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King's Lament
Betrayed by his advisors, only the love of two mysterious men can rescue Inea and save his kingdom.
After the death of his father, Inea finds himself the unprepared king of a country at war. When his council forsakes him, and he’s thrown into the dungeons of his own castle, Inea manages to escape only with the help of the intriguing stranger Ansyn.
After one year in hiding, Inea, driven by desire, seeks out Ansyn and discovers that there is more to his savior than he could have ever hoped for. Joined by their new ally Kaedon, passion builds, and they find themselves in a romance that helps fuel their plan to reclaim the throne.
After the death of his father, Inea finds himself the unprepared king of a country at war. When his council forsakes him, and he’s thrown into the dungeons of his own castle, Inea manages to escape only with the help of the intriguing stranger Ansyn.
After one year in hiding, Inea, driven by desire, seeks out Ansyn and discovers that there is more to his savior than he could have ever hoped for. Joined by their new ally Kaedon, passion builds, and they find themselves in a romance that helps fuel their plan to reclaim the throne.
488 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 10, 2017
2.5 Stars
Full Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher. This has in no way influenced my review.*
This book had a lot of potential, but it was one of those books in which the issues just kept pilling up for me.
- I didn't understand why the three main characters loved each other. The best I could figure out was that Ansyn loved Inea because he had loved both of Inea's parents and Inea was like them, Inea loved Ansyn and Kaedon because he was sheltered his whole life and they were the first two men he ever came into contact with who also liked men, and the rest of the love was based on sex and loneliness. So it felt instalove-y even though it wasn't.
- There was so much crying. And so much angst. I like some angst in my books, but it needs to be warranted. Ansyn and Kaedon had plenty of their own tears and angst, but Inea's was the most extreme. He had only been struggling on his own for about five months, but he was constantly having meltdowns and talking about how his heart was turning cold and uncaring and closing off and how he would soon become nothing more than a tyrant of a king who didn't love anyone or anything because everyone always abandoned him. I never saw any of this coldness though until all the sudden around 70%, and then it just seemed like he was being petulant. Speaking of which...
- Inea himself was childish, overdramatic, and innocent to the point of it not being believable. And all he seemed to care about for a while was making Ansyn happy. He was going to change who he was just to be someone Ansyn would like. And once he got over that, all he seemed to care about was Ansyn and Kaedon not leaving him. I understand being hurt if people you love leave you, but life does go on if that happens, and Inea was supposed to be focused on getting his throne back. I don't like to describe any character as pathetic, but... Inea kind of was. And he wasn't someone I could see running a kingdom. Then, when another character called him out on that (I liked her, she said everything I wanted to say), he basically threw a tantrum, acted selfish, and blamed everything on Ansyn and Kaedon. And he was going to storm off on a suicide mission just to prove a point. On the other hand, he did eventually realize that he was a jerk to everyone, and that one character called him out for his behavior, so he might have been written the way he was on purpose (i.e. it wasn't bad writing, I simply didn't like the character). And the fact that Inea didn't know how to run a kingdom, didn't know what to do to gain support, didn't know how to fight, was overwhelmed, etc. was realistic.
- Kaedon was too "perfect." He was this big, scary ex-assassin, but he was always so kind and caring and selfless and romantic and apologetic and willing to die for them and even willing to let Ansyn kill him if that was what Ansyn wanted.
- Ansyn was the most believable character, but his emotions were also too extreme.
- The sex scenes were even more unrealistic than most fictional sex scenes already are.
- Characters were constantly getting sick from being in the cold, which is not a real thing. And even if it were, you wouldn't get almost immediately. But it did make for some hurt/comfort, which is a plus for anyone who likes that.
The thing about this book is, it wasn't all bad. I feel like I actually could have loved it---I like angst when there's good reason for it, I like dramatic situations in relationships, I like heart-wrenching emotion, and I like menage romance, so the plot and romantic struggles were my kind of thing and ripe with potential for giving me all the feels... except I still need the characters to feel and act realistically with emotions that are more subtle and not so blown out of proportion that it makes me roll my eyes instead of actually feeling bad for them. And I need to understand why the characters love each other and feel that love so that I can then feel their pain when they have struggles, their joy when things work out, etc.
So overall this wasn't quite for me, but anyone who likes lots of injuries/sickness, menage, "perfect" sex scenes, dramatic emotions, lots of angst, and innocent, damsel-in-distress type male leads would probably like this more.
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes M/M high fantasy, menage, "perfect" but unrealistic sex scenes, dramatic emotions, and innocent, damsel-in-distress type male leads.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Full Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher. This has in no way influenced my review.*
This book had a lot of potential, but it was one of those books in which the issues just kept pilling up for me.
- I didn't understand why the three main characters loved each other. The best I could figure out was that Ansyn loved Inea because he had loved both of Inea's parents and Inea was like them, Inea loved Ansyn and Kaedon because he was sheltered his whole life and they were the first two men he ever came into contact with who also liked men, and the rest of the love was based on sex and loneliness. So it felt instalove-y even though it wasn't.
- There was so much crying. And so much angst. I like some angst in my books, but it needs to be warranted. Ansyn and Kaedon had plenty of their own tears and angst, but Inea's was the most extreme. He had only been struggling on his own for about five months, but he was constantly having meltdowns and talking about how his heart was turning cold and uncaring and closing off and how he would soon become nothing more than a tyrant of a king who didn't love anyone or anything because everyone always abandoned him. I never saw any of this coldness though until all the sudden around 70%, and then it just seemed like he was being petulant. Speaking of which...
- Inea himself was childish, overdramatic, and innocent to the point of it not being believable. And all he seemed to care about for a while was making Ansyn happy. He was going to change who he was just to be someone Ansyn would like. And once he got over that, all he seemed to care about was Ansyn and Kaedon not leaving him. I understand being hurt if people you love leave you, but life does go on if that happens, and Inea was supposed to be focused on getting his throne back. I don't like to describe any character as pathetic, but... Inea kind of was. And he wasn't someone I could see running a kingdom. Then, when another character called him out on that (I liked her, she said everything I wanted to say), he basically threw a tantrum, acted selfish, and blamed everything on Ansyn and Kaedon. And he was going to storm off on a suicide mission just to prove a point. On the other hand, he did eventually realize that he was a jerk to everyone, and that one character called him out for his behavior, so he might have been written the way he was on purpose (i.e. it wasn't bad writing, I simply didn't like the character). And the fact that Inea didn't know how to run a kingdom, didn't know what to do to gain support, didn't know how to fight, was overwhelmed, etc. was realistic.
- Kaedon was too "perfect." He was this big, scary ex-assassin, but he was always so kind and caring and selfless and romantic and apologetic and willing to die for them and even willing to let Ansyn kill him if that was what Ansyn wanted.
- Ansyn was the most believable character, but his emotions were also too extreme.
- The sex scenes were even more unrealistic than most fictional sex scenes already are.
- Characters were constantly getting sick from being in the cold, which is not a real thing. And even if it were, you wouldn't get almost immediately. But it did make for some hurt/comfort, which is a plus for anyone who likes that.
The thing about this book is, it wasn't all bad. I feel like I actually could have loved it---I like angst when there's good reason for it, I like dramatic situations in relationships, I like heart-wrenching emotion, and I like menage romance, so the plot and romantic struggles were my kind of thing and ripe with potential for giving me all the feels... except I still need the characters to feel and act realistically with emotions that are more subtle and not so blown out of proportion that it makes me roll my eyes instead of actually feeling bad for them. And I need to understand why the characters love each other and feel that love so that I can then feel their pain when they have struggles, their joy when things work out, etc.
So overall this wasn't quite for me, but anyone who likes lots of injuries/sickness, menage, "perfect" sex scenes, dramatic emotions, lots of angst, and innocent, damsel-in-distress type male leads would probably like this more.
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes M/M high fantasy, menage, "perfect" but unrealistic sex scenes, dramatic emotions, and innocent, damsel-in-distress type male leads.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
December 10, 2016
I've been following this book since the authors first started to post it on wattpad, and I couldn't be happier to see such an amazing, well written book being published!
I fell in love with Anysn, the badass musician, rather quickly- and the other characters through him. Their interactions are brutally realistic, and they made me cry and laugh exactly the way the book should have. Watching Inea's growth into a proper king was heartwarming, and I can't get over how sexy and confident Kaedon is. The three of them make a perfect team.
The supporting cast is just as wonderful, and they build their own relationships on the side that help the book come to life.
The scenes between the three lovers are burning hot and might have steamed up my glasses a time or two. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more- those, or the beautiful cinematic action scenes with the two assassins, especially Ansyn with that spinning knife of his.
There were too many things to fall in love with, and I know I'll be rereading this book over and over- and eagerly anticipating the next release from this amazing team of authors.
I fell in love with Anysn, the badass musician, rather quickly- and the other characters through him. Their interactions are brutally realistic, and they made me cry and laugh exactly the way the book should have. Watching Inea's growth into a proper king was heartwarming, and I can't get over how sexy and confident Kaedon is. The three of them make a perfect team.
The supporting cast is just as wonderful, and they build their own relationships on the side that help the book come to life.
The scenes between the three lovers are burning hot and might have steamed up my glasses a time or two. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more- those, or the beautiful cinematic action scenes with the two assassins, especially Ansyn with that spinning knife of his.
There were too many things to fall in love with, and I know I'll be rereading this book over and over- and eagerly anticipating the next release from this amazing team of authors.
December 8, 2016
This book was fantastic and I absolutely loved reading it. I usually read at night, after the kids go to bed, but this book got escalated to daytime reading. Normally I don’t read during the day, the main reason being R and her escapades, but I made time to read this book.
I am going to be very, very, very honest….I couldn’t stand Inea. He came across, to me, as a very sheltered, very spoiled kid who had no clue how to take care of himself in the real world. He was always crying over something. I kinda wanted to reach through the book, smack him and tell him to stop crying and start working on how he was going to get his kingdom back….which he eventually did. He also was constantly getting hurt, which baffled me. You would think, with the experienced men/women around him, that he would have been better at defending himself (because they would have had some sort of lessons with him) or that they would be better at keeping him from getting hurt. But, he wasn’t. I mean, Ansym and Kaedon did eventually teach him to defend himself but still.
He did have some good, redeeming qualities. He cared, deeply, about his people and wanted to get his throne back from the Queen. He loved with all of his heart and he had to have been the most kind-hearted main character that I have read in a while. But like I said above, I couldn’t get past how he acted in the first half of the book. Drove me crazy go nuts.
On the other hand, I loved Ansym. He is a badass. Not only can he play the violin like a pro and uses that talent to stir up a small amount of civil unrest about the Queen’s rule but he is a trained assassin and you know what, I wouldn’t want to be on his bad side. Nope, no way. What he does to his enemies (thinking about the boy, Dae, here) is something I wouldn’t wish on my most hated enemy.
He really doesn’t show a soft side in the book until he meets Kaedon. At first, what was between them was just sex but you could just see Ansym falling in love with him. And it was cute. I loved watching his walls come down and seeing him fall for someone. Then Inea was added into the mix and seeing him try to battle his feelings for Kaedon and Inea was heartbreaking. When you find out why, which is actually revealed pretty early in the book, you can understand why he was afraid of falling in love.
I do wish that Kaedon did come clean to Inea and Ansym a littler earlier in the book. It could have saved Inea an injury/heartbreak and Ansym heartbreak if he did. But on the other hand, I can see why he didn’t.
The sex between all three men was crazy hot. I thought the first time between Kaedon and Ansym was hot but the threesome between Inea, Ansym and Kaedon was burning and every sex scene after that was just as hot.
I will say that Ansym and Kaedon’s ages were a big surprise. For some reason, my mental image of Ansym was of an older man. It was fueled by how he talked about himself and how the other’s in the party treated him. So, yeah, I was surprised when he finally revealed his age.
The end of the book was pretty routine and the main story line (plus the other storylines) got wrapped up in a pretty dramatic way. Giving away a small spoiler here but the last battle scene was fantastic and the way it ended. Lets just say that I felt very, very satisfied after reading it. I like it when a book makes me feel like that.
I am going to be very, very, very honest….I couldn’t stand Inea. He came across, to me, as a very sheltered, very spoiled kid who had no clue how to take care of himself in the real world. He was always crying over something. I kinda wanted to reach through the book, smack him and tell him to stop crying and start working on how he was going to get his kingdom back….which he eventually did. He also was constantly getting hurt, which baffled me. You would think, with the experienced men/women around him, that he would have been better at defending himself (because they would have had some sort of lessons with him) or that they would be better at keeping him from getting hurt. But, he wasn’t. I mean, Ansym and Kaedon did eventually teach him to defend himself but still.
He did have some good, redeeming qualities. He cared, deeply, about his people and wanted to get his throne back from the Queen. He loved with all of his heart and he had to have been the most kind-hearted main character that I have read in a while. But like I said above, I couldn’t get past how he acted in the first half of the book. Drove me crazy go nuts.
On the other hand, I loved Ansym. He is a badass. Not only can he play the violin like a pro and uses that talent to stir up a small amount of civil unrest about the Queen’s rule but he is a trained assassin and you know what, I wouldn’t want to be on his bad side. Nope, no way. What he does to his enemies (thinking about the boy, Dae, here) is something I wouldn’t wish on my most hated enemy.
He really doesn’t show a soft side in the book until he meets Kaedon. At first, what was between them was just sex but you could just see Ansym falling in love with him. And it was cute. I loved watching his walls come down and seeing him fall for someone. Then Inea was added into the mix and seeing him try to battle his feelings for Kaedon and Inea was heartbreaking. When you find out why, which is actually revealed pretty early in the book, you can understand why he was afraid of falling in love.
I do wish that Kaedon did come clean to Inea and Ansym a littler earlier in the book. It could have saved Inea an injury/heartbreak and Ansym heartbreak if he did. But on the other hand, I can see why he didn’t.
The sex between all three men was crazy hot. I thought the first time between Kaedon and Ansym was hot but the threesome between Inea, Ansym and Kaedon was burning and every sex scene after that was just as hot.
I will say that Ansym and Kaedon’s ages were a big surprise. For some reason, my mental image of Ansym was of an older man. It was fueled by how he talked about himself and how the other’s in the party treated him. So, yeah, I was surprised when he finally revealed his age.
The end of the book was pretty routine and the main story line (plus the other storylines) got wrapped up in a pretty dramatic way. Giving away a small spoiler here but the last battle scene was fantastic and the way it ended. Lets just say that I felt very, very satisfied after reading it. I like it when a book makes me feel like that.
July 17, 2017
THE GAY EROTICA IS HAUNTED AND PLAGUED BY SOME FANTASY
Though during the first fifth of the novel we do not really know what the stake and objective of it is, it finally after some 120 pages becomes clear and then the fantasy changes from some feudal old plot to an erotic, and in some chapters absolutely graphic and explicit gay threesome adventure. Welcome to the planet where kings are all gay and like threesomes, at times – for the sake of having some heir – bisexual.
If you are not in that kind of gay – and marginally lesbian – fantasy or erotica, you better forget about it. If you are able to understand love is not a question of sexual orientation, you may have a chance to go through the story and enjoy it. This complicated love story is punctuated with feudal fights or battles, and that’s the aspect I am most critical about.
There is little unity in the feudal struggle of this ousted and clandestine young heir to the throne that was taken over by a monster queen from the south, a queen that has no name and governs – or rather controls – her (or should I say “its”) kingdom with a band of assassins that – certainly not “who” – can only kill, that’s their function and that’s their nature: they have been reduced to killing. “SAD” as a certain president would tweet. The author tries to save one by making him fall in love with the young underground clandestine ousted king and vice versa by making the young ousted clandestine king fall in love with the spy and assassin that has been appointed by the queen to follow and eventually assassinate him or at least enable him to be assassinated by some of the queen’s soldiers.
You must admit it is not simple. This young king, Inea by name, was helped escape from prison by a minstrel of some kind who actually was the male lover of the young king’s father wo killed himself after his wife was poisoned by the queen’s agents in the court itself, these queen’s agents who were the king’s ministers selling the son to the queen for her to turn him into her play thing. But the author shifts the plan and thus we shift from a threesome-liking king with a wife and a lover identified as a totally owned and possessed minstrel, to his son who falls in love with the minstrel who actually helped him escape the dungeon in which he was supposed to wait for the queen’s decision on his fate, and later on with an assassin who was supposed to infiltrate the fugitive young king’s band by seducing the minstrel, which was easy since the minstrel is absolutely obsessed with and by his hormones.
And there is the gay threesome who is going to take over the feudal scene by securing an alliance with another king, the king of the desert tribes, who is also gay but married to only one man who used to be his own soldier, and faithful to this man who is said to be black, though he is the only who is specified in such a detail.
This being said the novel then turns pathetic as for the love relations between Inea, the young king, Ansyn, the minstrel, and Kaedon, the assassin. Pathetic because they constantly fall part and then more or less manage to come back together. Such a threesome marriage as announced at the end is unique in many ways since it only officially exists for one triple – instead of couple – in one country in the world, Colombia: “Three men who are married to each other, have gained legal recognition for their 'polyamorous' marriage in the conservative Catholic country of Colombia.” (The Sidney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/video/video-new...) And that’s what this author tells us: stories of “Slaves to fantasy and romance,” as the author’s page proclaims on the publisher’s site.
And that’s just the problem. It is not a real fantasy story with only one dynamic, or at least a very dominant dynamic. Too often we forget everything about the queen and the assassins that are chasing this young king and that will come back into the story when an attack will be staged every so often and periodically. At the same time the at least erotic romance that is exclusively gay in its explicit realization and descriptions is constantly broken by elements from the fantasy side of this moon but the love jealousy, rivalry, ambition, possession (and all meaning are needed here from plainly owning the other to haunting him or being haunted by him), is nicely described but does not really reach the absolute level we could expect: it definitely is nothing but desire, hormonal activation, lust, physical contact and penetration and I did not really find the haunting fear and bliss that this penetration is at least parallel to: the use of a sword or a dagger or an arrow, and the use of such warlike weapons is also balancing fear and bliss, bashfulness and lust, and it is thus nothing but the expansion or initiation of some brutal and lustful climax.
That reduces the final battle with the queen to a pantomime of very nasty kids who are destroying the toy or the dolly they had been playing with. There is no veracity, authenticity and reliability in her and since we only meet her in the final battle (in the last five percent of the book) she appears as nothing but a killing robot and fantasy is a genre in which the characters, on both sides of the divide and the pale, are human. Harry Potter’s Voldemort (and he has a name) is a monster but the genius of the author is to develop and uncover the human dimension of him who was made a monster by the mistreatment he suffered in the hands of fellow wizards and witches. There is nothing of the sort here. She is not even a chatbot because she hardly speaks some coherent and human discourse.
But this is a rather general remark I could make on the story. Every character has no freedom of choice or whatever. They are all “SLAVES” of their desires, lust, power, will to dominate, to own, to use. Even the desert king Jalin is shown as being a spoiled brat who plays with a stray kitten picked in the street and who is in love with a black warrior Kiir who literally controls him with his dancing. We have to think of Salome and her seven veils dance. But that is just the point: the dance for Salome is her way to take control of her stepfather and uncle (which makes her a female Hamlet). But the tragic dimension of this Biblical and historical event is lost because there is no stake in the dance. No John the Baptist and no head to get delivered on a silver platter. The death of the unnamed queen is certainly not delivered on a silver platter. And Oscar Wilde’s delirious Salome making love with John the Baptist in words and then with his head is far from this story. Difficult to imitate with Inea since Inea is gay and would not be thrilled by the unnamed queen’s head, except if his gayness were explored as some kind of escape from a deeply morbid and mortiferous personality.
Even if the gay erotica is correct altogether, I just wonder if the author is what his/her name seems to reveal. Is the author a man or a woman? The gay characters are charming but they have no depth and their love making is purely mechanical while their love declarations are purely enslaving possession. Love is a lot more complicated and it cannot be reduced to the instinctual robotic thermodynamics of a few legs, arms and other members encountering the various openings of a few bodies. Even the music of the minstrel and his poetry is not exemplified in any way. It is true and difficult to consider what kind of a creative mental dimension Kaedon would have? Think of Jalin and his fixation on a kitten playing with silver coins. Think of Kiir reduced to a dance, which in a way is creative and mental but we do not penetrate at any time this dimension of this dance: it is only a seductive tool to capture the attention of a grown up though childish kid. Gay romance deserves better than just being a vacillation between erotic scenes and escaping sprees that always end well, plus some fantasy battles to cut up the humdrum bed scenes.
Just enjoy the story as some entertainment. I am sure it is not intended to go beyond this titillating level.
Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU
Though during the first fifth of the novel we do not really know what the stake and objective of it is, it finally after some 120 pages becomes clear and then the fantasy changes from some feudal old plot to an erotic, and in some chapters absolutely graphic and explicit gay threesome adventure. Welcome to the planet where kings are all gay and like threesomes, at times – for the sake of having some heir – bisexual.
If you are not in that kind of gay – and marginally lesbian – fantasy or erotica, you better forget about it. If you are able to understand love is not a question of sexual orientation, you may have a chance to go through the story and enjoy it. This complicated love story is punctuated with feudal fights or battles, and that’s the aspect I am most critical about.
There is little unity in the feudal struggle of this ousted and clandestine young heir to the throne that was taken over by a monster queen from the south, a queen that has no name and governs – or rather controls – her (or should I say “its”) kingdom with a band of assassins that – certainly not “who” – can only kill, that’s their function and that’s their nature: they have been reduced to killing. “SAD” as a certain president would tweet. The author tries to save one by making him fall in love with the young underground clandestine ousted king and vice versa by making the young ousted clandestine king fall in love with the spy and assassin that has been appointed by the queen to follow and eventually assassinate him or at least enable him to be assassinated by some of the queen’s soldiers.
You must admit it is not simple. This young king, Inea by name, was helped escape from prison by a minstrel of some kind who actually was the male lover of the young king’s father wo killed himself after his wife was poisoned by the queen’s agents in the court itself, these queen’s agents who were the king’s ministers selling the son to the queen for her to turn him into her play thing. But the author shifts the plan and thus we shift from a threesome-liking king with a wife and a lover identified as a totally owned and possessed minstrel, to his son who falls in love with the minstrel who actually helped him escape the dungeon in which he was supposed to wait for the queen’s decision on his fate, and later on with an assassin who was supposed to infiltrate the fugitive young king’s band by seducing the minstrel, which was easy since the minstrel is absolutely obsessed with and by his hormones.
And there is the gay threesome who is going to take over the feudal scene by securing an alliance with another king, the king of the desert tribes, who is also gay but married to only one man who used to be his own soldier, and faithful to this man who is said to be black, though he is the only who is specified in such a detail.
This being said the novel then turns pathetic as for the love relations between Inea, the young king, Ansyn, the minstrel, and Kaedon, the assassin. Pathetic because they constantly fall part and then more or less manage to come back together. Such a threesome marriage as announced at the end is unique in many ways since it only officially exists for one triple – instead of couple – in one country in the world, Colombia: “Three men who are married to each other, have gained legal recognition for their 'polyamorous' marriage in the conservative Catholic country of Colombia.” (The Sidney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/video/video-new...) And that’s what this author tells us: stories of “Slaves to fantasy and romance,” as the author’s page proclaims on the publisher’s site.
And that’s just the problem. It is not a real fantasy story with only one dynamic, or at least a very dominant dynamic. Too often we forget everything about the queen and the assassins that are chasing this young king and that will come back into the story when an attack will be staged every so often and periodically. At the same time the at least erotic romance that is exclusively gay in its explicit realization and descriptions is constantly broken by elements from the fantasy side of this moon but the love jealousy, rivalry, ambition, possession (and all meaning are needed here from plainly owning the other to haunting him or being haunted by him), is nicely described but does not really reach the absolute level we could expect: it definitely is nothing but desire, hormonal activation, lust, physical contact and penetration and I did not really find the haunting fear and bliss that this penetration is at least parallel to: the use of a sword or a dagger or an arrow, and the use of such warlike weapons is also balancing fear and bliss, bashfulness and lust, and it is thus nothing but the expansion or initiation of some brutal and lustful climax.
That reduces the final battle with the queen to a pantomime of very nasty kids who are destroying the toy or the dolly they had been playing with. There is no veracity, authenticity and reliability in her and since we only meet her in the final battle (in the last five percent of the book) she appears as nothing but a killing robot and fantasy is a genre in which the characters, on both sides of the divide and the pale, are human. Harry Potter’s Voldemort (and he has a name) is a monster but the genius of the author is to develop and uncover the human dimension of him who was made a monster by the mistreatment he suffered in the hands of fellow wizards and witches. There is nothing of the sort here. She is not even a chatbot because she hardly speaks some coherent and human discourse.
But this is a rather general remark I could make on the story. Every character has no freedom of choice or whatever. They are all “SLAVES” of their desires, lust, power, will to dominate, to own, to use. Even the desert king Jalin is shown as being a spoiled brat who plays with a stray kitten picked in the street and who is in love with a black warrior Kiir who literally controls him with his dancing. We have to think of Salome and her seven veils dance. But that is just the point: the dance for Salome is her way to take control of her stepfather and uncle (which makes her a female Hamlet). But the tragic dimension of this Biblical and historical event is lost because there is no stake in the dance. No John the Baptist and no head to get delivered on a silver platter. The death of the unnamed queen is certainly not delivered on a silver platter. And Oscar Wilde’s delirious Salome making love with John the Baptist in words and then with his head is far from this story. Difficult to imitate with Inea since Inea is gay and would not be thrilled by the unnamed queen’s head, except if his gayness were explored as some kind of escape from a deeply morbid and mortiferous personality.
Even if the gay erotica is correct altogether, I just wonder if the author is what his/her name seems to reveal. Is the author a man or a woman? The gay characters are charming but they have no depth and their love making is purely mechanical while their love declarations are purely enslaving possession. Love is a lot more complicated and it cannot be reduced to the instinctual robotic thermodynamics of a few legs, arms and other members encountering the various openings of a few bodies. Even the music of the minstrel and his poetry is not exemplified in any way. It is true and difficult to consider what kind of a creative mental dimension Kaedon would have? Think of Jalin and his fixation on a kitten playing with silver coins. Think of Kiir reduced to a dance, which in a way is creative and mental but we do not penetrate at any time this dimension of this dance: it is only a seductive tool to capture the attention of a grown up though childish kid. Gay romance deserves better than just being a vacillation between erotic scenes and escaping sprees that always end well, plus some fantasy battles to cut up the humdrum bed scenes.
Just enjoy the story as some entertainment. I am sure it is not intended to go beyond this titillating level.
Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU
December 18, 2016
Inea, seventeen, confused and mistreated, has suffered the loss of his father and mother and thrust into taking the throne well before his time.
Persuaded to be sold to the Queen of the South under the guise of being honorable for his country, Inea struggles to come to terms with his predicament.
His entire court has turned against him in his time of need and guidance and he is left to piece together his life after fleeing from his predicament.
Ansyn, the mysterious man who helped Inea flee, has a past that ties the two together- unfortunately he's a master of eliminating his emotional issues by ignoring the obvious- a true avoider.
Underneath it all, he's a broken soul in need of repair, and his only hope is to make it right with the newest King and come clean about his past.
Kaedon is a rogue assassin willing to help the king regain his rightful place- but can an assassin fully be trusted? What ulterior motive is behind his actions?
Can the three come together long enough to heal their emotional wounds, and rid the world of the Queens tyranny?
Positives:
- The plot is intriguing
- Descriptions are on point- not too much or too little
Negatives:
- While the plot is highly intriguing the character development is lacking and confused.
One second Ansyn is a force to be reckoned with and the next he is an emotional basket case.
Rogue assassin Kaedon is highly dangerous, composed and aggressive- but then he turns into a puddle of mush in the presence of Inea and Ansyn.
Inea is unfortunately a whining mess- his emotions are everywhere, and he has little to offer the story but his birthright.
- The story is written in first person- divided between two people- one per chapter.
Makes for a confusing read- especially if you happen to lay the book down for awhile you forget who's head you are in.
I'm sure the switch in characters would not have been too jarring if the characters didn't change- when in Ansyn's head he's a whining, complaining mess, but when in Inea's head he becomes powerful, almost a well rounded character. And vice versa.
Not recommended to Young adults below 18- the story is 15-16 age range but the sex is graphic.
Not recommended for people who aren't interested in Gay M/M/M sex.
Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Persuaded to be sold to the Queen of the South under the guise of being honorable for his country, Inea struggles to come to terms with his predicament.
His entire court has turned against him in his time of need and guidance and he is left to piece together his life after fleeing from his predicament.
Ansyn, the mysterious man who helped Inea flee, has a past that ties the two together- unfortunately he's a master of eliminating his emotional issues by ignoring the obvious- a true avoider.
Underneath it all, he's a broken soul in need of repair, and his only hope is to make it right with the newest King and come clean about his past.
Kaedon is a rogue assassin willing to help the king regain his rightful place- but can an assassin fully be trusted? What ulterior motive is behind his actions?
Can the three come together long enough to heal their emotional wounds, and rid the world of the Queens tyranny?
Positives:
- The plot is intriguing
- Descriptions are on point- not too much or too little
Negatives:
- While the plot is highly intriguing the character development is lacking and confused.
One second Ansyn is a force to be reckoned with and the next he is an emotional basket case.
Rogue assassin Kaedon is highly dangerous, composed and aggressive- but then he turns into a puddle of mush in the presence of Inea and Ansyn.
Inea is unfortunately a whining mess- his emotions are everywhere, and he has little to offer the story but his birthright.
- The story is written in first person- divided between two people- one per chapter.
Makes for a confusing read- especially if you happen to lay the book down for awhile you forget who's head you are in.
I'm sure the switch in characters would not have been too jarring if the characters didn't change- when in Ansyn's head he's a whining, complaining mess, but when in Inea's head he becomes powerful, almost a well rounded character. And vice versa.
Not recommended to Young adults below 18- the story is 15-16 age range but the sex is graphic.
Not recommended for people who aren't interested in Gay M/M/M sex.
Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 15, 2016
This book is amazing, It's heart-breaking, frustrating, sweet, and hilarious and so freakin' cute. The main characters, Ansyn and Inea, are complex, strong, broken, brave, and adorably quick to blush. Kaedon also plays a major role in their development. This author weaves a story of absolute anguish to tell you how these men used love to overcome it and their fears of loss. These characters struggle and fight for their happiness doing anything to keep each other sane, alive, and happy. Though not everything goes well for them and every time you turn around it seems there's something about to take their chance at happiness away, and the story dives right into your heart and drags you with them. Leaves you clenching your Kindle so hard it might break, or laughing and blushing right along with the characters. This book is an amazing read and I loved it. Glad it's apart of my library.
December 17, 2016
"King's Lament" is a very well written story of political intrigue, romance, and ass kicking in a kingdom reminiscent of medieval England. There are no dragons, magic elves, or unicorns, but that doesn't detract from the unique feel of a "fantasy" world crafted by the author. The only reason I did not give this novel five stars is because of the typographical errors. There are not enough to make the story unreadable, but there are enough to cost the book one star. (Errors have since been corrected and I have changed my rating to five stars accordingly). I recommend "King's Lament" to fans of stories akin to the legends of King Arthur.
September 2, 2017
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I decided to give it a chance since I love high fantasy.
I loved the first few pages when Inea found out he was being "sold" to the queen and put in a dungeon. I loved how Inea met Ansyn - I'm a sucker for angst characters who meet in depressing circumstances.
I loved reading the book but somewhere along the 25-45% of the book it got slow and boring so I skipped a few pages (I read the last two chapters to know how the book would end and if I should continue), took a break and resumed reading after a few days.
My favorite character was Ansyn because he seemed the most relatable and realistic If I drank when ever Inea made me want to punch him in the face - I'd die of alcohol poisoning. No seriously, he was SOOOO annoying, like half the time I wanted him to get his shit together and take responsibility/ control of the situation as someone in his position should. I don't mean just saying he would, but actually getting stuff done. His emotion, behavior, and actions were all over the place.
Kaedon was a badass character, his reaction and behavior to Inea while somewhat understandable was unrealistic. one minute he was kicking ass and taking names, and the other he was a pile of mush - WTF??
My negativity aside, there were lots of fun scenes, I mostly loved watching Kaedon and Ansyn fight side by side, I loved how the three men fit well, I loved how Inea slowly grew a spine and got his shit together, and most importantly the sex scene was wow! slightly unrealistic butt (hehe) wow!
I LOVED Caday - my precious son!
I loved the first few pages when Inea found out he was being "sold" to the queen and put in a dungeon. I loved how Inea met Ansyn - I'm a sucker for angst characters who meet in depressing circumstances.
I loved reading the book but somewhere along the 25-45% of the book it got slow and boring so I skipped a few pages (I read the last two chapters to know how the book would end and if I should continue), took a break and resumed reading after a few days.
My favorite character was Ansyn because he seemed the most relatable and realistic If I drank when ever Inea made me want to punch him in the face - I'd die of alcohol poisoning. No seriously, he was SOOOO annoying, like half the time I wanted him to get his shit together and take responsibility/ control of the situation as someone in his position should. I don't mean just saying he would, but actually getting stuff done. His emotion, behavior, and actions were all over the place.
Kaedon was a badass character, his reaction and behavior to Inea while somewhat understandable was unrealistic. one minute he was kicking ass and taking names, and the other he was a pile of mush - WTF??
My negativity aside, there were lots of fun scenes, I mostly loved watching Kaedon and Ansyn fight side by side, I loved how the three men fit well, I loved how Inea slowly grew a spine and got his shit together, and most importantly the sex scene was wow! slightly unrealistic butt (hehe) wow!
I LOVED Caday - my precious son!
December 13, 2016
A young man betrayed by his own people, sold to another and ending up in the dungeons of what could be long ago England.
Inea has lost his father and his country is at war. He is not equipped to run a country or a war. Shut up in the dungeon of his own home. But when he escapes with the aid of a mysterious stranger, he will begin a journey on his own.
He still can't forget the one who helped him and sets out to find him as another man comes into the picture. There are some explicit sex scenes here but nothing I found offensive.
Will Inea regain his kingdom with the help of those he loves?
On December 7th you can find out for yourself! Very interesting book!
Inea has lost his father and his country is at war. He is not equipped to run a country or a war. Shut up in the dungeon of his own home. But when he escapes with the aid of a mysterious stranger, he will begin a journey on his own.
He still can't forget the one who helped him and sets out to find him as another man comes into the picture. There are some explicit sex scenes here but nothing I found offensive.
Will Inea regain his kingdom with the help of those he loves?
On December 7th you can find out for yourself! Very interesting book!
Read
November 18, 2020DNF, did not feel the chemistry
Read
March 22, 2017Read and reviewed for Crystal's Many Reviewers.
Want to read
March 18, 2017There's a review for this on the blog. I didn't read it or review it but my review buddy did. I won't rate it because it's not my review but it you want his review you can hop over to the blog.
http://cockyreviews.com/kings-lament-...
http://cockyreviews.com/kings-lament-...
December 13, 2016
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher.
This book was so amazing! It was very long, though I don’t think it’s as long as the book I’m reading now, but I finished it in two days because I couldn’t put it down and even when I did, I could not stop thinking about it.
I’m actually surprised that it took me just two days to read this book but I think that shows just how good it is.
The blurb does not even begin to prepare the readers for what is in store. Action, romance, betrayal, despair and such a rollercoaster of emotion that the book you read after it better be just as amazing, otherwise, you’ll be so disappointed. I know I was when I read Spellbound By A Vampire.
I didn’t even care when I found two mistakes, of course it’s an Advanced Reader Copy and I just downloaded the finished version so, hopefully those were fixed. The mistakes were one about the age difference, there are three years between 18 and 21, not one and the second is it seemed there was a mix up between feet and inches.
And the cover, I have been waiting for this cover since I read this in November and I have to say, I am not disappointed. It’s so simple and yet it fits. I feel like I would be disappointed with anything else.
This looks to be the authors only work and I really hope she continues to write because I have to say, this was just excellent. I feel like I did when I read The Choosing.
The writing had me hooked from the very first page, I was never bored, I never rolled my eyes, I was sucked right into the story and the connections I felt between the characters; my goodness, I was ready to put the author under a list of Evil Authors when one of the characters had a close call. The pace flowed beautifully with the plot and the scenes with Ansyn and Kaedon, and then Inea, had me fanning my face.
I would recommend this only to adults, has very adult themes, and to those who enjoy a medieval plot with a King. Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster that you’ll never get off of because you’ll want to read this again and again.
Thank you for reading my review.
-Sam
This book was so amazing! It was very long, though I don’t think it’s as long as the book I’m reading now, but I finished it in two days because I couldn’t put it down and even when I did, I could not stop thinking about it.
I’m actually surprised that it took me just two days to read this book but I think that shows just how good it is.
The blurb does not even begin to prepare the readers for what is in store. Action, romance, betrayal, despair and such a rollercoaster of emotion that the book you read after it better be just as amazing, otherwise, you’ll be so disappointed. I know I was when I read Spellbound By A Vampire.
I didn’t even care when I found two mistakes, of course it’s an Advanced Reader Copy and I just downloaded the finished version so, hopefully those were fixed. The mistakes were one about the age difference, there are three years between 18 and 21, not one and the second is it seemed there was a mix up between feet and inches.
And the cover, I have been waiting for this cover since I read this in November and I have to say, I am not disappointed. It’s so simple and yet it fits. I feel like I would be disappointed with anything else.
This looks to be the authors only work and I really hope she continues to write because I have to say, this was just excellent. I feel like I did when I read The Choosing.
The writing had me hooked from the very first page, I was never bored, I never rolled my eyes, I was sucked right into the story and the connections I felt between the characters; my goodness, I was ready to put the author under a list of Evil Authors when one of the characters had a close call. The pace flowed beautifully with the plot and the scenes with Ansyn and Kaedon, and then Inea, had me fanning my face.
I would recommend this only to adults, has very adult themes, and to those who enjoy a medieval plot with a King. Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster that you’ll never get off of because you’ll want to read this again and again.
Thank you for reading my review.
-Sam
March 2, 2017
Content warnings: mentions of suicide, death, violence, attempts of slavery, death from suicide, death from poisoning, gay relationships, lesbian relationships, poly triads, assassins, kidnapping mentions, suicide attempt, war
December 12, 2016
The King's Lament by Lilia Blanc is a fascinating LGBT read. The characters each have a journey that they must go through as well as the one they all share. The emotions tie readers into the story immediately. The roller coaster ride causes many emotions like angry, laughter, sadness and love. Themes like revenge, redemption, and second chances are found here. Lilia Blanc has created a tale that both breaks and melts readers' hearts. It's hard not to like the characters. Their feelings are so real and their troubles...are believable. Three dimensional characters inside a fascinating world of fiction. Kingdom once strong is now falling apart. A prince seeking refugee from his own people is now fighting to take back what's rightfully his. A queen is so evil even her fiercest warriors don't want to get on her bad side. Danger is everywhere. People will do anything to survive....trust comes at a price.
The Kings's Lament is recommended for those you don't mind a lot of male/male erotic romances. Other than that there was plenty of danger, action, and intrigue to keep the pages turning. A love triangle forms...among unlikely characters...and a group of commoners are willing to sacrifice their lives to keep the prince alive to fight for his kingdom back. The friendships were entertaining. Each character had his or her own strong personality that made the story come alive. Suspense was super. Every page added a little more and made things more complicated than they were already...where or how the novel ends is for readers to read. I recommend this enchanting tale to all.
The Kings's Lament is recommended for those you don't mind a lot of male/male erotic romances. Other than that there was plenty of danger, action, and intrigue to keep the pages turning. A love triangle forms...among unlikely characters...and a group of commoners are willing to sacrifice their lives to keep the prince alive to fight for his kingdom back. The friendships were entertaining. Each character had his or her own strong personality that made the story come alive. Suspense was super. Every page added a little more and made things more complicated than they were already...where or how the novel ends is for readers to read. I recommend this enchanting tale to all.
December 28, 2016
This was longer than the average tale, and in a couple places it started to feel as if the scenes were drawn out, but for the most part it went surprisingly fast. It is well written, with a mature voice. Two important characters have names that start with an "Am" and that can lead to a moment of confusion for faster readers. The king is so often called "the little King" by everyone that it became difficult to picture him being a figurehead these experienced people would rally behind.
The characters do draw you into their journey. The love scenes are very sweetly drawn. There is a dancing scene that really could use more actual description. And after being lovers for months, it is hard for me to believe that the trio would not have moved beyond the basic sex they start with- given their ages and raging hormones at that age, it would have been nice to see the king take a more involved role here.
Some of the characters we spend a good deal of time with but don't actually know them very well. This is interesting, because the read is quite enjoyable so at first you may not even notice.
I did receive an Advanced reader copy of this book. And despite its flaws, I do think it is well worth the read.
The characters do draw you into their journey. The love scenes are very sweetly drawn. There is a dancing scene that really could use more actual description. And after being lovers for months, it is hard for me to believe that the trio would not have moved beyond the basic sex they start with- given their ages and raging hormones at that age, it would have been nice to see the king take a more involved role here.
Some of the characters we spend a good deal of time with but don't actually know them very well. This is interesting, because the read is quite enjoyable so at first you may not even notice.
I did receive an Advanced reader copy of this book. And despite its flaws, I do think it is well worth the read.
December 24, 2016
This story started out well and was generally a good read. The characters were interesting and the occasional detailed descriptions of little things such as items, environment, subtle charater traits worked really well to draw this reader(me) in. Provided you can push through a variety of small grammar and vocabulary errors, that was the most pronounced detractor of the book. Those errors tripped me up in a few sections where they seemed more prevalent. Some portions were better edited than the rest. One example that bothered me most were the numerous instances of mixing up weary and wary. ,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2016
Once upon a time, a beloved king died of a broken heart. An evil Queen of another country secretly manipulated the counselors into committing treason by casting the Crown Prince, Inea into the dungeon to be sold later to the despicable Queen. Being just a seventeen year old child, innocent, naive and untrained in palace politics and the ways of the world, Inea is as helpless as a newborn babe. Until Ansyn came along and broke him out of the cell. Together they form the beginnings of a band of followers to build an army to take back his rightful throne. As the little band began to add followers, it reminded me of the days of Robin Hood and his Merry Band of bickering men. At first curiosity held my attention but as the group grew, I was sucked in on the quest of the Little King. Lots of drama, plenty of interesting characters, feisty women and fierce warriors, romance and a fight to the death for the crown. This would make a cool movie! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. Amazing for a debut author. Five Stars.
December 15, 2016
I enjoyed this tale of a man's journey to reclaim his thrown. I was asked to review this ARC and gladly accepted. Though this isn't my normal read, I managed to like this one a little. The setting was laid out in detail throughout the entire book, and the characters left lasting images in my mind. I could almost feel the pain as the pages progressed. Giving me a good overall feeling about recommending this title!
I did find a few slower places were things felt over-explained. There were also some conversations that felt more modern than medieval, throwing me for a loop, and taking time for me to re-read several pages to understand where the author was going with the book.
Totally get yourself a copy, everyone deserves a good read now and then, and this one will keep you going from page to page. For more on this author, just click the link below.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
I did find a few slower places were things felt over-explained. There were also some conversations that felt more modern than medieval, throwing me for a loop, and taking time for me to re-read several pages to understand where the author was going with the book.
Totally get yourself a copy, everyone deserves a good read now and then, and this one will keep you going from page to page. For more on this author, just click the link below.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
February 6, 2017
King's Lament starts out with a story of a extremely young Prince, who has been sold to a less than delightful Queen after the death of his mother and father. He is betrayed by almost everyone, except for a musician who comes and frees him from the dungeon before the Queen can get her hands on him.
Throughout the entire book the Queen's assassins are always one step ahead of the Prince and his clan of supporters, and they are met with many illnesses and injuries they must overcome in order to put the Prince back on his throne as rightful heir.
It is not all sadness, since the author throws in several expressions of love and sex to make up for all the fighting going on between the Queen and the Prince
I should state that if a person is not open to LGBT scenes they might not like this particular book.
I found it highly enjoyable, and I would highly recommend it. The author keeps you biting your nails in suspense as to what will happen next.
Throughout the entire book the Queen's assassins are always one step ahead of the Prince and his clan of supporters, and they are met with many illnesses and injuries they must overcome in order to put the Prince back on his throne as rightful heir.
It is not all sadness, since the author throws in several expressions of love and sex to make up for all the fighting going on between the Queen and the Prince
I should state that if a person is not open to LGBT scenes they might not like this particular book.
I found it highly enjoyable, and I would highly recommend it. The author keeps you biting your nails in suspense as to what will happen next.
December 22, 2016
This was an interesting book. For someone who likes to read about Kings and Queens, war and romance then this book would peak your interest. I fell in love with Inea, Kaedon and Ansyn. The romance between these three was hot and I truly wanted more of it in the book. I enjoyed the teasing and flirting between all of the books characters. The fighting between kingdoms was detailed great as well to make it believable. The book is long but each chapter gave you enough to keep you into the story. Hopefully this is not the end of their story and we can look forward to another book about the Little King and his court. Especially a book on Jalin and Kiir. Their story seems interesting especially if you throw Ansyn's part in there.
I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
November 30, 2016
Fantastic! Awesomely written, with characters that captured my heart within moments of meeting them. Twists and surprises mixed in with a few hot steamy male/male sex scenes. Action, adventure and romance, plus, keep plenty of tissues available!! Sword fights, knife fights and erotic dancing are just a few of the fantastic things sprinkled through this epic story of a prince becoming a king.
As an independent reviewer for Romance Authors that Rock, I give this one a full five hearts! This author had me completely wrapped up in their story, a perfect hideaway from the stress of real life!
As an independent reviewer for Romance Authors that Rock, I give this one a full five hearts! This author had me completely wrapped up in their story, a perfect hideaway from the stress of real life!
December 21, 2016
I wanted to like this book more. It reminded me of The Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat and Caged by Bey Deckard...which are both favorites. This book had a lot of potential, but missed the mark for me for a number of reasons. There were a lot of typos, or word substitutions (then/than mixups, for example) that were irritating and distracting. By the end I was really tired of the following words...giggling, trembling, cute, adorable, and for the love of God PLEASE stop comparing them to puppies?!? Once was bad. More than once...just stop. And what was up with all the crying? All they did was wander around...fighting, fucking and crying....often at the same time.
December 21, 2016
Wow an adventure that you don't want to miss. Adventure, mystery, and romance all thrown together. A Prince named Inea is thrown into a dungeon cell to await his fate... being sold to the Queen of the South. Right after he father passed away and he became the king. Only a mysterious man that wondered the tunnels of the castle, let him out to escape. With a promise to meet him when he is ready again. Unknown to the Little Prince, Ansyn is more than the mysterious figure in the castle. And with a friend he made on the streets of his kingdom, and Ansyn the assassin turned musician to help him. They will try to take back what is really the little kings land.
December 30, 2016
I absolutely loved this book. The story is about a prince who needs help to win back his land from an evil queen. It may sound like a story that's been written many times, but this book is nothing like other stories.
The characters were well-developed and I loved them all. This was a fun, fun book to read and I know I'll read it again.
The love that developed between the three young men was beautifully written, and the closeness of all the characters to each other was well-defined. I felt like I was right there in the story.
I will warn you that this is a book for adults due to graphic scenes, but it is a book well worth the read.
The characters were well-developed and I loved them all. This was a fun, fun book to read and I know I'll read it again.
The love that developed between the three young men was beautifully written, and the closeness of all the characters to each other was well-defined. I felt like I was right there in the story.
I will warn you that this is a book for adults due to graphic scenes, but it is a book well worth the read.
April 20, 2017
This is the longest it's taken me to read a book of this nature. The story seemed to drag, with a lot of unnecessary parts of the story and characters. The ending was anti-climactic, and the story was overall kind of boring and convoluted. I finished because I felt obligated to, but I should have stopped reading a while ago.
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