on Goodreads. Who are you people rating this mess as 5 Stars? First, the most obvious pet peeve of mine is language. There's no need for every 3rd word to be the f-word. But I guess when the characters are on each other like rabbits throughout the book one page of sexual content turns right to the next page, language like that is somewhat expected. I mean it was constant. I began to wonder what happened to the actual story there for a bit. And the descriptive terms used made me cringe. Perhaps that isn't too surprising. I have a lower tolerance for this than probably most people but yeesh. And this is made worse by the fact that Calista spent 7 years being raped daily before being freed from General Titan's captivity. Yet the man who destroyed her life and basically turned her into his own whore is supposed to erase all the trauma she's endured? When she finally has the power to say yes or no she's going to give it up so freely and be treated no better because he claims he's not going to hurt her during sex even though his restraint is not because he wants to restrain himself. I mean how are we supporting this, people? How is this 5 Stars?

And then Khazmuda basically vouches for Talon with Calista. "There's more to him than you understand. He is so hurt he isn't the same person he used to be. His story is so painful it can't be recounted without being relived." Yet come to find out, his story is exactly the same as Calista's except there's a different villain featured in his. I was thankful that this was at least brought up and not completely ignored. Yet it doesn't change anything.

I was so intrigued by the description. The Death King kills Calista's family, and she's sent to servitude until it's discovered that she can talk to dragons which is an ability much needed. The Death King would then need to get Calista to come to his side. Surely there would be some reason for his actions that can't be seen. It is possible. Rhys turned out to be the good guy after all. And bonding with dragons turned out awesome in Fourth Wing . But no. Not much happened in the entire plot that can't be summed up by this short paragraph. Well except that Titan is missing and it should be assumed he's going to hook up with the shamans to get a dragon for himself to steal Calista back from Talon.

Despite being intrigued by the minuscule plot, I will not be returning to this series. Any possible redemption for any of the characters isn't worth trudging through this much language, sexual content, and terrible decisions. The Death King gets 2 Stars... *the miniscule plot saving it from an entire DNF. Have you read (or listened to) The Death King ? What did you think? Let me know!

P.S. Where in the world did the necromancy pieces fit in? So weird.

*Let it be known that I skipped ahead during certain scenes...multiple times. It was just way too much.

I listened to the audiobook version of The Death King by Penelope Barsetti, and unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. There were several issues that left me disappointed, from the plot to the character dynamics to the audiobook itself.

First off, the overall plot felt underdeveloped and lacked direction. The story lost serious momentum in the middle, and I found myself waiting for something to truly hook me. The pacing was uneven, with no clear narrative driving the story forward, which made it hard to stay engaged.

One of my biggest issues was with the male main character (MMC) and his treatment of the female main character (FMC). His blatant disregard for her trauma and boundaries was incredibly problematic. The way he dismissed her pain and crossed lines felt insensitive, with a toxic “but you came, so you must have liked it” attitude that I simply couldn’t get behind. It’s a huge red flag for me, and it made it difficult to root for the relationship at all.

The FMC’s inner monologue didn’t help matters either—it felt flat and one-dimensional. There was little emotional depth to her thoughts, which made it hard to connect with her on any meaningful level. As for the MMC, he came across as nothing more than an arrogant prick, completely dismissive of boundaries. His attitude throughout the book was a major turn-off.

The audiobook voice acting didn’t do the story any favours either. The voice of the FMC made the character seem too juvenile, and the MMC’s voice actor sounded too old and lifeless for the role, which really took away from his character. Both performances fell flat and didn’t help to bring any spark or emotion to the story.

In the end, The Death King just wasn’t for me. The lack of a strong plot, the toxic dynamic between the characters, and the uninspired audiobook performance all contributed to a frustrating experience. If you’re looking for a romance with emotional depth and respectful character dynamics, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

“The Death King” by Penelope Barsetti is a mixed bag for me. While I enjoyed the intriguing concept of dragon bonding and the slow-burn conflict between the main characters, the book’s dark themes and problematic dynamics were hard to overlook. The main male character’s behavior was often excused because of his attractiveness, which felt cringy and unsettling. Despite these issues, the ending was satisfying enough to make me consider reading the sequel.

The audiobook narration didn’t quite match the characters’ vibes, which detracted from the overall experience. The female narrator’s voice was too fierce for the character’s story, while the male narrator’s performance lacked the dark, seductive tone needed for the Death King. Overall, while the book had potential with its plot twists and fiery romance, it fell short in character development and pacing.

The Death King
By Penelope Barsetti
Narrated by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo
2.5-3 ⭐️

This book is irritating. There’s so much I love about this book, and I equally dislike everything else. Triggers are for dark themes such as rape and suicide - there is also on page SA (that’s paraded as “okay” because she liked it) and relentless, narcissistic refusal to accept the word no. The themes themselves don’t bother me - I don’t have many triggers myself. I just flat out didn’t like how the MMC was propped up as “better” than the FMCs rapist because he’s hot. His behavior is fairly parallel, and the FMC is attracted to him so it’s okay - like what??? It’s hard not to see it as cringy.

I’m a fairly seasoned Barsetti reader and generally enjoy their books as an entertaining good time. I loved the dragons and the bonding aspect of this story. I liked the ending a lot - enough I still may check out book 2. I liked FMC’s spunk when she wasn’t being sexually pursued or getting laid. She was 2 different characters in those separate situations. She didn’t push back after the MMC did very not okay things to her. She was the quintessential narcissist’s mark. She often found fault in herself and excused his behavior. The book never really calls this out in a real way. The MMC talks about how she fits his fantasies of compliant women - ick - and that’s about it. Then when they weren’t in a bedroom, she pushed back and put the MMC in his place. The whiplash wasn’t enjoyable. Overall their dynamic wasn’t something I enjoyed. I don’t like the overall excusal of his behavior throughout the book.

The audiobook: these narrators have narrated many of Barsetti’s books. Normally I like their performances. For this book, the FMCs vibe didn’t match the voice given to her. She was narrated as far more fierce, spunky, and sassy than her story - her voice didn’t match her words. The MMC was the opposite. He was voiced fairly neutral. He has a temper and doesn’t like being challenged. The narration didn’t really match that. I had a hard time with this throughout the story.

I would only recommend this book with some strong disclaimers with my issues. It’s a quick read so there isn’t a huge time commitment. It is entertaining. It is also problematic at best.

Thank you NetGalley, Penelope Barsetti, and Dreamscape media for this audiobook ARC.

It was a great read. Kept me captivated. The narrator’s did a great job. I am looking forward to the sequel.

This was a spicy dark romance! This audio sounded great, but I would have loved it reading instead. This was a great slow burn and would recommend to anyone!

My rating: ⭐⭐✨ (2,5 stars)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (read trigger warning!)

The Death King by Penelope Barsetti is an intriguing dark romance with an intense concept, particularly around dragon bonding and the slow-burn conflict between the main characters. When the plot finally kicks into gear, the story delivers some interesting twists and more depth than you might initially expect. However, getting to that point can be a bit of a slog. The pacing is slow for much of the book, and though the last quarter brings some much-needed plot development and character growth, the earlier sections struggle to maintain momentum.

While dark and spicy romance fans might enjoy this, the writing style during the steamier scenes often takes away from the tension, using language that feels unintentionally humorous or clunky. Effusive mentions of the size of the Death King's member (in both internal monologue, all the time) is one of many examples that made me laugh at the ridiculousness the first five times, and then just sigh after. The overuse of phrases like "veins like rivers" and sentences like "My fat ego was now almost as big as my d" turn what should be sultry into something that's hard to take seriously.

As for the audiobook, it doesn’t help matters. Ramona Master’s narration, while clear, often sounds overly emotional or like she’s irritated at everything, which doesn’t fit the tone of the character she’s voicing. Michael Ferraiuolo’s performance as the Death King, unfortunately, doesn’t land either, coming off as more disdainful and haughty than dark and seductive. For a story meant to draw you into a tense, passionate dynamic, the audiobook didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Well ain’t that some sh** How you do that to me?! Wow just wow. It was a little slow for me at the beginning but boy did that change quick! This is a really good book. I enjoyed it a lot and I promise all that reads this review you will too.

Since I don’t want to give anything away this is going to be a short and vague review. Like you have to read it going in blind is best.
Some triggers in it…darkish but not anywhere I thought it would be.
As this is an Audio review let me tell you narrators did an awesome job bringing this story to life. I felt her pain and her hatred. He thought his pain was the only pain that mattered but how wrong he is.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me this ARC for an honest review.

This book was very easy to follow and the romantic scenes decent but fiery. I think the overall plot had some good twists but most of it was predictable, and it seemed somewhat under-developed. I think this would have been unable to put down if the author described more of the world they lived in and the tumid of emotions that the main character had - along with her interpersonal connections to her friend and then eventual lover. The narrator was really into the acting as well - sometimes overly so with how she was reading the book - but it did seem to captivate me more during certain parts. I'd give her 4 stars. The male narrator did a good job - 5 stars.

Spoilers:
There were some parts to the romance that were cringe worthy - like how pushy the male character was despite the female characters explicit wishes to not become romantically involved. Especially after what she had been through.
The dragon interaction was underwhelming - like what extra powers do the main characters get once "fused" and where was the long drawn out process of Calista and her dragon fusing after he said he would refuse?
What happened to her friend from the pit that she freed in her place after finding the diamond? We never heard from her again.

I think this book had a lot of potential to be great but if just fell short for me in some areas.

I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately it was a miss. I’m a dark fantasy, dark romance reader, but this just didn’t quite find the lines. There were pieces that were good, tropes had me reeled in, but I just wasn’t engaged, and too many icks I just couldn’t come back from. I really appreciate the ALC opportunity and look forward to trying another one!

Devoured the Audio today.
This Does have some trigger warnings but not really graphic or descriptive during those moments. Just beware there is some physical violence and rape but again not gory or very descriptive just be aware.
Love this story of the Death King. I found the plot pretty interesting and was totally immersed into this world listening to it today.
Holy Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Talon is everyone’s favorite Villain bad boy. Loved every moment. I am loving my Dragon Era. I am here for it 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

No, absolutely NOT! So I love the whole "I took your life away and now you're mine" trope as well as dragons, but when the Death King began to touch her while she was still asleep AFTER she had been SA'd for years...dude, wtf? Also, calling it a "honeypot" is so unattractive. Everything about this book is an ick factor, which is so disappointing, because I've loved books by this author before. NEVER. AGAIN.

Oof! What a book. This reminded me of Fourth Wing mixed with The Golden Dynasty which I had mixed reviews on and to be honest, I enjoyed this current book a lot more than I would have thought.
Our fmc went through some TOUGH heavy TW’s, and for that my stomach twisted as I read through it, heavy on the assault TW there. Our two mc’s had a lot of spicy scenes which I enjoyed, but as a plot driven girl I neeeeed a bit more of a storyline. However, I LOVED the world of this. The world building might have been my most favourite aspect of this book, aswell as the overall concept. Thank you NetGalley for this audio arc!

This was a little different from Barsetti's last series. It was still my beloved smut but it was a little bit um... more non consensual than I like. I was not expecting the ending. As always I love the narration. More please.

I think should have DNF’d this one. Sorry but if the MMC says “I’ll never force you” then continues to harass the FMC and do things that the FMC didn’t consent to? And then said “you liked it so I’m not sorry.” It would be different if he actually waited for her consent and wooed her.

Maybe I didn’t realize what type of book I requested, but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook.