King of Battle and Blood (Adrian X Isolde Series #1)

by Scarlett St. Clair, Lilly Drake (Read by), Curt Bonnem (Read by)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

This erotic vampire romance is not for the faint of heart. Your blood will be pumping double-time to this fast-paced enemies-to-lovers fantasy with a strong female protagonist.

An instant USA Today bestseller! 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.

Adrian X Isolde Series

• King of Battle and Blood
• Queen of Myth and Monsters

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212135597
Publisher:	Tantor
Publication date:	04/19/2022
Series:	Adrian X Isolde Series , #1
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x (d)

About the Author

Scarlett St. Clair is the bestselling author of the Hades & Persephone series, the Hades Saga, King of Battle & Blood, and When Stars Come Out. She has a master's degree in library science and information studies and a bachelor's degree in English writing. She is obsessed with Greek mythology, murder mysteries, and the afterlife.

Curt Bonnem is an award-winning, professionally trained multi-media performer, traversing the globe between stage, screen, and booth for almost four decades. From Shakespeare to musical theater, comedy juggling and magic, fronting a rock band to narrating audiobooks, Curt's skills are wide-ranging.

With an aptitude for character voices and accents, Curt's storytelling abilities transport the listener and transform text from imagination into reality. In 2019, Curt was selected as Mark Twain Narrator scholarship winner to the Hear Now Festival in Kansas City and mentored by the "Ginger Yoda" and prolific narrator, Sean Allen Pratt.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/25/2021

St. Clair (When Stars Come Out) breathes new life into an old trope as a princess and a vampire king wed to end a yearslong war in this outstanding series opener. Eager to avoid more bloodshed, King Henri de Lara forms a truce with the Blood King, Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev. Adrian agrees to peace, but he wants to take Isolde, Henri’s daughter, as his wife and future queen of Revekka, the Empire of the Vampire. Isolde reluctantly accepts, hoping to save her people. It helps that a quick encounter between Isolde and Adrian before the wedding sparked a palpable sexual tension between the born enemies. In the face of this intense chemistry, Isolde questions both her sanity and her loyalty to her homeland. Despite animosity from the townspeople who oppose their union, the sexual tension between the unlikely newlyweds only mounts, and readers are treated to a deliciously slow-building romance as Adrian and Isolde discover an evil power and work together to defeat a common enemy. St. Clair has a masterful hand with the couple’s slow burn, balancing banter, contention, and highly charged moments. Readers will be chomping at the bit for the next installment. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"Outstanding…St. Clair has a masterful hand with the couple’s slow burn, balancing banter, contention, and highly charged moments. Readers will be chomping at the bit for the next installment." — Publishers Weekly STARRED Review

"St. Clair’s vampire mythology and magical systems, are sure to pique reader interest." — Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2021

Marrying the monstrous vampire king Adrian Vasiliev is the only way Isolde de Lara can save the lives of her people. It's the classic solution to the threat posed by Adrian's powerful vampire kingdom and gives her the chance to discover the king's weaknesses. Adrian's death at Isolde's hand is all she wants at first, but the more she learns about the vampires and their history, the more she is drawn to their mysterious king, and Isolde soon realizes she doesn't know the whole truth. Surrounded by a treacherous court of vampires with decades of complicated personal and political alliances, Isolde must find and forge her new role as queen of Revekka. But when threats from humans and vampires threaten her safety within the walls of her castle home, Isolde will have to trust the man she's determined to defeat. VERDICT St. Clair's ("Hades X Persephone"; "Hades Saga") epic new series is a vampire lover's dream, with complex, sensual characters, visceral action scenes, and a riveting plot for fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope.—Jenna Harmison, Champaign Cty. Lib., OH

Library Journal