The Rebel King (Deviant Kings 2) by Gina L Maxwell-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 25, 2023

All work and no wicked play makes Tiernan a very unsatisfied king…

Of all the Verran brothers, Tiernan is the least suited to wear the Night Court crown. The Rebel Prince is happy with no responsibilities or accountability―just the freedom to pursue his own dark, lush pleasures in Sin City. Including his secret hunger for a certain smart-mouthed, fiery redhead.

Only, the possibility of having Fiona is stripped away when Tiernan is thrust into the one role he never king . As king of the Dark Fae, wanting―let alone pursuing―anything with a lower-caste fae like Fiona would shift from fun…to forbidden.

Now war is emerging from the shadows of Vegas, and Tiernan is caught between who he’s meant to be and who he wants . And somewhere in this maelstrom of lust, love, and rebellion is the key to the Dark Fae’s survival…even if the cost is more than he can imagine.

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REVIEW:THE REBEL KING is the second instalment in Gina L Maxwell’s contemporary, adult DEVIANT KINGS erotic, fantasy/paranormal BDSM romance series. This is Las Vegas businessman and the new King of the Dark Fae Tiernan Verran, and hotel assistant Fiona Jewel’s story line. THE REBEL KING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including scenes of BDSM, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Fiona and Tiernan) with a final chapter by Finnian THE REBEL KING follows in the aftermath of the attack and murder of several Dark Fae. In an effort to ferret out the people responsible Fiona Jewel offers to go in undercover, undercover as an exotic dancer but all does not go according to plan when Fiona finds herself a captive of the man in charge.

Meanwhile, Fiona and Tiernan’s relationship is at risk in the face of ascension to the throne in the wake of his brother’s abdication (The Dark King 1).Caiden Verran had fallen in love with a woman whose heritage was an unknown, and in the ensuing weeks, would abdicate, leaving his brother heir to the throne but like his brother Tiernan has fallen in love with a woman who will not be an acceptable mate, and as the Dark Fae continue to fall to an unknown enemy, Tiernan must come to terms with a future without the woman he loves.

The world building continues to focus on the Verran family, and the ancient laws that govern the lines of power. As the number of supernatural beings continue to live and survive in the world of the human, Fiona will discover she is not who she has been led to believe.

The relationship between Fiona and Tiernan is one of mutual attraction but Fiona is considered ‘other’ and not an acceptable mate for the throne but Fiona’s otherness is something no one expected, and her otherness is about to force Fiona to the outside, away from the man with whom she had fallen in love. Tiernan only has eyes for our story line heroine but Tiernan knows his time with Fiona is coming to an end. When Fiona volunteers to go undercover, Tiernan sees red, and struggles to find a way for protect the woman with whom he had fallen in love. The $ex scenes are intimate and erotic with some scenes of bondage and whipping.

There is a large ensemble cast of magical and supernatural secondary and supporting characters including Tiernan’s brothers Caiden (Bryn), and Finnian, as well as vampire Dmitri; Fiona’s mother Erin Jewel, and several members of the royal court and advisors. Finnian’s story line is next.

THE REBEL KING is a story of discrimination, racism, speciesism and greed; power and control; family and relationships, acceptance and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is heart breaking, entertaining and dramatic; the romance is provocative and fated; the characters are dynamic and determined.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE DARK KING

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy