The Kraken King (Iron Seas, #4) in Read, Reading, Planning to Read and More

Nov 13, 2014 DemetraP rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. The romance was amazing, the characters were strong and likeable. There was humor, love, adventure, airships,...it was just an awesome read.

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Oct 24, 2018 Melindeeloo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: x2018-audio-challenge, x2018-favorites, x2018-series-binge

This is my second read but my first time in audio, I enjoyed it before as a serial - the anticipation of waiting for each new episode was great and it was just as great being able indulge in the instant gratification of reading straight through

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Jun 15, 2016 Victoria rated it it was ok

Shelves: skipped-a-lot, good-writing-but, bored-me-to-death, helovesme-helovesmenot

Too long and repetitive!

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Nov 13, 2014 Georgiana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: this-is-happening, read-tbr, 2016-re-reads, plus-2018, 2019-re-reads, 2020-re-reads, 2025-re-reads

You should read this. /

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May 09, 2016 Monadh rated it it was amazing

Shelves: steampunk

I cannot believe that I almost missed this great book, because in the first place I am not into steampunk as a genre and in the second place I found the title „The Kraken King“ quite off-putting. Per chance I came across a free short story (Wrecked) of Meljean Brook’s and liked it well enough. I also remembered that one of favorite reviewers had written a glowing review at the time it was released as a serial, so I decidiced to check it out. And what can I say: I was completely blown away by thi I cannot believe that I almost missed this great book, because in the first place I am not into steampunk as a genre and in the second place I found the title „The Kraken King“ quite off-putting. Per chance I came across a free short story (Wrecked) of Meljean Brook’s and liked it well enough. I also remembered that one of favorite reviewers had written a glowing review at the time it was released as a serial, so I decidiced to check it out. And what can I say: I was completely blown away by this book and read all 500+ pages in one day. It is an epic story, fast-paced, exciting, full of adventure, exotic places, great banter between the hero and the heroine and a intense love story that is both sweet and passionate.

It is actually the 4th full-length novel in Meljean Brook's Iron Seas series, but it can also be read as a standalone.

Zenobia is an author who turns the adventures of her brother into stories. Because of that and her family connections she has become quite notorious and thus she has been the victim of several kidnapping attempts, but otherwise her life is kind of boring, so she wants to experience the adventures she has only written about first hand. The opportunity arises when she is to accompany her friend Helene to the Red City, where Helene is to be reunited with her husband, a diplomate. While on the way their airship is attacked and destroyed. Although they manage to evade the attackers they crash into the sea, where they are saved at the last instant by Ariq and his brother. As the mercenaries also pose a threat to Ariq’s town, they travel together, Zenobia and Helene in order to find transport to the Red City and Ariq to discover the mercenaries, before the Empress decides to lay waste to the whole coast in order to smoke out them out. They soon find that their goals align and while they are on their quest they fall in love. But they have to endure danger, separation and torture before they can finally be together.

There are so many things I loved about this book: the well fleshed-out secondary characters, the way Brook conjures a phantastic world using descriptions only sparingly and of course the relationship between Zenobia and Ariq. He ist he perfect hero: gorgeous, passionate, direct, strong and confident in his manhood (he can even joke about his little worm), and at the same time romantic and responsible. I loved that the heroine is also an author and the metadiscourse about the difficulties of writing. And I also liked the social criticism and what it means to be a good (political) leader (Ariq is sort of the Mayor of his town), someone who puts the well-being of his people above his own needs (even at great personal cost).

This book is so rich, multifaceted and beautifully written: definitively a keeper.
...more

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Jun 28, 2014 Amber rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

My favorite of the series so far. I just love Ariq and Zenobia together. I didn't like the serial release, but that's because I'm impatient. ...more

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Apr 22, 2015 N. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: magic-fantasy

Loved this book. How can anyone not like Ms. Brook writing? Her characters are three dimensional thinking people. No silly shallow main characters. She makes you want to visit this scary yet fascinating world she has created.

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