ARC Review: The Blood King by Abigail Owens

My Review:

The second book in the Inferno Rising series, The Blood King centers around Skylar, one of the quadruplets whose mother was the last know phoenix of their time. Now deceased, she passed her powers onto her daughters. At the start of The Blood King, Skye attempts to save her sister Kasia (the protagonist in the first book), who she believes is being held against her will. Skylar finds out quickly that her sister is actually happily mated to a dragon shifter. She also meets Ladon, the handsome blood king.

Legend says that the dragon who mates with a phoenix will become king, so Skylar is suspicious of Ladon’s intentions. Ladon knows that mating with a Phoenix will solidify his standing as leader, but that isn’t the only reason he wants Skylar. He won’t deny their chemistry. Skylar knows that an alliance with Ladon will protect her and her sisters from the villain who killed their mother. Can she put her prejudices and suspicions aside to help those she loves, and can she embrace the fact that she may have found her mate?

This is an exciting and fun romance. I love Skylar’s sarcastic, impulsive, and tough demeanor. Fiercely loyal to her sisters, she is a no-nonsense, honest, and stubborn woman who is used to being in control, and she doesn’t like the whirlwind of emotions she feels when she’s with Ladon. No one has ever affected her the way he does, and she struggles to keep her feelings in check.

Ladon is patient, strong, and confident. He knows when to act and when to listen. His relationship with his sister and his followers show what an amazing leader he is. He trusts and depends on them implicitly, and their unfailing loyalty to him says much about his capabilities and his leadership. He puts his people above everything else and is willing to sacrifice for those he loves.

It is clear that Ladon is the first to realize how amazing he and Skylar could be together. In her, he sees a partner and equal, one who he can share his life with. He just has to convince the reluctant phoenix that they were made for each other. His patience and understanding with Skylar throughout their blossoming relationship endears me to him even more.

The antagonist in the story stands in sharp contrast to Skylar and Ladon. He is vicious and ruthless, willing to sacrifice anything for power. His ambition corrupted him long ago, and he commits some horrific deeds in the name of power. He is a loathsome, vile dragon-shifter who does some pretty terrible things, and I’m curious to see how the quadruplets and their mates deal with him in the next book.

The Blood King is a well-paced and interesting story filled with nail-biting action, excellent character development, amazing world-building, and some really cool powers. I love the sisterly bond and how important the quadruplets are to each other. Dragons, witches, shifters, evil villains, and epic love stories make this a series worth reading! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Entangled for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• Dragons!!! All different sizes, shapes, and colors!!!
• The romance. Ladon and Skye have great chemistry, and they work so effortlessly as a team.
• The world-building. There are many supernatural beings, places, and events that fascinated me.

Recommendations:

Readers who enjoy fantasy/romance with a strong, kick-ass female protagonist and the dragon king who loves her will enjoy this story. Though it is the second in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone.