First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if, instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

The Rules:

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
• Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

“Of the three living members of the Dark Fae royal line, I am the inconsequential one. The double spare heir of the Midnight Crown. The one still treated like the baby of the family, despite having lived for over a century and physically dwarfing my older brothers. For those reasons and more, people have been underestimating me my whole life. 

But this time it’s by design.”

I was intrigued by the first lines, and I’m about a third of the way into it and it’s sooooooo good.

Do you recognize the lines?

Here’s a hint:

This is an upcoming romantasy that I have been waiting for!

Still not sure? Here’s another hint:

It’s written by Gina L. Maxwell.

The First Lines Friday book is:

The Vicious King.

About the Book:

• Title: The Vicious King
• Author: Gina L. Maxwell
• Series: Deviant Kings #3
• Page Length: 420 pages
• Publication Date: July 15, 2024
• Publisher: Self Published

Synopsis:

In a war where shadows and light collide, only the vicious can be victorious.

After Finnian Verran, the exiled Dark Fae prince, rescues Taryn Emory, estranged daughter of the One True Queen, his fate becomes entwined with hers as they embark on a mission to find the Spear of Assal—a powerful weapon of the gods—before the ruthless Day Court King can use it to destroy Faerie.

Thrown together on their quest, an undeniable attraction ignites, burning even hotter when Finn introduces Taryn to the seductive pleasures of shibari. But when the spear slips through their fingers and lands in the hands of their enemy, they must put past hurts behind them and help the one person they both resent—Taryn’s mother—for a chance to save Faerie.

Venturing across the veil, they face the ultimate test of their loyalty and love. With the fate of faekind hanging by a thread, they must rally their strength and allies. The odds might be stacked against them, but for his people and the female he loves, this Dark prince will fight like the most vicious of kings.

In the breathtaking finale of the Deviant Kings trilogy, witness the epic battles for power and love as the youngest Verran fights to restore his people’s honor and claim the heart of his queen.

Links: Goodreads     

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