King of Liars

Ace's Wild #4

by Devon McCormack

*A DARK ROMANCE*

BOSS

I keep telling myself I won't fall into King's trap, but he's determined to make me one of his knights--a group of tops at his beck and call.

He's not my king, but he wants to be--something he's made clear from day one. Sounds like some kind of twisted fairy tale, but it's just my life as a transfer student at a new university. Figured I'd be spending my time finding my way around this new school, but I spend most of it navigating King's mind games.

He calls me Boss.

That must mean I'm special, right? Or is it just another trick he's using to lure me in?

I keep telling myself I shouldn't...I can't...I won't...

But the more he pushes, the more I let my guard down. And soon, I find myself on one knee, bowing to my king...pulled into his messed-up Wonderland.

The only rules we play by are the ones King has created.

If it was all in good fun, that would be one thing. But what we share isn't healthy--it's toxic...dangerous. And for some reason, it's just what I need right now.

These games bring forth something within me--a darkness I've tried to suppress. But now that darkness is pushing to the surface, and if I'm not careful, it might just tear me apart.

KING OF LIARS is a 47K-word dark romance that features sharing partners (no equality--or attempt at equality--in the featured dynamic), depictions of a toxic relationship, flashbacks/mentions of past sexual/physical abuse against minors, offensive language, manipulation, humiliation, and self-harm.

***

For the first 90 days of this title's publication, all sales and page reads will be donated to AID Atlanta.

KING OF LIARS is part of a multi-author series of books that take place in the same fictional town. Each story can be read in any order. The connecting element in the Ace's Wild series is an adult store owned by Ace and Wilder. The main characters from each book will make at least one visit to Ace's Wild, where they'll buy a toy to use in their story! The only characters who crossover to each book are Ace and Wilder. And with various heat levels, there's sure to be something for everyone!

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Dark, BDSM, LGBT, Contemporary, College

181 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2019

About the author

Devon McCormack grew up in the Georgia suburbs with his two younger brothers and an older sister. At a very young age, he spun tales the old fashioned way, lying to anyone and everyone he encountered. He claimed he was an orphan. He claimed to be a king from another planet. He claimed to have supernatural powers. He has since harnessed this penchant for tall tales by crafting worlds and characters that allow him to live out whatever fantasy he chooses. Devon is an out and proud queer man living in Atlanta, Georgia.

Devon's body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they're getting into.

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was completely sold by the WT in the blurb, and although it does deliver the elements stated on it, I didn't find it dark.

This tale didn't work for me. The story felt like an empty vessel. The way the king manipulate the others both emotionally (using weird tricks that I couldn't grasp) and physically (ordering the guys around about how and what to do sexual-wise) was BAD, cold, mechanical and incredibly boring.

Summing up, I didn't find it dark. It wasn't interesting. It wasn't hot. Actually, I'm not sure what was the purpose of this story.

[Myriam · Rating 1 out of 5]

*sighs* This is not Dark Romance. This is mislabeled porn without plot and the porn isn't even good.

Why is King able to convince a bunch of hot dudes to do his bidding in the bedroom to a disturbing degree? And by disturbing I don't mean kinky. I mean a total top basically clenching his teeth and letting himself get fucked by another dude who also doesn't really want to fuck him because King tells them so. That's neither kinky nor sexy. It's just sad.

And then all of the kinky sex isn't even hot. Nobody seems to be having any real fun, except for King and even he seems almost bored with telling everyone what to do.

Don't waste your time with this. Go to AO3, search for your favorite kink and I can guarantee you the first ten hits will be hotter than this by a mile.

[Donna]

DNF. Nope.

[Dani · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know.....

[Denise H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried, but skimmed through to the end. I am in a minority here. I can usually handle a dark romance, but this one was too much depressing dysfunction for me. I can’t exactly pinpoint it, but IMO, each character is screwed up, and the King’s rules and sex club were insane. I read the triggers, but this just had too many dark events.
I have loved other books from this author, and the cover is great.

[Airy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book really was not for me. Not because it was "dark", ´cause I did not see it very dark, but because I did not like the story. From the beginning it was totally clear what was going to happen.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t like this one .. I don’t mind dark & gritty but thus just didn’t work

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was some weird icky torture porn. I'm all for reclaiming your trauma but this book doesn't need to exist. There's like 70% sex and 30% plot, if you can call it that. The only saving grace was the last 40 pages ish. Idk, just avoid this one. And for the love of everything, read the damn content warnings because there's a LOT of them.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. Wow. You guys REALLY need to pay attention to the last part of the blurb. If any of that is a trigger for you, please, take care of yourself and don’t read it. If you guys have read Devon’s books, such as the Bastards series, you know sometimes he can be a little…...dark. And this very much is. It not only deals with rape and beatings and such, but pedophilia and all that comes with being tortured and raped as a child. So, please be careful. It is a good book, but it is dark.
I think the only problem I had with any of it, is ‘Two’ , as he’s known as a knight, knew what was going on with King wasn’t exactly right. He knew the requests for beatings and other things you will read were wrong, and that something wasn’t right in King’s past, but I don’t know…..I guess he was just thinking with his dick instead. And it took an ex Knight and Boss to finally break through and see that this isn’t right and what it’s making them become isn’t right either.
King managed to rope ‘Boss’ into his knighthood of orgies and such, but the more Boss was there the more he was really attracted to Two. And the more the punishments came to King, the worse he would feel about himself. There was a bad darkness to King and one of his rules was no one could really look into his past. But seeing what King would do to himself, the Knights couldn’t help but care and some had to know. And what they found out was shocking and also caused them exile. But what King didn’t count on was that Boss would defend Two and it started a tantrum of epic proportions. And they knew then if they didn’t leave, the darkness would pull them under.
Having pasts the way Boss and Two did, did not mean they needed to be in relationships where pain and humiliation and such were involved. And if they did, it needed to be in a safe, controlled environment. And maybe after years of therapy. Somehow King just knew what was in their pasts and he manipulated them into doing things they never thought they would. It actually broke my heart for all of them. King became a product of his making from the age of 10, and Boss and Two in their younger years as well. It was a really sad situation. They all thought with their dicks until King needed the darkness and then it was just wrong.
I don’t know. The way Devon writes is just amazing. There’s no doubt. But even in the Bastards series it was consensual adults. This comes from bad pasts and it broke my heart. It’s a hard story. Now mind you, it has a happy ending. But the in betweens are not easy.


http://lovebytesreviews.com/

[Aurore62128 · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG ....
Cette histoire est juste .... INCROYABLE
BIG WARNING : Il s'agit d'une véritable DARK ROMANCE donc bien lire les WARNING de Devon avant de commencer votre lecture, si vous n'etes pas prêts a etre "derangé" ne lisez pas KING OF LIARS.
Je ne sais pas ou ni comment Devon a pu aller chercher un tel scénario mais c'est du pur génie.
C'est méga addictif, une fois commencé, il m'a été impossible de le lacher.
J'ai été dérouté à plusieurs reprises, fascinée par le KING et ses chevaliers.
Une scéne m'a vraiment "déplue" dans le sens ou c'est vraiment un acte je n'aime pas lire et qui me répulse mais cependant ca colle avec le personnage de KING.
J'ai adoré le coté psychologique, manipulation, relation toxique et destructrice.
Le seul bémol c'est que j'en aurais voulu encore plus, plus de flashback sur King, plus d'explications sur lui et comment il en est arrivé la aujourd'hui et comment il a crée son KINGDOM.
Plus de King finalement, donc peut etre Devon a t il prévu un roman entier sur ce personnage ? car il le mérite vraiment ne serait ce que pour la fin de KING OF LIARS ou j'ai encore quelques questions restaient en suspens malheureusement.

[Devoted❤️Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lies we tell ourselves

Well this didn’t go where I thought it would but I loved it! “After all, what use is an honest man to a King of Liars?” Devon McCormack takes on one heck of a ride in this book. It’s dark, twisted, delicious, sexy and surprisingly sweet. I loved the hate vibe that existed between some of the characters and fell in love with them as they were falling for each other. This book will make you feel everything and leave you wanting more.

[J]

DNF at 77%. Blurb says this is a mysterious, dark read. Lots and lots of M/M sex with multiple partners that I found not interesting or tintillating, just icky. Maybe there was some kind of explanation (or redemption) in the final 23% but I didn't care to find out.

[Danielle Gypsy Soul · Rating 2 out of 5]

So 2 stars is probably a bit generous for this book. It's a bunch of sex and I didn't even find that part hot. Nobody really seems to be enjoying it including the characters. I don't understand how King was able to convince all these guys to do exactly what he told them to do regardless if they wanted to or not. I just didn't buy it. I didn't find it all that dark just weird and a bit boring.

[Dana aka ♥Belladonna♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win'

Southern gentleman Devon McCormack grew up in the Georgia and according to his biographical information from a very young age ‘he spun tales the old fashioned way, lying to anyone and everyone he encountered. He claimed he was an orphan. He claimed to be a king from another planet. He claimed to have supernatural powers. He has since harnessed this penchant for tall tales by crafting whole worlds where he can live out whatever fantasy he chooses.’ Devon is a gay man and focuses on gay male characters. In this book KING OF LIARS steps into a new arena – subjugation and partner sharing – as Book 4 of his Ace’s Wild Series.

Devon’s synopsis focuses on the character who molds the story - Boss – ‘I keep telling myself I won't fall into King's trap, but he's determined to make me one of his knights--a group of tops at his beck and call. He's not my king, but he wants to be--something he's made clear from day one. Sounds like some kind of twisted fairy tale, but it's just my life as a transfer student at a new university. Figured I'd be spending my time finding my way around this new school, but I spend most of it navigating King's mind games. He calls me Boss. That must mean I'm special, right? Or is it just another trick he's using to lure me in? I keep telling myself I shouldn't...I can't...I won't...But the more he pushes, the more I let my guard down. And soon, I find myself on one knee, bowing to my king...pulled into his messed-up Wonderland. The only rules we play by are the ones King has created. If it was all in good fun, that would be one thing. But what we share isn't healthy--it's toxic...dangerous. And for some reason, it's just what I need right now. These games bring forth something within me--a darkness I've tried to suppress. But now that darkness is pushing to the surface, and if I'm not careful, it might just tear me apart.’

Or as the opening pages share, ‘I stood on the front porch of the two story home, not far from campus. I didn’t know much about this Sy kid, but he must’ve come from money. That was the one thing all the rumors seemed to agree on. The rest, well…who the f**k knew? Meth, orgies, Satanism – people would say just about anything about this guy and his friends. I struggled to convince myself to take the next step…(he knocks on the door) The door opened and a guy – well over six feet tall, built line a linebacker – stood in the entryway in just a pair of black trunks…’ And so we meet King and we’re off and running!

Plenty of steam and a plethora of naughty language - right up to Devon’s high standards! This one pushes the boundaries – but successfully.

[Nina ~ Meleth Bookaddicted ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

KING OF LIARS will not be everyone’s cup of tea. Not by a long shot. It’s different. It’s icky. And it’s definitely controversial and shocking. Cruel and toxic. Sadistic. Truly that kind of read you will wither dislike – and probably even find vile and disgusting – or you’ll hate yourself for loving it. This one bring a whole new meaning to the saying “pushing boundaries”. There's nothing safe, sane and consensual in here. Seriously. Heed those warnings – those stated in the blurb, but those in the foreword too. It’s imperative for this one. Trust me.

It has tons of sex – from MM up to MMMMM, you name it, this book has it. Up to a certain point there’s barely anything else than sex. Sex and mind games galore. Humiliation. And physical abuse. And yet, there is romance. Unbelievably so. It sneaks up on you. In a way you will least expect it. And suddenly, there’s some sweetness to it. And then the moment finally comes when you start to learn the reasons why King is the way he is with his knights – and BOOM! suddenly you feel your heart breaking for that one guy who pretty much psychologically abused the other guys …

NOTHING is the norm with this one. It’s hard to read most of the time, for far more reasons than just one, but for me it was totally worth it. A story that I’m pretty sure will haunt me for a while now …

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this dark Romance but I'm also a big fan of "More Heat than Sun", and have enjoyed books by Ariana Nash and Nero Seal.
I loved that I wasn't expecting such depth between Two and Boss!
If you're more interested in a story that focuses on a character like Syn/King and his journey with correct BDSM rather than more than dubious consent then check out the "Trial by Fire" series by Cole Denton.
It is dark and heavy and not quite my thing although well written and very representative of the BDSM community.

These kind of books can be a struggle for BDSM practicioners as they can throw a dark light on things than can be beautiful and empowering. Luckily we see a very well executed epilogue! :)

Song to go with it: Medieval by Finneas

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody hell. From loud humour to this. I read the blurb, the first couple of chapters and then skipped to the epilogue before going back, because damn it I need HEA.

Multiple POVs. It was good but sad, these guys are young and the shit they’ve gone through...trigger warnings and memories of abuse, physical and sexual.

I liked the happy group orgies, it was the darker stuff that had me struggling. I liked both Boss and Two, their relationship was sweet.

[Hmmm · Rating 2 out of 5]

So weird. I don't even know how I feel about myself for finishing this book. I knew nothing about the book going in, I tend to do that a lot. Read it just because it was in the series. The author tried really hard to tie it to Ace's Wild. Kinda felt like an "oh Shit I forgot let me throw in this blurb." All kinds of trigger warnings. Rape, grooming, cult activity, manipulation. Very Dark book for me. I almost stopped a few times, but was drawn in by Aiden and Ryan.

[Lea Setegn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ... better than I was expecting? I’m not a fan of “dark” romances that stray away from RISK-aware kink, but the story only skirted the edges of my comfort level. (Consent is key.) It helps that each main character has a backstory that provided a framework for understanding the character motivations. This isn’t my typical thing, but it was well done.

[Wendy Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Really dark!!! Just not my cup of tea. Was well written. Glad Ryan and Aiden got a HFN.

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

No rating. Time of death 10%. I've wanted to try this author, maybe this one wasn't what I should have started with.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

King of Liars was my first novel/novella by Devon McCormack. I usually try not to take on a new author in a novella/anthology story because they don’t always give you the best picture of what that author's full length stuff is like, but I took a chance here because the synopsis sounded pretty unusual but also intriguing. I’m not 100% sure if my gamble paid off because I didn't love this novella as much as I thought I would. I didn't hate it, in fact there were certainly aspects that I enjoyed quite a bit. The characters and their backstories in particular had some definite potential. Obviously they couldn't be too detailed because of the length of the novel, but they fascinated me nonetheless. And the sex scenes for example, of which there were many, were unconventional but enjoyable, even if a bit too intense at times. I really liked the scenes with Boss and Two when they were on their own, though. I really didn't see the story going in that direction at first, although I am quite pleased with the HFN that we did end up with. Ultimately, while this novella was not a slam dunk for me, it did get me more familiar with this author and his extensive catalogue. I am certain this is not the last I will read from him.

[Minya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eigentlich bin ich begeistert von Devon McCormack's Büchern, doch dieses fand ich ziemlich verstörend. Da es aber zu der Serie gehört und auch weil ich jedem Buch eine Chance gebe, habe ich es zu Ende gelesen.

Diese toxische Beziehung zwischen King und seinen Knights war überhaupt nicht mein Fall, vor allem wie King mit den Dämonen der anderen spielt, um seine eigenen im Zaun zu halten. Die Geschichte strotzt nur so von Gewalt an den Protagonisten in deren Vergangenheit und das hinterließ bei mir ein ganz mieses Gefühl beim Lesen.

Weswegen ich trotzdem zwei Sterne vergeben habe, ist die Verbindung die Aiden (Boss) und Ryan (Two) zwischen sich entdecken. Gerade der Schluss hat mir wieder gut gefallen, denn wie sich die beiden aus der vergifteten Athmosphäre zwischen King und den anderen befreien, war zwar hart aber sehr glaubhaft. So können sie endlich eine gesunde Beziehung entwickeln und gemeinsam an ihren Problemen arbeiten.

Alles in allem aber sicher keines meiner Lieblingsbücher.

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is billed as a dark romance, but I didn't really feel the actual romance that evolved between two characters was that dark. Everything else about this book? Absolutely. Like one of the characters states, the activities here are NOT proper BDSM. It's more of a strange psychological mystery that drew me in until I felt for all the characters. This isn't a world I want to revisit, however, so I'm glad that McCormack left us on a positive, hopeful note.

[Jorge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I agree that this wasn't the dark history I expected, but holy god if I didn't freaking enjoyed all of it when I read about Two and Boss feelings, damn it was freaking cute how they acted on the usual life, it's some of the selected book where I didn't skip the porn and then I read the special chapter and my mind left my brain with all the sweetness, I gave this 5 stars because I enjoyed this 100% more than what I thought

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never disappointed!

I have to say Devon’s darker books stress me out and scare me, but he’s such a great writer, I have to get to the end. This book was messed up a little but so good with the nicknames and backstories and how everything just came together. I’m forever gonna be a Devon McCormack fan.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not poorly written. I just didn’t like it because it is exactly what it says it is ... DARK. I did enjoy the romance between Two and Boss and that it was HEA sort of. I read it because of the series.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a typical love story. It’s more of a dealing-with-a-rough-past-via-unhealthy-kink. Surprisingly there is a nice HEA at the end. It’s a good story, though some of the back stories are tough. Do pay attention to the trigger warnings.

KU

[Catarina Águas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting something very diferent from what I got. I thought Boss was gonna end up with King but nope. I liked Two so I wasn't disappointed, more confused thatn anything I guess. The whole situation was a little too much sometimes