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The Kingmaker Saga #3
Black Swan
In the blink of an eye, Karina Ashworth lost everything.
But in the pits of her despair, she finds a new purpose—a reason to keep living.
Uilleam Runehart might have shown her how ruthless he could be, but she’s no longer the girl he once knew.
No longer innocent and blind to the cruelties of the world, she’s now a woman fueled by vengeance and fury. And by the time she finishes with him, an empire will fall.
His actions have consequences, and she would be his reckoning.
From Romantic Suspense Author, London Miller, comes the third installment in the Kingmaker Saga following a woman with nothing to lose and the man who will never see her coming.
But in the pits of her despair, she finds a new purpose—a reason to keep living.
Uilleam Runehart might have shown her how ruthless he could be, but she’s no longer the girl he once knew.
No longer innocent and blind to the cruelties of the world, she’s now a woman fueled by vengeance and fury. And by the time she finishes with him, an empire will fall.
His actions have consequences, and she would be his reckoning.
From Romantic Suspense Author, London Miller, comes the third installment in the Kingmaker Saga following a woman with nothing to lose and the man who will never see her coming.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2019
88 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
About the author
London Miller
45 books1,412 followersWith a degree in Creative Writing, London Miller has turned pen to paper, creating riveting fictional worlds where the bad guys are sometimes the good guys. Her debut novel, In the Beginning, is the first in the Volkov Bratva Series.
She currently resides in southern Georgia where she drinks far too much coffee, and spends her nights writing.
To learn more about London Miller and her novels, please visit her through her social media:
http://facebook.com/londonmillerauthor
http://twitter.com/AuthorLMiller
Also, you can email her at: london.millerauthor@gmail.com
She currently resides in southern Georgia where she drinks far too much coffee, and spends her nights writing.
To learn more about London Miller and her novels, please visit her through her social media:
http://facebook.com/londonmillerauthor
http://twitter.com/AuthorLMiller
Also, you can email her at: london.millerauthor@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
November 24, 2022
“But it hurts you, doesn’t it?” she asked, resting her hands on his knees. “Why do you hold on to something so tightly that only causes you pain?” He let the scrap of ruined material fall from his hand before he lifted it to curve around her cheek. He stroked his thumb there, brushing over the curve of her jaw before he had her hair wrapped around his fist.
He gave it a tug, forcing her head back so that she had no choice but to look at him. “Sometimes a little pain is good for you.”
"And the Kingmaker?” Kava went on. “What will you do about him?”
Because he was coming, sooner or later.
“I’m going to make him feel what he has made so many others feel over the years.”
Kava frowned. “And that is?”
Plucking one of the blue roses from the bouquet on the table, Karina brought it to her nose and inhaled the delicate scent. “Pain."
London Miller has all of my respect and is making her way into one of my all time favorite authors. Where else can I get this type of story? Nowhere. I can't describe how impressed I am right now. So excited for the next book and all the other series this author has.
He gave it a tug, forcing her head back so that she had no choice but to look at him. “Sometimes a little pain is good for you.”
"And the Kingmaker?” Kava went on. “What will you do about him?”
Because he was coming, sooner or later.
“I’m going to make him feel what he has made so many others feel over the years.”
Kava frowned. “And that is?”
Plucking one of the blue roses from the bouquet on the table, Karina brought it to her nose and inhaled the delicate scent. “Pain."
London Miller has all of my respect and is making her way into one of my all time favorite authors. Where else can I get this type of story? Nowhere. I can't describe how impressed I am right now. So excited for the next book and all the other series this author has.
May 22, 2019
Only this author can get me to 5 Star a book where the main characters are apart for the ENTIRE book. (lol) Black Swan picks up from the end of the previous book and covers around six years of this couple's separation...I think. There were timeline issues with my ARC copy, that I assume will be cleared up in the final editing. But this book covered a lot of the DEN years. 
Whereas I found the previous book to be a little slow and drawn out this book took off running from the start and didn't stop. The quality of writing remained top notch. The plot was engaging and intricate. There was a lot going on in this book. Twists and turns. Manipulations. Secrets. Heartbreak. We see a bunch of characters from this author's other books. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to go back and read ALL her books, so if anyone knows if Jackal has his own book...I'd love to know! Last, it all wraps up on a cliffhanger (there are still two more books in the saga).
So yea, I enjoyed this one a lot. I can't wait to see how Miz Miller plans on bringing these two back together. At this point it seems like an impossible task, but if anyone can it is this author.
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October 21, 2019
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May 26, 2019
3 annoyed but anxious stars?
I have no idea how to rate this book. None what so ever, so this review is just gonna be a long ramble of my jumbled thoughts.
First of all, the hero and heroine are separated for the entire length of this book. The ENTIRE book is dedicated to.... nothing. While events did occur to help the progression of their character development, I was struggling to see what the point of this book was supposed to be about. And now I have to wait until freaking August to find out what happens.
Second of all, this book has the hero and heroine separated for 6-7 years.
SIX TO SEVEN YEARS.
Why. Literally why. What was the point with all of this separation. The book starts off with "3 years later" but doesnt mention anything that happened in those 3 years. It caused a giant disconnect with the story because the reader is told the heroine just laid around her house in mourning and the hero just... disappears off the face of the earth... like... what the hell is going on?!
*huge spoiler*
7 years is a really long time for the heroine to pretend that shes dead while also trying to sabotage the hero's mafia business. I dont mind separation, but this just made me annoyed. In the middle of the book we get another "2 years later" in the chapter... again... WHAT THE FUCK. You cant just time jump for no fucking reason!?!? I get that sabotage takes time but COME ON. Nothing was making much sense.
There was a bunch of little things to be annoyed at too, like..
1. too many characters to keep track of with long names that all just sounded exactly the same
2. convoluted business schemes that didnt make much sense in terms of story. One minute a character was saying somethign but then doing the opposite. It gave me whiplash.
3. No detail whatsoever on what happened in between time jumps.
I'm just annoyed. I'm not dissatisfied with the book, but merely just confused and annoyed. Why write such a long book thats only filler to just have it end on what everyone is waiting to read about anyway? Seems like a waste of time and energy to me.
Onto the reason why I gave it 3 stars instead of 1...
We are introduced to some really great secondary characters that would make great MC's for future books so im excited to see how that plays out. Theres alot of potential revenge and redemption character arcs we can potentially get and im looking forward to how all of their stories are intertwined. And alot of the new secondary characters helped make the heroine look like a total bad ass, which is always nice. She stepped up her game alot.
Also, the writing is spectacular. Its very inventive and has alot of moving parts. Not an easy thing to do and this author does it better than most. Like I said before, the hero and heroines character arcs have more depth than ever, and im on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens. Its hard to hold my attention, and this long ass book of nothing did hold my attention for longer than I thought it would.
Another nice thing? Its not yet 100% confirmed, but im fairly confident that both Hero and Heroine stayed celibate for all of that separation. It was stated multiple times the hero could never be with anyone else because he still loved the heroine too much. And the heroine was too busy plotting revenge on the hero to be with anyone else.
This author has alot of loose ends to tie up and I hope she does it well. The hero still has alot to answer for.
Patiently waiting for the next one... hope all of this frustration is worth it in the end..
Safety:
Wanna know why the H and h are separated for 7 goddam years? PM me and ill share with you major spoilers that I dont feel are right to put in a review. Normally I wouldn't mind spilling the beans but this series feels different for me.
I have no idea how to rate this book. None what so ever, so this review is just gonna be a long ramble of my jumbled thoughts.
First of all, the hero and heroine are separated for the entire length of this book. The ENTIRE book is dedicated to.... nothing. While events did occur to help the progression of their character development, I was struggling to see what the point of this book was supposed to be about. And now I have to wait until freaking August to find out what happens.
Second of all, this book has the hero and heroine separated for 6-7 years.
SIX TO SEVEN YEARS.
Why. Literally why. What was the point with all of this separation. The book starts off with "3 years later" but doesnt mention anything that happened in those 3 years. It caused a giant disconnect with the story because the reader is told the heroine just laid around her house in mourning and the hero just... disappears off the face of the earth... like... what the hell is going on?!
*huge spoiler*
7 years is a really long time for the heroine to pretend that shes dead while also trying to sabotage the hero's mafia business. I dont mind separation, but this just made me annoyed. In the middle of the book we get another "2 years later" in the chapter... again... WHAT THE FUCK. You cant just time jump for no fucking reason!?!? I get that sabotage takes time but COME ON. Nothing was making much sense.
There was a bunch of little things to be annoyed at too, like..
1. too many characters to keep track of with long names that all just sounded exactly the same
2. convoluted business schemes that didnt make much sense in terms of story. One minute a character was saying somethign but then doing the opposite. It gave me whiplash.
3. No detail whatsoever on what happened in between time jumps.
I'm just annoyed. I'm not dissatisfied with the book, but merely just confused and annoyed. Why write such a long book thats only filler to just have it end on what everyone is waiting to read about anyway? Seems like a waste of time and energy to me.
Onto the reason why I gave it 3 stars instead of 1...
We are introduced to some really great secondary characters that would make great MC's for future books so im excited to see how that plays out. Theres alot of potential revenge and redemption character arcs we can potentially get and im looking forward to how all of their stories are intertwined. And alot of the new secondary characters helped make the heroine look like a total bad ass, which is always nice. She stepped up her game alot.
Also, the writing is spectacular. Its very inventive and has alot of moving parts. Not an easy thing to do and this author does it better than most. Like I said before, the hero and heroines character arcs have more depth than ever, and im on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens. Its hard to hold my attention, and this long ass book of nothing did hold my attention for longer than I thought it would.
Another nice thing? Its not yet 100% confirmed, but im fairly confident that both Hero and Heroine stayed celibate for all of that separation. It was stated multiple times the hero could never be with anyone else because he still loved the heroine too much. And the heroine was too busy plotting revenge on the hero to be with anyone else.
This author has alot of loose ends to tie up and I hope she does it well. The hero still has alot to answer for.
Patiently waiting for the next one... hope all of this frustration is worth it in the end..
Safety:
Wanna know why the H and h are separated for 7 goddam years? PM me and ill share with you major spoilers that I dont feel are right to put in a review. Normally I wouldn't mind spilling the beans but this series feels different for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2019
First of all I would like to emphasize that I love the author's books. Everyone I've read to date has surprised and cheered me in the best ways! I was very, very very anxious about this sequel, but the feeling after I had finished this book was just ... meh. What I read was just a bunch of nothing. It was as if the author used a huge time pass only to make the Uilleam redeemable and show another side of Karina but that did not serve any purpose. No interaction between the two, just nothing. I was very disappointed. However, I will not give up on the show. I'll wait until August hoping that the next book will be better.
May 26, 2019
I adore Karina, I'm slowly forgiving Uilleam (though he still has a long way to go yet) and I am desperate for this pair to find everlasting happiness.
I have to wonder way, way back in the past, when Ms Miller wrote Red, the first book in the Den of Mercenaries series, if she had this entire story arc in mind. The imagination, planning and the painstaking recording of details needed to make this series work, to have it blend so seamlessly with the Den series of books, leaves me in absolute awe. Her talent for story telling is second to none.
This book, THIS. BOOK. It held me spellbound. It broke my heart. It shredded my soul. It made me ache and despair for the two lost and wounded individuals within its pages. At times it had me on the very edge of my seat, the tension so very palpable that my heart was racing, my hands were clenched tight and I couldn't read quickly enough. Other times I gazed on in wonder at the sheer audacity of the plans and schemes. Mesmerised with how the intrigue was like a tightly ravelled ball of string wound just perfectly, so that the slightest tug on a loose end saw it unravel before my very eyes.
The fact that I've already witnessed so much of this story through the eyes of other characters didn't matter a jot. Every line brought something new. Each paragraph held meaning, gave context and revealed secrets that I hadn't even known existed before that moment. I actually had to put this book aside a couple of times just to let my brain process everything I had read. I had to give myself time to recover from the depth of emotion this stirred within me. Allow myself space to soak in the sheer brilliance of the story. I also needed to try and eek the story out for as long as possible because I just knew I'd go into a massive book hangover upon completing this.
In the aforementioned DoM series, I really didn't care for Karina. In the first two books of The Kingmaker Saga we see the woman she was before betrayal, pain and misery shaped her into Belladonna. That this agony befell her, ultimately, at the hands of the man whom she loved with all her heart provided me with a very different perspective of the character. Karina is a woman who only ever saw the good in others, a woman who cares too much and too deeply for her own good, especially when it comes to Uilleam Runeheart.
Whilst not an easy man to always like, mainly due to his arrogance and high handed manner, Uilleam did win me over both in the Den books as well as the first book of the Kingmaker saga. However much he loved Karina, despite how the situation broke his heart, there was never anyone more to blame for events than himself. Yet despite this, despite knowing he is selfish, despite knowing he is manipulative and despite knowing he doesn't always care enough about the innocents caught up in his schemes, he is slowly worming his way back into my heart.
I simply can't begin to guess how this story will proceed. I do know that it is a series that you will happily read again and again, each time noticing another little facet, hint or clue that you missed on previous reads. If you love romantic suspense, if you love a well written story, if you enjoy books that involve your mind, heart and soul then this is for you. It needs to be read after the first two books, White Rabbit: The Rise and White Rabbit: The Fall. You might possibly also want to read the Den of Mercenaries books, which this series overlaps with, it isn't strictly necessary but they are also incredibly well written stories too.
Bravo London Miller!
I have to wonder way, way back in the past, when Ms Miller wrote Red, the first book in the Den of Mercenaries series, if she had this entire story arc in mind. The imagination, planning and the painstaking recording of details needed to make this series work, to have it blend so seamlessly with the Den series of books, leaves me in absolute awe. Her talent for story telling is second to none.
This book, THIS. BOOK. It held me spellbound. It broke my heart. It shredded my soul. It made me ache and despair for the two lost and wounded individuals within its pages. At times it had me on the very edge of my seat, the tension so very palpable that my heart was racing, my hands were clenched tight and I couldn't read quickly enough. Other times I gazed on in wonder at the sheer audacity of the plans and schemes. Mesmerised with how the intrigue was like a tightly ravelled ball of string wound just perfectly, so that the slightest tug on a loose end saw it unravel before my very eyes.
The fact that I've already witnessed so much of this story through the eyes of other characters didn't matter a jot. Every line brought something new. Each paragraph held meaning, gave context and revealed secrets that I hadn't even known existed before that moment. I actually had to put this book aside a couple of times just to let my brain process everything I had read. I had to give myself time to recover from the depth of emotion this stirred within me. Allow myself space to soak in the sheer brilliance of the story. I also needed to try and eek the story out for as long as possible because I just knew I'd go into a massive book hangover upon completing this.
In the aforementioned DoM series, I really didn't care for Karina. In the first two books of The Kingmaker Saga we see the woman she was before betrayal, pain and misery shaped her into Belladonna. That this agony befell her, ultimately, at the hands of the man whom she loved with all her heart provided me with a very different perspective of the character. Karina is a woman who only ever saw the good in others, a woman who cares too much and too deeply for her own good, especially when it comes to Uilleam Runeheart.
Whilst not an easy man to always like, mainly due to his arrogance and high handed manner, Uilleam did win me over both in the Den books as well as the first book of the Kingmaker saga. However much he loved Karina, despite how the situation broke his heart, there was never anyone more to blame for events than himself. Yet despite this, despite knowing he is selfish, despite knowing he is manipulative and despite knowing he doesn't always care enough about the innocents caught up in his schemes, he is slowly worming his way back into my heart.
I simply can't begin to guess how this story will proceed. I do know that it is a series that you will happily read again and again, each time noticing another little facet, hint or clue that you missed on previous reads. If you love romantic suspense, if you love a well written story, if you enjoy books that involve your mind, heart and soul then this is for you. It needs to be read after the first two books, White Rabbit: The Rise and White Rabbit: The Fall. You might possibly also want to read the Den of Mercenaries books, which this series overlaps with, it isn't strictly necessary but they are also incredibly well written stories too.
Bravo London Miller!
May 26, 2019
Wow, this book was a whole ass waste.
The first 40 pages + last 10 pages where relevant out of the 400+.
This is the first 2 star rated LM book I have and only because I love her work (usually) I didn't mark it as a 1 star.
Hide spoilers you say? well, there aren't any lmao.
I was waiting and waiting and FUCKING WAITING for anything to happen.......... literally anything and nope. If you are going into this series read book 1, and I will tell you what happens in book 2-3 because the end of book 2 was the only thing worth it in that also.
Very disappointing addition to this story from LM.
The first 40 pages + last 10 pages where relevant out of the 400+.
This is the first 2 star rated LM book I have and only because I love her work (usually) I didn't mark it as a 1 star.
Hide spoilers you say? well, there aren't any lmao.
I was waiting and waiting and FUCKING WAITING for anything to happen.......... literally anything and nope. If you are going into this series read book 1, and I will tell you what happens in book 2-3 because the end of book 2 was the only thing worth it in that also.
Very disappointing addition to this story from LM.
July 13, 2024
So I am not sure what the book was about because Uilleam and Karina were not together till the end or even met.
Karina had a complete personality switch in a very amazing way. She became stronger and is hell bent on getting her revenge because of the loss she suffered.
Authors! take a note this is how you write a strong woman. I loved the fact she didn't go back to him and took her revenge.
‼️no cheating, no ow drama‼️
Karina had a complete personality switch in a very amazing way. She became stronger and is hell bent on getting her revenge because of the loss she suffered.
Authors! take a note this is how you write a strong woman. I loved the fact she didn't go back to him and took her revenge.
‼️no cheating, no ow drama‼️
May 23, 2019
5 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨
Honestly I don't even know where to begin to properly describe my feelings for this book without coming across like a crazy lunatic. . . I cried, laughed, and cried some more.
𝘼𝙣 𝙚𝙮𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙮𝙚. . .
This book. . .
No this series is just phenomenal. I just want to cry in a dark corner right now because Black Swan broke my heart. It's rare when I come across a book that leaves me speechless and legit fangirl endlessly at the same time. Let me just say this, Black swan was an insane, intense, and intriguing roller coaster ride. I loved every second of it. My emotions were all over the place, rage, shock, disbelief, and anything in between.
Black Swan will leave you speechless and emotionally drained by the time you read the last page, I recommend all you dark lovers out there to read this mind f**k story that is unlike any book you have ever read. London Miller delivers with an adrenaline pumping, action packed, and exhilarating twists that was absolutely riveting from the very opening line.
Ｌｏｖｅ ｍａｋｅｓ ｙｏｕ ｗｅａｋ．
This book begins right where book two ended. Karina is making a name for herself, becoming the Belladonna and showing that she is not playing around. It's time for the world to know that she is out for blood. An eye for an eye. Something far too precious was taken from her, and she wants revenge. So much hate fills her veins with darkness, she is no longer the young innocent woman we met in the Rise. Karina is stronger, and her heart has turned to ice. And with the Jackal by her side, she is unstoppable.
Uilleam's kingdom is slowly crumbling.
His demise is unfolding and he doesn't see the Belladonna coming. There can be no redemption, only death and bloodshed. And in the shadows a woman is watching. . . with an evil grin on her face that the man who used to be the love of her life now wants to watch his empire fall in flames.
So many intricate web of lies and secrecy, Karina is pulling the strings, and Uilleam is falling right at her feet. I cannot express my love for this book enough, especially the ending. My heart hurts for these two, but they ruined each other.
. . .
I have to get something off my chest. . .
We finally get more light on the Jackal, and my heart thumped out of my chest. I got goosebumps and shivers. This man makes me think hella wicked thoughts. I have never had this obsession over a character in like..... EVER. London has made me a total spazz when it comes to Sebastian. To me he can do no wrong. . .
To all the other fan girls out there he is mine. I was the first to claim him, and I have proof.
I cannot wait for my hubs story.
#𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙒𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙮
#𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙙
𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨.
𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙩, 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢.
𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠.
𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙚?
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!
GIVE ME MORE!!!
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May 25, 2019
Let the chess game begin!
I’m speechless. The love, the loss, regrets, the grief… Black Swan is full of these feelings and so much more! After the ending of previous part in the series I was completely devastated and to be honest I was a little bit scared of what London Miller would do to my poor heart next. I’m so invested in Karina and Uilleam’s story that every twist and turn takes a bit of my soul. And Black Swan is filled with these to the brim.
An indescribable loss left Karina in a state of numbness for a long time. But when she eventually discovered who is responsible for her misery, she wanted revenge. However, drawing the consequences is a long process if she wants the punishment to be adequate to the guilt. Only patience, composure and determination can bring her closer to her goal. And let Belladonna to rise.
I can’t describe what I felt during this read. On the one hand I was awed, on the other a little scared. The change in Karina was huge. Driven by resentment and vengeance she became cold, ruthless, more calculated and cunning. But at the same time she wasn’t completely lost in her vendetta. In spite of everything that happened, the part of her still loved Uilleam and she couldn’t let anyone hurt him, although this is exactly her endgame- to destroy the Kingmaker. But Karina isn’t aware of how much he suffers on daily basis and what the loss of her is doing to him. The mourning that he's experiencing every day raises many regrets and nothing seems to ease his pain. To top it off, Uilleam fights the threats that jeopardize his empire, but it's hard for him to find the cause of chaos when it seems to be a ghost.
London Miller wrote this story in such a perfect way that I felt like in the middle of mindgame between main characters. The intensity of match between Belladonna and the Kingmaker made me shiver, but despite bad blood I could still feel the love that connected these two. My mind and heart are really conflicted, because the punishment must be inflicted, but at the other hand how many more of pain Karina and Uilleam can handle?
And that cliffy? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME, LONDON? I'll weep myself to death at this rate!
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
I’m speechless. The love, the loss, regrets, the grief… Black Swan is full of these feelings and so much more! After the ending of previous part in the series I was completely devastated and to be honest I was a little bit scared of what London Miller would do to my poor heart next. I’m so invested in Karina and Uilleam’s story that every twist and turn takes a bit of my soul. And Black Swan is filled with these to the brim.
An indescribable loss left Karina in a state of numbness for a long time. But when she eventually discovered who is responsible for her misery, she wanted revenge. However, drawing the consequences is a long process if she wants the punishment to be adequate to the guilt. Only patience, composure and determination can bring her closer to her goal. And let Belladonna to rise.
I can’t describe what I felt during this read. On the one hand I was awed, on the other a little scared. The change in Karina was huge. Driven by resentment and vengeance she became cold, ruthless, more calculated and cunning. But at the same time she wasn’t completely lost in her vendetta. In spite of everything that happened, the part of her still loved Uilleam and she couldn’t let anyone hurt him, although this is exactly her endgame- to destroy the Kingmaker. But Karina isn’t aware of how much he suffers on daily basis and what the loss of her is doing to him. The mourning that he's experiencing every day raises many regrets and nothing seems to ease his pain. To top it off, Uilleam fights the threats that jeopardize his empire, but it's hard for him to find the cause of chaos when it seems to be a ghost.
London Miller wrote this story in such a perfect way that I felt like in the middle of mindgame between main characters. The intensity of match between Belladonna and the Kingmaker made me shiver, but despite bad blood I could still feel the love that connected these two. My mind and heart are really conflicted, because the punishment must be inflicted, but at the other hand how many more of pain Karina and Uilleam can handle?
And that cliffy? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME, LONDON? I'll weep myself to death at this rate!
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2022
“He took something from me,” Karina whispered, struggling to find her voice—to remain standing in the face of what had just been revealed. “It’s only fair I take something from him in return.”
Karina had a complete personality switch in a good way. She became stronger and is hell bent on getting her revenge because the of the loss she suffered but Ulliam not even knowing what he lost broke my heart. Uilleam & Karina do not meet in this book, it was just a story about how their individual lives have changed since their separation. Basically, it was just 400 pages of plot and no scenes of them together. But still some trivial things happened and after that cliffhanger, I am definitely jumping straight to the next book!
Karina had a complete personality switch in a good way. She became stronger and is hell bent on getting her revenge because the of the loss she suffered but Ulliam not even knowing what he lost broke my heart. Uilleam & Karina do not meet in this book, it was just a story about how their individual lives have changed since their separation. Basically, it was just 400 pages of plot and no scenes of them together. But still some trivial things happened and after that cliffhanger, I am definitely jumping straight to the next book!
May 24, 2019
BLACK SWAN (The Kingmaker Saga 3)
By London Miller
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holy $hit! This book was like seeing behind the scenes of all the Den books. Every calculated and strategic move by Karina and Uilleam was explained in so much detail.
Seeing how things played out through their eyes was so crazy. Everything fell into place and the battle between Belladonna and the Kingmaker had me on edge. It’s funny because you know the gist of what is going on or what is gonna come if you’ve read the Den of Mercenaries but seeing it play out through the perspective of Uilleam and Karina makes it so much more real. Like watching a movie in HD.
Just a couple more book until the Saga is complete and I am anticipating them both. London consumes me with her words and this Saga is not to me missed. A definite must read!!
By London Miller
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holy $hit! This book was like seeing behind the scenes of all the Den books. Every calculated and strategic move by Karina and Uilleam was explained in so much detail.
Seeing how things played out through their eyes was so crazy. Everything fell into place and the battle between Belladonna and the Kingmaker had me on edge. It’s funny because you know the gist of what is going on or what is gonna come if you’ve read the Den of Mercenaries but seeing it play out through the perspective of Uilleam and Karina makes it so much more real. Like watching a movie in HD.
Just a couple more book until the Saga is complete and I am anticipating them both. London consumes me with her words and this Saga is not to me missed. A definite must read!!
May 26, 2019
With its major, jaw dropping, cliffhanger ending of book 2, I really had no idea which direction this book would begin. The smoke and mirrors, carefully orchestrated events that were set into motion and unfolded here set the stage for a deadly cat and mouse chess game showdown designed to teach some very painful lessons.
With its “checkmate” conclusion, this storyline evolved over several years and was surprisingly slow paced. In some ways, it felt like a time filler sequel introducing a larger cast of complex characters and bringing some former, unexpected players back into the fray. We’re able to kick back and see that time definitely does not heal all wounds, especially when it comes to Karina and Uileam, the main couple.
Karina has been hiding in the shadows feeling hollow and empty until she lets her rage and thirst for revenge burn brightly and fill the void of her damaged heart and soul. She’s morphed into an entirely different creature that won’t rest until retribution is dished out to those she feels has it coming. Let’s just say, you don’t want to be on her naughty list, folks. At the same time, she shows cunning, heartfelt compassion towards some tortured souls that clearly demonstrates she is not the evil villain here. One character by the name of Jackal especially proves this point. She’s now manifested all the makings of a female mafiosa type don, in my opinion.
Uileam starts off still not having a clue what his actions put into motion in the last book. He is about to experience heartbreak upon heartbreak. All he knows is he’s lost the most important thing to him. He may look whole on the outside, but inside he feels like the shell of the man he used to be. When a huge twist reveals his lost treasure still exists, we’ll have to wait and see how he’ll win it all back. My guess is there will be a huge gamble made with an “all or nothing” type wrap up in book 4. Here’s to hoping the next release will be sooner rather than later, my fellow romance book loving friends.
Romance Safety Gang:
Book 1 - White Rabbit - The Rise
Book 2 - White Rabbit - The Fall
Book 3 - Black Swan
Title: Black Swan, Series: The Kingmaker Saga (Book 3), Author: London Miller, Pages: 417, not a stand-alone, must read books in order, some graphic mob like violence, determined heroine, doesn’t know what’s coming hero, both celibate during long separation, no cheating.
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review. There is no affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/PR firm.)
With its “checkmate” conclusion, this storyline evolved over several years and was surprisingly slow paced. In some ways, it felt like a time filler sequel introducing a larger cast of complex characters and bringing some former, unexpected players back into the fray. We’re able to kick back and see that time definitely does not heal all wounds, especially when it comes to Karina and Uileam, the main couple.
Karina has been hiding in the shadows feeling hollow and empty until she lets her rage and thirst for revenge burn brightly and fill the void of her damaged heart and soul. She’s morphed into an entirely different creature that won’t rest until retribution is dished out to those she feels has it coming. Let’s just say, you don’t want to be on her naughty list, folks. At the same time, she shows cunning, heartfelt compassion towards some tortured souls that clearly demonstrates she is not the evil villain here. One character by the name of Jackal especially proves this point. She’s now manifested all the makings of a female mafiosa type don, in my opinion.
Uileam starts off still not having a clue what his actions put into motion in the last book. He is about to experience heartbreak upon heartbreak. All he knows is he’s lost the most important thing to him. He may look whole on the outside, but inside he feels like the shell of the man he used to be. When a huge twist reveals his lost treasure still exists, we’ll have to wait and see how he’ll win it all back. My guess is there will be a huge gamble made with an “all or nothing” type wrap up in book 4. Here’s to hoping the next release will be sooner rather than later, my fellow romance book loving friends.
Romance Safety Gang:
Book 1 - White Rabbit - The Rise
Book 2 - White Rabbit - The Fall
Book 3 - Black Swan
Title: Black Swan, Series: The Kingmaker Saga (Book 3), Author: London Miller, Pages: 417, not a stand-alone, must read books in order, some graphic mob like violence, determined heroine, doesn’t know what’s coming hero, both celibate during long separation, no cheating.
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review. There is no affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/PR firm.)
May 25, 2019
Where oh where to begin? This installment of the Kingmaker Saga, leaves off where White Rabbit The Fall left us (still bereft). I have said it before, but it bears repeating, London Miller is a master storyteller. She has the uncanny ability to build worlds that span three other series. She continuously pops in favorites into scenes that you crave (Hello Luka! Sigh). I imagine Ms. Miller writing in a room where an entire wall is covered with all of her characters and notes to make the crossovers seamlessly. Every one of my reviews has stated this, but here it goes again. Go back and start with the Volkov Bratva Series and then the Den of Mercenaries (Calavera and Nix - another fav) with the Wild Bunch sprinkled in. You will not regret it… and you will understand the master level of storytelling that Ms. Miller has achieved.
I ugly cried through the White Rabbit The Fall. That book still haunts to this day. It took me a full day to get the gumption to start reading this book. Ullieam was ruined for me in the previous book, but with his suffering in this book, and I’m sure in the next installment, he will redeem himself.
There are no direct scenes between Karina and Ullieam in this book - unless it’s in a flashback of a memory. This book is about Karina pulling herself out of her grief and planning revenge against what occurred during the previous book. We get more in depth scenes and information on how Karina accomplished what she did to bring Ullieam to heel and how he continued to manipulate his Den.
Orion (that dream boat) makes a return appearance and the moments with Karina are bittersweet. My question is still, what happened to Z? Hopefully, we find out in the next book. We also learn more about the Jackal (again better read those series I recommended).
My two favorite passages from this book:
When the pain wasn’t so fresh that it felt as if he couldn’t breathe. Because as it stood, he wanted to destroy the world until nothing was left because it was much easier to inflict this pain on others than to acknowledge his part in it all.
And for the first time, Karina felt that stirring of power— the need for it. The siren’s call it sang to anyone susceptible to it.
London, again, Thank you for letting me be a part of your ARC team. It truly is a privilege. August cannot come soon enough with Red Herring.
Plot~ 5/5
Main Characters~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 5/5
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 5/5
Addictiveness~5/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ Excellent
Series~ Book 3 of 5
Source~ Kindle eBook ~ ARC for honest review
Would I read more from this author? Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes
I ugly cried through the White Rabbit The Fall. That book still haunts to this day. It took me a full day to get the gumption to start reading this book. Ullieam was ruined for me in the previous book, but with his suffering in this book, and I’m sure in the next installment, he will redeem himself.
There are no direct scenes between Karina and Ullieam in this book - unless it’s in a flashback of a memory. This book is about Karina pulling herself out of her grief and planning revenge against what occurred during the previous book. We get more in depth scenes and information on how Karina accomplished what she did to bring Ullieam to heel and how he continued to manipulate his Den.
Orion (that dream boat) makes a return appearance and the moments with Karina are bittersweet. My question is still, what happened to Z? Hopefully, we find out in the next book. We also learn more about the Jackal (again better read those series I recommended).
My two favorite passages from this book:
When the pain wasn’t so fresh that it felt as if he couldn’t breathe. Because as it stood, he wanted to destroy the world until nothing was left because it was much easier to inflict this pain on others than to acknowledge his part in it all.
And for the first time, Karina felt that stirring of power— the need for it. The siren’s call it sang to anyone susceptible to it.
London, again, Thank you for letting me be a part of your ARC team. It truly is a privilege. August cannot come soon enough with Red Herring.
Plot~ 5/5
Main Characters~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 5/5
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 5/5
Addictiveness~5/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ Excellent
Series~ Book 3 of 5
Source~ Kindle eBook ~ ARC for honest review
Would I read more from this author? Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes
May 25, 2019
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Amazing, absolutely amazing! It's all coming together. Karina is a woman scorned and I really feel for her. This is the first book that my heart bled for Uilleam. He really is impacted by Karina's 'death' even if he doesn't wear it on his sleeve.
There aren't words for Jackal. I'm glad we finally learned his background. I hope we hear more about it in future books. This book really helps connect past story line's from the Den books. Ties everything together in an amazing way!!
I need more ASAP. The book ends right around the time Karina and Uilleam meet in person. I'm literally going to be on pins and needles waiting for the next one.
There aren't words for Jackal. I'm glad we finally learned his background. I hope we hear more about it in future books. This book really helps connect past story line's from the Den books. Ties everything together in an amazing way!!
I need more ASAP. The book ends right around the time Karina and Uilleam meet in person. I'm literally going to be on pins and needles waiting for the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2019
London Miller clearly knows how to write a cliffhanger. Let me tell you I have a huge girl crush on Karina, cause this woman is freakn badass she could give Calliope and Melody from Ruthless people by JJ McAvoy a run for their money. Honestly, I would love to see a Real Housewives reunion with all of them in the cast.
Also, I just cannot wait when Ullieum meets the badass Karina, idk if he will be super pissed or super turned on, we shall see!
Also, I just cannot wait when Ullieum meets the badass Karina, idk if he will be super pissed or super turned on, we shall see!
May 25, 2019
I received an ARC on return of honest review
The wait was worth it. In this issue we find lies, deception, Revenge and in several chapters the point of view or reactions of some characters from the series Den of mercenaries, which I liked a lot.
In this part of the series there aren't really many surprises because most of them we only see events a little more detailed than what we read in previous books but that give us a more personal idea of certain characters.
This author continues to trap me with the way of writing and create situations that are difficult to forget and that will have me waiting impatiently for the next book.
This wait will be very stressful and just because is London Miller I'm willing to go through with it.
Thank you infinitely for my advance copy and for removing an endless number of emotions with each book that this author gives us.
If you still don't read anything about LM, I invite you to do so because her books are 100% recommended treasures.
The wait was worth it. In this issue we find lies, deception, Revenge and in several chapters the point of view or reactions of some characters from the series Den of mercenaries, which I liked a lot.
In this part of the series there aren't really many surprises because most of them we only see events a little more detailed than what we read in previous books but that give us a more personal idea of certain characters.
This author continues to trap me with the way of writing and create situations that are difficult to forget and that will have me waiting impatiently for the next book.
This wait will be very stressful and just because is London Miller I'm willing to go through with it.
Thank you infinitely for my advance copy and for removing an endless number of emotions with each book that this author gives us.
If you still don't read anything about LM, I invite you to do so because her books are 100% recommended treasures.
November 25, 2019
I’m loving this series but this book in particular didn’t much move the dial. H and h are separate the WHOLE book. This is a lot of background story. So it’s just 3 star read but I’m excited for what’s to come.
December 29, 2019
Story continues.
Cliffhanger end.
Cliffhanger end.
May 27, 2019
Black Swan takes you to another breathtaking installment within The Kingmaker Saga. The pace was slower than the previous two books but my thoughts were constantly on alert. Through Uilleam and Karina's PoVs, revelations on familiar situations shone a new light adding both depth and clarity to the overarching saga.
Warm moments of romance were a distant memory. Steeped deep in the meticulous, unknown wars waged between Uilleam and his enemies with Karina being a foe he still won't acknowledge. Bear in mind I view life through rose-tinted glasses, but I couldn't help but feel more hurt than hate running through Karina's thoughts. Oh, she means business as in she intends to destroy the world Uilleam has created. I am still hopeful that when they both crawl out of the rubble, love will surface and touch their hearts once more. At this point I see London raising her Mountain Dew in my direction. Trouble is, she is either smirking at me or looking at me with pity. I have no idea how this battle of wills will end.
Again, I had a compelling need to research every Uilleam reference to grapple with the story that is unfolding. Then it dawned on me to look up the definition and meaning behind Black Swan. Unique, Victim/Victor, insight stared me in the face, giving me hope. As with the other characters written in this world, Karina has more than one name she uses. Her name means pure, which is an apt description of her before she met Uilleam. So between going from Karina to Belladonna, the gentle woman, we see how she has masqueraded the force of her wrath that has kept the Kingmaker busy.
The intricate storytelling and fascinating secondary characters kept me turning pages. While I would give anything for Karina to declare a truce, if I were in her shoes, I too would be unleashing my wrath with as much vigor as she has. Her revenge is certainly well planned and chilled to perfection. Heaven help anyone she considers her enemy.
Warm moments of romance were a distant memory. Steeped deep in the meticulous, unknown wars waged between Uilleam and his enemies with Karina being a foe he still won't acknowledge. Bear in mind I view life through rose-tinted glasses, but I couldn't help but feel more hurt than hate running through Karina's thoughts. Oh, she means business as in she intends to destroy the world Uilleam has created. I am still hopeful that when they both crawl out of the rubble, love will surface and touch their hearts once more. At this point I see London raising her Mountain Dew in my direction. Trouble is, she is either smirking at me or looking at me with pity. I have no idea how this battle of wills will end.
Again, I had a compelling need to research every Uilleam reference to grapple with the story that is unfolding. Then it dawned on me to look up the definition and meaning behind Black Swan. Unique, Victim/Victor, insight stared me in the face, giving me hope. As with the other characters written in this world, Karina has more than one name she uses. Her name means pure, which is an apt description of her before she met Uilleam. So between going from Karina to Belladonna, the gentle woman, we see how she has masqueraded the force of her wrath that has kept the Kingmaker busy.
The intricate storytelling and fascinating secondary characters kept me turning pages. While I would give anything for Karina to declare a truce, if I were in her shoes, I too would be unleashing my wrath with as much vigor as she has. Her revenge is certainly well planned and chilled to perfection. Heaven help anyone she considers her enemy.
June 28, 2023
haunting
May 27, 2019
Mejor que "The Fall". Me resultó mucho más intrigante la historia en general, aunque el cierre que tuvo "The Fall" fue por mucho la parte mas conmovedora y desgarradora de lo que va de la saga.
***********************************SPOILERS***********************************
En "Black Swan" he comenzado a respetar a Karina, se ha mostrado no sólo como una mujer que había orquestado su propia tragedia al involucrarse con alguien tan complicado, desconsiderado y despiadado como es Uilleam y todavía sabiendo que él es como es, ella le ha ocultado los secretos que lo han guiado a tomar las decisiones que hicieron posibles la gran tragedia de la vida de ambos para después tratarlo como él monstruo terrible que ha tenido la culpa de todo lo sucedido aunque es casi seguro que si hubiese tenido la información completa él no habría tomado las decisiones que tomó.
Honestamente responsabilizo bastante de esa tragedia a Karina, aunque en ningún momento digo que Uilleam sea un santo, pero a diferencia de ella él no escondió ni lo que hacían él y su familia ni el hecho de que las demás personas no le importaban y que solo les veía como peones con los que podía jugar a su antojo para conseguir sus propios propósitos. Por lo tanto, si ella se mintió a si misma pensando que él no era lo que decía ser o que ella podía cambiarlo, fue culpa de ella.
Pero después de sufrir y llorar su perdida Karina se levanta por fin y se vuelve una mujer maravillosa, obviamente con la ayuda inestimable de Isla, Orion, Zoran y su aterrador, perturbado y terriblemente dañado "Amigo" rumano.
Si, se vuelve muy calculadora, esta enfadada con el hombre que todavía ama por ser como él siempre ha sido y quiere vengarse de él por algo que en principio pudo haber evitado si ella se hubiese desligado completamente de esa mujer terrible que es Katherine (quien en mi opinión es peor que Uilleam) en lugar de limitarse a esconder el hecho de estar relacionada con ella.
Pero se esta levantando y esta haciendo las cosas bien para Isla, quien si merece su protección, al igual que Kava y Jackal. Ayudó a Orion cuando el necesitó la ayuda (aunque haya sido porque ella necesitaba un amigo). Sus motivos para hacer pasar por tantos problemas a los del "Den" parecen no ser tan egoístas como en un principio creí al leer "Den of Mercenaries" y; Definitivamente aplaudo lo que le hizo a Elias y por todas las razones por las que lo hizo, además de indirectamente afectar las maquinaciones de Katherine que en ningún momento creo que sean nobles porque si lo fueran ella no habría permitido a una serpiente como Elias entrar a su nido.
***********************************SPOILERS***********************************
En "Black Swan" he comenzado a respetar a Karina, se ha mostrado no sólo como una mujer que había orquestado su propia tragedia al involucrarse con alguien tan complicado, desconsiderado y despiadado como es Uilleam y todavía sabiendo que él es como es, ella le ha ocultado los secretos que lo han guiado a tomar las decisiones que hicieron posibles la gran tragedia de la vida de ambos para después tratarlo como él monstruo terrible que ha tenido la culpa de todo lo sucedido aunque es casi seguro que si hubiese tenido la información completa él no habría tomado las decisiones que tomó.
Honestamente responsabilizo bastante de esa tragedia a Karina, aunque en ningún momento digo que Uilleam sea un santo, pero a diferencia de ella él no escondió ni lo que hacían él y su familia ni el hecho de que las demás personas no le importaban y que solo les veía como peones con los que podía jugar a su antojo para conseguir sus propios propósitos. Por lo tanto, si ella se mintió a si misma pensando que él no era lo que decía ser o que ella podía cambiarlo, fue culpa de ella.
Pero después de sufrir y llorar su perdida Karina se levanta por fin y se vuelve una mujer maravillosa, obviamente con la ayuda inestimable de Isla, Orion, Zoran y su aterrador, perturbado y terriblemente dañado "Amigo" rumano.
Si, se vuelve muy calculadora, esta enfadada con el hombre que todavía ama por ser como él siempre ha sido y quiere vengarse de él por algo que en principio pudo haber evitado si ella se hubiese desligado completamente de esa mujer terrible que es Katherine (quien en mi opinión es peor que Uilleam) en lugar de limitarse a esconder el hecho de estar relacionada con ella.
Pero se esta levantando y esta haciendo las cosas bien para Isla, quien si merece su protección, al igual que Kava y Jackal. Ayudó a Orion cuando el necesitó la ayuda (aunque haya sido porque ella necesitaba un amigo). Sus motivos para hacer pasar por tantos problemas a los del "Den" parecen no ser tan egoístas como en un principio creí al leer "Den of Mercenaries" y; Definitivamente aplaudo lo que le hizo a Elias y por todas las razones por las que lo hizo, además de indirectamente afectar las maquinaciones de Katherine que en ningún momento creo que sean nobles porque si lo fueran ella no habría permitido a una serpiente como Elias entrar a su nido.
May 25, 2019
5 out of this world stars ✨
I just finished reading this masterpiece... WTAF 🙌🏻🖤
I need to gather my thoughts and get a hold of my emotions!
I will be posting my full review tomorrow.
Just know this guys! You are not ready! This journey that we are on with Belladona and the Kingmaker? Yeah, is fucking wild!
05/24/19
——————————————————————————-
05/25/19
BLACK SWAN 🦢 🖤
Book 3 in the Kingmaker saga continues the emotional journey of Karina Ashworth and Uilleam Runehart. AKA Belladona and the Kingmaker.
I’m a huge (obsessed) fan of London Miller and I’m crazy in love with her characters. This book was so emotional and gave me all the damn feels. It’s hard to find the words to describe this masterpiece of a story…but I’ll try my best.
* I didn’t expect all the twist and turns that occurred in Black Swan. I thought I was prepared but no, definitely not.
The kingmaker’s empire and legacy is in ruins. His worst nightmare is watching his downfall from the shadows and he doesn’t expect it. The girl who was madly in love with him once is now set on revenge and will make him fall to his knees.
* Karina “Belladona” Ashworth: She’s different in this book. The girl we met in Book 1 is gone. She’s cold and calculated. Still the part that loves Ullieam is still there and she can’t help but protect him when his enemies are closing in.
This book left me speechless and I’m still going through the motions. If I’m completely honest this story is the ultimate mind fuck and I loved every page of it.
BS is filled with secrets, heartbreak and betrayal. After the last book I was devasted, I didn’t know where the story would take me next. I wasn’t ready and I’m still not but the ending is near and I can’t freaking wait to experience what happens next.
Bravo LM, you killed it. Well you always do 🙌🏻
Overall Rating: 5 EMOTIONAL & CRAZY STARS
H: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
h:🦢🦢🦢🦢🦢 + 🦢 (I stan this queen)
Plot: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Chemistry:🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Side characters: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Overall rating? FIVE UNBELIEVABLE & OUT OF THIS WORLD STARS
I just finished reading this masterpiece... WTAF 🙌🏻🖤
I need to gather my thoughts and get a hold of my emotions!
I will be posting my full review tomorrow.
Just know this guys! You are not ready! This journey that we are on with Belladona and the Kingmaker? Yeah, is fucking wild!
05/24/19
——————————————————————————-
05/25/19
BLACK SWAN 🦢 🖤
Book 3 in the Kingmaker saga continues the emotional journey of Karina Ashworth and Uilleam Runehart. AKA Belladona and the Kingmaker.
I’m a huge (obsessed) fan of London Miller and I’m crazy in love with her characters. This book was so emotional and gave me all the damn feels. It’s hard to find the words to describe this masterpiece of a story…but I’ll try my best.
* I didn’t expect all the twist and turns that occurred in Black Swan. I thought I was prepared but no, definitely not.
The kingmaker’s empire and legacy is in ruins. His worst nightmare is watching his downfall from the shadows and he doesn’t expect it. The girl who was madly in love with him once is now set on revenge and will make him fall to his knees.
* Karina “Belladona” Ashworth: She’s different in this book. The girl we met in Book 1 is gone. She’s cold and calculated. Still the part that loves Ullieam is still there and she can’t help but protect him when his enemies are closing in.
This book left me speechless and I’m still going through the motions. If I’m completely honest this story is the ultimate mind fuck and I loved every page of it.
BS is filled with secrets, heartbreak and betrayal. After the last book I was devasted, I didn’t know where the story would take me next. I wasn’t ready and I’m still not but the ending is near and I can’t freaking wait to experience what happens next.
Bravo LM, you killed it. Well you always do 🙌🏻
Overall Rating: 5 EMOTIONAL & CRAZY STARS
H: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
h:🦢🦢🦢🦢🦢 + 🦢 (I stan this queen)
Plot: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Chemistry:🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Side characters: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Overall rating? FIVE UNBELIEVABLE & OUT OF THIS WORLD STARS
May 25, 2019
Did you miss me? Holy Crap 5 stars isn't really enough. Black Swan picks up 3 years later and gives us the understanding of actions that we have read about prior in The Den. Not only are you getting insight on Karina and Uilleam, we are getting pieces of this complex puzzle we didn't even know we were missing. Yes she is that good. If you didn't have a favorite mercenary before, I will place the bet that The Jackal-Sebastian will grab your heart and not let go.
You will be on such a ride with this installment, at times I could feel my heart break and I truly had to remind myself that this is not real. Her writing has so much depth and true raw emotion you will be hard press to remember that this is not happening in real time. Karina shows us pure power, courage, and has us feeling the true depth of pain and love, Uilleam mourning and his love to me has never been stronger then I felt in this book. Reading Black Swan will give you such a direct line to his thinking and manipulation, at times I sat stunned, heartbroken, fascinated but always captivated.
There is a line that read, "there were ghosts there, lingering in his eyes" now this was in regards to Zoran, but honestly that rang true within this whole book. Hauntingly beautiful, and completely memorizing.
I have said this so many times about London, her work has the ability to steal your heart, and as each book comes out you see her amazing growth and skill, you are witnessing a true artisan with words.
When sitting down to read Black Swan make sure you have a few clear hours, you will not be putting it down, tissues and lots of comfort foods. This journey will bring you pain and freedom and leave you wanting the next installment like yesterday.
Looking forward to Red Herring the 4th book in this Saga.
I received an ARC for my honest review, and am so honored to be on this journey.
You will be on such a ride with this installment, at times I could feel my heart break and I truly had to remind myself that this is not real. Her writing has so much depth and true raw emotion you will be hard press to remember that this is not happening in real time. Karina shows us pure power, courage, and has us feeling the true depth of pain and love, Uilleam mourning and his love to me has never been stronger then I felt in this book. Reading Black Swan will give you such a direct line to his thinking and manipulation, at times I sat stunned, heartbroken, fascinated but always captivated.
There is a line that read, "there were ghosts there, lingering in his eyes" now this was in regards to Zoran, but honestly that rang true within this whole book. Hauntingly beautiful, and completely memorizing.
I have said this so many times about London, her work has the ability to steal your heart, and as each book comes out you see her amazing growth and skill, you are witnessing a true artisan with words.
When sitting down to read Black Swan make sure you have a few clear hours, you will not be putting it down, tissues and lots of comfort foods. This journey will bring you pain and freedom and leave you wanting the next installment like yesterday.
Looking forward to Red Herring the 4th book in this Saga.
I received an ARC for my honest review, and am so honored to be on this journey.
February 7, 2020
I was headed for a five star rating and then he opens the envelope and there are no pictures of her pregnant being shot at by Grimm!!? Really? He is still scratching his head thinking why would she carry out this huge long con vendetta over the fact he made her lose her job. Because let’s face it, he is a man and he will jump to the minor issue because he doesn’t know what he did.
This book has too many time jumps and references to the past that incorrectly state when something happened. He says a year since Grimm went missing when the author skipped us forward two years. I was reading diligently I.e. no skimming and there is a reference to V missing? When did that happen? Did my pages stick together?
I KNEW that our heroine was a badass. I kept labeling the books with that even when she was just a highly intelligent journalist. Their dialogue in the first book was witty, intelligent and intuitive...the second book not so much. By the end of this one Karina gets her mojo back and serve Elias with a big dose of don’t underestimate me! It was delicious!
At the beginning we skip three years which seemed unreal to think she was just gardening and remembering to shower for that long a time. We don’t know what the Kingmaker was doing apart from drinking. He probably spent some time trying to work out who “killed” her. Karina didn’t even know she’d been killed off! When she discovers he was behind her shooting she plots. It’s wonderful. I love how she rescues a robot, then uses him to rescue Orion. I don’t know how she knew he needed rescuing and it’s a damn shame she can’t love him. Meanwhile the Kingmaker is still mourning her when he didn’t give much of a shit when she was alive. I’m still not down with an entire book of the author trying to redeem him. He can’t be redeemed until he knows what he did right?🙃
This book has too many time jumps and references to the past that incorrectly state when something happened. He says a year since Grimm went missing when the author skipped us forward two years. I was reading diligently I.e. no skimming and there is a reference to V missing? When did that happen? Did my pages stick together?
I KNEW that our heroine was a badass. I kept labeling the books with that even when she was just a highly intelligent journalist. Their dialogue in the first book was witty, intelligent and intuitive...the second book not so much. By the end of this one Karina gets her mojo back and serve Elias with a big dose of don’t underestimate me! It was delicious!
At the beginning we skip three years which seemed unreal to think she was just gardening and remembering to shower for that long a time. We don’t know what the Kingmaker was doing apart from drinking. He probably spent some time trying to work out who “killed” her. Karina didn’t even know she’d been killed off! When she discovers he was behind her shooting she plots. It’s wonderful. I love how she rescues a robot, then uses him to rescue Orion. I don’t know how she knew he needed rescuing and it’s a damn shame she can’t love him. Meanwhile the Kingmaker is still mourning her when he didn’t give much of a shit when she was alive. I’m still not down with an entire book of the author trying to redeem him. He can’t be redeemed until he knows what he did right?🙃
December 23, 2019
Spoiler-y review
I was apprehensive going into this book after seeing spoilers of how this story is mapped out. From the time jumps to the separation of the characters but I think it pays off. Although I can’t really see why there’s such a big time jump in the beginning nor justify the amount of years this book is spanned over, in a way it is kinda realistic cos deals aren’t made overnight and it kinda shows the careful and meticulous planning by Karina. While she is underestimated Karina lays down pieces in wait of it all to fall in place, so exciting to see her play the long game. Oh and the separation with them being a apart? Yes I hated the idea of that too but the author executed it well, in terms of the storyline it wouldn’t have made sense for Karina to be back in Uilleam’s life until the time was right. It was made all the more better when the author didn’t bother throwing OW/OM involvement or drama. There is no mention of the pair seeking others out, so we can safely assume that they were both celibate during separation. We see Uilleam continually mourning for Karina and how much of a mess/chaos his life is without her, while Karina despite all that she has experienced and lost is trying to get a hold of her conflicted feelings between love and hate for him.
Oh and I can’t wait to see more of Jackal’s character. 10/10 intrigued. There is definitely a lot more characters thrown into the mix making it sometimes hard to keep track of them all but I love seeing old characters resurface. I can’t wait till we get the sweet moment of Karina making a reappearance back into Uilleam’s life. GONNA BE SO GOOD.
I was apprehensive going into this book after seeing spoilers of how this story is mapped out. From the time jumps to the separation of the characters but I think it pays off. Although I can’t really see why there’s such a big time jump in the beginning nor justify the amount of years this book is spanned over, in a way it is kinda realistic cos deals aren’t made overnight and it kinda shows the careful and meticulous planning by Karina. While she is underestimated Karina lays down pieces in wait of it all to fall in place, so exciting to see her play the long game. Oh and the separation with them being a apart? Yes I hated the idea of that too but the author executed it well, in terms of the storyline it wouldn’t have made sense for Karina to be back in Uilleam’s life until the time was right. It was made all the more better when the author didn’t bother throwing OW/OM involvement or drama. There is no mention of the pair seeking others out, so we can safely assume that they were both celibate during separation. We see Uilleam continually mourning for Karina and how much of a mess/chaos his life is without her, while Karina despite all that she has experienced and lost is trying to get a hold of her conflicted feelings between love and hate for him.
Oh and I can’t wait to see more of Jackal’s character. 10/10 intrigued. There is definitely a lot more characters thrown into the mix making it sometimes hard to keep track of them all but I love seeing old characters resurface. I can’t wait till we get the sweet moment of Karina making a reappearance back into Uilleam’s life. GONNA BE SO GOOD.
May 28, 2019
Arc kindly received in exchange for an honest review.
Wow!
I am at a loss for words that can truly do justice to Black Swan. It is an immense read. I think with this book comes the realization that you have not simply read another book in a series, you have actually been emerged in a whole other world for longer than you knew (some of you may have been quicker to come to this realisation ;)),a reality created by an author of true talent and incredible ability. Black Swan begins to put into place threads from each character and their story, and you think ' of course that is how that came about' and 'that totally makes sense' and 'Really! You completely had me thinking this, when really it was that' To say that this book takes you on a journey would be an understatement, it takes you on an epic adventure, leaving the adrenaline pumping long after you have finished it. The writing is so clever, it's brilliant, it's exciting, it's so incredibly thoughtful, to the characters and to us readers.
London Miller has absolutely delivered yet again, far more worthy than 5 stars and far more worthy than this review, because I could never do justice in a couple of paragraphs to the work that must have gone into Black Swan. I am so glad I have just begun my holidays because as soon as I finish this review I am going to dive back in from the beginning.
Happy reading everyone, you will love it.
Wow!
I am at a loss for words that can truly do justice to Black Swan. It is an immense read. I think with this book comes the realization that you have not simply read another book in a series, you have actually been emerged in a whole other world for longer than you knew (some of you may have been quicker to come to this realisation ;)),a reality created by an author of true talent and incredible ability. Black Swan begins to put into place threads from each character and their story, and you think ' of course that is how that came about' and 'that totally makes sense' and 'Really! You completely had me thinking this, when really it was that' To say that this book takes you on a journey would be an understatement, it takes you on an epic adventure, leaving the adrenaline pumping long after you have finished it. The writing is so clever, it's brilliant, it's exciting, it's so incredibly thoughtful, to the characters and to us readers.
London Miller has absolutely delivered yet again, far more worthy than 5 stars and far more worthy than this review, because I could never do justice in a couple of paragraphs to the work that must have gone into Black Swan. I am so glad I have just begun my holidays because as soon as I finish this review I am going to dive back in from the beginning.
Happy reading everyone, you will love it.
October 31, 2020
I am going to write this review for all 5 books in the “Kingmaker” series.
It’s been a while since I read a series that kept my attention...even during the slow-moving parts!! But...it definitely kept my attention.
I would give the 5 books 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, but:
1. the ONLY highlights I kept were of the blatant typos/grammatical errors that should have been caught by the writer AND ESPECIALLY BY THE EDITOR!!!! I brushed them off at first, but then it got so bad I had to keep track of a few of them. (See my highlights)
2. I also didn’t like the timeline...it was TOO long. “Two years later”, “Three years later”...I mean, these people were driven and impatient. NO WAY IN HELL would they wait that long for ANYTHING. Also, they pop from country to country like it’s nothing.
3. We didn’t really ever know what her mom did...not really.
4. I needed more to read on his suffering after he fell.
5. She was TOO young and so was he. It wouldn’t have been necessary if TEN years hadn’t have passed through the 5 books. See #2👆🏻
Moving on...what did I love?
* the characters were great...and the ones you want to know more about will have their own books! Bonus!
* the story line was somewhat original...organized crime boss meets journalist...but wait...she’s not what you think!
* the fact that it wasn’t filled with smut. Were there hot scenes?...sure...but that wasn’t the story line at all.
I write this knowing she will probably ruin it with a 6th “happily ever after” book...so I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt. Now, I’m going to read about Skorpion, Syn, Calavera, Red, Celt...and maybe (hopefully) a good ending for Orion and Elsie/Zoran! On to the mercenaries! Yes!
It’s been a while since I read a series that kept my attention...even during the slow-moving parts!! But...it definitely kept my attention.
I would give the 5 books 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, but:
1. the ONLY highlights I kept were of the blatant typos/grammatical errors that should have been caught by the writer AND ESPECIALLY BY THE EDITOR!!!! I brushed them off at first, but then it got so bad I had to keep track of a few of them. (See my highlights)
2. I also didn’t like the timeline...it was TOO long. “Two years later”, “Three years later”...I mean, these people were driven and impatient. NO WAY IN HELL would they wait that long for ANYTHING. Also, they pop from country to country like it’s nothing.
3. We didn’t really ever know what her mom did...not really.
4. I needed more to read on his suffering after he fell.
5. She was TOO young and so was he. It wouldn’t have been necessary if TEN years hadn’t have passed through the 5 books. See #2👆🏻
Moving on...what did I love?
* the characters were great...and the ones you want to know more about will have their own books! Bonus!
* the story line was somewhat original...organized crime boss meets journalist...but wait...she’s not what you think!
* the fact that it wasn’t filled with smut. Were there hot scenes?...sure...but that wasn’t the story line at all.
I write this knowing she will probably ruin it with a 6th “happily ever after” book...so I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt. Now, I’m going to read about Skorpion, Syn, Calavera, Red, Celt...and maybe (hopefully) a good ending for Orion and Elsie/Zoran! On to the mercenaries! Yes!
May 26, 2019
FIRST...I received a ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts squished together into a review. SECONDLY...I'm a fan so I've bought this book as well ...just as a FYI.
I've got a review..want to hear it? Here it goes!!
This is 5 stars for me because it took all my favorite Den of Mercenaries books also by the lovely London Miller and cracked them wide open to show the true master pulling the strings of these powerful people. Belladonna is as beautiful and deadly as I hoped she would be BUT so graceful in her carefully orchestrated revenge. London gives me life with her stories and characters like Belladonna because not ONE of the female characters are weak or helpless and even in their grief they are strong. FORMIDABLE!!! I love a strong heroine!Especially if some of them have all the reasons to crumble under loss and devastation but some how she takes that to forge herself anew. A black swan...dark and beautiful.
I would recommend reading the Den of Mercenaries... Red...first because one could get lost in the twist and miss all the real great AH HA parts. I for sure recommend reading this one as well because London Miller weaved yet another perfect story filled with suspense, action and dare I say the longing of lovers lost.
I've got a review..want to hear it? Here it goes!!
This is 5 stars for me because it took all my favorite Den of Mercenaries books also by the lovely London Miller and cracked them wide open to show the true master pulling the strings of these powerful people. Belladonna is as beautiful and deadly as I hoped she would be BUT so graceful in her carefully orchestrated revenge. London gives me life with her stories and characters like Belladonna because not ONE of the female characters are weak or helpless and even in their grief they are strong. FORMIDABLE!!! I love a strong heroine!Especially if some of them have all the reasons to crumble under loss and devastation but some how she takes that to forge herself anew. A black swan...dark and beautiful.
I would recommend reading the Den of Mercenaries... Red...first because one could get lost in the twist and miss all the real great AH HA parts. I for sure recommend reading this one as well because London Miller weaved yet another perfect story filled with suspense, action and dare I say the longing of lovers lost.
June 10, 2019
All hail Miss Karina, or should I say ‘Belladonna’?
I have been waiting for this story for so long. Why? Because we get the explanations on so many questions. The first two books were the introductions, now it’s about the game.
It’s three years later, Karina and Uilleam are both hurting and trying to get on with their lives. Both have experienced loss and the pain of that is ever present daily. Slowly secrets are unveiled, plots are being devised and revenge is the distraction they need to overcome the grief.
I love how this ties together many other storylines and how two people can cause all this noise! London is brilliant in keeping track of all this. And how about Karina finding her stride, bouncing back but still keeping the sweet emotions that make her...her. Uilleam and all his scheming. Plus, more scenes with my favorite couple of London’s, Kit and Luna.
If this isn’t the revenge tours of all revenge tours, then I don’t know what is. These two are going to give each other hell and I’m excited to see who comes out waving that victory flag. Excellent work!
*I voluntarily accepted an advanced reader copy for my honest review*
I have been waiting for this story for so long. Why? Because we get the explanations on so many questions. The first two books were the introductions, now it’s about the game.
It’s three years later, Karina and Uilleam are both hurting and trying to get on with their lives. Both have experienced loss and the pain of that is ever present daily. Slowly secrets are unveiled, plots are being devised and revenge is the distraction they need to overcome the grief.
I love how this ties together many other storylines and how two people can cause all this noise! London is brilliant in keeping track of all this. And how about Karina finding her stride, bouncing back but still keeping the sweet emotions that make her...her. Uilleam and all his scheming. Plus, more scenes with my favorite couple of London’s, Kit and Luna.
If this isn’t the revenge tours of all revenge tours, then I don’t know what is. These two are going to give each other hell and I’m excited to see who comes out waving that victory flag. Excellent work!
*I voluntarily accepted an advanced reader copy for my honest review*
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