First Published: 2019
Contains spoilers
The Blurb: Necros, the most rebellious of the vampir kings, has carried a burning hatred for the one who forced him into this undead existence centuries ago. Abused, betrayed, cheated, he trusts none of any species, especially Guin, a dethroned mortal queen who appears out of nowhere and feeds his paranoia, and his darkest fantasies. At best she attempts to control him, at worst she tries to kill him. For some reason he does not understand, Necros is compelled to let her live. But he believes she is manipulative, and a liar; Guin sees him as brutal, stubborn, impossible! Encounters turn ugly as violence, bitterness and haunting memories drive both of them. Guin has her own agendas, and the more she struggles to actualize them, the further away her goals recede. A few vampirii endeavor to build a bridge between the two combatants, but others with sinister plans are bent on hindering a truce. This downward-spiralling dynamic reels towards a dire conclusion that neither Necros nor Guin seem able to halt.
Savagery of the Rebel King—Vol 4 in the exciting Thrones of Blood series—is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride in a plot that twists and turns and threatens to spin out of control. Readers will be glued to their seats!
The Review: As the blurb says this is vol 4 of a series. My review of the first book of the series is hosted at Vamped. I have read volumes 2 and 3 but, unfortunately, at the time of writing I cannot link to those reviews as they were done for Vamped, who have not published them as of yet. I am sure they will be posted eventually but until then trust that I rated book 2 as highly as book 1 and thought book 3 the best of the series thus far when I wrote the review.
The books are set in an Earth that I assume is in the future. Split into Sapiens cities and Vampirii strongholds, the feel is medieval as though a great deal of science has been lost. The vampirii are blood drinkers who will perish in sunlight but have permanent, black feathered wings and expressionless, though beautiful, faces. Through the volumes we have had the birth of several hybrids and, again, hybrid children are at the centre of this story and the volume makes it clear that they are very possibly the key to the overarching plot.
Where the third volume perhaps let us see a wider vista of plots and intrigue at a kingdom level, this volume narrows once more with a focus on the smallest of the vampirii kingdoms we have seen and its king, Necros. The book tightens in on him and his captured Sapiens’ Queen, now slave, Guin. It has its share of sexual violence portrayed, which more sensitive readers should be warned about – that said, if you are at book 4 then this will neither be a surprise or shock.
With regards the wider story, we get a little revealed as these two characters dance around the prose with a relationship perhaps more dysfunctional than any shown in the other volumes. Indeed I think we have received our biggest clue regarding the ghosts that haunt the mountain caverns and just what they want. This is boiled down into one word… that I won’t spoil… A worthy addition to the series, book 3 remains my favourite volume thus far but this adds a key ingredient to the series. 8 out of 10.
In Paperback @ Amazon US
In Paperback @ Amazon UK
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