Crown of Crimson (Underworld Gods 2) by Karina Halle -Review & Excerpt Tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 23, 2022
The next thrilling instalment in the Underworld Gods series. Perfect for readers who want high steam Hades/Persephone and Beauty and the Beast vibes with a dark Nordic folklore twist.
All Hanna Heikkinen wants is to be reunited with her father again. After all, that’s why she ventured into the dark and dangerous fantasy world of Tuonela, the Land of the Dead, in order to save his life. But this time her devotion to her father comes at a cost—her growing relationship with Tuoni, the God of Death himself, who held Hanna captive in exchange for her father’s life. The last thing she expects is to feel remorse at how she left things with Death, yet the dark and sexy God is all she can think about.
Death has always prided himself on never trusting the living, but Hanna’s apparent betrayal has left a scar fathom’s deep. Vowing revenge on his future bride, and making sure she upholds her end of the bargain, Death sets out across his realm to steal Hanna back, which only fans the flames between them. But Death and Hanna aren’t just fighting each other—malevolent Old Gods are rising to power within the realm, magic is being poisoned, and buried secrets are brought to light, secrets that may cause Hanna to lose everyone she loves dear once again.
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REVIEW: Second book in the Underworld Gods series, and we ended book one in a little bit of a cliffhanger…..
Hanna has mixed emotions on leaving Death. But she has the opportunity to be with her father, so it clouds her judgement. It’s hard for her to choose, but it’s only right to be with father. Death/Grim Reaper (Tuoni) is absolutely livid at being left by Hanna! She was suppose to stay with him forever. He’s going to get her back, and he’s going to make her sorry she left him….
This time we get to witness Death’s side of the story as well as Hanna’s, and I really enjoyed reading his side. He tries to keep emotions out of his reasonings for getting Hanna back, but we all know it’s because it’s his heart involved.
We start where the last book finished. Hanna is looking for her father, being given the chance to meet him is given to her, but to do that she needs to leave Death! When Death/Tuoni catches up with her, you think it’s going to be ok, he’ll forgive her and they’ll live happily ever after. Uh no! He crowns her his Queen, then throws her into a hole (oubliette) He has no intentions of forgiving her!
There is also other bits that will keep you entertained, underhanded dealings that will have Death fighting for his land! His ex-wife and son are nothing but trouble (but a coup was ready to happen, they waited whilst Death was dealing with Hanna to strike!) He also has to deal with an uprising, enemies coming back to seek revenge, and a family that really doesn’t like him! And Hanna is more than just a mortal looking for her father ? (that’s why you need to read book one first)
Oh and there is a prophecy claiming Hanna will bring Death to its knees and usher in a new era and new master!
I really enjoyed reading this book. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but it does leave us wanting to find out more about Tuoni and Hanna. There are twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages, especially the last 1/3 of the book. And personally I can’t wait for the next book.
Oh, does Hanna ever come out of oubliette? Will Tuoni ever forgive her? And can he trust any of his children? And what of the prophecy?
And will Hanna ever reunite with her father? (See, told you there were lots of questions that needed answering) . So you’ll definitely need to read the first book (River of Shadows) before reading this one.
So if your a fan of fairytales for adults (this one did have vibes of Beauty and the Beast) then I’d recommend this one.
Click HERE for Julie’s review of book one RIVER OF SHADOWS
Copy supplied for review
? Reviewed by Julie
He shakes his head ever so subtly, his fingers bruising my skin. “After all you’ve seen, all you’ve done, all you’ve felt, and you’re still blind to the world around you. This is your world, Hanna. You know it is. You know you belong here more than you’ve ever belonged in your other life, and more than that, you belong here with me.”My jaw tightens as I try to ignore the way my heart is skipping in my chest. “You’re sounding sentimental.”
“You’re mistaking sentiment with facts,” he says, lowering his masked face toward mine. “A mistake I’m sure you won’t make again. You belong with me, because that is the bargain we made. There is no escape for you. Not now, not ever. You made a promise to me, and your promise will be held to the very end.”
There’s a finality in his words that makes my blood run cold. For a moment he loosens his grip and sighs deeply. “I know you don’t like being told what to do, but you could have had it all,” he says, almost wistfully. “You could have had my trust. Now you will become my wife and there won’t be an ounce of trust or love between us.”
My heart skips again. “Who said anything about love?”
“Hmmph.” He tilts his head, examining me. “I could have loved you, you know.”
Oh. That I didn’t know. And for reasons I can’t explain, it feels like he’s pulled a pin out from my heart and I’m slowly deflating.
Karina Halle is a former travel writer, music journalist & screenwriter, and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author of over 55 bestselling novels, ranging from horror and suspense to contemporary romance. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband, and her adopted pitbull Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.
Halle is represented by the Root Literary Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster, Hachette & Montlake. Her work has been translated and published in 20 languages.
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