Challenge Corner discussion

Their Union Is His Revenge.

Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day 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.

I'll probably start these this weekend. I was too ambitious with what I thought I could read this month

Same lol. I'll start it next week.

Chapter Six
(view spoiler)[ I like this set up I'm all for arranged marriage enemies to lovers I hate that I want you. She seems pretty easily distracted from how much she professes to hate him. I'm not surprised her lame murder attempt didn't go so well but man his reaction to it was so funny. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Eleven
(view spoiler)[ What is going on here? I want to know what that creature was and who sent it/ started that. All is not as it seems I can't wait to get the actual story of what happened and how Adrian became a vampire. He clearly wants to turn her, and I wonder if by the end of this book she will let him. Very curious to see where this goes. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Fifteen
(view spoiler)[ I wondered from the beginning why she hated fire, at first I thought that was how her mom died, but there have been lots of mentions of the witch burning and hints that she was someone else in a past life so I'm guessing she was a witch and Adrian's lover who was burned. Very interested to see how this unravels. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[ Even though that was predictable I felt very vindicated in having figured out she was Ysenia. Scarlett St Clair has a remarkable ability to make not care about and skim through the sex 😂. This one was not as bad as her other series for stop banging and let's get back to plot but I was bored in the last few sex scenes.

I was shocked that she killed her dad, before that I had hung onto hope that he was actually a good guy. Very interesting that if she dies Adrian dies and that she needed him to drink her blood to remember. I enjoyed that he became a vampire because his request to be able to drink the blood of his enemies was taken literally. I want to know how Ysenia was able to come back. Very interested to see what the next book brings. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Five
(view spoiler)[ Well Adrian, sure is not endearing himself to his people. This kind of action inspires revolt. At this point I think Ana Maria is the traitor and that's how she got the magic she used last book. It was fun but unexpected to get Adrian's POV.
And holy Isolde's change. That was intense. I wonder she is going to handle being a not werewolf. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Ten
(view spoiler)[ So Solaris is a problem and yikes at both of their reactions. Yesenia's trauma is coming out and while Adrian did not handle it well I get why he did what he did. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Eighteen
(view spoiler)[ I like that Adrian knew about the library and Ana's magic but never said anything. Poor Ana what a terrible backstory. Also how did the villagers know? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Twenty-Two
(view spoiler)[ So Isolde was super dumb summoning Ravena like that. But NOO SOREN. He was my fav and ugh no. I hate this. I really want to know more about the book and why she created it / how Adrian can be freed of Dis. This is not the way they wanted her to turn, but I should have known it wouldn't go to plan. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[ Adrian being possessed by Dis was terrifying. One thing I really like in this book is that we have gotten away from the immature jealousy and punishing of the ex-lovers. It's really nice to see how her perspective on Killian has changed and that she recognizes she was awful to Safira.

So Ana. I guess I called that, but I had no idea it was like this. Also so much betrayal. Soren and Ana, damn. Also Nadia, ugh, why can't one of Isolde's parental figures care more about her than killing Adrian? And Yesenia was pregnant, holy hell. Just so much going on. And she was apparently Dis' favoured? And who is Asha's incarnate?

But what was that ending? I wouldn't even call it a cliffhanger it just sort of ended completely randomly. I reread this morning thinking maybe it was because I was tired, but nope. (hide spoiler)]

Started

Chapters 1-5 (view spoiler)[Okay, this is a lot better than what I thought it would be when I found out the author is one I don’t love. But I like the world building. Love that this is an arranged marriage and that they just got married. Plus the enemies to lovers but them desiring each other is really good. (hide spoiler)]

52% (view spoiler)[I’m really enjoying this one. I wasn’t expecting to like it so much but it’s giving me FBAA vibes with the enemies to lovers, and I like how she is slowly opening up to him but still not there yet. (hide spoiler)]

79% (view spoiler)[I’m glad that she is finally seeing and believing the truth. I’m sad that she was so jealous of the other people who have been with him though. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[I was NOT expecting her father to try to kill her like that and then she had to kill him. That’s so sad. I did like the bonus chapter where we got his POV of meeting her. Overall, I really liked this one and am excited to continue! (hide spoiler)]

Just checked out book 2, so hopefully can start that in the next week or two.

Hopefully will start this next week.

Started

Chapters 1-6 (view spoiler)[This is super boring so far. I’m hoping it picks up. But the “you are my light and you are my darkness” crap is getting to be too much for me. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 7-16 (view spoiler)[I wonder what’s going to happen now that the guy came back from the dead. And also her becoming a conduit will probably end up badly. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 17-23 (view spoiler)[I’m not sure if I am enjoying this anymore. I knew that something bad was going to happen and it did. And now he is going too dark where she might have to destroy him. And now they are under attack. I’m bored. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[That ending was not an ending. I was also questioning the entire time how long it would take for her to even might think she was pregnant. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 1-4: (view spoiler)[I really liked how author put forward their first meeting ngl and now they don't hate each other per se but are definitely supposed to be enemies which puts them on opposite ends of the spectrum. It would be interesting to see how this dynamic shifts once they are actually married. Immediately hated Killian since the moment he was introduced, I hope he isn't a part of the story for much longer (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5-9: (view spoiler)[No matter what Isolde says, it was indeed a weak attempt on her part to kill Adrian, I do not think she has even herself convinced that she intended to kill him. For all purposes, she did submit herself to Adrian pretty easily and is definitely lusting over him ngl. I am curious about what or who slaughtered that entire village since it doesn't look like vampires. I hope Killian, for his own sake, isn't involved in this in any way (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10-13: (view spoiler)[Damn I did not think Isolde had it in her to simply slide a knife into a man's side because he offered his own daughter as a concubine. I like this badass side of her tbh. But I don't understand why she is pushing Adrain away when it's so obvious she is attracted to him the same way he is to her. Maybe she is afraid that she'd be turned. I am eager to see what becomes of their relationship now (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14-17: (view spoiler)[I feel like this has a strong storyline to fend for itself but Isolde isn't as strong of a character as she should be imo, I hope this changes in the future and we get to see a different side to her - one that is more ferocious and worthy of being called a queen. For now I am eager to see how she and Adrian manage to stop the attacks and free her mother's people too (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[That was an interesting turn of events, so glad that Isolde finally has her memories and this tells me that we'd get to see a fierce side to her now pretty soon. Her dad turning against her like that was pretty brutal. However now that she knows that she is Ysenia the connection she already shares with Adrian is going to get deeper atleast tenfolds and I am excited for what the next book would bring (hide spoiler)]