Princes of Chaos

Royals of Forsyth University #7

by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue

“Tonight embarks your journey as the vessel for the next great heir. Any woman can have a womb, but yours has been chosen.” He steps forward and presses a hand to my stomach. “Blessed.”

When I received the invitation to the Princes’ masked ball, I assumed it was a mistake. Possibly a prank. Why would East End Royalty invite West End trash for an opportunity to become their Princess?

The bigger question: Why would I take it?

I was raised to be the Dukes’ Duchess, but that dream came to an end when they chose a different woman. I had everything it took to be a house girl, including my innocence, something the Princes not only hold in high regard, but explicitly require.

It’s not the title that scares me.

It’s the men who have been chosen by the King. His adoptive sons.

Whitaker would fit the textbook image of Prince Charming to everyone but me. Gorgeous, athletic, and obnoxiously promiscuous, it only takes a few days as his Princess to realize the flirtatiousness in his eyes is a mask for what’s haunted beneath.

Believing me to be responsible for the two years he’s spent in prison, Pace harbors a grudge that’s as unyielding as his determination to know my every move. Even when he’s locked himself away, his eyes are everywhere. Watching. Waiting.

Lex, a moody, high-strung student on a straight shot to become a gifted surgeon, would rather have me under his scalpel than his body. Treating me like the subject of his experiment with fertilization is the closest I’ll come to having him as a lover.

These three have been trained to excel, endure, and maim, be it on in the hockey rink or down in the Palace’s dungeon. But most of all, they are Princes with one duty: to produce the next heir.

To Create is to Reign.

Princes of Chaos is book 7 in the contemporary, dark, reverse harem, traumatic romance, Royals of Forsyth U series by best-selling authors, Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue. Please read the foreword for all content warnings and details.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Why Choose, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, College, Forced Proximity

582 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2023

Reviews

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be honest, it was slightly disheartening seeing this, for a number of reasons. Setting aside my opinion that it's unprofessional for authors to comment publicly on specific reviews - there's a reason you'll never catch any trad authors doing this, or even bigger indie authors like C.M. Stunich or Tate James - it's a shame my review was characterised this way, because I don't think this book is 'the worst' at all. Yes, I've been critical, but I've tried also to highlight the positives and said how much I love the authors' writing. And I have never, ever, got personal, whereas the Facebook post now has people commenting on my 'audacity' and the author going 'WTF'.

I'm not going to rank their subsequent books lower just because this happened, but I've said many times I respected their approach to reviewers, so this was an unfortunate development. Plus, considering the number of people who have told me that they're even keener now to read the book and see if they agree with me, this FB post hardly seem fair! (I encourage people to read the book, everyone should make up their own minds and I'm not telling anybody not to read the book. This just *my opinion*. Not a manifesto for anything.)
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⤅ I should make several things very clear straightaway, as self-proclaimed defenders of the authors have already appeared on this review to tell me not to 'be a dick' and that they're 'disappointed' in me (lol).

1. I am a very big fan of these authors, and I have been for over two years - since Lords of Wrath came out. Me not enjoying this book does not mean that has changed

2. It also does not mean I'm not allowed to criticise their writing - my reviews are full of things I thought could be improved upon. This also doesn't mean I've never written a negative review for their books before (as I did for the last Preston Prep book). Guess what? I read subsequent books and rated them four or five stars, because each book is different.

3. Also, being an ARC reader DOES NOT MEAN you have to give a positive review. In my past five years of reviewing, you wouldn't believe some of the comments I've got, just because people on the internet are angry that I don't like X character as much as they do and that I dare to say so even though I got an ARC. Guess what? I would say the same thing even if I didn't get an ARC, and it will always stay that way because I don't compromise my honesty for my book reviews.

Okay, now that's out of the way (and as always, sorry for the rant to you normal people out there). Please note there are spoilers.

I actually can't tell who I loathe more: the heroine who spends the majority of the book being moronic, masochistic and aimless, or the heroes who would literally cut her throat to save their own skins and could not care less about her if she were a piece of tissue paper stuck to their collective shoe.

To be clear, I knew going in that this would be a darker book than their previous series. Even before, this raised misgivings in me: if Princes is darker than Dukes, and Dukes is darker than Lords, it would be easy very quickly for the authors to write themselves into a rabbit hole where they feel like each book HAS to be darker than the one before it, for the shock value. Kind of like how addicts need greater doses of a drug each time to replicate the same high - probably a poor example, but you get what I mean.

Still, I was excited because I knew the writing would be excellent and the excerpts seemed promising. And I have absolutely no issue with dark romances. Rape/noncon, dubcon, trauma, abuse physical and mental, even sometimes cheating - I have read and enjoyed books that feature all of this. But there are certain qualities I think which have to be included in order to make a dark romance palatable, and they were in short supply here.

20-year-old Verity Sinclaire was groomed by her mother to be the next Duchess, but that fell to pieces when Lavinia entered the picture. Instead, Lavinia and Story have talked Verity into auditioning to be the next Princess. Sure, she'll have to try and get pregnant, but maybe being in the Princes' house (the Purple Palace) will allow her to funnel 'dirt' back to the other girls.

⤅ Issue #1: this plan was incredibly poorly thought-out , which is not what I expected from the girls at all. Like, what kind of dirt was Verity supposed to be bringing back? What was the end goal here? How would it have helped anyone, least of all Verity herself? Why did Verity have NO PLAN, entering the Palace, of what she'd do? She never deliberately sets out to learn anything, really, beyond doing a tiny bit of exploring (which yields zero reward) and getting told a secret by one of the guys (in a way that made no sense, but we'll get to that later). This whole thing just made Verity seem self-sacrificing to the point of idiocy and beyond, while Story and Lavinia look cruel for sending a girl they acknowledge is as pampered as Verity into a foreign stronghold with limited resources.

Anyway, both the three Princes and the Princess will be chosen at the end of a masquerade ball by the Prince King, Ashby. Ashby chooses Verity to be the Princess, and his three adoptive sons - Pace, Lex, and Wicker Ashby - to be the Princes, a shock on both counts. Pace is a convicted felon, Wicker is a sex addict, and Lex turns into a madman when he's asleep. None of them wanted to be Princes, and they're absolutely furious to be contractually bound to one girl for the next year - especially when the girl is Verity. They spend the rest of the book treating her like absolute garbage, while she (by her own admission) 'catches feelings' for them. Then they sell her out, they get revenge on her, she gets revenge on them... and that's the book.

My Issues (numbering abandoned because these are in no particular order)

❌ The second chapter (which I reviewed in my pre-review) was really promising, featuring the guys seeing Verity undress on CCTV and then deciding they wanted her. Unfortunately, this promise is not kept whatsoever. They don't actually, any of them, seem attracted to her at all, and lust for the heroine is the ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM surely in a dark romance, where I don't expect affection or care or love. But they have to at least want her!! Lex physically can't want her because he's impotent, Pace wants her apparently but not enough to even be jealous at sharing her (notwithstanding the others' claim he's jealous), and Wicker just wants anyone. Verity explicitly realises at one point that she could be any girl, or even guy, and he wouldn't care. He's a literal sex addict. All of this meant that physical desire, the most fundamental component to me being sold on a romance (no matter how dark), was absent. Meanwhile, Pace and Wicker are busy being turned on much more by other girls while Verity dies of jealousy and ends up catfighting them. This is actually worse than Remy getting that blowjob from an OW in Dukes 2, because he was motivated by a weird vengefulness and Lavinia iced him out for it, whereas here the guys are just simply more turned on by other girls.

❌ I can't recall a single sex scene in this book which was... sexy. The thing is, I DON'T object to noncon and dubcon. I actively seek out books with these elements. But there's a way to make it work - and these authors usually do. Like, it's the difference between Killian violently shoving himself into Story because he's so lost in his lust for her (five star read) and Asher violently shoving himself into Verity because he's not even really attracted to her and is just angry he's been saddled with her. So he doesn't care about making her wet, always makes her face away from him because he explicitly doesn't want to see her face, and constantly tells her how ugly and virginal she is. He's so unlikeable that he actually verged on caricature. In fact, all the guys are like this, shoving themselves into her dry, even Pace who actually seemed into her in a way I was ready to root for. Her sending him to prison because she was freaked out by his obsessive sexting was the PERFECT backstory, but then it just fizzled out. He's no Nick Bruin, that's for sure.

❌ Linked to the above, I honestly feel that for this to have worked, at least one of the guys should have actually picked Verity. All three of the Lords picked Story in their own ways, Nick was all out for Lavinia from the start, but here Verity - as she admits to herself - is foisted on the Princes and they just DO NOT WANT HER. Although chapter 2 makes it sound like they want to pursue her, they don't. Even Pace, who has a score to settle with her, didn't seek her out after his release from prison. Dude, if you've wanted her in your clutches for years, why is she only there now by CHANCE? Their 0-100 hatred of her just for existing is difficult to wrap my head around - at least Sy was an actual incel and that's why he hated Lavinia! The Princes hate Verity because she's there, which is much worse because it's meaningless.

❌ Even outside of sex, they don't think about her at all. Her physical safety means nothing to them, not even on the basis of 'we'll get in trouble with Dad if she's hurt'. Wicker and Pace release a sleepwalking Lex, who's been known to choke people, out to rape Verity; despite promising Lex they'd be around to make sure he doesn't kill her, THEY DON'T DO THAT. Just, what???? What if he'd strangled her?! They know they'd be stuffed then! But I mean, if more than halfway through the book they still don't care if she DIES, how stupid does she look for deciding she's in love with them?! And for comforting her rapist!! Story of Lords 1/2 would never.

❌ This total lack of relationship between them makes it super unbelievable that Wicker would randomly tell Verity a secret (apparently) vital to his life. And then when she tells Lavinia and he feels betrayed, his whole 'she could've been the one' schtick just made me laugh. When exactly could she have been the one? When you were telling her she had 'subpar pussy', grinding on other girls, and releasing Lex to potentially kill her, without keeping an eye on things like you said you would because you know how dangerous a sleepwalking Lex is?

❌ The breeding kink? Don't even get me started on that. The Princes' big thing is breeding, but it was so mechanical and counterproductive. To me, the whole point of it being a 'kink' is that the idea of a pregnant heroine has to be a crucial element of what turns the heroes on, not just that they're having sex for procreation. Otherwise, literally any couple trying for a baby can be described as having a breeding kink, which I don't think is accurate. Wicker and Lex never at all think about Verity's pregnancy; Pace tries to make her say "I want your baby" or whatever, but it comes across as forced. All three of them want Verity pregnant NOT because it turns them on, or her on, but because their father will dish out terrible consequences if they don't get her pregnant. Not very kinky to me. They don't really want to be fathers, and Verity (with her usual short-sightedness) has devoted no thought to what it's like being a mother. Oh, also, if I see the word 'deposit' ONE MORE TIME, I may scream.

❌ Compared to Story, who was always scheming, and Lavinia, who was always mouthing off, Verity has absolutely nothing going for her. I don't require feisty heroines. But I do require ones who don't decide they're in love with three guys who have never dropped so much as a kind word on them. The Princes' affection didn't have to be 'real' - they could have been playing with her emotions, like the Lords did in LoW - but I would then at least have been able to understand her falling for them, and their betrayal would have been so much more impactful. Here, they never pretended to even like her, so there's no emotional impact to the fact they sell her out to their dad in order to save themselves.

❌ I can't get over how little chemistry the characters have. Constant dry, painful sex somehow = Verity deciding she's falling in love. Her character isn't the most consistent; sometimes she shows her Duchess roots and gets into catfights, the rest of the time she's 'fretting' and 'wringing' her hands. I'm used to much more psychological complexity from these authors, so not being able to get a read on Verity's character genuinely surprised me. And that passivity was driving me insane. Verity just lets the plot, and the heroes, happen to her. I don't mind long books, but her total lack of a concrete goal was infuriating. Then the plot got jammed into the last 10-15% of the book and gave me whiplash.

❌ I actually think the authors played their cards - in the form of that Game - too early by including it in LoW, because it would have been perfect here. The Princes are supposed to be renowned for their romantic prowess; what better way to make a romantic book 'dark' than by having their affection be a game between them to see who can make their girl fall in love first? This was sort of attempted with the whole 'Pace is trying to make Verity a pet' thing, but that also fizzled out. Sometimes, dark romances aren't just about pain and physical humiliation. This kind of emotional manipulation would have been a much more subtle and in-universe-consistent approach for a Princes book.

❌ The ending is what took the cake for me. I won't go into too much detail, but the boys - Pace in particular - sell her out to their father to save themselves. This is when I ended up deciding to round down from 2.5 stars, because it just shows so clearly how idiotic Verity has been for thinking she loves them, and how patently little her life means to them even after 3-400 pages. Her subsequent 'revenge' lacked oomph, because unlike Story's revenge, it hasn't had time to germinate; she just angered them, not actually hurt them in any meaningful way based on their romantic relationship, the way they did to her.

As you can see, I had a LOT of thoughts while reading this book. Even after writing over 2500 words to expunge my feelings, I'm not entirely sure I captured everything I had to say. But I'm actually running out of characters (and time lol) so this will have to do.

As for the good stuff:

✔️ Like I've said before, these authors' writing is top-notch. Smooth, incredibly readable, devoid of awkward sentence constructions or typos.

✔️ One of the heroes having erectile issues was an interesting touch - I can only recall reading that in one other book (where it was premature ejaculation).

✔️ Do I think the series can be redeemed? I think yes, although I'd probably have to try and erase some of this book from my memory to properly enjoy it. Verity's slight revenge was a good start, but at the very least next I need to see jealousy. Lots of jealousy from the heroes, especially Wicker, especially towards each other because they have been way too united against Verity so far. Also for Verity to be more active. Some actual breeding kink wouldn't go amiss, either... But the point is, I haven't written this series off. My low rating reflects the fact that this particular book wasn't an enjoyable read for me, that's all. If I had to pick one single reason why, I think it's because they tried to go too dark too quickly without investing their usual level of emotional/psychological depth into it.

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⤅ Mini-review for the first chapter: I am already SO sucked in by these guys. Wicker is giving me Joey from 10 Things I Hate About You vibes - a sleazy, wealthy, dandy playboy - and I'm totally here to see Verity twist him up. Pace and Lex look like they'll be really interesting too.

I love that the authors aren't afraid to make their heroes very un-PC creeps. Our first introduction to them is when they're secretly watching multiple girls undress, so I think we can safely say they'll be bringing the creepiness. Verity, I'm keen to know more about; it looks like she'll be quiet and sweet in a way even Story wasn't (until, of course, she isn't).

(This chapter is available on the authors' FB group, it's technically the second in the book but the first one to be made public.)
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Saw on Facebook that this was up for pre-order, so of course I had to come on over and make a Goodreads listing for it.

Tragically I'm still stuck on the second Dukes book for now, but honestly that's just because I find that artist guy to be kind of annoying. I'm hoping that a brand-new set of characters will infuse some new enthusiasm into me. ESPECIALLY because it's the Princes, aka the breeding guys... 👀

[Valkyrie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently Team Verity Destroys The Patriarchy in Forthsy With Her Bare P*ssy And Makes Those Spoiled Brats Pay.

Fuck the Princes, they are the worst. I’m LOVING hating them. And I can’t wait for the redemption, the groveling, the worshiping of their QUEEN. You don’t understand. I need these men so obsessed, they can’t even function. I need them begging on their knees, crying, in pain because they are so in love, it hurts.

I was okay with them until that scene towards the end. And even when they did what they did, I was still cool as a cucumber. But allowing those 43 frat dudebros to do that to her… Not even Killian let things go that far with Story in that basement… That's unforgivable to me. It’s the first time the trio of Royals allows other men to touch their girl. And I hated it. So much, it’s the first time I don’t give one of these books 5 stars…

I mean, Jesus, I knew this one would be dark but honestly, for the most part of the book, the story isn’t really that bad. But the opening and ending scenes were brutal. So definitely check your TW, as usual with this series.

One thing I’m completely in love with is the relationship of the three Princes. The Lords and the Dukes were close, but these three are even closer. They are “incestuous freaks” like Verity said, but in a good way? Lol I loved how much time was dedicated to showing us how tight they were, and each backstory or secret revealed about their true situation with their adoptive father, broke my heart a little bit more.

It’s silly but I couldn’t get enough of them sleeping in the same bed together. They were like puppies. It was cute af and made me ache for when Verity finally fits in with them.

That being said, the Princes were very immature. Compared to the Lords and Dukes, who came across as men, these three were too close to real frat bros for my liking. They tried to give them an edge with the whole torturing people and such, but they just acted really childish sometimes. And I understand we needed to know about their really tragic backstory to care about them, because what they put our girl Verity through was A LOT.

I think it’s interesting how the dynamic got completely shifted in this new series. Usually it’s the guys who want her while she resists and ultimately falls for them because they atone. In this case, the Princes don’t really want her (or do they?), and neither does her (or does she?). So it’s a forced proximity kind of slow emotional burn situation. Completely fucked up and the shit I live for.

Lex was probably my favorite in this one. I loved the little Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde retelling they created with him. But mostly, I loved how hard he tried to resist her and how obvious it was she was wearing him down. Maybe his words were cruel, but his actions spoke volumes.

The way Verity knew how to handle him while sleepwalking was probably my favorite thing in the book. And when she “helped” him with his problem, too. That was hot.

Pace started so good but then he kind of deflated for me. The story focused more on his brothers than him and he suffered from it. His reasoning of why he had cyber stalked Verity gave me Nick Bruin vibes lol He was completely nuts for thinking he’d have conquered Verity by sending unsolicited sex vids, but the dude was obsessed and I’m always into that. He spent almost two years in prison thinking of her. That’s the kind of dedication I expect from my unhinged dark heros.

His sex scenes with Verity were also insane. Cock warming for HOURS. And buckets and buckets of 💦 Some parts worked better than others, not going to lie. There’s this part in the story, where she’s consistently not getting off, and poor girl is struggling, that wasn’t my favorite. But the way she wanted it? That was hot. That’s the thing, Verity was so hot in this book. The guys were hot only in like, a few scene 😅

Then Wicker made me feel so many contradictory things, I got whiplash. He was so furious with Verity at first but then, when he started to give in, it was so good… Seeing him with his brothers, how much he took care of them, how he could be vulnerable and loving… You know that’s how he’s going to end up being with her, so the waiting is the best kind of agony.

The fact that at the beginning of the story, Wicker threw a literal tantrum because he couldn’t fuck other people. And by the end of the book, he could only get hard for her… that’s the kind of character development I want in my fictional men.

Overall, I think they genuinely didn’t care about her at first, but by the end of the book, the three were hooked. That’s why they got so mad at Verity’s betrayal. Because they cared. And their last conversation, each of them confessing they had thought she could be theirs, and the angst in that scene… pure cinematic poetry.

This story has a lot of subtext, it doesn’t tell you what to think, it just shows you things and you have to knit it all together. That being said, their cruelty and dismissal were not sexy. I’m hoping they move on from what she did quickly in the next book or I’ll kill them ☺️

Verity, I think she’s a great FMC. She’s the perfect balance between Story’s innocence and Lavinia’s force. She took the abuse with such grace, I couldn’t wait for the guys to fall for her. But let’s be honest… what was the reason to become the Princess? Lavinia, Story and her had this vague idea of “changing things from the inside” but, how exactly? 😅

I just thought the whole “plan” (if we can call it that) made no sense. Let’s send this virginal, almost sheltered, sweet girl to this other frat house, where we know she’ll be abused for sure. So she can eventually have children with her abusers and educate those children so they aren’t like their parents (as if they’d let her near her own kids, come on)… And in the meantime, and knowing it’s putting her in unnecessary risk, let’s have her reporting back any findings and basically be our spy. Make it make sense, y’all. When on top of that, Verity was the worst sky ever! Lol I’m sorry but it made no sense. She betrayed her family, house, mother, friends… to infiltrate another house… and for what!!

That being said, when Stella took care of her after that scene… their sorority, how Verity noticed Stella didn’t shy away from holding her “dirty” hand… I broke down and cried a little bit.I just knew that hit too close to home for so many women irl. These authors were sick for it but I ate that shit up, ngl.

I LOVED what Verity did at the end. I was hoping for more than just that single scene in the monitors. I wanted them fucking ruined, goddammit. My girl is a fighter, they thought they had broken her and she showed them who’s in charge. And I love her for that.

Okay now let’s talk about the main character in the book. The Breeding Kink 💦

It was kind of null and void when neither the guys nor her really wanted to get pregnant. They were just obliged to. At first I thought they had ruined their own damn breeding book, and then things started to happen, little hints, small sentences here and there, and it slowly built up and up… Lex’s type in women being a “fertile looking” woman, just like Verity. Asking her to look at him while filling her up. Pace wanting her to beg him to put a baby in her. And don’t get me started on how big his ahem, deposites were… So much 💦… always in the same place… The plug to keep her full… the constant “don’t waste it,” the way they’d use their fingers to keep it inside… Jesus, it was everything I wanted but done in a way that didn’t reduce her to an incubator for them.

Like think about it, if these guys had wanted to be Princes and procreate, that’d have taken away from their relationship with her. This way, they created a much more fun dynamic. And still gave us some great breeding kink moments. Probably the hottest is how much Verity was into it… because girl, I get it. As someone who has tried to get pregnant… I get it 🌝

I saw that plot twist at the end coming but still, the way it was delivered was so dramatic, I loved it. I love how insane Ashby is. I can’t wait for him to die.



MY PREDICTIONS:

Verity will be the one to kill Ashby. And they will no longer have a King. They will have a mother effing QUEEN.

After all, “Wisteria seeds. They’re poisonous.”

And I’m not sure how or when but Wicker is ending up as the Baron King. That storyline is too juicy to drop, considering the current Baron King is Remy’s psycho dad and we need closure with that.


And this is not a prediction, just something I'd love to see happen: Verity destroying that disgusting "throne" with a mallet and all the rage only a vengeful woman who was done so wrong is capable of.




My original review said "Here for the breeding kink 💦"

Guess now I'm here for the vengeful woman 🔥

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am side-eyeing reviews that are saying this is the "best book yet" in this Royals series, even more than I side eye people who say that Lords is better than Dukes. This book has less plot, worse characters, unsexy steam. In what world does that make this the "best book?"

This is the first book with these main characters, but if you haven’t read the Lords and Dukes trilogies, it would make no sense. It’s a dark college RH about Verity (side character in Dukes), Wicker (sex addict hooker hockey player), Lex (drug addict impotent pre-med who is a maniac sleep-walker) and Pace (felon). At the end of Dukes of Peril, Verity planned to spy on the Princes for Lavinia and Story. She gets foisted on guys who don’t want her, and are mad at the situation.

This didn’t have the same level of psychological depth as the Dukes books, or characters as fun and entertaining. The issue isn’t that the Princes are mean– that’s a given, in this series. It’s that they’re not interesting or entertaining WHILE being mean. Nick was always compelling, and he was SO funny even at his worst in Dukes. And I’m meh on Lords but Tristan was entertaining. Not a single Prince is.

(The Princes have more trauma than past heroes – I hope these authors aren’t falling into the dark romance author trap of thinking that trauma inherently makes a character interesting. In the past, they were above that. Nick is the best unhinged hero in this entire series, and he had a normal childhood in a loving home!).

The issue with this book is also that not 1 of these guys gives a single fuck about Verity. This book has the most creepy, cold, mechanical, off-putting steam. Whenever Nick dub/non conned Lavinia in the Dukes trilogy, it was personal, passionate, psychologically complex, and it was about HER, and his obsession with her. (Same with all the regular consensual steam in the Lords and Dukes trilogies). In this book, when the guys dub con or sleep with Verity, it’s impersonal and cold and dispassionate. In half of the steamy scenes, they literally don’t even look at her, and she’s not turned on and doesn’t get off. The guys also check out and flirt with OW.

I don’t mind dark heroes treating their heroines poorly, but I DO like to feel as if they're into her at least a little, and not so indifferent that she could be anyone. Otherwise, what are we doing, here! I know the journey is long with these trilogies, but the Lords and Dukes both had at least 1 hero who was actually interested in the heroine, from the start (even if his interest was in an obsessive toxic way). That’s completely missing from this book.

I knew I wouldn’t like Verity as much as Lavinia, but I still hoped she’d be a decent heroine. Verity comes across as naïve, ditzy, and weak. Even bland Story from Lords looks good, in comparison! I need a stronger motive for why Verity is willingly entering this crazy situation.

This would have made more sense if she was infiltrating the Princes because she was friends with an ex-Princess who vanished (we’re always hearing about ex-Princesses getting discarded. So, that plot potential is right there!!). Or, she could be doing this because she suspects Ashby is her dad. (Yes, that is a very predictable reveal in the cliffhanger. But Verity didn't ENTER this situation suspecting it, even though I did.) Her motive is just a vague desire to be Royal and also help Lavinia and Story, who she barely interacts with or actually helps?! Her motive for entering a life changing harrowing situation is just...being a pick-me girl?!

This book would also land better if her spy mission felt urgent. But her inner monologue is weirdly bland, passive, and surface level - she rarely even thinks about her spy mission. The story tries to introduce a sense of urgency, in implying that the Princes and Dukes could go to war if Verity fails. But she barely worries about that! She's literally “head empty!” And she’s unwilling to give Lavinia dirt on the guys, when the guys have done NOTHING to deserve loyalty. She’s a terrible spy!

I don’t buy what a blushing virgin she is, either –when we met her in Dukes, she was the leader of a girl gang that called themselves “sluts." How is she this timid about sex?

Lavinia is an amazing heroine, so she's a tough act to follow. Even so, Verity felt like SUCH a downgrade, and a flatter character. It’s hard to believe the same authors wrote them. Same with these guys. We went from having Nick Bruin, one of the best obsessive / possessive, complex, FUN heroes in all of dark RH, to…these boring joyless creepy cold heroes who see their heroine as a sex doll that they don't even want.

We also went from getting murder / stalker / mystery plots in the Lords and Dukes books, to no real plot here. But somehow, this is the longest book. A hint of a plot arrives near the end – girls are going missing in various territories. But that barely involves Verity, whereas Lavinia was deeply connected to the mystery of what happened to her sister, and Story was directly involved in the Lords stalker plot. I shouldn't finish a 641 page book and still go, "I don't know what the plot of this trilogy is, or will be in the next 2 books." At the end, it's revealed that Verity is pregnant. Will "being pregnant" just be her plot?

Also: I think these authors are smart in how they balance wild dark plots with great character development (at least in Dukes, it remains to be seen in Princes). I appreciate how they don’t take their psycho heroes too seriously and aren’t afraid to make them weird and ridiculous. That’s why they’re better than many other authors who have tried to mimic what they’re doing in this series.

But, they have a blind spot about race. It’s cool that they’ve made each trilogy after Lords more diverse. But, the POC heroes have had some Yikes racial stereotypes. Lots of Dukes of Ruin reviews pointed out the Yikes stuff with Sy (the only POC hero having the main traits of “huge dick” and “anger”). Now the only POC hero has the main trait of “felon.” HOW is this happening a second time?!

I still like this world overall, and will continue this series. I didn’t have a terrible time with this book. I knew it would be an uphill battle to follow Dukes, which is one of the best dark RHs out there, so I’m not too surprised or let down to be giving this 3 stars (which is a generous rating, TBH).

It was a treat to see Lavinia again, and Nick. It was nice to get closure on Bruce, who was a dangling plot thread in Dukes. It was an unexpected delight to see Ballsack again (and learn his real name!) Even though I didn't like these Princes characters, it was interesting to learn about the Princes world. I’m still excited for the Barons and Counts' trilogies. (We also got an origin story for how the doofy drug dealer Cash Money will get tough enough to become a Count– he was caught in the explosion Lavinia killed her dad with, and he’s now covered in burns and possibly still mysteriously dealing drugs while recovering). I liked getting that breadcrumb of set-up.

Also, theory time: Stella – Verity’s chipper “handmaiden” who clearly has secrets – will be the Baroness.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

The Prince might not belong to his Princess, but his dick sure as hell does.

My god. How is it possible that this series only keeps getting better? You would think that 7 books in, this would start to get formulaic. But it's not even close. If anything, this was even better than the lords and dukes, and I LOVED those trilogies.

First of all, if you're planning to read this without first reading the other books in this series, don't. You will be completely lost. This is not a series that is meant to be read out of order. It's a saga that has a continuing story arc. Each house getting three books. So far we got The Lords, The Dukes, and now the long awaited Princes.

Admittedly I wasn't sure about this installment because I'm not huge on the breeding kink. And considering the entire purpose of the Princes is to knock up their reigning Princess, well, I dunno. But I trust the process so in I dove. And nothing, and I mean nothing, would prepare me for the level of obsession that would begin with this story.

We were molded to hurt, cut, and deceive, but no matter how much Father hoped it’d be against each other, it never has been. We made that pact years ago. In blood. In darkness. In agony. We’re a Cerberus–three heads, one heart.

Now if you've read this series than you're already bracing yourself to hate to love the 3 MMCs. But these three? They blow the Dukes and Lords out of the water with their brand of vicious. Wicker, Pace, and Lex were on a whole other level of fucked up. The three adopted sons of the head of their house, the relationship with their father is contentious at best. And it becomes even more so when he blindsides them with his announcement making them the three new Princes.

You'll remember the heroine as one of the most memorable secondary characters from The Dukes and the daughter of the house mother. This girl has a spine of steel and the things she survives are also on a whole other level. Nothing prepares her for the hell her Princes will rain on her.

This book was easily the darkest of the series. There was no redeeming factors to these men yet. None. And I for one cannot wait to see how they redeem themselves in the next one. Because the ending here was brutal to say the least. And I thought the frat scene in Lords of Pain was bad. WOW.

My only problem? Surviving until the next installment. This wait will be pure hell and October can't get here soon enough.


Find me on:

[Kursed Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a plan to infiltrate the Princes from the inside, Verity Sinclair scores an invite to the Royal masquerade at the Purple Palace. Prepared to do whatever it takes to become the next princess, Verity is ill prepared for all that entails. 

Blindsided by their father, King Rufus Ashby, the brothers, Lex, Pace, and Wicker, were never supposed to ascend to Forsyth royalty. Despite this, they know their place and the consequences for falling out of line.

Rosilocks is a force to be reckoned with. While she may not have had the complete picture going in, she rolled with the punches and took no $hit. I cannot wait to watch her become Queen. As for the guys, the trauma is real. And deep. I hated them while my heart was breaking for them. However, the glimpses of their true nature were enough to keep me going. It's clear their HEA is going to be hard fought and I'm ready to see how this all unfolds.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🫣😬🥵🥺😳
Ending: 🧗🏻‍♀️ {Cliffy}
POV: 🧍🏽‍♂️🧍🏼‍♂️👫🏻 {Multiple}

🗂 Genre: Gothic Romance

✨ Tropes: Alphahole, College, Enemies-to-Lovers, Secret Society, Virgin h, Why Choose

💋 Kinks: 🍑 Play, Biting/Marking, Brėėding, Cum Jammer, Degradation, Discipline/Punishment, Domination, Double Penetration, Handcuffs, Inanimate Object, 🐱 Plug, Public Claiming, Spit

⚠️ Warning: It’s definitely NSFW or with a kiddo by your side. In fact, I would highly recommend you read this one after dark to avoid side eye or awkward conversations.

🚩 Safety Squad: Addiction, Dub/Non Con and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!

📣 Type: Princes of Chaos is part of The Royals of Forsyth University series and ends on a cliffhanger. This series must be read in order.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

[Darkest Bellé · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 million stars ⭐️ all I have to say that cliffhanger just put me into the most brutal book hangover ever wow just wow

[nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time listen (audiobook🎧)/technically a re-read 21/04/24: I'm glad that I got a chance to listen to both PoC and PoA but I really don't think audiobooks are for me hahah. I got bored only a couple of chapters in. I think imma just stick to ebooks and paperbacks since I'm a fast reader and finish them pretty quick. The narrators did an amazing job tho! Would morally recommend if y'all enjoy listening to audiobooks. Effie's voice totally cracked me up btw lmaoooooo. And as for the story/book itself, I think the number of re-reads speak volumes.

Re-read 03/11/23: I love this book sm. It's ruined all other books for me HELPPPPP. Also, ONE MORE WEEK TILL RELEASE DAY FOR POA WOOP WOOP🥳🥳🥳 (fyi, those sneak peeks are giving me lifeeeeeeeee!!! i need this book more than i need oxygen heheheheh)

Re-read 17/10/23: Nikki loves the Princes. Nikki loves Verity. Nikki is also questioning her sanity seeing as she has re-read this book for the millionth time within the span of a couple of days. Also, the PoA teaser (yesss we got another one!!!) where Lex and Pace are with Ver for the ultrasound? I'm so soft🥹 I missed Wick ngl but he's apparently mad at the Princess over something. I hope they make up soon and that the guys don't fuck it up. I need these four to get their HEA😩🩶

Re-read 16/10/23: Is it weird that I find this book comforting? Like, it grounds me whenever I'm feeling low. And I know that it's a bit of an odd statement to make considering that this is a fifty shades of fucked up traumance, but it's true. After seeing the latest PoA teaser and re-reading the part where Pace talks about his past, I can't help but feel for him. Honestly, I don't even remember why I wasn't too keen on him in the first place. Seems like he'll be giving Wick and Lex some tough competition when it comes to being my favorite Prince. Anyways, don't mind me getting all sappy and heartbroken. I'm just tryna survive till PoA comes out ajskajsksksksk😭🫶🏾

Re-read 12/10/23: Re-read number "I've-lost-count-of-how-many-times-I've-reread-this-book" I'M OBSESSED. I'M A WHORE I'M A SLUT FOR THE PRINCES IDC WHAT Y'ALL SAY. Some part empathises with them (more than I ever did with the Lords/Dukes) but I'm also mad at them. And Verity. Homegirl messed it up right at the end. Though, ngl, I woulda done the same lololol. I'm addicted to this particular trilogy. It's like my personal brand of crack🤪

Re-read 05/10/23: Re-reading PoC right before reading the first chapter of PoA just hits different ifykyk🫡

Re-read 12/07/23: Alexa, play Hurts So Good by Astrid S. I. Am. Addicted. Like y'all, I can't eat, sleep or breathe without thinking about these four for a single day. The wait till October is gonna be crazy LORD HAVE MERCY. Counting down the days until then hehe. Also, my fav is currently Wicker but I'm curious to see how all three redeem themselves hopefully in the next book!🤭

Aight, I'm just start off this review by saying Queen Verity for the win. Like seriously y'all, I LOVE HER. And she deserves the world. The character growth? UNFUCKINGREAL. I am so fucking proud of my baby for being so strong. As for the Princes...it's so obv that they're broken and it actually tugs at my heart to think of the trauma they've been through. Ngl, they do do a LOT of fucked up things. Like, imagine the most traumatised characters you've read about...yeah, and then multiply that by ten lol. As is usually the case initially with the men in this series, I'm not too keen on Pace, Wicker and Lex. As compared to the Dukes and Lords trilogies, I can def see that there's no history or passion between Verity and the guys since they've all been roped into getting her pregnant without any warning (as opposed to how Story was prepared to be the Lady and how Nick knew that he wanted to make Vinny the Duchess). The lack of history and how the guys see Ver as public enemy number one may make things seem mechanical or lacking passion. With that being said, I'm curious to see what happens next. If there's one thing I can trust Sam and Angel to do, then it's to redeem even what seem like the most irredeemable characters. I want to see the guys work for it, grovel their asses off, become more passionate, possessive and jealous regarding Verity - I just know that this will take things to the next level! Just know that if you do decide to give this beaut a chance, I suggest you take things with a pinch of salt - there's some real messed up stuff in this (if you've read any of the previous trilogies in this series though, I doubt you'll have a problem and will probably enjoy it). The Royals of Forsyth University series has really tested my limits (in a good way!) when it comes to dark romance and I'm really glad that I gave this series a chance. It gave me so many of my favorite fictional characters hehe. As usual, please read the TWs before you dive into this book because like I said, you're gonna end up loving to hate these three traumatised and fragile men😌🤎

*Thank you to Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue for providing me with an ARC!

[Krystal- Celestialbookdragon]

Oh my goodness I'm so excited to see what these NEW Princes will bring to the table! Our authors aren't fans of the baby trope so it'll be very interesting to see what they have planned given the expectations of being a prince! I already know that wherever they decide to go and whatever they decide to do, I will end up loving it! 👏🏻

And since these boys are supposedly the nice ones I'm hoping for some gentlemen in the streets but doms in the sheets vibes! 👀😈

[Castalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 & 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Speechless. Mind blown. Still having a hard time forming coherent thoughts.

I’m getting this out of the way first - this is a dark bully romance. Please be a responsible reader and check the trigger warnings. These boys come with a damn bucket of red flags EACH. Just check them ok.

Now back to our regularly scheduled review. JFC where to start?

Verity, our sweet summer child Verity. Listen I loved her in Dukes. I thought she was a fantastic character and I loved how much she grew in that trilogy. Now we get to see her shine. She may have not been raised a royal or in the fancy East End, but there is something exceptional about the women raised in the West End. And when her West End comes out…. Gah I screamed, laughed, and had the biggest smile on my face. Verity’s journey is hard but she proves herself to be stronger than those men ever realized.

Speaking of our Princes. These guys are DAMAGED in all caps for real. The absolute trauma they have lived through. It is hard to pick a favorite honestly. Each is so broken in a different way. Now don’t get me wrong, they use that trauma as an excuse and means to inflict trauma to others, namely Verity. But the glimmers of who they really are that come through. That’s where it’s at. That is one of my favorite things about how Angel and Sam write these bucket of red flags men.

Wicker is our cocky selfish alpahole with a past that is honestly heartbreaking. Lex is his brothers protectors and has a need for constant control, which we all know he isn’t going to get, and Pace. Pace is a man with a grudge hell bent on exacting a revenge of his own.

From beginning to end I was OBSESSED. I devoured this book and after that ending… I cannot wait for the next installment. I saw the title on Amazon and I absolutely have my theories on what it means.

𝘈 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘓𝘢𝘸𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘮 𝘙𝘶𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

[Laura Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Holy s***! What did I just read?! And why did I like it?! I wouldn’t expect anything less from Lawson and Rue as we once again jump into my favourite, crazy, and depraved world of Forsyth University!

First the Lords, then the Dukes, and now the Princes. With each trilogy I become more obsessed with these characters and this world. Lawson and Rue have some of the best character development in dark romance and this book already had such great growth with all three men and Verity that I just can’t wait to see what’s next in Princes of Ash.

I’m obviously team Verity. She is a Queen and just when you would expect her to crumble (and trust me you would crumble with her after the events in this book), she came to play in those final moments of this book and I loved it!

None of these men deserve a single tear from me, but I did shed them! I don’t really like any of them right now, I’m bitter for Verity, but I know Lawson and Rue are going to make me love them in the end and that’s what’s so crazy about this whole series! I will say, and I’ve seen people agree, that I couldn’t pick a favourite prince right now, it’s a toss up! If I had to guess for the future, I’d say Wicker.

Let it be known! Enemy #1 is Rufus Ashby, King of East End. What this man did and is doing to Wicker, Lex, and Pace, send me to Forsyth with a frying pan and I’ll go in on him! King Ashby makes all the other Kings come off as sweet puppy dogs!

GUYS, this book was fantastic! But as always with this series, PLEASE CHECK TRIGGERS! This series is dark and this instalment was the darkest yet!

[bookedbysmut Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s time, my friends.
The new Royals are upon us and I can’t tell you how much love I already have for this series.
It’s time to crown a new Princess in Forsyth and Verity has been invited to the Masquerade ball.

•••
ɪ ꜱᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ɪ ɢᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ’ꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ.
ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ.
ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ.
•••

Our guys? Dark. Damaged. 𝒟𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓈.
Wicker is a fast favorite even though he’s a selfish alphahole that stole my heart immediately and lives rent free in my head forever now.
Lex needs complete control, and we all know he’s not going to get that with a Royal woman.
Pace has an old grudge and he’s got no problem taking it out on Verity.

•••
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓂𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓀 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓈 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈.
•••

I already loved Verity from the Dukes, but she SHINES here. Her West End coming out is a moment I won’t forget and it had me smiling ear to ear and internally screaming.

All in all, our new adventure with this set of Royals starts off with a bang and as always, I’m dying to consume more.

𝖙𝖔 𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖗𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖓

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS



Star Rating : 4.5 / 5 Stars

POV : Multiple

Cliffhanger : Yes

Hero : Lex, Pace , Whitaker

Heroine : Verity

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 6/10

Triggers Involved : Very dark , Dub con , Breeding , Manipulation

Plot Summary :
Verity's whole life changed when she got the invitation to the Princes ball. Why would they want her? It could not be anything good. Everyone has heard tales about what they do to their women. How they are nothing but a breeding machine and she refuses to be that..until she has no choice.

Whitaker , Lex and Pace are her nightmares. Each one of them is as frightening as the last and she will not survive this. They are her enemies, then why is she attuned to their sickness?

Overall Opinion :
The princes are here!! I have been waiting not so patiently for their story to start because that hype of breeding kink written by my two favorite authors is something I can't miss. Angel and Samantha have done is amazing job of giving us this world of Royals that I am hooked into. Each one of them is better than the last and I can't have enough.

Finally we are in the Prince Era and their tales are amazing and much more twisted than you would expect. The plot is good and like all the books of this series , there are tons of triggers that need to be kept in mind before picking this one up.

Definitely recommending this one to all the dark romance loving people out there who are into twisted Reverse Harem romances as well.

Website | Bookstagram | Facebook Page | Newsletter

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok first I just wanna say, read the triggers bc this may be the darkest one yet. If you’re looking at this review, you’ve probably read the rest of this series so you know this is RH, breeding kink, dark af romance. If not, you need to go back and read Lords of Pain. If you can’t handle the prologue, stop there because it only gets darker, more intense, and hot as hell!!

I was not so sure about Verity at the end of the Dukes because she seemed really meek and innocent, but oh my god her character growth from this one book was incredible. I couldn’t imagine the Princes without her as their Princess! Without spoilers let me just say I totally expected her to give up in the last 10% of the book, but was pleasantly surprised when she did the exact opposite. That ending was absolutely amazing!!!! She is such a strong woman. I loved reading about her struggles feeling really alone and used, but when she finally let them have it I fell in love with her!!!

These men I honestly think are the worst so far. Absolutely fucking depraved. But they’re also the most traumatized by their upbringing which obviously doesn’t excuse their behavior, but it does make me understand them more. Plus we already know these authors are going to give us hella character growth. It will never stop amazing me how Angel and Sam give us the WORST men possible and make us crave them. Lex and his med kink. I have never read about that before and I am ruined now. Pace and Effie. SO CUTE. Wicker and his anger issues. Why is it so hot?!

80% of this book was straight smut and I’m not complaining. We already knew this breeding kink was going to slap and holy hell I wasn’t prepared for just how much. This is a one handed read if you know what I mean. 👀 But seriously, this entire series is the hottest smut I’ve ever read and this book is no exception. I had no idea I had some of these kinks. The spicy scenes in this entire series live in my head rent free.

The last 10% of this book seriously had my heart racing and my hands shaking. I am still so shocked and overwhelmed. I cannot wait to see how this plays out and how we come back from these events. I just know it’s going to be a wild and emotional ride and I am ready!!!!!

[jordan 🩵 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is probably my least favorite book out of the Royals series. Verity comes across as naive idiot despite being raised by a woman who supposedly groomed her to be a Duchess, and the men?? No redeeming qualities in site. Given how much I loved Rath and Remy in the previous series, I expected to have ONE guy who I could kind of understand the heroine having a connection with. None of these guys even want her and continually insult her throughout the entire book. It feels very rushed given how drawn out the Lords saga was and how emotionally charged the Dukes series felt. Especially given that they basically rape Verity the entire book. Yes she “signed” a covenant but ??? it took away her right to choose/she is given 0 agency over any of it unlike Story and Vinny who at least were SOMEWHAT respected at points. Verity doesn’t stand out because she could literally be anyone and it would be the same story. Also the ending?? Extremely rushed and flat compared to the buildup we got. At least in previous series we got to see the men have some sort of attraction towards the heroine but this was just 500 something pages of them talking about how awful she was/ugly/how much they didn’t want her. I’m guessing the authors are gonna lead us to the men finding her desirable as she progresses in her pregnancy but..that’s not enough to redeem any of the crimes they committed against her. Over all let down by the book.

[JuJu · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

ARE YOU KIDDING ME 😳😭😭That ending SHOOK me!!!! I am literally shocked right now! And omg this book is so good😭 I hate the Princes so much right now and I want them to suffer for what they did! And just from the ending, Verity is THAT bitch! I love her!
I can’t wait for the second book omgggg

[SaintShy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My original review after reading the teaser:
Pace is already it for me I swear to god.

After finishing the book:
I was young and foolish. Pace is, in fact, not it for me.

So I want to start off by saying I totally understand all of the people who didn't like this one.
However, I do think this is one of, if not my favorite book in the series, but at this part in the story I wouldn't consider it a romance.

From my perspective though, this is nothing new. In the Royals series so far, that there is always a point in each trilogy where this is true for me. For example I didn't think of Killian and Story's relationship as romantic until deep into the second book, if not later. A similar thing was true of Nick. So maybe in the past I would only feel this with one or two characters at a time, but I actually think the Princes, while none of them have a romantic relationship with Verity yet, have more going for them in this regard than previous heroes.

Let me explain.

What I think Sam and Angel did masterfully is show how deep the relationship is between the Princes themselves . Their relationship felt far more dependent, caring, and complex than any of the previous heroes. I think the three royal men always have a close brotherly relationship with one another, that always helps to shine light on their good character traits even when they're being shit humans more generally.

I think this is even more true in the Princes book than any other. They said multiple times like they felt like they "owned" one another, or felt like they were all parts of the same person, and I truly understood that by the end of the book. Protecting each other came first to them, even if they had to sacrifice themselves or Verity to do so. So, I think what may come across to others as Verity being weak and taking whatever the Princes through at them, to me just seemed like she was slowly becoming one of them. Thats what the Princes do. They would pay any price to protect one another.

The Prince's relationship gave me the clear perspective that these boys are capable of caring for someone and deeply. The whole "sleeping together like a nest of rats thing", was perhaps the most endearing and sad metaphor that felt, at the same time, so true to the characters that I couldn't help but find them worth caring about on their own merit. This is also probably the first book that this has happened (at least so early on in the trilogy). Killian didn't have that for me. Nor did Nick. Or Sy, when he fucked up, or Remy. When these characters were, frankly, straight up evil, I couldn't extract myself from the heroine's pain to empathize with them. Most of the time I would just think about how the heroine deserved better.

In this one though, Verity played a bit of a background role for me, and for the Princes too. I think that this is the problem that a lot of people might be having with this book, which again I can completely understand. However, there were many small moments when they wanted to care for her, and wanted her to become one of them. Seeing the way that the princes care about each other, gave me this sense of anticipation that when the time is right, the Princes might have the most intimate and caring relationship of all the other couples.


As an aside:

I think this book really works because of the Prince's Dynamic. I would actually be really interested in seeing a Royals book where the heroes aren't close at all. Maybe they don't even know each other. Maybe they even play mind fuck games with each other and use the heroine to do so. I think it would be very interesting to see Sam and Angel develop this relationship from scratch, along with the heroine’s relationship to them. Or maybe the heroine even has an advantage and is already in a romantic relationship/super close with one of the heroes but not the others.

I would really be interested in seeing if I could still come to love Royal men that don't even love one another yet.

As an aside II:
Sorry for the long rant like I could honestly write an entire essay about this book. The abundance of maternal imagery, even associated with Verity and the Princes. There's a lot to unpack with this one.

[irrelevant opinion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look I wasn’t the biggest fans of the Dukes. There was this disconnect.

BUT THE PRINCES…. Ooof. The princes I feel like are gonna top the lords. And that my friends will be a mighty accomplishment. 😮‍💨

Also I’m a whore for breeding. I just.. love it. So extra points for that ✨


The ending took me by surprise but I feel like I should have caught the signs. So I wouldn’t be shocked if others catch it.

EDIT: since it’s been out a few days now and people are really missing the point in my opinion.

You’re not meant to like Verity or the boys. She went there under the misconception of what a princess was and was brutally shown the difference.

The boys did NOT want to be princes. So why would they “want” to breed Verity? They have desperately trying to get out from their father their whole childhoods. She was no one special to them (besides Pace) so I don’t get all the complaints about being the past trilogies and how they at least wanted their girls.

Okay… this is different circumstances. Wicker and Lex have no precious connections to Verity and Pace has a bad past with her. WHY WOULD THEY WANT HER when they’ve been forced into being princes?!

I feel the authors did a perfect job at showing the DISCONNECT between their sex scenes and past trilogies. We can all feel the LACK of emotion from it. And I’m assuming this is to set up the difference for the rest of the series (because lets not forget we still have toe more books).

I do agree the spy plot was a bit weak, I honestly don’t know what information they expected Verity to get. I hated that she betrayed Wicker’s trust with what he confided in because while she didn’t owe him loyalty, she knew it was something that put him in danger.

Anyway, I wasn’t an arc reviewer. I downloaded this in the morning and devoured it. But I would say if you read the negative reviews about lack of emotional connection in sex or the heroes not wanting of the heroine and think this isn’t the book for you? Take into considering that those two things were the point and the authors portrayed it 👌🏻

[Lynnzie (lynnziebooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost, read the triggers! This series alone is super dark but as is the book because good lord this group is not okay.

We always start off with the woman I’m not great situations and finding ourselves thinking, they definitely deserve better and this is no exception. Verity goes through so much trauma. We also learn some of her men’s trauma as well. We haven’t learned everything but this group already has been through a lot so I’m nervous for the future additions.

I overall enjoyed the book. It was a lot and had a lot of more mechanical feeling interactions but I think that was the point. The Princes are known for needing to create so this wasn’t a surprise. Our girl Verity deserves so much more. I’m pretty much mad at everyone in her life. I could go on a rant about all of them but it’s not needed for this.

I’m intrigued and ready for more because I need to know whats going to happen with this group. There’s lots of hostility and can’t wait to see that transform… hoping it does.

[Aplis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one had way too many problems. But I'm a sucker for the authors' writing. I really liked the guys too..Not so much the heroine because she seemed way too agreeable. But *dramatic applause* to her for trying to one-up Lex in the end. This man kept giving me a headache with his actions.

I'm hoping the authors do something about making the guys "actually" obsessed with the heroine. Also, her low-key falling for them was literally out of nowhere. Lol.. Ma'am what?!

[Nerdy.Scientist.Reads || NERDY · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️ 5/5🌶️
NOW THAT IS DARK ROMANCE DONE RIGHT!

The Princes, shiny and charming on the outside but PITCH FCKING BLACK on the inside.
The Princess, sweet and virginal but GUTTER AND SAVAGE.
The King, unfeeling and relentless but METHODICAL AND CONNIVING.

From page 1, I was sucked in like jizz to a Forsyth Princess’s womb. This book is DARK, delicious, degrading, downright cringeworthy in some moments. It was everything my little black heart craves in a dark romance. But let me just say, it is brutal so check your trigger warnings if you need them. Although, I think Samgel did an amazing job at foreshadowing and preparing us for the chaos that happens.

The Princes at the end are irredeemable in my book, but as we all know how bully romances go, it’ll make when we fall in love that much sweeter.

I JUST CANNOT WAIT for the next book. I had a fleeting thought towards the middle of the book on how it may turn out but let me just say I was STILL SHOOKETH!

The Princes are by far the most ruthless assholes in Forsyth, but have they finally met their match?

If you haven’t read Royals of Forsyth U series, do you even dark romance?


Favorite Quotes:

I’m wearing all of their gifts. I could’ve brought the shears, but someone probably would have left without an appendage.

My God, revenge is delicious and sweet.

There’s a lot on the line, for all of us. The game of shadow chess that we’re playing is more than just dangerous. Can there ever really be an end?

“You’d look so fucking good with a baby inside you.”

“Really, who among us can resist the charm of being given your enemy’s severed finger?”

This isn’t a sappy romcom, Verity. It’s Forsyth.

“You may be a virgin, but your body wants to be treated like a slut.”

“Bark, Princess. Bark for me, and I’ll let you off this table.”

We made that pact years ago. In blood. In darkness. In agony. We’re a Cerberus–three heads, one heart.

“nothing has ever made me harder than watching him fuck you bloody over that table.”

[HERE FOR THE STEAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think it’s a secret - I love Forsyth and the world Angel and Samhave created. The Lords were dark and twisted. The Dukes were ruthless and fierce. So coming up on the Princes, I had incredibly high hopes. After all, the Princes entire objective is to create and carry on the line - a kink I can totally get down with 👏🏼

In a nutshell, this book was everything I thought it would be and more. The Princes are true Forsyth men personified. Just shy of morally black with a sliver of redeemability hiding underneath. You hate them and secretly love them!

Verity … I’m not sure what I was expecting from our Princess but she surprised me at every turn. This world requires strength from their women and she shows there are a lot of different ways to be strong.

The steam here is obviously different but, in my opinion, wicked hot and jam packed! The tropes here aren’t for everyone, I’m fully aware of that, so read them thoroughly before jumping in!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are not ready for the darkness that is this book. Okay, maybe you are... Wow, just wow. Every time I think this series and world can't get more unhinged, these authors prove me wrong.

And yet, here I am gobbling it all up and coming back for more. 100% irredeemable in ways I cannot wait to see in the next two books because DANG - that cliffhanger!

This is absolutely a spicy book meant for 18+ because these themes are dark. Taking .5 star off just because it was a little bit long.

Tropes: why choose, dark, secret society, frats, breeding, non/dub con, med kink, edging and withholding,
TW: torture, prior childhood SA, drug addiction and use, degradation, public humiliation, punishment, misogyny

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

[The Lushy Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my ~ where to even begin?!

Angel & Sam - bravo. I mean, seriously, I was thinking, how could they top the Lords and the Dukes - and my god, you blew this out of the water.

The Princes are in a whole class by themselves. I hate them but holy hell, I love them too. And Verity - BOSS ASS BITCH! This girl is no Princess, she’s meant to be a Queen. Their story is just all kinds of fucked up, I’m not even kidding. I don’t want to give anything away because this is too good to know what the heck is gonna happen.

But I will say this, this is an insanely surprising story that I think might just me Sam & Angel’s best yet!

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's pretty impossible for me to list all of the things I loved about this new trio of damaged Forsyth U anti-heroes, especially without spoilers, but I will try my best to provide some basic information for readers trying to find a new book to read.

First of all, if you have not read the other trilogies in this world I would suggest you start there (Lords, Dukes came first). While not strictly necessary, those stories do introduce the world and the politics and set the ground for this trilogy's heroine, Verity, and her Princes.

If you have read those trilogies already, then you know this world features some elements of dark romance that some readers might take issue with, and this book is no exception. I personally don't think it is any darker than the first two trilogies, but I do think the potential triggers are different, so depending on what elements are bothersome to you this one might be "worse". If you have anything you try to avoid, check the content warnings just in case.

On to the good stuff! (Some spoilers!) Something I kept thinking about when reading the first two trilogies was how impressed I was by how creatively the authors handled the s3xual progression between the heroine and her men, in a way that built anticipation without sacrificing steam and that built something unique for each pairing. Since we knew from their first mention that the Princes primary k!nk would involve reproduction/br33ding, I was curious what they would come up with for maintaining that creativity in such a setting and boy, was I ever pleasantly surprised at what they came up with. I almost want to say this book felt hotter than the others, but that's not strictly true, it just had so much......stuff. Let's just say they had to be devoted to their assignment and the book reflects that.

As usual in romance, I love the antagonism of a first book, when they are all hating on and resentful of each other, forced into a situation they can't see their way out of yet, with barest glimpses of what will be built eventually shining through to the readers, even when the characters can't see it yet. In all of the trilogies the three men had a brotherhood of sorts, but I felt it more poignantly here, with these three adopted brothers managing the abuse of their father for so long with only each other for the longest time. I very much look forward to seeing them fully integrate Verity into their dynamic...but like I said, I enjoy the antagonism so I'm all for more jealousy and fighting before that happens. ;-)

I don't have a favorite hero, I love each one as they are on the page, and jump to the next as soon as he is. They are very much distinct characters to me, which has become almost a rarity in the reverse harems I have been able to read the last few years. I am first and foremost a hero(es) first kind of reader (I know, I know, terrible) but Verity is good too. I liked how she handled Wicker and Lex, especially, in this first book, and am eager to see what comes next after some of the events at the end of this one. It's what I would term a very soft cliffhanger, but these books are so good they are one of the few I read as they release rather than waiting, and I think the anticipation just makes it that much better.

[Jacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when people were hesitant about the Princes because they thought they would be a boring and fluffy house. I told people not to underestimate them and I thought that they would be the most gnarly house yet.

AND BOY WAS I RIGHT.

Anyone who knows me is probably sick of how much I obsess over this series and how it’s my most favorite of all time. Yet while I enjoyed it, I didn’t really feel a connection between Verity and the Princes and that lessened some of the emotional impact for me. I felt Verity and Lex were juuuust starting to connect and am really intrigued by him as a character. I also can’t wait to get passed the facade that Wicker has, but I’m really not feeling Pace. Normally the dominant obsessive alphas are my favorite (Killian and Nick) but Pace was just meh for me and didn’t feel as though he added anything to the story. I felt zero connection between him and Verity even though they had a bit of history which I was super stoked about.

Some things felt a bit rushed in this one and I feel it would have benefited if it would have been a longer book (I know I know, it was a long book to begin with, but I could literally read 1,000,000 pages of this series and it would never be enough 🤣) I needed to see a bit more of Verity’s personality shine through and I needed to see a bit more of a connection between her and the guys. While the horrors that she suffers in this story are BRUTAL, the emotional impact on the reader would have been so much more intense if she really had a connection with the guys that the reader could feel. I can’t help but feel that the “punishment” scene towards the end of the book should have maybe been in the second book. BUT, the authors know what they’re doing, and I’m sure it will all make sense as to why they did things the way they did thus far in the story.

I also prefer that my RH focuses solely on the heroine (and I know many others do too!) and is strictly MFMM. This is an established MFMM series and I hope the authors stick to that and don’t bend based on what some people want. There are plenty of other MMFM RH books out there. Not EVERY series has to have MM in it. So the bits that we see between the guys was a little meh for me. It sort of makes sense when one thinks about the abuse the guys have endured, but I can’t help but feel it was put in the story to appease those that are demanding MM in the series.

This one was suuuuper dark and I definitely enjoyed it. These authors can take us to the darkest depths with no hope in sight, but I know that they will bring us back up and make everything right again. Few authors succeed at that, but I trust these two to do it! As always, the writing is amazing and I can’t get enough of the world that these two have created. I could not put this book down and need moooore. I cant wait to see where this story goes and what the authors have in store for us and the world of Forsyth.

3.5-4 stars

Huge thank you to the authors for the ARC! I was in the middle of a sporting goods store and started crying when I got the message. So grateful.

—————-

RTC. Book hangover, have to go to work and I need to let this marinate in my brain.

[Autumn Wade Pascual · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever read any of Angel and Sam's books, you will know that they do not go easy on us readers and this book was no different. I went into this one with high expectations for angst and spice, and boy did I meet my match with Wicker, Pace, and Lex Ashby! I really enjoyed learning more about the inner workings of the Princes and I especially liked seeing how Verity wrangles these brutal men. She never loses her West End fighting spirit! Each character has their own trauma and they are all struggling with personal demons, which brings another level of interest to this story. This book is dark, gritty and twisted - but I promise you, it's a wild ride that you want to buy a ticket for - immediately! Easy 5 stars!!!!

[ErikaWasReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I wasn’t sure what to expect when Sam and Angel began warning us that even for fans of the series, the Princes might not be their cup of tea.

As a reader, the Princes always seemed like the least interesting house, and well, their kink is definitely not my kink.

But Verity was such an interesting character in the Dukes series that I had to read her story. And I admit, I was super curious to see how the house that was supposed to be about over-the-top love turned dark and twisted.

That said, this one was *dark*, and dark in a very different way than the Lords or the Dukes. While the other boys are brutal, you at least see how they care about Story & Lavinia (even if it’s in their own sick way). Even the small moments of joy are tinged by darkness and abuse -- even when the light shines through, it somehow feels like no one will make it out alive.

That being said, I only put this book down to sleep, devouring the pages. I am excited to see how Angel and Sam bring these four together, and I can’t wait to see Verity take her place as a queen.

[Wobilba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow MMCs with very shallow reasons for hating a very shallow FMC with very shallow chemistry makes for a very tedious read 😔

[Tammy Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, first and foremost…READ the trigger warnings! If for no other reason than being like me and using them as a shopping list. Also, if this is your first foray into the Royals of Forsyth world…what are you doing? Stop reading this and go back and start with the first book, Lords of Pain. Trust me, it’s necessary.

Now that we have all of that out of the way…I’m having such a hard time writing this review just because I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything.

Let’s start with Verity. Y’all, I was so excited when I found out that she was going to be the FMC in this part of the series. I loved her character in the Dukes books and couldn’t wait to see what she was going to be like in these. The utter shit that this girl has to go through, all at the hands of the Princes, their King, and the rest of the frat. It’s a lot. And while it may take her a few minutes, our girl ultimately comes out swinging and I was HERE FOR IT! Seriously, she shows what it means to come from the West End, and that those women are NOT to be toyed with.

As for the Princes…I simultaneously love and hate them. Look, I think by now we are all accustomed to Angel and Sam writing some DAMAGED MMC’s, and that while we they are utter douche canoes at the beginning, we always end up falling in love with all of them by the end. When I say that these guys are damaged, I mean they are damaged in a way that we haven’t seen from any of the MMCs in this series so far. You may go into this book thinking that the Princes are all sweet and pampering to their Princess, thanks to what we’ve seen from the previous books…but lets just say that what you get from them is so, so different from that.

I have loved these books from the very first one and each set ends up my favorite over the ones before, and that seems to be holding true so far with the Princes. I could not put this book down to the point that I was staying up late reading, and any spare minute I had was spent with my phone in my hand just to get one more page in. And that ending??? Have you ever been reading a book on your kindle and you get to the end put just keep hitting the screen to go to the next page, because there is NO WAY that is how the book ends? Yep, that was me…I think I hit that screen like 5 or 6 times trying to make more pages appear. Not to mention that I went back and reread that last chapter multiple times because OMG! Seriously, Angel and Sam, you ladies have outdone yourselves with this book and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why do they have to end it like that!!!! Major cliffhanger but if you’ve made it this far in the Forsyth series you should be expecting it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🔥🔥🔥🔥/5
If you haven’t read Lords and Dukes stop and go back and read those first. There is so much information packed into these books and interconnected plots you don’t want to miss a thing by skipping.

Okay so we start off at the masquerade ball where there is a new princess and princes being chosen. Verity has been invited and while she’s not expecting to be chosen, she’s hoping. The last thing Lex, Wicker and Pace are expecting is to be chosen as the next Princes. They are King Ashbys sons but they are not meant to be “royal”.

Lex is premed about to be finished with his degree before he goes to grad school. Wicker and pace are about a year younger and they are so close to being done with PNZ but they are dragged into the thick of it by being named the next princes responsible for creating the next heir. Wicker and Pace play hockey🤤, which seems to be a PNZ thing.

We met Verity first in Dukes she was supposed to be the next duchess but because of Nicks obsession with Lavinia, she was passed over. With no royal place left for her at DKS she feels being the next princess is an opportunity she and the monarchs cannot pass up. She has no idea what she’s in for with her princes since they typically have a reputation for being sweet and generous, doting on their princess. NOT these boys. They have baggage and damage that we didn’t even begin to unpack in this book.

This book was different than the others in the Forsyth series in the sense that while the lords were cruel and cunning and rather mean to story at times, and the dukes were very brash, obsessive and Lavinia had to help them through mental illness, Verity’s story is not so much dark as it is cold and sad. The princes are so detached from her and every time we think there’s maybe going to be something between them it’s gone. Don’t get me wrong this book is still very much dark romance but my heart breaks for her in a way it didn’t for the other royal women. The princes at this point have zero redeeming qualities and I don’t like them 😂 can’t wait for Princes of Ash!!!!!
To create is to reign🙌🏼