King of Battle and Blood: Adrian X Isolde Series, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Scarlett St. Clair (Author), Lilly Drake (Narrator), Curt Bonnem (Narrator),

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From fan-favorite Scarlett St. Clair, the bestselling author of the Hades & Persephone series, comes a new fantasy filled with danger, darkness, and insatiable romance.

Their union is his revenge.

Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day to be her death day. To end a years-long war, she is to marry vampire king Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him.

But her assassination attempt is thwarted, and Adrian threatens that if Isolde tries to kill him again, he will raise her as the undead. Faced with the possibility of becoming the thing she hates most, Isolde seeks other ways to defy him and survive the brutal vampire court.

Except it isn't the court she fears most—it's Adrian. Despite their undeniable chemistry, she wonders why the king—fierce, savage, merciless—chose her as consort.

The answer will shatter her world.

Contains mature themes.

Listening Length

12 hours and 26 minutes
Author

Scarlett St. Clair
Narrator

Lilly Drake, see all
Audible release date

April 19, 2022
Language

English
Publisher

Tantor Audio
ASIN

B09WZHFQ1T
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	12 hours and 26 minutes
Author	Scarlett St. Clair
Narrator	Lilly Drake, Curt Bonnem
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	April 19, 2022
Publisher	Tantor Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B09WZHFQ1T
Best Sellers Rank	#2,474 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #46 in Paranormal Romance (Audible Books & Originals) #52 in Fantasy Romance (Audible Books & Originals) #105 in Horror Fiction

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Em Dorsey ~A Darlin Doll ~

I really wanted to love this book but it was just not in the cards for me.

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

The hype around this book was crazy and it was one of my highly anticipated books by the end of this year. Unfortunately it did not live up to the hype for me and I was left disappointed. I know this genre will always share similarities with other books but when the cover is eerily close to one that happens to be a huge player in the game it’s hard not to compare the two or overlook that fact especially when you start to find similarities within the story. I really tried not to compare it to the popular book that was released in Spring 2020 but there were too many similarities within the beginning of this story. The cover, trained to fight (I mean this one is pretty common), Princess, has to marry vampire, lied throughout life about vampires, curvy and athletic, prone to stabbing, night blooming roses vs midnight roses, the Blood Forest which blooms from the blood of gods vs the Starless Forest trees that sprang from blood….I mean even some of the sex scenes were the same! Plus I’ve read that series a few times and when I see this unoriginal cover that is a total ripoff of the other book, my mind connects the two. Yes, I know that might be harsh but honestly if you put the two side by side you can’t tell me it’s not almost completely the same. Again, I know covers are sometimes similar but this one is just too close for me. I will say that around the 45% mark that this story started to branch away from the book that was released in 2020 and I stopped finding similarities. However, that was not my only issue with this book.

The way the heroine is introduced is not flattering for her. She came off as rude, entitled and someone who looked down on people who were underneath her…literally. This made it hard for me to relate and sympathize her her. If she had such a problem with who Killian was then why did she start the situation to begin with. She couldn’t find someone else to occupy her time? Unnecessary drama. Also, the whole woman vs woman. Why can’t she build other women up instead of trying to bring them down? Why do we have to go all Mean Girls??

Just because you are curvy trained to fight like stabbing people and are a princess/queen that supposedly isn’t like anyone else, it doesn’t give you the right to treat people like crap. It doesn’t make you a bada$$ heroine. It makes you a bully. You can not demand respect it is earned. I didn’t really find and redeeming qualities in the Isolde. The jealousy she had just came off as immature.

Adrian, Sorin and Daroc were the only silver lining in this book and even then I was still left wanting. With that said, I even found Adrian a little too quick to chop someone’s head off just because he could. Yes, at times I can understand it is necessary but every time someone disagrees with you is a bit much.

The book is also pretty choppy and did pick up around 80% and even though it was pretty predictable the last 20% was entertaining to read. I did have hard time believing a certain someone’s betrayal. In the beginning of the book that person would start a war for you and by the end betray you as such?

This to me wasn’t much of an enemies to lovers book. It was pretty insta love. I need angst pain and mystery. I want the main characters to work for their love. I’m all for spiciness but I need a plot too. I know this is the first book in series and sometimes things are slow and predictable. I’m hoping this is just the process of setting up the rest of the series I think I still have hope for it but haven’t decided if I will continue with it.

I really wanted to love this book but it was just not in the cards for me. These are just my thoughts and opinions and just because I didn’t absolutely love it doesn’t mean other people won’t. If you are a fan of vampires and fantasy, read it and decide for yourself. I truly hope you enjoy it.

103 people found this helpful

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Leah / @LeahsLittlePleasures

Addictive & All Consuming

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2021

Verified Purchase

THIS STORY 🤤 I miss Adrian already 😭🥺🔥

I was fully consumed by Adrian x Isolde's tale. I devoured it in just a few sittings. Scarlett creates yet another addictive and compelling world and love story that all fantasy romance fans will. LOVE. It's dark, romantic, and stirring... fierce and possessive. I couldn't get enough.

When the Blood King, Adrian, chooses Isolde as his consort, in the hopes of ending an age-old war, Isolde, Princess of Lara, accepts. Their chemistry is undeniable, but Isolde is determined to save her people. Under the guise of becoming the future vampire queen, Isolde enters their court with a plot to undermine King Adrian and his war efforts but is quickly dissuaded as she begins to learn the shocking history of both Adrian and the vampire court.

🥀 READ THIS IF YOU LIKE 🥀
— vicious vampires
— goddesses x witches
— monsters plaguing the land
— arranged/forced marriage
— enemies to lovers steamy romance
— kingdom intrigue x corruption
— bonded love x reincarnation
— curses

Thank you to the publisher and author for my advanced copy! KBB is out now!!

30 people found this helpful

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Rachael Wiseman

Don't read the reviews just order it already!

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2021

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St. Claire does it again! I have not read one book by this woman that I haven't absolutely devoured and re-read. She is a word magician lol I felt so many emotions reading this book and truly enjoyed the character development of Isolde. Also, Isolde and Adrian are my new favorite fictional characters.

I don't want to give anything away so I will leave it at this is a vampire romance novel (the best I have ever read), it is 18+ (A LOT OF STEAMY SCENES), I didn't think it ended on a cliff-hanger but obviously, this is a series so it is unfinished and will leave you in a book hangover begging for more.

23 people found this helpful

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Jenn

I really wanted to love this book

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2021

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I was so excited to read this based on the plot summary, but I was honestly disappointed. I love a good enemies to lovers trope, but for me this missed the mark. It might be the authors writing style which was choppy at times, or it might have been the fact that the book is fairly short which didn’t really give enough time for me to realistically believe that the characters would have fallen for each other. It is definitely spicy, but possibly lacking substance. Good enough book that I finished it, not good enough that I would reread.

48 people found this helpful

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Katherine

If Cercei from GoT met Vampires

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2021

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I dont know what it is, but Scarlett's female mcs are very difficult to like. This book was a struggle to get through. Isolde has 0 redeeming qualities. The only characters worth reading about are hardly given the time, Adrian is doing all the heavy lifting for this book. Had his character been any less I would have given KBB a 1 ⭐ with a clear conscious. If you like progressive, entitled, and onerous female mcs that are equally just as horny throughout a very predictable plot line then this is the book for you.

I've left a more indepth review on goodreads. To say that this book was a letdown littered with flaws is being kind. Isolde is everything in a female character that you don't want.

I stayed for Adrian,

25 people found this helpful

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L. Draper

Best vampire book I’ve ever read

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

I love vampire stories. All of them. I love how each author carefully creates the world and everyone in it.

But this vampire book is in a league all its own.

Scarlett St Clair really outdid herself here! I read this entire book in one sitting.

I love how Adrian and Isolde’s history was intricately woven into their present storyline. They were haunted by a history that was only giving them fragments of memories and truths. Their raw, vulnerable feelings pulled them to eachother, despite political lines and family loyalty that sought to destroy them.

The plot was excellent. The sex scenes were freaking hot!! And their chemistry - past and present was explosive.

The story Scarlett created here really was like stepping into another world.

I cannot recommend this book enough.
You will not be disappointed.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

14 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

purpleskye

Poor pacing, characterisation and world building- offers nothing new to the genre

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

I hate to say it but I’m a little disappointed in this book.

The pacing and characterisation and ultimately the story just wasn’t there for me.

Isolde hates Adrian because he’s a vampire and is destroying the kingdoms. Fair enough. But that hate passes awfully quickly for the single reason that Isolde is basically horny. In the span of four days this warrior Princess who wants to kill Adrian and hates everything that he is, is jealous of other woman, is overly possessive of her ‘husband’ and thinks maybe he’s really not a monster after all because he saved her a few times and promised not to attack her people. Four days is apparently long enough to determine that she trusts her lifelong and most hated enemy. I just don’t buy it. The story needed slowed down a lot to let a relationship and trust truly develop in a way I believed.

One of the problems was that I just didn’t know enough about Isolde. All I know is she’s been trained to fight and likes sex. Oh and she’s a Princess/ queen which she likes to remind everyone of all the time. That’s it. She would do anything for her people apparently but we never got to see her relationship with her kingdom because we jumped into this story and world so quickly with no build up and very little world building or back story. Overall I found Isolde to be quite unlikeable. Yes you can write a strong female character but the author seemed to forget that as the main character she has to be likeable as well. She was ruthless, killing anyone who even slightly offended her and seems to be irritated and think herself above everyone around her. She showed no compassion, no warmth, had no redeeming features, no interesting qualities, nothing that was even remotely relatable. As a reader it was ready hard to empathise with or really buy into her reasons for marrying a vampire to save her kingdom.

Also I get this author likes to write a sex scene but about 90% of the encounters the main characters have, they have sex. Where is the build up? The tension, the will they, won’t they aspect. There’s no progression in the relationship when they’ve jumped in at literally 3 chapters in and continue in the same way for the majority of the book. The author seriously needs to learn about the benefits of delayed gratification. Part of the excitement of reading a story like this is the build up of which this has none. The sex scenes became boring because they were so repetitive. I’d rather have a book with one or two well written sex scenes that are worth the wait than have the same tired tropes rehashed again and again.

Once again with this author, this idea is fine and intriguing but the execution and story telling just let it down as she favours repetitive sex scenes over a compelling and well told story. For a vampire/ secret identify story, Jennifer L Armentrout ‘From Blood and Ash’ or ‘A Shadow in the Ember’ have much better world building and characters that kept me excited, kept me compelled and ultimately kept me reading.

3 stars is generous as this offers nothing new or original, I’ve literally read this story so many times before in various guises only told so much better so I’d probably have to say 2 1/2 stars.

17 people found this helpful

C Geller

Confused most of the time...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

I finished KBB three days ago and I'm still trying to process my feelings.

Overall, did I enjoy it? I'm pretty sure my answer is yes. However, I have some problems with the plot pacing. A lot of it felt, fast. Like, really fast. I don't want to give anything away but there were a couple of parts that I felt we needed to dig into deeper. And we may well do so in the next instalment but it left me feeling a bit out of touch with the story and characters.

I did really enjoy Isolde as a MC and I believe there is a lot of growth we will see in the next one. Adrian, well, he's pretty damn cool even if he is blonde!

I do love Scarlett's writing and I will definitely be reading the next one. I just, need some slower pace.

3 people found this helpful

Vik_reads_books

Amazing right mix of story and spice

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2022

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. Not only was the spice *chefs kiss* but the story was brilliant to so good in fact I preordered the second book when I was half way through and A Touch if Darkness will most definitely be moving up my TBR list.
I loved the tension between Adrian and Isolde and the spice 🌶 there was plenty of it and no waiting around till the end of the book Scarlett was straight in there no messing about. (Just what we like to see!)
But I also loved finding out about the history and how it isn't always what it seems! And how although Isolde wasn't exactly shy and unconfident to begin with I loved how she grew and became more comfortable in her own skin! I can't wait for book 2 in December when I can find what happens next

Poetryinmotion

Hmmm. I don’t hate it but I don’t love it.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2022

Verified Purchase

🌟🌟🌟

This is about a Princess Isolde who agrees to marry the vampire king in exchange for peace between her people and the vampires.

I love the idea with the plot however I was expecting more. I felt the plot of the story was rushed on purpose to get to the smutty scenes. I didn’t feel like I liked Isolde as much as I wanted and should do as the main character. The author tried to put across Isolde as this strong warrior princess yet there weren’t many scenes to make me the reader, believe or perceive her like this other than being told so. I want to hear more about her past and get to know her.

Adrian I actually really liked. But Adrian and Isolde together? I don’t know. My reasons for this is that it all happened so fast. The smut was okay but it would have been better if there was more of a build up of tension between the characters first.

Overall, I didn’t hate the book but at the same time I didn’t love it. This is an enemies to lovers trope but I didn’t see it that way maybe because it all happened so quick?

Yes, it all kind of comes together in the last few pages but again it was rushed. It didn’t send me into the frenzy where I needed to know what happens in the next book.

I will read the next book because I have so many unanswered questions which may be explained later and be part of the plot? Maybe the development of the characters and tension building will be explored more in the next book too? I just hope that there will be more world building and there be some big twist in the plot. 🌟🌟🌟

2 people found this helpful

Emily Noble

Well damn

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2022

Verified Purchase

This was a great read that I highly enjoyed. Isolde is a total had bitch and we love a woman who knows her own mind according let men speak it for her! I will try and keep this review as spoiled free as possible but sometimes it is unavoidable. We start this book in Lara with Isolde as their princess, not wanting to get married and eventually wanting to become queen handfuls her kingdom on her own.... Enter Adrian a conquering King who wants Isolde as his queen and wife.
Their story starts on quite a Rocky path but as the book moves on their romance grows.... The chemistry they've had from the beginning. Things really started topics up about 60% in which I thought was really great, I felt we had a few key foreshadowing moments which I thought was very cleverly executed. The interwoven history and events of Revekka Adrian and Isolde was great and I could hardly put this one down.
I felt the twists and turns at the end were a great way of explaining what we knew so far and also creating build up for the next book.
Overall I loved this one and I can't wait for book two.

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King of Battle and Blood: Adrian X Isolde Series, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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