King of the Dark: A dark MM high fantasy (Prince's Assassin Book 1)

I had a hankering for gay hanky-panky in a fantasy setting, so when I happened upon this series by Ariana Nash, I decided to give it a try. I've never read much in the romance genre, so the start was an adjustment, mostly because of my snotty intellect. But once I got over myself and got into the story - and it wastes no time, as the book is very character-driven - I found myself devouring the chapters, desperate to know what happens next. I realized that many of my prejudices about this genre are unjustified; I truly loved being immersed in a fantasy story that features unabashedly gay men who have NFSW sex, yet also delivers a compelling story and satisfying world-building, though I did want to know more about the elves and the war, as well as the land itself - a good sign that the author caught my attention. Nash doesn't fill in much back-history on her world, at least not in this first installment, and I'm eager to learn about it. Her protagonist, Niko is a traumatized war veteran returned from a long-standing struggle against an elven invasion (evil elves are so cool, and Nash's are truly demonic) whose loose cannon of a mouth gets him into serious trouble when he's abducted into servitude by Prince Vasili of Caville, the cunningly cruel heir to an extremely dysfunctional dynasty plagued by an ages-old curse. Vasili humiliates Niko publicly while secretly using him to infiltrate the palace and uncover who's plotting to assassinate the prince; the surfeit of candidates…

Nash does not disappoint with her latest book, the first in a new trilogy. Like the Silk & Steel trilogy, and Primal Sin (waiting on the sequel), King of the Dark is not a fluffy romance. It is full of angst and betrayal at every turn. In some ways, it reminded me of CS Pacat’s Captive Prince tilogy. I enjoy characters who have hide behind a stoic mask, but deep down, you (the reader) know they probably could use a hug. This book is dark and disturbing, but oh so good. As an elf lover, I’m not used to the elves being the bad guys (well, the humans may perceive them as bad guys, but typically, you find out that this isn’t the case). But in King of the Dark, they seem to truly be the villains here (well, other than the villains who are closer to home), and, from what we have seen of them so far, are demonic. This took a bit of an adjustment for me, as I naturally tend to root for elves, but I don’t think that is going to be the case here. I finished this book in less than a day. Nash has a way of keeping you on your seat, wanting to know what happens next. I have also come to expect a cliffhanger from her, and this book was no exception. It’s a quick read, but if you’re looking for butterflies and light-heartedness, this book isn’t for you. If, however, you want angst, betrayal, magic, and enemies-to-lovers (though they aren’t there yet), then pick up King of the Dark!

Ariana Nash's books are like crack. You read one, just ONE and suddenly you are knee deep in the most dark and twisted minds of her heroes. Nash knows how to spin a good story and this is why she has turned into an insta buy from me. So King of the Dark is a book about a cruel prince, an ex soldier turned merc with a smart mouth who likes to think with his dick, and a loyal soldier. But, of course, nothing is as it seems on the surface. So let's talk about the characters: Prince Vasili was the star of the show for me. He ticks all my boxes and I just loved him. He commands the page whenever he's on it. It's a crying shame he wasn't present more. I know why. Nash was setting up the betrayal and the eventual romance between him and Niko--WHICH I AM JUST DYING TO SEE PLAY OUT. OK THEY HAD SO MUCH FREAKING CHEMISTRY. AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE SEX! They share a kiss, ONE KISS and they still had more chemistry than Niko and Julian...more on that in a minute. Vasili is cruel, sadistic, won't hesitate to cut a man down, uses people as tools, yet he's the only Caville who truly gives a crap about his country. For a large portion of the book we see him at his cruelest, but here and there you can see the softer side slipping through. He is a damaged man permanently effed up due to what he went through and also because of the flame present in his bloodline. Can't wait to see that explored more. He's smart and cunning and I love him. He's the special brand of warped that Nash excels at…

5 stars for a pair of enemies fighting to save their kingdom from darkness Nikolas Yazdan was broken by war. He thought he was fighting for his nation when truly he was a pawn in a losing battle. He finds himself drawn to the innocence of Julien while being lured into a spiderweb of attraction and infatuation with Vasili. When betrayal strikes, it breaks down everything Niko had thought and he struggles to regain any kind of understanding of his world. Although he tries to run away, the draw of Vasili and his unexplainable need to protect him overpowers any good judgment he has. Vasili Caville is the prince regent with a noose around his neck. He has the terrible family curse breathing down his neck and he is trying to weed out traitors in his own palace. Bringing Niko in to solve who is trying to kill him may kill him in it’s own way. They are brought together by hate but instead find themselves being most open and raw with each other. Vasili is one of those characters you are meant to hate but I truly adored him as his sense of loyalty to his city is unparalleled and is constantly sacrificing himself without a second thought. He is so broken that Niko’s support although reluctant keeps him going. This story is not a romance, I repeat, this story is not a romance. It has a romantic subplot buried deep down in there but it is an action filled fantasy story at its core. If you are expecting sweet romantic scenes between Niko and Vasili, this is not the book for you. But if…

So I've only just started reading the story, when the book starts falling apart. I try very hard not to bend the binding on books. I've never had a book come unglued before while reading outside. The book as been in my house since it arrived and it's only the first 42 pages that are coming out, so far. The story seems good, just wish the binding was better made.