Review: The King by J.R. Ward

     

“Ward writes some of the most heartwrenching and touching moments you’ll ever read in romantic fiction. ” ~Under the Covers

Describe The King in three words

Angela: Satisfying. Emotional. Blissful.

Francesca: Sad. Emotional. Heart-warming.

Suzanne: I Love Wrath

Annie: LONG LIVE THE KING (Yeah yeah, I cheated.)

Did reality of The King live up to the hype?

Angela: Yes! He certainly proved his worth and then some. It’s not a surprise who the people will pick.

Francesca: It certainly did, and in a way that I was not expecting.  But Ward is so great at that.  This book was magical.

Suzanne: For me…yes it did, in fact it exceeded my expectations! I wasn’t sure what another look at Wrath and Beth was going to entail, would it just be a retelling of Dark Lover? Or them bickering over phantom problems? But it turned out to be much more intense than that and it made me fall in love again, not just with Wrath and Beth, but with the whole Brotherhood.

Annie: To be honest, I went into this book trying not to expect anything. I just wanted to be there for the ride. But Ward did something that not a lot of authors can do. She was able to take a couple who already had their HEA and give them something more. Something that not only added to the series as a whole, but also created some development in the character’s lives as well. Ward writes some of the most heartwrenching and touching moments you’ll ever read in romantic fiction.

How well does this fit in with the rest of the series?

Angela: I think with the turn of events as far as the throne goes, there will be a big shift in how this world interacts with each other. But Ward will have to bring on a big conflict, perhaps in the form of the Virgin Scribe or the Omega or even Lash.

Francesca: It’s crazy that I’m saying this, but this would’ve been a great ending to the series if just some loose ends were tied.  I would’ve been satisfied with where this ended.  Obviously the greedy reader in me wants more and I’m so happy that we will get more.  But this book touched on most of our favorite characters, gave glimpses of the lives of many.  And it certainly took their world by the balls.  THE KING is definitely one of Ward’s best books as of late, I think, because she wasn’t afraid to go in a different direction.  To make some major changes in the world.  I’m so excited to see what’s to come.

Suzanne: I thought this fitted in really well, and not just fit in, but really stood out as one of the better books in the series. It ties up some story threads, whilst continuing others and open up whole new ones, keeping the series fresh, when I believe around Tohr’s book, it was feeling a little stale.

Annie: Well, the title doesn’t fit in at all. But despite my initial freak out, I found that THE KING really showcased the “bigger picture” of the BDB world. We see the glymera and their actions towards Wrath, we see Assail and Trez and iAm getting larger roles in the book. Xcor is stepping aside onto another path that I didn’t think we’d see from him, but together, it creates for a story that has its twists and turns while still keeping the several threads of romances going strong with each of the pages in this book. How THE KING is written sticks to Ward’s signature style so there’s much to love there.

There were different storylines and POVs in The King, which was your favourite, which was your least?

Angela: Well, Xcor and Trez spiked my interest equally. Both men are not so innocent in every sense of the word and they will be paired up with women who are completely opposite of their very being. I can’t wait to see them fall to their knees. But Assail is my fave. He is one hot, very hot hero.

Francesca: Obviously my favorite was Wrath and Beth, but aside from the main couple there are many I enjoyed John Matthew because I’m always a greedy whore for him, Saxton – because he’s a male of worth and I just need a full book about him and his HEA, and surprisingly iAm!  I cannot wait to see more of iAm!  My least favorite was Trez.  If his storyline would’ve been wrapped up nicely in this book I would’ve been satisfied.  I really have no interest in reading more about him.

Suzanne: I know there are some people who don’t like the different story lines that weave through the books and instead wants it all concentrated on the main couple. But I am not one of those people. I thought the balance of the Wrath and Beth vs the other characters was perfect, there was plenty of the main couple, we didn’t need to spend 90% of the book with them, especially when there were other interesting things happening. The characters story line I thought I would find tedious was Assail and Sola’s, as I hadn’t warmed up to Assail very much…I should have known that Ward would make me do a 180 and I instead found myself looking forward to their POVs. But the POV I found myself loving the most (apart from Wrath and Beth) was Trez and iAm, especially iAm, I canont wait to see what happens with them!

Annie: Obviously Wrath and Beth were my favorite to read about. Their scenes together are so emotional that it’s hard to stay detached from their characters. You definitely feel every ounce of emotion Ward puts in her books. I enjoyed Trez and iAm a lot as well. So by process of elimination, I’ll say that Sola and Assail were my least favorite. I do like Assail, but while I admire Sola’s courage and actions, there’s still a lot of questions surrounding her and her purpose in the series. Until I know more, I can take or leave Sola.

Wrath and Beth…what are you’re thoughts on them after this book?

Angela: I think we will continue to see their progress after this.  There is life after happy-ever-after, after all.  Just like Z with his girls, life is always a work in progress.

Francesca: I have many thoughts.  First Wrath was a major DICK!  I was so pissed at him for a while because I think he could’ve handled some things better.  But ultimately, I fell in love with him in a way that I didn’t think would happen.  Then Beth.  She started off annoying me a bit with her moods.  But once she took control, she showed me a new side of herself.  I can honestly say I ended this book LOVING Beth.  She’s strong, she took care of her man and what needed to be done.  She fought for her man.  And the two of them together?  Well, just refer to the sentence a bit back where it says I’m in love.  Yeah, they were beautiful together.  Beautiful!

Suzanne: I have always had a crazy obsessive love for Wrath, which has now been tripled, but I now have a little girl crush on Beth. Simply put she was awesome, she had an inner strength and compassion that I couldn’t help but admire. And together, they were fantastic.

Annie:  IN. LOVE.  Really, could you ask for a more perfect ending than that?  I cheered, I cried, I panicked and I laughed my freaking ass off too. Dark Lover is my most reread book of all time, but I’m thinking with some time, THE KING will also have many rereads in the future.

In general, love or hate this book?

Angela: I loved this book. Wrath is and will always be my TOP FAVOURITE HERO. I don’t think J. R. Ward could ever do wrong when it comes to THE KING.

Francesca: LOVE!  Love, love love.  And the main reason why?  This book breathes new life into the series.  It brings a new love for all the characters.  It’ll be the book that will make you fall in love ALL OVER AGAIN with your favorites, and the ones you didn’t think were that special.  It showed me why I love Ward’s writing, and how it’s the simple scenes and interactions, a small dialogue maybe, that have such impact on your feelings.

Suzanne: Love, love, love. I think this is one of the best books to come out the series, although it may not have the page devotion to the hot ‘n steamy like the previous books, what it has is a an intense and emotional love story, as well as the beginnings of a few others. It also has some interesting plot development and I can’t wait to see where the story will go from here. And all told in the unique and urban-poetic voice of J.R.Ward.

Annie: I want to caress my book. Does that suffice as an answer?

Who do you think will be next in the series?

Angela: I’m hoping it will be Assail but I have a feeling it will be Xcor. I think he has very strict ties to what happens next to the Brotherhood.

Francesca: Xcor and Layla.  For me, that’s the only choice.  The only one I want to accept.

Suzanne: I think either, Trez and Selena or Assail and Sola. I would love it to be Layla and Xcor or iAm and whatever lucky female he shacks up with, but I don’t think their stories are quite as well set up yet as Trez and Assail.

Annie: I know Francesca and Angela said Xcor. Suz is going for Trez or Assail, but I’m gonna go for a big, big stretch here and just say Lassiter. Because who honestly wouldn’t more of that Elvis scene? It was definitely the best part of the book!

Did you like this review? If so, please tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

[about-author author=”J.R. Ward”]