"All the stars in the sky are not as bright as my love for you.” Gah, I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Wow, just wow!

I devoured this book in just two days, and that's only because I read it twice! It's one of those books that had me going back for more, wishing I could experience reading it for the first time all over again. What a love story!

Is it perfect? No.
Is the writing amazing? No.
Are there inconsistencies? Yes.
Was it predictable? Yep.
Was it everything I needed? Absolutely, yes!

This is everything that "Through The Veneer of Time" by Vera Bell aspired to be. Although it also reminded me a lot about The Witcher book series. Which made this book much more predictable.

Alas, I so completely enjoyed it, and can’t wait to read the next installment. ( )

3.5 Stars.

I have a lot of thoughts. I liked many aspects of this book and the world but it lacked cohesion. I’m interested in where the story will go so I’ll be waiting on book 2. ( )

Recommended: yes
if you're fine with a TON of explicit sex scenes, but also it resolves into a pretty damn good story (that still has a lot of sex scenes)

Thoughts:
OKAY, first of all, I don't know if all of the author's books are like this and I just had no idea, but the first half of this book is basically just erotica with a light vampire theme. There's several scenes of masturbation, filthy talk, sexual tension, and yes, sex. The word clit is said 13 times, starting as soon as chapter two. (Thrust is also said 13 times, but once is referencing a pivotal violent moment rather than sex, so look forward to that, too!)

So it's a LOT of sex stuff (*cough* chapter six *cough*), but it's also preeetty satisfying sex stuff. Jus' saying -- it wasn't exactly a con for the book. xD But a heads up because this would have been real awkward had I been reading on public transport like I used to all the time.

The second half of the book expands a lot on the deeper story once you get past the post-coital haze of the first half. There are some intriguing hints along the way, but they really start to resolve towards the end. They become tantalizing -- which is actually the perfect word to describe this whole book -- and I will absolutely be reading further books in this series. 

Characters are always fun to watch when they grow, and particularly when they have their world-view and prejudices challenged. Why else would Pride and Prejudice still be so popular? It's a strong path to success, and the discoveries found along the way in the story were extremely satisfying. Plus they were often in a library, which is always a plus.

The one thing I seriously hated was a moment at the end when one character is unforgivably and immediately an idiot. Besides that, the conclusion was decent, but damn if this moment wasn't predictable and still infuriating.
Isolde is all like, there are only 3 people who know the secret to killing me / Adrian, so we absolutely CANNOT let anyone else know, because we can trust very few. And then she immediately tells her father, the person who has been encouraging Adrian's murder from the start, and clearly hates him, and CLEARLY is also not feeling the same about his daughter now that he's heard her sex sounds from banging an (in his mind) evil vampire. She immediately tells this one critical secret to a guy with every motive in the book to take advantage of it, and is then surprised when he immediately acts on it! Oi, Isolde, girl, what the fuck. You're reincarnated, and you're still naive as shite.

Overall, FABULOUS and dark though definitely much different than what I expected it to be. I'll be looking up the author's other books and continuing this series for sure! ( )

"King of Battle and Blood" by Scarlett St. Clair is a sizzling exploration into the world of vampires, where love blossoms amidst the chaos.

Isolde, the princess of her kingdom, finds herself at the mercy of the Blood King, Adrian, who has conquered much of her land for the vampires. Faced with the daunting prospect of saving her people, Isolde agrees to a marriage of convenience with Adrian. While the initial motivation is to protect her kingdom, Isolde harbors a secret hope of discovering a way to defeat the enigmatic Blood King.

However, as they draw closer, a magnetic force pulls them together, and Isolde begins to experience something peculiar.

Adrian and Isolde’s dynamic promises not only sparks but the potential for greatness as they navigate a world torn between power and passion.

This book is a quick read, brimming with spice and passion. St. Clair skillfully weaves together elements of romance, fantasy, and intrigue, creating a tale that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. ( )

This is the first Scarlett St. Clair book that I have read and I am in love! I am really excited to start reading book two and already abhor that book three will not be released until 2024! Grrrr!

I think a good book should be able to tug at your emotions and that is exactly what this book did for me.

The characters were well written and relatable. I love that the main characters Adrian and Isolde are of different worlds and when they collide, it is magical. The situations/events they encounter are interesting and exciting. The world building was excellently done. You are gradually introduced to new characters and the types of beings/monsters that exist in this world.

The spicy scenes were well written and not over used. ( )