Le pacte interdit

Scarlet and the White Wolf #4

by Kirby Crow, Adeline Nevo (Translator)

Le soleil est réapparu sur la Terre de la Nuit et Liall a revendiqué son droit à un trône qu'il n'avait jamais désiré. Cependant, nombreux sont ceux qui continuent à s'opposer à la présence de son bien-aimé Scarlet à la cour. Alors que les puissants barons réclament un héritier royal afin d’assurer la succession, les rumeurs du mariage de Liall avec la fille d'un baron se précisent et creusent un fossé douloureux entre les amants.

Pourtant, la proposition de mariage de Lady Ressilka n'est pas l'unique raison pour laquelle Scarlet garde ses distances. Sa magie évolue et se transforme en un dangereux pouvoir qu'il ne comprend pas et les seules personnes capables de l'aider sont les Anciens, qui ont tenté un jour de le tuer.

Lorsque les frontières de Rshan se trouvent menacées par des guerres imminentes, Liall se résout à conclure un pacte interdit afin de sauver Scarlet. Mais ce marché pourrait bien coûter la vie au Loup.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Romance, Magic, LGBT, M M Fantasy, Adventure

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 10, 2015

About the author

Kirby Crow worked as an entertainment editor and ghostwriter for several years before happily giving it up to bake brownies, read yaoi, play video games, and write her own novels. Whenever she isn't slaying Orcs or flying a battleship for the glory of the Amarr Empire, she can be found in the kitchen, her vegetable garden, or at the keyboard, tapping away at her next book.

Kirby is a winner of the EPIC Award and the Rainbow Award. She is the author of the bestselling "Scarlet and the White Wolf" series of fantasy novels.

Her published novels are:

Prisoner of the Raven
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Pedlar and the Bandit King
Scarlet and the White Wolf: Mariner's Luck
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Land of Night
Angels of the Deep
Hammer and Bone
Malachite
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The King of Forever
Meridian
Windward
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Temple Road

Novellas:
Turks Cay
Poison Apples
Circuit Theory
The Art of Fire
Chimera

For upcoming news of her future novels, visit http://kirbycrow.com

Reviews

[M'rella]

And so the updates continue, as suspense keeps building and building...



...and building!

Book 5 The Temple Road. Will it or will it not come out in April?




~*~*~*~
The book had finally come out. Yay! Celebration time!!!!! :D

Liall



Peysho



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

UPDATE

CHECK THIS OUT: http://kirbycrow.com/next.html
The book is (finally?) coming out THIS JUNE: "Status: Publish date: June 2015"
However, there is no date and the book is not on GR's "Next Month Releases" list.

--------------------------------------------------
It's September October November December. 2014.
January February March April May.


First, I was excited!



Then, I was angry.



And later - utterly discouraged :( (That's cold November rain, everyone!)



But someone just pointed out to me, it's December, the Holiday season, The Season of Hope.



I don't even care if it's a full blown novel-size volume or not, I am hoping for



And - Oh, how the title fits!

====

End of January, 2015.

I am not even mad... Well, maybe. Itsy-bitsy tiny bit.



February.

I officially give up all hope.





March.

If it comes out - OK. If not - it's OK, too. I lost all interest in the series even if it hits the virtual shelves tomorrow.

April.




May.



*~*~*~*~'''~*~*~*~*

[Nikyta]

OMG I NEED THIS BOOK NOW!

[Sheziss · Rating 3 out of 5]

After such a long time waiting for this I feel happy and unenthusiastic at the same time. It's such a short book and you expect so many things to happen that when you find out the book is going to end the same way it started you don't know if you should be angry or worse.



So, was it a tease and no more? Well, not exactly, because I really loved this story. I was reminded why I like this pair so much, why they are so special in their peculiar way. But that's a long way from being a "complete" book. It's more like a transition book, with all that it implies.



So do not expect mysteries to be solved and questions to be answered here, because there aren't any of those. It's like stretching book 3 a few pages more to prepare for what's yet to come. Yes, it sounds awful and discouraging, and that is by no means my intention. I just want to give you a proper warning, that's all. I recommend to wait for book 5 before daring with book 4, if only for the sake of maintaining some kind of continuity.



But do you think it's worth it or not? Yes, of course, I don't need a constant set of action scenes to keep me interested, you just have to combine several elements and if it's well played, you have me forever. That's what made devour this novel, the writing style and the characters draw you in hopelessly, and they made me want to know more about them and what's going to come and how they will ever overcome the endless conflicts in the kingdom and the little detail that Rshan have a much longer span of life.



Nothing was boring, everything the author touches wakes lots of wonders and leave you fully satisfied. So in truth there is no real complaint from my part and I finished the book with a sense of completion: in the feeling sphere nothing was amiss, it's the plot that is lacking, but I hope that fault will be corrected in the following installments.

[Xing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread April 2018. What are you guys waiting for?! I enjoyed this book so much on reread. I can't wait for the next one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

This was everything I could want, and a little bit more.

Warning: this review contains spoilers to the events of the first three books in the series, but not of this book itself. Therefore, I'll put the review inside one big spoiler tag.



Taking place not too long after the events of The Land of Night, The King of Forever gives us insight into the lives of Liall and Scarlet in their respective roles in Rshan. It's interesting to see Liall, The King, so different yet somewhat similar to the Bandit King we all know and love. Yet such an interesting contrast to Scarlet, who himself hasn't changed much even with his elevated position.

I thought all the political turmoil was settled in the last book. However, The King of Forever shows us that it's all just the beginning. And with war looming over the horizon, it's only a matter of time before things boil over.

To be honest, not much actually happens in this book. Not compared to the first three anyways. It all feels like a setup to what will come. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because certain things DID happen. I love how we're now at the established couple phase between Liall and Scarlet, and it's not a matter of "do I love him" but more of how to make it work in the Land of Night. A big issue that I felt looming over this beloved couple finally gets addressed, and the story emphasis seems to be more on the history of the Hilurin, the Ancients, the Shining Ones, and of Deva.

This was definitely worth the wait. I could have been watching Season 2 of Penny Dreadful on my new 60 inch television. But for the past 24 hours, I could only focus on this book.

Now all I have to do is wait for the next one!

[Ayanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liall's not particularly likeable, is he?

And like, Scarlet's not exactly a vapid little twit, but for some reason, the conjunction of the two of them has him coming off that way, somehow.

I think it's because we see the story through Liall's perspective, and for all that he protests, he really doesn't trust anyone other than himself to know best on anything, so in a sense, he does sort of see Scarlet as a vapid twit. Or at least treats him like one. Either way, it colors his perspective colors the way the story is told, and the whole thing is just...weird.

Scarlet also seems vapid bc like, really, what is there to like about Nazheradei? He's an arrogant, hoity-toity prig.

I sort of have a feeling the set-up in this - with Scarlet the one keeping major secrets, for once - is supposed to, in some way, endear Liall to us? But just...seriously, come on. That doesn't fucking work? You don't endear one person to someone by making someone else "look worse"? I mean, okay, fine, maybe this'll work with other people, but it just seems incredibly transparent to me, and I tolerate it about as much as I tolerated shitting on Christine Everhart to "make Pepper look better."

Besides...did I fucking miss something? What even is the big secret? I have a vague idea of what it might be from some past set-up and the blurb, but I'm not actually sure what it is? Like, was I just not reading carefully enough? Or did the author actually fail to relay it?

...aaaand wow, this book is not a complete story. It sets up a lot, builds it up a bit, and then ends with a sex scene and a "tune in next time to find out more."

And I actually don't like that there's more explicit sex now? Like, part of the reason I liked this was, unlike most other things that had such high emphasis on sexual stuff or sex as being demonstrative of affection, it was those two actually interacting conversationally (more or less)? And just...I dunno, at this point, it's actually kind of hard for me to really feel like Liall actually loves Scarlet, or has, in any way, a healthy conception of what love is/should be? And I was hoping there was some sort of revelation of such like in Dominion of the Eth, but no such luck. No idea if it's even forthcoming, seeing as it ends in the middle of the story and carries over into the next book.

At this point, though, I'm more looking askance at it than outright staring balefully, so I guess, provisionally, 3 star?

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really loving this series! The story is great. The characters are great. The writing is great. Okay seriously it's a great book! Now that I've cleared that up.

Scarlet and Liall are learning to deal with Liall being King and all the responsibility, stress and danger that comes with it. On top of all that it seems Liall must now lead his nation into war.

If I had any complaint, it would be the multiple volume concept so many authors are adopting. Write a complete story in one volume, don't break it up and make it a series. Every book should have a climax! You shouldn't have to wait for the next book in the series.

But it's still a great book! (Just in case you'd gotten confused)

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a little bit mad, because this is not a complete book, just one half of an (admittedly great) story. "The King of Forever" finishes and nearly nothing is resolved. While I felt unnerved by the constant cliff-hangers in book 1-3, they never bothered me this much. At least the former installments finished their story arc.

So yes, I loved it and I was very moved by the new, tragic plot twist. Scarlet destined to die much younger than Liall, Liall forced to marry and produce an heir But I deduct one star, because I think splitting this story is just downright cruel.

[amomentsilence · Rating 5 out of 5]

MAJOR UPDATE (6/17/15):
*SCREECHES* IT'S ON PREORDER NOW!!!!!! WE ARE GETTING OUR NEXT BOOK SOOOOOOOON!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZRS0BA4

*HYPERVENTILATES*

------------------------------------------------------------------

WHERE IS IT ALREADY???? I NEED IN MY HANDS

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

I waited a long time for this book but in the end it was well worth it. An epic story with great characters and I'm so happy that there is more to come.

[Ricardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't hate this book.

It was much shorter than I thought it would be, there was little action or anything that would make me seriously worry for the characters' lives. It felt like a continuation of the last book, and honestly, it could have been added to the last book and I wouldn't have noticed a difference.

However, this book addressed issues I'd been worried about, and questions that had been left unanswered that I needed answered, if this had been apart of the last book, I wouldn't have been left with an uncertain conclusion and known that this story was going to continue.

This story was probably made in mind to tie up loose ends, and I should have been angry if that is the case, but the thing is, this book was good.

As good as the last three? Definitely not. Was the story bad? No.

I feel the same about this book as I do about Mariner's Luck. This book is simply a bridge to the next part of the story as much as that one was between Scarlett and Land of Night. These two books weren't made to stand alone.

However, this book lacked the edge the other three had, and we're left where we started with no significant growth between them, wondering if these two, despite how much they love each other, are they going to be able to stay together?

I still recommend this story, just don't expect this story to have you clawing the arms of your chair with fear and anticipation like the others.

[Kiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is simply a bridge to the next part of the story, so definitely read the series in order from the first one.

The King of Forever is a little shorter than the previous ones and really felt like a continuation of the last book. Scarlet's Gift starts to be explored as well as the whole t'aishka concept, but while the first three installments were mostly driven by the feeling born from Scarlet and Liall, blossoming into beautiful passion, this book mostly addresses issues and questions that had been left unanswered, practically introducing the following book. Any love scene is left to the reader's imagination, and that for me costs a star.

This said, Kirby stays true to her writing style and I couldn't put down the book before I got to the last page. I definitely love this series and recommend it.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS for a really shitty way to end a book

I started this series and timed it exactly to coincide with the release of book 5, tomorrow! Well that was the GR information which I read wrong and couldn't find a mention of a book #5 anywhere. I should have checked her website because the book being released tomorrow is a standalone Urban Fantasy that's not related to this series whatsoever BUT it does look interesting. So this is a revised review because I could find anything about another book on this series until I went to her personal webpage and got the conformation in the FAQ's of all places. There is now a GR listing with a cover and release date for 2016.

Oh this is another excellent M/M high fantasy series if my fellow fantasy readers are interested, BUT I was extremely disappointed with the entire ending of this book, the last quarter felt rushed and it finished with the feeling of someone ripping the book from your hand and slamming it shut. I wouldn't even call it a cliffhanger either, just a very bad way of how not to end a novel, in a series with no indication of a 5th book on the horizon. So yeah I gave it one star for that book until I found out there was another book in the works. To me this book finished like someone who stops talking mid sentence, it was bizarre

[Gwendolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was wrong about who but not what.

Another Update:

I've caught a few continuity issues from the first three books. Especially with the sentient spaceship and Gods. I'm gonna act like anything else introduced here is the actual cannon.

Lord only knows if the next book will ever come out.

Update:
Well I waited almost a year for this to come out and then I kept this on my TBR for a bit so I could re-read the first three.

I think I figured out how this is going to play out while rereading this book again this morning.

The servant is a son of someone. He is trying WAY too hard to be seen. First time through I thought he was a spy or soemthing but no. I think that is why he was kept on in the new rooms even thought he kind of sucks at everything.

That will give Liall on out about baby making.

*********************************

OH COME ON! Make it October already...Now it says November on...DECEMBER IS ALMOST OVER http://www.risingshadow.net/library/b...

[Daesy]

[Maiko-chan [|]]

It's finally out!!!!!

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cliffhanger? Give me a break, Really "the land of night" came out in 2006" please say it's not going to be another 9 years for book 5 .

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review in the first book, Scarlet and the White Wolf.

[Hemmel M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

nothing happens, lack of romance, too much politics, cliff hanger that does not leave me wanting more.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

I was thrilled when I saw that Kirby Crow had written another in the Scarlet and the White Wolf series. It has been so long since the initial trilogy was published, I had long assumed there would be no further volumes. The King of Forever was a pleasant interlude, one that offered a chance to visit again with two great characters, but failed to provide much forward action. The writing was as enjoyable as always and the author has a natural, easy voice that really comes through on every page. There is a strong sense of world building, which adds an elemental layer to the plot but never overshadows the heart of the story. Unfortunately the story itself never amounts to much. Like with Mariner’s Luck, the second in the series, The King of Forever seems to be something of a placeholder for future action. While I understand the need for these types of books in a series, and even occasionally appreciate them, it didn’t stop me from wanting something more to happen. The King of Forever does a great job of setting up the action for the next entry into the series and there was an edge of expectation that was intriguing, but overall I would have preferred if the plot had evolved a bit more all around.

Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.

[Wyrn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've really been enjoying this series and the twist in Book 3 had me yearning for this story. I wasn't sure where it was going to go but I was excited. Sadly, Book 4 didn't go anywhere, nothing happened. There's been lots of hints about things to come but at this rate, I'm starting to lose interest. I really want the series to advance, I need to know what is in story for Scarlet and Liall but I don't know how much longer I can wait.

[Patrick Aganon-Riedling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and easy to read, but save one scene on a hunt, the entire book is exposition. I wanted more balance with action. That being said, I'm intrigued and looking forward to reading the next book. I'm curious to see what happens.

[Anastasia]

Seriously its coming out??????


I've been waiting for like years since it's been announced*sigh*

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

I read 3 and 4 back to back. It was wonderful to get reacquainted with scarlet and liall (rawr) and spend some time in their world.

As always, yet another book of win by Kirby Crow. Can't wait for the next installment. Hurry SWW5!!

[Cassandra]

Rude. She had finally updated the release date on her website, but once again March has passed.

I've lost all hope for this book to be ever released.

[Karen Wellsbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this series, the characters are inconsistent, sometimes irritating and I don't know how it will end, lovely

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another adventuous book! My heart ached for these to wonderful men. Will Liall and Scarlet ever be able to have a life together without all the betrayal, deceit, backstabbing, and insults they recieve about being together? Such a great series!

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight)]

3 Stars

Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the author. This has not influenced my review.*

This book was well-written, but the plot was a bit of a let down for me.

Part of the problem was an "it's not the book, it's me" thing. I'm not always a fan of royal court politics, and even though I enjoyed it in the previous book, there was just too much of it in this book for my taste. I was also still kind of confused by the religion/history of the people aspect that was focused on more.

The other part of the problem was that hardly anything happened. All of the books in this series haven't had super packed plots, but they had a goal and felt complete (in a sense). The first was about Scarlet and Liall meeting and discovering their feelings and starting a relationship. The second was about making their journey to Liall's homeland. The third was about getting the people to agree on a new king. But this one was about... Scarlet being upset about Liall potentially having to marry Ressilka and Liall finding out he needs to travel the Temple Road? I know the series has an overarching plot, but it still frustrates me when individual books don't have a goal or when the goal isn't accomplished or failed by the end.

I will say, however, that the writing and the characters were still just as good as they were in the previous books. I especially liked the intimate moments and conversations between Scarlet and Liall because they were the kind of thing you don't see in many books. Those moments felt natural and playful and like a real relationship. It helped me to feel the emotion between them, believe that they loved each other, and understand why. They had a natural comfort with each other that couples in books sometimes lack, and even though they did have struggles and disagreements, they actually talked and communicated eventually.

So overall, all the politics were not for me, and I couldn't rate it higher because it felt more like half a book than a full one, but I still enjoyed the book because it still had the same good writing and characters.

Recommended For:
Fans of Books 1-3 in Kirby Crow's Scarlet & the White Wolf Series. M/M high fantasy readers who like slow-paced, character-focused books with sweet relationships.

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I hoped it would be story wise, but now I'm stuck waiting for book 5 to know what happens next.

Our favorite couple is feeling the strain in their relationship as Liall takes up the mantel of King, and scarlet as his consort. With Liall now king, the political climate has become more hostile and complicated, an atmosphere only made worse by the after effects of Liall's murderous half Brother Vladie's actions from the last book, Particularly his alliance with the Tribelanders, the Ava-Thule, in order to bring rebellion against the crown.

With war eminent, and the Barons unsure of the crowns stability, Liall and scarlet's relationship is put to the test when the Barons and even friends, begin to press Liall on the matter of a queen and royal heir. Court intrigue, manipulation and emotional turmoil abound in this 4th installment of Scarlet and the White Wolf, that sets up our dear couple for what may be their greatest challenge yet.

[Desertdryad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was incredibly excited to read this, so of course I was finished with it far too quickly. Especially given the fact that I will have to wait for the next book to witness the resolution of the conflict in this book, which at times left me extremely frustrated or angry with characters and situations. I don't really feel confident in any attempt I might make to guess what will happen in book 5, since the ancient backstory at the end of book 3 threw me for a loop, and I was not sure where some of the things that happened in this book were ultimately going. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I really hope that the next one comes out quickly to put me out of my cliffhanger misery.

[Cristina Mazzotti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Di certo non è stato il mio preferito...anzi.
Credo l'autore si stia un pò perdendo, questa trama aveva un suo potenziale, il modo di scrivere e di descrivere sono interessanti ma ci si sta perdendo in discorsi di battaglie e litigi amorosi che sembrano più che altro isterici.
La cosa che trovo più interessante e che non viene minimamente sviluppata è la magia del protagonista che sta crescendo sempre di più...mi aspettavo più azione da parte sua e di certo più maturità da parte di entrambi nello sviluppo del loro rapporto.
Spero che nel prossimo la trama sia resa più interessante