The Vicious King

• Author: Gina L. Maxwell
• Genre: Fantasy Romance
• Publication Date: July 15, 2024
• Publisher: Gina L. Maxwell, LLC
• Series: Deviant Kings #3

Thank you to Gina L. Maxwell for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, kidnapping, murder, death of a parent, grief, anxiety

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.

I have been anticipating this book since finishing The Rebel King, yet also kind of dreading it, because it means I’ll have to say goodbye to this fantastic world. Have no fear, because I dove right in and devoured this book. I got really sick just after starting this, and had to go to the emergency room (twice) which ended with me getting admitted on my second visit. In case you were wondering, yes I certainly brought my kindle with me and read my way through the hospital stay. And I’m doing a lot better now.

After getting to know Caiden and Tiernan, I was so ready to immerse myself in Finnian’s story and finally get to know Taryn. I love the characters that Maxwell creates—they’re so vivid and realistic that they practically jump off the page. Yes, they’re physically perfect specimens of … well, I can’t really say humanity, but … faekind? But if a reader can move past the outside of the character, we get to know them as fully realized individuals. They make corny jokes (don’t think that Monty Python joke slid by me, Gina, and I actually cackled in the emergency room), they struggle with anxiety and difficult family dynamics, they second-guess themselves and face insecurity, and they goof around with their family and friends.

While each of these books technically works as a standalone, the story flows more smoothly and allows readers to follow along better if they’re read in order. This way, I’ve gotten to know the other two Verran brothers, and have been able to verify for myself that this quote is very fitting:

“If the Verran brothers were magazines, the oldest, Caiden, would be Maxim, Tiernan would be Playgirl, and I’d be Men’s Fitness. At 6’7” and 330 pounds of muscle, most people are intimidated by me. I’m not an intimidating person by nature—ask my sisters-in-law and they’ll tell you I’m more teddy bear than grizzly—but I’m not afraid to use my size and station to my advantage when necessary.”

While other characters do play a role in the story, it’s told through the alternating perspectives of Finnian and Taryn, allowing us to get inside both of their heads and follow along what is going on throughout the story. I especially liked this, since it not only allowed me to get to know both of them, but I was able to see how their thinking changed and a connection developed between the two of them over the course of the story. Although the bond developed quickly, there was a reason for it and it was explained well.

There was a found family trope that ran throughout the series, and it was used to great effect in this book. In the earlier books, the Verrans have demonstrated their bond with others in their inner circle, and we get to see Taryn’s connection to her “brother” Dmitri, who has also become found family to Finn. I enjoyed watching all of them become one big family and learn how to accommodate each other.

No one writes a spicy scene quite like Gina L. Maxwell, and she always manages to keep things fresh and exciting. In this book, she incorporates a kink that isn’t seen as often in books—shibari, or Japanese rope bondage. I appreciated the way that she explored how shibari isn’t simply a kink, but also offers healing, relief from stress, security, and even a way to manage anxiety, and all of these are detailed in the story. It was so sexy, especially the way that there was an emphasis on practicing safely and always with consent. 

“Every single strand of the rope holds a purpose; it is not simply a tool, but an extension of my affection, forged to embrace and support her the same way I would with my body.”

Overall, this was the best possible ending to the trilogy that I could have possibly asked for, even if there was one part in the story that made me want to throw my kindle completely across the room. However, it made the twist afterwards even more impactful, and I almost fell off the bed when I found out what happened next. Maxwell avoided one of my biggest reading pet peeves, which is when a character accesses a skill or power for the first time and nails it; in this story she had her character busting their ass to learn how to use their skill the hard way—practice. I always credit Gina for changing the way that I think about romance novels: before her, I thought they were all the way they used to be in the 90s, and now I always look forward to starting one of her books. They’re chock full of spice, diversity, character development, snarky and amusing interactions, killer fight scenes, and plots that grab my attention right away and don’t let go until the end. In this case, my attention was held until after, when I got the bonus epilogue from signing up for Gina’s mailing list. It was well worth it, I promise. If you haven’t started this series, what are you waiting for?

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